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Things I have learned on my hi-fi journey


Chicago_Pete

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Gee, where to start...

The midrange is where we live-PWK

You can't make what you can't measure, because you don't when you've got it made-another gem from PWK, but he was quoting someone else.

The goodness of an audio system (to its owner) is always porportional to the cost and work put into it, and disputing that axiom causes anything from mild controversy to loss of friendship

The very best loudspeakers (and associated signal chain) will give you the occassional impression that the music is indeed right in the room with you. In the realm of the very best, the frequency of this impression sorts the pretty good from the truly impressive. If you think you get this all the time, with all types of music, you are either delusional, your hearing is shot, or you've discovered something the rest of us would really like to know.

Recalibrate your hearing by listening to live, unamplified music as often as possible.

All other factors being equal (which they seldom are), a speaker system with the largest possible midrange radiating area (horn mouth or diaphram size) will generally sound better than a system with a smaller mid area. This relates to the first quote above.

If a manufacturer avers that subjective results are more important by far than instrumented testing, run, don't walk, away from them.

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I honestly cannot tell the difference between my $200 speaker cables and lamp cord.

When used with speakers or lamps?

That is hilarious, "Things I have learned on my lamp journey."

One of the bright spots, no doubt...
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I've learned to keep an open mind and ear. Just because I hate the way something looks doesn't mean I'll hate the way it sounds. After tremendous resistance, my dealer convinced me to audition Magnepan speakers. I always hated the look and thought there was no way they'd ever sound the way they do... boy was I surprised. Bought and loved them, had to sell them but someday I will own another. [:)]

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I've learned to keep an open mind and ear. Just because I hate the way something looks doesn't mean I'll hate the way it sounds. After tremendous resistance, my dealer convinced me to audition Magnepan speakers. I always hated the look and thought there was no way they'd ever sound the way they do... boy was I surprised. Bought and loved them, had to sell them but someday I will own another. Smile

I agree, had a pair of Maggies years ago.
They do a lot of things right and someday I will have another pair.

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EVERY component or part in the audio path has a signature. Whether it is an amp/other component, tranny, cap, tube, wire (and not to mention the implementation of these) it has a SOUND. Some minute and negligible, some more important and revealing......but they all have an effect if they are in the audio path, especially with horn speaker systems.

Horns really DO love tubes.

Those early tubes are really incredible.

If the government knew just how pleasurable tubes and horns are, they would be illegal.....or taxed[;)].

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TRUST YOUR EARS! Plus bear in mind that program quality can vary markedly be it CD's, FM radio, MP3 or whatever. Establish your own stable of a half-dozen or so recordings that YOU like and let them be your listening tests for new gear.

I've been all over this hobby from student-poor to Klipschorns+ Belle rich. A good ca. $1,000- $2,000 subwoofer + satellite system can be eminently satisfying, trust me. But you gotta listen to and wring it out first with your own ears and with your own stable of reference recordings before you buy.

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Buy what sounds good to you.

People with the most money don't always buy the best equipment.

Chorus and Cornwalls are heavier than you think.

Lousy recordings still sound lousy, even on good speakers.

McIntosh and Klipsch make beautiful music together.

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