What kind of stereo you have is really not important here! (REVISITED)

A well sorted $12,000 system is not "rubbish" compared to a similarly well sorted $25,000 system, but the difference should be absolutely staggering (or night/day). One might have a different opinion on whether the money was worth it, but the leap in sound quality will be profound. As opposed to better fuel, this would be analogous to adding a turbo-charger, larger brakes and better exhaust system.

I almost feel badly for those who are lost on this. It must mean only one thing- they've never experienced anything more than nuanced upgrades. While those are nice, the big leaps now and again are absolutely real and absolutely necessary in order to continue down the path toward an ultimate experience. It will be interesting to get kevintomb's view of my system once the upgrades are completed.

 

It's a style thing. Both ways can be pretty useful.

In a forum like this, where people are riffing on how much they enjoy their hobby, I'd expect that wild, big, sweeping adjectives would be a big part of it. And, yeah, your tolerance for big, wild and sweeping may be a bit different than the norm.

 

A friend of mine bought a $25,000 system for $12,000.


example post
unsorted

 

Here is an example (IMO) of hi end hi fi (very important: turn the volume up on your computer!)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0cTz5v_r5I&feature=related

Here is an example of mid fi

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&NR=1&v=_PRovBcsylE

Both are excellent in their own right.

 

obdurate - the word for yesterday, it's everywhere.

 

What Tull song is that from?

 

All 100% true. This comes directly from my personal experience with some of those who become suddenly wealthy from the lottery of from an inheritance, and the wannabes. And, look at many of the famous people who suddenly became successful, or win lotteries, they blow it all in a year or two living extravagantly, and giving it all away, and have major tax problems. They try to live the fantasy, but they forget reality.

So many "average" people drive Lexus, BMW, Caddies, and the like, they are no longer status symbols in wealthy circles. Hell, if I work my money right, I can even buy one of these cars! For some of these cars, people in the military buy their cars overseas, then they move back here with them. People look at them as if they have status. No, they just bought their car in a country where they are no big deal.

 

Actually an Ian Anderson song or two covers it.
Gerald the Banker
Upper Sixth Loan Shark
Banker Bets, Banker Wins

 

I like this statement very much

 

Wow you are at it again!! Any time this summer is cool. Well it almost seemed like we had summer last week. Ive cut my yard 2 times already...

 

Snob.

 

Is that an Entry Level Snob?

 

Sadly neither example, especially the 2nd one at 240P, can showcase how great the systems sound on youtube...

 

Exactly! We need to have more open houses around here. Raylinds has the right idea

 

I want everyone to have a chance of owning a high-end stereo. I guess i'm a snob.

 

Wanting everyone to have the chance to own a high-end stereo isn't snobbery to me. It's snobbery to look down upon those who don't have one.

 

I do too. The more the merrier.

 

I just penciled it out and i've spent almost $10K on all of my gear, including all parts/labor costs for many upgrades and repairs. (I don't have everything i own listed on by bio page. Maybe 2/3rds is listed.) I've think i've made a lot of good used vintage buys. I've also paid thru the nose on a few things i really wanted. My next upgrade plans are going to be making my listening space as audio friendly as possible by completely finishing the ceiling and adding some common sense room treatments.

I'd enjoy the opportunity to be "staggered" by a >$10K system, but it doesn't look like TONEPUB is available.

 

Perhaps your gracious offer to allow him to invite you into his home for the opportunity to prove to you his point wasn't attractive enough??

 

Hahaha, easy for you to say sir, I've envyed your wonderful systems for almost a decade (lovely home as well )

About your last sentence, I recently had to sell my first gen Martin Logan Sequel's, crossover built by Jim Powers himself, still can't live without 'that sound' ... I want them back, if just for one sweet day of listening again to my favs...

 

I haven't heard the REF5/REF5 SE combo, so maybe the sound delta between those two pieces is light years apart compared to a LS-25/REF 3 combo that I did hear. My definition of staggering goes beyond changing caps and doubling power supplies. These are improvments that I have heard in a number of "SE" type products in the past and not would I would call staggering. Staggering to me means redefining high end audio as we know it.

So far, however, it just hasn't been my listening experience that such mind blowing differences exist between high quality source components. Most credible reviews do not suggest that such differences exist either.

We need a common language about how our subjective listening experience changes based on system changes. If we overuse superlatives, no words are left to describe changes of a larger magnitude.

 

No, snobbery here at SH Forum is when a member has deluded himself into believing that his system is hi-end (when it is anything but) and then experienced members ("the snobs") try to point the deluded in the right direction. Heaven forbid that anyone experience anything new. The horror. "The snobs" should recognize that they have nothing to share- clearly, we have all experienced everything already!

 

Names? Examples?