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Hindsight after 45 years

   Forty-five years as an audiophile chasing a state of audio reproduction, commonly referred to as audio nirvana, where music sounds indistinguishable from a live performance. 
   Forty-five years of being a student and practitioner of all things audiophillia.

   Forty-five years of careful research and implementation.

   Forty-years trying to achieve maximum fidelity, detail, and emotional impact.

   Forty-five years of purchasing and rotating some really nice well regarded high fidelity equipment.

   In hindsight, I wish I had taken a different path. I wish I had gone the pro audio route.

   I live in Nashville; Music City. Where on any given day there are several different live performances within one city block and more all over the city. This is my reference.

   Being a gear junky, I pay attention. Never have I seen a single piece of hifi used on stage. I see guitar amps, pa speakers, and eq’s.

   Even bars and clubs play recorded music on pro audio equipment into large house speakers and the energy is fantastic even at lower volumes. 
   I’m not saying pro audio is better than hifi, there are many factors. It’s all subjective, relative, and dependent upon individual’s preferences and expectations. 
   Pro audio has come a long way in the last forty-five years, which may be why I didn’t find it practical for me years ago.

   I’m just saying, if I were to start over now, I would go pro audio.

   

audiodelusion
richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand
1,362 posts
 

I live in Nashville; Music City. Where on any given day there are several different live performances within one city block and more all over the city. This is my reference

So, if pro audio is your reference, you should be pleased with it at home.

For others, especially lovers of classical music, there will be different priorities.

While a system that reproduces classical well, will also reproduce Nashville as recorded, the converse does not necessarily apply, in my opinion.

ronboco
1,111 posts
 

Why would anyone want all the crowd noise, poor acoustics and everything else that goes on in bars, street venues etc. in their home? Studio recordings virtually always sound better than live. 

bigkidz
3,504 posts
 

thanks for sharing.  I began repair audio equipment a long time ago which allowed me to hear all of the gear that I always wanted and to understand why they sounded the way they did.  I realized the the prices did not dictate the sound and that most manufacturers used average parts no matter what the cost.  That is when I began to make my own components using better parts.  That is when I realized what made something sound the way it did.  Manufacturing our gear was the result of all this.  Also becoming an industry insider helped to know what was what.

I always tell people, if you like the way your system sounds to your ears, then listen to more music.

Happy Listening.

motown-l
341 posts
 

The pro audio equipment that I have a positive reaction to was equipment derived from studio or movie theater applications. JBL L series studio based speakers and Altec 19’s derived from VOTT speakers. I had a pair of JBL’s, back in the day. I really liked the Altec 19’s but never had a spare big enough to do them justice. 
Electonics-wise, I would not consider pro amps for recorded music reproduction at home.

mahler123
3,991 posts
 

I’ve had a few pro pieces in my systems over the years.  The best was a FireWire DAC around 15 years back.

  It’s all about system matching.  I distrust anyone that is dogmatic, such as analog always beats digital, tubes always beat solid state, or pro always beats consumer audio.  It depends upon so many variables.

  I also listen almost exclusively to classical, and I could care less what a bar in Nashville uses

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