The absolute best way to know if your audio system any good
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ม.ค. 2020
- Do you wonder about your sound, is it any good? The Audiophiliac is here to help answer that question.
Speaker placement tweaks (free) can radically improve the sound of your system, • Tour the Audiophiliac'...
And • Are your speakers too ...
#audiophiles #speakerplacement - บันเทิง
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"Yer system is really good if ya can't stop listening to it!"
I think that's the best advice I've ever heard. Ever!
Genius in it's simplicity.
Unless you're just listening to it because you're a spastic?
It is a struggle getting to work and i'm looking forward to getting off work and be back in my room pronto. No more bars, tv, and other lousy things in life....And i did it all for 4k!!! 25 years ago, i had to spend 25k (ugh) to have the same experience. I recouped 18k when i sold it all though. I'm done!!! I'll never buy anything again!!!
Your system is good when you forget about getting anything better.
And any problem is immediately assumed to be your ears aging and their struggle to hear well above 8khz.
Good mid, good tweeter, good lower bass woofer, and good sub = you're fine. Especially if they are phase and time aligned with DSP and you're crossovers are fully active, meaning: rip the passive crossovers out! Coils of wire, resistors, and caps don't belong before the amplified signal reaches the driver. Tweeter protection is ok. You can then EQ according to your ears. I'm not talking room correction for frequencies above 300hz. I'm talking about setting a frequency curve to your liking. For me, I like it mellow with air. I boost all below 100 hz by 3db. I then keep it flat until 2 to 4 k. This is the resonant frequency of ear canal and causes listening fatigue. 3khz is 3 db down. From 4 khz to 8khz is mostly flat. I then boost starting at roughly 8khz and reach a 3db boost at 16khz and keep it there for anything hire. And all these tone adjustments can be kept phase coherent due to DSP. Tone controls are back, baby!
Problems are introduced when we insist on finding passive speakers which match well to an amp.
It can't really be done. And the HiFi passive market knows you'll be unhappy and constantly in search of "upgrades." And the active market is currently a joke. Speaker boxes shouldn't contain class D amplifiers either.
A speaker is a box or an enclosure containing one type of driver(s) fed an amplified signal intended soley for that driver(s). Enough of these unique drivers in close proximity to the other drivers creates a full speaker system able to produce the entire range without phase, time, or most distortion issues.
The master race has to still build it themselves because the HiFi market knows this setup would kill their industry.
@@thunderpooch
Don't know why you felt like laying that rant on me over my simple comment, but, whatever floats yer boat!
@@HareDeLune part of it was my view on how one knows if their system is good.
The other part, not directed at you, was a rant intended to inform why too many people keep chasing "upgrades" which really aren't upgrades at all.
Most all the products offered are intentionally flawed because they know it will cause consumers to keep purchasing more gear.
What I proposed is a fully customizable setup which can be adjusted as your age and preferences change without breaking the audiophile taboos of adjusting an EQ on a passive system which creates smear and phase problems.
And nearly all active speakers have subpar class D plate amps in the speaker box. It's beyond stupid if quality and function is the main goal.
Speakers should not contain passive crossovers or amps. Sadly, that's 99.9999% of the products sold today.
One of your very best video's Steve! The message, the tone, the delivery...so down to earth and real. "It's all about the music." Period!
Steve has been around for a long time, and I just gotta say I appreciate him so much. He's not here talking at you, he comes here to sit down, drop the needle, and enjoy a conversation with you. Kudos Steve. This is why I come here. No BS, no hub bub about I have a million dollar system. If you have a 100 dollar system, and you can listen...… then you to … have arrived.
Hey man! Don’t ever underestimate exciter speakers. They’re $10 a piece and all you need is a giant board of polystyrene or cardboard.
My problem is that I love my system but my neighbours hate it
I live in an apartment building and love to listen to great organs! The end of this performance ends mightly loud: th-cam.com/video/NdcJPfu3uJM/w-d-xo.html Thankfully no one has complained. The only complaint I've got has been about my parrot whistling for attention. A neighbor yelled out the window "shut the f*ck up." I also listen to opera, "controlled screaming," as Pavarotti once said.
have same problem, welcome to the club
Turn it down!!😂
I got the same problem 😂😂 theyre use to it now tho its been 6 years, i turn it down after 9
It's like Klipsch's advertisements.
In individual terms: the system is good if you enjoy it.
Hey Dragan!
Haven't seen you here for a while. Happy New Year!
@@HareDeLune Happy New Year to You and to all good (audiophile) souls!
@@draganantonijevic2441
Thanks!
I don't like listening to my girl's nagging, is that mean I'm not an audiophile?
@@colmercer3315 Is that mean you need english classes? xD
When I travel for an extended period I always think about how I’m going to miss my system.
I thought I was the only one! Haha!
@Club Soda they will always hug you back in a big warm feild of sound 😂
I went through some nasty withdrawal symptoms when I spent a summer with my grandparents. Back then it was large Advents and a JVC receiver and Garrard turntable with Sonus cartridge. My grandparents only had a Radio Shack Stereo.
I miss my system too when I am away.
For me, it doesn't have to be an extended period. If hear a song I like when I'm out and about, I wonder how good it would sound on my system.
A breath of much needed sensible advice. Way to go!!!
Breath of fresh air! You are always hitting the nail on the head Steve!
Possibly the wisest TH-cam segment I have ever heard. Cuts through the mist and nails it!
Love the way you touched on cables, Steve. Well done, no matter how you feel about it.
Steve, this is your best video yet!
And this is one of the reasons why I like tube amps, because just swapping in different tubes can give me a new sound!
You understand the audiophile condition very well and offer great advice, experience shows!
Been watching you for two years and was yet to subscribe. So there you go! Keep doing what you’re doing.
Your answer suprised me (in a good way).
Absolutely perfect definition of a nice sound system. You start listening to just the music and enjoying it! Thanks Steve.
We all get caught up with new gear and wanting new gear. It's easy to forget what it's all about - enjoying the music. Moving speakers around really helped me find a much improved sound. I can't believe what a difference it can make. Like a totally new setup. Thanks Steve.
Love this one Steve. I spend more time at my computer(work and play) than in my listening room. Although I spend less time at it, I love the way it sounds but I love to tinker too so that keeps me coming back to re-listen my whole library all over again.
At almost a year old, this video is describing my issues...I need to just listen and stop thinking. So much good advice here, I find myself doing the things suggested on my own, somewhat comforting, thanks Steve!
Thanks so much for your wise words, Steve.
Thanks for your advising , love to hear more from you .
Amazing to me how you and a few others keep talking about stuff I'm thinking of. - I hadn't started watching when IO wrote that, I wrote it because 30 minutes ago I was musing to myself that if nobody ever comes over to check out my setup I'll never know... started watching and your first statement... about if you listen to it a lot... It's so good these days I actually have slept in the room because I didn't want to stop listening, and that was after hours and hours of listening already.
Congratulations on your first 100k subscribers!! Your channel is a jewel.
Steve, I can never stop watching your videos. It must be because you are an exceptional man.
It happened to me when I caught myself choosing what I was going to listen to based on how good it sounded and not what I wanted to hear. That was almost 30 years ago and it caused a big change in both me and my system. Most of my system now is homemade, or at least handmade, vintage except for my DAC, low powered, single ended and tubed, including my DAC. The first thing to go in the great purge was my turntable, it's replacement, now long out of production from a company that no longer exists, will be inherited by my children, as will most everything else currently in the system. The system, while not cheap, was also not particularly expensive. I typically listen in the evening, and have to use the clock to determine when to stop so I can still get adequate sleep.
Hey John,this is exactly what I am going through right now.I'm 58yrs.old and old school Rock and Roll guy but when it comes to listening I default to my higher quality Jazz recordings,man I need to break this cycle and just listen 😎
@@jeffhunter4395 I was unable to break that cycle without an equipment change. I was using a SOTA turntable with an E.T.II arm. I don't remember which cartridge I was using at the time. I sold the table and went on a nationwide (I am a pilot, I travel constantly) great turntable search. I listened to a lot of them, some very expensive, they pretty much all left me cold. Then I visited a little shop in Kalamazoo Michigan. They played for me a Pink Triangle Anniversary table with a Wilson Benesh arm, again I forget the cartridge, this was 30 years ago. I knew at that moment that this was the one. I didn't want to stop listening. I will have mine as long as I can keep it going. I have a Linn EKOS with a Miyajima Shilabe cartridge, but when I first tried a Linn arm it was with my favorite cartridge ever--a Koetsu Rosewood Pro-IV. Linn arms are greatly underappreciated, inexpensive used, and the best arm for a Koetsu I have used. Shortly after the turntable, I discovered the joys of single ended triodes, and that was all she wrote. My advice is: Don't use equipment that is revealing or "accurate" or trendy. Zero negative feedback single ended triodes are some of the poorest measuring amps out there, but they sound devine. Listen to equipment that sounds pretty and screw all that hi-fi snobbery nonsense about how your system is "euphonic". Don't buy new and don't spend too much, the time I was the least happy was when my system was the most expensive. Consider do it yourself kit building, you can indeed make outstanding equipment on your kitchen table.
Most rock records will never pass for audiophile, but that doesn't mean you can't enjoy listening to them.
This
Greatest and wisest response to a commonly asked question.
This is right in so many ways! Thanks Steve
I just put together a new system and can’t stop listening to music all the time. There was the usual extensive tinkering and excessive neurotic need to perfect the sound and definitely lost the feel for the music but stepping back brought it back and now I enjoy so much. I feel like this video was made just for me!
One of your best videos up until now Steve!
100K and going!
Spot on Steve. Just upgraded to a new McIntosh integrated. I have sometimes slinked up from my listening room at 2 or 3 in the morning because the music sounds good enough to me that I don't want it to stop. Cheers.
Great video Steve, you knocked it out of the park! Its so true, its about the power of the enjoyment it provides...
Great advice! The other night I plugged my favorite headphones directly in to my phone and BAM I was there just listening to the music for two hours. It was great and I don't get to do it that often with the constant dull roar of the family around 😉. I am looking forward to my next session mostly because I wasn't even thinking about the simple gear I was using 😁
CONGRATS on 100,000 subs! Well deserved. And horn speakers really are special.
Good advice. I have a rule with myself, that I can't upgrade something until I can explain exactly what is bothering me about the old one. Just buying something else in the hope it will be better is not good enough. Using my old system as a reference I then loan components and try to fix the "issue" without upsetting the things that were OK before. When I get it right, I usually have a really late night as I can't help but listen and keep pulling out tracks just to hear what they now sound like.
I love your channel such a cool groove!
Best advice I’ve ever heard. Since I got my B&W 606s my gaming and TV watching have probably been cut down to 1/4 of what they used to, because all I ever want to do when in front of my TV is play music. I consider that a very good sign that I made the right choice.
Im right with ya Steve! The more revieling the system, the more cables making a difference, ime.
So true good advise there Steve.
Totally agree! I only have a few nights in the week to play a few records, but when i start.....it's almost impossible to stop.
Absolutely agree. I find myself not even wanting to turn on the tv. I recently made some upgrades over the holidays, thanks to some gifts from my wife (which included a new TT cartridge) and she mentioned yesterday that she's gotten used to Jazz playing every evening and she loves it. Said she loves the vibe the house has lately. A couple years ago it was a toss-up as to whether the TV, stereo, or my laptop was the main source of attention, but in the last year or so, the stereo trumps all else.
Covid has given me lots of time to really sit and enjoy the music, I've also discovered how really good my system sounds. That's really the point is enjoying the music for music's sake. Another good video Steve
My stuff is all second hand bought over years and nothing audio buffs would be impressed with but I listen every day and love it and my wife puts up with my two subwoofers shaking the house. I often wonder what I might be missing by not having or ever even hearing the expensive gear you guys have. There was a high end store in my area once that I loved going into and hearing good sound but other than that I'm content with what sounds good to me. I have changed my room around multiple times seeking the best setup for what I have and having tried every way possible it seems, I have settled for how it is now pretty much. Love your channel though!
This is a great premise! Thanks.
Best advice I have heard in 2020 so far for audio heads...I heard some heads explode when you mentioned “Cables” I have experienced the difference in sound of making cable changes in my system, good and bad.
I loved the wharfedale sound for years, so in my retirement years, I chose the 10.4 floorstanders because they are small enough for my bedroom and just loud enough 125W ea. then I decided on a Cayin LA34 tube integrated amp (32W/channel) and a Marrantz cd 6004. Bought all these brand new under $2000. After playing around with the tubes, finally found the right sound with 4X El34 Mullards, 2X 12AU7 PSVane, gold pin and 1 piece JJ ECC 803S gold pin. The music is sublime & smooth and filled the room with wonderful music, Vangelis, O'hearn, Fourplay Rippingtons, Classic Jazz and Classical music. I even brought the whole system to the living room which has 20 foot slanted ceiling and the stereo system filled that room with great music. One does not need tons of money to buy a great stereo system, one needs great patience to be prudent and buy what you really need and enjoy.
I totally agree Steve! Fantastic statement. When you listen a lot and also hope to have more time to keep listening, yes sir you have a good system. It's very important not to deviate from the root of all, and that is the music itself. Happy listening!!!
Could not agree more ! Nice vid Steve.
Great advice Steve 👍love your channel 👍👌
Wonderful advice.
Absolutely love this Guy ... I can just relate to what is being said, it’s like therapy every day !! ❤️❤️
Hi Steve, really appreciate your honesty in your channel. New equipment is a fun part of the music experience, but music is the reason for the equipment. I have a 30 year old pair of Koss speakers that I would like to re-cap to see what changes this can have for improved sound. I have a mix of old and new equipment and find great enjoyment in all of them. Great thought on speaker placement. Thanks for the terrific channel. Best regards, Brian.
Steve you've topped yourself with this presentation. Your advice is spot on. This video is worth the price of admission. 😉
Soundstage is absolutely vital isn't it? I couldn't be happy without that.
Excellent point. I upgraded my amp 2 months ago from a Yamaha avantage 5.1 setup to a Marantz PM8006 2.0 all other things being equal and I now find myself staying up an extra 90 minutes an evening to fit some more listening time in. I was getting ear fatigue from the Yamaha but with the Marantz the sound is so pure with low to no distortion that I just can’t get enough.
I've found most home theater recievers to be most annoying for listening to music.
They have too many synthesized sound altering modes, they also split the wattage down too much.
I’ve never enjoyed movies and music as much as I do now. I’ve pieces together the best sounding system I’ve ever heard by being very patient and waiting for insanely good deals on OfferUp and craigslist. It’s become quite an addiction buying new pieces of brands like kef, Miller & kreisel, bowers & Wilkins. Every new piece makes such a huge difference in the sound quality and the enjoyment of listening. Purchasing a power conditioner made a huge noticeable difference for me and am currently searching for amps to replace my marantz receiver. Good channel keep it up!
Hi Steve basically you called out all the stuff I have been working on for the past few months thanks for the great advice now I'm buying dirt cheap cds in the local charity shop and my enthusiasm for discovering new music has been revived.
Steve, that's a wonderful definition of what a good audio system is when you can't stop listening
I'm always listening to my system, can't get enough of it. This affliction has been going on for decades! ❤😂
Always Informative these videos
Great advice friend! I will remember that! I love music and sometimes I focus too much on high fidelity albums…My channel started with high fidelity album reviews, but as time passed along I realized my true passion is talking about the story and feelings behind the music and lyrics. I found more passion with my small circle talk around the campfire, so my subscribers like to describe my channel 😁 Thank you so much for the video, most of us-new vinyl generation- need to hear this 🙂
I had heard that if your system still sounds full and satisfying at low volume then that’s a good indication. I would tend to agree as I find that’s the case with my system!
I wanted to say what you just said. I live in a apartment and I listen to the Tannoy Ardens with two rel 812 subs at 4am everyday when I get home from work. Not one complaint in 2 1/2 years yet ( fingers crossed). I tell that to people and they always say your neighbors must hate you.. lol. I try explain to them that i don't feel the need to turn up the volume. I can already hear everything clearly and with bass. I admit when they are not home I do turn it up a little though.
Great advice. WRT cables. Try making your own to see if it clears up some issues and open a new window to the sound.
Interconnects with 24 gauge magnet wire in packing tape makes a very revealing cable. Just run 2 parallel wires 1/2 inch apart and dirt cheap RCA connectors. If you find that great (as I did) and want more? Then build a new set with 99.9% silver wire as the conductor. Then upgrade to KLEI RCA connectors. With each of these changes you will open a window deeper into the music. Costs next to nothing if you have a soldering iron. If not, time to get one.
But watch out. This is how I started down the road to DIY all my gear. It's wonderful. You can then make small incremental upgrades and seldom have to outright replace your gear.
I finally turned my biggest bedroom into a dedicated (2 channel only) listening room a week ago. I'm definitely not through 'tuning' the room, but the difference is huge. I find myself listening for hours, loving the sound of my system in this new room! The depth of soundstage is staggering!
Great advice Steve, it is all in the listening :-)
Great advice 👍
Spot on Steve.
Long time listener and this hits the nail on its head. Best advice yet in the TH-cam world of the latest and greatest gear pushers. Speaking of gear I’ve been very pleasantly surprised what difference a mobile dac has made to my listening pleasure. Thanks in no part to Apple removing the headphone jack from the phone...
Always enjoy watching thanks. One comment, I come to realize after a lifetime of listening that upgrading the amp is more important than upgrading the speakers.in most cases. Certainly you can make a case either way but todays budget speakers are pretty good and can come alive and impress you big time with a good amp up near the thousand dollar range.
I have 2 sets of entry level speaker (wharfedale 225 and bnw 607). I love them both and different sound signatures. I agree that you dont need to get news speakers. Just move them around and have a good time with it.
I tell ya. This guy has a way of speaking. Really like these vids
Great points!!!
You never get tired listening to it, and most of music genres sound great!
thanks Mr. Steve. simple truths, nice video. greetings.
Great vid. My guide to tell if a system is sounding really great, is my both feet. If it starts tapping on the rhytm of the music, i can tell for sure i'm enjoying the music. If you are listening to analysing the audio components, somethings wrong. If the music " grabs" your attention, the specs and looks of the equipment is not important anymore!🤔
Absolutely true ! I've recently upgraded my audio system and haven't listened to this much music in years.
Very good advices
I do mine. It gives me the fun even when I watch cable TV and TH-cam with it. It makes me look for a reason to listen to it.
I think at 13k usd, it outperforms the old big Utopia most of the time.
I agree about changing cables. Some people say it doesn't matter but I can hear the difference.
Trimming the hair inside your ears also helps. I can hear the difference, much more so than cables.
I had become very neurotic around record cleaning, to the point where any sort of click or pop would kill my ability to enjoy the music. This video really helped me to take a step back and reassess what I was trying to accomplish with my music reproduction system. That said, the approach Mr. Guttenberg presents to root out problem source(s) leaves something to be desired. In my view, the first step is to identify and eliminate noise. With each audio source, is there noise and of what type (hum, buzz, or other junk)? Each has its own cause and cure. Whatever the system, start with component outputting the smallest signal and work backward/inward. If there is a turntable and CD player in the mix, play the same recording on both. If the CD sounds better, the weakest link can be found somewhere in the turntable, interconnect, or phono pre-amp. Once everything else is in good shape is the time to start looking at the power amp (assuming it is relatively modern and in good condition) and speakers. I would put swapping out speaker cables at the bottom of the list (if at all). The type of connector, though, is very important. In my experience/research, the compression type (e.g. screw down using a 5-way binding post) is best; "banana" style is the worst and should be avoided.
I discovered I needed two systems. One is a hybrid tube with an automatic turntable I use for the times I'm writing and can't jump up to stop the table. My other has a wonderful amp, manual turntable, a top cartridge and excellent preamp with imported high end speakers I use for those times I desire critical listening. Some others may be happy with one or three.
Wisdom wrought by experience. I know the experience well. As hard as I try to attend to the audiophile stuff, I just can't resist being pulled away from that and being drawn into the music. There's no audiophile stuff to listen for anymore, the system is just doin' it. The opposite of that is where you keep getting abruptly awaken from the musical trance, or even being able to be entranced in the first place, by things that keep diverting attention.
I'm in a good place with headphone headphone journey these days. I'm enjoying it very much. I look for, and forward to, more moments to listen, and am happy to listen to the same music again and again because it sounds so good, I'm encouraged to search out new because I want to enjoy it on my kit, or finding that music I've enjoyed more casually to have the experience of it on a better playback system.
Good one Steve !
If you have a good home-theater set-up, I recommend the Blu-ray disc of Rudolf Buchbinder and the Staatskappelle playing Mozart's piano concertos nos. 20, 21, and 27. The sound formats are PCM 2.0 and DTS-HD 5.0. (Unitel/Classica, C Major brand, made in Austria)
great way to look at things.its right too.if you look forward to listening to it,there must be something good about it that you like.
What a great statement! I agree fully.
Brillant video. One thing I missed was powercables. I've been playing with interconnects since mid 70'es but never thought of powercables as an important factor. Just simple powerline, right. Then 4 years ago a guy handled me a small selection of different brands of hifi oriented power cables and a well made powerstrip and said: Shut up and try these. I was shocked by the impact and spend the next couple of years experimenting. To day I will happily claim, that my 15 year old system sound twice as good as before updating 'power-snakes'. To me the most important cable in the system is now the one from the wall to the powerstrip. Never be prejudiced🤓
I am very pleased with my Fluance rt81 and Edifier 1280t speakers. Sound quality is smooth as silk and I mostly enjoy Progressive rock from the 70's and 80's music. Play my system every day and love the vinyl ritual and turntable interaction.
Phew. I guess mine must be great, even though it is a budget, dare I say, 'audiophile' system. I listen everyday to a few or lots more albums. I spent a lifetime building a music collection of rock, jazz, blues, world, and classical. But never gave much thought to the sound I was getting, just being a happy idiot instead. As a single divorced guy in my 50's, things are often pretty quiet around here, and I really do enjoy having my audio system and music collection fill my world with great sound and all the good it does me. Currently listening thru a 2.2 system and movies in 5.2. It may not be everyone's cup o' tea, but it's luxury I can afford. Oddly enough, I went thru a period of listening fatigue when I bought some new gear and started to take sound more seriously. Then I learned about reflection and room acoustics and all Steve's great advice and am now enjoying my music again. Thanks, Steve!
I took a break from you and just came back, love the topic! I notice when I get a really good recording. I'm in the dollar bins and came home with 80 lps, wow there are some really great sounding recordings and most are first pressings! and i am introduced to some other music greats from yesterday decades. I notice good and bad recordings, they are like night and day with the sound quality.
Welcome back!
Thanks so much, you literally blowed my mind, as I've been trough that moment recently and now i have to say that you so damn right 😉😁
Steve is 100% right: try different cables... in a blind ABX test. It's a fun experiment/experience you can share with a friend.
It's a great point, applies to many more hobbies, photography in particular fails to appreciate the sheer joy of taking pictures, as opposed to pixel peeping and such like. My very humble audio system passes the test, which began with "has to sound at least as good as my headphones".
Great video! Thanks! :-)
I spent almost two years in trying to build up a system as perfect as possible for my means. When I was thinking I had reached my goal, something still was missing.
It took some time to understand that my system needed a long warming: that means at least 3 hours and half!
At the beginnig the sound is stereo, then it becomes 3D and at the end I fully dive into the music!
At that moment, as Steve says, it is almost impossible to stop listening.
yeah ,thats it , i like my installation and can't let ti glow this from urly to late at night , i bought this Reisong A10 and this two bookshel speakers from paiyon , everything seen here and from other highly recommended, and i mean, i am very satisfied from everything bought from this two cheap bit high end Audiophile products for cheap , so thanks for your good reviews , i l ike all of your video's , continue , can't wait seeing new ones , top 👌
I find near field works very well for my bedroom set up ( small 10 X 10 ) as well as in the larger living room with the one system situated in front of the long wall and another at the short wall, a good amount of experimenting with placement preceded where everything ended up as I moved the speakers around. I really do enjoy sitting and listening to all of them, switching between CDs and LPs depending on what I feel like playing. The gear varies, from a Vincent SV 236 MK II paired with older floor standing Soundwave Soliloquys, a Luxman L 480 or R113 used with some floor standing British Keswick Volante Evolutions to a Denon AVR 1907 or Denon DRA 685 powering a pair of Boston Acoustics T830s which, as 3 way floor standers, seem to be at their best in the bedroom, go figure.
I also mix in a Luxman L 215 and use various turntables, a Sony PS X60, Sansui SR 525, Toshiba SR 340 or Pioneer PL 15R , nothing exceptional but they are all quite competent with the Sony being especially good. I use older DVD players as transports ( Sony DVP S7000, Denon 2800 & 2910, Pioneer Elite DV37 ) along with either a Schiit Bifrost or MF V Dac. Fortunately what I have works well together and I never tire of using them which, as noted, is what really matters. Sometimes I will also use a SVS PC13 Ultra sub to augment the low end.
The idea of changing the place of loudspeakers is a good one. Changing the angle can bring a different stereo imaging. I made this experience a few weeks ago with electrostatic loudspeakers after a period of doubt ! And since I've recovered a peaceful mind !
My epiphany was when I went from the audio mindset of massive loud, clear, rock concert sound to detailed imaging, sound stage and full frequency at low to moderate volumes. Going from 3 pairs of A7-500 Altec Lansing Voice of the Theaters, powered by Crown DC series power amps, to a single pair of Celestion Model A compacts, powered by an Edelweiss 3 (6wpc) in a near field configuration was the most unexpected improvement in my appreciation of the music. In the 2 years since this happened I have built, with spare components from around the house, a hybrid system capable of 117db (measured) spl, but capable of delicate nuances and the deepest bass (17hz, measured) even at 70 db. I purchased a MiniDsp product but have yet to use it as I am still working with mechanical setup parameters, crossover points and various balance levels between the various speakers themselves. When I have exhausted all the testing and experimenting I will turn finally to EQ and DSP assuming I still have any unresolved issues. But swapping out wiring, moving speakers, seating positions, adding and subtracting room accouterments, adjusting crossover points and levels, and let's not forget just angling speakers both in and out of toe, but also up and down as well as the height of your seating position, will take a lot of time and dedication. You have to spend listening time with each change to get an honest evaluation, even the bad stuff teaches lessons. And having achieved a level of sound that keeps you up late hours not wanting to ever turn the system off again is the just and delightful reward of these design methods. Even yet, I have to try the Tekton 2 10 Perfect Set speakers because I dreamed up virtually that exact array of mid/high drivers and these are already worked out. I'm still 2 months out for delivery but I am so ready. It's the first new speakers I have bought since the first pair of Altec A7-500 kits in 1971. All others were preowned or built by me. Thanks for all your presentations.
For my 11th birthday I got a GE stereo AM/FM 8-track player. It had a phono selection but I never got one. I left it for my brother when I moved out at 19. It had two 5 1/4” full range drivers in each a big box. I played them every day! My Aerosmith, Led Zep, Black Sabbath and more, all sounded good.
Good for you with that apartment-wide record collection. I've got about 200 LPs and a hundred 45s, I have to pace myself. Sessions are good. HNY Steve, more power to you.
I use my system daily for streaming music, watching TV, DVDs and Internet browsing. Often flicking from one source to another.
Funnily I stillI haven't even got hi-res deezer or tidal yet, but it still sounds really amazing!
We are truly lucky to be living in this age and time where there is so much great (new and used) hi-fi gear available - to suit ears curiosity and budgets.
For a thousand pounds UK. I got a secondhand peachtree Nova, a dual mono gainclone power amp, qacoustic 3050 floor standers and two Anthony Gallo's tr2 subs. On homemade stands, DIY connectors and van damn shotgun cables which impresses, captivates and surprises me and my friends.
Hi-fi should not intimidate as its a great adventure...just follow your ears