Synergy

[Clive]

I personally dont call events I cant explain, magic.

How about a UE - Unexplained Event?

Or Happenstance?

[Clive]

I think it's like flavours of food

While no-one can agree on how things taste, well we can't as we are all different! We can often agree that salmon & broccoli goes together very well indeed

None of it is measurable, or even if it is then how do you define it? But put certain things together & some magic can indeed happen. Even if you have no reason to think that it would given the ingredients.

It's the same as colours. We are all taught at school that this is red, that is green, & that is brown. But at the end of the day, while we may well agree on the names, we can't in any way prove we are seeing the same thing!

We just agree on a name for it

Damn, I'm getting hungry

So do we have synergies that just about everyone can hear and appreciate through to synergies that only one person can hear (after a couple of glasses of their fave liquid perhaps)?

[Reid Malenfant]

I'd say that it'd be not exactly universal as we are all different, but a good proportion of people would agree that certain kit goes together very well indeed.

Getting back to the food thing, not everyone likes salmon, so salmon & broccoli is out of the window for those that don't, even if they love broccoli

I also agree with the definition of synergy, it's that rare occasion when 2 + 2 = more than 4...

Greater than the sum of the parts...

[Clive]

I also agree with the definition of synergy, it's that rare occasion when 2 + 2 = more than 4...

Greater than the sum of the parts...

Which suggests to me it's an environmental influence or personal preference that's adding the magic/unexplained event/happenstance.

[John]

I am not sure if you can quantify these terms as to many variables, preference plays a part and so does envioronment but its more complex than that
Sorry struggling to define what may be the cause

[bobbasrah]

I am not sure if you can quantify these terms as to many variables, preference plays a part and so does envioronment but its more complex than that
Sorry struggling to define what may be the cause

Might I suggest John that despite a good handle on the sciences involved, the interactions between components in stereo systems are a bit of a lottery unless they come from the same manufacturer where they have tested them together. Even there, a change of interconnects or a speaker cable can change the interactions again......

[Clive]

Some environmental factors are easy to understand, eg the effect of some speakers, especially OBs, placed in front of a bay window. This usually has a strong effect on vocals/mid-range imaging, this doubles up on what OBs already do very well. If this is where 2 + 2 = 5 comes from maybe the equation should be 1 + 2 + 2 = 5. Synergy in this case would not be transferable to a room without a bay window.

[John]

Ok Clive
So in our rooms we are quite used to our environment it either helps us with the sound or create issues, most rooms will create issues.
That still does not account for why I might perfer one amp against another and that in my case I am using a lot less expensive gear and getting better results
I personally think that there no real end goal in this journey

[Clive]

I think though John that good kit does not have to be expensive and when you take into account different business model then prices can be very different (eg direct vs including distributor and dealer margins)

[Beechwoods]

2+2=5 is a simple way of explaining synergy, but it has zero relevance to hi-fi, where any notion of quantifying the value of a component is entirely subjective.

What is true is that sometimes shocking results can be achieved via different combinations of components. One person's experience of a certain component may be down to the combination of that component and the other equipment they have, and the way they have their room arranged etc. There is no absolute, and slavishly replicating someone else's setup may not in any case work with the room modes and conditions you have.

Ultimately synergy is about serendipity, trial and error, and a good dose of other people's experience to minimise costly mistakes.