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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
lak's avatar
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lak
4,529 posts
 
When making changes to your system, make one change at a time and allow days or weeks between changes to really evaluate what you hear.
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jgoldrick
138 posts
 
Sound quality vs cost improves dramatically up to the $2500 or so range, then proceeds to level off almost completely.  There will be a greater perceived improvement in SQ with a $1500 piece of equipment vs a $3000 one than a $6000 piece of equipment vs a $7500 one.
spenav
413 posts
 
John McDonald of Audience once told me that “the power IS the music”. Took me a while to understand what he was talking about. After all I asked him a simple question: “how important is good power to an audio system?” I realize later that everything start with good power and there is no substitute nor correction for that. If you are starting out, get an electrician to run one or two dedicated 20 amp lines for you from the electrical panel and terminate them with good audio grade outlets. The wire gauge should be commensurate with the distance with 12 gauge being the bare minimum. Cost: usually less than $300.  This is a good advice for system costing $500 to $50 millions. 
richopp
760 posts
 
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!
gpgr4blu
1,077 posts
 
I always want to hear a combination of amplification components and speakers at a dealer or in my home before purchasing. Advise from others here does not work. We all like different presentations. Listening to other opinions here on this issue is like choosing your favorite color based upon a poll of others.
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