• The move to the new server is done. There are some software and database maintenance updates in process. This has us passing the hat around to help out. We appreciate any donations. Seriously, even a dollar helps. The payment page may be found here - https://www.audiokarma.org/support.html

why some spend $$$$$$$ on their systems

Status
Not open for further replies.
I just point out my orginal post as I often read some basically chastise others for buying what most of us would considere very expensive gear, normally saying stuff like "my $800 system sounds just as good" or even my $2k system etc.....
In those cases I agree with Frank sol in that they must have never heard a high end system, or one put together properly.

It does NOT take a high end system to enjoy music. Give me $500 or so and I can put together a system that sounds as good as most would ever want, excluding real audio fans of course.
I don't consider my main system an "audiophile" system, but it is still sounds way better then anything I thought I would ever own.
Normally, depending on one's budget or even desire, you sort of draw a line in the sand far as what you want to or are willing to spend and stay within that line.
Staying within that line could still give you one awesome system, providing the transparency, detail, imaging etc that could be astounding at times.

But unless your budget is unlimited or you got some fantastic deals on some very high end gear, there is always better. It comes down to what is squeezing that last little bit of sq out of your system worth to you.

If you already have a really high end system, chances are it's going to cost some big money just to get a little difference.

Personally, I don't see why people get chastised for that.

One of my favorites is if you often read where someone will buy what many consider to be a pricey piece of gear and way too often you will read posts about how it doesn't sound however many times more expensive then what they have, as if a $10k piece of gear should sound 10 times better then a $1k piece.

man, I wish. Wouldn't that make it so easy.....
Everyone is entitled to their opinion of course, but if you ever want to read quite a few negative posts, just look at some threads talking about an expensive piece of gear or worse, someone who says they like their Bose speakers.
For some reason, the all audio, no attitude flies out the window and a few seem to think it is open season for the negatives.
Anyway, I just read that and he stated it better then I have , obviously.
 
Frank Sol said:
:D

Not joking here: Somewhere just in the last 3 days I saw a vid or read an article where the guy wanted to hear the creaking of the guitarist's chair at a certain point in a piece - that is how he determined the worth on a system
Click to expand...

uhhh, I totally understand that. My system is not what I consider an audiophile system, but on certain songs I want to hear things like maybe Bob's hand hitting the body of his guitar or some small detail otherwise gone unnoticed in one of my different systems.
Is not so much for the sound itself, but for the realism it adds.
 
Anything you're passionate about in life has no money value attached to it, audio included.

| R.I.P. Johnny Winter |
 
I think that "some basically chastise others" is an exaggeration here on AK.
I'll also add that I believe spending money is basically a very good thing.
 
Frank Sol said:
That would get you STARTED on just your Speakers search :D
Click to expand...

Yeah well, I wouldn't mind the HEAD start. :D Actually the Alon's I heard were the Alon IV. There was a TOTL Parasound preamp involved too.

http://www.audioreview.com/cat/spea...arian-systems/alon-iv/prd_123836_1594crx.aspx

$3500 in 1995 standards was a lot back then. It was half of the family car I was driving at the time. But nothing I have heard before or since made Dire Straights sound so smooth, liqiud and organic.
 
donberry said:
It does NOT take a high end system to enjoy music. Give me $500 or so and I can put together a system that sounds as good as most would ever want, excluding real audio fans of course.
I don't consider my main system an "audiophile" system, but it is still sounds way better then anything I thought I would ever own.
Normally, depending on one's budget or even desire, you sort of draw a line in the sand far as what you want to or are willing to spend and stay within that line.
Staying within that line could still give you one awesome system, providing the transparency, detail, imaging etc that could be astounding at times.
Click to expand...

I like your style, donberry. If you've heard in system in full 3D, it's a wonder to behold. I've only heard such systems two times in my life, and they're etched in my memory. But I am not likely to spend those kinds of resources to achieve that myself. For all intents and real-life purposes, $500-$1K on a system, with subsequent tweaking and tinkering, can provide astounding moments, and at least day-to-day enjoyment, within one's means. "Balance" is not just a knob on a faceplate.
 
Sometimes I miss the days when speakers could be used as furniture. :sigh:

The AR 303's were more in my price range at the time for $1200, but that never happened because of a growing family. A local shop had a pair of these bi-amped with a couple Sunfires. Don't remember which way, but half of the speaker was hooked up to the voltage output on one Sunfire, and the other half was hooked up to the current output side of the other Sunfire.

This setup actually gave the Parasound/Alon setup a run for it's money. But again $5500 OTD for 2 amps and 2 speakers wasn't going to happen. :tears:
 
I just spent $500 on speaker cables. COME AT ME BRO! :-)

- Woody


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 
Good thread. :)

Personally I think there's a lot of high end envy that goes on around here.

I've heard some high end exotic systems. Not many though, but enough to whet the appetite. The main difference I have heard with a system that costs a lot of money versus mine and others that cost under $10k is mostly in the clarity of the midrange/treble, and also in the imaging and sound staging. The really high end stuff disappears a lot easier and gives you a more realistic and grabbable sense of where the instruments are and what they really do sound like. For some this can really heighten the enjoyment of an audio system. If you don't care for these specific details, then certainly a system costing much less can just as easily exhilerate you (and would).

Regardless, I think if we all had millions in the bank, there's no doubt we'd all be shopping for much higher end components than we currently own. Notice I said shopping, not buying :D If I had $100,000 to spend on a stereo you can bet your bottom dollar I would be going into high end shops and auditioning some pretty serious gear! And hell $100k isn't a drop in the bucket when it comes to exotic high end.

Anyway, my point is that there's no reason to chastise people who spend megabucks on their stereos. On the same token you could be chastised for spending less :D Both have their caveats, pros and cons and there's no right or wrong. Do what's best for you within the budget you can afford. And if you get that elusive opportunity to hear one of these megabuck systems, take in as much as you can 'cause you don't get those opportunities very often (at least, I don't).
 
donberry said:
Our little scale, unfortunately, is logarithmic, in that going from zero to 85 doesn't take a lot of effort or money, but going from 98.6 to 99.1 by swapping out a $2,600 AC power cable for a $4,000 one becomes a justifiable end.
"[/I]
Click to expand...

This is insane! There's no measurable difference between a $10 power cable and a ten gazillion dollar cable...
 
Yeah, but wouldn't you like to know what rosin Jascha Heifetz used on his bow or if Johnny Winter used a stone pick or one of those mundane plastic ones.:D
 
actually there is. capacitance, inductance, resistance, dialectric coefficient, wire type, wire purity, build construction and so on, and so on...

There's more to "tone control" than just a knob on the faceplate.
 
Last edited:
Have heard some megabucks systems. Not all that impressed. I could see the potential if implemented better, but I could also realise audio is audio - not the real thing.
 
AudioMayhem said:
This is insane! There's no measurable difference between a $10 power cable and a ten gazillion dollar cable...
Click to expand...

So what! It's not your money.:D

It's extremely likely you spend money on something that someone else thinks is "insane".:scratch2:
 
davidro said:
Have heard some megabucks systems. Not all that impressed. I could see the potential if implemented better, but I could also realise audio is audio - not the real thing.
Click to expand...

Ahhh... but the people that spend big money on their systems are trying to answer the age old question,,, "Is it live or is it Memorex".

Truthfully, from what I have experienced, high end gear implemented correctly, does get you closer to the "live experience". However, I will never be able to afford it. If I can get my system to sound like Radio City Music Hall in NYC, I would be satified.

I'm close... only 20k to go. :D Come on... anybody wanna donate to my bliss? :smoke:
 
JoeESP9 said:
So what! It's not your money.:D

It's extremely likely you spend money on something that someone else thinks is "insane".:scratch2:
Click to expand...

Why is that 'extremely' likely? That's extremely presumptuous of you. What's extremely likely is all the supposed missing nuances being bandied about are just that, non- existent! If you're not hearing it on my Kappa 9s, Acoustat TNT200s, and Oppo BDP95 or Oracle TT, you never will because it's not there.:yes:
 
Patch-Cord said:
Ahhh... but the people that spend big money on their systems are trying to answer the age old question,,, "Is it live or is it Memorex".

Truthfully, from what I have experienced, high end gear implemented correctly, does get you closer to the "live experience". However, I will never be able to afford it. If I can get my system to sound like Radio City Music Hall in NYC, I would be satified.

I'm close... only 20k to go. :D Come on... anybody wanna donate to my bliss? :smoke:
Click to expand...

Not necessarily...some of them easily say that they prefer the sound of their audio over the real thing. I'm serious.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom