Click title to read one, or click date to read all below it.
03-06-03
Also...1)exhaust speaker placement options before upgrading ... Phasecorrect
03-06-03
- spend at least 20 times as much time listening to and thin ... Raguirre
03-07-03
1) a good audio system forces you to music. a bad one force ... Bluefin
03-10-03
If like music, the catalog to equipment ratio should be at l ... Jlamb
03-10-03
Have not followed this thread,but here are some things i hav ... Abex
03-21-03
You can buy anything you want out there, but you'll have mor ... Marty76
03-22-03
If your like me and start in you teenage years, by the time ... matt_haug@
03-28-03
There all pink inside... Phasecorrect
04-02-03
Phasecorrect what are you refering to? matt_haug@
07-14-03
1) dont sweat the petty stuff 2) dont pet the sweaty stuff ... Slappy
07-16-03
Have fun! this hobby is a journey with lot's of adventure. c ... Ridgestreetaudio
09-01-03
1 importance of a powerful amp: at least 70 honest watts p ... gonglee1@
09-01-03
Learn a little bit about typical male manifestations of obse ... Shasta
10-11-03
Learn how to listen...listen with your eyes closed....music ... Brainwater
11-04-03
As a musician i would suggest many audiophiles invest some t ... Oddmorning
11-23-03
1)the most important part of the system is the room (unless ... Maxlorenz
12-24-03
1. decide first if you want a 5 channel hometheatre or a tw ... Whitesandbluewater
12-24-03
Don't let signal degradation get in the way of buying a simp ... Unclejeff
12-27-03
1. don't get started in the first place! you are better off ... Vvrinc
01-01-04
Great responses so far. my advice- decide what level of sy ... Pmi_guy
02-11-04
I - join audiogon and use it to research. ii - set your o ... Clbeanz
03-26-04
I've been doing this for twenty-five years. here's what i've ... Virgil
03-26-04
Virgil, i'm mostly in agreement w/ you esp. w.r.t to your & ... Bombaywalla
03-26-04
Bombaywalla- i think you are right on target; poor accoustic ... Virgil
03-26-04
1. run far and fast away from here before you go crazy and b ... Jim63
03-27-04
Clarification: 1. it was to late for me the day i was born ... Jim63
04-02-04
Do not set your audio beliefs in "stone" , think o ... Darrylhifi
05-14-04
Try these 5 fisrt... 1.) open a td account before your money ... Infinity_audio
07-02-04
The last guy was great. but virgil's remarks "are out t ... Whitesandbluewater
07-07-04
Since we are on audiogon, i'll stick to audio words of wisdo ... Msrice
08-14-04
The music you listen to and you what sounds good to you is t ... Shanew
09-06-04
Thats pretty good infinity audio. one more thing. find some ... Brainwater
09-21-04: Johnrob
From the perspective of a psychologist who is somewhat new to high-end audio, I have the following to offer:
1. Take your time to choose and keep organized. At least three to four months allows for good research and plenty of time to listen to things. It is also fun to search for various components and learn about the different nuances of each. As buying hi-end equipment is a big investment and there is a lot of equipment out there to choose from, take notes or do some sort of rating system. Personally, I rate on themes such as "emotional impact" or "goose bumps" in addition to "soundstage", "transparency", and "musicality."
2. Audition speakers (or other components) in your home for as long as possible. Factors such as your mood, time of day, or even being hungry can influence your perception at any given time. Having the component in your home for several days or more allows you get to know the component in the confines of your room and equipment, which is likely much different from the sellers. If you fall in love with a piece, its time to buy, unless you love two of the contenders.
3. I f there is a tie between two or more components, try to audition them blind - if possible. This is difficult to do, but worth the hassle, and can only work if you are choosing between several components at the same store (e.g., different models of a CD player) or amongst various friends components. Not knowing which one of the two or three contending components that you are hearing removes any bias that you might have formed. (Of course, someone will need to tell you later which was component A, B or C.) In essence this makes your choice cleaner and based on your reaction only to the sound. It is easy to become influenced by "expert" salespersons, a friends opinion, or some other factor.
4. Someone else said this (12-14-01: Justlisten), and I agree - don't listen to salespersons opinions about equipment that they don't sell. I've experienced too many salespersons subtly or blatantly putting down perfectly good equipment. (E.g., one guy told me that he was "embarrassed" by the fact that had previously sold B & W speakers (which I mentioned that I had auditioned). This can be a manipulative strategy designed to create doubt about the other product.) The best salespersons have just let me listen and decide for myself, or may discuss the qualities of their product. If a salesperson tells you something "bad' about the competitors equipment, it's probably best to assume that s/he doesn't really have your best interest in mind.
5. Use several different types of music during auditions, and use the same pieces for each audition. Select amongst songs that you know very well. I like to use instrumental jazz, good male and female vocalists, classical, and rock and roll. This helps to capture the range, dynamics, and emotional impact of the component that your listening to. Ultimately, in my opinion, it is our emotional response to the music reproduced by the various components that makes buying audio equipment worthwhile.
Johnrob (Threads | Answers | This Thread)
09-21-04
I just wanted to say great thread, very good info, thx all, ... Nerd65
09-22-04
Didactically- cant you hear this thread calling you? Timf
09-23-04
Lots of good advise so far. 1a) patience. 1b) patience. 1 ... Artizen65
09-23-04
1. take a 1 month break once a year, no hi-fi, nothing. 2. g ... Sonicbeauty
01-19-05
1. protect your ears - wear plugs when vacuming, cutting the ... Gammajo
01-20-05
The most important link is always speakers, followed by sour ... Darrenlite
05-13-05
1/ in speakers, with very rare exceptions, fewer drivers is ... 213cobra
06-03-05
* dont compete, someone always has better, but at more cost. ... Chadnliz
06-20-05
Great thread. 1)tube amps are over rated-but they do sound l ... Rfj5106
06-28-05
1. buy the best (analog) source component you can afford, fi ... R_f_sayles
06-29-05
1. invite attractive women to your house and play music the ... Finsfan05401
09-13-05
Spend a lot more than you can Surfgod
09-28-05
it only looks as good as it sounds. listen with your eyes ... Surfgod
10-10-05
Don't belive anything you read in "6-moons" or by ... Mint604
05-06-06
To maximise your return from your existing system without ad ... cspei@
10-28-06
1. ears = heart. if this connection is lost- something is wr ... Valve_and_vinyl
10-28-06
Like valve and vinyl said. amen, brother. Hartwerger
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