If I were approaching this without any prior background in music, hi-fi or consumer electronics (that one’s tough, most every one has a few appliances, but hobbyist audio is different, I think), I’m not sure I could make sense of much of it-- lots of threads deal with discrete issues, rather than overall system building, though I have seen some threads about building a digital front end from folks with analog experience. Engineers would probably be comfortable entering the fold, but will quickly find that all that is measured is not gold.
In terms of priorities, I think they are all over the lot and it depends in part on the vantage point of the person in the audience.
The wire and fuse thing really doesn’t distract me because it is not a subject I pay much attention to; I gather @three_easy_payments that you think undue emphasis is placed on these (arguably secondary) items, perhaps at the expense to the neophyte of addressing more important issues first. (And addressing may or may not involve spending money).
There is an implication that Miller started this (I’m not pointing any fingers), but I’ve seen discussions about using stratospherically priced cable with otherwise middle of the road gear in the more distant past, which makes no sense to me.
I’ve never messed with audiophile fuses, not because I don’t believe they do anything, but I drew an arbitrary line in the sand; I’m OCD enough and have enough on my plate to crank up the main system (as a friend said, I make it hard on myself) to worry about extracting that last iota and add fuse rolling to my list. (Oy)
I suspect for hobbyists already in the Great Game, apart from the basics, a lot of the hobby is in fact upgrades, tweaks and comparisons of, or synergies between, specific things.
The tweaky part is a question of personal preference- some of it borders on DIY rather than store bought upgrades, and some it makes no sense but there is still something there-e.g. I have an Acoustic Revive 888 Schumann Generator.Though I do notice its effect, I prefer listening to music without it.
There has been no good scientific explanation that I’ve seen about why it has an affect on the listener or the system but I hear it. Is it measurable? Probably not. Which takes us into the so-called subjectivist camp, and sharing anecdotal experience about what specific things, or combinations of things, sound like.
Assuming a listener who has some experience, or is looking to get back into hi-fi after a hiatus, there may be questions about what to replace first among a system’s worth of components that are dated (but perhaps includes a jewel or two).
Is everything of equal importance? I don’t think so, hence the notion that one can rationally prioritize with better outcomes. But, that’s where it gets a little subjective doesn’t it? And dependent on the circumstances of the listener/querier.
Depending on where you are on the continuum of this hobby, along with budget, space, musical preferences, sound leakage concerns (late night in an apartment or flat) and a host of other variables, one person’s priorities may differ from those of others. Someone I know recently wrote to me about playing a collection of 78s that they rediscovered.
We are not in the same room listening to the gear in question. So, we exhange words here as a means to convey ideas. I think most people appreciate that two realities can co-exist: that some gear is very overpriced for what it is (hence the heavy depreciation and what used to be a healthy churn in high end at the end of the flavor of the month); and that spending a huge amount of time and effort to tweak inexpensive gear may prove to be a bad investment, depending on the gear. (In point of fact, most stuff that has been modified is less desirable, at least in collector hi-fi circles).
I don’t have an answer for you, but it’s not all contentious and doesn’t need to be. I’m an optimist in the sense that time will prove what is enduring insofar as the expenditure of time, money and effort is concerned. I’m also confident that, to the extent any of these posts actually survive, some may prove enduring as well.
I apologize for the length of this post.
Bill Hart
