Proof of improvements in audio system sound quality....

@digitalviper 

Is that your Viper?  If so, just wait until you can't drive it properly (Vipers are notoriously difficult) then sell it and buy a real HiFi system.  Of course by then you probably won't be able to hear.  What a conundrum! 

Okay if you really want a serious answer then post pics of your system at a minimum.

Regards,

barts

Did no one watch the Mr. Ed episode titled, HiFi Horse? (S5, E1). It’s hilarious- and yet so true.

Wilbur buys a hifi system on a 36 month payment plan.  He tries to dazzle his wife with the terrific sound.  His wife becomes so upset over it she packs a bag and leaves.  Mr Ed, his horse tries to operate the stereo and says, “You have to be an electrical engineer to operate this thing.”  

It’s great!

So let me get this straight. Your wife had to cook on Valentine’s Day??

Good luck on getting a new system. You’ll be lucky to buy a new cable. 

@tonywinga 

Yes I watched about 10 minutes, will definitely finish it though.

I'll bet it set "Audiophiledom" back about 20 years!  LOL.

Regards,

barts 

My only advice is to listen more. 

 I would say best bang for buck is get a nice set of headphones and a matching headphone amp. Or save until you can afford a nice set of speakers. Go listen to as many speakers as you can and pick your favorite. Take your wife with you and treat her to dinner afterwards. It always comes down to speakers. Quality speakers with mediocre equipment will always sound better than mediocre speakers with quality equipment.

We do a lot of stereo system configuration consulting for customs that are using Dirac Live room correction. We work on systems that vary from modest to extremely expensive.
We have learned after many consulting sessions that about 30% of all systems have some type of configuration issue. (Serious enough to prevent or interfere with a Dirac Live project) This video, while centric to the miniDSP SHD and Flex, offers generic concepts that will help you verify your system and ensure optimal performance. As an added bonus your wife should be delighted to hold your UMIK during the process:

Using Key Measurements to Verify Basic System Setup

Deer Creek Audio is an authorized miniDSP dealer.

I’m not sure if anyone else picked up on this. If you own the cheapest set of earbuds or $5k electrostatics, the stereo separation spec is the same. It's the width of your head.

Good sound is in the ear of the listener. Everybody has an opinion. Each recipe is what makes each audiophile special. So many recipes out there. Take your pick!  Which are special to you?

If it came in a bottle, everyone would have great sound. 
It doesn't. 
No one person can tell you.
No one device, or room treatment, or (your idea here) will be the answer to your dilemma. 
There's no lamp to rub or rug to unroll as there are no such things as genies. 
Sadly, muses only inspire people to write, compose and paint. Listening is not in their purview.
If you find yourself doubting your system and unable to just listen, it's not your system. 

All the best,
Nonoise 

@digitalviper 

You say your mind is confused.

Read your post again.  It sure is.

@waytoomuchstuff 

Possibly you do not understand the the spatial effects of listening on headphones.  When you listen on speakers both of your ears hear both channels.  Your right ear hears a lot of the right channel and a bit of the left, and vice versa.  So, assuming the musical event was recorded with the classic two microphone positionings, you will hear something that approximates to that event.  

If you listen on headphones where the right channel goes into the right ear and the left channel into the left and there is no mixing in your pre-amp or 'dummy head' processing, you will still hear stereo but the channel separation will not be the width of your head, rather it will approximate to infinity since each ear hears only one channel.  Of course, this gives an entirely different spatial presentation.  One that I have enjoyed but is not classical stereo.

@cptrips

I would say best bang for buck is get a nice set of headphones and a matching headphone amp. Or save until you can afford a nice set of speakers. Go listen to as many speakers as you can and pick your favorite. Take your wife with you and treat her to dinner afterwards. It always comes down to speakers. Quality speakers with mediocre equipment will always sound better than mediocre speakers with quality equipment.

Great advice. A headphone system may be just right for him.

@digitalviper

Check out my profile. I would recommend a power conditioner to get started. Buy good quality power cables if necessary. The one I’m using already has a hard-wired power cord... no need to replace it (it’s actually over-specified) it will never be damaged due to overheating or a loss of current transfer. The designer of this power conditioner spent a lot of time, resources, and invested in plenty of research to build a superior product.

I’m listening to the Meters Novu-1 headphones with a Panasonic CD player paired to an audio techica headphone amp. Based on the amount of electricity used, this system is tough to beat! The headphone out of the portable CD players I own all sound different, as do their outputs. So.. a lot of variety in terms of finlding the most suitable sound signature for you.

I think a slightly warm, fairly neutral-sounding rig would be fine for you. Once you get in to audio forensics, tracks that usually sound alright might sound start to sound really ugly. So keep that in mind...

The original post is for kicks and giggles @mastering92. Save them precious words.

@waytoomuchstuff 

it is a VERY BAD idea. i can not do a repair on any audio products. I AM NOT QUALIFIED.

@mastering92 

You wrote A LOT. I am greatful to you.... are you a professor of this subject?? i am learning a lot like being back in college years ago....thats what i wished to UNDERSTAND!!! like why is something followed by so many zeros for price, but something else is cheaper???! thank you so much.

also i will look at your profile. have a very nice day.

my wife looked at this whole page....she is happy that so many people are helping me out. 

i believe that headphones are right path for me with audio. i want to hear everything and even if it sounds bad, i am not going to be angry. how can i do this for $100 ? 

i can build a small system for this cost. since now my livlihood and life story are supported by my wife. i love her to be moon and back. don't you guys think i am the bad guy.

- viper

Eternal trolling…

@clearthinker

"the channel separation will not be the width of your head, rather it will approximate to infinity since each ear hears only one channel"

Attempts a humor are a hit and miss proposition. It’s been said that laughter is a form of protest to something absurd or ridiculous. If it’s not perceived as funny, then it’s just viewed as ... absurd and ridiculous. Which seems to be the case here. Just my attempt to poke a little fun at ourselves for our occassional overemphasis on numbers.

I did enjoy your comments and learned something this morning. Thanks for sharing.

@waytoomuchstuff     Thank you.  I did not pick up on your humour.  There's so much pseudo-science on here that I took your post as reasoned analysis.  Sorry.

maghister is the disciple of millercarbon...

LOL or was it the other way around?!

Sorry I didn't catch that earlier. Well then, Good God. How did we get here?! is there an audio bible that mentions more "disciples" or the particular feats of either @mahgister and @millercarbon ? 

How did you reach such a conclusion, @digitalviper ?

That's a funny word as well. Have you changed your opinion about this recently, or has it remained a concrete fact? Please share details. I will listen to you...

maghister is the disciple of millercarbon..

Thanks for the info. I know to ignore him now.

@mastering92 check thy shopping cart. You’ll notice I’ve placed M-80s and Wolverine M-100s (also known as Silver Salutes.) Prepare yourself for the inevitable. Good luck, and Godspeed ….

All expenses paid btw :-)

@mastering92 

if you go the system page of these 2 audiophiles...do your HOMEWORK. The posts. They must be friends, maybe family, something is happening. One of them is a tweaker who is POOR the other guy also makes tweaks but he is RICH. You see how millercarbon is all about tweaks, the other guy is in not spending any money to make it happen. He is creating his own with household items and not buying new audio products. so he is following in millercarbons footsteps...honestly the nicest system i ever saw on this website was from this person, millercarbon.

looks like a million dollars was spent for it!!!

i am not about praying and god. my dad told me "god does not exist" disciple, like someone who you learn stuff from. i think i am your disciple since you included so much info. Also you are being very nice while everybody else is being mean to me. i told my wife and she said "let it be" she is happy now but lots of shouting and she called me a "dumb guy" so i am feeling bad about that.

speaking of concrete my brother is in construction. he lays that stuff and fixes the pot holes in the road and other stuff. i have no conclusions about this material aside from it being a FACT that concrete is a good material for people who build houses. its also in the basement on the floor most of the time. so there you go.

@barts 

how is your dad? homer simpson right...i know that show lisa is my #1 character.- the simpsons was based on real life!! of course im just joking but do NOT be rude to me. i can sue you!!

@mahgister 

if you could return and talk to us i would be very happy. i am sorry for making you angry. only you have the answers since you are the right person for this subject - tweaks and more. i will be nice. i promise. you have my word.

My wife's hearing is fading. She wears hearing aids now. So I am good to go. Can even play music loud at midnight in a living room adjoining the master bedroom, and she doesn't bat an eye.

Lucky Man

@digitalviper

i need someone to help explain how to make a less expensive system sound better, truthfully. with no lies at all.

1 Find the best sounding room to put your system in. Not too lively and certainly not too dull.

2 Set up your speakers (with the treble units near ear height) wherever they give their best sound. It will take some time, patience and experiment. Keep a record of the different positions you have tried for future reference.

Your lovely wife might be able to help you out there but some of us have to labour alone. My wife always finds something more interesting for her to do. It must be over 15 years since she stepped foot in Hi-Fi store.

3 Find some method of decoupling your speakers. There are numerous professional products out there that will help or you could experiment with springs / sorbothane.

4 Remember that @mahgister took his system setup to extremes, and it seemed to work for him, but would you really want to go that far?

5 Plan for the most effective future upgrades but keep in mind that your system is probably already in the top 1% of systems worldwide.

We audiophiles tend to be rather an extreme bunch.

@digitalviper 

Thank you for the details. I did my homework. I remember reading quite a bunch of mahgister's posts when he was more active on the forums. He is certainly very passionate about this hobby and has invested a lot of his time and energy in to building his audio system the way he likes it.

I think we are all learning from each other. So we can call be disciples and achieve greater truth and objectivity in this hobby. Every new opportunity to learn something new is worth it!! 

@digitalviper 

I was only replying in kind to your very funny original post.  No rudeness intended.

I repeat:  Post some pics of your system and your will get much farther "down the road" (pun intended) with some valuable responses.

Regards,

barts

thank you barts

hows your dad doing...

homer simpson??

I like chocolate.

Do you like chocolate?

I like chocolate best.

This is the funniest thread that I've ever read here.  I would love to know if the OP was being intentionally deadpan funny or serious and clueless.

   To address the question that I think he is asking....which is how to get the best sound for the money....one serious consideration should be room correction software.  This can either be a standalone to an existing digital system or he could buy it included with various amp/dac/streamer combinations.  It really does help snap things into focus.