Let's Talk About Synergy

Early B.

As many can attest, audio components mate better with some than others. In order to get some more insight on this issue, let's get some feedback on the following:

1) What brand or specific set of components do you feel mate best with a particular Polk speaker? Why?

2) Do you consciously make purchasing decisions based on whether or not a particular component will mate well with your system or do you rely on the trial and error method?

3) What auxillary components (i.e., interconnects, speaker cables, etc.) appear to bring out the best in your system?

4) What was the best system you ever heard? What made it so damn good?

Thanks in advance for your contribution.

PolknPepsi

1. I always figured with solid state that the more power the better. Changed from 45w to 100w Denon reciever and is still not enough for a pair of RT55I's

2. After doing a lot of research and hanging around here and seeing what others use........you bet "synergy means everything.

3. A few do not care for, but Monster cable smokes Home Depot or Rad Shack anyday.

4. Something I will never forget was two B&W 803's powered by maybe 200-300 watts of Mcintosh. Hard for me to describe how "FANTASTIC" that was. Those two together are what I judge others by.

..................................................Good Day

Tour2ma

Have to preface all by saying that speakers are around 80% of the SQ equation in my book. You can screw up good ones with bad gear in front of them, but no amount of great gear can compensate for bad speakers...

1) What brand or specific set of components do you feel mate best with a particular Polk speaker? Why?
I have always loved Bob Carver amps with Big Polks. They have the balls to drive them without working hard. For years it was an early Carver M-1.5t that had the honors. When it had to go back to the factory for some repairs about 4 years ago, they not only repaired it, but upgraded it with all the refinements that were incorporated in the last of the 1.5's. It was soooo much sweeter when it came back, I could not believe it was the same amp. Of course, actually it was not.
Had a similar "epiphany" when I bought my first B&K Pre about ten years ago, an unexpanded AVP2000, i.e., it was only 2 ch and I never did get it upgraded. It replaced a Yamaha C-2 pre that I thought had done nice work for a few years. Moving to the B&K was like lifting a veil off of my SRS’s. No going back… When I decided to go Pre-Pro, my choice was easy.
In large part I believe that both of the above improvements are owed to the SRS’s SL2000 tweeters, which are generally recognized as a bright tweeter. I also learned after the B&K switch, that Yamaha gear is generally considered to be bright. And later that Carver gear was considered harsh (measure of brightness in that description as well). From my first stereo I had always been a treble booster, so I do (or did) like my music bright. I now know my SRS – 1.5t – C-2 combination was overdoing it.
Last year’s move to Sunfire was not the equal of either of the step changes I mentioned above, but some refinement was added. Especially so when I selected the amp’s Current output option for the SRS’s tweeters. This did just a little more smoothing of the highs.
I am still searching for some sources, but love the vinyl – Shure - Thorens – AA Vac-in-the-Box chain to which I add a little dbx magic from time to time…

2) Do you consciously make purchasing decisions based on whether or not a particular component will mate well with your system or do you rely on the trial and error method?
I know of no way to anticipate what the results will be, other than info I gain from forums. Given the above, I try to avoid “bright” gear in my HT. But it’s all trial and error; it’s just not necessarily all my personal trial and error...

3) What auxiliary components (i.e., interconnects, speaker cables, etc.) appear to bring out the best in your system?
I am one of those “doubting Thomases” when it comes to wire. And I remain so even after my Cable Demo time (courtesy of this Club and the Demo’s mastermind, doro), as it was so fraught with issues that I never did conclude my “tests” and sent the items on before I killed the effort’s momentum entirely.
That said I did once invest in a pair of Tara Lab’s IC’s that I enjoyed for a few years. More recently I moved to Signal Cable’s Balanced XLR IC’s for my front soundstage, and am pleased. But again, nothing earth shattering occurred with either wire upgrade.

4) What was the best system you ever heard? What made it so damn good?
I have had my jaw dropped twice in a listening experience, and have been startled a couple more times.
Jaw drop #1 was my first SDA experience. A local shop where I went to buy my first Carver amp was running the SRS’s in their premier listening room. I could not believe the width of the soundstage these beasts threw, and threw with power I had not felt before. Demo material was DSOTM (of course) and Flim and the BB’s “Tricycle”. Rest of the system as best I can recall was Carver, Carver and more Carver. I bought the Carver, but never forgot the SRS’s and nailed a used Pair a couple years later.
Magnepan 1.6’s brought on jaw drop #2. The precision and depth of imaging on Dave Brubeck’s “Blue Rondo” was astounding. They were running off of B&K 2 ch separates. A very sweet rig complemented by a Vanderstein sub for more genre’s more demanding than a Jazz quartet. As a result I picked up my used Maggie 1.5’s last year on ebay.
Startles are too numerous to get into (I wouldn’t want this post to get too long… ), but a couple occurred at TxPFII at RuSsMan’s hacienda, and I am looking forward to more on the 8th, 9th and 10th at Polktoberfest…