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Surprising Myths About Stereo Equipment, Audiophiles & Vinyl
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 13 ส.ค. 2024
- In this video, I discuss myths about stereo equipment, audiophiles, and vinyl collectors. I share interesting information that I have learned from people in the know. A stereo equipment dealer, a stereo equipment designer, and others from a music label have shared their opinions with me regarding these topics.
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www.groovewasher.com/
#VinylCommunity #MelindaMurphy #VinylCollection #RecordCollection
"We want what sounds the best for what we can afford"- perfect statement M!! Great vid. Agree with you on so many of these points.
Thank you very much! 🤗♥️ Take care.
I used to have Joni Mitchell's "Blue" on reel-to-reel tape. I would put it on when I went to bed and listen till I fell asleep. When I woke up it would still be playing because I had auto reverse on my tape machine. I really miss that.
Oh wow! I bet that sounded incredible. ♥️😀 Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Unless you had the master tape, not more incredible than the vinyl record it was copied from, because copying never improves audio.
Cables are a tough subject. I'm an electronic tech and an avid audiophile and I learned early on that interconnects and speaker cables can make a difference. Most of mine are Audioquest, but that's my choice and they were affordable (not their most expensive for sure). The one thing that I couldn't possible imagine making much, if any difference were power cables and I fought this for a long time. I saw an article years ago where a reviewer did a power cable shootout. One of the ones he raved about was very affordable and had a return agreement if you didn't like them, so I ordered three and I had no expectations of any improvement, but I installed them starting with my DAC and moved on the preamp and then the amp. The improvement, starting with the DAC, blew me away. I still don't quite understand why they make a difference and I'll get a lot of blowback about this for sure, but they made the biggest difference of anything that I've installed in my system to date. There's no way that I would spend thousands of dollars on any cable, but I have made huge improvements by upgrading within reason. Thanks for the videos Melinda!
Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your experience with cables. Like I said in the video, this is an area that is largely unknown to me. I'm thrilled that your cables made that kind of a difference. It's cool that the cables were affordable and returnable as well. Take care and have a great day. 🤗♥️
Listeners like you who report what they heard are more valuable than those forum posts from guys who cite from a textbook written in 1960 & say there can't be any differences. I have yet to try a $100 AC cable, but it sounds like a worthy experiment 🧐
Yes, power cables can definitely make a difference, but like interconnects and speaker cables, generally modest ones. I've bought mostly Shunyata power cables (in the lower range of their line, at deep discounts from Music Direct) and they've enhanced the sound in my system, typically its dynamics.
@@maxhirsch7035 Shunyata is a good company. The ones I bought were Black Sand Audio Violet ZI MKII power cords. They are a Candadian company and great to deal with. If I hadn't heard the improvement that I did, I wouldn't have hesitated to return them. What makes it even harder, is that in another system, there may not have been any improvement. Always a tough call! Thanks for the reply!
@@maxhirsch7035 I also use the Shunyata Venom power cables, connected to a PS Audio Stellar Power Regenerator. At the time, I was using a Denon AVR for my pre-amplifier and I had a hum issue from my phonostage. The AVR power cable does not have a ground. I found that the power regenerator got rid of the hum by totally cleaning up the power and getting the in sync. Given that it made a different with the hum, it probably improved the sound quality as well. However, I never bothered trying to do A/B comparisons.
So much great and practical advice. Loved your two cents at the end. I think a lot of us have been there where we maybe spent too much at once and have to tell ourselves to lay low for awhile and that you will get it later, etc. Your channel is very genuine and relatable. I appreciate that so much!
Thank you. I know I have been there. I have purchased a hard to get record for a high price and have to watch my spending for the rest of the month. That's ok. It's when we continue to spend a rack up credit card debt that takes the joy out of this. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
I love physical music. I love CDs and vinyl. Nothing better than these two for music
I agree. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
Love your channel. I always watch because it's always interesting.
Speaking of speakers, I'm sitting around today waiting on the delivery of my dream speakers. I have wanted these for years. These particular speakers are being discontinued, so I saw my chance at a good deal...maybe "good" in quotation marks. They are still expensive even approaching half price. But this has been a dream of mine for years, so I pulled the trigger on this. They're not here yet as I watch your video, but sometime this afternoon I'll be listening to my brand new Revel Salon 2 speakers.
We won't live forever. Make the most of what you get.
Oh, and I paid cash. This will be my treasure. Some guys get a motorcycle or a boat. I got speakers.
Congratulations! I hope by the time you read this, the speakers will have arrived. What an exciting day. I'm so glad your dream is coming true. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy they're here! I wish TH-cam would let me post a picture!
Geez, I just love your common sense attitudes and advice videos. My Tuesday morning is made when I see you’ve posted a new video. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for the kind words. You are very encouraging. ♥️🤗 Take care.
Have the Joni on order, for me a truly special artist who made some of the most wonderful recordings ever committed to vinyl; and therefore more than worth the cost. Thanks for the streams Melinda, enjoy the music, and hopefully a few more Joni MoFi's in the near future
I hope you enjoy Blue as much as I am. I am looking forward to For The Roses. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Thank you 🙂I am also looking forward to For The Roses, it's my favourite Joni album
I've been in audio for most of my life, I'm 59 and I've been in the audio repair business for over forty yrs and one of things that a lot of people do when they're in search of equipment is buy more power than they really need. And that's mainly because the big vintage amps look impressive. Let's face it "They do!" but most people listen to their music in an average sized room and 120w RMS plus amp is probably over kill for most. And they cost a lot especially if they've been restored by someone like me. My point is a lot of very nice affordable smaller amps and receivers go unnoticed or ignored. Which would leave $ room for some very nice high end efficient speakers and maybe even a high end cart and stylus in that turntable. Just my 2c Rock n Roll!
Your right on! I'm 60 and agree 💯. Why waste your green on a monster receiver. agree, they look awesome. Makes me laugh when you see a video of a monster and they can't turn the volume up a quarter of the way.50-60 watts is usually more than plenty. A good pair of speakers will do it.
Exactly ! If one has a very efficient horn speakers, you will need no more than two to three watts per channel !
💯 spot on! Same here (I’m 61) and I’ve been an audiophile since the late 70’s after being exposed to sound equipment (at my uncle’s house) as a kid in the early 70’s.
I’ve worked on gear starting in 1990 for a manufacturer here in NJ. I have gotten back into gear over the last 14 years. I did sell my gear in the early 90’s. I also have my own workshop and bench at home to repair my gear.
On another note, I also love vinyl, but I have all type of sources.
I have Vinyl, reel to reel, cassette, digital streaming and CD.
I think that they all have their place.
For me I’d never say that one is the only way to enjoy audio.
@patrickguice IMO Factory Reel to Reel tapes sounds better than anything. I have a Pioneer RT-707 .A guy I know who is 35 had never heard one before and he couldn't believe how it sounded. Just a shame that the tapes are very hard to find.
Great words of wisdom. You make a lot of sense. Thank you so much. ♥️🤗 Take care.
Firstly, fantastic video, Melinda. I think you pretty much nailed it on the head.
As far as the cable thing goes, I’ve tried everything from bordering on ridiculously expensive to freebie “courtesy cables” and found that a nicely made cable using quality materials with nice ends of them are just fine. Be it, power, interconnects, speaker, etc. cables, the brand Blue Jeans cables work extremely well without spending a fortune. They use high quality low capacitance made by Belden for interconnects, and I personally like their speaker cables made with Canare 4S11 cable with cold welded plugs (banana or spade). I also just make some of my own cables. I’m not the only one who uses Blue Jeans cables in the VC, and people like Patrick and others also use their LC-1 interconnects.
Thanks, Melinda. Good stuff as always. 🔊😊🎶💜
Thank you for the information Nick. Someone else brought up the Blue Jean cables in the comments. I certainly trust you and Patrick when it comes to records and stereo equipment. I look up to both of you so much. ♥️🤗 Thank you so much.
Hi Melinda, I'm a full time watcher & part time commenter on your channel. I think everything you said here is spot on. The only thing to me which I feel differently about was when you compared listening to a record and seeing a gig. As great as audiophile records & systems are, it's a completely different experience to seeing a live gig. To me personally nothing beats seeing a great band live. Being in that room when the bands cooking and they take the songs you know & love to another place is a one off magical experience. There's something about that shared unique experience which I can't put into words. I play and have played in a lot of (unsuccessful) bands and when everything is clicking in that room there's no feeling like it. Having said all of that I also have thousands of records and a really killer system that I love which gives me hours of pleasure, but just a different kind. I see listening to records as a more scientific or detailed experience and a great show as pure exhilaration. Thanks for all of your great videos and for letting me ramble on here. Cheers...Ben PS I like how you make me think about things I don't normally think about 👍
I agree. Being at an actual concert is the ultimate experience. ♥️ And it's cool to share the experience with the rest of the audience. I do enjoy listening to records and feeling like the artist is in the room with me. I love how some records can feel like a live performance. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
Thank you for your kind words. ♥️
Down the rabbit hole, we go. I am a big fan of Steve's, I have several pieces of gear he has recommended and love them. I have Emotiva, Denafrips, and PSB as the mainstays in my system and all are affordable pieces. I love all types of media, I prefer CDs because I have a small record collection, but I am working on that. Vinyl is very magical for me, it brings me back to my first nice system in the late 70s. I think you are getting good advice about cables.
Thank you for your kind words. I trust Steve's opinion as well. Emotiva is a wonderful brand. ♥️ Take care.
As long as you love what you have bought, let nobody tell you it’s not good. And as long as you have DLR Van Halen, the world is a happy place. Love your enthusiasm and love from Scotland 🏴
Yes! I love the DLR years. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Great comment. I can live without Van Halen but agree otherwise. 👍😊
You do have my full sympathy when covering the topic of hifi Melinda, for someone who is linked to the business you are a great customer because you listen to the gear rather than obsess what the specs are and buy according to your budget. Its one of those hobbies/passions that can drive you to distraction if you obsess about the gear rather than what you are hearing 😸 great vid as always
Thank you for the kind words. I am definitely more on the side of enjoying the music at its full potential rather than obsessing over the equipment. I can understand how that can become a slippery slope. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
@@MelindaMurphy best wishes tou you & family Xx
Yes and with that distraction one misses a lot of stuff such as good music for one! I was linked to the business as well back in 2013 to 2017 as a journalist. Before that, I was in radio and the music scene / business from the creative end.
Great little video, on a very important topic! Loved it!
...and I LOVE the design of your Floyd sweatshirt too!! 😍🤘
Thank you so much! Take care. 🤗♥️
I was in the US Army from 1973 to 1983. When I went to Germany, I was so amazed at how affordable stereo equipment was, for instance I purchased a Teak X1000 at the PX for 470 dollars when the US MSRP was around 1400. The PXs don't have those great deals now, but soldiers back then could rack up. And I agree that there's nothing wrong with vinyl lovers also purchasing CDs. For instance I've been hooked on the Jethro Tull deluxe sets. The book like packaging and VERY generous amount of extras is wonderful. I will say that when buying classic rock on CDs, it's a good idea to check and make sure that release isn't too compressed. I think the "loudness wars" did a lot to harm CD reputation. At any rate there's nothing that compares to discovering a great vinyl album you've been searching for. Enjoy
Oh wow! I'm glad that our service men were able to get some great deals back in the day. Thank you for your service. 🤗♥️
CD's do have their advantages. They take up less space, are more affordable and the extras like you mentioned are very cool. Thank you and have a great night! ♥️🤗
It was the same when I was stationed in Okinawa in 80/81. Because of the Yen rate to the dollar, everything was dirt cheap. I've been back since then and things cost more there than they do here now.
It was a great experience I’m sure… That’s what my uncle did when he was stationed in Vietnam with the Marines during the Vietnam War. He had brought some gear over at the PX and had it sent back home to NJ.
Great episode Melinda over the years of collecting records I’ve learned what I can afford and what I not afford I gradually built the system I happy with. Hey I see how your system changed over the year congrats you setup now is awesome have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you very much. I started out with extremely modest equipment. I'm very grateful for what I have today. Take care.
It's only the rich people that can afford the high-end equipment straight off, without saving up for it.But as I was told when I was younger, saving up for a camera, you appreciate things more when you have worked for it. I am now saving up to build my darkroom. At my age a bit late, but having never had had the space for one in the past, better late than ever. I agree with the vinyl V CD. As for cable, I purchased a good brand, not their cheapest line and certainly NOT the top end of their cables.
What you said is perfect. I also agree that working for something allows us to appreciate it more. ♥️ It's wonderful that you are building a dark room. True photography is a lost art. Thank you and take care.
True dat, as a person who listens to extreme metal and jazz. All my metal vinyls are all digital and my jazz are all analog.
Yes! You are like me, we just want to listen to the music we love in the best sound quality possible. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
About cables: there are probably cable changes you could make that won't deliver the improvement you hoped for, especially if the entire chain lacks the resolving power needed to reveal differences. But, a number of years ago, when running Adcom separates using Monster cables, I splurged for a pair of relatively modestly priced ($200) 6' cables to run between the GFP-555 preamp and GFA-545 amp. I think they were hollow core interconnects. The system was driving Genesis Physics 66 towers (that I still use). The difference blew my mind. The low end was much more pronounced and my wife, who normally would be unaware of such differences, picked up on it right away without prompting from me. So in this case, the improvement was profound and thoroughly worth it.
That's an amazing story. ♥️ Most of my viewers have told me that cables can make a difference but not to overspend. It sounds like you invested wisely and got a great return for that $200. Awesome! Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
@@MelindaMurphy Glad the observation was useful. This was about 1990. Those speakers need a lot of power and have low sensitivity, so I played a fair amount speakrr cables, too, but I can't swear that massive cables or chanting and shaking a rubber chicken over them made much difference. Still, I know the speaker cables probably aren't choking the signals much.
Great channel! Thank you for the videos! 👍
Basic pro cables at normal lengths are audibly transparent. There are a few”high end” cables that have such high capacitance and/or inductance that they act as a passive low pass filter and roll off some high frequencies.
Thank you for the information. Most viewers agree that cables can make a difference but to not overspend. I will have to learn more as I go. Take care.
This video will teach you more about audio than years of “audiophile” experience. Take some time and learn from one of the grand experts. m.th-cam.com/video/kr6XiYxD10E/w-d-xo.html&pp=ygUWSmFtZXMgZCBqb2huc3RvbiBhdWRpbw%3D%3D
to quote Rodney King " can't we all get along " .As far as vinyl vs. digital vinyl to me wins hands down. Cd's could sound great but brick walling is what sent me back. I pretty much agree with everything you say.The last thing was beautiful.
Thank you Mike.♥️🤗 We all enjoy music in our own way. I'm with you on vinyl but I understand why others love CD's. Thank you and have a great day.
Hi Melinda. I love your videos. I’ve been a subscriber for a few months now. And I’ll tell ya what really hit me was when u said about not going in debt. I’ve been so guilty of that. And like u said u say to yourself I will have to watch and be good for months because of all the thousands I just spent. And speaking of cables I just spent 15k on 4 used Audio quest Dragon power cables. Oh btw cables are definitely not snake oil. Keep up the great videos Melinda. ❤. Mike. 👍💪👊
Great review, if I reflect on the biggest "bang per buck" I've had in hifi, I'd include some cables, which I tried before buying and they made a huge difference to me (missing link cables, they're in the UK and do some really nice silver cabling), but I know some friends who don't feel the same. All really subjective. Really agree with used hifi, some brands are easily serviced too and that can be a great way to get max value, with some peace of mind that something can be fixed if it breaks.
Whatever works for each individual is great. I agree with you that it's all subjective. Thank you and I apologize for the delayed response. Take care. 🤗♥️
What is “high end stereo equipment” - what is a “rich person”? I love my 1973 McIntosh Amp & Pre-Amp, $650 & $350 in 1973; 1987 Denon Direct Drive Turntable w/ Grado cartridge, $225; Note, I get replacement stylus’s direct from Grado; Revel M-22 speakers, purchased 1/2 price, $1,099, new discontinued 2014, with dedicated Revel stands purchased used $75; NAD CD player, probably $350+/-; cables, MonoPrice interconnects, less than $10 a pair & German 14 gage speaker wire, KabelDirkt 100 feet, $39. Note, wish I had $1 for every time I’ve challenged a “Cable Geek” to a blind test, designer cable v quality generic. I’m still waiting for someone to accept the challenge! I love listening to the music, not the equipment! So much “Snake Oil” in this business - How about a Green Magic Marker for the edge of your CD’s or maybe exotic tropical wood risers for your speaker wire 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
To me, high end equipment is something a lot of us would have to save for but is possible. I'm not even considering the $200k speakers ect. They aren't in the realm of possibility for nearly anybody. Lol. It sounds like you have built a beautiful set up and even better is that you have equipment you love and makes you happy. Well done! ♥️🤗
I agree with the record sounding warmer and fully dimensional. My next investment for my equipment will be new styluses for my turntables. Going with a tube amp would be great, but not needed. Keep spinning the vinyl, Melinda.😊
I will have to replace my stylus at some point soon as well. That won't be cheap. 😳 Lol. Thank you and take care.
Thanks for the honest video. You’ve touched on subjects many people avoid. Cables matter, and I’ve probably spent at least $1k on various interconnects, power, and speaker cables. It’s fun to hear the differences, but don’t get carried away. I don’t own very many audiophile records, but the ones I have sound excellent.
Thank you for sharing your experience with cables. That price isn't too bad if you could hear sound improvement. Audiophile records aren't necessary but they can be a wonderful experience and great to have. Take care. ♥️🤗
Great topic Melinda.
Steve's videos were my go to for audio advice when I was looking, he is very inclusive on that he can be as excited fir a good $300 piece of equipment as he is about a $30,000 piece.
As far as cables are concerned I usually just go for well reviewed items that are a bit of a step up from basic cables that may come with the audio equipment
That's great advice about cables. 🤗♥️ Steve is great. He's not only knowledgeable but kind and fun to watch. He gets excited about great stereo equipment and it's contagious. Thank you and take care.
Yes, it is good practice to step up the interconnect cables that come with gear and it doesn't need to cost a small fortune! For about just under $100 you can upgrade every interconnect cable you need and be happy for a very long time to forever.
Audiophile Myth of “eq’s are bad”: One thing I just realized was looking at the frequency response graph of my speakers and adjusting my eq where the crossover falls short, and the results put a big smile on my face😎👌
I'm so glad you were able to make such a dramatic improvement by simply working with what you have. Nice! 😀
Agreed. The 'EQs are bad' myth is a sub-type of the 'audiophile always means straight wire with gain' myth. Not all (studios, recording engineers, mastering engineers, vinyl pressings, etc.) are created equal, which is the main reason why not all vinyl records (or CDs) sound the same, or as good. Apart from 'tweaking the sound' of your system to compensate for (e.g.) room acoustics using a graphic or parametric EQ, what's wrong with using signal processors to (e.g.) expand dynamic range or other parameters on lifeless recordings? Answer: FA. Sure, everything added into the signal chain adds 'noise' to the signal, but with decent equipment and judicious use of processor settings, the noise added is often negligible while the improvement in listening experience can be significant. Bottom line: you bought th record, you own it, you get to tweak the sound to your own taste...
Good point! I forgot that one as well. EQs are not from hell!! It is a matter of knowing how to use them. Sadly though good ones that do not introduce noise are nearly unobtanium these days. The little small units such as from Bellari or Schiit are good bets. With the exception of my studio monitor cans, all headphones need to be EQ'd in my book because they are always extremely tilted one way or other. I'm not a fan of headphone listening. I'm good for about 10 minutes at best. I'm a speakers guy. Headphones offer no sense of staging to me because there is no room interaction. As much as a PITA it can be sometimes (at least before you get it totally dialed in, which can take an eternity) the interaction between speakers and the room are what provides soundstage. So it is worth the reward to me.
@@ericelliott227 yes the realization came from watching GR Research’s work with the Focal Aria speakers, which I have the 936 models, Focal made the crossover to where the high tweeter response frequencies are dipped very low, which explains the dull sound, so I simply used my graphic eq on my Denon to slightly boost 8k and 16k just a tad, and that made the sound much more balanced 😎👌
@@leonsam12 Yeah GR Research does pretty good work. As you likely know with EQ, sometimes it is slight boost and sometimes it is slight cut in an adjacent frequency or so. More often it is cut, which many don't realize. I don't have worry about my speakers (Paradigm Studio 100 v5) they are very balanced, not to mention revealing and there are some makes that use them to voice their amps (I found that out after I got them). Don't know what happened later at Paradigm with the crap sounding speakers they put out now. (Glad I got the Studios. The bummer is that they can't be replaced). Headphones however is a whole different animal.
Hi Melinda! Well, I did it. For years I've picked up records based on your recommend, but I made the plunge and got a P8 with Apheta 3. I can't believe the improvement in sound, and the cart isn't even broken in yet! So thank you...I'm in your debt! Seriously. I'm in debt. Help...
Haha! I understand the debt part but you won't regret it. I agree, the step up is quite dramatic. ♥️ Congratulations and enjoy. ♥️🤗
I share the same viewpoint as you do Melinda regarding cables
It's important not to spend too much on cables. 😀 Thank you and take care.
When it comes to cables, only blind comparisons will allows your ears to tell you what sounds good for your set up.
I agree that some high end cables will not be a good investment if the rest of the system is only mediocre, the system needs to be at the level of the cables.
When I did a top tier upgrade on my power cable it absolute past the the blind test and made the entire system sound considerably improved. And look forward to upgrading to much better speaker cables when I can afford it.
Thank you for the wisdom about cables. I agree that the cables need to match the quality of the rest of the gear. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
anonymous person , hank 8499 , is the only person I have ever heard of, over my decades of interest, in the subject , actually since boutique wires became available, that actually could tell the difference in a true double blind test. Respectfully, this leads me to doubt the testing methods.
anyone familiar with basic wire functions or the extreme subjectivity of human hearing would question such results.
@richardelliott8352 OH really. I honestly feel sad for you. There were three of us that were present when this was done. We listened to familiar songs that we knew on three different cables. After eliminating the one that sounded the worst then we listened again and it was extremely obvious which sounded better by far. Test equipment included vintage marantz with Maggie's for speakers.
Totally separate "test" while I went on vacation I loaned my top tier power cord to a hifi friend and he had two weeks to listen and compare with his 70k Raidho speakers and Ansuz power cable. When I returned to pick it up we were both very surprised that they were comparable, Audioquest Firebird power cable a pinch more detailed, Ansuz power cable filled the room with more volume.
Give it a try sometime, blind comparison, you have nothing to loose, except maybe some hardheadiness. Bottom line you enjoy your music and I will enjoy mine.
If you buy a CD player you need the DAC to hook up to it to get the Analog conversion from the Disc.The Dac;s run 100 bucks to You Can't Believe It Prices!
Thank you for the tip. ♥️🤗
Hi Melinda - totally agree. I am mainly a CD guy, but I do buy the odd record. This discussion CD verses vinyl is a waste of time, so I don't even go there - I like both formats, I cant say one is better than the other. Everyone's ears are different. Where I do think the CD format wins out is in the addition of bonus material. CD's in the main have room on the disc for that extra material - and they're not to expensive. Its not as easy on vinyl, and a lot lot more expensive. Take the Who's Next or Camels Air Born box set. 33 CD's - you cant achieve that on vinyl. Its not on my radar, but great to see the reviews - I have their 4CD box set and am totally happy with that. I am totally happy in my own skin and love my CD and vinyl collections -have picked up some amazing buys at charity shops over the years. AND as Mazzy says -"Its the music stupid" - absolutely. Cya Doug
I agree with you. I enjoy both formats and they both have their strengths. CDs are the better bargain right now. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
I have known people with hi end stuff & none of them could be said to be rich. Large speakers can often be inappropriate for a rooms accoustic. I eventually personally settled for a pair of compact floorstanders. This way I got more bass by taking over the space which used to be designated for stands & retained control by having smallish woofers & a tuned port to the rear.
We don't have to be rich to enjoy incredible sound. We just have to be smart with our purchases. Some equipment just works well together. ♥️ Great sound is for everyone not just the very wealthy. Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
I have amassed a large collection of LP's and CD's over the years. And I still purchase BOTH types of media. I may have the same recording on both types of media. In some cases I like the the sound of the LP more, other times the CD sounds better. It really depends on what technology was around at the time and how the recording was mastered. I DO like to listen to my equipment, on occasion, especially after I've made a change to the system. I have certain recordings I use just for this purpose. It's all just part of the hobby...
I agree with you on everything you said. I think it's completely normal to listen to stereo equipment when we have made some changes. How else will we know if the changes made things better? I also agree that sometimes vinyl is better and at times a CD is the way to go. Thank you and take care.
One of the things I do for a living is assess power requirements for a project taking into consideration what exists, what is to be added, and what is currently available. The first activity is called a load study. This is a survey and calculation of what the requirements for power will be and then examining what is currently available. Will I need more? How much more. We don't like to build something so marginal that it will quickly become obsolete. On the other hand we don't want to waste money providing so much power that only a small fraction of it will ever be used. The same is true of audio systems. Some of the factors that have to be taken into consideration is the efficiency of the loudspeakers which isn't quite the same as sensitivity but that number will usually do. Then there is the maximum loudness the system will have to play. Then there is the size of the room an how live or dead it is. There are formulas for calculating this number. You can double it for stereo on the assumption that only one speaker may be playing at a time.
My speakers have a sensitivity of 87 db for 1 watt at a distance of 1 meter (about 3 feet.) In my room, about 4000 cubic feet slightly on the live side, a very good 60 wpc amplifier works fine (there are considerations of what kind of 60 watt amplifier to buy but that's a different story. The output is fused for 60 watts into 4 ohms which is what my speakers are. That amplifier cannot damage my speakers. OTOH, a 600 wpc will play subjectively twice as loud as a 60 wpc amplifier but could smoke my speakers unless carefully fused. Part of an electrical engineer's job is to limit the current that can flow through the load so as not to damage it (or the wire.) For a very efficient speaker like a Klipschorn or Altec voice of the Theater speaker a 10 or 15 watt amplifier might fill a movie theater. Efficiency has nothing to do with sound quality. OTOH, in my case a 10 wpc amplifier just won't cut it. For speakers on the low efficiency side several hundred watts of available power may be necessary. I have a project in mind where I will need 600 to 1000 watts per channel. My go to amplifier in that case is the Crown Drive Core 2 2505. it will work into a 2 ohm load with four 8 ohm speakers wired in parallel. The impedance of the load also has to be taken into consideration. Many speakers have wacko crossover networks that waste a lot of power to get them to sound flat without equalization or tone controls. They do the same thing but at the high power level of the speaker instead of the low power level of the signal. When I read a review, the first thing I look at is the measured data. It's not all I'd like it to be but within its limits it can be useful. Looking at the impedance plot in Stereophile's reviews the solid line is the magnitude of the impedance as a function of frequency and the dotted line is the phase response as a function of frequency. The phase response indicates how capacitive or inductive the load is. Many of them look like a rollercoaster ride. This indicates extreme measures were taken to flatten the response. Frankly where the measurement is for a ported speaker I don't trust the measurement of the port output being spliced to the driver output. This is especially inaccurate if the port is at the rear since its contribution will depend on how reflective the wall behind it is.
Excellent advice and you have some great stereo equipment. Have a great week. ♥️😀
@@MelindaMurphy You have to understand that engineers (my major was electrical engineering but I was well schooled in every major area of science and engineering) have knowledge that audiophiles and even most manufacturers don't. The problem of high fidelity sound reproduction was a problem I took on 50 years ago as a hobby. My thrill in life is taking on the challenge of solving problems, it's me against the problem. I started on the assumption that I knew nothing and began with the basics, the study of sound, how it is generated, how it is propagated, how rooms of different sizes and types affected it, how it arrives at your ears, and what your brain makes of it. The electronic came last because if you don't understand sound, you can't solve the problem. You don't have a well defined goal. You don't even understand the problem so how can you solve it.
My reference is live classical music heard at concert venues. Duplicating that sound is well beyond what this industry can do. Sound is not an electrical phenomenon. It's in a class of phenomenon called fluid mechanics, a branch of mechanical engineering. The fluid is air. So I had to invent my own. The problem consists of two parts. The first is to get the first sound and early reflections to have a flat frequency response all the way back to the recording microphones and it should be that way in most or all of your listening room. That means the one size fits all idea won't work because recordings have a different tonal balance and room acoustic are different. The second part is to use the signal from the recording to construct a second sound system that will created the same sounds due to the acoustics of a very large room intended to hear music in but to do it in a different way. That sound is most of what you hear live so it is very important. This is not an easy problem. It requires a lot of knowledge including a lot of mathematics although the final result has to be tuned by ear based on memory of live music. Because this problem has beaten those who have tried it to a pulp they say it can't be done.
Others are working on different methods than mine trying to do the same thing, ideas that most audiophiles never heard of. I'm always following what they are doing not just to see if they are catching up to me but to understand how they view the problem and if there is anything I can learn from their efforts. My process works on all recordings of all genres and for me it's the end of the journey. Unfortunately I can't share it with anyone. I've tried but there was no interest in my patent and if there was, someone would just steal it. Does it sound different? Yes, very different.
Until 1983 i was a vinyl collector but then something tragic happened to me & my family. We came back from Ivory Coast to Brazil bringing our beloved stereo equipments along with more than 6.000 vinyls but everything got stolen during the maritime transportation. We decided then to rebuild our collection with CDs and i don’t regret such decision since the love and passion for music is the most important thing in our journey regardless how you “travel” to reach your destination. Cables do matter but there’s no need to pay a fortune for them unless you want and can afford such cables. Peace ❤
I'm so sorry to hear that. That's such a terrible thing. I'm glad you found happiness with CDs. ♥️🤗 Thank you for your thoughts on cables. Take care.
Melinda IMHO, you have found a great solution and balance regarding your great "small" :-) "bookshelf" MoFi 10 speakers - the reason I say this is because the best PLACE for the mids and highs of a huge speaker MAY not be the best place in the room for the deep BASS from them. I too have a REL which gives us the freedom to find the best tuning place in the room for deep bass. Regarding cables, I would only suggest that we spend a little more on POWER cables that are SHIELDED to prevent noise from propagating in the system plus when they are close to speaker and signal cables that we cross them at 90º to those. GOOD speaker (like yours :-) designers spend a lot of time and expense on the choice of drivers and R&D on the dimensions of the enclosures. And then WE go and place our speakers (which in essence are drivers themselves) and place them in our rooms (which in essence are "enclosures" :-) So we can imagine how important the speaker placement (AND OUR ROOMS THEMSELVES!) are in terms of the sound we end up hearing. Great video, Melinda. Keep up the great work :-)
Thank you for the tips. We immediately knew we had made the right decision about buying the REL's. I think we have now found the sweet spot for everything. 😍 Take care.
Great video! Love that "Cool Struttin'" poster too. My set up wasn't expensive, my most expensive component was my turntable and cartridge. I love the way it sounds, I think better speakers are next on my list though. It has taken me several years to get where I am now.
Thank you for the kind compliment. I broke down and bought one of the new Blue Note framed photos. 😀 You have good eyes.
I'm glad you are already pleased with what you have. Improvements you make in the future will just be the icing on the cake. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
Hello Melinda. Audioquest cables are my "go-to" cables. Many are very pricey and out of my range, monetarily. However, having been able to purchase their cables at dealer cost and being able to own demonstration models, I have heard a wide range of their cables over the years. The best sounding AQ interconnect I have heard was the Colorado, which is no longer in the line (it had the DBS, dielectric bias system battery pack). The second best was Columbia, which I still consider my all-time favorite of all of their cables. Another cable they produced was King Cobra; excellent balance and superb soundstaging are characteristics of King Cobra. Music Direct has a left-over inventory of King Cobra at very reduced prices right now. I, honestly, can not find ANY fault with King Cobra. I am using it now, almost exclusively with no regrets. It is a moderately flexible cable in a red and black jacket (no DBS). My one word description for King Cobra would be "Delightful." To me, at the reduced prices now, it is much of a bargain. For even a modest system, the improvement will be immediate and well worth the increased musicality. Of course, just my opinion. I loved the myth video! You are blossoming into a truly dedicated audiophile who keeps that "toe-tapping" love of music as your guide for what is rotten and what is fresh. 😊
Thank you for the advice. Several viewers have mentioned the Audioquest brand as a good brand for cables. I will check into the King Cobra brand. Thank you and take care.
Great video Melinda! As far as myself, I am a physical media collector, which means both CDs and vinyl records. I do prefer the vinyl, but in many cases today it’s not about the cost difference, it’s that a lot of titles are not available on vinyl. I don’t hate digital sound, but I do hate digital media that you don’t own.
I agree. I like owning physical media. It's nice to have CDs of those albums that aren't available on vinyl yet. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
This is one of those educational videos for me. Most of this makes sense to me. I love my cds but vinyl just has more charm for me. It also has a less harsh sound to my ears. Unless I try to crank it too loud of course. The stereo upgrades will come with me down the road. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never go crazy but I definitely need something better. But I still have those “melt in chair” moments too, even with what I currently have. The only point I might disagree with you on, is the “stereo aficionado “ who cares more about the system than the music. Those people exist. I feel more so in my past encounters than current. I’ve met these people who go on and on about their expensive setup and technical details, but know little about music in general or really appreciate the music. Another awesome video Melinda! Thanks for sharing and have a great week!
Hi Gary! You have some incredible records. I have no doubt you melt in your chair while listening to many of them. 😀 I have had very modest equipment and I have had nicer upgrades but my records were always incredibly enjoyable. ♥️
Yes, there are some show offs that love to brag about their stereo equipment. I just like to think that most people are in it for the enjoyment of the music. 😀 Thank you and take care.
First the Caveat. I am a low volume listener and am typically happy listening below 70db. I hope for anyone they take care of their hearing so their budget can stretch farther :)
Summary: I haven't found a difference made by speaker wire quality.
I have 3 vintage Receivers, Sansui 2000 4000 and 7000. They can feed any number of speakers I have. My favorites are SVS ultra Bookshelf, JBL Studio 590 and Klipsch RP-8000f II.
I have used many horrible speaker wires. Small 20 gauge to 12 gauge. My worst wires are a strange aluminum copper combo, not CCA but the pair has copper and aluminum together in lamp cord.
The copper is so aged it turned black. I have yet to hear a speaker wire causing any difference, and I have been listening hard.
I have experimented with cheesy thrift store purchased CD Radio, and sometimes cassette combo, compact systems. The worst amp unit is a Philips MC 235/37. It's rated at 5watts per channel.
Hooking it up to my decent speakers, it doesn't sound great. It does sound impressively good considering how bad of a solution it is.
This really reinforces the idea most of the budget should go to the speakers. You can keep them as long as you refrain from upgrading them, and every one is a potential end gamer.
Several people have told me to not skimp on speakers. That's great advice and I agree with you on that. Thank you for sharing your thoughts about cables. I still have a lot to learn. Thank you and take care.
Thanks for busting those myths. Re speakers, also consider that the speaker size needs to be proportional to the room size. Huge speakers in a closet is not beneficial. -- Cables: Agree with some limited experimentation. I AB compared thin AWG14 speaker cables (Cardas) vs AWG~5 (VERY thick) cables (PearlAcoustics), and was not sure I could hear a difference. If I cannot hear it in such massively different cables, I have my doubts about cables in general (Yes I know about fallacy of inductive reasoning). With power cables consider that many fancy power cables are NOT UL listed (!!!), which is a potential safety issue, literally burning down the house. -- Best equipment money to spend: room treatment. Possibly the most underrated hifi "component". Lots of DIY option (I used palette wood), so can be cheap, and make A LOT of difference. -- One more myth: there are "must have" pieces of music. You only have to have the music YOU like. I don't have Dark Side of the Moon, nor a single Beatles album, just don't care for them. Please enjoy your Beatles, as you seem to like them. -- Re spending, I LOVE to buy stuff on Bandcamp Fridays, as it supports currently living artists. I consider that a community service with added benefit that I receive something. This BC Friday I bought a record with one-of-a-kind art-packaging for E150 (I think), totally worth it. With equipment, I am not sure that there either is objective improvement or that I can hear it. So going from current $3-5K components to Harun's British Audiophile 3x upgrade rule >$10-15K components is a mental challenge for me. And I am not one of those people who returns stuff willy-nilly. If I buy it, I better be sure it is the right item, particularly in that price range. Just ordered a Zei$$$$$ microscope camera system. That's a keeper for sure.
I do need to improve my room treatments and I haven't experimented with cables yet. I agree that it's important to get speakers that are the right scale for a room. I love my speakers. They perform very well in our large room. We could have gone with an even larger speaker but since they are in the living room, I like the size of the MoFi Sourcepoint 10's. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Have a great week. ♥️🤗
Good point about not needing to be rich to afford great audio equipment. I know someone who chooses to drive an econo class car and keep it for a decade so that he can put the money he saves from this towards higher end stereo equipment. There are lots of people who spend lots of money on various hobbies. Audiophiles are no different. I find it interesting that because the audiophile hobby is so small, many people can’t understand how someone could spend $5K, $10K, $$20K or more on our systems. I counter that by saying to my friends, well, how much do you spend annually on golf, fancy restaurants, concert tickets, sports event tickets, etc. There’s no difference.
Exactly. Other people spend money on fancy wine, golfing, even expensive purses but they look at us like we are crazy for spending money on stereo equipment.😄 I agree, there is no difference. Having a hobby is a good thing. Thank you and take care.
A friend of mine told me the cheapest way to upgrade your sound is to buy better speaker cables. I took his word for it. I struggle at times to hear differences but most of that is because I’m doing something else, always multitasking. Maybe when I retire I will slow down…maybe
Cables CAN make some difference, but the cheapest thing I've done to improve the sound is finding the best speaker placement for my room. That is free, but it can take a lot of trial and error. It did end up me switching the whole room around but my goodness it sounded like I had a speaker upgrade once I had done it!
You're not going to slow down. Lol. You do have some exciting things going on though. Congratulations on your retirement. The next adventure is going to be wonderful for you. ♥️
I have explored different cables and can say that with speaker cables in particular, there absolutely are very noticeable changes. Now I am still playing with cables on the used market, with my most expensive tried hitting $500… but every one has sounded different. But I would like to point out that different does not mean necessarily better. I find pros and cons with each. And I also have both a tube and a solid state amp… and the same cable that maybe improves what I am hearing from my tube amp, may negatively impact what I hear from the solid state and vice versa. But I absolutely encourage people to play with a variety of speaker cables on the used market as you may very well find something more pleasing to you without going crazy. My current cables are used Nordost Blue Heaven cables and they were a clear winner over others I have tried so far at $500.
Thank you for the advice. Eventually, I hope to find good cables that do make a difference for an affordable price like you have. 🤗♥️ Take care.
Good observations which I totally agree on, I was a kind of a serious fan of the hobbies in the 80's but after a 30year + hiatus I started again with humble pieces of equipment and as most everybody with the ever present "bookshelf" speakers and after 3 years Im ready to upgrade to more substantial speakers, so little by little we'll eventually meet our goals, cheers.
For most of us, building a great set up takes time and patience but it's also a lot of fun. Enjoy what you have now and look forward to the possibilities of what's to come. That's been my attitude throughout all of this. Thank you for saying hello. Best wishes to you. ♥️🤗
Melinda, this is truly one of my favorite topics. Concerning, the cost myth, people may not realize that 20 or 30 years ago, yes, you had to pay a lot of money to get a good sounding system. The cheap stuff just... sucked! Thanks to digital technology, we can now buy an incredible sounding system for less than $200 bucks! The specs are there to prove it! I remember Steve's video about this. Randy talks about t all the time.
Things have really come a long way. It's great that more people can now afford great sound quality for their music. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
I had to check this one out for the title alone. Glad I did. The one myth of these I see the most conflict over is the cables. I'd like to know how "big bucks" is defined by the naysayers, though.
My experience on cables says that they CAN make a difference. For example, I have Shunyata and Transparent power cords that cost $550-600 each (more now, I think). They're 10AWG and replaced others that didn't connect at the IEC component end consistently; the connection would be lost when they "drooped" enough. I was looking for a better grip on the component end; what I got was better sound. To be specific, cleaner sound with more detail. These power cords feature noise reduction technology, so lower-level detail was easier to hear because more of the noise in the power line was filtered out. I just wanted something to grip the plug better; I got that and more. As for interconnects, I don't think they make as much of a difference as the power cords do.
In a high-end store, I did a head-to-head audition between Kimber 12TC speaker cable (which I owned at the time) and Transparent Plus, and the difference was small. I bought the Transparent even though I liked the Kimber as well; the Transparent was a tiny bit smoother on top. I'm not a hard-core audiophile, but the difference was just enough to make me spend the money. Besides, the Transparent matched the look of my system better. I don't see any need to upgrade cables, and I won't spend ridiculous amounts of money I don't have. It all may depend upon one's ears, system, room, equipment, and method of listening in the end.
Thank you for the information about cables. I wouldn't mind spending some extra money if the cable upgrade makes a noticeable difference. I also like the idea of cables being transparent. That would be nice as well. I think the complaints are with cables that cost thousands of dollars. Are they really necessary? Not according to the people I have talked to. This of course is very subjective and I still have a lot to learn regarding cables. It all depends on one's ears and budget. Thank you and take care.
I notice you never mention Cassette decks Melinda ? Yes, they can't compete with CDs or vinyl, but many come close enough for casual listening ..Do you own one and if so, do you
use it ?
I don't own a cassette deck at the moment but I sure have fond memories of cassettes. ♥️ I always thought they sounded great in my car. Thank you and take care.
STEVE IS A TRUE GENTLEMAN !! THANK-YOU FOR YOUR TAKE ON AUDIO SIS, HAPPY LISTENING EVERYONE !!
He seems like such a great guy. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
I’d really like to run this by you ... There is sometimes (not always) a placebo effect when someone spends a lot of money on an audiophile album. I found a copy of the Mofi Rolling Stones, Some Girls for $7.00 in mint condition. I compared it to the standard original press. I did not hear any difference. I do have pressings of other albums that clearly sound better than others, but quite often these just depend more on what year, label and plant.
I agree. I recommend that people read reviews before paying a high price for audiophile records. Some are better than others. You got an excellent deal on Some Girls. 😍 Thank you and take care.
Another excellent video, Melinda! Thank you!
All so very true. Get the best equipment that you can afford. Most important, it's gotta sound good to you. There might be 2 similar items, one is higher level and more expensive than the other. But, the cheaper one sounds better to you. Buy the cheaper one.
Stores which have a variety of equipment, hooked up and side-by-side for comparison, are becoming as scarce as hens' teeth. I still have a Best Buy store in my area which has a demo room.
As far as cables go, copper wire, without breaks or splices, and gold-plated ends are the way to go.
Many think that bigger is better, but it isn't. Physics are physics and that ain't-a gonna change. From an old friend who is an audio electronic guru, his recommendation for automotive speaker wiring is to use the cable which comes with many speakers. No matter how flimsy it looks.
Keep your wire connecting your speakers to whatever is powering your speakers as short as possible. The longer the runs of wire the more resistance there will be in those wires, so the lower the power will be by the time it reaches your speakers. Conversely, the larger the gauge of the wire, the more the resistance will be. Electricity follows the path of least resistance. The larger and longer a cable is, the harder it will be to push the signal through.
I have experimented with speaker wire over the decades. Currently, both my home theater and quadraphonic systems have Monster Cable, 14 or 16 gauge. The 100 ft. spools they came on take 2 hands to pick them up. You know what? They aren't any better than those speaker cables we used to buy at Radio Shack which came in spools which you could hold in one hand and the 2 wires contained in each wire had a different tint so that you could keep the polarity straight. Also, that plain old brown 2-conductor lamp or zip cord is just as good. Unless you have alot of amp power, you don't need heavy cables. My Monster Cables are overkill. My 7.1 home theater system is only 110W per channel.
If you suspect that your cables might be the wrong size, crank up the sound level and leave the room for awhile. Check if your cables are getting hot. Resistance creates heat. If most of the length of cables is getting warm, then your cables are too small. If the ends of the cables nearest the amp are warming up, then your cables are too large or the run is too long. If the entire cable stays at room temperature, they are OK as long as you get the sound you expect out of your speakers. It doesn't hurt to experiment.
Thank you so much for your advice and wisdom. I have a lot to learn about cables. Take care. ♥️🤗
Whether its a lot of money or ali mony, its all well spent if it gives you goosebumps and even brings tears to your eyes on occasion.
Very true! For that it's money well spent. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
I just upgraded my audio equipment. I will say is find a good local dealer who help work in your budget and my dealer will lend me equipment to try with my system before buying.
That's great advice. I love that some companies allow you to try out the equipment to make sure the customer is happy. 😀 Thank you and take care.
Used 1980 La Scalas w/new crossovers: $1600
Used Yamaha TT: $65
Used Nakamichi 5 cd player: $50
Used Denon Universal player: $50
Used Sony ES AVR: $100
12 gauge copper speaker wire: $40
Stereo Accessories: $1000
= @ $2900
6000 new and used cds: $20,000 (since 1982)
500 new and used lps: $700
I buy mostly used vinyl between $1-$15.
It's hard to put a price on enjoying your music.
You did a good job putting a price on it. Lol. Well done! 🤗♥️ Thank you for sharing. Take care.
With the cables if you ever think of upgrading the cables if your present cables are still in working order you could sell them on ebay
Very true! Thank you and I apologize for the delayed response. I just saw this comment. Take care.
Speaker cables do make a difference in sound but its not enough to spend thousands of dollars unless u have an ultra revealing high end systen. Belden 9497 are very good cables thatll run you around $100
Thank you for the thoughts and suggestion. ♥️🤗 Take care.
Great video,very warm presentation.
Thank you so much! 🤗♥️
Regarding cables, you can't second guess, or read about it.
Cables are wires.
There's lots or wires and cables.
You need to try as many different speaker cables as you can. It's easy. Try mains cable first . Use bare wire connection into the speakers 3 way connectable socket and the same into the amp. Get some old fashioned QED 89 strand. Then ask your hi fi dealer for samples to try. Eventually you will get an idea for what a cable will sound like.
Then repeat for interconnects. It helps if you can assemble your own, which is entirely possible and can be done without soldering if necessary.
Try stuff for yourself.
Its the only way to get the best system synergy.
Thank you for the terrific advice. ♥️🤗 I have a lot to learn about cables.
Interesting that you have a Cool Struttin' poster on your wall. I have a Spyro Gyra Morning Dance poster on my wall.
Yes, it's a new framed canvas that Blue Note released for their 85th anniversary. I love the classic album cover and how it looks above my turntable. Thank you and take care. 😀♥️
Being an electronic technician with 40 years of experience, many amplifiers with 20 W or less are usually more than enough for anyone to listen to music, and many things like special rca wires, extra expensive speakers wires, is just mumbo jumbo. Put your money on a good source instead of compressed music, and you're in business. Put your money on a good cartridge, a good quartz locked turntable, a good reel to reel, try to get factory recorded tapes, which are way better than vinyl, a good CD player and it will make a huge difference more than any cables will do. You can also adjust the sound to your own preferences on your system, the knobs don't need to be at 0 all times, audiophiles will definitely say it's insane, but they don't put these adjustment on the front panel for no reasons.
Thank you for the professional advice. I agree that the source truly matters. Well recorded music will always sound superior and can be far less expensive than buying upgraded stereo equipment. Take care.
music is a unique art form that can instantly transform mood. I had a great time as a kid with a kiddie record player. now, as an old guy, my system is more sophisticated, and although both record players were very different, I couldn't say one was better than the other, because both took me where I wanted to go. hearing is a process of the brain, if you think somethings sounds good, the brain has no other reality, so no real need to have the best system in town.
That's a terrific point. If the music sounds good to your own ears, then you don't need to change it. Thank you very much. ♥️🤗 Take care.
CABLES: I'm not an audio expert, I work in automotive electrical systems. But what I will point out is that in automotive we ***TWIST*** speaker wires as standard - that is the minimum and it's not a discussion, it's just done. IF there is a specific EMC interference causing a problem then we'll do more, shielding, etc., but only if necessary. Twisting doesn't cost much and couples most signal noise and runs it to ground.
Thank you very much for the information. It's so great to hear your perspective as someone that works with cable in automotives. ♥️🤗 Take care.
Cables are great. I use Kimber and worked up to the copper/silver hybrid Select series and they are stunning. A revelation, extended and smooth top end (the silver in them).
The 8TC etc level is great too and where I started - I could easily live with them but the Selects are much better. Maybe get decent cables at the start and upgrade in the future when the rest of the system is sorted out?
The cables do make a difference and are an important part of the overall sound.
I think an important thing in the system is synergy and so I don’t mix and match cables.
Thank you very much for the great advice. Most viewers agree that cables can make a difference, they just advise me not to overspend on them. Take care. 🤗♥️
Oooo...I love that. "Ordinary people who do extraordinary things with their money." I'm stealing it!
Go right ahead. 😀 Thank you!
Hi Melinda cables do make a difference and can enhance the sound, I suggest you ask your dealer to borrow some cables and try them out in your system before buying. Cheers from Australia 🇦🇺
I do like that some dealers will let you try out some equipment before purchasing it. Thank you for your thoughts about cables. Most people do say that cables make a difference but not to overspend. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
I'm on a fixed income. I spent over 4 years planning and putting together my system. Part of that is because of the pandemic, but mainly because i bought a piece, then paid it off before I bought the next piece. Great video.
That's the way to go. You are able to enjoy your stereo equipment debt free that way. 😀 Thank you and take care.
I am so glad I purchased my equipment pre-pandemic.
@@MelindaMurphy Yes, all paid off, which allowed me to buy both sets of Rolling Stones singles yesterday! Am excited to receive them in a week or so.
It really makes no difference how much your stereo system cost, but there is no better feeling in the hi-fi world than finally getting you speakers set up correctly and hearing the depth of the stage and the width of the soundstage. that first time. To hear the singer from behind you speakers is one of the biggest thrills in the world of stereo be it vinyl or cd.
I totally agree. 🤗♥️ Thank you and take care.
About size of speakers I have observation that sound may often be just no correlating to size. . I have two my own constructed pairs of speakers, Even both are basicaly different technology due to my skills thay play comparably and miraculusly. Stocking them one on another with one of pairs always disconnected while second plays makes impression of common double bigger speakers cabinets and it helps to comfort listening with making it more comparable sound space to speakers size . Imagining only one small pair in place would make noncomfortable confuse in comparison spaker size to sound. So it is up to taste how big speakers we listen to - not the sounding.
_" Even both are basicaly different technology due to my skills thay play comparably and miraculusly."_
Still congratulating yourself I see...
A 4 inch woofer simply cannot move enough air for a large room (Like a recreation room). If you force it to, you will exceed it's X-Max rating and end up burning out the voice coil.
A 12 inch woofer in a small room (like a bedroom) will create way too much air pressure and it will overwhelm the rest of the music.
Yes... speaker size does matter... rather a lot, actually.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 12 inch wooffer for someone prizing reality in my opinion is bad choice in any stance except realy big halls and above average loud music. I personaly do not buy opinion that for R&R music must be very loud system They work in narrow low band and even there create phase shifts which make unavoidable coloring. Some people just like it.but not me,. Your opinion about 4inch has extemptions. Anyway thanks for valuable input.
Looks like you have the p8 in the back ground. I recommended that to you. Great choice can't be beaten for the price.
I agree. Thank you for the incredible suggestion. I have been extremely pleased with my P8. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
I go to a place in Maryland where they sell use records and buy those albums. In the DC area I have about 10 chose from. I buy mostly CDS but I buy vinyl also. Once in a while I go to a audio store or best buy and buy a expensive album.I can say that the audiophiles albums sound almost and sometimes better than CD. I can also say I cannot tell the difference between the original pressing and the new one. I have that Breezin album on vinyl and CD and had the album since I was in college and it still sounds good. Keep up the good work. PS. The CD sounds just a little better but I have a old Technic 1200 turntable.
The Breezin' album sounds great. I'm sure the original is wonderful as well. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Another great video! I liked your comments about CD vs Vinyl. I happen to enjoy both. Back in the early 90s I bought my first high end system and went all digital thinking it was the wave of the future and vinyl would be extinct. I also thought my digital setup at the time sounded way better than vinyl but the truth of the matter is I had never invested in a decent turntable so I didn't really know. I figured I couldn't put big bucks into both formats. What surprised me when I started getting back into vinyl is how a vintage turntable with a vintage cartridge that were both moderately priced in the day could sound so good. I probably could have afforded both and enjoyed vinyl and digital all along. Part of the problem when I was young were the pops and clicks on vinyl. With better pressings today coupled with so many more effective options for cleaning records, that annoyance of vinyl is usually just an occasional nuisance now. One more comment regarding cables - I do believe they make a difference but would never spend as much money on a cable to connect 2 components as the components themselves. A lot of the decisions are about where best to put your money to improve sound and while I believe at least good cables are a must you need to keep perspective and allocate money wisely.
Thank you so much for sharing your perspective. I remember how much I enjoyed the sound of vinyl after being without it for such a long time. We are able to take better care of vinyl these days and I think it helps a lot as well.
So many of my viewers have shared that cables have made a noticeable difference but not to overspend. That's great advice. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
Another thoughtful video. I’m with you on the analog vs. digital debate. It really doesn’t matter. Both can sound great and, usually, in different ways. As far as cables go I agree with you again. The one cable that I have discovered makes a big difference is, of all things, power cables. I just recently bought a new DAC, the PS Audio DS MKll, that I have been saving up for for two years. When I connected my less than $200 Pangea power cord the sound quality improved dramatically. Just my two cents.
That's great! It's wonderful that a $200 investment can make a big difference. 😀 Thank you and take care.
Hi, Melinda! Another great video! My family are middle class and all of us has musical taste, and my mom has too savings for one year till find the first hi end equipment in 1992, who was in functions to this date, and then about middle of the past year we replace it, and the other has keep in a rest (still working!). What i mean, is just like you said, music in phisical media is the reason and the music inself, either digital or analog. Have a nice day! 😊
Thank you very much! I'm so glad you and your family have been enjoying music. ♥️ Take care.
as to pricey cables,,, in my opinion cables DO make a noticeable difference and you can hear the difference immediately. There is a point where you get what you pay for. I bought some 7 awg Worlds Best Cables , 12 ft in length and paid less than 300 dollars for them. The difference in clarity and dynamics is like night and day. I don't think a few hundred bucks for such a return is a bad thing. However beyond that price point the return on your investment gets smaller and smaller. Anywhere from 250 to 500 dollars to open up the sound is a good investment IMO. Beyond that I think the Snake Oil term starts to enter in. Rock on and keep up the good work!
Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Most viewers have said that cables do make a difference but not to overspend. I think the price that you are mentioning is very fair and reasonable. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
You can spend an absolute fortune on hi fi equipment and then find that it won't perform well in your designated room . Speakers too large, overblown bass, room too lively, giving a harsh sound, too much power, finding you lose definition at low volume levels. I've upgraded my system over many years, love vynil, love CDs, tolerant to streaming and find cassette convenient and better than most people imagine. My amplifier is a good budget design, marantz PM 6007 as is my CD player, also marantz. It's my source and loudspeakers that are really amazing. Garrard 401 SME arm audiotechnica atoc9 moving coil pickup, also micro seiki turntable with goldring cartridge. Your right though, I've bought some really excellent vynil from thrift shops, we call them charity shops here, I've paid a fortune at record shops for really bad pressings. Love your video's.
Thank you. That's a brilliant point. We all have to find what works in our own rooms and it's all subjective. 🤗♥️ Take care.
My Pioneer SX-1250 receiver finally died after 40 years. I considered buying new gear but decided to have it repaired and overhauled. Saved a chunk of money and I think it sounds better than it did before it died.
That's awesome! I love that your receiver got a second life. Good for you 🤗♥️ Thank you and take care.
'You need to be rich to own high end stereo equipment ' is such a loaded question.
You need to ascertain what 'being rich' actually means on a global platform like You Tube.
Then you'll struggle to find out exactly what 'high end' equipment is. I have tried to find out and there's no standard definition of what hi end is. Steve Guttenberg implied it was not the stuff he reviews, its the millionaire specialist gear.
Which most of us don't own.
I probably should have called "hi end" upgrades instead. The average customer saves up money for better equipment than what they already have - not to buy a $250k set of speakers. Lol. Thank you and take care.
Relative of mine who used to be a producer said that high priced cables were the biggest scam. In fact he would switch cables without telling anyone and nobody could ever tell.
Haha! He was sneaky. I like it. 😀 Thank you and take care.
I suspect some of the re-issues sound better than the original. That would be a plus for digital ADA. Thanks.
It's great when they can improve on an original. It's truly a case by case basis. Thank you! 🤗♥️
Columbia had a studio on 30th Street in NYC from 1948 to 1981. I, as well as people that know about these things, say that it's the best recording studio ever. Jazz, rock, classical, pop. The 30th Street Studio did it all. There is a certain sound that is imitable. Anyways, just to left of you there is a photograph of a woman in high heels. Is it a picture of a high fashion magazine spread? "Vogue" perhaps?
The photograph on my wall is a Blue Note album cover of Sonny Clark's "Cool Struttin." ♥️I believe everything you say about Columbia. They almost always sound very good. Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Clark died of a heroin overdose at 31. (They said it was a heart attack.) Imagine what he could have done if he had lived longer...
Steve Guttedburg....OFFICER MAHONEY on Police academy
Lol. I will have to look that up. It's been such a long time since I have seen that movie. Thank you and take care. 😀
No, he’s not *that* Steve Guttenberg.
Cables do make a difference. Sometimes a profound one. That said, I agree you shouldn't pay too much. The best affordable cables I have heard are anti cable. I use a pair of their speaker cables and they were a great upgrade and less expensive than the pair they replaced.
Thank you! Most of my viewers are saying they do make a difference but not to overspend so that sounds like the right way to go. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
If you have a long history and a vast knowledge of different pieces of audio equipment I 100 percent agree with buying used equipment. Cables are very important what you are looking for is a match for your equipment this doesn't always mean the most expensive . However some very expensive cables can transform a system and justify their value . I was invited to tour a high end cable manufacturer after that I never questioned why higher end cables cost as much as they do. Indeed the goal is not to have the best but get the best you can afford. If you match equipment properly you probably won't feel the need to upgrade. Very astute observation about people wanting to hear their favorite music at its best the equipment is and should be just the conduit to achieve that objective .
I like what you said - get the best that you can afford. ♥️🤗 Buying used is a good option when buying from someone you can trust. It's a great way to save a lot for money. Thank you and take care.
Great video Melinda❤You had an enormous amount of valuable data from great sources - I always outfitted my studio with Monster Cable and have 2 great Cerwin-Vega Studio Monitors with 15" Woofers (there's no myth above woofer size = bass performance) but otherwise my investment was under 20K (with 12-Track recording studio for my demos) I can't imagine what choices you had to make with room size - sound penetration - best price - shipping - must have taken a few years - hopefully it won't be outmoded by next year - I only shop online for vinyl - get best price/best shipping - don't really miss Record Shows, going through smelly boxes, wearing gloves and still hearing surface noise after spending all day at the venue - you're my GO-TO channel for vinyl and equipment Melinda❤Stay Strong!
It's taken me quite a while to build a nice set up but it's been a worthwhile experience. It sounds like you have an amazing set up for your music. ♥️
I try to buy from local shops as much as possible but you are correct about finding great deals online. That's how I purchase a lot of my new records. I have only been to one record fair. It was outside on a hot summer day in Florida. Some of the records were sitting in the bright sun 😳 It was fun and miserable all at the same time. Thank you so much for your kind words. It really does mean a lot. Take care and I love hearing from you. 🤗♥️
Hi, I’m from England and you wanted to know what we think about cables yes cables do improve the sound. All independent hifi shops 20:59 will let you do a home demonstration with cables for you to try at home, I’ve had four different types of cables that have listened to to see which one I preferred also internal plug sockets in the wall of your house can make a difference too and slow blow fuses that go in equipment itself can make a difference too
Thank you for the advice. At some point, I will need to try some cables out. 🤗♥️ Take care.
Sales are important. And I don't owe on anything. I have two systems. One with Bowers 702's and one with Bowers 704's. One for music and one for movies. A Rega P3 with a Parasound Jc3 junior phono stage. All bought over the years. Always paying cash. Usually on sale.😊
That's wonderful. It's smart not to go into debt. 🤗♥️ Thank you and take care.
I agree with all that you've said with one caveat. Im not a bookshelf speaker kind of guy. I dont like using a subwoofer, i want the complete sound from one box or two boxes. Lol. But that's personal preference. I like either a 12" or 15" woofer because i like dynamic range. Now, i wont buy just any speaker with 12" or 15" woofers and i do have a set of speakers with 10" woofers which are my Koss CM-1030's. My favorite part of this video is you dont have to be rich to enjoy good sounding stereo equipment. Iam one of those guys. Anyway, awesome video Melinda!! Love your kind views on everything! Keep em spinning. Oh, one other thing, i like cds, vinyl, and streaming.
Thank you for the kind words. I apologize for the late response. I was on vacation. I agree that we can have great signs without breaking the bank. I think every format has its place. I'm glad to have choices. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
The Amortization is better than any other purchase
Thank you! 🤗❤️
I am an Auto Tech and make decent money but, it took me years to get my system together. Most of it is used but,I build my own speakers. The drivers in my reference system cost a lot! Around 2200 dollars but they are the best of the best.
AFA as cables, it's snake oil. What do you think they use inside of speakers? Some might use some fancy stuff but you also have to go through inductors, capacitors and resistors. Most speakers use cheap components in the crossover. Also, the binding posts could be low quality too.
That's awesome! That's the way to do it. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
Hi Melinda, I think its right to take an interest in your equipment helps you get the best out of it. And ultimately to hear your music sound the best it can. Cables do matter, so its good to try different cables as they can make as much as a component change to your system. Its worth noting new cables do need some time to run in. My experience with digital is it can sound good and musical, however you need to spend about double to get to the level of a decent vinyl setup. Enjoy the music.
Great advice. I do need to learn more about cables. Many viewers have said they really do make a difference. Thank you and take care.
I bought a cassette just for the nostalgia. I don’t even have a tape deck. It just brought back memories of when I was a kid.
That's very cool. I buy things like that all the time. They don't even have to be music related. Lol. Thank you and take care.
Currently I have a turntable built in 1980. I want to bring my analog system up to audiophile standard. The plan is to save funds for a great turntable, then a phono preamplifier equal to the quality of the turntable. In a hifi store I heard a Pure Fidelity Encore turntable with a Stratos MC cartridge. It just oozed quality and the sound was phenomenal!!!
It will probably take 3 years to save the funds for these pieces.
That's a wonderful goal and if you are able to sell something no longer needed or maybe save a little extra money here and there, you can cut that time so that it isn't a full three years. 😀 Best wishes to you.
Regarding cables. Try some different cables that your audio store carries and see for yourself. Cables do make a difference.
Thank you for the advice. Most of the viewers are saying that cables do make a difference but not to overspend. 🤗♥️ Take care.
Me again…I also use basic red and white connectors. I don’t have any optical connectors. Just analog connectors. I don’t even need a subwoofer 🔊. Why would you need a subwoofer on a two channel stereo?
I needed the subwoofers because I have such a large room. They are great.
Cables and connectors are important as the information transferred from your audio equipment to your speakers will be reduced if not of an appropriate standard. They are a very important piece of the jigsaw. A good hifi dealer will recommend the right cable for your system . The important factor is that your system should be balanced. Best wishes tim
Thank you for the wise advice. ♥️🤗 Thank you!
I feel like you have to do triage on your hi-fi system. Most of us have only so much money to go around, yes a cable upgrade could help but would better speakers help more? Would a better cartridge help more? And so on.... me, I love my digital music. I have a huge library and it all fits on my phone. It's like the fast food of music consumption! It has its place.
I agree with you when it comes to cables. Perhaps an upgrade on another piece of equipment makes more sense. All musical formats have a place. Thank you and take care.
Melinda mentions people using an "audio account" for purchases. Does anyone here do that? Do you put one-off money in it (e.g., tax refund) or do you contribute regularly? This is part research question (mental accounting, Richard Thaler) and part something that interests me.
That's definitely an interesting question. Someone that sells audio said that most of his customers combine a bonus, tax refund and/or money put back every month in order to buy what they want. It must be more common than I would have thought. Thank you and take care.