MVV
pfm Member
Yes yes but where's the fun in that?
The most common mistake in audio?
- Thread starter naka
- Start date
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
Fair enough. But different strokes for different folks eh?
It’s not about listening to music then?
Darren
So gentle when he tries to understand.
It's a hifi forum Woody. The people who come here, yourself included, are interested in creating the best sound at home so they can enjoy their music to the fullest extent. The OP has found that careful cable choice enhances his listening pleasure.
It's not a crime I guess. Or are you here to police his joy?
flatpopely
Prog Rock/Moderator
MVV
pfm Member
There you have it. The most common mistake in audio.
Copperjacket
pfm Member
Refusing to accept what your ears are telling you closely followed by believing what reviews say.
Richard Lines
pfm Member
I have several amps and speakers in my system, as I like to roll them every 2-3 months, and every time I try a different combination it impossible to know from the start what is the right cable.
If I am listening to a wonderful combination and change just the amp or speakers, most likely I will have to change cable.
Now I have 6 winning combinations and only 2 share the same cable!
To keep things short my conclusions are:
- I couldn’t find a universal speaker cable, kind of work well with everything type
- speaker cable can make of break a system
- the cable technical characteristics have to be in line with both the amplifiers and speakers
- trying several types of cable is crucial to achieve good results
- good quality terminals are important (banana, preferably)
- there are excellent cables at affordable prices - it is not about the cost but the synergy
- the difference with speaker cables is greater than with interconnects
This key piece of the system is affordable, easy to transport, hard to damage, and could last forever, so could we have a rent / loan service on cables? Also this would eliminate the annoying burn-in period.
I must say that my experience is not with uber high-end components, so please keep present that my thoughts and conclusions are based in my experience with “normal” priced hi-fi.
Also, because this can be a matter of sensitivity and personal taste, I truly understand if someone feels that a cable is just that, and will not add to the sound… just keep an open mind about it.
Cable hatters calm down, it is just my humble experience and opinion
It is sad to remember trying to get things right (and losing money and patience in trades) when most possibly the answer was much simply: just a different p, affordable speaker cable!
Could this be the most common mistake in our hobby?
Nice. Similarly I have several amps, two DACs and two pairs of speakers to rotate around. However, I only have two pairs of speaker cable, and only one is used all the time (Chord Signature XL) while the other cable (Naim NAC A5) had been in cold storage for a long time. The Chord is superior to the Naim cable with all components and speakers I've tried.
Although I had plans to acquire another alternative speaker cable earlier, it had not happened as I don't usually go for cheap cables. I will only consider cables which are fairly costly when I have the funds. I've recently placed an order for a Wireworld Silver Eclipse 8 XLR interconnect to play around.
Another aspect often neglected is the equipment rack. I recently invested in a Solid Tech Rack of Silence Reference, my first "high-end rack" after more than 20 years of abstinence. To be honest I was not expecting the rack to bring such an impact to the system or sound although I was hoping for one. I was truly shocked. My speakers sounded different, much improved in a good way. I wouldn't expand on it too much here and will just say that the rack has proven to be the final piece of the jigsaw which addressed all the shortcomings of the system.
JTC
PFM Villager...
In my most humble opinion the most common mistake in audio is listening to the hifi rather than the music. We've all done it and do it still.
I'm rapidly coming around to the view that hifi is a distraction from musical enjoyment rather than a conduit towards it. That's not to say I don't appreciate the sound, and that for the most part music sounds better than it ever has, but lo-fi listening - e.g. via a radio or Alexa or whatever - seems more often than not to cut straight to what I like about a song rather than fixating on how that song sounds.
I won't get rid of my system - I'm fickle and will probably retract my view on lo-fi listening tomorrow - but I can't help coming back to how much easier I find getting to the 'essence' of music when the hi-fi niceties are reduced. I suppose it's the audio equivalent of a soft-focus filter to make a woman look more flattering or something....
I'm rapidly coming around to the view that hifi is a distraction from musical enjoyment rather than a conduit towards it. That's not to say I don't appreciate the sound, and that for the most part music sounds better than it ever has, but lo-fi listening - e.g. via a radio or Alexa or whatever - seems more often than not to cut straight to what I like about a song rather than fixating on how that song sounds.
I won't get rid of my system - I'm fickle and will probably retract my view on lo-fi listening tomorrow - but I can't help coming back to how much easier I find getting to the 'essence' of music when the hi-fi niceties are reduced. I suppose it's the audio equivalent of a soft-focus filter to make a woman look more flattering or something....
windhoek
The Phoolosopher
There's definitely something to that. I've had a small bass-lite system in my living room for a while and it totally does what you describe: you just play music and enjoy it without giving it any thought whatsoever. My current lo-fi system is a Denon DM-41 and a pair of Kralk Audio BC-30s: bass-lite speakers that are akin to Kans in size and sound, except they're just not as squawky. As well as having an onboard CD player, I've also got it connected to my main amp via Tape Out>Line In so that I can play records through it.
I've been playing music through it for a couple of hours now and it's just great... it's just music!
Beobloke
pfm Member
I’d happily take that instead!
Mind you, I’d take a good kicking from a couple of burly blokes over listening to Kans, as it would be less painful…
