What is your actual goal in Hi-Fi

Simply to enjoy any kind of music reproduced well, because my tastes cover a wide spectrum.
Also I do not want to listen to the system per se, and then start pulling it apart. With some systems you are left with no choice, they are so pernickety.

I have a few.

First is to get a sound that moves and stimulates me. I have that on both formats, so for the first time in my life, that bit is sorted.

The second part is the chase, I enjoy buying bargains, especially rare stuff. I also like refurbing unloved kit. At one time the two were linked in that I bought stuff to try in my main system but that’s not the case anymore. I really buy out of habit these days, but I do like seeing stuff improved and I also love selling something on for more than I paid one I’ve had a play.

Many chase unreachable and unaffordable ultimates for years. Eventually the sensible ones get the message and realise that while you may find better or preferable, there's no 'best' of any kind of gear.

Hi-fi at any price level is a compromise.

Get what you like the sound of and can afford and build your own where you can, if you can.

I always had an idea of what I wanted in terms of the quality and presentation. I think that came from 2 systems I heard when I was a teenager. Mates dad's JVC/JBL system and a system in Beaver Radio, Liverpool, that some young yuppie couple were auditioning (I was just hanging round at the back hoping not to be noticed). Can't recall the electronics but the speakers were the big B&W Matrix floortstanders that were new out at the time.

But I had no money and just had to get what I could afford. Ollie might think he has gone through a lot of changes, but in those days I would do as many changes as he has done in total  in about 6 months. The difference was his system was improving with each change whereas mine was just going round in circles.

I ended up with Linn LK1/LK100 and Celestion A2 speakers which I had for a long time, about a decade, and which was a competent system by any parameters, but I knew there was better to be had quality wise and the presentation was not exactly what I was after either. So I joined a forum (AoS) to try and get some ideas and started box-swapping again.

It was only then I realised there was a shitload of hi-fi information on the internet so I started learning about how it all worked and over a couple of years I changed my perspective on the whole thing a bit. I started to get an idea of where to spend what money there was more effectively and not waste it on tat.

When I realised I was approaching fifty and still didn't have what I wanted after 30 years I thought 'F#ck that' and decided I was going to get there even if it broke me. But partly by accident, partly by design I got there and it didn't cost that much in the end.

Andre, What was the best system you ever had/heard?

S.

My goal in HiFi?
I don’t have one.

And was it vinyl or digital ?

You know you want me to say Vinyl. Well seen as it was pre CD Vinyl. But i was new to Hi-Fi then & did not have any issues with anything back then unlike today. 

I thought that went without saying.

So your favourite ever system was vinyl.
Ok.

Not bought any for a while. I have not felt the need. Last thing I bought was a vintage AT cartridge, but they are pretty much consumables.

I think mine is a probably doomed attempt to recapture the excitement of hearing music through a (sort of) 'proper' hifi in my early 20s. I say 'doomed' because my ears are a lot older now, so I'll never be able to hear what I heard then, however good the system.

There is no doubt about that.  My appreciation of music I hope will never go away, even I happen to go deaf, I will still  be able to hear it in my head.




I gave up looking for the perfect system, and or medium long ago.  Now it is simply about being able to sit down and enjoy the music;  from whatever source that music happens to be stored on, using a system that does not induce listener fatigue.  The day may well come when I will have to give up my kit, and move into an old age home.  If I am then stuck only with a boom box and some headphones then so be it.  

Had a math's teacher in high school who had a forest growing out his ears. He was insane. He beat the boy sitting opposite me one morning on the back with his cane, till it broke into little pieces. I sat there thinking poor Trevor is getting a beating because the date on his homework is wrong, what is this lunatic going to do to me, I haven't even done the homework.