Why do we spend so much money on our hifi system?

[gasolin]

I also don't like a thin and harsh sound.

I think a important thing in any system is a non fattigue sound so you can listen to music for many hours without your ears need a break.

Then you can fin tune the bas, top to how you like it (bright,neutral,varm,hard sound)

Also a system where you listen to the music and enjoy it instead of the music being analysed as if it where high performance studio monitors with a clinical/analytic sound where every little unperfection can be heard is important to have

At some price theres no point in spending more for better speakers,amps... mabye another amp,speaker would help if you move to a smaller og bigger house, not always more expensive.

 

[gasolin]

Because we are chasing but never achieving perfection?

Chris

No people are perfect but theres people who are perfect for each other.

I think it's the same with our passion hifi...... nothing is perfect but theres systems that are a perfect for you

 

[Waxy]

However, it sounds great to me and I can still pay the mortgage. What gives?

 

[steve_1979]

Can I just get in the obligatory mention of AVI active speakers at this point, to save steve_1979 the effort?

That's a scandalous accusation! *stop*

I'm outraged at the very thought of it.

 

[steve_1979]

The only reason that I spend so much is because of the hypnotherapy and brain washing that was forced on me during my assimilation into the AVI cult. I am now powerless to spend money on anything else.

*help*

 

[Deleted member 2457]

The only reason that I spend so much is because of the hypnotherapy and brain washing that was forced on me during my assimilation into the AVI cult. I am now powerless to spend money on anything else.

*help*

*smile*

 

[NSA_watch_my_toilet]

Why putting this on the table again, when an already very similar question was asked for a few days ?

In your initial question, you spoke about amps, that, if we speak about same classes of function (A vs A, A/B vs A/B) are very tiny in the things they changes or give to the music. But some key compenents like sources or speakers will have huge implications in the sound restitution. And I don't know a speaker for 600 bucks that could "kill" a good PSI mastering monitor, smoke an ATC or runflat a simple Xavian (even if the magazines like to make us believe that it could be possible).

If a Behringer speaker on a Nad D3020 where incredible tools, I would use them to check some master recordings but it isn't.

 

[NSA_watch_my_toilet]

Take the Micromega My Amp the reviewer finds it to sound really good with a pair of Q acoustics 2050I, could it be that it just sound sooo good, because it's that good or does it sound good for the money?

http://hifi-freaks.dk/webshop/MyAMP-review-hifichoice-oct14.pdf

Or the Nuforce dda 100: The bargain-priced NuForce DDA-100 delivers 50Wpc and sounds better than any conventional integrated amplifier Steven Stone has heard priced under $2500

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/nuforce-dda-100-integrated-ampl...

The review

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/articles/nuforce-dda-100-integrated-ampl...

With such good amps i wonder why you wanna have something that's more expensive.

Buy a very expensive amp,speaker and be annoyed that you can hear the slightest in perfection and you almost to the point of thinking why dosn't it have, for me, perfect sound, i spend 1000 of pounds, dollars,euros, it should have perfect sound and you often trying to make the sound better, but almost never reach a point where your satisfied and it sounds the way you like it within the limitation of the music you listen to.

A cheap system can sound very good and for the money be impressive, you know it's not perfect but you are always amazed by who good the sound is, instead of trying to change even the slightes inperfection, (why change something you feel are incredible good for the money?) you start listening more to then music then trying to get better sound

My comment : you read too much reviews and don't try enough by yourself.

 

[NSA_watch_my_toilet]

It is perhaps no coincidence that both our choices for Integrated Amplifier of The Year feature a direct-digital topology in which digital audio data at the amplifier’s input directly drive the output transistors. This technique eliminates from the signal path a huge amount of circuitry, including a traditional DAC and analog gain stages. The bargain-priced NuForce DDA-100 delivers 50Wpc and sounds better than any conventional integrated amplifier Steven Stone has heard priced under $2500. Particularly impressive is the DDA-100’s spatial definition and separation of instrumental images. These images are presented against a dead-quiet background in a way that makes them come to life. The DDA-100 also clearly resolves low-level instruments even in the presence of louder ones—a hallmark of great high-end designs but unheard of in a $549 integrated amp. A great sounding amplifier and a tremendous value. (Steven Stone, 229)

For example, this is not a review. This is publicity for a manufacturer that you desguise as a review. it lacks every methodology. You don't know what type of sounds the reviewer likes. You don't know which speakers could make good associations with it. You have no mesures made for some basic informations. It's not compared to other products of his price class. You have no clue of what he did better or worse than an other exactly same product in his price class. I really even doubt the tester heard this amp working.

 

[Vladimir]

If I was Steven Stone, I wouldn't quit my day job just yet.

 

[ID.]

My comment : you read too much reviews and don't try enough by yourself.

*clapping*

 

[matt49]

Its a sickness *mail1*

In my case the sickness isn't buying hifi, it's buying CDs. So far this month (and we're not even half way through) I've bought 91.

Now that's a real sickness.

 

[markvh1]

This is where my wife and I differ so much. She can't understand why I need to spend so much. I like to listen to and separate out each instrument and each string strum, have great stereo soundstage and imaging etc etc. I'm tone deaf and can never remember the lyrics. Where as she is happy as Larry if the sound is coming out of a little transistor radio as long as it is musical and got decent lyrics.

 

[Frank Harvey]

I bet some people on here going into a shop do not even know what sound there want, unless its told to them by a hifi mag or shop sales person.

Until they try out some systems/speakers and then realise what they want or what they're after. You can't tell someone what sound they should be after, unless they have no mind of their own.

 

[fr0g]

I bet some people on here going into a shop do not even know what sound there want, unless its told to them by a hifi mag or shop sales person.

Until they try out some systems/speakers and then realise what they want or what they're after. You can't tell someone what sound they should be after, unless they have no mind of their own.

Although (and I am certainly not accusing your good self), I have seen and experienced Hi-fi shop staff trying to persuade customers that (for example) speakers A were much better than speakers B and using "emporers new clothes tactics" to steer the customer to the same line of thinking.

In the first instance of this many years ago, I realised that the component that the salesboy was trying to push, was an exclusive to the store (presumably better commission).

I've seen it recently too, here in Sweden. Before I bought my last set of ADMs I was toying with upgrading my Ikon 6s. The salesman was very scathing of some brands (as a whole) and very effusive about others. This type of behaviour is at best a pain in the arse. At worst it's fraud.

And again, I am certainly not pointing fingers. In fact my first experience of Hi-fi shopping over here was excellent, and from a large chain. I got to loan equipment at home, free of charge, I got to play with the expensive toys in the big room (using a CD of MP3 rips! ), and I would thoroughly recommend that particular shop for their helpfulness.

 

[Native_bon]

Its a sickness *mail1*

In my case the sickness isn't buying hifi, it's buying CDs. So far this month (and we're not even half way through) I've bought 91.

Now that's a real sickness.

Phew!! you make me feel better now. I thought I was bad. *music2*

 

[Native_bon]

I bet some people on here going into a shop do not even know what sound there want, unless its told to them by a hifi mag or shop sales person.

Until they try out some systems/speakers and then realise what they want or what they're after. You can't tell someone what sound they should be after, unless they have no mind of their own.

The reason for my statement was cause of what I have experienced in HIFI shops by so call sales persons putting together really horrible sounding systems & telling you how good it sounds. But sorry I know you going to use the word subjective. Subjective this was not... If sales people could be that novice... Then tell me....

 

[lindsayt]

I bet some people on here going into a shop do not even know what sound there want, unless its told to them by a hifi mag or shop sales person.

Until they try out some systems/speakers and then realise what they want or what they're after. You can't tell someone what sound they should be after, unless they have no mind of their own.

What about all the first time buyers? All the people that have never owned a proper hi-fi system before?

They don't know what's possible and what isn't possible with a hi-fi system.

 

[Frank Harvey]

The reason for my statement was cause of what I have experienced in HIFI shops by so call sales persons putting together really horrible sounding systems & telling you how good it sounds. But sorry I know you going to use the word subjective. Subjective this was not... If sales people could be that novice... Then tell me....

Then you're in the wrong dealer! I'll set up whatever system the customer wants to listen to, but if I was asked to put a system together for them, I wouldn't set something up I didn't believe to sound good, or didn't represent value for money. I'll not deny there are dealers out there that will just put anything together, but if anyone is unhappy with the way they are treated by a dealer, or just not impressed by what the dealer is doing, they are free to vote with their feet.

 

[Frank Harvey]

What about all the first time buyers? All the people that have never owned a proper hi-fi system before?

They don't know what's possible and what isn't possible with a hi-fi system

Tricky one. Some people are fine with allowing you to expose them to a high quality system to show what is possible, but some don't like that and will only listen to products/systems within their budget. Some people ask to hear something better - maybe what I feel is the next step up - to confirm if what they are choosing is good value. Some people just want something better than they already have.

 

[ID.]

What about all the first time buyers? All the people that have never owned a proper hi-fi system before?

They don't know what's possible and what isn't possible with a hi-fi system

Tricky one. Some people are fine with allowing you to expose them to a high quality system to show what is possible, but some don't like that and will only listen to products/systems within their budget. Some people ask to hear something better - maybe what I feel is the next step up - to confirm if what they are choosing is good value. Some people just want something better than they already have.

And some only want to listen to products that have gotten a 5 star review and will think you are trying to rip them off or don't know what you are talking about if you try to get them to listen to anything else.

 

[Native_bon]

I bet some people on here going into a shop do not even know what sound there want, unless its told to them by a hifi mag or shop sales person.

Until they try out some systems/speakers and then realise what they want or what they're after. You can't tell someone what sound they should be after, unless they have no mind of their own.

What about all the first time buyers? All the people that have never owned a proper hi-fi system before?

They don't know what's possible and what isn't possible with a hi-fi system.

Think I have already answered your question on post #42. If you got some horrible HIFI shops or sales persons they will be sold the wrong systems.

 

[lindsayt]

Yes, I totally agree Native_bon.

You might also have dealer with high integrity who doesn't stock a wide enough range of equipment to provide an optimum solution. EG a well heeled buyer with a large listening room that listens mainly to chamber music going to a dealer that doesn't stock electrostatics.

 

[nopiano]

I certainly get a lot of enjoyment from portable radios, the car radio etc. But there is nothing quite like a decent system in a reasonable room at home, especially if you can't get to concert halls regularly.

Budget systems can be great, and I had one for many years. I knew it could be better though, just like a grand piano is better than an upright - you don't need golden ears, just a vague appreciation of sound and music.

Luckily, a few years ago I was able to buy my core system. Given it is now about 15 years old and still sounds great, it is probably pretty good value compared to regular tinkering with cheaper gear.

 

[steve_1979]

Why do we spend so much money on out hifi system?

'cos it sounds better.