We all want better sound but where do you start if you're not getting all you hope for?
If imaging or tonal balance is off, do you work with the speakers or the electronics? If your speakers aren't disappearing or the music is presented in your lap rather than on a proper soundstage, do you tweak setup or change cables?
It is difficult to know where in any complex system to start.
My advice has always been simple (though often not very satisfying).
At the beginning.
It may seem obvious to some, but if you don't have the basics of setup: AC power, room tweaks, and speaker placement then every effort at improvement is more a Band-Aid than a fix.
I have helped countless audiophiles get a handle on their systems by pulling their attention away from the tweaks and back to the basics.
Getting the fundamentals right—especially the initial speaker and listening position—is critical to every system.
Getting started on fixing weakness when you haven't first addressed the basics is like trying to shore up a teetering house with chewing gum and baling wire.
Fundamentals first.
