If I had it to do all over again?

honesthoff · « **on:** 5 Mar 2009, 05:56 am »

One of my favorite mind exercises is to think about what I would do then if I knew what I know now (Bob Seger lyric?)

. I would:

Buy a huge cap solid state $1500-$2500 integrated.
Buy three or four big bass traps.
Buy the best $1000 CD Player I could find.
Buy a $200 Oppo DVD player.
Buy a pair of <$2000 Monitors that go down to 50.
Stop worrying about cables, iso platforms, and other voodoo acoustic sh*t.

How about you?

Zero · « **Reply #1 on:** 5 Mar 2009, 06:06 am »

Although I absolutely love hi-fi and how it's enabled me to experience the music that I love, in hindsight, I wish I would have stuck with the first system I ever got. I started off with some damned good speakers as it was ($2000 back in 1999/2000). I enjoyed my system just as much back then. I guess you could say that ignorance was bliss. Oh well, there's no turning back now! So in the spirit of the thread, if I could do it all over again, I would have worked harder, saved up a lot more cash, and then buy a pricey yet kick ass system instead of spending time and losing money with the middle of the road stuff.

BobM · « **Reply #2 on:** 5 Mar 2009, 01:55 pm »

Not much differently at my end. I've had lots of fun modding and learning as I go, and I don't turn over equipment very much at all (same amp and speakers for about 10 years now, but I have modded them in that time).

Bob

jrebman · « **Reply #3 on:** 5 Mar 2009, 02:37 pm »

If I had it to do all over again... well, actually, I am doing it all over again, and after going through all kinds of speakers, amps, sources, SS, tube, new, vintage, I'd do what I'm doing now.

Simple, low power, high quality single ended tube amps (el84 and 300b), tube preamp, a good tube NOS dac, a modded oppo player, and efficient and musical single driver speakers with bass augmentation. Couple that with good resonance control and quality copper cabling and as simple a signal path as possible, and I've nver been closer to the music. But my priorities lie with what I like to call the 3 Ts -- Tone, Timing, and Transparency With good detail, and reasonable soundstaging, imaging, and dynamics. I don't need kick you in the gut bass or the ability to recreate a rock concert or full scale orchestra in my listening space.

Even the most outrageously expensive, cost-no-object systems don't sound anything like live to me, so for me, a system that concentrates on bringing the essence of the music to me is what I'm after, and have finally found. Of course the usual disclaimer of my ears, my musical tastes, my room, etc., all apply and are surely different from what I prceive to be typical audiophile priorities.

Nobody's right and nobody's wrong, and I think it's great that we can all find things that work for us and manufacturers that support us.

-- Jim

JLM · « **Reply #4 on:** 5 Mar 2009, 05:41 pm »

I would have learned more about music and electrical basics to gain a better appreciation of it all.

Much of the time/money spent by any of us can be caulked up to learning experiences and the cost of education. Among my "mistakes" were:

Building monster passive subs (designed to augment the monitors I'd bought). They were just too big, powerful, and went too deep. The woodworking was "fun" but they only sounded good in a 20,000 cu. ft. space.

Selling my Hafler pre/power amps that I had assembled as kits for $500.

Trying battery powered Tripath (relatively expensive and underpowered). Note that I've heard "dirty" power but have never had to live with it.

Not getting into a dedicated listening room sooner.

Among the successes were:

Discovering the huge advantages of transmission line and active designs.

Finding the imaging and coherency potential of single driver speakers.

Losing the surface noise associated with vinyl.

cujobob · « **Reply #5 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 06:59 am »

I've been pretty good about most of my purchases...but I regret not auditioning more speakers in the past before making my first big purchase. The other thing would be trying to put systems into less than optimal spots in a room...I wish I had spent more time getting room acoustics right instead of trying to fix the sound by upgrading other gear.

TheChairGuy · « **Reply #6 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 01:31 pm »

No regrets - only good memories of learning from failures

I keep thinking my education complete from time to time...then am amazed that it is nearly endless in scope.

But, at least now I've reached a point of satiety each day. It reminds me of an original (ie, live or live recorded) music event each time I listen to my system. I'm not really sure why it does, but it does to me (vinyl only...the digital formats don't approximate the same for me)

John

jimdgoulding · « **Reply #7 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 03:24 pm »

I wouldn't have sold my DQ10's or my Precision Fidelity passive tube pre. Would like to still have my Accuphase MC cartridge, too. Cheers.

Brown · « **Reply #8 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 04:22 pm »

A dedicated engineered listening room around my speakers would be the first priority. A Mc Intosh system [ tubed pre SS amp ] with Snell B speakers. MIT cabling [ the old 350 ]. This system even today would turn some heads.

mcgsxr · « **Reply #9 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 04:44 pm »

I am happy with the progression that I took, but there are a few things that I might have done differently.

1 - DIY more, sooner. Right from the first serious system I DIY'd a flexi-rack (though I had no plans, or knowledge that it existed - I just bought threaded rod, and had 2x6 pine laminated into 20x18x1.5 boards that I stained mahogany to match my Totems at the time), so I was aware of it, but never really embraced it until recently.

2 - Tried tubes sooner. I ignored for a long time, the things that folks had to say about tubes. Ironically, it was only through experimenting with Tripath amps, that I became more open to trying new amp types, and found love with my single ended EL84 amp.

3 - Kept my Sugden integrated. I regret selling it. I needed to, in order to afford to experiment with Tripaths etc, so it is all part of the journey, but that piece haunts me. It wouldl have been really nice to build a 2nd system around, in retrospect.

Watson · « **Reply #10 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 04:45 pm »

The whole hobby has been enjoyable for me and I wouldn't change anything, except I wouldn't have wrestled for so long with trying to use speakers in an unbearably bright room. Some rooms just aren't meant for speakers without serious treatment.

TONEPUB · « **Reply #11 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 05:01 pm »

If I didn't review gear for a living and I was just having fun I'd go the integrated route for sure

Burmester 082 Integrated
Burmester 061 CD player/DAC
Sooloos Music server
Harbeth 40.1s
Rega P9

It would all fit on one rack, nice and tidy.

nathanm · « **Reply #12 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 05:19 pm »

Macro regret: I should not have bought any equipment at all, saved every penny I could and bought a house where one can actually play a stereo. Instead I have great "paint", "brushes", and "good ideas" but no canvas! Moron!

Positive Corollary: I didn't buy a house I couldn't afford, which is apparently what people equally as poor as me did out there and then got screwed.

Micro regret: I would undo all the time and money I wasted making those damn Homegrown Audio silver cables. Dangle a pretty woven bauble in front of me and I fucking fell for it. $400 flushed down the drain for absolutely nothing.

By far the biggest waste of money ever. The $70 needle tip cleaner thing is also a sore spot. Yeah it works fine, but $70 for a 1" square piece of sorbothane? Sheesh! I'm over that, though.

TomS · « **Reply #13 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 05:38 pm »

I would have taken my piano lessons more seriously as a kid, so I could play more for enjoyment today. I really admire people who can sit with an instrument and music just flows from their hands. Beats a hifi anyday but my playing, even to my ears, is unfortunately atrocious.

BossaNova31 · « **Reply #14 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 06:16 pm »

I would put together a very simple but musical system.

Manley Stingray
Omega Super 8 XRS speakers
Anticables
Modwright Transporter

After hearing the system I put together for a good friend recently (Super 6 XRS + Stingray) it occured to me that I have spent several times that and Im not quite sure the difference justifies what I spent.

Bob in St. Louis · « **Reply #15 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 06:22 pm »

Fortunately I haven't wasted any serious time or money on this hobby "doing the wrong thing". Also, haven't had to replace much in the good name of "upgraditis" due to the good advice of my forum buddies steering me to the right thing, the first time. I don't have huge mega dollar items (as you can see in my signature), but what I do have is a very listenable system that gives me a lot of pleasure.

I suppose if there was one thing I regret, it's the size harddrive I bought. I didn't know that a 500GB HDD isn't going to last long. That got upgraded much sooner than I care to admit (compaired to the money I paid for the first one).

Bottom line is if the house caught fire and I litterally started from Step #1, it would be exactly the same as it is now.
I'm very happy with it.

Oh...Now that I've typed that, there is one thing. I would have isolated the ceiling of my room from the floor joists above it instead of making direct contact. The idea of low frequency sound waves traveling (easily) though building materials apparently didn't occur to me when I built the room.

Bob

Larkston Zinaspic · « **Reply #16 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 06:28 pm »

Quote from: TomS on 6 Mar 2009, 05:38 pm

I would have taken my piano lessons more seriously as a kid, so I could play more for enjoyment today. I really admire people who can sit with an instrument and music just flows from their hands. Beats a hifi anyday but my playing, even to my ears, is unfortunately atrocious.

I agree...not that your playing is atrocious, but that everything you said before that mirrors my own sentiments.

turkey · « **Reply #17 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 08:37 pm »

I just more-or-less _did_ do everything over again.

I bought a Spherex Xbox 5.1 system from Klipsch a couple of weeks ago.

For playing music CDs I'm running via Toslink from an inexpensive DVD player into the Spherex system.

This system is one of the best I've ever heard, and it was dirt cheap.

Yes, the bass is not the greatest. It does a good job of imitating low bass, but it's not going to shake the whole house or anything. The rest of the spectrum is superb. It sounds absolutely clean, detailed, and dynamic. What you have on the recording is what you hear.

I was listening to some Shostakovich late last night and I dozed off. I woke up and thought for a second that I was at a live concert.

So, if I really had it to do over again, I'd probably buy a surround sound receiver, a set of Mirage Omnipolar satellites, and 2 or 3 reasonably-priced subs (sort of like what Earl Geddes recommends for bass). Or I'd just stick with the Spherex system and spend my money on more CDs.

orthobiz · « **Reply #18 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 08:37 pm »

1. Listen to music less loudly in my formative years. I have ringing constantly.
2. Put all my records in dustjackets starting in 1971. Cleaned them a little better before playing.
3. Bought more records all along the way.
4. Listen to at least SOME music all along the way instead of packing my stereo up for more than 10 years and listening to Raffi and Barney exclusively when the kids were young.

Paul

orthobiz · « **Reply #19 on:** 6 Mar 2009, 08:40 pm »

Quote from: jimdgoulding on 6 Mar 2009, 03:24 pm

I wouldn't have sold my DQ10's. Cheers.

One of our AC members has a great pair for sale (no relation).
http://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=65467.0

Paul