How Do You Live The Audiophile Life

And most importantly have fun and enjoy the journey you have decided to embark on. 
Your opinion matters as it relates to you spending your resources (time, money, space)

I still envy my dogs life...but opposable thumbs are required for operating much my equipment.  

@erik_squires  per 12:24am...+1K 👍

A response to MillerCarbon and some general observations.

I will refer to MillerCarbon as MC going forward. And he may well be the MC of this forum.

First, a soft shot before I begin to gush. MC, you seem to not to think highly of the "quality" of my original question. As I said upfront, I’m a stranger in these here parts. But aren’t there rules of etiquette? Is that kind of cheap criticism what I can expect on the Audiogon forums?

Also, judging from the response, it provoked a great deal of interest. Been the number one post all day. Maybe not such a bad question, after all.

Next, you ask me what I’m doing on this forum. Am I a spy? Am I just lurking about?

I came to this forum to find an answer to a very specific question: Can I leave my NAD integrated on all the time. I found many, many answers. Both sides were equally well-reasoned, well-presented. No winner. There were, however, a lot of posts from guys who had left their amp on for decades with no problem. There were no posts from anybody saying, "One day, it just blew up."

Besides, I can log onto Audiogon, can’t I? This is a free country, isn’t it? Oh, right. I forgot. Never mind.

Now, and perhaps most importantly, big points for the Big Lebowski quickie. Never viewed that movie threw an audiophile lens but that’s the beauty of it. Every time you watch it you learn something new. Right, Dude?

As to the Raven amp, I didn’t watch the video but I read the piece in Enjoy The Music. That article clearly drove home the care, the pride this guy took in his amps. I’m sure the video does the same.

I see things through a journalist’s eye, because I was one for many years. (Pretty much every journalist is "former" now. The internet leveled the industry like Vesuvious leveled Pompei.) Without even knowing you, I’m seeing a 5,000 word profile in the New Yorker. The audio stuff is great and something tells me that you’ve got more. The soldering gets us in, we open up from there.

But the poor New Yorker isn’t buying any freelance pieces. The new issue is like a pamphlet. No one is buying ad space. With good reason, I guess. And no one else wants a 5,000 word profile, no matter how good. The pay is pitiful these days. That used to be a $10,000 piece. Now, if I could get someone to buy it, they’d cut it down to 1,000 words and pay me $500. No thanks.

MC, there’s something interesting about you, something that stands out from every audiophile I’ve ever met/read/shared forum space with. Everybody says the same thing: It’s all about the music. Never think about the equipment. "I only care about the music. The gear means nothing to me," might as well be the audiophile’s pledge of allegiance.

That claim has always rang hollow. I’m a music-heavy guy. I listen constantly, still get in the mosh at a Nick Cave concert (a recent example), and I go years and years without buying any equipment. I still love the gear. An issue of Stereophile is pornography. I hide it under my mattress.

But literally 100 percent of the many responses I got today told me to ignore the gear. It’s all about the music. Really? What do you spend more time reading/writing about: A great new album or a great new DAC?

You didn’t say anything explicit to make me think that you’re any different, MC, but talking about the soldering the way you do—making it almost sexual—I can only imagine what you have to say about something like tube choice. You love the gear, and I’m guessing that you aren’t shy about admitting it.

And now, having pissed everyone off by raising the dread gear/music issue, the third rail of audiophilia, I will disappear. This forum is a great resource. A tremendous well of knowledge. I’m very glad that it’s here. I’m sorry if I’m taking without giving. I’ll go back to Pitchfork, AllMusic, and JazzTimes. Thank you, Audiogon.

Commented on lather audiophile th8ngy!

 If you like it, if it sounds great, that’s it, enjoy, and your an audiophile (if u think you are)

 am I one, no, I don’t think so, I just love music!

Here is my two cents based on my experience. First of all identify kind of music you love. Jazz & Classical, or Rock & Pop or Rap & Country, etc. I assume you have your favorite music on CDs.

Select the 4 or 5 CDs. You may want to focus on voices Male & female, certain instruments electric guitar, acoustic guitar, double bass, kick drum, etc. Then take these CDs to nearest hi fi audio stores. You are in NY and there are a plenty of these.


Play these CDs on a number of systems focus on things such as how letter "s" and "t" sounds, is there enough bass or whether bass is boomy or soft. Pay attention to imaging from left to right and front to back. See if the soundstage goes outside of the speakers depending on how your CDs are recorded.

Some of us have CDs that specifically emphasize certain aspects of music. If you want to know if the system has good bass, then you should have a CD ex: One Night in Vienna. When you play this track, you should hear good solid bass right in the middle of the speakers with piano back in the soundstage.

Pay attention to the high frequency reproduction. Crashing symbols should not be ear-piercing. When system sound bright, listening fatigue will set very soon. Main idea is to listen to music all day long without any hiccups.

First thing is to identify the speakers you think fit your taste. KEF Q150 is a book shelf speaker. You may want to decide if you like floor standing speakers. With Uni-Q drives, I know KEF speakers can perform at a very high-level granted you are not dying to hear below 51 Hz. Your room play a big role in accurate reproduction of bass. If you think you can live with Q150, then see if you can find an amp to drive these. I think there are good tube amplifiers as well as SS that can bring magic out of these speakers without having to take a second mortgage.Hope this helps.