How to buy a component.
Read reviews. Pay attention to everything about how it sounds. Pay attention to output. Pay no attention to anything else. When your search has narrowed it down to a few top contenders then come here and search comments. Read all comments paying particular attention to how it sounds. Pay no attention to anything having to do with why it sounds that way.
If at any point in this process you come across someone with direct personal experience with your component of interest AND they have described what they are hearing in believable detail, THEN you might want to ask them a few questions.
At no point do you ask randomly for help, because unless you happen to luck out and read me you are gonna just get a lot of random suggestions. Also at no point do you consider tech specs of any kind- other than output. Sound and output. Period.
This is my approach. I do it with everything, for going on like 20 years now. It works pretty good. In fact it works better than pretty good. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 Yes, that is what I did for the Koetsu. And the Herron, Dayton, DBA, Melody, CTS, HFT, every bit of it. Hive knowledge is useful- IF you know how to use it.
Read reviews. Pay attention to everything about how it sounds. Pay attention to output. Pay no attention to anything else. When your search has narrowed it down to a few top contenders then come here and search comments. Read all comments paying particular attention to how it sounds. Pay no attention to anything having to do with why it sounds that way.
If at any point in this process you come across someone with direct personal experience with your component of interest AND they have described what they are hearing in believable detail, THEN you might want to ask them a few questions.
At no point do you ask randomly for help, because unless you happen to luck out and read me you are gonna just get a lot of random suggestions. Also at no point do you consider tech specs of any kind- other than output. Sound and output. Period.
This is my approach. I do it with everything, for going on like 20 years now. It works pretty good. In fact it works better than pretty good. https://systems.audiogon.com/systems/8367 Yes, that is what I did for the Koetsu. And the Herron, Dayton, DBA, Melody, CTS, HFT, every bit of it. Hive knowledge is useful- IF you know how to use it.