Today marks the beginning of a new series. Over the next few weeks, I'd like to take a step back with you and revisit the full sweep of the two-channel audio system—from source to speakers, and everything in between. Think of this as a broad view refresher. Whether you're just getting started or decades into the journey, it's helpful to zoom out now and then and see the whole landscape.
The source is where the music enters the system.
Whether we're talking about a turntable, a CD/SACD transport, a streamer, or a digital file on a hard drive, what the source sends downstream sets the tone—literally—for everything that follows.
In digital playback, the source begins with the music itself, whether stored as a file, on a CD, or streamed from a server. That data depends on a transport or streaming device to extract it cleanly and deliver it intact. Only then does the DAC, or digital-to-analog converter, take over to convert those ones and zeros into sound.
But DACs don't just convert. Their power supplies, timing architectures, output stages, and filtering all have a profound impact on how natural or mechanical the final result feels. We've all heard DACs with nearly identical measurements sound dramatically different. That's one reason we invested so much into developing the PMG Signature platform—it taught us that precision, isolation, and careful listening are essential to digital design. In fact, not just PMG Signature, but all the way back to the very first consumer DACs ever made at the dawn of the digital age, we've been at the forefront of digital audio reproduction.
Still, whether your source is digital or analog, its fundamental job is the same: retrieve the signal accurately and send it on untouched with low noise and perfect timing. The best sources stay out of the way and let the music speak for itself.
That said, I still believe the loudspeaker is the most important component in any system. That's where sound becomes real. But no speaker, no matter how revealing, can overcome a lifeless or misaligned signal.
The journey to great sound starts with what the source delivers—and a transport, server, DAC, or (soon to be in the series) turntable that gets it right sets the whole system up for success.
