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Post by jazzbones on Feb 21, 2015 12:35:55 GMT
Reading reports from people who are utterly disenchanted with the quality of vinyl purchases and how they did not come up to expectations , I ask the subject question, viz: DO WE EXPECT JUST TOO MUCH FROM OUR HI FI SYSTEMS?
My personal belief is that Hi Fi is a means to enjoying recorded music, warts, clicks, burps, for which I'm truly thankful and in debt to those masters of music and those who made the recordings (engineers) of artists available to us but sadly now no longer with us but whose artistry and music we can still enjoy today and whenever we please. Thats why I enjoy listening to music incar, bedside radio, vinyl, cd, vinyl, some one else's system, the odd street busker, the occasional live concert and so on... variety spices my life.
Music is not my only interest and I too have had my down time moments and experiences... Howz about anyone else here? 
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 21, 2015 12:44:06 GMT
I think a lot of people have expectations of a hi-fi system that they simply cannot fulfil. When you come to the realisation that a hifi, no matter how good, is never going to reproduce most types of music well enough to replicate a real performance and come to terms with that, the hifi becomes much more enjoyable. I'm fully 'at peace' with my system!
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Post by jazzbones on Feb 21, 2015 12:59:21 GMT
I think a lot of people have expectations of a hi-fi system that they simply cannot fulfil. When you come to the realisation that a hifi, no matter how good, is never going to reproduce most types of music well enough to replicate a real performance and come to terms with that, the hifi becomes much more enjoyable. I'm fully 'at peace' with my system ) but I remain 'at peace' with what I've got already and have had for a number of years.
Out of interest I wonder if they have such variety on knitting pattern or cake making forums that we have on Hi Fi fora? |
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Post by MartinT on Feb 21, 2015 13:48:09 GMT
I think it's a combination of expectation and system attainment.
I don't expect to be able to attain anything other than a decent rendition of a live band or orchestra at full tilt in my music room. For the real thing, go see the real thing if you possibly can.
My system is at a level where I simply could not afford to upgrade components for a sizeable improvement in sound quality, it's all about minor tweaks now. I accept that and enjoy what I have to its fullest.
Finally, most media I buy is fine except possibly for new recordings by poorly trained engineers. I hunt down the likes of SACDs and hard to find records and that's part of the fun. I rarely get a dud and my RCM spruces up records very nicely.
I don't expect the impossible and am well pleased with what I have.
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Post by zippy on Feb 21, 2015 16:19:04 GMT
I think a lot of people have expectations of a hi-fi system that they simply cannot fulfil. When you come to the realisation that a hifi, no matter how good, is never going to reproduce most types of music well enough to replicate a real performance and come to terms with that, the hifi becomes much more enjoyable. I'm fully 'at peace' with my system
Out of interest I wonder if they have such variety on knitting pattern or cake making forums that we have on Hi Fi fora? Yes there's big knitting arguments about which type of cable stitch gives the best results. |
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Post by John on Feb 22, 2015 9:10:20 GMT
With vinyl I see it as part of the medium when a record recorded well it can take you deeper into the music I have actually bought a few records I cannot play as so poorly recorded. With digital I never have this problem I yet to reach the highs of something like Casino on vinyl via digital but I also not experienced the lows
I agree a system is there to help you enjoy the music
Do we expect to much perhaps yes. But I guess it is because people are passionate as music means a lot to them,
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Post by Mr Whippy on Feb 22, 2015 15:03:25 GMT
Out of interest I wonder if they have such variety on knitting pattern or cake making forums that we have on Hi Fi fora? Yes there's big knitting arguments about which type of cable stitch gives the best results. What size needles dya use? Metal or wood? Wood man, meself. Too much chatter from them steel jobbies when you get a decent speed going. |
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 22, 2015 15:16:33 GMT
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Post by jazzbones on Feb 22, 2015 17:05:02 GMT
Well darn me! I have NEVER wound my balls and now that I'm old I think I suffer from the left is lower than the right syndrome but I'm not getting the lazer leveller out to check!!!! 
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 22, 2015 17:07:09 GMT
I had a seriously obsessed Dire Straits fan come visit a little while ago. Awestruck after listening to a couple of tracks on my system, he said that it sounded better than the several times he heard the band live. Job done. ... although personally I think it is (just) possible to find fault with it. |
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Post by ChrisB on Feb 22, 2015 17:08:55 GMT
Bloody hell, Jerry - you've cracked it then.
I take it all back!
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 22, 2015 17:17:34 GMT
Yeah, eat your hearts out, you losers.
It can be done!
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Post by Deleted on Feb 22, 2015 17:31:29 GMT
I'm quite sure we try too hard to find every last little bit of performance and lose track of why the system is sitting there in the first place.
I've just re-arranged the snug system that has the Mac as the main source. Out has gone the Teac and in the Quad 306 with Creek passive which all sits inside the desk. I had forgotten just how good the little KEF101s are. I've added the LS35A type metal grilles and felt and still prefer these to the 'real' thing.
I'm sitting here enjoying the MUSIC so much that I couldn't care less what is doing the job - hell, I know it's iTunes playing and it's still great. I know that the main system is 'better' but do I actually get any more enjoyment from it? - not sure I do really.
All we can ask of our systems is that the music takes over.
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Post by tony on Feb 22, 2015 17:50:42 GMT
Like anything else you can chase your tail looking for a bite but it never comes,,,,close but no cigar.
I went to Ronny Scots to hear a Jazz singer with my missus that we both loved....great experience and sound. They sent us a video of the performance which was great BUT a well resolved system with a good recording of her album was better SONICALLY!!!
My good lady says Im a sonic snob but to be honest we went to the hydro in Glasgow for the Punch brothers recently- the sound was so bad my piss was boiling.
In this hobby we have control over all the different elements of our reproduction system- shite recordings cannot be converted to gold!!!
Having done quite a few bakeoffs what's right is right-personal preference sonic signature wise aside.
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Post by John on Feb 23, 2015 7:23:19 GMT
Yes we all like different sonic signatures to some degree or another
Sometimes I see this passion as dog chasing it tail and never quite reaching its goal
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Post by Mr Whippy on Feb 23, 2015 18:06:46 GMT
I had a seriously obsessed Dire Straits fan come visit a little while ago. Awestruck after listening to a couple of tracks on my system, he said that it sounded better than the several times he heard the band live. Job done. ... although personally I think it is (just) possible to find fault with it. Did you not have a knock on the door with two men in white coats standing? |
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 23, 2015 18:31:01 GMT
No.
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Post by Mr Whippy on Feb 23, 2015 22:56:40 GMT
He must have given them the slip.
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Post by jandl100 on Feb 24, 2015 7:17:05 GMT
... now you mention it, there were a couple of police helicopters circling overhead at the time ... and radio warnings about an escaped madman ... 
But as tony posted, sonics at live gigs can be less than wonderful, so maybe it wasn't too much of a challenge to better the live experience. |
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Post by Tim on Feb 25, 2015 0:38:03 GMT
If you read too many Hi-Fi forums and have a restless type A personality, then I would most defiantly say yes and go further to say you are unlikely to ever be satisfied. I have very little interest in gear these days, not sure I ever really did, having only had about 3/4 proper systems in my life. Music is where it's at for me (always has been), 'live' whenever I can get it, if not, however it comes depending on where I am. I would prefer to be at home with my file based/Rega/Harbeth system, which I really have no desire to tinker with as it sounds better than most other things I hear elsewhere. The thought of buying a mains fuse that costs more than a live gig or a bunch of CDs makes me chuckle like you wouldn't believe, but each to their own - just not for me. I gave up 'listening to Hi-Fi' and concentrated on just the music the day I ditched my CD player, ripped my entire CD library and bought my Harbeths. Never been more content and never played so much music since then - I reckon my consumption has quadrupled (and some) since discovering the Harbeth sound. I do have AoS to thank for that however, so forums really worked for me as they gave me what I had been searching for, but I knew when to stop and I'm blissfully content with what I have now. I will at some point add a turntable to my system, but I know I'm not going to obsess about that either For me, a good Hi-Fi is important, but good music is essential. |
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) but I remain 'at peace' with what I've got already and have had for a number of years. 
