Any other audiophiles on the forum?

[zarrdoss]

If you obsess over the best possible sound, and know what a pre-amp is and would never use just a receiver, When someone has a home theater in a box and make a remark about how good it sounds and you try not to laugh, you might be an audiophile.
This has been my main hobby for most of my life I got into it about 8 years old and have been going ever since. I have built and installed I dont know how many car stereos some of them were complex as hell. Now I am pretty much out of the car audio and got back into home audio. I have build home speakers and subwoofers and recently rebuilt a bunch of Polk SDA speakers, new tweeters, put new capacitors and resistors in the crossovers. I have had about 140 pairs of home speakers throughout my life and at one time I had like 27. I have always had a good ear for what sounds good and simply hate it when someone is listening to music on their phone or laptop. I am a fanatic about music and sound, also the best sound when it comes to movie soundtracks.
Anyone else on the forum like me? what are some of your stories? what kind of set up do you have?
This is my most current set up, at one time I had three audio rigs but in this house I can only have one.

[drumstix]

I'm in the same boat mate. I'm studying a degree in audio engineering and that has opened my eyes to some of the 'quality' recordings we are force fed. Last week in one of my lectures, we were talking about the subjecting of limiting in mastering and how the norm has gone from preserving dynamics and musicality, to compressing/limiting the hell out of a mix in order to make it sound louder, which just makes the mix sound crap and distorted. Unfortunately, the general listener tends to decern between a good and bad mix by how loud the mix is. Real shame.

[zarrdoss]

I'm in the same boat mate. I'm studying a degree in audio engineering and that has opened my eyes to some of the 'quality' recordings we are force fed. Last week in one of my lectures, we were talking about the subjecting of limiting in mastering and how the norm has gone from preserving dynamics and musicality, to compressing/limiting the hell out of a mix in order to make it sound louder, which just makes the mix sound crap and distorted. Unfortunately, the general listener tends to decern between a good and bad mix by how loud the mix is. Real shame.

That's exactly what I am talking about, The new Metallica is horribly compressed to be louder but it sounds so distorted that I cannot listen to it at home, but surprisingly most people think it sounds good. And theyre are a bunch of recordings like this and seems to be a new trend over clarity.
Anyone else? you cant tell me you guys listen to all these wonderful drummers on cruddy speakers and set ups. lol

[Sticks4drums]

Well I never geeked right out on it but I have spent too much money on it! Being a musician I love good sound!
Some of the things I had
Nakamichi TA3A Receiver, back when they were good, disk bank player, Infinity speakers
Rega Planer 3 turntable
Some little Bouston Accoustic bookshelf speakers that rocket when coupled with a small Infinity sub.
My current set up is all Infinity surround speakers, Rotel home theatre receiver, DVD player, Epson projecter with 110 inch screen.

I know this is light when it comes to be an audiophile, but I would say it is somewhere in between. It was what I could afford.

[Russ]

Nice system! The wood on those cabs is really stunning.

[drumsetsnide]

I wouldn't call myself an audiophile, although some of my buddies comment on what a snob I am about sound. My home stereo is not really elaborate. I have a nice set-up that sounds good to me (for what it is). JVC amp with JBL speakers.

My truck is a whole different story. I have quite a set-up in there. I have a nice Kenwood deck with a usb port (wired on the back and routed into the glove box) for my iPod. In the front, I have the tweeters mounted on the A pillar and the 6 1/2" mids in the doors. The rear speakers are 3-ways mounted in the doors. Those speakers are powered by a Rockford Fosgate amp with the cross-overs set properly on the amp and through the deck. The subs are 12" Punch's in a ported box powered by a JL Audio amp with the cross-over set properly on the amp and through the deck. The system is truly balanced (delays on the speakers properly set) for awesome imaging.

There are just some songs/groups that make me cringe when I hear the way it is recorded and mixed.

I don't know why musicians, bands, producers, engineers, etc. accept the way things sound today. With the technology available today one would think that music recordings would have much better sound than they do. It's almost as if the technology and equipment is far too advanced and complicated for people who use it to really understand it and use it to their advantage.

[zarrdoss]

Nice system! The wood on those cabs is really stunning.

Thanks They're 35 year old Infinity quantum line source, it's either Rosewood or Walnut veneer, this was available in both and I am trying to figure it out but I am leaning more towards rosewood, any opinions?

Sticks, what Infinity's did yo have?
I got out of car audio when gas got so high I just decided to stay home and listen to music at home more, but I have had my share of car stereos that would blow your head off.

[drumstix]

That's exactly what I am talking about, The new Metallica is horribly compressed to be louder but it sounds so distorted that I cannot listen to it at home, but surprisingly most people think it sounds good. And theyre are a bunch of recordings like this and seems to be a new trend over clarity.
Anyone else? you cant tell me you guys listen to all these wonderful drummers on cruddy speakers and set ups. lol

Mate, even some of the general public was ackowledging that Death Magnetic sounds rubbish. That record is shot to.. I won't swear, but people were even hacking Guitar Hero/Rock Band (whichever DM was on) and listening to those files instead because they simply sounded better.

[Jack Keck]

I used to be the guy that all of my acquaintences went to fo radvice on what stereo stuff to get, but this was in the '70s. I currently have a HT system with a home made sub-woofer. My favorite thing to watch on it are reruns of ALFRED HITCH**** PRESENTS. I also have a "vintage" system with a Pioneer receiver, Rega Planar 2 TT, Sony CD player and Klipsch Heresy speakers.

I started to lose interest because real life set in (wife, kid, mortgage) and I started volunteering at a local venue for LIVE music. I also came to the conclusion that CDs, or at least pop CDs are mixed so they sound good in the car. The image from them seems shifted to the right on my home systems. LPs still sound great, but I don't care to bother with them.

The final nail in the coffin of my audiophile aspirations was when I started to learn to play. I'd rather hit a local concert or open mic than to sit at home listening to my inappropriately mixed CDs. If I lost all my stuff, I'd get something to listen to Sirius radio on and call it a day.

If any of this sounds depressing, it shouldn't. I am happier being out hearing live music in a public place or at a open mic where they tolerate my playing. Live is where it's at!

[MR. G]

I live for the day I might have a listening room similar to one designed to sell high end audio, including the wall to wall components and speakers to boot. I have expensive ears and won't ever be able to afford what sounds best to me, however I will always be a die hard audiophile and continue the dream......I guess you never know. Music is very much a part of my life and I remain selective in it's outcome...meaning I have done the research. Please, God, let me retain my hearing 'till death. You know, there is nothing else like the smell of a high end component as it heats up to operating range. MMMM...now that's music to the nose, too !

[zarrdoss]

you mean like this MR G ?



These are a pair of 50,000 speakers and about 90,000 running them. sounded simply amazing.

[MR. G]

hey...that's just downright mean. I'll be right over with my own chair to see if what I see meets my expectations. I'm wondering if my chair might throw off the acoustics ?GOSH, all kidding aside...awesome, truly awesome. A lot of my decision making revolved around what I could actually hear,touch and smell ! It all went away when I looked in my wallet. Every year I would upgrade depending on the amount of my income tax refund. I got married somewhere in between. As a child, my Dad would pound on the bedroom wall while I blasted Black Sabbath paranoid or even Paul McCartney ram . I guess he didn't like either one ! Now, I turn and see my wife standing there and only her lips moving. I remember the first part of a T.V. themesong had the sound of a siren and I would hold the speaker up to the open window in the neighborhood and blast it. Usually caught someone's attention. Another memory of a good neighborfriend discharged from the coast guard came home and turned us on to a pair of Altec Lansings ( about 4 feet square ! )The songsource was a reel to reel and the tune eruption by Van Halen. I like it loud but mostly I like it crystal clear..looks like you have them both.

[TxDrummer]

you mean like this MR G ?



These are a pair of 50,000 speakers and about 90,000 running them. sounded simply amazing.

Wow , what a room! What type of turntable you have in the center? I'm thinking of purchasing a new turntable soon. I have two at the moment, but want to move up to the 500+ range now that I can afford it.

[zarrdoss]

Well none of the stuff is mine, I wish. Here is a close up of the turn table was like 30,000 If I remember correctly.

[TxDrummer]

That's beautiful, but you have to be crazy or have so much money it don't matter to spend 30K on a turntable. Very nice.

[Russ]

Thanks They're 35 year old Infinity quantum line source, it's either Rosewood or Walnut veneer, this was available in both and I am trying to figure it out but I am leaning more towards rosewood, any opinions?

Rosewood are very nice, one of my favorite exotics! It's not actually that common unfortunately, only a few areas grow the trees. They are very solid but also quite heavy, I would not want to have to move them around very often haha. They remind me a lot of "cocobolo" which comes from the same genus that rosewood does, 'Dalbergia Retusa' in Central America. Real stunners!

[Jack Keck]

Wow , what a room! What type of turntable you have in the center? I'm thinking of purchasing a new turntable soon. I have two at the moment, but want to move up to the 500+ range now that I can afford it.

You won't believe the improvement a better turntable will make in your system, even if you do not upgrade your cartridge.

[TxDrummer]

You won't believe the improvement a better turntable will make in your system, even if you do not upgrade your cartridge.

Oh I know. I've been listening to vinyl since the 60's and I've gone through a few turntables in my life so far. I've spent a couple of hundred on the table and cartridges. Big fan of Shure cartridges.

[SparrowBeat]

Well none of the stuff is mine, I wish. Here is a close up of the turn table was like 30,000 If I remember correctly.

I'm not sure if I would rather listen to records or just look at it if I owned this turn table. Well, of course both