Is High End Audio Gear Worth the Money?

[R Johnson]

A very interesting graph, Marty!

My curve would be similar though more extreme on the Home Stereo side.
Some years ago I gave (sold cheaply) my Quad ESL 57s to a good friend so that he could have quad Quads. I'm content with a nice pair of PSB bookshelf speakers. They do a great job with "Live from the Met" opera transmissions.

Curiously, I enjoy following these threads.

I attend the Chicago Symphony weekly, plus Piano and Chamber series. Also Lyric Opera. And for a real change of pace, yesterday attended "The Kinks Sunny Afternoon". Definitely not my cup of tea, but some Axpona attendees might like to go down to Chicago Shakespeare on Navy Pier... Tonight the CSO will have Joffrey Ballet on stage: https://cso.org/performances/24-25/cso-classical/cso-and-the-joffrey-ballet/

 

[andromedaaudio]

If i play a high quality tape i d say its worth the money .
Digital not so much i hope my future wadax player will change that a bit

 

[dbeau]

If i play a high quality tape i d say its worth the money .
Digital not so much i hope my future wadax player will change that a bit

pun intended?

 

[Republicoftexas69]

Back in the days when high end audio did not exist:

View attachment 148718

A single speaker is so much easier to listen to!

Did people even complain about sound quality back then? I wonder...

Picture of your girlfriend?

 

[andromedaaudio]

pun intended?

I m being serious .
Digital music has for the most part a flawed superficial smoothnesss to it

Not a sonic value i would associate with the high dollars spend om most high end systems

 

[Rexp]

I m being serious .
Digital music has for the most part a flawed superficial smoothnesss to it

Not a sonic value i would associate with the high dollars spend om most high end systems

There are some digital and analog versions of the same album that sound pretty similar to me but usually digital versions are inferior. No DAC upgrade is gonna fix that.

 

[bonzo75]

I m being serious

Just to explain the joke as you don't get many, what dbeau was checking with you is when you say digital player changes a "bit", did you intend to pun on the word bit. I guess with you, no pun is intended. You can sign up for my pun classes but they cost more than wadax.

 

[andromedaaudio]

Just to explain the joke as you don't get many, what dbeau was checking with you is when you say digital player changes a "bit", did you intend to pun on the word bit. I guess with you, no pun is intended. You can sign up for my pun classes but they cost more than wadax.

No thanks then to much $$
I think im gonna switch completely to AI when responding .
Cheap and BIT perfect lol

 

[mtemur]

A very perceptive comment Elliot! It's sort of like window shopping in the Red Light District in Amsterdam, only far more expensive if you want to make a purchase.

…and surely less amusing.

 

[microstrip]

(...) Home audio reproduction is wonderful, enjoyable, important, essential, life-affirming and blah blah blah, but it ain't live music. Thus, part of my brain eternally screams "keep trying, you'll get there" and part of my brain says "stop trying you fool, that isn't ever going to happen" so just get over it and enjoy what you have and banish audio nervosa for good. Hah! Easier said than done, but it does explain the rationale behind the graph. It is indeed possible for stupidity and wisdom to co-exist when you're an audiophile!

Well, since long all my brain said "that isn't ever going to happen", my personal perspective on this hobby has kept me away from "audio nervosa".

I like the hobby, essentially as an hobby with a technical and subjective challenge with a strong social component, that also returns to me excellent music reproduction experiences, and I love music.

BTW, the best prescription for staying away of "audiophilia nervosa" is reading a few chapters from the Jim Smith and Floyd Toole books from time to time ...

 

[PYP]

This is a very interesting subject, and perhaps related to the OP but might also benefit from a separate thread. The desire to improve one's home audio reproduction is part of the life-long hobby of an audiophile. But how that interfaces with resources in one's life is another matter. My personal experience may seem a bit paradoxical but if I had to graph it, it would look something like this:

View attachment 148722
The obvious explanation for the left hand side of the graph, in which there is a clear disparity between the desire to improve one's system and resources. It's why, for most of my audiophile life I was a DIY'er and re-builder of almost everything, hoping to achieve champagne-like results on a beer budget. The right side however is a different story and is probably driven by the realization that improving one's audio gear and/or room is kind of the equivalent of trying to exit a room by getting half way closer to the door with each step, but knowing that in the end, you can never leave the room using that method. Home audio reproduction is wonderful, enjoyable, important, essential, life-affirming and blah blah blah, but it ain't live music. Thus, part of my brain eternally screams "keep trying, you'll get there" and part of my brain says "stop trying you fool, that isn't ever going to happen" so just get over it and enjoy what you have and banish audio nervosa for good. Hah! Easier said than done, but it does explain the rationale behind the graph. It is indeed possible for stupidity and wisdom to co-exist when you're an audiophile!

That crossover point, whenever it occurs, is a strange moment. Realizing you have the funds for further purchases but don't seem to care is a bit unnerving at first. After all, the philosophy of audiophiles seems to be: Onward!

 

[Al M.]

I m being serious .
Digital music has for the most part a flawed superficial smoothnesss to it.

That is a funny statement. Not sure if you are being serious.

 

[andromedaaudio]

That is a funny statement. Not sure if you are being serious.

I wish i could mean it funny .
It would save me a lot of money ( tape ) if i didnt think so
Save goes for people who have expensive TT set ups / record collections

 

[Kingrex]

Well, I may have to backtrack a little. I took about 5 minutes a night over a month, fiddling with my speaker placement. I also changed some cabling and a duplex a while back. I was also told my amps could take 2000 hours to break in. They have about 500 hours on them now. Everything has sort of jelled and my stereo is playing at a very high level. Although I still stand behind you have to be connected to the music to enjoy it, having a system that plays very well does have the effect of drawing you in.

I do believe it's a different draw. I do find I am listening to the electric guitars and drums. Clapton Slowhand, Aerosmith Toys in the Attic. But I am also into the music air guitaring or hitting at drums. There is a bit of Aww at how close the sound is to having my Marshall or Fender in the room. Hearing what those amps and instruments really do. It has drawn me in to a degree. But I have to connect to the music. I was also trying some 2Poc, Drake, Lamar and others. I could only get into California Living by 2Poc. The rest I could not connect too. I tried. Just not my style.

I have had plenty of these same type, enjoying the music, experiences in the car. And that stereo is not that good. So being drawn into the music is one thing. But there are different types of drawn in when it comes to listening to the stereo itself. Realistic and close to studio amplified sound does have an effect on my psyche. Maybe it gives me more incentive to go up to the room and turn it on. But it's not wholly necessary. I can still fully enjoy music without it.

Let's just say, it does not hurt in any way to have a quality system. No unless it starts to be a distraction, and you only listen to test tracks to find faults and ways you think you can fix them. Then you are missing out on enjoying music.

FWIW, it's still all digital. I see no reason to believe I have to have vinyl or tape to enjoy the music itself any more than I already do. Would vinyl or tape cause me to pause and think about the technical prows of the system even more. Probably. Sure, high end is worth it. No one is going to pidgeon hole me into agreeing high end is expensive. An all Schiit system and $3000 speaker is high end. Anyone can own a high end system. It all comes down to good tuning and intent to make it correct. Once you do that, and basic system becomes high end.

 

[Kingrex]

Both sports and David Attenborough type wildlife programmes look better on plasma TV natural colours, definitely worth the premium if you are into that sort of thing. I also think high quality cinema type system is worth it for those into movies/TV shows. It is just that 95% audio is crap, that’s the truth, and people judging it are not into music or understanding sound. It’s an anomaly

I love my plasma. Amazing it still works. I very much dislike the new LED type screens. Its like looking at a picture of a person super imposed on top of a background. LED sucks. It's too sharp. You can try and tune the fake presentation away. But its always there to a degree.

Plasma is like a great tube amp on an open baffle speaker. That other expensive stuff is like the LED. Too sharp and defined for my taste. Doesn't play the way I want to hear music.

 

[Robh3606]

I was also told my amps could take 2000 hours to break in.

Love it so basically when sell or update they might be broken in! Who comes up with these ridiculous numbers of hours? Do they spin a wheel! The Daily Double!!!

Rob

 

[Kingrex]

I m being serious .
Digital music has for the most part a flawed superficial smoothnesss to it

Not a sonic value i would associate with the high dollars spend om most high end systems

It seems unfortunate for you if you have developed a dislike of digital. Maybe your unconsciously dig you're heels into wanting to dislike it. Thereby limiting your exposure and enjoyment of other music. Digital is where it is at for vast exposure to new music. Pointing a finger at digital and saying its flawed is pointing a finger at the whole of audio and saying its flawed. If you can't get over digital not being perfect, give up on making speakers. You will never get to perfection.

 

[Rexp]

It seems unfortunate for you if you have developed a dislike of digital. Maybe your unconsciously dig you're heels into wanting to dislike it. Thereby limiting your exposure and enjoyment of other music. Digital is where it is at for vast exposure to new music. Pointing a finger at digital and saying its flawed is pointing a finger at the whole of audio and saying its flawed. If you can't get over digital not being perfect, give up on making speakers. You will never get to perfection.

Actually it's unfortunate for that you don't get it.

 

[Kingrex]

Actually it's unfortunate for that you don't get it.

Can you clarify? You're probably just huffing and puffing to hear yourself make noise, but maybe you have a point. This should give you a chance to blow even harder.

 

[andromedaaudio]

You will never get to perfection.

Thats the whole point of the audio hobby /keeps you busy.

I can perfectly like music and not like dgital much .
Digital is just a medium , music is music