What audio system do you have, or plan on getting?

[Valentino]

I like ASR. I've learned what makes a phono amp good there. Hint: It's not the price or the number of settings for MC cartridges.
Erin is even better. Excellent review of the KEF LS60 for instance.

[AnotherSpin]

I like ASR. I've learned what makes a phono amp good there. Hint: It's not the price or the number of settings for MC cartridges.
Erin is even better. Excellent review of the KEF LS60 for instance.

Your ears.

[Valentino]

I'm an electronics engineer. There are certain parameters I want to be to specification before I put any equipment into  the playback chain. Pure subjectivity is not my thing.

[DavidW]

And that would be a good point to stop... remember there is a debate thread.  So if people are unhappy with Valentino expressing their personal outlook, please quote it to take it to the other thread (and not here).

[Daverz]

I like ASR. I've learned what makes a phono amp good there. Hint: It's not the price or the number of settings for MC cartridges.

One thing I never thought of before is how the phono pre-amp's headroom effects how prominent ticks and pops will sound, so that measurement is really useful.

Erin is even better. Excellent review of the KEF LS60 for instance.

Erin really does a good job of relating what he hears and what he measures.  For example, how dispersion relates to soundstage width.

[Spotted Horses]

One thing I never thought of before is how the phono pre-amp's headroom effects how prominent ticks and pops will sound, so that measurement is really useful.

Correct. With a poor pre-amp pops will sound like pathetic firecrackers. A good pre-amp will make it sound like a concussion grenade has been detonated in the hall.

[Daverz]

Correct. With a poor pre-amp pops will sound like pathetic firecrackers. A good pre-amp will make it sound like a concussion grenade has been detonated in the hall.

Reminds me of the Telarc 1812 Overture LP where you could see the huge groove modulatons for the cannon shots and know that your cartridge was never going to make it through that thing.

[Spotted Horses]

Reminds me of the Telarc 1812 Overture LP where you could see the huge groove modulatons for the cannon shots and know that your cartridge was never going to make it through that thing.

My brother had that LP. Never played through. Followed in the footsteps of the Mercury/Dorati recording using a bronze cannon (and commentary by Deems Taylor, as I recall).

[Atriod]

I prefer "musical/realistic." To me, that ASR site is one massive April Fool's joke...

The website was very different when it formed to about 2017. The primary focus was on acoustics, room treatment, DSP, and speaker measurement/placement. There were many industry experts that have since left, I only recognize two of them these days and one doesn't post much. Then the electronics measurements were added and it turned into trashing anything that didn't have a noise floor of -xxx db (though I still find them helpful, if I were to get a new set of passive speakers Benchmark amps would now be at the top of my list along with Spectral, Spectral based purely off what I have heard from them in twenty years).

Speaking for myself I find a balance of both measurements and listening to be invaluable, I spent around $12k in room treatments a few years ago and it would have been like playing pin the tail on the donkey blindfolded if I wasn't regularly going to REW to verify what I was hearing. The treatments made just as big an impact as changing speakers. My dad is not an audiophile and only listens to Indian pop music and he was able to hear what getting rid of a prominent room mode sounded like.

Erin really does a good job of relating what he hears and what he measures.  For example, how dispersion relates to soundstage width.

Erin is significantly better at relaying information. Really looking forward to his Blade 2 Meta review though KEF pretty much publish nearly everything relevant to it already though their PDF images are small). I am curious about his subjective thoughts as he is able to distinguish 1 db changes ala someone that was able to get fairly high in the Harman training tool.

[Atriod]

If I were to buy a disc spinner right now it would be the Spectral SDR-4000SL, though I have only heard it in unfamiliar systems Spectral systems more often than not sounded very good to me. I believe the founder what he (and Keith Johnson) have to say about CD.

I can't bring myself to buy it since it's 15 years old and the rumor mill has been going around (though this has been for some time) that they will have a new CD player.

[Valentino]

I prefer disc rippers...

[vandermolen]

I've had no access to my Hi-Fi system for the past few days as we have had wooden flooring put down and the old carpets pulled up downstairs. Today I have access once again to my stereo system 
What interested me is the difference in the sound quality as, without the carpets, there is a more immediate and cavernous sound - which I prefer. I was not expecting it to make such a difference.

[Harry]

I've had no access to my Hi-Fi system for the past few days as we have had wooden flooring put down and the old carpets pulled up downstairs. Today I have access once again to my stereo system 
What interested me is the difference in the sound quality as, without the carpets, there is a more immediate and cavernous sound - which I prefer. I was not expecting it to make such a difference.

Yes, if you change the room in such a way, the acoustics will change immediately. That's why I do not have wooden flooring in my listening room! Though if the sound turns cavernous you should use a different way of getting a balanced acoustical room, for that would be for me unacceptable.

[DavidW]

I've had no access to my Hi-Fi system for the past few days as we have had wooden flooring put down and the old carpets pulled up downstairs. Today I have access once again to my stereo system 
What interested me is the difference in the sound quality as, without the carpets, there is a more immediate and cavernous sound - which I prefer. I was not expecting it to make such a difference.

I suffered that harsh echoey sound in my house before I got area rugs.  You're just hearing hard reflections off the floor.  It causes a loss in imaging and soundstage and makes the sound harsh because those early reflected waves are interfering with the original signal.

[AnotherSpin]

I suffered that harsh echoey sound in my house before I got area rugs.  You're just hearing hard reflections off the floor.  It causes a loss in imaging and soundstage and makes the sound harsh because those early reflected waves are interfering with the original signal.

On the other hand, carpets can muffle sound. Good sound reproduction system would include acoustic room treatment, vibration control, et al. 

[Harry]

On the other hand, carpets can muffle sound. Good sound reproduction system would include acoustic room treatment, vibration control, et al. 

Can yes, but if then are thin enough it will work in a positive way. That's how I did it in my listening room.  The sound is not muffled, but beautifully balanced.

[vandermolen]

I suffered that harsh echoey sound in my house before I got area rugs.  You're just hearing hard reflections off the floor.  It causes a loss in imaging and soundstage and makes the sound harsh because those early reflected waves are interfering with the original signal.

Thanks - we are planning to get some large rugs for both rooms.

[vandermolen]

I'm enjoying the sound at the moment - thanks for the interesting comments.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I'm enjoying the sound at the moment - thanks for the interesting comments.

Whatever makes you (and your wife) happy is what is right.   

PD

[Harry]

Whatever makes you (and your wife) happy is what is right. 

PD

That could prove a very difficult thing to achieve