How important is hi-fi to you?

[Doghouse Riley]

I don't go overboard about hifi.

But of course you can't beat vinyl.

My original set-up in 1972 was a Philips 790 tuner/amp and matching 308 turntable with a Shure M75EJ cartridge and a pair of big Goodmans speakers.

The amp lost a transistor last year so I didn't think it worth replacing, so I bought on eBay for peanuts, an immaculate vintage S/H Leak 2000 tuner/amp with all sorts of bells and whistles to replace it, I was well pleased with it.

"The youth of today" don't want them, they all want ipods.



Here's a 315lb ipod.

I've two of 'em in our summerhouse down at the bottom of our garden.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISeRK8vCa1M

[Pope Pertwee IX]

I like my HiFi. Ages ago I had a Sony integrated amp; (30W per channel), with B&W DM 2 Speakers. A Thorens Deck. The system was so antiquated; I needed to plug an attenuator in series to allow a CD player to function properly.
I was becoming so teed off at work that I had a retirement strategy all worked out. A “decent” HiFi was one of the main points on my agenda.
I had been out of the game for so long, it surprised me as to the nature of “separates.”
So some research was needed, HiFI Magazine reviews, auditions etc etc.
After auditioning various brands, one stood out for me, and that was “Naim.”
A good friend of mine, who is also into Jazz, and has just joined our ranks, pointed out a HiFi dealer, who Naim was one of their preferred brands.
Say no more, I did some homework re: Naim, and contacted the Dealer.
They couldn’t have been more helpful. No hard sell, relaxed, no sweat. They had given me a recommended configuration. I had done more homework, with regard to an improved, yet more expensive set up.
I went to the dealer, a 232 mile round trip, to audition a HiFi. Maybe in the USA, that’s nothing much? But in the UK, it would be a considerable distance to audition a HiFi!
I had an eclectic range of CD’s, and away we go on the Dealer’s recommended system. It sounded good, but I wanted to hear the stuff on what I had in mind. In fact, I had to instigate the suggestions, with no pressure from the Dealer.
Yes! I prefer the Kudos Cardea C10 speakers to the C1’s. Expense justified!
Naim FlatCap (x2) Power Supply to enhance the Preamp and the CD Player’s performance. Improved sound quality. Expense justified.
I’ve had the system for 3 and a half years now, and am still very happy with it.
I don’t know how well known Naim is in the US. But it is a brand I would recommend, along with Kudos for speakers.

Naim. http://www.naimaudio.com/

Kudos. http://www.kudosaudio.com/en/index.html

Signals (Dealer). http://www.signals.uk.com/

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[chazro]

I've been in the audiophile hobby for close to 3 decades! IMO good sound goes hand in hand with music appreciation. I'd say the absolute cheapest way to get good sound would be to get a used ipod (like I have) and upgrade the shitty stock earbuds with ANY bud/headphone you can afford. The difference in sound quality is immediate! My 2nd piece of advice (especially for those of us that need to watch our wallets!) would be to buy USED. You'll be amazed how much more bang for yr dollars you'll get!

[Mark of Cenla]

Well, I moved some audio gear around and put my Boston Acoustic CS 26 speakers in our bedroom, the place where I do most of my music listening. I also got out my Audiosource Model One/A power amp and my Technical Pro Pre-B5050 preamp. I am now nearly up to hi-fi quality. Since I began listening to jazz again, the sound quality matters more to me. Peace and goodwill.

[flyin' brian]

Originally Posted by Doghouse Riley

[COLOR="Navy"]
"The youth of today" don't want them, they all want ipods.

At a youthful 65 I can't be bothered with all those frills. The last high end stereo I had was in the 1980s and I don't own it any more.

I spent so much time on the road during my work years that I always wanted music with me, so an iPod became a natural choice. Still is.

I'm fine with the convenience of an iPod. No matter how I tried, I could never get vinyl to work well in my car, and after spending 37 years around airplanes and 50 years playing in bands, my hearing doesn't know the difference.

[Mark of Cenla]

Originally Posted by chazro

I've been in the audiophile hobby for close to 3 decades! IMO good sound goes hand in hand with music appreciation. I'd say the absolute cheapest way to get good sound would be to get a used ipod (like I have) and upgrade the shitty stock earbuds with ANY bud/headphone you can afford. The difference in sound quality is immediate! My 2nd piece of advice (especially for those of us that need to watch our wallets!) would be to buy USED. You'll be amazed how much more bang for yr dollars you'll get!

I totally agree with this. However, I do not like wearing headphones or earbuds, so it is speakers for me. Peace and goodwill.

[engelbach]

I used to pursue hi-fi passionately, but could never afford the very best gear.

In the 1970s I was using all AR components: receiver, speakers, and turntable with Shure and Stanton cartridges.

I've been using NAD amps and receivers for the last two decades, and the AR turntable finally gave out last year. I switched to big Polk speakers back in the 1980s, which I still have. But no longer a decent turntable; just a run-of-the-mill Audio-Technica.

I used to be devoted to vinyl and still have about a quarter of my once-large record collection. But the upkeep on LPs is enormous and I mostly listen to CDs now.

A realistic sound-stage with accurate positioning and true instrumental timbres are my main interests.

[J A FANT]

As a music lover, very important to me. It is a nice caveat to own a system that truly squeezes out every bit of data, which makes a more enjoyable listening experience!

[Vaughan]

I spend at least three to four hours every single day listening to music. How important is the hi-fi? Very. How could it not be?

[niels]

Yeah, I can't imagine that hi-fi is not important to you, when you are a music junkie! And the last year I learned you really don't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a good sound out of your system.

Good synergy between components, good placement of speakers, and the right speakers for your listening environment are most important. And buying on the second hand market, should allow almost everybody to get at least a decent system in their homes.

Last year I only had the basics, but now I have build a set-up that works perfectly for me now (although I wouldn't mind a few extra tweeks/upgrades for my turntable):
- Dynaudio Focus 110 (bookshelf) speakers, on stands
- Accuphase E-206 (vintage amp)
- Squeezebox with upgraded power suply (BOTW), for my digital files (all FLAC, and ripped with EAC)
- Nos Metrum Mini Dac (for the Squeezebox)
- Technics SL1200 MK11 turntable
- Denon DL103 phono cartrige

[OutofTune]

Originally Posted by Vaughan

I spend at least three to four hours every single day listening to music. How important is the hi-fi? Very. How could it not be?

Exactly!!

[Mark of Cenla]

Originally Posted by Vaughan

I spend at least three to four hours every single day listening to music. How important is the hi-fi? Very. How could it not be?

Well, although I do love music, I am a public school teacher and cannot afford to buy an accurate sound system, which would cost thousands of dollars. So I go for sound that is pleasing to me. So most of the gear I use for music listening is nowhere near hi-fi. To each his/her own. Peace and goodwill

By the way, I believe this is my 500th post on this forum.

[Vaughan]

If it's any consolation, we all live within our means. Check out forums where hi-fi buffs hang out. They're all talking about the next piece of equipment they're going to buy.

[niels]

Originally Posted by Mark of Cenla

Well, although I do love music, I am a public school teacher and cannot afford to buy an accurate sound system, which would cost thousands of dollars. So I go for sound that is pleasing to me. So most of the gear I use for music listening is nowhere near hi-fi. To each his/her own. Peace and goodwill

By the way, I believe this is my 500th post on this forum.

As I said in my previous post, when buying on the second hand market, you can buy very good equipment for definitely less than thousands and thousands of dollars. In the Netherlands I work in the art/cultural field, and believe me that's also not where the big money is for most people (including me)

When I look at my amp for instance (the Acuphase), it's a more than 20 year old amp that's still better than 90% on the market today and the thing is build to last forever (only needs a checkup every 5 years or so). In the late 80's the amp costed around €3000,- but a few months ago I could buy it in excellent condition from somebody for €400,-.
And the same goes for my turntable and my speakers (although they are not that old, I could get them for half the price).

I think when you get on the second hand market and focus on the essentials (amp, speakers, turntable and/or CD player/streaming device), you should be able to get a very decent system for well under a 1000 dollar.
The things that are most important I think are synergy between components, room accoustics and placement of speakers. I heard systems for only a few hundered euros, completely blew away systems of many thousand euro's, only because the people with the cheaper set ups knew what they where doing. Many people think buying expensive gear will automatically give good sound, but that is certainly not the case.

[norderney]

Originally Posted by niels

Yeah, I can't imagine that hi-fi is not important to you, when you are a music junkie! And the last year I learned you really don't have to spend tens of thousands of dollars to get a good sound out of your system.

Good synergy between components, good placement of speakers, and the right speakers for your listening environment are most important. And buying on the second hand market, should allow almost everybody to get at least a decent system in their homes.

Last year I only had the basics, but now I have build a set-up that works perfectly for me now (although I wouldn't mind a few extra tweeks/upgrades for my turntable):
- Dynaudio Focus 110 (bookshelf) speakers, on stands
- Accuphase E-206 (vintage amp)
- Squeezebox with upgraded power suply (BOTW), for my digital files (all FLAC, and ripped with EAC)
- Nos Metrum Mini Dac (for the Squeezebox)
- Technics SL1200 MK11 turntable
- Denon DL103 phono cartrige

Hi there. Nice to see another SqueezeBox user here.

Here's a summery of my system;

All music is stored in FLAC format on a 3TB USB Hard Drive, with 3 additional USB Hard Drives for backup.

Music is streamed from my PC through a Slim Devices Transporter connected to my Cyrus 8XPd Amplifier.

Speakers are B&W CDM1NT

I control my Transporter with my iPhone using the excellent App iPeng http://penguinlovesmusic.de/. This makes selecting music very easy.

I currently have 3545 albums with 47888 tracks by 7203 artists stored on my computer as at January 2013.

I do seem to have a CD buying addiction. Jazz and Soft Rock are my favourite music genres.