Words From the Wise

Kelley, though not a religion, I agree, I would argue that your 5 points points are arguably no less compelling than Moses coming down off of the mount with those two tablets...:)

1. Buy the most accurate speaker you can afford.

2. It is hard to go wrong when using solid state amps.

3. Treat your room, otherwise listen in near-field.

4. Don't be afraid to compare items with blind testing, it will save you a lot of money.

5. When you are able to listen to the MUSIC instead of your GEAR, you are getting real close to IT.

1. Don't go the mid-fi false-economy route, thinking that it'll save $. You'll only spend more in the long term & if you spent all that initially on the better equipment then you'll be $ ahead & much less frustrated. With all the money I wasted going through mid-fi, I could have a rig that's THAT much better today & spent less to boot.

2. Begin with the speakers that you intend to keep for life, then build the rig around them. If you change speakers later, all else is a wash.

3. Listen to your wife's aural opinions (assuming that she's into it) she can hear better than you can.

4. Tune for musicality vs. resolution. As Dan states, when you're really hearing the *music* you're getting close. The goosebump factor & those raised-up hairs on the back of your neck are telling you something - not so much by what you hear as what you *feel*.

5. Common sense isn't always relavant. Forget the spec's, the theories, the numbers. Listen with your heart.

Very nice idea for a thread Eric. my compliments to you & the above advisers as well; they very much know what they're talking about!

I'll try again, first attempt didn't post.

- Spend as much on your front end components (turntable and CDP) as you do on your amplifer and speakers. Garbage in, garbage out.

- Spend twice as much on your source material (LP's and CD's) as you do on your hardware.

- Never, ever buy power cords and interconnect new. Buy it for half the price or less here on the 'Gon.

- Always be less than truthful about what you spend on your gear/media. White lies are part of the hobby and your significant other expects you to be "coy"

- always keep the manuals, boxes, and shipping material. You'll likely need it when "Upgrade-aphelia" kicks in.

- attend as many live musical events as possible

- listen and follow the advice of the folks who frequent the 'Gon, their advice is invaluable

1) Go to some live concerts of your favorite music. It is a great way to keep your ears tuned.

2) Get a copy of Robert Harley's book "The Complete Guide to High End Audio" 2nd Edition. Probably the one book that could be called an audio bible.

3) When it comes to any kind of music or audio system take it from Duke Ellington "If it sounds good, it is good" (to you).

4) If you want to experiment, don't be stopped from trying a component, accessory, tweek or anything else audio, just because someone else said it does not work, has no effect, or is a waste of money. Find out for yourself. Every system is different. (Beware of Trolls)

5) Leave enough money in your budget for lots of software (CD, Records, etc) That is really what it is all about.