Non philes/music lovers and the cost of audio ? ? ?

It's true people might not like to spend money for better sound even though they might enjoy better sound. I've loved music and quality sound (as it related to live concerts, studio recordings, and home stereo systems) from a very young age- it was'nt something I got into later and could afford one or two of the finer things- other people may view quality stereo gear as an unworthy expense- even those we might go to concerts with and know they love music- but still will never plunk down for a good rig. At the same time I have wasted a fair amount of money gear chasing. reading the audio rags, obsessing, and getting caught up in an ultimate sound pursuit. At times it was'nt always pleasurable. And now I have sort of revised my view and consider a more practical reality of a stereo as something for domestic music listening- sort of as I used to, before the high end came along.

 

The wife actually let's me populate the room with the equipment. It's just settled in enough to not be invasive. I'm sure some women would have a problem with it though. The speakers are even allowed to set 2'+ out from the wall. The only thing I'm not sure if I can do is add the acoustic devices, etc. but we are creative with other things (rugs, artwork, curtains) that help absorb sound and warm the room up. It's actually a pretty good room so far, just different than my old room.

She even agreed to let the custom shelving accommodate 50% lps, 25% audio equipment and 25% decor (which actually is fine and looks better than being dominated by lps). I have an additional shelving system as well. I think my living room lp collection will max out around 1,500. I couldn't ask for more really, I'm pretty happy.

 

Hi John, we will catch up soon. I've basically been on a 2-month hiatus from the forum. Still busy with the house but getting better. I bet "the lab" is great for all the tweaking and experimenting and great sound. I'm still working on the living room and we are getting there. I make them accept all the vinyl and all the large loudspeakers right in their face, tube glowing and all....those bourgeois folk can have it, loud and proud!

 

You have 1,500 lps on display in the living room? You have a wonderful wife there.

 

Yep. I done know how you can even get involved in records without being the OCD type.

 

Always interesting this type of discussion.

I'm a life long music fan who didn't start on a serious system till he was in his 30's. And for me it's personal journey and a personal habit. I never bought a system to impress anyone that's for sure. Have I over indulged? Have I went too far at times? Did I make a few bad buys? Yes to all of them.
Can you build good/great systems on a budget-without a doubt. I have however discovered that you do move up levels and I don't know if I agree it's a law of diminishing returns at all my recent experience has been to actually being really really impressed at the differences and actually being shocked how good the next level is.

Is it perfect-nope. Even tonight I took a disc off just because it didn't satisfy me at all other times I just enjoy the music-other times when I spin a disc I haven't heard through my system after upgrading I smile at the big improvement. And of course you can drive off the road when getting over analytical whether it's concentrating on the sound or indeed comparing discs. It happens and you learn to let it go but it does creep back from time to time. I've been lucky in terms of partner too my good lady has allowed me to indulge in both our living space and indeed in terms of music storage.

For me being totally frank I think and I say think that the journey is over on chasing equipment. Short of a lottery win. Why? Probably because I've ended up at a level I never thought I could get to and maybe being totally truthful I don't think spending any more cash on the habit is something I want to do anymore with two younger children. I've got way beyond where I wanted to be and further/better/bigger doesn't bother me. Of course I look, of course I could give you a list of components I would want money being no object but for me I have "arrived". And again being totally honest having got there I'm not sure how important a journey it's been.

An aspect nobody has mentioned is legacy. I'm not sure I will have this system when my time comes (god willing/touch wood and all that stuff) I can see me selling up and having a smaller system and the loose change it generates might go back to my kids in some fashion. However my extensive music collection is something I do consider a legacy and I hope my kids get real enjoyment out of that at an older age-it's a library of thousands and thousands of goodies over countless genres. I cannot describe how important music has been in my life. I really hope my kids growing up in a house where music and music instruments being available gives them a fraction of the enjoyment music has brought me. It's a different environment from what I grew up in.

Music reproduction the pursuit of a great system for me is only an offshoot of my passion for music-that's what's always been important to me and what will always remain important to me.

 

Maybe it’s a good idea, with wide berth for personal taste, to match the level of gear to the music collection. If you have 5,000 mint records and a Crosley, get with it. If you have $14,000 interconnects and three records, you fail at life.

 

I must agree. If someone has spent considerably more money to upgrade a component and they don't feel the've got their moneys worth they likely didn't take the time to bring multiple pieces of gear home and find a synergistic match.

 

I don't know. I have come to the conclusion that even if an audio system produced an orgasm (an eargasm?) in the listener, many who heard it demonstrated still wouldn't think of buying one for themselves. It is very difficult to persuade people to go for something that isn't endorsed by the majority of their friends or by societal norms, whatever the cost, high or low.

 

Well, it's a very interesting phenomenon you have pointed out. I think some people have a tendency, once they see the best of something and rule it out because of the expense, are then innoculated against considering cheaper versions because they then think it must be hopelessly bad compared to the high-end stuff, so why bother? Of course this is tragic, because relatively inexpensive gear can still be enjoyable for listening to music and useful for improving the sonic experience beyond the usual computer speakers or portables with earbuds.

 

Yeah. I saw the price of an Aston-Martin, so I won't bother driving at all.

 

Ha ha. Well, necessity enters into the picture for some things more than others, it seems. Your boss foregoing the turntable purchase won't be spinning records. Pity.

 

Is the OP's friend married? Does he have kids? In my family, my wife doesn't listen to recorded music, but she loves live music, so we put money there. We share an interest in art, so we put money there. We've bought baseball tickets because the whole family enjoyed them. If I lived alone, I'd spend a fortune on my system, and I'd love that. But our way has always been to put our discretionary money up for negotiation. Sometimes the system wins; often it doesn't. We're a happy family, and I'm satisfied to have made that tradeoff in life. I don't begrudge anyone their fabulous systems. I'd love to hear them!

 

Yeah, he gave them to me a couple of years ago. There were a few nice things in it, but mostly stuff I had no use for.

 

You probably have some good skills for repairing used equipment.

 

Yes, but I wasn't just born that way. I set out to learn and I did. It helped that my father was very mechanically and electrically talented, but he made no effort to pass on his skills: he didn't want me being a starving TV or camera repairman.

I started building stuff from books and magazines and hanging out with other people that did that too. Later I did take coursework in electronics but I had solid skills already and it was just learning to put things formally and work the problems. I don't think I'm extraordinarily smart, indeed, I often deal with people who have much higher IQ's than I do but who just refuse to think rationally about the problem of how stuff works, whether it's a speaker or a car engine or what have you.

Some areas of technology have indeed become so complicated that people really do have trouble learning to work on them in a systematic way, but even there the basics are still the basics.

 

Interesting outlook. I also think there's many folks that aren't concerned by social grouping or how friends arrange there priorities they simply love music and relish how it enhances there lives.

 

It comes down to how much you love listening to music. It's an important part of my life, and I consider myself kind of frugal, so I've build a very good sounding system for about $1600. In my opinion, I can afford to spend more, even $20,000. I know it will sound better, but will it be 100% better?

I think a good analogy for someone who gets sticker shock at a $2000 system is asking "how much did your living room or dining room furniture cost? "

 

Yes, but even I know that is my max. It actually fits in well with the overall living room layout and design. Her little sister interior architect, so she gives us the "yay" or "nay" about most things but she knows her boundaries..

We both really love music, she's just not a nut like me. She is also the one that would rather have the Vandersteen Treo CT in the living room than the modest upgrade of the 2cs.

I've said it around these parts before, 6 years ago she is actually the one that encouraged me to pursue my interest in turntable and vinyl. Also, as an engagement gift she got me the Audio Research VSI60 tube amp. We are best friends just as much as we are lovers or husband and wife. I enjoy her company (on most days).

 

Ask them how much they spend trading in their perfectly good cars for new ones.

 

Yeah, people will spend big bucks on a tv and then not bother to have it calibrated, because it costs $300. This is crazy.

 

Mike, is her sister married?
Jeff

 

If I had the money, sure. But this stuff isn't cheap. I'm looking to buy a house soon and will probably use any extra cash to build a nice sound system in my basement for my LPs and CDs.

 

So what is perfection in hifi? If we mean it to be the ability to reproduce sound exactly as the live or studio event that would have to be it. Impossible to achieve in practice but it gives us a benchmark to strive for. In over 30 years of hifi experience I have learnt that after a certain point expensive systems rarely sound better using this criterion. What it usually buys is one or another "signature sounds", which is fine if that particular colourisation of the sound appeals to you but it departs from the said criterion.

After all these years of mixing and matching equipment, tipping untold amounts of money into black holes (including nearly 20k on turntable carts alone), I've finally settled on a 2k pair of active speakers, a 1k sub and a decent digital streamer with considerable effort put into getting the best room acoustics possible. Are there better sounding stereos out there? Sure, but for what this has cost it's impressive and easily beats the 10k + hifi I have in the other room.

In short, I think what scares many people in spending at leas 2k on a set up is probably they think it will still come up short unless they too fall into the spending/upgrade trap. I agree with most suggestions here that the best recommendation for that guy would have been spend $500 on a speaker upgrade.

As for us audiophiles, we should be focussing our attention on the labels, pressuring them to master their music properly.