Purchases Today

[The new erato]

Thanks. They are original prints by Norwegian artists.

[Spotted Horses]

I listen on headphones exclusively (mostly Beyer-Dynamic T1's), but I'd take The New Erato's setup any day. Part of audio imaging is the way your entire head shapes the sound field, and deep bass is perceived by the entire body. I have always found headphones to be a more superficial approximation of the experience. But headphones give a satisfying "analytical" sound with a lot of clarity of detail. Going from headphones to loudspeakers requires some recalibration of expectations. I find I have to listen more attentively.

But, alas, loudspeakers are not an option for me, given my life situation, and better headphones than nothing. And actually it is close to nothing at this point, 15 minutes in a day, maybe once a week, is as much listening as I can squeeze in.

[The new erato]

I listen on headphones exclusively (mostly Beyer-Dynamic T1's), but I'd take The New Erato's setup any day. Part of audio imaging is the way your entire head shapes the sound field, and deep bass is perceived by the entire body. I have always found headphones to be a more superficial approximation of the experience. But headphones give a satisfying "analytical" sound with a lot of clarity of detail. Going from headphones to loudspeakers requires some recalibration of expectations. I find I have to listen more attentively.

But, alas, loudspeakers are not an option for me, given my life situation, and better headphones than nothing. And actually it is close to nothing at this point, 15 minutes in a day, maybe once a week, is as much listening as I can squeeze in.

More or less how I see it, too. Ans as I tend to listen for a couple of hours at a time, phones would drive me nuts.

[Que]

More or less how I see it, too. Ans as I tend to listen for a couple of hours at a time, phones would drive me nuts.

Same here. I don't use my (AKG) head phones if I can help it.

[vandermolen]

[Madiel]

I mean, you can't say that this



and this



are both audiophile, can you? 

Depends if you think "audiophile" is a digital on/off term, or an analog sliding scale...

EDIT: Half the problem is that the middle has largely fallen out of the market, as I discovered when I bought my new mini hifi 2.5 years ago. I mean, eventually I bought what is fairly close to my dream set-up (barring an odd quirk with how it handles programmed CD tracks), but the pickings are pretty slim when you move away from "good enough for a child's bedroom or your kitchen" and don't want to go to obsessing over every technical aspect.

SECOND EDIT: I have never heard of a headphone amplifier until now.

[Spotted Horses]

Depends if you think "audiophile" is a digital on/off term, or an analog sliding scale...

EDIT: Half the problem is that the middle has largely fallen out of the market, as I discovered when I bought my new mini hifi 2.5 years ago. I mean, eventually I bought what is fairly close to my dream set-up (barring an odd quirk with how it handles programmed CD tracks), but the pickings are pretty slim when you move away from "good enough for a child's bedroom or your kitchen" and don't want to go to obsessing over every technical aspect.

SECOND EDIT: I have never heard of a headphone amplifier until now.

As I see it, 'audiophile' has two manifestations. One is rational. You can have amplifiers with the same basic capabilities for $10, $100, $1,000, $10,000, etc. Assuming each is engineered as well as resources allow, you will experience diminishing returns as the price goes up. My experience is the you get a big benefit from indulging in the $100 amp, a subtle benefit for the $1,000 amp, beyond that I can't hear it.

Then there is the audiophilia which involves claims that violate the known laws of physics. People who spend thousands of dollars for an AC power cord, or other audio snake oil. That is pathological self-deception. But if it makes you happy, fine.

[Madiel]

As I see it, 'audiophile' has two manifestations. One is rational. You can have amplifiers with the same basic capabilities for $10, $100, $1,000, $10,000, etc. Assuming each is engineered as well as resources allow, you will experience diminishing returns as the price goes up. My experience is the you get a big benefit from indulging in the $100 amp, a subtle benefit for the $1,000 amp, beyond that I can't hear it.

Then there is the audiophilia which involves claims that violate the known laws of physics. People who spend thousands of dollars for an AC power cord, or other audio snake oil. That is pathological self-deception. But if it makes you happy, fine.

Ah well, I don't even own a separate amplifier. 

[DavidW]

I mean, you can't say that this



and this



are both audiophile, can you? 

Well yeah I can.  The difference is just size.  They're both purchased for the point of pursuing sound quality over mere functionality.  BTW many people buy vintage speakers and amps at yard sales or goodwill and spend less than you paid for your mp3 player!  No joke. 

[DavidW]

HiFi nuts that need the latest often are prone to sell previous years models at a great discount, and there's not like there have been made amazing breakthroughs in sound reproduction.

And that is crazy because speaker design hasn't changed that much in the past several decades!  They are just usually more efficient and take up less space to address the wife problem.

[André]

I listen on headphones exclusively (mostly Beyer-Dynamic T1's), but I'd take The New Erato's setup any day. Part of audio imaging is the way your entire head shapes the sound field, and deep bass is perceived by the entire body. I have always found headphones to be a more superficial approximation of the experience. But headphones give a satisfying "analytical" sound with a lot of clarity of detail. Going from headphones to loudspeakers requires some recalibration of expectations. I find I have to listen more attentively.

But, alas, loudspeakers are not an option for me, given my life situation, and better headphones than nothing. And actually it is close to nothing at this point, 15 minutes in a day, maybe once a week, is as much listening as I can squeeze in.

Right, right and right. It's all in how the ears perceive sound. Headphones give a better sense of immediacy, speakers give the sense of space and resonance that headphones can't convey to the same degree. One is primarily an aural/mental experience, the other is aural/physical.

As for spending money on the gear, the overriding factor is obsolescence. If it's still good there's no reason to change it. After 45 years of buying my own stuff I think I'm into my 4th sets of amp, speakers, lp/cd player, all purchased at different times - I think disc players break sooner than amps or speakers. And I know damn well that my ears are not a high end product  , so the point of diminishing returns is reached pretty soon.

[The new erato]

I think disc players break sooner than amps or speakers. And I know damn well that my ears are not a high end product  , so the point of diminishing returns is reached pretty soon.

+1 on all that. Except for disc players, which breaks, and the Sonus speakers which were 5 years old when I bought them last year, I have had all my stuff for at least 15 years. And most of it were bought used or in some cases "shop used".

My old speakers didn't work well in my living room, and I fell in love with the Sonuses when they showed up used in my neighbourhood. But except for that I only buy stuff when something breaks down whi h I hope it won't.

[Florestan]

I shudder to think about your reaction to dear Harry's setup.....

I hope you don't mind that I used your setup as an example. It was the most handy in the public domain. 

[Florestan]

Well yeah I can.  The difference is just size.  They're both purchased for the point of pursuing sound quality over mere functionality.

Before the FiiO, I had a Sony mp3 portable player, its size even smaller than the FiiO's. When its battery died, I needed something similar but which could also play FLACS. The FiiO was the best option in terms of money vs quality.

BTW many people buy vintage speakers and amps at yard sales or goodwill and spend less than you paid for your mp3 player!  No joke.

Well, I paid the equivalent of 80 EUR.

The problem is that currently I have no space for an extended setup. I plan to make room for one in the attic of my inlaws, but not anytime soon.

My idea of audiophilia is the iobsessive quest for the perfect sound, ever tweaking and updating the setup in order to achieve it and ever being in search for something better. In this respect, I'm definitely not an audiophile.

[Mirror Image]

Just bought via eBay:

[Florestan]

Just bought via eBay:

"Violin Works Complete"

This sounds like rather non-idiomatic English to me. 

[The new erato]

I have quite a bit of Gertler including one of those Bartok discs. As an relative impoverished student in the 1970s Supraphon were often the only game in Town.

[Mirror Image]

"Violin Works Complete"

This sounds like rather non-idiomatic English to me. 

Hah!

I have quite a bit of Gertler including one of those Bartok discs. As an relative impoverished student in the 1970s Supraphon were often the only game in Town.

I did a pretty broad sampling of this Gertler set and I was quite taken with it. I remember that I already own the performance with him and Ančerl of the 2nd VC in one of those Ančerl Gold reissues. This was a very good performance. Looking forward to hearing the rest.

[Florestan]

Hah!

Here is the idiomatic Romanian: Works Complete for the Violin.

[Mirror Image]

Here is the idiomatic Romanian: Works Complete for the Violin.

Or in Hungarian: Komplett hegedűművek.