HI All,
Hope I am not stating the obvious.
Whilst ruminating on the hypothetical instance of recommending a "final" or "decent" or "non-fatiguing" system for a friend, it dawned on me that I don't think it is possible to make such a recommendation. So in fact instead of getting upset with reviewers and bloggers who speak about basic systems , in fact anyone getting into audio must begin with a "beginner system" and work themselves up. This conclusion stems from what I have come to learn:- that anyone's system that they enjoy in their specific listening environment is the result of tweaking over time, with swapping of components, the cables and set-up in the room until you arrive at a sound that mesmerizes you and you realise that you've hit a sweet spot. In fact the same system in another room may sound awful, even or especially if it had better/different cables or even power cable. Your specific "weak link" may in fact be what is smoothing things out.
Hence the need for a beginner system. Components that are just decent enough to start things off and then begins the fun (it is a hobby after all), of polishing until that night when you play a track that gives you goose bumps and you turn to your spouse and remark how the counter-intuitive step of buying a 20 year old amp to replace your modern one has made the difference.
Maybe the pundits should explain why the term "beginner" is a time reference as opposed to a skills one and the importance of the beginner system and not that it's for cheapies.
Whilst it may be smaller in stature to your final system, it is in fact figuratively the huge marble block that the final sculpture will emerge from.
