what are you in hifi terms ie a amp man or cd lover or turntable man or maybe a home cinema lover..
favourite bits
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chebby
Well-known member
Bit of everything really.
Today I have ordered new vinyl (sealed, unused LP of Miles Davis' "Bags Groove"), downloaded to iTunes, listened to internet radio, watched BBC iPlayer (for a BBC4 documentary that I missed earlier in the week) with sound through the hifi, and watched Sopranos on DVD ('D Girl' from series 2) upsampled through HDMI and with digital audio - connected optically to my DAC - via the hifi.
Occasionally I play a CD to review tracks I want to rip losslessly to iTunes. Sometimes I listen to FM radio or Freeview radio (via the DAC again).
My 'Desert Island' source - if I had to choose one - would be vinyl but I enjoy everything else too much to ever want to make that choice.
An amp is an amp. They either do it right or they don't. Speakers have to be chosen for their 'voice' and the way it suits you, your family and the room they are in. The more neutral the better (for me) because of all the different sources and types of material and types of music and the different people's listening/watching requirements.
Some people only buy the right speakers for them because they are the only ones who listen the hifi. In our house the speakers need to sound as good with 'The Archers' as they do with a Desmond Decker LP or the soundtrack on 'Collateral' or Choral Evensong on Radio 3. To me the ideal speaker system is one that 'disappears' rather than stomps around the room shouting and kicking the furniture.
So I would say speakers are the most personal choice. Amps are just 'boxes' and most sources (apart from vinyl) should sound the same. (ie equally good at any given price point) If not then they have problems.
With the exception of vinyl, I mistrust systems with 'character'. Hifi should be a 'Jeeves' and discreetly and competently handle anything asked of it with poise and no bias towards any particular musical type.
Today I have ordered new vinyl (sealed, unused LP of Miles Davis' "Bags Groove"), downloaded to iTunes, listened to internet radio, watched BBC iPlayer (for a BBC4 documentary that I missed earlier in the week) with sound through the hifi, and watched Sopranos on DVD ('D Girl' from series 2) upsampled through HDMI and with digital audio - connected optically to my DAC - via the hifi.
Occasionally I play a CD to review tracks I want to rip losslessly to iTunes. Sometimes I listen to FM radio or Freeview radio (via the DAC again).
My 'Desert Island' source - if I had to choose one - would be vinyl but I enjoy everything else too much to ever want to make that choice.
An amp is an amp. They either do it right or they don't. Speakers have to be chosen for their 'voice' and the way it suits you, your family and the room they are in. The more neutral the better (for me) because of all the different sources and types of material and types of music and the different people's listening/watching requirements.
Some people only buy the right speakers for them because they are the only ones who listen the hifi. In our house the speakers need to sound as good with 'The Archers' as they do with a Desmond Decker LP or the soundtrack on 'Collateral' or Choral Evensong on Radio 3. To me the ideal speaker system is one that 'disappears' rather than stomps around the room shouting and kicking the furniture.
So I would say speakers are the most personal choice. Amps are just 'boxes' and most sources (apart from vinyl) should sound the same. (ie equally good at any given price point) If not then they have problems.
With the exception of vinyl, I mistrust systems with 'character'. Hifi should be a 'Jeeves' and discreetly and competently handle anything asked of it with poise and no bias towards any particular musical type.
I'm rapidly becoming a PC man. I seem to find myself using other sources less and less. The only pain is the time it takes to rip all my CDs and few DVDs to hard disk.
My LP12 has been boxed and unused for 4 years or so, owing to lack of room on my rack and to store a pile of vinyl where it would be accessible. Sad but true.
My TV gets hardly any use. It's not been on for over a fortnight. All I really see on my TV is dust.
My second source has to be DAB but I might get that done on the PC too soon. (Radio 4 and World Service for general listening then Radio 2 Mike Harding for folk, Radio 2 Jazz programmes, Radio 3 Late Junction and 6 Music for the Freak Zone).
I'm very much a 2 channel music nut. My tastes vary hugely but centre around folk, psychedelic, prog rock, blues, jazz, world, funk, library, country etc, etc.
In terms of kit, you could say I'm a hifi hoarder. I've got 12 pairs of speakers, 5 subs, 7 power amps, 3 pre amps, 1 integrated amp, 1 AV amp and 1 or 2 of most source components. I probably need to do an audio jumble sale.
I'd tend to agree with Chebby that good amps 'just do', and inject far less of their character than speakers seem to. I love my AE1 speakers. They just seem to disappear amd do everything well.
My LP12 has been boxed and unused for 4 years or so, owing to lack of room on my rack and to store a pile of vinyl where it would be accessible. Sad but true.
My TV gets hardly any use. It's not been on for over a fortnight. All I really see on my TV is dust.
My second source has to be DAB but I might get that done on the PC too soon. (Radio 4 and World Service for general listening then Radio 2 Mike Harding for folk, Radio 2 Jazz programmes, Radio 3 Late Junction and 6 Music for the Freak Zone).
I'm very much a 2 channel music nut. My tastes vary hugely but centre around folk, psychedelic, prog rock, blues, jazz, world, funk, library, country etc, etc.
In terms of kit, you could say I'm a hifi hoarder. I've got 12 pairs of speakers, 5 subs, 7 power amps, 3 pre amps, 1 integrated amp, 1 AV amp and 1 or 2 of most source components. I probably need to do an audio jumble sale.
I'd tend to agree with Chebby that good amps 'just do', and inject far less of their character than speakers seem to. I love my AE1 speakers. They just seem to disappear amd do everything well.
fatboyslimfast
Well-known member
I love vinyl, for all the pomp and circumstance that goes along with playing a record (treating it and the stylus with kid gloves, getting it out of both sleeves, looking at at least 288 square inches of album artwork).
But for convenience, iTunes over AE, controlled by an iPod Touch is the dogs danglies. 500+ albums at the touch of a screen. Yes, Joel - we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
Apart from putting them in the PC to rip to apple lossless, I haven't played a CD for months.
But for convenience, iTunes over AE, controlled by an iPod Touch is the dogs danglies. 500+ albums at the touch of a screen. Yes, Joel - we will have to agree to disagree on this one.
Apart from putting them in the PC to rip to apple lossless, I haven't played a CD for months.
Source of choice - Apple iMac. I couldnt distinguish Apple Lossless files from my c. 1k cd transport, so sold it.
jase fox
Well-known member
Turntable first and foremost. Next favourite component would be the speakers. Since I bought an Atacama Equinox rack I do tend to find myself looking at my amp and cd player a lot more than I did in the past. Then there`s the old system in the loft I dream about getting down and setting up just for fun or taking it along to a hall for a party because someone has asked me to do the music which I`m happy to do with the old system. Hughesy would like my old gear as it`s all JVC separates. Then there`s the speaker cables which I`m thinking of upgrading, keeping the old ones of course to add to the collection. Mmnnn... yeah, I`m more into speaker cables than I used to be. Next up we`ve got interconnects which aren`t bad. Musn`t forget my rack which looks great and even got the approval of the other half! Although rarely used nowadays I guess I still have a soft spot for cassette decks. Current one is a NAD, barely used but will stay on the rack for the forseeable future because I have a large collection of tapes which I have grown quite fond of through the years. Always a secondary choice to vinyl but thinking back it was fun putting together compilation tapes. And those lovely TDK cassettes in shiny gold wrappers, used to enjoy opening those. Ah, nearly forgot one of my first loves.... headphones. I`ve been thinking about headphones a lot lately....
Doctor to patient - `How much exactly is a lot Mr. Sennheiser?` (name changed by deed poll)
Patient to doctor - `A LOT , lot`
End of scene.
I`m planning to buy new TV/AV gear in the year. Yes, I`m afraid the disease seems to spreading with no sign of a cure. Ah well, I can think of worse ways to go.
Doctor to patient - `How much exactly is a lot Mr. Sennheiser?` (name changed by deed poll)
Patient to doctor - `A LOT , lot`
End of scene.
I`m planning to buy new TV/AV gear in the year. Yes, I`m afraid the disease seems to spreading with no sign of a cure. Ah well, I can think of worse ways to go.
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