View Full Version : What I Love About Hifi is...
Ok, so what is it you love about hifi? (forget the music, that's a given...) For me, I love the diversity - I mean, I bet not any two of us have the same system... I love the fact that you reach your own audio nirvana along your own path - a million different ways to skin the proverbial cat...
So "diversity" is what I love - what say you?
Ah! But Grasshopper! Sometimes the problem is we do not know which cat to skin...;)
Rare Bird
30-01-2011, 01:12
What i love is the way folk get drawn into trends
Techno Commander
30-01-2011, 01:32
I'm as untrendy as they come. :)
Ah! But Grasshopper! Sometimes the problem is we do not know which cat to skin...;)
Indeed Master, that is why we skin every one we come across until we find the right one! And then, as Confucius says, man with hole in pocket feel cocky all day. ;)
What i love is the way folk get drawn into trends
Yesh, I'm currently going through a rubber shorts trend, with uncontrollable giggling :eyebrows:
Marco.
Ammonite Audio
30-01-2011, 08:23
Yesh, I'm currently going through a rubber shorts trend, with uncontrollable giggling :eyebrows:
Marco.
Better than uncontrollable farting, in rubber shorts:lol:
We must stop lowering the tone like this - Alex is trying to have a serious discussion! :flasher:
Marco.
I'm a box swapper pure and simple, 3 sets of amps in 3 weeks all with different output valves, i just like to try different amps that's my enjoyment, luckily i get to try things for nothing most of the time.
I realised long ago that the HiFi path is one that gets nowhere but costs a fortune.
Currently listening to my HMV 2024 record player, playing some long forgotten singles from the late 50's and thoroughly enjoying every second :)
(Semprini - Forgotten Dreams anyone? Thought not :D)
I realised long ago that the HiFi path is one that gets nowhere but costs a fortune.
I'd be inclined to go along with that. Most of the very expensive systems I've heard have sounded poor and I wouldn't want to live with them. It is a fact that it gets more and more difficult to keep a Hi-Fi system well balanced as the performance increases. Many people become obsessed with the system rather than the music as they struggle to again sonic perfection, a fool's errand.
Oh, the question. I don't love Hi-Fi, I like it. It's a nice thing to have if it's working ok, not costing too much and not demanding too much of your time. Just like a car or a computer. People obsess over cars and computers too and that's no less sad and pathetic than obsessing over Hi-Fi.
Techno Commander
30-01-2011, 13:12
I realised long ago that the HiFi path is one that gets nowhere but costs a fortune.
Thats because you are on the merry-go-round. :)
Reid Malenfant
30-01-2011, 13:28
I guess what i like about it is i can make the stuff i'd never be able to afford to buy & concentrate the cash on stuff i can't build myself ;)
DIY really gets you involved & gives a huge sense of satisfaction once completed :cool:
I love the music I hear from it
Rare Bird
30-01-2011, 17:22
I realised long ago that the HiFi path is one that gets nowhere but costs a fortune.
reason i like to buy any old crap & be satisfied :lolsign:
jantheman
30-01-2011, 17:26
Ok, so what is it you love about hifi? (forget the music, that's a given...) For me, I love the diversity - I mean, I bet not any two of us have the same system... I love the fact that you reach your own audio nirvana along your own path - a million different ways to skin the proverbial cat...
So "diversity" is what I love - what say you?
So many cats, so few recipes...Sandi Toksvig.
I realised long ago that the HiFi path is one that gets nowhere but costs a fortune.
Speak for yourself, shweety! ;)
I'm in audio nirvana, thank you very much :)
It's simply a matter of knowing what to buy, by being shrewd and thinking outside of the box, shunning the purchase of boxes with 'prestige badges', combining the best of old and new technologies, realising that the 'latest and greatest' anything in hi-fi is rarely that (i.e. new is not always best), and not being afraid to tinker under the hood (modify equipment) - or in my case, getting one of my trusted 'people' to do the necessary, in exchange for......
Let's not go there, but at some point they usually meet Cynthia, down behind my little cupboard... :eyebrows:
Marco.
So many cats, so few recipes.
At least they fit in a microwave.
Speak for yourself, shweety! ;)
I'm in audio nirvana, thank you very much :)
It's simply a matter of knowing what to buy, by being shrewd and thinking outside of the box, shunning 'prestige badges', combining the best of old and new technologies, realising that the 'latest and greatest' anything in hi-fi is rarely that, and not being afraid to tinker under the hood - or in my case, getting one of my trusted 'people' on the case, in exchange for......let's not go there (at some point they usually meet Cynthia, down behind my little cupboard...) :eyebrows:
Marco.
Is Cynthia the gymnomastic melophage record cleaner? I've yet to met her - I've only met the gimp so far!
That's right, old boy. You haven't met Synth yet, but I'm planning to 'release' her on you next time you visit... :eyebrows:
We're doing an Easter promotion on canoe paddle spankings, with free photos, if you're interested? ;)
Marco.
I refer the honorable gentleman to post #8 (http://theartofsound.net/forum/showpost.php?p=183329&postcount=8) :lol:
Rare Bird
30-01-2011, 21:49
Yeh too right it's disgraceful behaviour :lolsign:
Have you guys met Marco's record cleaning Cynthia? Here's what she looks like:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/image.php?u=3075&dateline=1284677197
Now perhaps you can understand. ;)
Have you guys met Marco's record cleaning Cynthia? Here's what she looks like:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/image.php?u=3075&dateline=1284677197
Now perhaps you can understand. ;)
now that would get my attention and make playing vinyl worthwhile
I give up! :D
I should of course have added Alex, that I do not regard this method of record cleaning as being in any way ideal. But the procedure has, you will have to admit, a certain attraction! :eyebrows:
Regards
Fair enough Barry, I guess we've established that what we love about hifi is what us blokes love most about life itself - girls, and preferably girls with their t!ts out! :lol:
Fair enough Barry, I guess we've established that what we love about hifi is what us blokes love most about life itself - girls, and preferably girls with their t!ts out! :lol:
Certainly beats my 'prosaic' Nitty Gritty' RCM.
I'm not sure 'What I love About Hifi' - it is, after all, only a means to an end; but it does provide a lot of personal, good-natured banter (I hope) and 'joshing' about our systems and what we want from them.
Regards
Have you guys met Marco's record cleaning Cynthia? Here's what she looks like:
http://theartofsound.net/forum/image.php?u=3075&dateline=1284677197
Yes, Cynthia's method does add a frisson of 'excitement' to the process of record cleaning, which using my VPI doesn't quite manage :bum:
Marco.
magiccarpetride
31-01-2011, 20:30
Ok, so what is it you love about hifi? (forget the music, that's a given...) For me, I love the diversity - I mean, I bet not any two of us have the same system... I love the fact that you reach your own audio nirvana along your own path - a million different ways to skin the proverbial cat...
So "diversity" is what I love - what say you?
I love how high-end hi fi can make even the most worn out recording, the one you've known since you were a child, sound brand new.
Then, just as you solidify your opinion how that's the best it could ever possibly get, you make another upgrade, and then get shocked when hearing that same familiar recording now sounding 1,000 better, and yes, brand new again!
There doesn't seem to be an end to these marvellous revelations and re-revelations in hi fi! Which is precisely what I love about it. It's a gift that keeps giving...
Rare Bird
31-01-2011, 21:09
I love how high-end hi fi can atrocious you mean :)
Rare Bird
04-02-2011, 23:51
Another thing i find amusing is a £10 vintage auction bargin can make mince meat out of a £5K amp :lol: but present Model & names are important yeh, i mean what would your mates & forum cronies think if you were running a cheap vintage piece that cost less than a night out :lolsign:
Proper hi fi carries a beat and rhythm much better than any cheap system can.
It makes me want to dance and I frequently do!
Jac Hawk
05-02-2011, 00:22
Another thing i find amusing is a £10 vintage auction bargin can make mince meat out of a £5K amp :lol: present Model & names are important yeh, i mean what would you mates & forum cronies think if you were running a cheap vintage piece that cost less than a night out :lolsign:
Agreed, there's nowt better than having an aquaintance drop by, a friend of a friend or in my case my boss dropping off some work (you know the type, the guy is always going on about how his hifi cost the same amount as the house you live in, and how he's never heard anything better) So you turn your set up on, it cost next to nowt off ebay, but it manages to wipe the smug bastards grin off his face when you tell him what it cost you.
So i suppose what i like about hifi is the hunt for bargins from yesteryear, finding a gem that blows you away and of course tinkering and restoration of old gear, then being able to sit down with a nice drink satisfied that your set up not only sounds great, but that it punches way above its weight and it cost bobbins
Totally agree in that respect with both you and Andre, although ultimately I find that the best path to take is to modify already good vintage gear with the best modern components, thereby ending up with something truly amazing, outperforming much modern gear, although granted, in the end a little more expensive than what you chaps are talking about :)
My Sony CDP & DAC and Tannoys are prime examples of that philosophy.
Marco.
Jac Hawk
05-02-2011, 00:38
Totally agree in that respect with both you and Andre, although ultimately I find that the best path to take is to modify already good vintage gear with the best modern components, thereby ending up with something truly amazing, outperforming much modern gear, although granted, in the end a little more expensive than what you chaps are talking about :)
My Sony CDP & DAC and Tannoys are prime examples of that philosophy.
Marco.
I agree mate, i use a mix of old and new too, i think the trick is to get the best of both worlds, a task that's not always easy
Rare Bird
05-02-2011, 01:07
Correct Mike & that is a procedure used in not just hi-fi circles.
Vinyleyes
05-02-2011, 05:15
I love the satisfaction you get when you listen to something and know that the moment has been captured .. with almost the same excitement as a live performance ....... !! .... I had a few mates round a couple of weeks ago and Jimmy Page's break on Whole Lotta Love came in on the left speaker :guitar: and we all just looked at each other and went ,,, :wow: :lolsign: ... It's moments like that that make all the hard work and research choosing your components, lumping heavy speakers and amps up and down stairs, running around the country getting stuff repaired and picked up, finding a decent courier who will deliver heavy fragile items hand carried without packaging ( I know one if any one is interested) and then sticking it all together, getting a few mates round with some refreshments .. and letting it rip haha! ..
And if most of your stuff is verging on vintage, has been gleaned 2nd hand or off Ebay or forums for a fraction of the new price and sounds awesome ... then so much the better .. :cool:
It's all about the listening experience and enjoying your music ;) ... don't get lost in the quest for perfection ... otherwise you miss the moment and lose the whole point of having a system .. :concertina:
I also think the DIY approach really adds value A lot of my system is home brew in some way
Beechwoods
05-02-2011, 08:17
There is a satisfaction at knowing you've got something sounding quite good, but for me I also like the thought that I've got a slice of audio history, and gear that was designed by experts, manufactured / serviced / rebuilt by hand. I also like it that I can buy equipment now that was the stuff of dreams when I was a kid.
The important thing is not to get obsessed by squeezing every scintilla of extra performance out. Like Mr Pig says, in as many words, at a certain point changes can fall foul of the theory of chaotic systems. A harmonious system suddenly loses all it's synergy, and you can end up chasing rainbows trying to get that fixed, when all you needed to do was unwind that last change. Nothing wrong with striving for greatness, but if your system is giving you anxiety attacks it's time to rethink!
A harmonious system suddenly loses all it's synergy...
Indeed. The key word is "system". It's a SYSTEM you're building, after all, not a disparate collection of boxes.....
And if you choose to upgrade, in order to retain synergy, you have to understand how your system works, what gives it the particular characteristics you love, and that any upgrade, although genuine, may simply show up deficiencies elsewhere, which will then need attended to in order to retain said synergy - and thus the merry-go-round begins...! ;)
Marco.
i agree with all these coments and can understand the satisfaction of building your own gear and modifing bits and bobs,all put together with love and perfectionand the thrill of turning it on:)i can hardly change a plug :(so i have to buy,for me its just listening to what ive got here and now as i canot tweak anything,i am delighted with the sounds flowing through my EARS:cool:cheers maria.
Another thing i find amusing is a £10 vintage auction bargain can make mince meat out of a £5K amp
I know what you're saying, my system is all old stuff, but this can just be a different kind of snobbery don't you think? The uncool is cool.
Agreed, there's nowt better than having an aquaintance drop by, a friend of a friend or in my case my boss dropping off some work (you know the type, the guy is always going on about how his hifi cost the same amount as the house you live in, and how he's never heard anything better) So you turn your set up on, it cost next to nowt off ebay, but it manages to wipe the smug bastards grin off his face when you tell him what it cost you.
I suppose I had the opposite experience last week when a friend dropped by on his way back from work. I had just got my Croft pre back from the shop earlier that evening and had already been sat rooted to the spot playing CD after CD and marvelling at how good it was sounding.
I was playing some Albert king on Stax. I went in the back to get a couple of cans and came out to find my pal examining my system with a puzzled expression. 'My hi-fi doesn't sound this good' he exclaimed. 'Why is that?'
Well, he has a budget Onkyo home Theatre amp and some budget floorstanding Wharfedales and a PS3 as a source. It probably sounds pretty good (I've not heard it), but it's obvious that the answer to his question was not going to be a simple or short one. As I pondered on where to start he continued 'What are these 'speakers? Do I need new 'speakers? How much did these cost? Where can I get some? etc.
Now he's a pretty well-off bloke with a six figure income so I panicked a bit because I did not want him rushing off and spending thousands (he's the sort who would) on my recommendations only for it to end up sounding dire so I backed off the whole conversation. Should I just point him to a dealer?
Beechwoods
05-02-2011, 10:11
Tell him to come here!
Tell him to come here!
And he will end up with modded SL1210, Caimen Dac, Croft amps and big, dual Concentric Tannoys:lolsign:
Rare Bird
05-02-2011, 10:42
I know what you're saying, my system is all old stuff, but this can just be a different kind of snobbery don't you think? The uncool is cool.
Snobbery! I don't think i'd be showing or telling anyone about my little Trio amps if i were a vintage snob do you?
Beechwoods
05-02-2011, 10:43
And he will end up with modded SL1210, Caimen Dac, Croft amps and big, dual Concentric Tannoys:lolsign:
:lolsign:
I don't own any of those, and I'm sure I'm not the only one!
I'd hope members here would work with what he'd got first and foremost!
Shame on you, Martin... You missed out the copper amp, de rigueur for discerning chaps in this neck of the woods! :eyebrows:
Marco.
Shame on you, Martin... You missed out the copper amp, de rigueur for discerning chaps in this neck of the woods! :eyebrows:
Marco.
And the Denon DL103! - note to self - must try harder:)
Snobbery! I don't think i'd be showing or telling anyone about my little Trio amps if i were a vintage snob do you?
Maybe not, I don't know you. But reverse snobbery is real enough, boasting about how little something cost instead of how much. I've done it myself. It's just a different kind of pride.
selfaddict
05-02-2011, 11:23
Ok, so what is it you love about hifi? (forget the music, that's a given...) For me, I love the diversity - I mean, I bet not any two of us have the same system... I love the fact that you reach your own audio nirvana along your own path - a million different ways to skin the proverbial cat...
So "diversity" is what I love - what say you?
FIRSTLY I love the time I spend doing the research on the web. I am trying to find all the information/rumors/negative or positive feedback/facts and figures, that's everything concerning to the product I am planning to buy. Some times this path takes me to a totally different product and most cases it has been great result. Great example is the Tesla E83CC valves, I was looking for info from another product, but after time on the web, I changed my mind :).
SECONDLY I love hunting this item, I have decided to buy, down. This hunt will take me across globe: Mexico, Thailand, Russia etc. And it needs to be a bargain :eyebrows: for me to give it the final press of the keyboard.
THIRDLY I love the feeling you get sometimes when you connect your new purchase to your system and the hair in the back of your neck (or back :lol:) stands up and you get the WOW feeling rushing through your body. That has happened only couple of times, but it is worth of hunting ;).
FOURTHLY I love to find out how to make your new purchase even better by upgrading parts inside of it or using different cables etc. with it.
LAST I love dreaming of my own hifi room, where my gear will really show what it is capable of producing regarding musical nirvana. My dream is not too far away, but it still a dream worth of dreaming. Most probably when I get my hifi room, I will start all over again :doh:.
As you can see my hobby is 24/7 fun :lol:.
Rare Bird
05-02-2011, 16:25
Maybe not, I don't know you. But reverse snobbery is real enough, boasting about how little something cost instead of how much. I've done it myself. It's just a different kind of pride.
Im in no way snob or reverse snob..I am fussy, i can see quality a mile off & i do claim the music i live for is an elite form of music where all others are inferior. but not any kind of snob.
Beechwoods
05-02-2011, 17:36
i do claim the music i live for is an elite form of music where all others are inferior. but not any kind of snob.
:lolsign: I love it Andr'e. Anyone who doesn't recognise the pre-eminence of prog just ain't worth knowing ;)
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