Couldn't resist... check this system out!

OK, so what would you have in your very own HiFi Haven?

Here's mine


Paul.

 

I'm wondering why his CD player is sitting on 4 upturned flower pots

 

Guys, a quick question, if I may.

Who's sadder?, the guy with expensive (if too much) hifi kit or us questioning his taste/social life etc.etc.?

Maybe this should be a poll

 

I've always really admired the high end systems with a minimal amount of boxes. Anyone can keep piling ever more boxes up to achieve yet another step forwards sonically. Where will it all end? Maybe when you have filled an aircraft hanger with power amps?

To me this isn't overly clever. It reminds me of the 1970's American muscle car era - where manufacturers increased performance by just enlarging the engine each time. The end result was a Mustang Boss with over ten litres of engine. Impressive? - yes, but certainly not intelligent. What is really impressive is when a tiny 2 litre or so Formula One engine will blow this dinosaur mustang into the weeds!

I would respect more than anything else a system which can achieve sonic heaven with 3 normal sized boxes or less. That would really prove the skill of it's designer to me. Plus it would highlight the taste of it's owner.

 

No need - we are sadder, clearly

Seriously. His setup is very impressive - but it sure as hell isn't to my taste. His taste in armchairs is highly dubious though - that said a lot of people wouldn't know good furniture design from a kebab (you only need a stroll round DFS to confirm this ).

The problem is you say what you think and it sounds like sour grapes. fact is though - its still not to my taste. If I could have something completely to my taste it would consist of a record player and a volume knob in a beautiful modernist living (not listening) room. Clearly his and my tastes differ .

 

I'm glad a system like that is out of my reach - to have Krell and JMLab in my room, I'd have to put up with a music-free zone. Yuk.

I'm with Tone - I'll have one of the tape decks (but I'd have to have it modded to play 3.5/7 ips quarter track, since I have a TONNE of these from my old biology teacher that I can't play (well, I can, but only in mono, on a 1960s Sony Tape-Corder TC-105; the version of "In the mood" by Glen Miller sounds fantastic on it mind you!). Sod it - I'll settle for a quarter track low speed ReVoX A77

 

Another 'issue' is how to integrate modern equipment into an old house with old furniture. Historically this was done by putting said equipment into 'appropriate' housing (eg televisions in Chippendale cabinets). This would now be seen as veering off the naffness scale, into the range of 'so bad it's good' but big black boxes look out of place, apart from dominating the living space.

My own views chime with yours; keep the 'kit' as discreet as possible whilst not compromising the sound. Easier said than done though..

 

What's with these dedicated listening rooms anyway? Surely the point is for music to add quality to our day to day lives. Time that should be spent in others company, in a normal lounge setting. To go and hide away in your own little den does seem a little odd. You can't beat sharing a quality tune over drinks with your girl. I wonder if this guy listens to bose when he's in the lounge, lol. Maybe his wife kicked all his stuff out into his little den.

 

Good question. Some would argue, and I would count myself among them - that kit which is well designed from an ergonomic and aesthetic point of view won't look out of place whatever the setting - the juxtaposition of old and new works fine so long as the design of both is fundamentally good - speakers are its true more problematic. Also worth pointing out that everything could be hidden except the things you need to actually interact with - basically preamp and sources. I know that this is not necessarily easy to achieve, not without getting stuff custom built, but it is achievable.

discreet kit without compromising sound is IMO only easier said than done because a lot of kit designers seem to design for a "hifi as cock substitute" aesthetic.

 

And if you want to listen 'solo' (eg if SO doesn't share your musical tastes) it's better to listen via good quality headphones, which have the dual advantages of not forcing others to listen to your music and avoiding room/speaker interaction problems. Bit of a bugger if the cat jumps up on to your shoulder though - especially if you've got a drink in your hand.

 

It 'looks' as though someone has put a right pick-n-mix of components together with the sole intention of visual impact (what was it that Harry Enfield's character once shouted,..."Take a look at my wad"!).
Having seen and more importantly 'heard' many systems like this in the past they sound pretty damn terrible. The danger is that the owners fall into the all too common trap of convincing themselves that their system sounds superb purely as a subconscious means of justifying the expense.
Not the sort of room I would be comfortable in, but that's just me,...not to mention he has JM Labs speakers,...way too coloured!

 

Nice phrase! IMO kit used to have to be big/obtrusive because of the need to accomodate all those glowing bottles which for safety reasonscouldn't be hidden away in a cupboard, plus the need for mega-large, efficient speakers, but these days there's such no excuse.

There is of course also the old 'dedicated support' can of worms where some would say that hifi furniture that isn't made out of welded steel and glass 'can't sound any good', but perhaps it's best not to go there!

 

No it's better if your SO doesn't mind/tolerates you playing the music you want, how you want. Headphones are NOT the same. (I write as a frequent headphone user due to neighbour issues, but who just at the minute is having some fun as my neighbours have moved out with no sign or replacements ).

I'm with others; that room is far too cluttered to be a nice listening room.

 

We aim to please

Oooh well now its a tasty can of worms though eh? Hmm lets see. Its either mostly bollocks (except for TTs) or if its not I really don't know why no one has ever asked the question - why don't they design this stuff so that it can be put wherever you want it? When was the last (or even the first) time you saw a "suspended" amp?

SO either nearly all the boxes on the market are fundamentally flawed (if isolation is so important it should be part of the design) or its a load of audiophoolery (same argument can be used for power conditioning I reckon).

Frankly if someone tried to persuade me that I would get any noticeable change in performance from my amp by sitting it on a special isolation rack, I think my eyebrows would be somewhere on the back of my head.

 

Mine are reasonably good actually IMHO , but no headphone is ever going to get rid of the 'in your head' sound or give you the visceral impact of a big speaker system.

 

I know - I have the same ones!

 

YOU CAN'T BUY TASTE! As a graphic designer I am often dissapointed by this fact in fact it seems that the more money people have the less style they have. Glad I'm skint :LOL:

A room that big must surely be a prime candidate for a stealth instal with (if you must) a few choice lumps on show. And is it just me or are those JMLabs fking ugly?

 

Ah! A man of fine taste I see .

 

Well, quite. I made this same point to a support 'believer' in a Usenet group, and he trotted out the line that if a good support could improve the sound of a turntable, it 'must' do the same for amplification. I mean, all those transistors must obviously wobble about like mad unless placed on a rigid stand!