mga sir...any comments on this article from what hifi/sound advice?
29 August 2005
Sound Advice
Upgrading - when to stop
There's a column in one of the American magazines that perpetuates a few myths: written by a woman, it's all about her partner's continuous tweaking of his systems, the upgrading, the sneaking in of new pieces of equipment. And that's the common image of the hi-fi enthusiast - a mixture of fanaticism, ambition and guilt as he (it's always a 'he' struggles to justify that latest silly-money purchase or at worst smuggle it past the little woman.
Hmm? It needn't be like that. While we'd all like megamoney systems, drawing on electronics and speakers with five-figure price-tags, and while more than a few of us find ourselves irresistibly drawn to hi-fi shops 'just to see what's new', the whole purpose of buying a system is to listen to music. Isn't it?
Of course you can become an equipment collector, and hi-fi reviewers are probably worse than most - we don't know of one who hasn't a stash off ill-assorted components somewhere or other in the house - but to do that is kind of missing the whole point of buying hi-fi equipment.
Look, we're not going to deny the status symbol thing, or the pride in ownership imbued by something really special, but when you buy something new your aim should be simple - to make he system play music better.
It's all too easy to get sucked into constant 'what ifs' and 'perhaps I shoulds', but buying a good system is a major investment, and the best thing you can do is buy right and then forget the hardware and concentrate on the music. If you're constantly worrying whether a new cable or a new amplifier or that piece of black sponge you put under the CD player would make all the difference, you're not actually enjoying the music: instead, you're indulging in a sort of electronic masochism.
So what's the answer? A large part of it is to buy right in the first place: when you're auditioning a system or a component don't think 'Yes, that might sound OK if only I?', but rather only buy something that blows your socks off with the improvement it makes to your music.
And once you have it, don't listen to lots more alternatives: most of the time you'll be hearing different, not necessarily better, and it'll only confuse and dismay you. Live with what you've bought - it must have done something right in the shop, so enjoy it, and above all enjoy your music.
We're often asked what is the best single upgrade anyone can make to their system, and the answer is invariably more music. Buy styles you've never listened to before, try composers that are unfamiliar, glue yourself to the radio whenever you can and make a note of titles and artists you like the sound of.
Music is relatively cheap - and especially so if you buy online - and the thrill of discovering something new via that system on which you spent all that money is hard to explain. But one thing's for sure: it beats hearing a CD player maybe just a little bit better than your current one any day.
WhatHiFiSound+Vision
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Digital debate - and why analogue is best.
have a nice partial holiday