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That Audiophile Thing



It took me years of going to "high end emporiums", reading every audio magazine printed, including those in the UK, and listening in that "audiophilic manner" to get my system together. It has the holographic sound I worked so hard to achieve.

Recently, I was admiring another audiophile's exquisite system (not personally, but here on the Gon) and I was wondering how long it took him to put it together. After admiring his system, I began listening to mine, and enjoying the music immensely. While I thought about his system, the thought also came to me about the headache of putting a new system together in "your" listening room. Even if you have the money, you don't just plunk this stuff down in the listening room and get good sound out of it.

To complicate matters even more, this is a 300B system utilizing extremely efficient speakers. Although I know "zip" about a 300B system, I'm positive from what I've read, that his sound is exquisite. My question to you, is after taking into consideration all the "minutiae" involved in getting audiophile holographic sound in your listening room, are you ready to do it all over again? Money is not a consideration in regard to this question.
orpheus10
jmcgrogan2's avatar
jmcgrogan2
6,346 posts
 
No, I don't think I would do it all over again. It's more than just money, it's time and effort to set up, dismantle, buy and sell. The hassle of ads, pics, carrying 100 pound boxes to and from Fed Ex/UPS. I'm getting too old for this shit. LOL!

I used to pull the trigger on anything that interested me. Now, when I see something I really want, I just imagine myself taking the pictures, posting the for sale ad, dealing with lowballers and fianlly, carrying the box out to be shipped. That usually quells the desire to buy. ;)
rrog
1,958 posts
 
The first system is always the hardest to dial in. This is because the room plays a bigger part in the sound than most people realize. Once you learn your room it becomes much easier. I wouldn't get too excited about 300B or any other single ended amplifier. They do some things very well, but they also have their limitations.
mrtennis
3,295 posts
 
i think thr process is easier if you start out with quality components.

for example, if you have quad esl speakers, preferably stacked, it is hard to get bad sound. next, understand that the quds sound better with tube amps.

the point is it is not that hard to learn the facts about amp, speaker interaction, preamp, amp interaction and the effect of long length cables.

if you speak to enough manufacturers, you can configure a decent sounding system. then tuning will be necessary to satisfy your sonic palette.

i don't think it is that difficult or should take a long time to attain a quality stereo system.
tubegroover
2,320 posts
 
Ditto to what 2chnlben says. With what I know I have a very clear picture of what I'd do with my mind's eye reference on what my goals are. This isn't to say I'm not satisfied with what I have, I am and it has evolved but I know what is missing and what direction to go to fill in the missing pieces. It would definitely start with a dedicated room which I have drawn and designed as an addition onto my house. As a (now retired) building contractor I have been involved in construction of a few dedicated rooms, primarly for multipurpose audiovideo and am familiar with the many options and possibilities in the ever evolving materials and considerations that can be implemented. Having a blank check permits consideration of ALL the options instead of compromise. I would definitely consult with with an audio design engineering firm first prior to any move. First, the room, second the recordings, third the gear, too much emphasis on the gear. While very important, a less than optimal room can NEVER recover from poor or compromised room acoustics. Just my .02 cents.

orpheus10 OP
8,668 posts
 
Jmcgrogan2, you must have read my mind, because that's exactly what I was thinking, "I'm too old for that shit". The more I thought about it the better my system sounded.

Rrog, in all my travels, I never heard a 300B and at a glance they don't seem to have enough power, although I'm sure they do; at any rate I'm not ready for the unknown.

2chnlben, I meant enough to buy the stuff, not have "Jeeves" the butler put it together for you. You must be thinking about the rich audiophile that was in Stereo Review's funny strip.

Enjoy your music, on your system, I'm sure it sounds good.
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