Here's the test: In my listening room let me listen to something familiar on my system while $150,000 worth of other stuff has been warming up next door. After a while a crew of 15 serious union stagehands runs in, sweeps away my gear, and sets up the 100K system playing the same music at the same level...repeat a few times. I will then offer my opinion regarding the differences between the systems, and buy pizza for the stagehands. Does a Magico/Boulder system in a 1500 square foot treated soundroom sound like my system in my house? Does it matter?
58 responses Add your response
newbie story... I am new to this myself having only stepped into this pool in mid 2010. I started by going to a local shop which sells used audiophile gear along with new well regarded brands like Naim and Tannoy (Hawthorne Stereo, Seattle). I didn't know anything and was willing to pay more for a 30 day warranty and the freedom to trade. I started with a NAD 2155 ($125), a pair of Klipsch KG3 speakers ($250) and my iMac... I immediately added a sub, Acoustic Energy ($150). Let me say there was a lot more resolution to music than I had been hearing through my little computer speakers. I added a Native Instruments DJ DAC from Guitar Center per advice from a friend and discovered there was even more to hear. I then traded in the Klipsch KG3's for a pair of Klipsch KG4's. This cost me $200... I learned about speaker placement and that I could probably have found the same speaker for under $200 on Craigslist. I haunted Craigslist daily and found a pair of Heresy 2's for $400 in wonderful condition from a cool old enthusiast. I bought them and with a bug up my butt to find some kind of satisfaction and set about upgrading my amp. I used my KG4's and NAD for credit toward a Sumo Athena and Ulysses ($650 - I lost a $100 in the exchange). I upgraded my DAC to a Cambridge Audio DAC Magic ($400). So here I was with over a grand in gear and a bunch of hours and I was a bit put off by my system, it had lots of resolution but didn't sound very integrated and seemed less like music than my old computer speakers... wtf? So i went to the Internet and started reading more. (This is when I found Audiogon btw) I thought I should probably lose the Sumo amps or the Heresy 2's. As luck would have it, a Jolida SJ502A came into inventory at Hawthorn and for $100 and the Sumo gear it was mine. The Heresy 2's and the Jolida 502A sound very nice together. ah a moment of happy peace... but there is this vinyl thing I have been reading about... and mods for the Jolida... and maybe new Crites crossovers for the Heresy 2's... Enjoy the journey and hold out for the deals... the more you know about the brands and models the more likely you will be able to spot the killer deals. |
When I saw Wolf's post the thought that entered my head immediately was that the 10,000 hour rule applied to equipment burn-in or break-in in order to get Hi-End sound from ones system. 10000 rule |
An insult to musicians everywhere. Remember the 10,000 hour rule. Absolutely. It takes about 4000 hours practice to achieve complete proficiency. About twice that to be considered "Good" by your peers. And 10,000+ to become elite. In terms of time, 8 hours a week for 10 years will gain you complete proficiency, which is about all that most amateurs can ever hope to achieve... Have some respect! |
