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Mid-Fi Obsession

J Schneider said:
Thanks guys.

Sorry - I know that seemed like a dopey post, but honestly I have no one else to talk to about this stuff.

My friends are content with the quality of their iPhone docks and satellite radio. They have no idea what a tube is. My wife lets me do / buy whatever I want but could care less about the details of it all.

- Jonathan
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I hear ya man.
 
J Schneider said:
Cubdog -

I'm moving this week and they're packed. But you can see them here:

http://discover.store.sony.com/ES/es-speakers/SS-NA5ES.html

(Believe me - you can get them for cheaper than $6K)

I will say, they're not much to look at. But they are a joy to listen to - it's one of those additions to my system which has made me feel like I've listened to music for the first time. The detail, soundstage, and bass are extremely impressive - even at low volumes.

There are only about 10 dealers in the US that are carrying them. Fortunately, one is here in Palm Beach Gardens. The dealer said he would sell more of them but not for the Sony name. Once I heard them, however, they could have been any brand. They just blew me away. I went 3 times to the store to listen and each time did so in a room that was the same size as my future listening room and with the same amp as mine (the MC 275).

- Jonathan
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What is Mid-fi?
6k for Sony??? But they aren't even tower speakers
 
I think mid-fi, at least in this discussion, is intended as shorthand for components that are relatively less costly than those at the higher end of the market. But you knew that, right?
 
Pics of Sony Speakers

For those that asked, below is the link to pics of the Sony speakers set-up. This is an interim listening room while my cabinets are being made. I still plan to have the speakers on stands though.

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=472627&d=1385675009

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=472628&d=1385675082

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=472629&d=1385675009

http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=472630&d=1385675168

The speakers on the floor are Omega Super 5 monitors for the low-powered amps in the collection. I really would like to find a stand - or make one - that could have the Sonys at their current height or even a bit higher and the Omegas right below.
 
I'm beginning to think there is a very real possibility that we may seek a sound that we enjoyed during those formative years the OP mentions.

Whather that sound is more accurate or not doesn't really matter. The sound of music reproduced as we remember it is what's important. That sound makes us happy.
 
kirk57 said:
I'm beginning to think there is a very real possibility that we may seek a sound that we enjoyed during those formative years the OP mentions.

Whather that sound is more accurate or not doesn't really matter. The sound of music reproduced as we remember it is what's important. That sound makes us happy.
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This is exactly why I'm a DCM fanboy. I bought my first system circa 1987, which had TF-500s, and have fond memories of those times. There were lots of parties, lots of girls, lots of zug-zug, lots of everything that was fun. I wish I could go back. :yes:
 
There's only two things I'm sure of when it comes to audio sound quality:

1. If it sounds good to you, then it is.

2. It can always be better.
 
sberger said:
Sooner or later you must realize that his whole thing about something being better than something else is because it costs more, or the specs say it is, or people on forums say it is, is nonsense. It will drive you crazy if you let it(see a similar thread going on about a similar thing). We all know it's all about the music, which is what drew us to audio in the first place. But so many of us got lost over the years, and when we look back honestly we realize that it was more fun in the beginning, when we didn't fret so much, or at all, about perfect systems with perfect set up, about going the bigger and shinier and more expensive next step up, only to be disappointed. I was like that. Then I stopped. "Mid-Fi" is a silly marketing term and nothing else. Your ears have experience and they don't lie. Believe them when they tell you what is best and then go with it and don't worry about it. You will ultimately end up enjoying this hobby of ours a lot more.
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This is one of the most intelligent posts I have ever read on AK.

The best advice I ever got in audio came from a collector/audiophile friend that has been at this game for a long, long time. I mean this guy had it all, isolators made of a specific wood species, several types of crazy interconnect materials, amps and speakers galore both vintage & modern. A wealth of knowledge. I mean, you could tell audio was really a passion by just looking around his place.

At one point he decided to thin the herd and I asked him why he was selling so much of his gear. He said he was tired of the the never ending pursuit, or the "sickness" as he called it.

He just wanted to get back to enjoying the music. Words of wisdom for sure.
 
NeonDriver said:
My mid-fi system sounds better TO MY EARS than most truly hi-fi systems that I have heard. I don't care why, it just does...
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I'll tell you why.

Very high-end components are typically designed for the flattest possible frequency response, and are engineered to extract every morsel of resolution possible from the media.

Now, a system like this playing a very well-engineered recording is a thrilling listening experience, one that is sure to raise the hairs on the back of your neck. But what of the thousands of so-so recordings, which may still contain excellent music? Do you want to be able to hear every flaw in the master? Sure, sometimes it's neat to 'see into' a recording, even to see its flaws, but quite often it is also an unpleasant distraction on a highly resolving system.
See: http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...stand-it-sometimes.335418/page-8#post-9696788

At some point, having a highly resolving system becomes a burden, as you will find yourself avoiding listening to otherwise good music because it doesn't sound good. For this reason, a lot audiophiles maintain a second (usually vintage) system that does a good job of making less-than-stellar recordings sound listenable, even enjoyable.

A friend of mine has found a solution that he finds satisfying. While maintaining a terrific high end system for 'special' recordings, he also gets equal if not more joy from blasting old 45s on a Newcomb classroom record player on his desk.
 
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This is a very good thread…I agree with the posters who think it's a throw back to times past. All FI is good!:thmbsp:
 
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