Is it possible to be a budget audiophile

[B Grace]

__________________


I remember that it was about 50 ft. Luckily, we had a number of trees outside my bedroom window which worked rather well. Other than offering a thumb as a wire hold-down, my Dad made me do it all. I don't think I ever thanked him for that and of course he's gone now.

Best Regards,
TerryO

Made me think of all of the stuff I should thank my dad for. Helping my two daughters now has helped me realize my dad knew I would thank him later.

When I was seven years old I used some of my savings to buy one of the Radio Shack AM radio kits and I listened to local radio updates on the 1980 Olympics through that white earphone. I now try to take one or both of my kids to Radio Shack whenever I need something. I've actually bought batteries at our local Radio Shack, something I never thought I'd do. Those Arduino kits look interesting but not quite in the way that radio kit did.

My first real stereo was the factory radio my brother swapped out of his car. I placed it on my desk with the speakers at the corners, and powered it with a slot-car track transformer. No bass but great imaging! And free stereo until my brother sold that car. I was ten at the time and I still haven't figured out why my dad let me try experiments like that.

I've been on a steady upgrade path with gear since then so I must be an audiophile.

 

[DougMac]

Some of us old guys actually built crystal receivers way back then. Mine worked well enough to get me interested in radio and electronics. I was about 8. That was 1955.

Joe, I'm a few years behind you, but I built a crystal set as well. It's exciting to hear sound coming out of something you built!

Where things can get expensive is when there's a never ending quest for either something better or the latest and greatest. I'm amazed when I read a long list of turntables people have owned or currently own. I can count on one hand the number of turntables I've owned over the last 50 years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing people who have owned 20 turntables in the last 20 years, it's just not how I've done it.

 

[grillebilly]

definition of audiophile : a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction
so how much we spend has no bearing on our love of the hobby

 

[Jodd40]

I'm constantly going to thrift stores to see if I can get a steal on some speakers.

YES!

 

[TerryO]

Did you at least Hear Any Thing on It?

I "think" you're asking me?

The answer is yes, it worked pretty well to be honest...once I found the right spot on the crystal, which wasn't easy at all. That should have been printed on the instructions (I'm pretty sure it wasn't) as I'm wondering how many radios went into the trash because the builder never found a good spot on the crystal?

Now I'm thinking of building another one, maybe with my youngest son or one of my Grandchildren. Hmmmmmm..........


Best Regards,
TerryO

 

[Jon.]

Yes, on two fronts. First, I'm sure we all have heard of "some guy" who makes minimum wage and lives in a trailer, but has a multikilobuck system. I know a few myself.

Second, and what's probably more salient to the "budget audiophile" moniker, I'm sure there are plenty of guys like myself, who may not spend a ridiculous proportion of income on gear, but are always tweaking what they have so that they hear every cent's worth of performance. Proper isolation, placement, system matching, DIY, tweaking, etc., it's all mostly free, but it can be priceless.

How many of you have just cringed to see gear that's better than yours just "shoved into a corner" and expected to sound good? I'll spare you the rant.

 

[Permanent Waves]

Simply: yes! :yes:

 

[JoeESP9]

Joe, I'm a few years behind you, but I built a crystal set as well. It's exciting to hear sound coming out of something you built!

Where things can get expensive is when there's a never ending quest for either something better or the latest and greatest. I'm amazed when I read a long list of turntables people have owned or currently own. I can count on one hand the number of turntables I've owned over the last 50 years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not dissing people who have owned 20 turntables in the last 20 years, it's just not how I've done it.

I've tried to stay away from that "quest". My solution has always been to save so that I could buy what would be worth keeping and listening to for the long term. Since the 70's I've owned three TT's. The Rat Shack Lab 400 I bought in 1975 I eventually gave to a friend. The Micro Seiki DQ-43 I bought in 1982 I still have as a spare. The VPI HW-19Jr. I bought in the late 80's (88?) has been brought up to full HW-19 specs. Along the way I've replaced the main bearing and platter. The original Audioquest arm has been put away as a spare. It was replaced with a Rega
RB-300. That has been rewired and a new stub and weight added. A VPI SDS motor control was the last addition.

IMO you actually save money in the long run with my approach. Using my system as a means to an end rather than a toy to tinker with is the difference. Fixing and tinkering with things is something I've never cared for. One of my professors in college instilled in me the idea that good design and engineering should last and require little to no maintenance. I've applied this attitude to my system.

More music, less wrench time!

 

[poppachubby]

I've tried to stay away from that "quest". My solution has always been to save so that I could buy what would be worth keeping and listening to for the long term. Since the 70's I've owned three TT's. The Rat Shack Lab 400 I bought in 1975 I eventually gave to a friend. The Micro Seiki DQ-43 I bought in 1982 I still have as a spare. The VPI HW-19Jr. I bought in the late 80's (88?) has been brought up to full HW-19 specs. Along the way I've replaced the main bearing and platter. The original Audioquest arm has been put away as a spare. It was replaced with a Rega
RB-300. That has been rewired and a new stub and weight added. A VPI SDS motor control was the last addition.

IMO you actually save money in the long run with my approach. Using my system as a means to an end rather than a toy to tinker with is the difference. Fixing and tinkering with things is something I've never cared for. One of my professors in college instilled in me the idea that good design and engineering should last and require little to no maintenance. I've applied this attitude to my system.

More music, less wrench time!

You are a prince amongst peasants, and so, I bow. Thanks to guys like you I was able to consider a solid path which of course, wasn't half as long as it was when you took it. Now I am in that exact spot that I always envied. You are right Joe... more music is the key!!

 

[sled108]

I "think" you're asking me?

The answer is yes, it worked pretty well to be honest...once I found the right spot on the crystal, which wasn't easy at all. That should have been printed on the instructions (I'm pretty sure it wasn't) as I'm wondering how many radios went into the trash because the builder never found a good spot on the crystal?

Now I'm thinking of building another one, maybe with my youngest son or one of my Grandchildren. Hmmmmmm..........


Best Regards,
TerryO

I just wish that Back Then they told Me about the Indoor 'Web' Antenna...Way better than the Tree to Tree into the Window Type...
I'll have to check Mom's Attic, and see if I can find the Thing...

 

[TerryO]

I just wish that Back Then they told Me about the Indoor 'Web' Antenna...Way better than the Tree to Tree into the Window Type...
I'll have to check Mom's Attic, and see if I can find the Thing...

Now that would be a "real find" if you can come up with it!

Good Luck,
Terry

 

[MikeT.]

Absolutely possible. I've always looked for equipment, regardless of price, that emulated great sounding gear that I couldn't afford at the time. I bought some Mission 70 loudspeakers which had dynamics and a sonic signature similar to the larger Mission 770's which I thought were amazing but were $1200 a pair in the mid-70's. There were several great Sony integrated amps around at the same time, I think it was a TA 2650 that had quite a punch and sounded great. Turntable was a relatively inexpensive Sony with a Goldring cartridge. View attachment 384597

View attachment 384598

 

[Drumolator]

I love getting the best sound for a little money. Here is the system I listen to the most, and it was all bought new.

Audiosource Model Amp One/A power amp - $200
Technical Pro PRE-B5050 preamp - $130
Sony CDP-CE500 Cd player - $110 (bought this a few days ago)
Sony SA-W2500 subwoofer - $100
DIY speakers with Pioneer 4.5 inch full-range drivers - cost me about $30

This system cost me less than $600, and I love how it sounds. Peace and goodwill.

 

[bluesky]

Yes.

Just need great sound with feeling.

 

[musichal]

Is it possible not to be? Only for a very few, and most of them aren't interested. (Budgets are relative.)

 

[Ths364]

You can totally do it on a budget- you just can't do it in a hurry on a budget without some luck. Try! There are a couple of threads around here that illustrate "best system under $100" wherein folks have posted what receiver/amp-preamp, turntable and speakers they've purchased for under a hundred bucks and many come in well below that. That's where "Scroe" comes from- the excitement of the find overwhelmed the spelling part of the guys brain. (okay I made that last bit up, but you get the idea). Have fun with it!

 

[zebra03]

You bet . My bedroom system consists of

A refurbed from the factory HK 3485 receiver - $150
Technics SL-PD9 TOTL carousel CD player - $20
Pioneer HPM-150 speakers - $175

It is now

Pioneer SX1250 $60
Technics SL-PD9 TOTL carousel CD player - $20
Genesis 210 $150
Pioneer HPM150 $175

all costs include the price paid plus price for fixing

 

[Poultrygeist]

The best bang for your buck is DIY and not the difficult cabinet building DIY.

A sheet of plywood bought and cut at Home Depot, a jig saw for the holes and $250 for the drivers will get you these Zu killers.

I call them Zu killers as I sold mine after building them.

 

[reggaenaut]

Depends on what is meant by budget.

There is no getting away from it, audiophile equipment is expensive for the average worker.

 

[cratz2]

As many have said, I never viewed the two terms as mutually exclusive.

I've never liked the term audiophile as it has always instilled the idea of someone that values the gear over the music or musical enjoyment. Having said that, when I think if audiophile gear, I think of equipment where the design holds accuracy over specs or of trying to make an instant impression in a shop.

I think a pair of PSB Image 2Bs at $160 used, a $300 used Adcom preamp and 150 watt power amp combo is a great bang for the buck setup. On a tight budget, I'd go for a 90s Denon or Onkyo receiver of at least 80 watts.

For a bit more bottom end, I bought a pair of NHT Super Twos for $100 a while back. They trade a but of natural SQ for more grunt but if you listen to a lot of larger scale orchestral or jazz, that might be a good tradeoff.

If you listen to a lot of live music, esp acoustic music, either of these will be radically closer to an audiophile standard than most 80s Cerwin Vega 'party' type gear or 'pleasant but inaccurate' Bose speakers, either of which might be in the same financial ballpark.