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Audiophile Priorities and Recent Topics

I'm increasingly fascinated by the number of threads that have been created lately by OP's who have joined over only the last 2 months with less than 30 posts that all seem related to the importance of wires and tweaks. While I'm not dismissing the notion that everything matters in hifi (including digital cable), it seems that these topics vastly overwhelm thread topics that clearly would have more influence to hifi audio sound such as discussions of the sonic characteristics of various amplifier topologies, the importance of simplifying the signal path, and identifying fantastic speaker/amplifier synergies, etc...

If some unsuspecting newbie were to stumble onto this forum they would likely come away thinking that a fuse or a piece of wire are the most important elements towards obtaining wonderful hifi sound. This is unfortunate. For example, my discovery of listening to a SET circuit years ago paired with speakers possessing a high and flat impedance greatly outshines any joy derived from identifying the finest digital cable produced by man. I'm simply questioning the hifi priorities that this forum seems to be obsessed with lately.

Is it just me?
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danager's avatar
danager
967 posts
 
it's all about expectations and priorities.  Was I ever happy with Sotify?  It never sounded as good as my other digital sources but I used it for over a year until something better came along.  I tried Tidal that wasn't it I never tried Qobuz but my initial research showed it like Tidal was light on the artists and music I listen to.  Amazon Music came out and it took me over a year to figure out how to integrate it into my stereo and work the way I wanted it to. For a whole year I saw its potential but couldn't get it work to my satisfaction. That didn't make me very happy until it finally came together.

Same with amplifiers and even more so with speakers.  

In my head I know the qualities I want from a system.  It took some time but it finally came together for me.  I have the ability to listen to almost anything that was ever recorded in a minimally compressed format that actually sounds good to me.  To be honest I'm surprised it didn't take longer.
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,000 posts
 
@ danager :

I am confused. What is Sotify ? Qobuz? Tidal?

I’ve been listening to Scraping Fetus Off the Wheel for a little over an hour. Then the wife came home. I switched to some Mozart concertos. Life is good.

Since I’ve found the sweet spot for that sub, I have to say that I can’t imagine expensive cables making a damn bit of difference. I’m 95% to 98% there. It’s fine.

The sweet sauce is the semi anechoic room. It’s true what they say. The room is 40% or more. And it cost me only $2,000. I have my Cooper Union / Harvard trained architect and colleague and friend to thank fir that: C B Wayne.
unreceivedogma's avatar
unreceivedogma
1,000 posts
 
cleeds:

I never said 40. That was someone else. 
tomic601's avatar
tomic601
13,033 posts
 
i plan on a set of nos 6L6 sewn into the burial shroud, just in case 42+ years of chasing the dream has currency above….
danager's avatar
danager
967 posts
 
@unreceivedogma 
Sotify is that music you buy from the Sot down the street that pirates 8 tracks.

I've done them all and who knew that the most fragile, hardest to store and most inconvenient  would be the media that retained it's value.  I will think of you every time I listen to an album (digitally) and don't have to get up every fifteen minutes to turn it over, clean it, de static it and make sure I place the needle down exactly and then carefully move away.  Digital streaming is just like having a turntable with a stacker only better it turns the records over.

On another note your Karen Dalton pick was spot on.  That would be a vinyl worth owning.


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