Is it possible to be a cheap audiophile?
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- Опубліковано 5 жов 2024
- Audiophile and cheap don't always fit together well but that doesn't mean there's any less desire for great sound! What's a budget minded audiophile to do? If you want to learn more, grab a copy of Paul's new book, The Audiophile's Guide. www.amazon.com...
Being an audiophile is a state of mind, and a desire to listen, not just hear.
Sure isn't a desire to learn or understand. For example, what a convolution integral is, and how it's used to duplicate a frequency response in a linear system. It certainly is a state of mind, it's called delusion.
Agreed brother..Its about the appreciation of sound and an awareness of the beauty of sound...Of course there are many people who will reply in a snobbish condescending manner to your statement, but i get what you mean.
cool story bro
Being an audiophile is being someone with a self-proclaimed title.
@G Guest Language changes. Always and continuously. Including definitions and connotations of words.
It's similar to, for example, the word negro. Negro comes from the Latin word negro literally meaning black. It used to be a normal word to describe someone being black, but because of racism the word has slowly developed a negative connotation and is often seen as a swearword nowadays.
The word audiophile isn't any different in this respect. It's literally a contraction of audio and phile, which means love for audio.
Because of the negative behavior of certain knowledgeable/experienced/rich people towards beginners and poor that are into audio, the word audiophile has developed a negative connotation. Nowadays it's often connected with snobbism, brand based opinions, dogmatism, conservatism and a lack of technical knowledge.
It is even possible to be an audiophile without any equipment at all. You just have to be interested in high quality music reproduction. I had no gear and no money when I first heard a high-end audio system and got hooked. My first audiophile product were Grado SR60 headphones that I bought in the 90s.
I was an audiophile at the age of 6. I'm 43 now, and I'm only just starting to invest money into it, albeit not much money.
I prefer second hand high-end to brand new Low/Mid-range.
"One man gathers what another man spills..."
Spoken like a true audiophile.
Exactly, I always try to steer people in that direction 👍
While I was always under the impression that my two Adcom 555's are mid-level, PS Audio considers them high-end, at least according to their trade-in and other site comments about them.
Speakers are risky but almost all other audio equipment is better second hand, in terms of value. I got lucky recently a picked up a pair of ML ESL9's for $2k ($6.5k retail) that were 3 months old. Guy decided to upgrade to the ESL11's. Patience and relentless searching is an absolute must. Wait until you find a deal you don't expect to see again and then pull the trigger
I'm a cheap audiophile, I don't get paid much, so I don't have much choice. Spending a couple of grand on one item is a very big investment, and one I haven't currently done. I just love audio gear at any price.
I'm a retiree with a modest union pension, so I certainly know how it is with small budgets. When I bought a pair of very nice ADS L810's @ $500/shipped, the seller allowed me to pay for them in two installments, so I didn't have to scrape by with a $500 purchase in one month. The Adcom 555's were about $700 for both, though not with the same seller. The only big purchase I've made is $730 for the SVS PB-2000 sub, which was an in-store upgrade from the PB-1000 I originally bought. That sub is what elevated my system to astounding from just okay.
I got a nice book shelf system for $7 at a thrift store and it sounds awesome. It has ribbon tweeters and I believe 4" drivers for the lower frequencies. (They may be 5" if you count the surround on the cone.)
I also got a Creative Labs external DAC/Amp and some Sennheiser HD 6XX headphones from Drop (formerly Massdrop). The DAC/Amp may get replaced at the end of the summer by a Schiit Jotunheim, because that will drive the headphones better, I think. (Better gain stages.)
I think you're the most humble audiophile I've ever heard.
@@QoraxAudio all you need to be an audiophile is a hobbyist critical ear (or two). Nothing else. :D
@@mrpositronia True, back in college, I made the Phono preamps myself for example. Desoldered old parts out of home appliances. Used the components on those brown colored prototype pcb boards with a matrix of holes and copper on one side. Also had other hobby projects like a plasma tube VU meter, which I converted to an 16 band VU meter later on, to monitor frequency response and prevent flattening. Nowadays it can be made even easier by using old LEDs or LED hose or tapes.
Absolutely. I’ve discovered my passion for home stereo and have slowly become an audiophile almost all via thrift shopping over the last decade. It’s amazing the cool audio gear people donate.
Pawn shops,ebay,craigslist,flea markets....hell YES i am a cheap audiophile!!!! No shame in my game!!
The important thing is to be happy with the sound, irrespective of cost or manufacturer. I am living in China where good audio at sensible prices is very hard to find. I live in a small apartment and so space is restricted. My audio system is my laptop coupled with a pair of Audioengine A2+ connected via USB. It may not be my dream system and it certainly is not the most expensive, cost of the speakers here was $240, but it is giving me pleasure I have listened to more music in the last month since buying them than in the previous few years. Norah Jones, BB King, Margo Price, Dwight Yoakam, Queen and Creedence all sound brilliant. At 66 years old I will probably stay with these for a long time, or maybe add the sub-woofer, or upgrade to a pair of A5+s.
That is all you need. Speakers that sound good to you and reproduce your favorite music the way you like. If the look good too, now that's a great deal
I used to use Santana Abraxas CD to evaluate speakers.
It has all the different highs, lows and middle ranges in it and was well recorded.
May I suggest taking a look at Zeos Pantera's postings on UA-cam. These echo Paul's comments and his hifi reviews tend to prefer cheaper equipment on principle. I understand that he is planning to take a room at RMAF and fill it with systems based on budget components to jllustrate that budget does not automatically mean cheap or nasty. However one warning Zeos does like a well turned cuss word espe ially in admiration of new equipment so if you are sensitive like Paul's Grandson you might want to turn down the sound and just watch Zeos' cat who is truly the star of the videos when she chooses to make an appearance.
The term is weeb 😉
Personally I find his rantings entertaining
I'm a thrift store audiophile. I found some really nice vintage equipment from the 70s and 80s which sounds great. I just needed to fix them up a bit, new caps, bulbs and clean the pots. Wife bought me a new integrated and told me "now you don't have to bring home anymore junky old stereos". She doesn't get it.
Absolutely! Just like ANY hobby, it's what you make of it. You can spend a shit ton of money, or find ways to save it whenever possible. Second-hand equipment, DIY speakers, etc. Audiophile life is just that, a way of life, it's not how much you spend, it's how you enjoy it!
Absolutely! very well said! It all about the appreciation of sound in whatever way ur budget allows...Any fool can spend alot of money if they have it...That doesnt mean they have that appreciation for the beauty of sound
Yes it is. Being audiophile is not about having expensive fancy amps and speakers. It's about how you listen to the music and how do you feel listening to music.
I was starting with superlux headphones (30$) and some cheap smsl dac (50$) with amp.
Currently I'm running system that is more expensive than my car. And am I more happy than I was before ? Not really :)
Just enjoy the music.
Ok but how to be blind that magazines for expensive snake oil gear are named audiophile review.
Audiophile is not only about sound quality and sound fidelity, but also about enjoying music and hifi equipment, like cassette decks etc.
Cassette decks? 😂😂😂 Yes and am radio too!
I love it when Paul reads a question and it's full of equipment model numbers. I should write in a question to Paul full of model numbers lol. All Paul really wants to know is a summary of what you have and not the exact equipment model you have.
You're great again, always happy-go-lucky 😊 that is so wonderful to hear, thank you Paul.
Just bought a used Elac B6 for $200 (they retail for $400+ where I live). Can't wait to test it out with my old Yamaha receiver once I can find a nice used pair of stands.
Pretty sure you'll love them. I did. If you have a sub in the mix, they'll be perfect. Otherwise, that should be next on the shopping list.
I recently got some speaker stands and it’s improved the sound of my various speakers tremendously, especially the bookshelf speakers.
@@calebhansen37 do the speakers stands change a lot the sound?
@@pura_boda the stands really open up the sound and allow the speakers to perform like the manufacturer intended.
@@calebhansen37 okay, thank you!
You can get good sound either by going for used or carefully choosing from affordable new stuff. I’ve done both.
A great affordable set up can be:
- Yamaha AS (amp and DAC) or RN series (amp, streamer, DAC, Internet radio)
- Sony SS CS5 or Klipsch RP600M
All for just around $1k - $1.5k, brand new. Will sound good.
Thank you very much Paul, I really appreciate all your comments and wow I wasn't expecting being feature in you channel at all or that fast. thank you. Luis
Aragon, Parasound, Proceed ,Bryston, Acurus can all be had on the cheap on ebay. Ive bought many sets on Ebay and have never gone wrong, Just study the person selling the item. Check how many sales on there channel, there ratings, feedback, contact them and open a dialog get a feel for the owner before the purchase. Also build your own speakers as i have, do research on drivers and crossovers, they always sound much better than buying factory built.
Seas, Peerless, Vifa, scanspeak, focal, B&W, Dynaudio for tweeters and woofers are just a start in mid to high level speakers.
Don't get caught up in all the
bullshizzel pal, use your own ears and trust your judgement, soon others will ask you for advice, knowledge is key. 👍
Inexpensive HIFI speakers for @$200 - Amazon Hivi speaker kit DIY2.2A. Designed by Frank Hale. The woofer in the kit is used in Totems. They would crush the Elacs. A good used Yamaha Integrated amplifier and your good to go! If you have ears you are an audiophile. I prefer the term Equipment-phile myself.
They won't crush the Elac speakers, no chance.
Certainly easier than it used to be. It's great to see a lot of companies offering products that aren't terribly expensive. Once you get a taste of some decent gear, you're hooked. "I know that's how it happened for me".
Absolutely, my friend bought a decent set up for 650 UK sterling , you get more for the money than you did 50 years ago
It is definitely possible. But it depends on what you define as cheap...
Roland Rohde build ... ua-cam.com/video/i4dPWIhFxTo/v-deo.html
I see difference between "economy" and "cheap" . Economy is anything that is stripped from fancy shine which some may not be looking for. My last purchase is used old tube amp which I value a lot. I keep it with removed its golden and black front and with gray chassis outside - a look more desired by me. I am not going not pay a lot for shine and it is not cheap but actually economy. Until many will find it fashionable :).
“So much shit” 😂🤣😂🤣 You made my day!!
He better get those bicycle clips out then, it's more than verbal diarrhoea hahah
Definitely you can be. For me an audiophile is a someone who appreciates and prioritize sound over convenience, size, connectivity and any other factor for selecting any audio gear. For example your budget might be 100£$€ for a CD player. What makes you an audiophile is the fact that your number one priority is sound quality, based on your taste, over anything else.
Yes audiophile could be considered knowledge but most just hook up to reviews and price tags. . It is hard to know. audio. and reading and listening to opinions may be (is?) misleading.
I have 2 dedicated listening systems. The big one is about $4200, of which $3500 was for Klipsch Lascala II's. A $150 Yamaha amp, Onkyo cd changer $50, Marantz tuner$100, Project element turntable $300.
My bedroom system is a $79 Loxjie A10 class D amp, Infinity 163 speakers $110 pr.
Both systems sound fantastic!
Have fun!
Being from the uk, I purchased the Tannoy precision 6.2 new. I could only budget to run on a Technics su-a600, Acram Dac which was a very revealing and engaging listen. I eventually upgraded the amp/dac, and it was like having a complete new system. Paul's right speakers first, i spent a good couple hours in the store listening room trying different speakers which was well worth taking the time to do so.
Hell yes u can! Go vintage like I do and you will get some of the best sound you've ever heard!
I'm a budget audiophile, especially after my divorce. Ebay was my best friend. Bought an Infinity system from Harmon audio. Interlude IL50S, Paul might disagree on audiophile, but they were based on work by Dr. Floyd e tloole, ran Canada's NRC did years of research on psycho acoustics, room interactions. Went to Harmon audio and was involved with their R&D and one of the things that came out of that was the Intermezzo line. The Interludes were the trickle down from that. I paid $468 for the pair, MSRP $1700. Bought a Carver av705x amplifier and recently a Marantz av7005 preamp processor. With matching center and Il10 bookshelf speakers. All under $1500. Had that system minus the Marantz, new acquisition , for 17 years been very happy. It can be done
IMO high end audiophile gear is for people who have more money than sense. That said I agree that speakers or headphones are the most important link in the chain, and you can get good enough without breaking the bank.
My whole stereo are bought used.
Buchardt s300mk 2
Musical-fidelity m6si
Aune s16 dac
Wireworld powercords
Xindac FS-1 speakercables
Sitting for hours and listening ❤️
What price did you get your amp for?
about 90% of my equipment i bought used. infinity speakers from the early 2000's, a 7 year old Denon amp. only thing i bought new were power amps. i bought returns on amazon. got 35% rebate because they had dents. i also built my front towers myself using used drivers on local ad's.
Prelude? ;)
two interlude il30 for the center. the front are d.i.y's with infinity kappa's 10" subs and the infinity interlude drivers from the two il10 i had. rears are infinity primus. all bought used on local ad's
Scratch & Dent is nice if you have access! Especially if it is a factory warranty repair shop! I used to live in East TN which was the location of Magnavox/Philco/Sylvania factory for TV's...large screen, rear projection...anyway, they had a "factory outlet" store that had "scratch & dent"...I found out that they also serviced Philips audio equipment there too!!! Long story short, I picked up a nice amp, D/A converter, & dual cassette deck for a FRACTION of what it would have cost brand new!!!
Used gear is promising but must be aware that after years it may have deficiency which regular service may consider as good state..
Bring some well recorded music and also bring some poorly recorded/mixed music that you like if you listen to those when you shop for speakers. Also one of the cheapest ways to improve SQ is sound treatment. Untreated room to a minimally treated room will still make the system sound double the price
I'd like to add, that if you gather enough info, skill, and a bit of luck, you will be amazed at how close you can come to the audiophile gear costing thousands with DIY. Pick up the soldering iron and some once-expensive used gear bought cheap (eBay, Craigslist, etc.) and have at it!
As many people have written, used is a great way to find some great equipment cheaply. listen to things, and find out what you like. people have preferences, so the first thing us to learn what yours is.
You may find some nice used speakers, but generally I think it is worth buying speakers new, if for no other reason, that it may be easier to listen to them before you buy them.
For the rest, used usually works well.
I’ve put together a $500 system that retails for 2500. It’s all used gear for example the Peachtree nova retailed for 1500 and I bought it for 400. I think any piece of gear which retails for over 1000 is incredible if it has a good reputation and five or 10 years later it’s still incredible. With just a little research a person will find great speakers on a budget for example the Elac’s and then just buy them because it’s a journey.
I built my first system for $50 by going to the thrift stores bright and early every morning for several months.
I just had a similar experience helping a friend select a new audio system. The salesman kept pushing a particular speaker that was about 20% more expensive. It was a well reviewed speaker from a reputable brand but it was a much brighter speaker than the one I had suggested. Of course after the listening session my friend said he preferred the speaker the salesman was pushing but I warned my friend about jumping to conclusions without paying more attention to the tone and timbre of the music. The salesman also didn’t conduct a fair demo, he didn’t level match the volume which favoured “his” speaker which was more efficient. Plus we didn’t conduct the listening session in an enclosed room so there was background noise and music from the rest of the store that made the brighter speaker sound clearer. Needless to say I passed this video on to my friend to consider.
Currently using a pair of B&O S45-2's on a Harman Kardon 430 twin powered amplifier. And I must say that it sounds quite magical.
Is recapped both (with some tips from PS audio). I can confirm that second hand "vintage" audio is the way to go it you want to get great sound on the cheap. My rig cost me ~€180,- after recap.
I am a studio owner, audio engineer and producer of 25 years. I’m that accustomed to listening with a totally flat response that anything else just sounds weird. I’ve ruined the high end audio experience for myself!
You can get affordable equipment that sounds good. Good enough to hear a sufficiently deep and wide sound stage whilst retaining a clear sound with good mids and bass.
I had the Yamaha RN303 with the Sony SS CS5. It does sound good. An all in one system for less than $500 brand new. Gave it to my gf and when I pop by her place I still truly enjoy listening to it despite my system costing many many times more than that.
Up the budget a bit and there is the Yamaha RN803 ($750). Not expensive but sounds great. Pair it with any speaker in the $750 range and you got a system that’s nothing to be shy of.
We live in a great time, where there is a lot of great budget gear out there (both new and used) to try. Not just from the usual known brands but also smaller less known companies (and of course there is the emerging budget friendly Chinese hifi makers) - who all collective create a vast array of ever improving products that can give 70 to 80%+ of sonic hifi thrills and qualities of much higher priced and spec'd equipment. As things tend to get more a more subtle, refined and subjective the more we spend.
But for me the room size, space and environment is by far the most important factor to consider. As good budget book shelf system in a smaller well thought room or space can sound totally amazing..and yet not so good if filled with oversized speakers and super high powered amps etc. Although more refined and revealing gear can always improve things too!
But the real audiophile secret is..if your system allows you to feel connected and lost into the music, or makes you stop, smile and tap your feet...then you are already pretty much there!
Paul . This is my stereo : Focal electra 906 - Carver tfm-6c - Mingda mc-7r - Klipsch rw8 - Thorens td318
.............. and I'm in love with it !! sign Bernard , montreal canada
mr Paul's advise is logical and practical.
Not that I'm a special kind of smart, but I think calibrating a sound system is very important. The listening room has a huge impact on the way the the sound pressure waves interact. Depending on the devices used, altering the volumes of different frequencies is the only way to accomplish as flat of a response as possible. There are affordable calibrated mics (starting from $30 for a smart phone/tablet to $100 for a pc usb interface) and nothing compares to a proper EQed sound system. A properly calibrated mid-range speaker will always sound more natural, as mr Paul says, than a high end speaker improperly positioned and EQed.
Why do the proper sounding bands calibrate their sound system each time they change the location? After all, it's the same sound system and the same band... in order to calibrate it to the new environmen
Speakers are very Important as Paul said. My approach was : Upgrade over time and not to be afraid of Chi-Fi that has good reputation and reviews. My Amp, speakers have not been changed in the last 10+ years DACS on the hand seem to get switched out a lot. Preamps have met a similar fate. NowI have a DAC / PreAmp combo. To replace the system with same components (because of rising cost) would be about 5000 This assumes NEW. Which is not bad over time for a working stiff. Used, knock off 1G on total.
I slowly cobbled together a system with used components and an extremely limited budget. I purchased some kightly used polks from their monitor series and then a used yamaha avr. I am hoping to upgrade my modest polks for some good focals and then move on to a higher quality amplification section when I have the finances available. Operating within a tiny budget has forced me to learn how to squeeze every bit of sound quality out of cheap speakers with placement, stands, and toe-in angle. I feel this will give me an advantage when I am able to afford a more capable pair of speakers.
As the Affordable Audiophile, I second your emotion! The PS Audio SPROUT100 pairs so well with my 1975 Advents, and I noticed you mentioned Schiit is out there, and that's who can supply $99 DACs, HP amps, DAC/HP amp...So yes, you can be an Audiophile on the Cheap (And Schiit doesn't have a product to compare the Sprout...)
For those looking for good speakers on the cheap Ebay usually have some nice speakers on the cheap. Infinity interlude Il10 are very musical speakers that can be had for $100-$150, I've owned my Infinity speakers for 17years and they have great sound. Polk Audio also makes some nice speakers RTi28, RTi25 6 1/2" woofer, RT15 with 5 1/4 woofer . They will give you pleasing sound without breaking the bank. Infinity RS series, Boston Acoustics makes some nice speakers. Klipsch you can find some nice speakers around $100. Start there and then electronics generally integrated amplifier will be of better quality than a receiver. Plenty of info on the internet. Look at professional reviews and owner reviews of whatever your interested in.
My current system, which I love:
Used klipsch forte speakers $400
Used Teac amp /DAC $120
FLAC files ripped from CDs at library FREE
John Anderson what is the model of your teac amp/dac?
@@HRoy-ot7hy It's a TEAC AI-301DA. Got it used in Japan on a trip. Super small, so great for the "wife factor."
I would like to add to get into audio on the cheap, developing a strong relationship with a good local dealer is also key. The most expensive parts (65%) of my 2-Channel system, is comprised of 2nd hand components purchased from a local shop that stands behind what they sell. Due to their expertise I have managed to obtain equipment I could never afford new.
Ridire Fáin, I agree. Also demos, last year’s models. Being able to find used that a reputable dealer will stand behind is important. I have been burned buying name brand stuff online that is broken.
Andrew Jones has made some great speakers that are under $300 then look for a used integrated amplifier, because integrated amps are usually built to higher tolerances then a reciever. I didn't have a lot of money being recently divorced with 3 boys. I put together a nice system on Ebay for a total of about $1500. That was a power amplifier, pre- amp processor, and 5 speakers for home theater.
Absolutely. When I was deep into this audio thing years ago we conversated about this. It is almost too easy to be an audiophile with lots of money. "wow those $120,000 speakers sound fantastic. I'll take them." No bank loan. They write a check. The hunt. The searching. The reading. The listening, to put together a damn good system for 3 to 5,000 dollars is where it's at. From what I have read and heard on UA-cam, there are some good inexpensive gear out there. Plus I don't really want that super accurate revealing system. I like music too much to be irritated by a poorly recorded disk or source.
Boy that AC really is rumbling in the background !!
Great advice Paul. To add my two cents drop the idea that an audiophile means a person who appreciates music. It's so much more...
Buy high end equipment that's 20 years old. It was designed to be no compromise and although it's not the best now you will be surprised how little the goal posts have moved and the bang for buck can't be beat.
Easy to drive quality speakers(tannoy, proac) and a simple tube amp (maybe built in China) and your over halfway there. The source is where the biggest differences have been. Vinyl or streaming then no worries but digital older than 10 years, forget it.
Hi what’s a simple tube amp?
@@mrchinaski4125 Hi. Mostly but not all tube amps are simple. That doesn't mean that they are all cheap though. The sound quality is normally better than expected for the price and vintage models can be a bargain. Think Conrad Johnson from the early 2000. As for newer maybe a used Cayin Audio A-55T It's most important to make sure that it has enough power to control your speakers. Think 92db in 8 ohms matched to 50 watts
I spent less than $500 to come up with a good sounding, though used, system which I could afford. Yamaha P200 turntable with M91e cartridge upgraded to a JICO stylus. B&W 303 speakers, Topping D30 DAC, and Yamaha AU 500 integrated amp. Does what I like until I can maybe upgrade but very listenable and enjoyable now.
One of my new favorite recordings is the track 'No One on Earth' from Above and Beyond's Acoustic II album. The dynamic range in that is unbelievable. Just an amazing album altogether, but specifically that song
If you're taking a cd or lp of your own to listen to at the hi-fi shop, i think it is a much better idea to take something that you listen to on a regular basis, and take a selection with you. That way you will know that the audio gear you buy will "do the job"
4:20
"There's plenty of dog doo speakers in the world, more than anything else I can think of."
- Paul McGowan, 2019, Insights into the mind of an audiophile visionary
Good advice Paul. Buy second hand hifi gear, especially vintage is a good way to go. Also, learning how to DIY and upgrade gear is a great money saver, too.
how weird. i find one of your videos - i came up with a question, then i find other your video answering that question and i have another -- and this iws third time this virtual dialog progresses, what a life!
Paul's got it right... lucky for us those with money continually experiment and upgrade to reach their nirvana's so the world is full of great secondhand bargains often well looked after..so do a little research and you'll find that most recommended kit over the last 20 years (and sometimesolder) still have great sounds and musicality. Also when companies introduce their new and improved models the old ones are discounted often with very little/marginal difference in sonic improvements. Also remember to pick your system to actually fit and suite your room size. You'll be very happy and surprised with what you'll find. Plus you can always sell secondhand gear again for pretty much what you paid..which eases the pain if you make mistakes along the way. My secondhand peachtree Nova, DIY gainclone and qacoustic speaker PC streaming system still makes me smile for the grand total of £650 UK so good luck your sound is out there to find
He could also try going the DIY route (hint, hint, Paul lol 😜), if he’s so inclined, but I agree 100% about buying a nice pair of speakers first. When I finally saved up for a great pair of very nice speakers, my entire world changed. I could truly hear my components and the detail, soundstage, etc. of a familiar piece of music.
I think most reasonably priced decent speakers will do a passable job with small ensemble recordings. The real test is well recorded massed strings, or voices. Rapidly strummed flamenco guitar will also give speakers a run for their money.
I'm a firm believer in the fact that great sound doesn't have to cost $1,000s to have it. I've been slowly building my HiFi system over the past 19-24yrs. I was 9yrs old when I bought my 1st stereo record combo with cheap looking speakers at a garage sale...$10. From 9 until 13yrs old I had countless home step builds from garage sales, flea markets, etc. At 14 my neighbor gave me a 1984 Kenwood Basic M2 with a blown left channel but kept on to this 34lb monster but never got it to power on and I still held on to it. At 18 I met an audio guru and great friend and mentor in HiFi audio (no offence Paul) My audio guru got my Kenwood power amps to play through the mostly undamaged right channel. "Sub Amp" is exactly what I said when I heard the bottom end of the vintage Peerless bookshelf speakers I sold him and got to know him later on. A few years later I found myself collecting Kenwood Basic M2 and M2A power amps for various diy builds. I believe the amps are quality without the high price tag. If anyone is interested in seeing my temporary HiFi system here is a link to my upload ua-cam.com/video/Y0vYqQwOSYo/v-deo.html just know that the video was from a cheap potato and is in a temporary state. I'm a basshead but I have to hear the highs, mids, lows or I won't bother. So that said the distorted bass wasn't hiding the rest of the sound spectrum. IMO if your going to buy a 200+ watts rms power amps, stereo, etc then use the power or just have a lot of overhead power for other speakers.
An audiophile is never be cheap in the quality of sound his/her ears desires to listen to.
It has been, is, and will be, about the music first and music last. If this assumption holds then one can find excellent gear for all constraints of budget and space and listening habits and biases. Just needs a bit of exploration!
Some times in audio, less is more. A US$5 flash drive holding FLAC master files playing through a decent DAC and headphone amp with a pair of well designed headphones can easily beat a US$100,000 snake oil setup on audio fidelity for well under 0.5% of the cost.
I have a system that I've got about $220 invested in inserting of a pair of bookshelf speakers a cheap class D amplifier and a homemade subwoofer cabinet and I think it sounds better than my $1,500 surround sound system when just listening to music
Being a cheap audiophile is a must in the third world (i.e. Argentina) since the prices of stuff are twice of international figures here. Behringer crappy products have high end tag prices here!
So you must to search and bargain a lot to get something decent.
After a lot (really a lot) of speakers and amps, ranging from cheap to very expensive, I still cannot fault my Technics class A amp (€20) and Inifity RS6 (€60).
There is well-designed, well-built equipment out there that doesn't cost an arm and a leg. I guarantee you one can have a good-sounding system for less than 700 dollars, easy. probably can do it for 500.
Try the equipment with "Dark Side of the Moon", by Pink Floyd!
Rubber Soul is another good one with the 2014 mono pressing.
If you like what you hear, then go for it. As Paul said though, beware of store "standout" products. These are often very harsh or tiring when you try them in your nice quiet home. Ask me how I know!
If you think 800 (for the sprout) dollars is cheap well you must have a lot of cash.
800 is only cheap depending on a scale; as opposed to what, a night out on the town?
Ok, so here's cheap. I have purchased and am waiting on the Grace balanced DAC ( $150 from Massdrop); The Loxjie balanced tube headphone amp ( $100 from Amazon), balanced cables for the HD6xx and HE4xx ( @ $100 for both from eBay) and the XLR cables ( $9 Amazon). The USB cable from PC to DAC is already provided, so that's it for a balanced tube setup for headphones. Cost, @ $350. Both the DAC and Amp get 4.5 to 5-star reviews as well. This is all new gear!
I just found out, on The Headphone Community, that there are quite a few others who are also buying or thinking to buy this same system. It seems to be a no-brainer at the prices and performance.
Talking about getting excellent used equipment , except for my Ohm Acoustics Walsh 2 speaker which I bought new everything else has been used that when new received great reviews . I have been upgrading that way since 1986 .From Kenwood to Carver ,now when I heard Carver it was the most musical and resolving receiver I ever heard brought out fine detail I did not know was even there then I upgraded to his Sunfire Ultimate receiver( and that it is ) . Now back to speakers the Walsh 2 "s got rave reviews and were said to sound like $2,000 speakers in 86 when I paid $695 and can be found today on Ebay for 3-4 hundred . They image better than any others speaker period also the whole room is the sweet spot and they like to be placed close to walls as they are semi-omnidirectional.So is you can't afford new go used.
I am an audiophile snob! And what does a snob if he wants to read a good book? Right! He writes himself one! And so I did with my speakers... 4Way, with vertical Bi-Amping built in 12" Subwoofers, and fed with 2 stereo Amps that I use as monoblocks... And I also work on Turntables. Normally I buy a used one, and do a complete makeover to bring it one or two - levels up, but I also work on an own design with a 12" carbon Tonearm and Direct Drive... I make my own cables - not only for the good look, but also technically they are up to date ;-). And since I have more than 1 Turntable, and also more than one source, I make my own switches to select between these sources! And at least I had to mod my PC with some special parts, to make it a proper source of digital music! And, everything I built, works fine and sounds fine! OK, by far not always at the first attempt, but who am I not to try it again and again? If Edison would have given up after the first burnt Lightbulb, would we have electric light now? lol... We would have, but our ancestors would have had to wait, maybe 20 years longer back then...
AND! I certainly take used Audiogear into my system! There is a ton of amazing Audio stuff out there in the cosmos, we only have to investigate the market, and if we see some good stuff - the trap must close up lol!
I just got into it properly on the cheap I bought some kef IQ5 an onkyo a9110 and a teac 50watt sub and it sounds amazing the music is much clearer and richer (also the vids are great keep up the work ;)
I have a Yamaha RX-V373, a PS3, an Apple TV 4K, and set of Bose 301 II. My wife says it sounds like there is an orchestra in the TV room.
Fluance Ai40 $169.00 on their website are awesome. For a step up, the Ai60’s are only $299.00.
I manged too get my for ever speakers for £150 second hand.
A pair of Jamo Concert 8 (D830)..
Over the years I aquired the matching center and two surround speakers for £250 of ebay..
This set was £4500 when new.
I now save to buy quality matching components to a company these speakers.
Speakers should be as high end as you can hunt down within your budget🔊🔊🔊🔊😁
Sure. Just take some interest in sound quality, enjoy it and you're an audiophile. On the equipment side, keep an eye on second hand sources, learn to fix and maintain a few easy things, "invest" in free improvements such as speaker placement and ignore the relentless marketing machine trying to convince you that new is best. Also, get comfortable with buying and selling a bit if you can, as you gradually upgrade. I've personally been very lucky to find great pieces over a few years. But so, as it turns out, have many people been who've taken a similar path.
the secondary markets offer a huge variety of nice stuff,,,used audio everywhere gets higher priced because of costs in taxes and regs,,thrift shops,,look for them
You mention Norah Jones as an example of music with high sound quality. The recordings are heavily processed with very compressed dynamics. Since it's not uptempo, the compression doesn't ruin the sound completely, but it sounds very flat. Since many "audiophile" speakers can't handle dynamic content without distorting, this is the perfect music if you want to hide the defects.
These are some of the albums I use when comparing speakers (original releases, NOT remastered except for *):
Nils Lofgren - Acoustic Live
Eric Clapton - Unplugged
Dire Straits - On Every Street
Mark Knopfler - Golden Heart (HDCD)
Alison Krauss & Union Station - New Favorite
James Newton Howard - James Newton Howard & Friends* (XRCD)
Jennifer Warnes - The Hunter
John Kilzer - Busmans Holiday (and Memory In The Making)
Stanley Clarke Band - Find Out
The Aristicrats - The Aristocrats
Toto - Fahrenheit
Agree. Norah Jones is nowhere near the best in terms of recordings. Perhaps, at best, just an easily-found recording with more natural acoustic instruments than average popular stuff. Thanks for including a list here as i always like to look for new great recordings to collect. I have a few of these but not all.
Just adding on, get an A/V receiver with a pre-out and buy the most powerful amp within budget, but used mid-grade to high-end is best
People spending 500 for a soundbar, I spend 120 for beautiful b&w dm620i and spend another 45 for a Samson media 10s. I love the sound and enjoy it every day!
How much did you have to pay the guy to steal it for you? You realize that shit was probably hot right?
I'm going to suggest something sacrilegious here ....adding a good equalizer to an inexpensive system. A well-tweaked paragraphic EQ can work wonders in making up for weaknesses in a system and room acoustics. IMHO.
He’s obviously getting at Klipsch with the rant about bright speakers that are flashy. In the past, that was the case. But the new reference premier line is very good stuff for the dollar.
Me personally, I like used higher end stuff. PSB Stratus Gold i’s and an Adcom 555ii for about a grand are slaying it for me. Fed by a marantz AVR doing preamp duties (and home theater processing).
Second hand old vintage pc speakers, Is a really cheap way to start to lisent good music. There are some altec lansing, cambridge audio, Jbl, polk audio, infinity, ibm and other pc brand, that reproduce really good music for 15 to 70 dollars and they are really hi fi. Then, you buy a dac for best quality and is than, for 80 to 150 dollars you have a really decent entry level hi fi speakers to liseng in your computer.
If you've got basic skills with a screwdriver and a soldering iron, get a pair of decent second hand speakers (Wharfedales for example, but anything in that sort of class), open them up and throw away the plastic foam filling them. Cut out 4mm thick bitumen panels large enough to stick to the insides of the cabinets and glue them firmly into place.
Remove the old crossovers, take a note of the values of the components (resistors, capacitors and coils) and buy good quality replacements from an audio component manufacturer - Mundorf MCAPs or ClarityCap SAs for example. Most important is to replace any iron-cored coils with air-core types - again Mundorf L71/L100/L140/etc are excellent. They will be much bigger and heavier, but manufacturers of budget gear cut outrageous corners on the crossover components. You'll need new circuit boards, the old ones will be much too small.
Don't go crazy on the components but expect to spend a couple hundred bucks on your new crossovers - they may well double the price of your new (used) speakers ;-)
Build your replacement crossovers, not forgetting to anchor the new coils firmly to the circuit boards with nylon ties and try to align each coil in a different X,Y,Z axis. They like to hum along together, which is not good.
Replace all internal wiring with good (not crazy good) speaker cable and line the insides of the newly bitumen-clad cabinets with some sheep's wool damping to replace the plastic stuff you threw away. Vegan's can skip this bit.
Assuming you started with a respectable budget device, you will be amazed at the improvement in resolving power, sweetness (musicality?), speed and control at both the treble and bass ends. It's really not hard - it'll take you less than a day for a stereo pair - and doesn't require any carpentry skills (something which terrifies me).
I own A number Of small loud speakers.I live in an apt )...One very Good Brand that You can pick up at best Buys is kefs..More often then not go on sale ..Good bang for the buck cant go to wrong with kefs.. beyond that I would shop Used & learn to modify there short comings if possiable. I hope that helps? I also hope paul like kef likeI do!!
Some bands like The Beatles I sometimes enjoy in low-fi.
I feel like he was referring to Klipsch speakers at Best Buy.
I'm soooo cheap I design and build my own speaker enclosures and electronics. I guess that tends to make me a bit more critical (neurotic) about sound quality.
I bought a $1700 used Hegel Rost + Marantz NR1506 + Kef R300 audio system that was $6000 after tax new. I'll be honest and say that i enjoyed a pair of self powered KEF X300a that i found for $250 just as much ( was $1000 new), even though bass was lacking and it didn't have all the connections i wanted.
There are thousands of speaker makers working out of garages who don't know what they're doing. Speakers are the easiest component to make, and becoming a speaker manufacturer seems to be the goal of many amateurs.
Allo Usbridge with volumio + Chord Mojo + Focal Alpha 50 Studio monitor = Cheap but good sound system
Norah Jones sounds like Norah Jones on my clock radio.
I use Tin T2's and my galaxy s7 with Spotify and some FLAC soundtracks and i have a great experience
It's a guaranteed yes! I got all of my stuff for 10% or less from the original price. Also hit the jackpot when someone gave me a set of electrostats for free. Didn't even ask for it!
eBay is your friend, Louis. For the price of a Cambridge amp made in China you could pick up a vintage amp or receiver built like a tank in Japan. Luxman L-1, L-2 and L-113A amps can be had for around £100, and they're definitely entry-level audiophile! I've also found that the Trio (Kenwood) KA-60 amp and KR-55L receiver came surprisingly close to my L-113A, for around £30 each.
As for speakers, I can recommend Canon S-35s. They look like a cross between Darth Vader and an alien, but they sound very musical and have a good soundstage - and they were designed by Allen Boothroyd, so their audiophile credentials are pretty valid. They seem to go for around £100, but if you're patient you might get them for as little as £50.
The best-kept secret of all is vintage planar magnetic headphones like the audio technica ATH-2 or Yamaha HP-3. Clarity and dynamics like you wouldn't believe, for £50 or less!
The one made in China will sound better.
@@r423sdex Not for 40 years, it won't.
@@thisisnev do you mean it won't last for 40 year or it will be 40 years before they will have the expertise ?
PS Audio Sprout 100 and Elac BS-312 makes a perfect pair. Both are miniature in size but big in character!!!