Who else here is frugal?

As I get older, having components that are lighter in weight and easier to use become more appealing. You can get good sound without spending tens of thousands.

geoffkait19,319 posts

Like I said you are absolutely right on all counts... I have known already that electrical pollution and noise in the room and house were stupendous unbeknownst to most or underestimated by all...But even for me it is amazing how the lost by this plague has destroyed the potential of my Hi-Fi system...I dont even speak about the other 2 plagues: resonance-vibrations, and acoustical treatment of room...

If someone dont want or dont need speakers it is for sure the way to go...
Like you said the equation is simple:

There is no substitute for signal to noise + distortion ratio. 🤗

People must learn that, even those , especially those that will keep their speakers like me... 


The last experiment I speak about in my thread is a stupendous proof of this … My best to you and all...

Erik- love the post.

As an engineer, we talk about having a design that is “efficient” - getting the most performance out of something without wasting anything.  Squeezing the most out of something.  So part of designing an efficient widget includes making the item low in cost without compromising its ability to do the task at hand. Notice I say low in cost, not lowest in cost.  To do this sort of engineering, requires creativity, and most other engineers (not necessarily end users or consumers) can look at an efficient design and appreciate it.  These days, engineers often call such a design “elegant”, as a compliment to how well it does what it is supposed to do.

i suspect your definition of frugal in the audio context is quite similar to an elegant or efficient engineering design. 
Having said that, I have to include that I continue to shop the used CD stores for the $4 CDs, and even frequent a Goodwill that has $1 CDs.  Granted these are always hit or miss, but there are many hidden gems .  And if there is a CD that I must have, I go to eBay.  I suspect three quarters of my CD collection was purchased used.   (No vinyl or streaming insults please)

@glupson...*Oops..* Sorry, that was 'aimed' @erik_squires , but I may have 'miscued'....

Keepin 'virtual identities' straight in the midst of all this hilarity, late at night, burning the last shreds of my vague consciousness into ash.....

Pardon. *S*

...anyway.....

https://ultimist.com/video/2018/07/21/michael-fremers-listening-room/

...if you want to see Mike's dZ amps....and a 'listening space' that makes me feel better about mine....

...and enough Lp's to pave a street....a small street, but....*L*

“whenever I attend a Symphony Concert I realize that no home system could ever reproduce the sensation of being in a large hall.”

we have friends whose seats at the Myerson Symphony Hall in Dallas sport a brass socket embedded in the floor, a socket where the main microphone is placed when recordings are made in that hall. Needless to say that the sound there is wonderful. But, swear to God, I’ve experienced better sound from my home system. Being a dyed-in-the-wool skeptic, I was blown away when that happened - couldn’t believe that it could be possible. After reflecting on it, it dawned on me that the engineers who produced the SACD could shake out the compromises and/or imperfections of the hall. At any rate, it was really an eye opening phenomenon.