audiophiles

[Matt Wilson]

The whole thing I listed above will cost about $1600. I think what I'll probably do is wait until I'm sure I'll get summer school this year. I should know sometime next month. Once I know for sure, I'll probably pull the plug and pamper myself. God knows I've gone long enough without a proper system.

[George P. Smackers]

There are so many ways to do it. But you have to get out of listening through your TV.

I'm happy to feel good about myself for not being an audiophile. But listening on lousy equipment can be as bad as reading a book with every fifth word missing. Moving from bad to good is an eye-opening experience.

I went the thrift store/craigslist route. I have equipment that looks cool (an Empire 598 turntable, a Marantz 4400 receiver with an on-board oscilloscope!, KEF 104/2 speakers, thrift-store Sony SACD/DVD player) and sounds good, though it would be sneered at by an audiophile as mid-fi. And all of it cost well under $1600 even with the pricy restoration of the Marantz.

If you want to go the new and cheap route, people do say good things about those Andrew Jones speakers. And for an amp (unless you really want to listen to the radio), you could get something from the Yamaha line, A-S501, A-S701, A-S801. But that's two-channel, not 5.0, which I have no knowledge of.

P.S. I wouldn't worry about fancy cables etc. Down the line, you can decide if that form of insanity is for you.

[bobzilla77]

I’m no expert. I don’t care about dvds or blue rays or whatever. I did have a 5.1 system and took it apart because I didn’t like it for (most) music. I recently put together a vintage system - 80s era Sansui integrated amp, 70s/80s Technics turntable and some Boston Acoustics speakers. The whole thing cost me less than $200 - thrift stores, etc. and it’s the best sounding stereo I’ve had in years.

Doesn’t really answer your question but I thought I’d share.

That's a good way to go. I was recently given a 110 watt amp by my brother in law & tried to sell it, I couldn't even get $100 for it so I kept it. Sounds great.

I do think "TV Speakers" is less than idea but I've never been a big gearhead, I used to hook up a component CD player to my boombox. Once I got a decent amp and speakers though, it made a difference in how I listened to music.

[Matt Wilson]

I don't think you guys understand, I want to enter the audiophile world to gain BCB acceptance, and respect! I'm tired of just being that stupid yank with the hot sauce, anal chugs, and ..... that car! I want my home system to be as renowned as my taste and knowledge of music, as my reputation as a nice guy and world class wit.

And once I've conquered this place, I shall boldly stride into Hoffmanland, confident in my abilities as a tech expert and gearhead. And I'll be one of them!!!

I think this will finally put me where I've always wanted to be in life. Even Coan and Dougie will acknowledge.


Women are gonna find me more attractive, too.

[pig bodine]

Has anyone heard the 1973 West German pressing of A Hard Days Night In a $15,000 system? It talked me down from a suicide, it was so glorious.

[Matt Wilson]

There, ya see? Hoffman talk! That's what this place needs more of.

[bobzilla77]

I don't think you guys understand, I want to enter the audiophile world to gain BCB acceptance, and respect! I'm tired of just being that stupid yank with the hot sauce, anal chugs, and ..... that car! I want my home system to be as renowned as my taste and knowledge of music, as my reputation as a nice guy and world class wit.

And once I've conquered this place, I shall boldly stride into Hoffmanland, confident in my abilities as a tech expert and gearhead. And I'll be one of them!!!

I think this will finally put me where I've always wanted to be in life. Even Coan and Dougie will acknowledge.


Women are gonna find me more attractive, too.

Gabba gabba we accept ya, we accept ya, one of us.

I hope you are prepared to spend about a hundred grand to impress the Hoffmen though.

[Matt Wilson]

I won't need to impress them once it's been established that I'm king of BCB.

[clive gash]

I want my home system to be as renowned as my taste and knowledge of music, as my reputation as a nice guy and world class wit.

[Mike Boom]

What are the sub woofers like on that ?

[clive gash]

They’ll blow yer bib off.

[sloopjohnc]

There's a guy over the hill from me, The Stereo Doctor, that specializes in buying/selling and refurbishing old stereo components. The guy is a gold mine of stuff.

https://www.yelp.com/biz/stereo-doctor-dublin

With LA being such a big place, there must be a guy like this somewhere in the valley.

[yomptepi]

I am no hifi buff, but I was dis satisfied with the sound from my supposedly decent turntable. I was going to spend £1500 on a new deck, but when I went to my local hifi shop for a demo , with ( as Toby says) a pile of the records I was dissatisfied with, the man doing the demo suggested that a simple pre amp would solve all my problems. And he was right. The best £100 I have ever spent on my set up, which now sounds as good as I could ever want it to..

[The Fish]

As some of you may know I moved earlier this year into my Dad's old flat. Was looking at the time to upgrade the sound system, but in the end bit the bullet and bought complete new system. Exposure source and power (twin mono amps, pre-amp, CD player and DAC) and Q Acoustics Concept 500 speakers. Sounds fantastic and only £8K ($11K)

[Tomahawk Kid]

Audiophiles are weird people who are only vaguely interested in music at best. They should be shunned and mocked in the street.

Ain't that the case. You should read some of the hi-fi forums (PinkFishMedia, The Art of Sound, Hifi Subjectivist to name just three) and see just how weird they can be. Just type in a question like "do cables make a difference" or suchlike and sit back and enjoy

As mentioned above, book yourself into your local Richer Sounds or similar and see if you think it's worth it.

.

[Quaco]

Matt, if you're serious about it and you want (local) help/recommendations, my friend/housemate Joel is pretty into this world and usually enjoys talking people through it. Let me know!

[Matt Wilson]

Everything I listed on the previous page is what I've got in my amazon cart, Jim. Once I know I've got summer school this year, I'll start purchasing it. Show him my list and see what he thinks.

[sloopjohnc]

I won't need to impress them once it's been established that I'm king of BCB.

The first step in one, long, uphill climb. Hope you have a sherpa.

[bobzilla77]

I won't need to impress them once it's been established that I'm king of BCB.

Yeah, that plus a four hundred thousand dollar set of cables will earn their respect.

[Matt Wilson]

Yeah, about that... Do we really believe the cables make that much of a difference in sound? I've only recently learned from the Hoffmen that CD players sound different - though I have my doubts.