Is it possible to be a budget audiophile
- Thread starter Chandos
- Start date
The farther you stay from serious consideration of what you read in the audiophile magazines, the better. After all, they are in business to make money. They make money from advertising. They get their advertising from manufacturers and dealers. The manufacturers and dealers get their money from....YOU.
Last thing you need is to take seriously their "value" assessments.
Last thing you need is to take seriously their "value" assessments.
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
:yes:
Absolutely. Off to a great start.
To the OP, what are you using for a source (You know, like for CD's or digital music files)? If you play a lot of digital files that you've got stored on your PC and are running a cable from the PC's headphone-out to the AUX-IN's on the preamp/amp, a good external DAC will give your digital side a serious performance boost. It will clean up the muddiness, blurring, etc. and make the sound much-more-coherent, plus it will improve dynamics in a big way (and if you're running USB-only, the HRT MSII is probably the best you'll find for $150 or less). And try an early '70's Sansui or Sherwood with those W60D's if you want them to really-open up (And recapping will help a lot too).
I have the W60E's that followed the W60D's. They really-impressed me a lot in the 4 years I've had them. I'm a po' man like yourself (musician), so I've been putting my system together on a shoestring. My main system, listed below, cost me about a grand, give or take. For my smaller place, a low-powered system works very-well. I chose the Sansui 2000x for it's ability to sound great even at a whisper as well as it's ability to punch WELL-above it's weight class (I also just like the way it's voiced). And I like the old Wharfedale speakers because they do very-well in smaller rooms. The Dual 1019 is just a good ol', well-built, well-designed table that makes old '60's and '70's vinyl sound "right". And all of them are sleeper brands that fly under the radar, so the price is "right" as well. In the recent past, I went from W60E's to W60's and then to my current W90's (the first version from around '64). Here's a short video from the weekend I bought them (I was running them with the 2000x and the MSII dac, using my computer as a music-server):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49yUX-f-S1g
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poppachubby
Boo Yaka! Boo Yaka!
Bingo!!!
There's some really great nuggets here for the OP to consider. I will certainly say one thing, having a sizable budget does NOT ensure good or quality sound. And this is where a thrifty audiophile can really come out ahead.
I would say that certain things must be established to really make any budget work itself to the fullest.
1) You must firstly have an understanding of your tastes.
2) To achieve 1, you must reseach and audition to know which gear can provide the sounds you are after.
3) An understanding of synergy and its ability to create a sum greater than its parts.
4) The fun/tricky/frustrating part, finding the comparitive gear that will not break your budget. More researching and tireless effort to unearth those gems which we all know are out there.
I guess the example scenario is that after 25 visits to your local boutique shop, you have learned the kind of sound you like, which can be had from "X" brands at a minimum of "X" dollars. You must now translate these things into your budget.
It may be a matter of buying a 20 year old version of an amp, perhaps finding that really unknown model which sells for less, etc, etc. Don't be hasty and enjoy the journey, I sure did.
The key is to spread AudioKarma around enough by giving and getting deals until you have the system you like. What goes around comes around...
Gang-Twanger
Resident Wharfedaliophool
I tried rolling my own, but the transistors kept tearing through the paper. Plus, I always ended up with rolled-off ends and a big, fat, bump in the middle...
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When a person opens a thread and asks everyones personal opinion why would you tell him NOT to listen to something posted here? And then tell him to stop listening to anyone altogether and do what he alone thinks is best?
Just impolite hypocrisy there. Happens in every single "What do you think" thread.
Just express your own opinion and let the OP to decide for himself. Its that simple.
Just impolite hypocrisy there. Happens in every single "What do you think" thread.
Just express your own opinion and let the OP to decide for himself. Its that simple.
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Taowolf51
Well-Known Member
For me, Audiogon seems to always be at the top end of the used price range (though usually you know it's well taken care of). Ebay is usually cheaper, than the cheapest is usually Craigslist.
240sx4u
Lunatic Member
Anything that is a steal gets snapped up on A'gon very quickly. Odds are the best deals are the ones you and I always miss.
bobbyonions
AK Member
Audiophile? What's that?
soundboy
Super Member
My bargain basement system:
Sherwood RX-4109 stereo receiver $ 60.00 (Black Friday special at Radio Shack)
Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray/SACD/CD player $100.00
Pioneer SP-BS-41LR bookshelf speakers $100.00/pair (Andrew Jones designed)
So, under $300 for a system of new components. The system delivers very good sound. Period.
Sherwood RX-4109 stereo receiver $ 60.00 (Black Friday special at Radio Shack)
Sony BDP-S370 Blu-ray/SACD/CD player $100.00
Pioneer SP-BS-41LR bookshelf speakers $100.00/pair (Andrew Jones designed)
So, under $300 for a system of new components. The system delivers very good sound. Period.
In my opinion, absolutely and without question! As already mentioned, an "audiophile" is someone who always strives to get the best sound reproduction from the gear they have on hand or can afford to buy (if no gear pre-existing or when replacement is needed), no matter what the budget happens to be. What being an "audiophile" is not about, is money. Money has zero to do with sound quality. There is a club around my area that thinks being an "audiophile" is about out-spending the next guy and purchasing every little peice of snake oil that comes down the road and they aren't shy about it either. Most of these guys have more money than sense and are pursuing unobtainium = the perfect system or peice of gear right down to the inner-connects (and you should see what these guys are willing to pay for a single 3 foot inner-connect). I calls them "audiophools".
In my opinion, an "audiophile" is someone who asks questions to get educated about what they are trying to achieve within their means. An "audiophile" is someone who knows how to get the best out of every piece of gear they have, learning along the way. An "audiophile" is someone who learns to know the most important and impactful/effective changes and tweaks that can be made to improve the sound of their system. An "audiophile" is someone who knows that nothing will change or improve a poorly produced recording and that you can't polish a turd. Most importantly, an "audiophile" is someone who loves music and knows a good recording from a bad one.
Just my personal definition, agreement and disagreement will vary.
Personally, I don't care about the label "audiophile" one way or the other. I'm far from being daddy deep-pockets and who cares? Money does not make an "audiophile". It's all about the music.
Just enjoy the music.
In my opinion, an "audiophile" is someone who asks questions to get educated about what they are trying to achieve within their means. An "audiophile" is someone who knows how to get the best out of every piece of gear they have, learning along the way. An "audiophile" is someone who learns to know the most important and impactful/effective changes and tweaks that can be made to improve the sound of their system. An "audiophile" is someone who knows that nothing will change or improve a poorly produced recording and that you can't polish a turd. Most importantly, an "audiophile" is someone who loves music and knows a good recording from a bad one.
Just my personal definition, agreement and disagreement will vary.
Personally, I don't care about the label "audiophile" one way or the other. I'm far from being daddy deep-pockets and who cares? Money does not make an "audiophile". It's all about the music.
Just enjoy the music.
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poppachubby
Boo Yaka! Boo Yaka!
In my opinion, absolutely and without question! As already mentioned, an "audiophile" is someone who always strives to get the best sound reproduction from the gear they have on hand or can afford to buy (if no gear pre-existing or when replacement is needed), no matter what the budget happens to be. What being an "audiophile" is not about, is money. Money has zero to do with sound quality. There is a club around my area that thinks being an "audiophile" is about out-spending the next guy and purchasing every little peice of snake oil that comes down the road and they aren't shy about it either. Most of these guys have more money than sense and are pursuing unobtainium = the perfect system or peice of gear right down to the inner-connects (and you should see what these guys are willing to pay for a single 3 foot inner-connect). I calls them "audiophools".
In my opinion, an "audiophile" is someone who asks questions to get educated about what they are trying to achieve within their means. An "audiophile" is someone who knows how to get the best out of every piece of gear they have, learning along the way. An "audiophile" is someone who learns to know the most important and impactful/effective changes and tweaks that can be made to improve the sound of their system. An "audiophile" is someone who knows that nothing will change or improve a poorly produced recording and that you can't polish a turd. Most importantly, an "audiophile" is someone who loves music and knows a good recording from a bad one.
Just my personal definition, agreement and disagreement will vary.
Personally, I don't care about the label "audiophile" one way or the other. I'm far from being daddy deep-pockets and who cares? Money does not make an "audiophile". It's all about the music.
Just enjoy the music.
A very passionate sentiment. I totally understand where you're coming from, but I just sense a bit of hostility. I know the type of hobbyist that you're talking about, but we still must acknowledge that a good ear, attitude and budget can go a long way in audio.
Money does infact have something to do with sound quality. A Rega P5 performs better than an entry level Rega. What money doesn't do, is exclude those with less of it from accessing hi-fi sound quality.
I hate to say it, but in a way we need those "audiophools" because they are the ones who help to keep the brick and mortar shops going. I have two boutique stores in my city and they are NOT funded by budget, deal seeking guys like us.
The other point I would agree with you on is the term audiophile itself. It's a shame because I know guys like our good friend JoeESP9 prides himself on being an audiophile. Lots of guys do. The sad fact is that in many ways the industry itself has turned the term into a catch-all marketing term. One of the local shops here does alot of radio ads, and I got into a pretty heated argument once regarding exactly this topic - their use of the word audiophile.
Glen B
Super Member
My personal definition of an audiophile has always been a person who has an ongoing interest in setting up, maintaining, and improving upon the best sounding music playback system THEY can afford.
I started out around 1969, with a scratch-built mono EL84 tube amp, DIY speakers, and an old Collaro turntable given to me by an older cousin. I read Hi-Fi News, and High Fidelity and Musical America (later renamed just High Fidelity) magazines every month, and salivated over the equipment I saw.
I was always tweaking my setup, trying to improve it. Soon I built another mono amp and speaker, and I was soon enjoying stereo. I considered myself an audiophile then, as I do now. It was about the passion, not what my equipment cost.
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Chandos
Member
Lots of goodies here, I love seeing what can be accomplished with a bit of luck and extra time and not very much money.
Also lots of good advice.
I did set up rss feeds for craigslist, something I have been meaning to do for a while now and just have been to lazy to get around to. Its hard to beat the flippers when something good comes up cheap, hopefully this helps.
Also lots of good advice.
I did set up rss feeds for craigslist, something I have been meaning to do for a while now and just have been to lazy to get around to. Its hard to beat the flippers when something good comes up cheap, hopefully this helps.