Sound Advice: System matching is important in audio

Q: You've written about things that are "euphonic," where certain audio components work well with one another. Could you elaborate on that?

A: What you are referring to is system matching, although euphonic qualities can play a part.

"Euphonic" means "agreeable sound." In the audio world, when something is referred to as euphonic it doesn't mean more accurate. In fact, the opposite is frequently true — because the word "euphonic" often is followed by the word "distortion."

Tube amplifiers have more noise and measurable distortion than solid-state amplifiers, yet many listeners prefer tube amplification. There are debates as to why, but many chalk it up to euphonic distortion that creates pleasant sound that is easy on the ear.

Vinyl records and turntables also have euphonic qualities.

If you were to measure the outputs of a $10,000 turntable setup and a $30 CD player, the CD player's output will be much more even and accurate. When you listen to them, though, if you have good recordings (and clean records), you would find that most listeners prefer the record player. In fact, you wouldn't even need to spend $10,000 on a record player to achieve this result.

System matching can involve products with euphonic qualities, but the concept refers to choosing components that complement one another.

Ohm Walsh speakers use a single inverted-cone "Walsh driver" that reproduces almost the entire audible range with incredible accuracy. They produce beautiful, natural sound that makes it seem as if you can reach out and touch the performers. Walsh speakers thrive on clean power with a high "damping factor" to provide precise control of the Walsh driver. Tube amplifiers tend to have low damping factors, so typically they are not a good choice for Ohms. A proper match is a strong solid-state amplifier.

GoldenEar speakers use a metal high-velocity folded ribbon tweeter. Such tweeters are incredibly open, detailed and airy, and have low power requirements. They have proven to be a fantastic match with tube amplification, which makes them come alive.

Turntables have a hard job to do, so it's important to pick pieces that work in harmony. For example, a $5,000 moving coil phono cartridge will sound fantastic on a turntable with a solid, non-resonant tonearm, but mounting it on a flimsy tonearm could well lead to sonic disaster.

You also should match speakers to your room size and amplifier power to the speakers and how loud you play.

I'll write more on system matching in the future.