The wrong question to ask is “Is the sound worth the price.”
The right question is “how much are you willing to pay for the sound.”
2 Likes
Oh yeah, one last one. Sexy looking gear sounds better than ugly looking gear. That’s a fact. 
5 Likes
My biggest lesson I’ve learned in this hobby is that listening is a LEANED SKILL. It is not dependent on “golden ears” or anything like that.
At first I could barley tell the difference between my HD58x and the Bose soundlink 2 headphones I was using for music before. Hell, I struggled to tell the difference with my Steelseries Arctis 3 at first. Yikes. But as I listened more and also got some other headphones (a DT770 250 ohm and a Tin T2 for sound isolation/portable) I started to notice what what really different in their sound. Now that I’m deeper in I can better pick out not only FR differences, but even stuff like speed, dynamics, detail retrieval, etc. I can also sometimes even yell the difference between my Asgard 3 and xd-05 at times, and when I started I was in the “all amps sound the same” camp.
Overall, you have to have experienced a difference to be able to identify it, and even then it could take some time before you can consistently identify it.
6 Likes
Thats so true, its really a learned skill. Im still learning everytime i listen and i think, it will probably never end.
2 Likes
This is massive, i was just giving my stuff away cuz it seemed like a pain to sell shit. but if u want to move up the ladder gotta sell ur shit to fund the next thing lol. Keeping the box and keeping all ur audio gear in excellent condition in order to sell actually might be the most important thing i learned.
More expensive does not mean better.
Everyone values aspects of gear differently, especially when preferring different genres of music.
No one hears audio the same for many different reasons making recommendations almost useless.
Learn to understand what your personal preferences are. Do you prefer detail, fun tuning, sub bass focus, imaging, stage etc…
There is no “best”.
2 Likes
Reminded me of this video posted yesterday.
1 Like
Salesmen (still haven’t seen a women do it), reviewers, and most audio “friends” have an agenda - it’s usually money related, but sometimes it’s ego. Thus pay attention to everyone of them, and put what they see through a strainer, so only a percent or two remain.
Learn what you like, and learn about what you have trouble hearing. I used to like big panels and didn’t really notice for years that they didn’t have real good dynamics because I was addicted to micro-dynamics and huge sound stages.
Keep your eye on technology. KEF LS500 really do kick can of any stand mounts before 2010. Hi-Res perfect bit streaming kills $15k CD players from 12 years ago.
Try some AB blind testing, you’ll learn almost all audio memory is short term or deceptive.
The more money you toss at it, the more likely you have no clothes.
Nothing wrong with comfortable favorites (music, equipment), that’s where the enjoyment is. The bleeding edge over and over means you are a perfectionist or a neurotic.
Happy listening!
1 Like
The buy used thing one is big. Its like 40% msrp at times or just a few more $20s in your pocket. Neither of which would anyone argue with. I would say for headphones just be prepared to clean them and replace pads on used gear, or maybe that is just me and my easily skeeved out personality. And be patient and wait.
2 Likes
I learned there is not that much technology built into modern speakers.
That’s a really nice topic! Let me see what I learned. Good audio sucks all of your money.
Jokes aside, complementing the great stuff people already posted here:
1 - Good gear can make you discover flaws in music you love. You don’t love them less, but you kind of wonder who’s the one responsible for that slip out bad mastering.
2 - I love gear, but it isn’t the most important thing. If I need to pay too much attention to the gear, and not what’s making me feel with the right music, then it’s probably not for me.
I will kind of second that, but I would say it CAN bring tangible returns. The Elegia made me more keen to the idea higher end stuff can bring significant improvements that are hard to explain.
I guess we come back to more money to be sucked down the rabbit hole. =P
2 Likes
Depends on the price point. Rubbish like Bose certainly matches your claim.
I think the French brand Triangle makes some really nice small towers. I bought a Triangle Celius 202 on closeout in 2003 (normally close to $2k, for $900), they were at the time the cheapest Class A speaker on the Stereophile recommended list ever. The current Triangle Borea BR-08 at $1399 is better. And you can blow your ears out with a 50 wpc amp.
You’ve got the Magnepan ,7i, 1.7i. 3.7i - put out about 4-5 years ago that toast anything in those size ranges that they made before.
What’s wrong with the KEF LS50? Besides being expensive.
Philharmonic BMR - for about $2.5k from Salk. You probably had to spend $15k on a pair of Verity Parsifals 20 years ago to get better sound.
Witchcraft !
Amen!
equipment is a means to an end, playing your jams and getting your groove on… Whatever your jam may be.
Tinkering with gear is fun I can not lie… but it is more of a want vs. need and doesn’t have to rule your experience. Heck, I have been known to start tapping my foot in the grocery store listening to musac on the PA - in all of its mono snap-crackle-pop’n fidelity…
Learned i will go into insolvency taking trips to stem cell clinics in order to keep myself alive to experience nextgen home entertainment.
dacs: they… barely matter, the bass feel a bit more clear but not much else to really feel like a substantial update
records: cartridge and pressing matter more than everything else
headphones: I like my shit bright and V shaped
chi-fi: they have awful grammar and people will probably debate if its really that good but the value is there
reviewers: there is no such thing as objective measurement based reviews
3 Likes
DACS matter as much as a TT/arm/cartridge/step up. I had a TNT Jr/Clear Audio straight tracker/Koetsu Signature/Pass Ono (about $12k list) that is topped by a Schiit Gumby with TIDAL/UAPP/Hi-Res/LG v40 ($20 per month + $150 for the phone).
Cartridges in the wrong arm can be extremely bad. IE high compliance cartridge in high mass arm or low compliance on low mass arm. Best to stick with straight trackers since there is no inner grove distortion, about 1/5 the wear per play on your vinyl too.
I like my headphones fairly flat, very rich sounding but with outstanding transparancy. Tough to get to.
2 Likes
This thread should be recommended reading for all newbies!! And some oldbies!
1 Like
What is the biggest thing you've learned during your audiophile journey? @Resolution there’s already a thread for this fyi
1 Like