This was a REALLY GOOD idea for a thread. Big nods to: don't focus solely on specs, the ancillary benefits of highly efficient speakers, listening to various equipment, recording quality etc. Lots of great advice for young audiophiles. In between the advice I heard a lot of "in my 50 Years of listening". My advice: BUY USED. The fact that many of us have been doing this for 40, 50 or 60 years means we are getting old and possibly deaf and there are very few youngsters listening with their phones who will likely replace us. I would also warn: that used $4000 Amp might not fetch $1000 in three years when there are even fewer of us left. Buying used also makes it easier to listen to different equipment in your environment and experiment. Fewer and fewer high end audio stores exist and even if you get to one you will not find as many options as on Audiogon. You also won't be listening in your room with your equipment for a meaningful amount of time. Keep in mind shipping big Magnepans or heavy amps will drive up cost and will limit potential buyers in the future when you try to sell it. Being an audiophile is a HOBBY not a retirement investment. To me it's more fun to try three different, quality used components over a number of years than to sink the money into a single one and be unhappy. There is lots of great, high quality gear out there that was built to last and is very serviceable. While it might not be a great time to sell high end equipment, it's a great time to buy used.
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
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
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- 112 posts total
- 112 posts total