Am I right for this forum?
I’ve been an Audiogon member for some years now; I remember (fondly) "millercarbon," for example, which will mean something to some of you. And I’ve been a lover of audio equipment since high school—so, for over 50 years (I graduated in 1973). And yet...more and more, I find myself alienated from this forum, even though I do still read it regularly.
I do have what I consider a very "high-fidelity" system. I’ve written a very long account of my "audio journey," complete with many photos, but not "published" it on this site. I’m also a member of our local audio club, which includes several very well-heeled members who have systems costing more than most homes (one of them owns equipment valued at nearly a million dollars, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg: his system is housed in a separate structure purpose-built for it that cost well over a million). I play cello and guitar; my wife plays piano, my daughter piano and violin. We play those instruments in the same room occupied by my main audio system, and so I can attest to the "fidelity" of that system’s reproduction.
And yet...my system cost me less than $3,000 in total. I don’t lust after any particular "upgrade," even though I read reviews and all the many accounts of improvements in "SQ" documented in this forum.
So...am I an "audiophile," or not? Do I belong here, or not?
I’m listening right now to a wonderful bit of Mozart. I also love Tool. And Christy Moore. And Eva Cassidy. And so many others. I agree with Nietzsche: without music, life would be a mistake. But am I an audiophile? Do I belong on this forum?
Any sympathy here? Anyone else feel alienated from the "audiophile community" despite loving the miracle of audio technology?
The reasons I've never posted pics of my system is: a) compaatively speaking, I've never considered it anything to brag about b) I am functionally illiterate as far as internet technology goes, and I don't know how. |
my speakers are modified and go way beyond their price... ! 😊
i would be very thankful if you could give me the name of this chinese speakers you spoke about ... Thanks ..😁😊
Ok it is these one : https://www.amazon.com/SAMTRONIC-Passive-Bookshelf-Speakers-Tweeter/dp/B0CBYVK7Z1
There does not seems to have so much review... And they are passive speakers with ribbon tweeter ... I already go to a deep clear 50 hertz with no boominess at all in the mids and perfect highs natural timbre... my imaging is superb the soundstage include my listening position and exceed way over the speakers space and plane ...I used a tube preamp... I isolate them mechanically with my homemade sandwich of materials ... I used a tuned damping load of concrete on top of them ... I use my own homemade shielding tweaks... I use my own homemade cables enhancement ... I use a tube preamplification with my active speakers..M-audio AV 40... And i used them in their dedicated acoustic corner ... 😊 i modifed the porthole with a complex bundle of various straws of various diameter from few inches to more than three feet behind the port hole ... And i improve the tweeter wave guide ... To beat mine you will pay way more than for those ribbon passive speakers ... And you will do more than changing only the crossover ... Any speakers produce resonance and are very heavily affec ted by vibrations... I did cure the problem and as i said many others homemade recipe ... I even use modified Shumann generators ... Sorry i am not convinced by buying these and plugging them i a wall after crossover change ... Not enough measures in my book .. 😊... But i am pretty sure they can be good by themselves... Chinese engineer do a good job in all case for me... But i never was satisfied by piece of gear not modified including my top headphone i modify also ... Only vibrations and resonance affect all speakers and people dont even know it ... I fine tune damp all the speakers i had used ... Only this change is staggering in his effect ... Add to that all the others...
Most speakers with a porthole are badly designed because it will be too costly to design a good porthole and unesthetical if the labyrinth of tubes is external instead of being inside as with my modification .. Each speaker is an Helmholtz resonator... |
@tomic601...regards to my home ....the more it changes, the more it stays the same.....😏 But most of that I'd recognize likely doesn't exist anymore..... |
@mahgister , You found it! I was mostly just joshing/joking with you on my earlier post. It came in today btw. On these type of cheap chifi speakers, I usually add bracing, put some no-rez (sold by GR) and I will spend a considerable amt of time with the crossover. I have a stock of the good parts GR sells. That’s the extent of it for me, typically. I have tinkered with many similar cheap speakers, amp kits, etc from AliExpress, e-bay, etc. After it meets my fidelity requirements and I don’t feel like dealing with it anymore, I give it away on FB, artist groups, etc ( possibly creates a few new/young ’audiophiles’ or not....but, keeps the audio stuff cluster in my hoarder’s paradise under control). The Sony (sscs5) was one i couldn’t let go of in recent times, especially after I put the GR upgrade on it...that one’s staying for a bit. It seems like you would enjoy some of the content in the diy audio forums. |
I understand why you like to play with the gear...😊 Myself i am not someone who like to play with things at all ... I am more of a books worm... But i get in the obligation to learn about acoustics because i was going nowhere buying audio gear...😁 My 9 headphnes where trash...😁 even after my improving modifications they do not satisfied me ( save the AKG K340 the best headphone ever created probably but even it need my help 😊 ) I disliked even My Tannoy dual gold concentric...Because during the 40 years i owned them i was ignorant of acoustics science basics ... 😁 After reading acoustics books and articles i felt compelled to experiment... I do it full time 2 years because i was retired and i disliked my audio system , nevermind the upgrades... Things improved a lot when i discovered how to decrease vibrations/reasonance, how to shield my gear from the main panel up, when i played with various minerals to use on my connectors, when i experimented with Helmholtz tuned resonators in a specific grid distributed in the room and the right balance of reflection-absorption-diffusion in my room. i used other controversial devices as shumann generator i modified , at the end the same system was so transformed that they were no comparison between before and after... Unlike most people who dream only to buy new gear pieces, i learned how acoustic knowledge improve the gear way much than most upgrades , the only exception will be to go from cheap speakers to way more refine one , but even this upgrade will not compare if you put these speakers in a living room and then in a room dedicated to the speakers specific properties... Acoustic rules for me the rest is marketting mostly ... 😊
Now i own an headphone able to project the soundfield out of my head with deep bass and natural timbre... And the cheapest speakers i ever owned which i disliked for 10 years became my best one AFTER my modifications ...Thanks to Helmholtz...
Then i became a book worm anew, no need to tinker anymore and i can listen music 5 hours a day in sonic heaven ... 😊
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