I found that the dirtier and nastier the task, the more forgiving I am of flaws in audio quality. Listening to music while cleaning the bugs off the motorhome, for example, does not require a pristine delivery of an audio masterpiece to be a beneficial musical contribution.. Just something more pleasant than standing on a ladder while removing bug guts gets a "pass." Working on a classic car? Same rules apply, but genre also matters. The laid back sound of California surfer music instrumentals lowers the stress level and reduces the "tool throwing factor" by 50%.
How cheap can you go and still be happy with the sound?
I would think many guys on this forum are spoilt by the gear they have and never listen anymore on cheap rigs.
I was listening recently on my younger daughter’s PC audio rig and got reminded again of how good it sounds. There is a fairly high level of clarity, detail, tonal balance and great bass in this rig.
- Yamaha HS8 powered monitors: $700 to $800
- Yamaha WXC-50 MusicCast streamer+dac+preamp: $450, often found on A4L for around $300
- Audioquest Powerquest PQ3 (was around $200 or so)
IMO, this would qualify as a high quality (sonically) charity price hifi rig for any younger or older person w.r.t small room nearfield or midfield listening.
What is the cheapest rig that has brought you happiness these days?
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- 110 posts total
- 110 posts total