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Your hifi reflections and pearls

Stick with something low end but decent, aside from a decent vinyl front end. Don't upgrade, buy / stream / see live more music, find other things in life to enjoy. If I could tell my younger self that hi-fi didn't end up being as enjoyable a hobby as I thought it would be, and that chasing a career in the hi-fi industry was a stupid idea, I'd be in a much better place.
 
Have records and turntables at a height that suits your ability.
My decks are 4’ from the floor on shelves.
No back-bending to change records, easy to see the stylus, warps are very easy to identify etc.
Myriad benefits
 
I’m surprised by how many seem dissatisfied. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time right from my first system through to now even when exploring the occasional blind alleys etc. The key thing for me has been learning and exploring.

As a natural geek I find the whole subject fascinating so after a short while started finding my own way. I’ve always lived in the second-hand market so financially it is just investing really. I’m ahead financially overall and that’s long before factoring-in that I eventually made a career of sorts out of it with this place. As such that’s one big negative just removed, it has never been a money-pit, though I just don’t have most people’s black holes of cars, holidays, drink, kids etc, so I’m not trying to save money either. The rest is just exploring, learning and enjoying, and I’ve no intention of ever stopping.

The past 20 years or so has seen an amazing democratisation of knowledge online that has opened many avenues in rebuilding and restoring the classic kit I naturally gravitate to. There are now hardly any parts of my systems I’ve not worked on in some respect. It becomes far more than just spending money and opening new boxes when you bring a vintage component back from potential fire-risk/landfill to a highly desirable classic ready for another lifetime of service. That aspect is hugely satisfying. I’ve no regrets as even the mistakes (usually down to not following my own instincts) were good learning experience.
 
It becomes far more than just spending money and opening new boxes when you bring a vintage component back from potential fire-risk/landfill to a highly desirable classic ready for another lifetime of service. That aspect is hugely satisfying.

I do often wonder if I'd have enjoyed the hobby more if I'd stuck with vintage gear. I had some lovely stuff when I was younger, much of it extraordinarily cheap or even free compared to what it would cost now. I loved my first new hi-fi separate however, which was a Sony amp with a remote control. A simple thing perhaps but I do like conveniences. I think it was £104 in the early to mid 2000s, TA-FE370. Genuinely thinking of buying a used one as I'm thinking of selling off my entire system shortly and moving on.
 
When you're auditioning a new piece of equipment, instead of listening to what it does that your current equipment doesn't do, instead try listening for what your current equipment does do that's missing from the tentative replacement. Make sure you can live with whatever's lacking...

I would never have gotten rid of my Rega Planet CD player back in the days if I'd done this. I can't remember what I replaced it with (and subsequently moved on), which should tell you all you need to know...
 
Generally I like how things went, in particular the below event proved to be pivotal, so my advice to my younger self would be: Definitely do this bit again!

1) Under the sofa is a great place for the amp!
2) Don't worry about the volume dial that has been nudged onto full by your heel as you chatted to friends.
3) Don't stop your wife from pressing play on the CD player remote, which started the CD playing through the amp at full volume, blowing the amp and speakers.
4) Do take the household insurance payout for the amp and speakers and put it towards an old, entry level LP12, Quad 33 and 303, thus starting your journey back to vinyl.
 
I’ve dealt with a lot of vinyl over the years that has had those irritating little ‘P’ stickers on the label and to my mind they are the only damage as they are near impossible to remove without damaging the label. A wet vac cleaner sorts out any crap left in the groove. I have a Magma and a Klaus Schulze album in my own collection that had obviously been treated by a past owner (bloody stickers!) and they sound as new after a good wet clean. If there was any damage I’d certainly hear it on the Schulze Blackdance as it is quite quiet and ambient.

Ok. Finally a reason get a cleaner, then.
 
When you're auditioning a new piece of equipment, instead of listening to what it does that your current equipment doesn't do, instead try listening for what your current equipment does do that's missing from the tentative replacement. Make sure you can live with whatever's lacking...

Very good point! The infamous 'different must be better', that must have triggered at least 80 percent of all 'upgrades'.
 
It’s a good point, even if you can’t dem at home for long and buy something it’s often better to keep the previous item and go back to it after a while to confirm or see how they really compare.
 
It’s a good point, even if you can’t dem at home for long and buy something it’s often better to keep the previous item and go back to it after a while to confirm or see how they really compare.

I have done this with EQ. Fancy parametric, calculations and measurements. It was a stunning improvement! After a while I went back to no EQ. Very little difference, to be honest.
 
It’s a good point, even if you can’t dem at home for long and buy something it’s often better to keep the previous item and go back to it after a while to confirm or see how they really compare.

Agree entirely. For decades now I have tried never to swap something without retaining the past item for comparison as I tend to learn the most when swapping back after a month or two. This makes sense when tweaking or rebuilding stuff too, though that is obviously much harder to do. It can be very confusing/impossible to assess any ‘one direction only’ changes. As an example with my JR149s I sourced a spare pair of crossovers so I could easily switch between a pair with original spec electrolytic caps and fancy film caps (the former won). This approach can really save going down blind alleys. As ever never assume ‘more expensive’ = ‘better’. I have two 303s for a similar reason, though both are currently in use. I concluded a very, very long time ago that I could discern nothing of lasting value in a dealer dem room as ‘more impressive’ is almost always worse long-term for me.
 
It’s a good point, even if you can’t dem at home for long and buy something it’s often better to keep the previous item and go back to it after a while to confirm or see how they really compare.

Ideally I'd prefer to do comparisons with the items both still in the system though not always either affordable or possible.
 
I don't think I would do much different. Of course it would be easy with hindsight to miss out many of the steps (like the backwards step of buying a Linn active system).

One thing I have learnt however, is that number/frequency of posts and supporters on forums does not neccessarily equate to knowledge and appreciating sound that I would appreciate!
And it certainly isn't worth trying to argue with these people.
 
One thing I have learnt however, is that number/frequency of posts and supporters on forums does not neccessarily equate to knowledge and appreciating sound that I would appreciate!
And it certainly isn't worth trying to argue with these people.

I soooo strongly disagree
 
Read some hi-fi mags before wandering into Richer Sounds to buy your first 'proper' system.
Spend all of the windfall on that first system, you'll only drink the rest of the money anyway.
Floorstanders (or invest in decent stands) are the way to go.
Keep it balanced - the least happy you'll ever be is with an amazing amp, but everything else isn't as good.
 


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