The definitive solution...

[acalex]

What does your friend use as a source?....probably a very nice TT

Yes, and also a CDP as "backup". Don't remember the brand :wall:

He also as an integrated amp 180W Sansui Alpha 907 DR completely balanced made in Japan. Apparently it sounds so well that in certain situation is also competing with his main system.

Have you ever heard of this specific model?

 

[acalex]

...except a hi-fi is nowhere near as important as a relationship. IMO it's when it becomes more important than (or as important as) your relationship that things have gone too far.

... I agree there are differences...you can normally recover a good proportion of the money you blow on hi-fi :twisted:

[where's the tongue-in-cheek emoticon?]

:clap:

 

[CJSF]

Mmm . . . well now, am I an audiophile, I fiddle and tweak, I get told regularly, just listen to the music! Is hifi a hobby, an obsession or simply a means of listening to music?

:? As a young man in a different life, I was definitely an audiophile with an obsession, it was more than just a hobby. Today, 20 years older and wiser??? I re embraced the 'hobby' 12 months ago, 'hifi', to me, is simply a description of the fact that I like a quality sound to my musical entertainment.

Re examining, tweaking is a means to an end of a 'quality sound' . . . getting the best from within a budget, developing a sound that suits me. I like natural sound . . . OK, what is natural, go live to an unplugged gig, there are acoustics, echos, ambiance, call it what you will . . . We live in a world of background and distorted sound. Think about it, many cannot live with out 'background noise'!!!

The word 'HiFi' to me, is the same as the word 'record player' was to my parents, a means of entertainment, some had a Danset, posh people had radiograms . . .

My hifi is a two channel means of reproducing a performance of close to 'reality'? Tweaking is to get the best from my investment, the hobbyist in me enjoys the adjustments, the thinking, getting over a problem by adjustment, obtaining items at substantially low cost that ad to the perceived enjoyment of the whole. In the end, to relax, listen and enjoy, there is a satisfaction, 'my efforts' helped to produce that sound. Throwing money at any system does not IMHO give the same pleasure . . .

As a Hobbyist I like, hands on, to design, build, tinker, even invent . . . hence, all my hobbies are or have been that way inclined. As far as a HiFi systems longevity is concerned, I've just completed an intense building of a simple 2 channel analogue music system, with CD as a digital contribution and Spotyfi as a reserch tool. The speakers, one has already had for 20 years, Id like to think the basics will last for another 10. Concentrate my efforts now to building the vinyl collection, and adding to the CD's, as the system sounds the way I wanted it.

My next instalment of building, designing, tweaking of my hifi, will be to design and make a new 'super rack' to replace the less than ideal shelf/cupboard that is the current support, that will keep me quiet for a while:bounce:

So am I an audiophile, hifi hobbyist, an inveterate tweaker or simply some one who enjoys music, makes the best of what he has by maximising potential with adjustments and if required, recycling others cast offs. Prefering to stay at home for the next 10 years, with the draw-bridge up, don pipe and slippers, relax and listen to; Jerry Rafferty, Tallis Scholars, Carol Kid . . . . all on the same night, with mug of Horlicks in hand, plus Hazel and Oliver the dog by my side . . . :type:

CJSF

 

[spr1ggsy]

Took me ages to get the system i am happy with and although my speakers are 21 years old they cost 800 quid back then and i am NOT changing them. I have upgraded bits and peices over the years and my speakers have improved with every tweak. A friend of mine was a hifi buff, and i would call round and he always had his soldering iron out and was upgrading paths on his Naim Pre/Power amps with better solder etc. He also had dozens of different types of cables, from Cooker mains cable to Kimber cables. He lost his temper when i suggested my modest hifi was better. My reasoning was that i ENJOY my system, where he obviously didnt as he was always buggering about with it daily. I also suggested that i listened to the music whereas he was listening to the components.

Current system : Mission 765I loudspeakers, Denon AVCA1D THX amp, Yamaha CDHRD1500 CD/HD player, Kef reference centre (Mission never made a matching centre as 765s pre-AV!), Nordost digital interconnect (Denon amp has rather nice DACs built in), Nordost speaker cable (biwired) and Isotek mains filter.

 

[spr1ggsy]

Took me ages to get the system i am happy with and although my speakers are 21 years old they cost 800 quid back then and i am NOT changing them. I have upgraded bits and peices over the years and my speakers have improved with every tweak. A friend of mine was a hifi buff, and i would call round and he always had his soldering iron out and was upgrading paths on his Naim Pre/Power amps' circuit boards with better solder etc. He also had dozens of different types of cables, from Cooker mains cable to Kimber cables. He lost his temper when i suggested my modest hifi was better. My reasoning was that i ENJOY my system, where he obviously didnt as he was always mucking about with it daily. I also suggested that i listened to the music whereas he was listening to the components.

Current system : Mission 765I loudspeakers, Denon AVCA1D THX amp, Yamaha CDHRD1500 CD/HD player, Kef reference centre (Mission never made a matching centre as 765s pre-AV!), Nordost digital interconnect (Denon amp has rather nice DACs built in), Nordost superflat speaker cable (biwired) and Isotek mains filters

 

[acalex]

Yes, this is the right spirit. I am also trying to build the system I would like to keep for 30 years...and I do agree is possible even considering the hi-fi as an hobby.

That's why I am taking all the time of this world to listen, choice carefully, compare, look for best deals etc...I want to be able to make the purchase one, sit and enjoy. Ok, if I want to try another mains cable or a better interconnect, this is a minor tweaking and it is still part of the game. But the core of the gear, pre, final and speakers want to buy once and forget about them!
Nice to see some of you have achieved it...this put my mind at rest

 

[acalex]

Just demoed the Jadis D50S tonight...with Monitor Audio PL200 and :rockout:

Later the details...running to the gym now!

 

[Andrew17321]

Last year I took an Open University course called 'Start listening to music'. To do the exercises and assignments I often had to listen to the same section of music 20, 30, or more, times to hear what was needed for the exercise. I learned to listen better, and hear the detail I thought my system could not produce.

So I have lost the itch to upgrade, my problem was not knowing how to listen properly, not the quality of the sound system I have.

And the cost? £5 plus a lot of Tesco coupons! And I listen to a lot more music now, and forms I would not have previously considered.

Andrew

 

[CnoEvil]

He also as an integrated amp 180W Sansui Alpha 907 DR completely balanced made in Japan. Apparently it sounds so well that in certain situation is also competing with his main system.

Have you ever heard of this specific model?

Sorry, not a clue.

Will be interested in how the Jadis DA50S stacked up against the Plinius.

I still have concerns with the PL200 being driven by a 30W valve amp. Although it has a sensitivity of 90db, it has a nominal impedance of 4 Ohms (which drops to 3.6 Ohms) and a recommended min amp power of 100W.

If you enjoyed the sound, you should also try more "Valve friendly" speakers.

 

[acalex]

He also as an integrated amp 180W Sansui Alpha 907 DR completely balanced made in Japan. Apparently it sounds so well that in certain situation is also competing with his main system.

Have you ever heard of this specific model?

Sorry, not a clue. Will be interested in how the Jadis DA50S stacked up against the Plinius. I still have concerns with the PL200 being driven by a 30W valve amp. Although it has a sensitivity of 90db, it has a nominal impedance of 4 Ohms (which drops to 3.6 Ohms) and a recommended min amp power of 100W. If you enjoyed the sound, you should also try more "Valve friendly" speakers.

Just opened a new thread...would be very interested to know which types of speakers are more valve friends

 

[Cpt.Issues]

Personally, HiFi is exciting when discovering something new or suddenly remembering a track not heard for ages or perhaps comes on in the car etc then rediscovering it in proper room filling High Fidelity..

This for me is a double-edged sword, I enjoy listening to far more music than ever before and at the same time I keep wanting to upgrade to see if I can get yet more quality, more excitment and so on. Unfortunately its slashing through my wallet.. Besides, tweaking is also kind of addictive..

I've mentioned this before once on here but; having heard a live performance with no PA system then hearing a recording of this exact performance straight after played back on £30k worth of gear has at least given me some form of benchmark with regards to what a top end system sounds like. Having had the benefit of this experiance, price vs performance I'm pretty happy with what I have, apart from upgrading the very first component I bought to do the rest of the system justice, I don't intend on touching it for a long while yet at least untill I have a more suitable space etc.

The definitive solution is entirely cirumstantial.