Matching the right system components

[wilro15]

Very often What HiFi will say something like, "this amp sounds bright and brash so ensure to match with the right speakers". What do they mean when they say that?

Does that mean I should go for "dull" speakers due to the overly "bright" sound of the amp?

Or does it mean that the speakers should also be "bright" to match the amp?

If both were "bright" would that lead to a sound that induces fatigue?

 

[Andrew Everard]

Very often What HiFi will say something like, "this amp sounds bright and brash so ensure to match with the right speakers". What do they mean when they say that?

Does that mean I should go for "dull" speakers due to the overly "bright" sound of the amp?

Or does it mean that the speakers should also be "bright" to match the amp?

If both were "bright" would that lead to a sound that induces fatigue?

Yes, if a component has a pronounced sonic characteristic, it's porbably best not to partner it with another component with the same traits, as this will compound the problem.

I would go so far as to say 'dull' speakers should be used with a bright-sounding amp; rather one should aim for speakers with some warmth and smoothness, and a sweeet, controlled treble.

 

[wilro15]

Ok that makes sense.

How about matching components based on price? When buying a hi-fi system you would generally spend the same amount on amp, cd and speakers. But how does this transfer to home cinema?

For instance, I spent £600 on my KEF 2005.3 speakers, does this mean I should ideally have a receiver worth approximately £600 too?

The reason for my confusion is that you get 6 "things" when you buy the KEF package - as opposed to 2 "things" when you buy stereo speakers for a hi-fi system.

 

[dtugarte]

You should generally spend around half the price of the speaker package on the receiver.