Audio Lessons Learned - post your best advice for the newer members!


Hi,
I thought it would be great to have our longtime audiophiles post their "lessons learned" along the way.

This is not a thread to start arguments, so please do not do that.
Just a repository where newer members can go to get a few good tidbits of knowledge.

I'll start - I have been an audiophile for 50 years now.

1. Learn about how humans hear sound, and what frequencies SHOULD NOT be flat in their response.. This should be the basis for your system. "Neutral" sounding systems DO NOT sound good to the human ear. You will be unsatified for years (like I was) until you realize this.

2. I do not "chase" DACS anymore.. (I went up to 30K Dacs before realizing the newest Dac chips are now within a few % of the high end Dacs.) Do your research and get yourself a good Dac using the best new dac chips. (about 1000.00 will get you a good one) and save yourself a fortune. - This was one of the best lessons I learned (and just recently) . It allowed me to put more of the budget into room treatment, clean power, and cables which are much more important.

3. Do you want a pleasant or unpleasant sounding system?
I had many very high end systems with NO real satisfaction, until I realized
why a certain company aimed for a particular sound..

4. McIntosh:
As a high end audiophile, I regarded McIntosh as just a little above Bose for about 40 years.-- (not good)
I thought I was an elite audiophile who knew way too much about our hobby to buy equipment that was well made, but never state of the art and colored in its own way.

This was TOTALLY WRONG, as I realize now.
McIntosh goes for a beautiful sound for HUMAN ears, not for specification charts. This is not a flat response, and uses autoformers to get this gorgeous sound. If you know enough about all the other things in our hobby, such as room treatments, very clean power, and very good cables, you can bring a gorgeous sounding McIntosh system to unheard of levels. I have done this now, and I have never enjoyed my music more!

Joe55ag


joe55ag

Showing 1 response by richopp

Once you decide you want to invest in a music-listening system that better reproduces recorded music experience for serious (dedicated) listening, find a dealer who carries a wide range and variety of gear.

When you choose ANY item, take it home and listen to it in YOUR ROOM.  YOUR ROOM is the MOST IMPORTANT element of any system, regardless of price.  You may have to modify your room and purchase new equipment for best results.

You may not have to spend a lot of money to achieve what YOU want from a listening system.  Don't let all the hype, etc., get to you.  However, you MAY need some coaching from someone at the shop as to what to listen for and to have that person point out some differences between items in a system as to why they produce different listening experiences.

Don't be discouraged.  Most on this site have years of experience and some, like me, are former dealers who had unlimited hours to listen to various components under various conditions prior to making decisions.

Finally, some really good-sounding products break a lot.  Just like a car, you are also buying a warranty and the support of your dealer.  It is a partnership, and every participant needs to hold up their end of the deal.

Most of all, HAPPY LISTENING!  That is what it is all about.

Cheers!