Is sound quality really all that matters?

[Ajani]

Looks dont come into it at all for me. Its not furniture or a shrine

Do you have a separate room for your HiFi (man-cave) or is it in your living room? I normally find that persons with a man-cave and/or are single don't care as much (or at all) about looks, since it's not like anyone but them will have to look at it.

 

[Ajani]

I wouldn't. If I started buying better equipment the limitations of the lossy files starts to become noticeable, particularly with regard to recorded ambience and soundstage.

I know just how good top equipment can sound with the best recordings, using inferior source material compromises performance at this level so I am not going there.

Are we talking Spotify Premium here? If so, I thought your view of 320kbps was that it was only distinguishable from lossless files by people who knew what artefacts to listen for, in which case your argument seems a bit self-defeating.

That is quite true but applicable to decent rather than outstanding systems, If you recall I was talking in context of an 'up to £2k' system. As is often the case, on an informal forum precise language is not always the case.

If I was attempting to build and fine tune an outstanding system, I would want the source to be beyond criticism, spatial and ambient information, is critical here and are the sort of things affected by lossy compression. I consider this to be of less importance in the kind of mid-fi system I am likely to buy.

Fair enough. At a certain level, when you're trying to squeeze out every last drop of performance out of a system everything starts to matter. Heck, if I'm dropping over a $100K on a HiFi system, I'd even spare some change for some fancy cables (regardless of whether I really believe they will make a difference or not).

 

[MajorFubar]

The music is the most important thing for me. If I didn't enjoy music I wouldn't just buy a hifi and watch it collect dust just for the sake of having a hifi. But unlike some people who have the (perhaps enviable) ability to become emotionally wrapt in some Mahler symphony played on an AM transistor radio, my enjoyment of the music, and my emotional involvement with it, is governed to a very large degree by how much I enjoy listening to the system it's being played on. Sure I can listen to a favourite piece of music on that same AM radio and appreciate it, but it doesn't engage me the same as listening it to on a higher-calibre system.

As for aesthetic appeal, I'm an early Cyrus owner so what do I know about good looking HiFi. My kit was descibed as ugly by many even when it was new.

 

[Blacksabbath25]

So what have we learned here ! We love our hi fi & music , and we are passionate people .

 

[jmjones]

Hey Vlad,

With regards to that Chord unit, I have to say that beauty may only be skin deep, but ugly goes down to the BONE. That's one ugly ******, and would definitely distract me from trying to listen to some decent music.

Good thread!

 

[matt49]

That is quite true but applicable to decent rather than outstanding systems, If you recall I was talking in context of an 'up to £2k' system. As is often the case, on an informal forum precise language is not always the case.

If I was attempting to build and fine tune an outstanding system, I would want the source to be beyond criticism, spatial and ambient information, is critical here and are the sort of things affected by lossy compression. I consider this to be of less importance in the kind of mid-fi system I am likely to buy.

Understood.

And I suppose this is a sign of the widening gap between hi-fi and pop/rock music (c.p. the loudness wars etc etc). Like you I use a streaming service to explore new recordings. I can listen to new stuff every day, and I do. But it's lossless streaming through Qobuz classical, and it sounds impeccable through a highly resolving system.

 

[davedotco]

That is quite true but applicable to decent rather than outstanding systems, If you recall I was talking in context of an 'up to £2k' system. As is often the case, on an informal forum precise language is not always the case.

If I was attempting to build and fine tune an outstanding system, I would want the source to be beyond criticism, spatial and ambient information, is critical here and are the sort of things affected by lossy compression. I consider this to be of less importance in the kind of mid-fi system I am likely to buy.

Understood.

And I suppose this is a sign of the widening gap between hi-fi and pop/rock music (c.p. the loudness wars etc etc). Like you I use a streaming service to explore new recordings. I can listen to new stuff every day, and I do. But it's lossless streaming through Qobuz classical, and it sounds impeccable through a highly resolving system.

Modern pop/rock recordings are awful, but there is so much out there that I simply will not waste my time listening to them.

More seriously, have you formed an opinion regarding Qobuz full fat and Spotify premium? I am assuming that lossless is better, is it quantifiable in any way?

 

[Vladimir]

Hey Vlad,

With regards to that Chord unit, I have to say that beauty may only be skin deep, but ugly goes down to the BONE. That's one ugly ******, and would definitely distract me from trying to listen to some decent music.

Good thread!

Can't be saved even by leather and aluminium. Still looks like cheap kids walkman.

 

[jjbomber]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

 

[Al ears]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

A veritable bargain sir as now available for half initial asking price. You c a n always cover it with a nice embroidered table cloth.

 

[Vladimir]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

Hmmm. Can't find a photo of that one. Google Images keeps showing me All-In-One printer/fax/scanner.

 

[Ajani]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

The really sad part is that someone at Cyrus thinks that thing looks amazing.

 

[Ajani]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

Hmmm. Can't find a photo of that one. Google Images keeps showing me All-In-One printer/fax/scanner.

All I see is a broken VCR.

 

[chebby]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

The really sad part is that someone at Cyrus thinks that thing looks amazing.

At least it'll never get stolen.

 

[matt49]

More seriously, have you formed an opinion regarding Qobuz full fat and Spotify premium? I am assuming that lossless is better, is it quantifiable in any way?

I'm afraid I haven't done a serious comparison. (Our Spotify Premium account is hogged day and night by the teenage daughters.) All I know is that Qobuz lossless is excellent.

 

[drummerman]

Looks dont come into it at all for me. Its not furniture or a shrine

Do you have a separate room for your HiFi (man-cave) or is it in your living room? I normally find that persons with a man-cave and/or are single don't care as much (or at all) about looks, since it's not like anyone but them will have to look at it.

Nop, he uses Schmegel ;-)

 

[drummerman]

Noooooo. Cyrus Lyric 09. I rest my case.

A veritable bargain sir as now available for half initial asking price. You c a n always cover it with a nice embroidered table cloth.

I admit not one of cyrus's finest design moments and it shows why the company has stuck for so long to the tried/tested (and lovely made) magnesium/alloy shoe box cases.

It even makes a Hegel look attractive ... .

Perhaps they should contract a design studio next time rather than letting an apprentice loose on it.

Still, it is apparently very good and sure offers a lot for the money.

 

[hybridauth_google_112370865474665644907]

This has been a very interesting thread and read. For me it's the song first, SQ second and looks last in priority.

The majority of the time I can still really enjoy a great song on a bad sound system, even via poor sources, like the built-in computer speakers but I'll just make a note to listen to it on my Hi-Fi system later, to hopefully enjoy the song/album even more

I'd rarely ever play a song/album that doesn't make me want to tap along, or sing along or make me feel some sort of emotion, just for the sake of showing off the quality of the recording to myself to anybody else, if that makes any sense. Starts with a great song first, for me

Cheers guys !

 

[ErwinC]

After many, many years i finally found my ideal setup. It has a fantastic sound, good looks imo, limited nr of components and wires, easy to place and easy to use and all the functionality i need: Naim Unitilite with PMC Twenty.22 speakers. *yahoo*

 

[chebby]

Would any of you choose a hi-fi that looks like it is built in a shed/garage because it obviously sounds better? (All the money is spent inside on what counts and not on some p@ncey, southern, university educated, industrial designer right?)

 

[Andrewjvt]

Hi no i dont. You can look at pictures of my set up and living room on musicrafts face book. Its all part of the living room

 

[CnoEvil]

This thread is relevant: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/how-important-are-following-to-you

 

[CnoEvil]

This thread is relevant: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/how-important-are-following-to-you

 

[Ajani]

This thread is relevant: http://www.whathifi.com/forum/hi-fi/how-important-are-following-to-you

I hate it when Evil Clowns try to jack my thread!

Actually, your thread is highly relevant to the discussion. A really important factor to me is reliability. Unless a product is dirt cheap, I really want to know that there is a good chancce that I will be able to use it for several years without problem (hopefully until I decide to replace it).

The most important factors to me are convenience/functionality, sound quality, reliability and aesthetics. They are all of similar importance to me.

For example: I'm not going to replace my Deezer account and DAC setup with a Turntable. Regardless of whether a turntable may sound better, because convenience/functionality is important to me. I'm also not going to put that Cyrus broken VCR/Fax Machine/Printer/Scanner/WTH? in my living room cuz I don't want to scare the children. So there has to be a balance.

 

[CnoEvil]

I hate it when Evil Clowns try to jack my thread!?

Excuse me; that's CnoEvil Clown! *biggrin*