Hi-fi anyone?

Gahr

Gahr

Ambassador of Blues & Brews
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Obviously everyone here listens to music. But how do you listen? Headphones and your iPhone, in your car, stereo system? CDs, streaming, vinyl?

I've always liked the tangible feeling of holding a vinyl LP cover in my hands. There is something about analog that defies description. Sound quality aside, I like it for the sheer physicality of the medium alone. For a few years, I didn't really buy a lot of records, but over the last few years I've gotten into listening to my vinyl records again. The renewed interest has lead to an increased interest in hi-fi equipment as well.

While I don't consider myself an audiophile, I do like nice sounding recordings, and I like listening through a decent stereo system. This is my current setup, a mix of vintage and new stuff, and I have to admit I like it both because of the sound AND the aesthetics:

A heavily modified 1972 Thorens TD150 Mk2 turntable, sporting a 1976 SME3009 Series II Improved tone arm with an Ortofon 2M Bronze pickup. I've changed the plinth and armboard, and had to buy a new motor because the shaft in the old one was bent. The phono stage at the moment is by CernTube, a hand made thing from Lithuania. I really like the sound of it, but it has a bit of hum, so I'm waiting for a Croft Valve Phono Amp that I bought on eBay a few days ago. The amp is a Decware Mini Torii. At only 2x4 Watts (dual mono design) I have to say I'm impressed how punchy it is. Sweet highs, lovely midrange and plenty off bass and volume for my tastes. The speakers are a pair of 1983 Klipsch Heresy I. All components except the phono stage were bought second hand, and I've been very lucky with the deals I've gotten. My late wife really enjoyed listening to music as well, and she loved the looks of vintage hi-fi components, so I have been blessed with not having to explain my purchases.

I've been listening a lot to old hard bop recordings the last couple of years, and I have to say that the sound quality on those records is really impressive. Especially the recordings done by Rudy Van Gelder on the Blue Note label are superb. The fact that most of these were cut in the years between 1957-65 is just incredible!

So, here it is. Now show me yours! (And no, my windows aren't dirty, it's just raining...)

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We don't really have much for Hi-Fidelity these days. Bought a good stereo somewhere in the 80s. I believe it went 30w RMS per channel. Full deal. Receiver. Turntable. Cassette Deck. Eventually a CD player. All going into (these days anyway) an "old school" speaker setup. 3-way speakers with 12" Woofers. Over time, two cassette decks died. Did not replace the 2nd one. CD player died. Still have the Amp and Receiver and the Technics turntable. Belt dried up and broke, so replaced that. Just not sure it's spinning right. I've put a record on it and have tried to set/zero out the speed.... and right now it fluctuates. May just need to use it and let that work itself out.

Currently, the stereo is set up in the garage.... with the big speakers. I have been running a portable CD player or my phone thru the AUX input on the stereo. If I want, I can get it loud enough my wife can here it inside the house with the TV on.
 
My PC is my sound system. I use a Schiit headphone amp with Grado SR80x cans. For bottom end thump I can feel a 100 watt Klipsch 10" subwoofer.

The headphones are open back so I can play me guitar while listening.

The 6 CD changer in my 2004 Subaru WRX still works and is adequate. I'd love a head unit that accepts a USB drive. Not a priority.
 
I don't listen as much at home anymore since the missus retired. In the car mostly.
I don't have audiophile gear.
Choice of rooms and systems. Basement has an old Nikko Alpha 230 power amp amd Kenwood preamp with all the fixings.
I run CD usually but habe a Technics table with Ortofon cartridge.
Speakers are a pair of Definitive Tecnology Mythos ST-L super tower with built in powered subs and passive radiators. Absolutley amazing and transparent. Aircraft grade aluminum construcrion, etc.

mythos-st-l-supertower.png



Upstairs in living room is a Marantz surround system for movies. A pair of Monitor Audio Silver 500 speakers and a Crown power amp for the stereo setup as the surround amp is only 50 watts / channel. Polk audio powered 10" sub.
Really nice sounding system too.
I still have my old Cerwin Vega D5s but to get the bass pumping they need to be quite loud. A dedicated sub delivers better lows at much lower levels.

shopping
 
I mostly listen to music through headphones being played from my phone.

Honestly, most of my music listening is for the purpose of learning songs. Even when I listen to music in my car, it's for the purpose of learning the song and "getting it into my head." I hardly ever listen to music just for the pleasure of it anymore.

Sad, I know.
 
I’ll do headphones as well. But oddly not always so much for music. My wife likes to watch movies Sundays afternoons. I like to watch nascar or Indy cars. So I’ll pull the race up in the laptop and listen thru the headphones.

When I’m working in the laptop, I like to listen to music. These days o pull up music on my phone and just listen thru the phone speakers. Using my phone as a radio. Quality isn’t so important at that point. Just the music.

Made the comment here in TTR sometime in the past that I live, eat and breath music. Almost never a moment I don’t have some tune playing in my head. Wake up in the middle of the night…. Got a tune playing. For me at times it therapy. Theres so much stupid in the world that if not for the music, I’d either go nuts or want to hurt someone.
 
Gahr said:
I've always liked the tangible feeling of holding a vinyl LP cover in my hands. There is something about analog that defies description. Sound quality aside, I like it for the sheer physicality of the medium alone. For a few years, I didn't really buy a lot of records, but over the last few years I've gotten into listening to my vinyl records again.
Click to expand...
This^ is the best way to listen to music, and exactly why I choose vinyl records as my listening preference.

Also, I’ve never downloaded a tune from Spotify or I-tunes/Apple Music in my life.
 
Not anymore. I did fall down the rabbit hole a (long) while back, had a Conrad-Johnson amp and preamp, Vandersteen model 2's, Cal Audio CD player, etc. I spent more time worrying about gear than listening to music and got tired of it. Sold the whole setup and never looked back, and now just have a whole-house Bose system that makes me pretty happy.
 
Gahr said:
Obviously everyone here listens to music. But how do you listen? Headphones and your iPhone, in your car, stereo system? CDs, streaming, vinyl?

I've always liked the tangible feeling of holding a vinyl LP cover in my hands. There is something about analog that defies description. Sound quality aside, I like it for the sheer physicality of the medium alone. For a few years, I didn't really buy a lot of records, but over the last few years I've gotten into listening to my vinyl records again. The renewed interest has lead to an increased interest in hi-fi equipment as well.

While I don't consider myself an audiophile, I do like nice sounding recordings, and I like listening through a decent stereo system. This is my current setup, a mix of vintage and new stuff, and I have to admit I like it both because of the sound AND the aesthetics:

A heavily modified 1972 Thorens TD150 Mk2 turntable, sporting a 1976 SME3009 Series II Improved tone arm with an Ortofon 2M Bronze pickup. I've changed the plinth and armboard, and had to buy a new motor because the shaft in the old one was bent. The phono stage at the moment is by CernTube, a hand made thing from Lithuania. I really like the sound of it, but it has a bit of hum, so I'm waiting for a Croft Valve Phono Amp that I bought on eBay a few days ago. The amp is a Decware Mini Torii. At only 2x4 Watts (dual mono design) I have to say I'm impressed how punchy it is. Sweet highs, lovely midrange and plenty off bass and volume for my tastes. The speakers are a pair of 1983 Klipsch Heresy I. All components except the phono stage were bought second hand, and I've been very lucky with the deals I've gotten. My late wife really enjoyed listening to music as well, and she loved the looks of vintage hi-fi components, so I have been blessed with not having to explain my purchases.

I've been listening a lot to old hard bop recordings the last couple of years, and I have to say that the sound quality on those records is really impressive. Especially the recordings done by Rudy Van Gelder on the Blue Note label are superb. The fact that most of these were cut in the years between 1957-65 is just incredible!

So, here it is. Now show me yours! (And no, my windows aren't dirty, it's just raining...)

gxhrX0N.jpg


hShHhjh.jpg
Click to expand...
Solid state VS tube
In blind tests inexperienced listeners said the tube amp sounds better.
 
For work, I am in and/or traveling to some very remote places. That means no cell signal. I have about two weeks of music of all genres downloaded to my phone via Spotify. Paired with a Bose Bluetooth speaker it sounds great.

Before I took my three hundred plus LPs to Goodwill my daughter wanted to salvage some. She took about 50. Since she showed an interest, I pulled about 20 more. I got her a cheap turntable/radio/cassette player shortly after. I make sure to spin a record whenever I visit.

In the car it’s my Spotify library or FM radio. Just got a new system in the ol’ vehicle.
 
For work, I am in and/or traveling to some very remote places. That means no cell signal. I have about two weeks of music of all genres downloaded to my phone via Spotify. Paired with a Bose Bluetooth speaker it sounds great.

Before I took my three hundred plus LPs to Goodwill my daughter wanted to salvage some. She took about 50. Since she showed an interest, I pulled about 20 more. I got her a cheap turntable/radio/cassette player shortly after. I make sure to spin a record whenever I visit.

In the car it’s my Spotify library or FM radio. Just got a new system in the ol’
 
Nice stuff Ghar. I've weaved in and out of considering buying a system but I know I won't use it in the long-run. It's a great thought for me and I "get it" completely, but it would be a lot of money spent being that I have an eye for Clearaudio and VPI tables. This stuff will clean out a bank account. Lol.
 
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