£8000 system vs mine (£2500)

[jonboywalton75]

Had a brief listen to a Garrard/Roksan/Falcon Accoustics system yesterday.
Initially sounded impressive. Got home and fired mine up.
Glad I didn't pay £8000.
Made me wonder why I just didn't buy a one box speaker system for a grand ish and made my wife happy 🤣
Hifi is still an addictive hobby though 😊

 

[Edbostan]

Had a brief listen to a Garrard/Roksan/Falcon Accoustics system yesterday.
Initially sounded impressive. Got home and fired mine up.
Glad I didn't pay £8000.
Made me wonder why I just didn't buy a one box speaker system for a grand ish and made my wife happy 🤣
Hifi is still an addictive hobby though 😊

I had a similar impression when I listened to a totally Linn system in Harrods costing £20,000. That was some years ago though.

 

[abacus]

It depends on your room and what you are looking for, something that sounds accurate (If a recording is bad it will sound bad and vice versa) or something that sounds nice to your ears.
The most important part is being happy. (Some people are happy with a boombox while others require a really high end system)

Bill

 

[matthewpianist]

I've heard superb systems at all kinds of prices. It's not about the amount of spend, but the quality of the components, how well matched they are and how well the speakers work in the room.

I once heard tracks from two of my favourite albums on a £100,000 system, and it made them sound like the most awful recordings in the world. The same tracks played on the Arcam CD73T, A65+ and Quad 11L speakers I had at the time sounded superb, and I wouldn't have swapped the two systems for anything. That's a great example of very expensive systems often being so analytical that some recordings become unlistenable. Some people are fine with that and happy to listen to music which is only recorded well, but my musical tastes are very wide and the music always comes first. One of the things I loved about the Arcam/Quad system was the balance between detail and making every recording enjoyable. The Audiolab 6000A pulls off a similar track, whether used with my Dynaudios or JBLs.

The opposite has happened also. I listened to a system built around Sugden Masterclass components with Sugden speakers, and I went home feeling restless about my own system which at that point was built around a Cambridge Azur 740A - a very good mid-range integrated. The same happens every time I hear Audio Note, and also Luxman with Harbeth.

Sometimes simple set-ups work best - a Naim all-in-one driving Dynaudio floorstanders was one of the finest sounding systems at the Bristol show in January, for example.

 

[NSO]

I've heard superb systems at all kinds of prices. It's not about the amount of spend, but the quality of the components, how well matched they are and how well the speakers work in the room.

I once heard tracks from two of my favourite albums on a £100,000 system, and it made them sound like the most awful recordings in the world. The same tracks played on the Arcam CD73T, A65+ and Quad 11L speakers I had at the time sounded superb, and I wouldn't have swapped the two systems for anything. That's a great example of very expensive systems often being so analytical that some recordings become unlistenable. Some people are fine with that and happy to listen to music which is only recorded well, but my musical tastes are very wide and the music always comes first. One of the things I loved about the Arcam/Quad system was the balance between detail and making every recording enjoyable. The Audiolab 6000A pulls off a similar track, whether used with my Dynaudios or JBLs.

The opposite has happened also. I listened to a system built around Sugden Masterclass components with Sugden speakers, and I went home feeling restless about my own system which at that point was built around a Cambridge Azur 740A - a very good mid-range integrated. The same happens every time I hear Audio Note, and also Luxman with Harbeth.

Sometimes simple set-ups work best - a Naim all-in-one driving Dynaudio floorstanders was one of the finest sounding systems at the Bristol show in January, for example.

Very well put and said. I could not agree more with you.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

I listened to a £25k set up at my local dealers some years ago. It sounded crap but was that because it was overpriced rubbish or just not to my liking ?

 

[davidf]

We are very familiar and comfortable with our own systems, which isn’t the case when hearing a completely different system in surroundings we don’t know. I find it helps to hear something familiar in the room in order to at least try to get to know what the room is doing, and once you get an idea of that, it’s easier to appreciate a system.

An unfamiliar space is fine for a direct comparison, but not really for any serious assessment.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

We are very familiar and comfortable with our own systems, which isn’t the case when hearing a completely different system in surroundings we don’t know. I find it helps to hear something familiar in the room in order to at least try to get to know what the room is doing, and once you get an idea of that, it’s easier to appreciate a system.

An unfamiliar space is fine for a direct comparison, but not really for any serious assessment.

So an extended home demonstration / trial is the only way to accurately judge a complete hi-fi system or component.

I have lost count of the amount of times i have read how a purchase is made, and, initially the buyer is overjoyed with their purchase.

However after a week or so this joy turns to anguish as they suddenly notice aspects they don't like and did not notice upon first listening resulting in the item being returned...

Is this because the component purchased has changed sound quality wise via "burn-in" ?

Or has the initial "excitement" of the new purchase simply gone which allows a true assessment of the purchase to then be made ?

 

[Jasonovich]

I rarely have time to go to the showroom for extensive listening tests, so I tend to rely on bona-fide product reviews.

What-Hi is a good source for reviews, though I appreciate they're serving their client base and tend to be conservative, in terms of the plethora of new untested products coming into the market, especially those from Chi-Fi; so I tend to fish out the reviews on other Hi-Fi portals as well, which helps me to make an informed choice.

getting back to showrooms, you're never going to find parity or same setting because listening rooms have their own unique sonic signature, those in the showroom tend to be damped, while your own rooms bares all the warts and shortcomings, so you need to factor that in.

 

[Gray]

was that because it was overpriced rubbish or just not to my liking ?

Both maybe?
High price doesn't guarantee better.
(It is often the most hideous-looking though).

You can never hear everything available, all you can hope to do is choose well and be content.

....and give it a chance:
I've just been looking at pictures of domestic setups on another forum.
One had really expensive speakers backed up into corners, smothered by furniture.
Another had even more bare flooring than you usually see.

None of us have the ideal setup, but some almost seem to go out of their way to compromise and waste money on their hi-fi.

 

[Jasonovich]

Both maybe?
High price doesn't guarantee better.
(It is often the most hideous-looking though).

You can never hear everything available, all you can hope to do is choose well and be content.

....and give it a chance:
I've just been looking at pictures of domestic setups on another forum.
One had really expensive speakers backed up into corners, smothered by furniture.
Another had even more bare flooring than you usually see.

None of us have the ideal setup, but some almost seem to go out of their way to compromise and waste money on their hi-fi.

Very true.

I have friends in my circle, whenever on the subject of Hi-Fi, they feel comfortable spending money on products that have a wide social acceptance. Eric won't mind me mentioning his name and also fat chance he'll be reading this.

He paid over a grand on this shiny Bang & Olufen all in one system, nice to entertain your guest but mate, you could have purchased a budget amp like, Fosi Audio V3 pair it up with WiiM streamer, attached it to Wharfedale diamonds with decent cables and throw in a cheap generic CD player or turntable, it would have cost him a fraction of the price and sound many times better.
I respect him and understand, not everyone follows the gospel or have time of the day to listen to it but hey ho - it's your poison

Oh he listens from a Beats headphone.....Oh man, you are lost!

 

[hifi]

It depends on your room and what you are looking for, something that sounds accurate (If a recording is bad it will sound bad and vice versa) or something that sounds nice to your ears.
The most important part is being happy. (Some people are happy with a boombox while others require a really high end system)

Bill

So well said Bill and no 2 ears are alike !

 

[Oxfordian]

My current set up was all demo'd at home, not in the Hifi store and I had a fair bit of kit to listen too before I settled on what I have now, I know that I was lucky to be able to do this not everyone can.

 

[Gray]

Eric won't mind me mentioning his name and also fat chance he'll be reading this.

He paid over a grand on this shiny Bang & Olufen all in one system

Tell Eric about this limited edition, just £55,000 (but it does include the cabinet:

Bang and Olufsen unveils Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn system

Bang & Olufsen has come over all poetic about its limited-edition Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn system, which the company says is: “inspired by the light of a Scandinavian sunrise” and “connects the years 1972 and 2023 by merging immersive music experiences from both vinyl and digital streaming”.

www.hifichoice.com

 

[davidf]

getting back to showrooms, you're never going to find parity or same setting because listening rooms have their own unique sonic signature, those in the showroom tend to be damped, while your own rooms bares all the warts and shortcomings, so you need to factor that in.

Not my showroom. I’ve intentionally left it as is rather than fill it with room treatment because many of the speakers I offer control the dispersion of their sound (HF in particular), so heavy room treatment wouldn’t show off their capabilities.

 

[Deleted member 201267]

Not my showroom. I’ve intentionally left it as is rather than fill it with room treatment because many of the speakers I offer control the dispersion of their sound (HF in particular), so heavy room treatment wouldn’t show off their capabilities.

Utimatley not the same as my, or other peoples, listening room(s) hence my point regarding home auditioning is key...

 

[davidf]

So an extended home demonstration / trial is the only way to accurately judge a complete hi-fi system or component.

I have lost count of the amount of times i have read how a purchase is made, and, initially the buyer is overjoyed with their purchase.

However after a week or so this joy turns to anguish as they suddenly notice aspects they don't like and did not notice upon first listening resulting in the item being returned...

Is this because the component purchased has changed sound quality wise via "burn-in" ?

Or has the initial "excitement" of the new purchase simply gone which allows a true assessment of the purchase to then be made ?

Essentially, yes. A complete system may be tricky, but anyone interested in say, replacing their amplifier, isn’t going to get any meaningful feedback from listening to an amp or two (other than a direct comparison) in an unfamiliar room, potentially on unfamiliar speakers, and maybe even with different cables and source. You HAVE TO hear an amplifier with the speakers they will be driving, not necessarily in your own room, but if you take along your own amplifier you should get a meaningful comparison between it and your intended amplifier. Of course, differences will be more apparent at home because you know your own listening space. And speakers really have to be heard in your room. Speakers are the only product in the system that interacts with the room, so you have to get feedback on that aspect - it’s one of the two main aspects, along with getting the right amp/speaker match.

Borrowing a demo unit initially negates the initial burn in period of new products. Burn in seems to affect some products more than others, so it’s knowing which ones aren’t going to change much, and which ones really come out of their shell.

After the excitement of a new toy has worn off, if the user is then feeling less than overwhelmed with the item, it’s usually down to a few things. Either it’s a product they saw on a deal and they just bought it blind with virtually zero research, or they fell foul of a good salesman and it’s not really the product they needed. Either way, it could be that there’s some mismatch in the system, or the speakers just aren’t right for the room (usually the case with speakers). And it all comes down to lack of research. I don’t mean garnering opinions, as opinions are like the proverbial butt hole, and many opinions come from others using mismatched systems or without the real experience to be offering that opinion. I don’t mean that to sound condescending, but I t’s like someone buying a car - which car shall I buy? Oh, I like the look of that Peugeot, and Which? gave it five stars so I’ll just buy that. Plus, they get a deal on it too. Score. They rave about it online saying it’s an amazing car and trying to get other people to buy it because it’s so good - with ZERO experience of any other car available in its price range. Is it a valid opinion? Valid recommendation? All they can say is that they’re happy with the car, nothing else.

Everyone can read reviews until they’re blue in the face, but it all comes down to your own research, and it doesn’t need to be anything extensive or hugely time consuming. All it takes is a day out to a dealer or two and listen to some products. The most interesting sounding one, the one that seems to be the answer to your needs, ask to take it home to try it out. Even if for a few days, you’ll be able to form an opinion on how it performs in your own system. Maybe it doesn’t work as well as you’d hoped, maybe it’s a little bit forward sounding, but from your demos, you recall another amp that was a little more laid back - try that one. It may be more time than you’re willing to spend, but it could save you time on just buying one based on reviews only to find that the negatives that aren’t mentioned don’t suit you, and you have to arrange for it to go back, then look for another one, go through the whole process again. Compare that to a day out and making the right decision in the first place. What’s on day for a purchase that could be costing £2,000, £3,000, maybe more.

 

[jonboywalton75]

Very true.

I have friends in my circle, whenever on the subject of Hi-Fi, they feel comfortable spending money on products that have a wide social acceptance. Eric won't mind me mentioning his name and also fat chance he'll be reading this.

He paid over a grand on this shiny Bang & Olufen all in one system, nice to entertain your guest but mate, you could have purchased a budget amp like, Fosi Audio V3 pair it up with WiiM streamer, attached it to Wharfedale diamonds with decent cables and throw in a cheap generic CD player or turntable, it would have cost him a fraction of the price and sound many times better.
I respect him and understand, not everyone follows the gospel or have time of the day to listen to it but hey ho - it's your poison

Oh he listens from a Beats headphone.....Oh man, you are lost!

Yeah, everything is relative 😁
A good friend of mine with maybe a 1000 records but plays them on a second hand cheapo turntable feeding some knackered amp and 2 bookshelf speakers stacked one on top of the other, said to me
"my mate has a top quality turntable"
Its a Roberts deck, cost £150 ish.
Needless to say there is no chance they will read this 😂😂

 

[jonboywalton75]

Tell Eric about this limited edition, just £55,000 (but it does include the cabinet:

Bang and Olufsen unveils Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn system

Bang & Olufsen has come over all poetic about its limited-edition Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn system, which the company says is: “inspired by the light of a Scandinavian sunrise” and “connects the years 1972 and 2023 by merging immersive music experiences from both vinyl and digital streaming”.

www.hifichoice.com

You've made me want a B and O now



NOT😁😁

 

[Friesiansam]

Yeah, everything is relative 😁
A good friend of mine with maybe a 1000 records but plays them on a second hand cheapo turntable feeding some knackered amp and 2 bookshelf speakers stacked one on top of the other, said to me
"my mate has a top quality turntable"
Its a Roberts deck, cost £150 ish.
Needless to say there is no chance they will read this 😂😂

If it makes him happy, what's the problem though?

Personally, if I had the money, I could easily spend £8,500 going right up the Focal and Pathos ranges for their best closed-back headphones and headphone amp. I wonder though, is my hearing good enough and, would I just find myself thinking, Jesus, this recording sounds terrible...?

 

[plastic penguin]

I think the phrase "I had a brief listen" is probably the key to why the OP was underwhelmed. Sometimes it can take weeks to familiarize to a different sound.

That's why most reputable dealers will offer a 14 or 30 days returns.

 

[jonboywalton75]

If it makes him happy, what's the problem though?

Personally, if I had the money, I could easily spend £8,500 going right up the Focal and Pathos ranges for their best closed-back headphones and headphone amp. I wonder though, is my hearing good enough and, would I just find myself thinking, Jesus, this recording sounds terrible...?

True, whatever makes them smile, I wish I could be satisfied 😂

 

[MUSICRAFT]

I listened to a £25k set up at my local dealers some years ago. It sounded crap but was that because it was overpriced rubbish or just not to my liking ?

About a month ago just as I finished setting up a pair of Devialet Phantom I 108 dB's a client popped in on his lunch break. He listened for around twenty minutes and then left. He called a couple of weeks later to say that try as he may moving his speakers, changing cables and even playing louder then usual his system (an amp and speakers) @ £32k btw, are unable to replicate what he'd heard. He is going to try the speakers at home and I think the difference is likely to be even greater.

Anyway, sometimes when someone finds something to be better it is better and is something which sticks in the mind. An alternative location might not reverse this.

 

[Jasonovich]

Tell Eric about this limited edition, just £55,000 (but it does include the cabinet:

Bang and Olufsen unveils Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn system

Bang & Olufsen has come over all poetic about its limited-edition Beosystem 72-23 Nordic Dawn system, which the company says is: “inspired by the light of a Scandinavian sunrise” and “connects the years 1972 and 2023 by merging immersive music experiences from both vinyl and digital streaming”.

www.hifichoice.com

Real wood or veneer?

 

[12th Monkey]

Real wood or veneer?

That's just horrible.