Are there other people like me ? Amazed by their low cost system :)

It is what i said above and my opinion too... Hearing imply a training musical as well as acoustical... Buying 40 amplifiers means nothing ...

For sure you are right in my book... 😊 Discarding all audiophiles with blind test is as silly as approving all of them ... We must learn how to hear and how to listen all our life...Especially if we are not acousticians or maestros or skilled musicians...

There is a certain caliber of professional out there, i.e., their entire livelihoods on a daily basis are dependent on how trained and astute their ears are. Here is an example of an individual who would make for a good test subject...if vocals are being tested perhaps (would translate to equipment just fine).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MH6_Lk9E7gE&t=616s

I am merely a hobbyist musician w.r.t one specific instrument, i.e., my livelihood is not dependent on it. I know many other professional musicians (golden eared dudes) who are extremely skilled at what they do. When a list of such test subjects are compiled, the ASR white coat buffoon running blind tests with some agenda will be put in his place.

Do you really think a group of 70+ year old audiophiles/gear tweakers have the same ability to participate in blind tests like pro musicians and the like? It is simply not possible.

The late Ken Ishiswata could pass blind tests on high enough hires sample rates that no one could discern. Does every forum audiophile have that type of training/hearing? No, he doesn’t

It is my point exactly...

I will only add that many people with no acoustics training save few ready made panels had no idea about the impact of dedicated acoustics...

I have a few secondary systems that are quite low cost and sound very very good...but my higher cost system sounds much better, as it should...though I could be quite happy with a quality connected low cost system...no magic here

Good point that will be useful for low budget people as me ...Thanks

😊

I can't claim my system is low cost but I do have a temporary amp in service now while my new amp is being built.  It is a little 14 lb 2.3 wpc Decware SE84UFO that just does a spectacular job with a sensitive speaker.  list price about $1200.

Jerry

My complete setup as is - e.i.: with main speakers, power amps and DAC/preamp bought used - has set me back about the same as the retail price of my DAC/preamp when new, which is to say around $12k. If all components had been acquired new the price would have sat in the $30-35k range, so effectively I paid about 1/3 of that. My subs are DIY (cabs built by a cabinet maker), and would've been significantly more expensive if preassembled and all. 

For what my system does sonically at $12k I dare say it's a bargain. With a Danish-developed reference DAC and great sounding british studio amps, both of which few if no audiophiles know about (or cares to), it's a below-radar component approach that serve both the pro cinema-segment main speakers and horn-based subs very well - all actively configured at that, and that are quite unorthodox in audiophilia as well.

Coming down to it it's fun seeking out gear and design approaches that nobody really expects to perform well in domestic environments, and not least gratifying seeing their faces when they're proved wrong. However the goal was never to surprise anyone, but rather to simply follow the paths that lead to great sound reproduction - irrespective of conventions. 

Great post! Thanks

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