If I only knew then....

TroyD

You know, after a few years of chasing gear and so forth there are a few things that I wished that I'd taken to heart earlier that would have probably saved me some frustration and money.

HT, while a worthwhile venture to many is to me largely a scam. Since I've eschewed HT for good ol' SDA 2ch, I've not lost an ounce of enjoyment of movies.

Get what you WANT the first time. If you can't afford it, save up until you can. We've all compromised on things that we didn't really want but bought because we couldn't really afford what we wanted. In some cases, it's unavoidable but in others, knuckle under and be patient.

Patience WILL pay off. That pair of Asswhopper II's with a huge BIN price is NOT the last pair you will ever see. There will be others.

Everyone hears things different. We are all different people with different likes and tastes. Your likes and dislikes should be the most important to you. If someone else doesn't like your rig or what have you, screw 'em. It's YOUR rig and if you dig it, that's all that matters. By the same token, who are you to question the rig of someone else?




Not all links in the chain are equal. Many will argue this, which is thier right but I have never really bought this. IMO, the order is Speakers, source, preamp, amp, wire/cables. Sources and preamps are neck and neck, IMO.

A tube preamp is a must.

The more buttons, knobs, bells and whistles it has the less attention was paid to sound quality (courtesy of George Grand)

The best gear in the world is pointless if you listen to crappy music.

I'm sure there is more but that's about it for now.

What have you learned??

BDT

Dennis Gardner

Nice beginning Troy. I think about my journey often and here are a couple of my thoughts:

Upgradeitis is more of a compulsive disorder, than it is the quest for great sound. Those with it rarely truly enjoy the music.

Magic closets are expensive to maintain.

Audio gear can't be compared to shoes or purses with the wife.

She will never understand, only tolerate your collection because afterall, we are great guys underneath all those cables.

Tubes rule, but require upkeep and degrade/change too quickly.

Turntables setup properly rule, but only 1 in 100 is setup properly.

Full range towers beat sub/sats for realistic bass response. Sub/ sats have to be a product of hiring female electronic engineers forced on audio companies by their lawyers.

Listening to 15 second samples of tracks to hear that special part he wants you to experience is painful. Play the whole damn song!

ICs, speaker wires, power cables, only matter when the components hooked inline are of equal quality.

The room can make or break a good system (acoustics).

Mp3s and great quality sound have very little in common.

SACD/DVD-A/redbook hybrids should be the standard for all new releases.

There is no such thing as too much power, or speakers too big.

I have heard many great systems, but I am still surprised when I come acrossed another one.

The older I get, the better music of my youth gets. I swore I would never become an old ****, by oh well!

You're never too old to enjoy this hobby, only too deaf. (Protect your hearing while you are young).



For now,

DG

TroyD

There is no substitute for radiating surface area and a MAN's amp.

- George Grand


I may have that inscribed on my headstone.

BDT

F1nut

Once you've found audio nirvana, don't mess with it.

Tubes are a must.

SACD rules.

There will always be something "new and better." That doesn't mean it's true.

There's nothing quite like a pair of SDA speakers.

Always give a song or album two listens before deciding if you like it or not.

Receivers don't cut it.

If your feet aren't tapping, it ain't working.

danger boy

Originally posted by TroyD
What have you learned??

BDT

I've learned not to waste my time and money on cheap beer.

while not the same as audio.. it still follows the same principal.

TroyD

There are those out there that think High Fidelity is a relatively new concept.....they are WOEFULLY mistaken.

The babes dig it, they just don't like the pricetags.

BDT

shack

What I've learned...

It's STILL about the music...It was 39 years ago when I bought my first Beatles mono LP...And it still is today.

30+ year old gear can still sound good if you take care of it...

Getting new stuff is fun and different...not necessarily better...just fun and different...

For ME...HT is a must for movies....2 channel (SDA - non-SDA - doesn't matter) doesn't get it for movies.

I don't like MC music...

A great rig can do HT and 2 Channel...A 2nd (3rd, 4th, etc) 2 channel rig is desirable...

Vinyl is still a PITA...it's the reason that I bought an 8 track recorder and cassette recorder when they first came out...

SDA is cool....I think I'll keep it...

Speakers make the most perceptible difference....

Wire and cables matter...good stuff (not necessarily the most expensive) makes a BIG difference.

Everybody has an opinion...Mine is the only correct one:D

dcarlson

I love tubes!

Cables matter.

It's all about the music, not the gear. I enjoy good music on any system. (it's just better on a great system)

Don't be afraid to buy used.

I'm not sure who coined this first but... Those who don't know, don't know they don't know. (I might be in the don't know, but I don't know.)

shack

Originally posted by TroyD
The babes dig it, they just don't like the pricetags.

BDT

For some reason this reminds me of the old Atlanta Braves' commercial with Maddux and Glavine taking batting practice..."Chicks dig the long ball"...

Jstas

Don't trust anyone.

People are seldom what they seem and nothing like what you perceive.

People are stupid, much more so than you can imagine.

The general public is full of deviants and cretins, the only variance is the degree to which they are deviants and cretins.

No matter how hard you try, no one will ever see your point of view if it isn't exactly the same as theirs.

Don't compare yourself to others, they are more effed up than you can imagine.

People will believe anything. (This is a corollary to the 'people are stupid' clause.)

People only see and hear what they want to and are blind and deaf towards reality.

The most powerful thing in the universe is not love or nukes or anything silly like that. The most powerful thing is the ability of the human mind to rationalize anything so that they do not have to feel guilt about saying or doing something stupid or wrong like paying too much for a piece of gear or falling for a snake oil salesman's pitch.

Above all, don't be a bigot. Hate everyone equally.

RuSsMaN

Great audio related words of wisdom John. :rolleyes:

Jstas

It's audio related. I learned most of it buying gear on ebay or reading about the wonderful little doodads and unsubstantiated claims of much of the "high-end" of audio designed to seperate a schmuck from his money.

PolkThug

What I've learned...

I've still got a lot to learn.

Stop obsessing and start listening.

Your point of reference can and will change.

Different interconnects don't make audible differences.

Peace!

F1nut

What a sad world you live in John. Seek professional help before it's too late.

ND13

John,

You know that I agree with you, on most things, but damn man.
Have you lost all hope for mankind? Not everyone is out to get you. Please tell me this is just some of your sarcasm. Don't give up on all of us , yet. We're not all crooks, and yes, that's coming from a used car manager.

I've been able to be successful in the car biz, without having to lie, cheat and steal, and I'm damn proud of that. I can't say that for the whole industry, that would be naive or a lie, but I've quit a $110k/yr job because of ethics. That cost me alot, but I can sleep at night.

Noel

Dennis Gardner

Note to self:

Refrain from buying/selling with Jstas on the flea market, as no matter how quick, smooth, expensive, and grateful you are for the transaction, he won't feel the same.:D

heiney9

All very well stated!!! Couldn’t have said things better myself. I have nothing to add other than I agree with almost everything said. We all need to keep these “ideas” in mind to help balance our perspective.

BTW, great thread Troy

H9




P.S. This post does not mean I agree w/ what Jstas has stated

ND13

Originally posted by Dennis Gardner
Note to self:

Refrain from buying/selling with Jstas on the flea market, as no matter how quick, smooth, expensive, and grateful you are for the transaction, he won't feel the same.:D

I have to disagree, my very first transaction with anyone at CP was with John, and it went off without a hitch. As far as I know, he's happy also. I just think alot of people misunderstand John's intentions. I know that sometimes he tends to ramble on, but I believe that his intentions are to educate and to just state his side of the coin, so to speak.

I wouldn't hesitate to deal with John again. Any problems can be handled with proper communication.

Dennis Gardner

ND13,

I guess I missed how happy he was with your transaction, in his post. I've got to take that course on reading between the lines!:D

ND13

Originally posted by Dennis Gardner
ND13,

I guess I missed how happy he was with your transaction, in his post. I've got to take that course on reading between the lines!:D

I believe that most of his displeasure was with EBay transactions not with his CP transactions. I'm not saying that you or anyone else has to do business with John. I'm just saying that I had a good, first transaction with John, that made me feel good about doing future business with him and other CPer's. In less than three months, I have done 7 transactions with CPers, and so far no issues.:)

ohskigod

Originally posted by ND13
That cost me alot, but I can sleep at night.

Noel

-never, ever, underestimate the importance of a good nights sleep!!


what i've learned so far?

- Tubes, you gotta get them in the mix somewhere, they can be a friend and powerful ally

- Sometimes good equipment will sound like @ss until it breaks in (learned this recently)

- having a HT and a 2 channel rig you are happy with is a good thing

- make all efforts to keep the cats away from the gear!

- the wifey's tolerance of your hobby makes it that much more enjoyable

i'll think of more later

ND13

Here's one:

If you can't hear, but only measure with a scope or meter, the difference between two pieces of gear, is it really worth the change?

dcarlson

When it comes to audio, I trust my ears, not my eyes.

billbillw

Originally posted by PolkThug
What I've learned...

I've still got a lot to learn.

Stop obsessing and start listening.

Your point of reference can and will change.

Different interconnects don't make audible differences.

Peace!

BRAVO!!!!

And don't forget to go out and listen to some live music once and awhile, so you don't forget what its really supposed to sound like! No system will ever sound as good as live.

ND13

Originally posted by billbillw
BRAVO!!!!

And don't forget to go out and listen to some live music once and awhile, so you don't forget what its really supposed to sound like! No system will ever sound as good as live.

Only if the soundboard operator knows what he's doing and the band isn't too effed up to perform.;)

billbillw

Originally posted by ND13
Here's one:

If you can't hear, but only measure with a scope or meter, the difference between two pieces of gear, is it really worth the change?

How about if someone says "They can hear a difference", but a scope/meter CANNOT measure any difference?

I can think of a few examples, but those arguements have been beaten to death around here.

ND13

Originally posted by billbillw
How about if someone says "They can hear a difference", but a scope/meter CANNOT measure any difference?

I can think of a few examples, but those arguements have been beaten to death around here.

Most people will never, publically, admit they have made a costly mistake by purchasing something they thought/heard was going to make a drastic difference in their rig's SQ, only to find out it didn't make a lick of difference. So to make themselves feel like they didn't make a mistake, they lie to themselves and eventually convince themselves that it did make a difference.


Or it just ends up here on the FM for sale at a drastically reduced price.:D

Jstas

Originally posted by ND13
Most people will never, publically, admit they have made a costly mistake by purchasing something they thought/heard was going to make a drastic difference in their rig's SQ, only to find out it didn't make a lick of difference. So to make themselves feel like they didn't make a mistake, they lie to themselves and eventually convince themselves that it did make a difference.

That would be rationalization.

As far as my post goes, I have had many transactions with forum members both public to the boards and privately held. I have yet to have a bad experience. Mr. Driver was a delight to deal with and a fine example of a human being!

My post was a generalization about people in general. If you feel the need to take offense to it or read more into it then maybe it hit too close to home for you? If you feel that it warrants not doing business with me well then that's your loss, not mine. Finally, as stated before, my comments were related to dealing with the general public on eBay, not the CP forums.

I guess it just goes to show that nobody agrees with your point of view unless it is exactly like theirs and people will see and hear what they want to see and hear.

organ

Awesome. I don't have anymore to add. A lot of people said to add tubes in the mix. Tube rolling is the cheapest way to change the sound of your system.

Maurice

heiney9

Originally posted by Jstas
That would be rationalization.

As far as my post goes, I have had many transactions with forum members both public to the boards and privately held. I have yet to have a bad experience. Mr. Driver was a delight to deal with and a fine example of a human being!

My post was a generalization about people in general. If you feel the need to take offense to it or read more into it then maybe it hit too close to home for you? If you feel that it warrants not doing business with me well then that's your loss, not mine. Finally, as stated before, my comments were related to dealing with the general public on eBay, not the CP forums.

I guess it just goes to show that nobody agrees with your point of view unless it is exactly like theirs and people will see and hear what they want to see and hear.

Uhmmm. Maybe if you had prefaced your original post there wouldn’t have been such a backlash? Just a thought. In general I feel that way about some human beings, some of the time. You are certainly entitled to have your opinion, but I can see how some here in the forum would take it wrong.

In the end a post in a forum like this is just a “snippet” of how we feel at that particular moment in that point in time. Nothing more, nothing less.

H9

Spawndn72

1) If you see something on ebay that you think is a really good deal, but no one else is bidding on it. It's not becasue everyone else is stupid. It is becasue everyone else is smarter than you.

2) If something is rare, the parts you need to fix it are also rare.

3)BOTL stuff is not worth having, even if it is free.

4) Find a hobby and stick with it. If you get tired of it, take a break, BUT DO NOT PICK UP ANOTHER HOBBY DURING THAT BREAK!