The real key to me is actually listening to gear.
However, while I consider myself an audiophile in that I can describe differences in sound when I hear them; I am relatively unknowledgeable because I have heard maybe 20 different speakers and not 200, ten amplifiers and not 50, etc.
Listening to a component before purchasing it can be hard to accomplish. At that point, it is useful to me to refer to Audiogon for information. My thought process is that if I have heard a component that someone else has heard, that is a place to start. If that other person makes a change in that component and then describes what difference the change made, I think that can be valuable information.
Tweeters in and Tweeters out for Maggies is an obvious, easy example. Maggie 1.2 versus Maggie 1.6 or 1.7 is another. You can form a somewhat educated opinion especially if there is a consistent volume of information that seems to be saying the same thing.
Where it gets complicated is trying to determine if the other persons opinion of the new component is fair and complete. For example, a former Maggie 1.6 owner may state that Ohm speakers sound like Maggies on steroids. They rave about the bass, the fullness of the sound, and wider sweet spot. Well and good. But what are they not saying about image focus and sound detail?
I am not sure what ground rules would help with this. I do not know that dollar ranges would necessarily help either. As a buyer you should be aware of what stuff costs. And how do you decide to believe someone if they state that a $2000 component is easily equal to a $6000 component. Does that mean that the $2000 dollar one is that good or the $6000 one that bad? At that point, I would want to read a fairly consistent volume of comments that reached the same conclusion.
So...after writing this did I just paraphrase Lrsky?
However, while I consider myself an audiophile in that I can describe differences in sound when I hear them; I am relatively unknowledgeable because I have heard maybe 20 different speakers and not 200, ten amplifiers and not 50, etc.
Listening to a component before purchasing it can be hard to accomplish. At that point, it is useful to me to refer to Audiogon for information. My thought process is that if I have heard a component that someone else has heard, that is a place to start. If that other person makes a change in that component and then describes what difference the change made, I think that can be valuable information.
Tweeters in and Tweeters out for Maggies is an obvious, easy example. Maggie 1.2 versus Maggie 1.6 or 1.7 is another. You can form a somewhat educated opinion especially if there is a consistent volume of information that seems to be saying the same thing.
Where it gets complicated is trying to determine if the other persons opinion of the new component is fair and complete. For example, a former Maggie 1.6 owner may state that Ohm speakers sound like Maggies on steroids. They rave about the bass, the fullness of the sound, and wider sweet spot. Well and good. But what are they not saying about image focus and sound detail?
I am not sure what ground rules would help with this. I do not know that dollar ranges would necessarily help either. As a buyer you should be aware of what stuff costs. And how do you decide to believe someone if they state that a $2000 component is easily equal to a $6000 component. Does that mean that the $2000 dollar one is that good or the $6000 one that bad? At that point, I would want to read a fairly consistent volume of comments that reached the same conclusion.
So...after writing this did I just paraphrase Lrsky?