"hi-fi"
Posted by: seagull on 10 June 2002
We were visiting some friends recently and somehow the conversation moved round to money and hi-fi. Our friends were amazed when my wife told them how much I'd recently spent - I didn't like to tell them that was only for a cd player, speakers and a rack (I already had the Naim amps).
"£2000 on stereo!? But that's a holiday!" (julie thought it was for a complete system)
Hmmm, Julie never takes into account the cost of clothes, meals and DRINK! but I understood where she's coming from, she didn't rate hi-fi very high on her list of priorites... She then said that their cd player (meaning the **** mini stack thing) wasn't working. A quick glance showed a huge vase of flowers sitting directly on top of the unit. I suggested that she should move the vase because mixing water and electricity is never a good idea I reckon that the weight of the vase, water and flowers probably distorted the (plastic) case of the unit resulting in the laser alignment being out. She also said that they didn't listen to music much anyway (I'm not surprised - it sounded dreadful when it used to work!)
A visit to some other friends at the week-end I was subjected to more crappy 'hi-fi', although the volume levels were low the ridiculously over boosted bass overpowered everything else to the point of the music being played being almost unrecognisable (mind you, I thought that was just as well given what I did recognise!). I ended up with a head-ache (this is someone who once fell asleep propped up against a PA stack at Reading Rock) and was releaved to go home.
At another recent party I was asked if I could sort out the row emanating from their speakers (again ridiculously overpowering flabby bass). It was a party, I had been imbibing several pints of ale (see my "what were your last five pints" thread for examples) and like most of you I'm used to only having input selectors and volume control on my amplifier. The 'hi-fi' had this funny dial thing on it which allowed you to select all sorts of settings (like Disco, concert hall etc.) all of which sounded crap. It also had a very bright led display which danced to the music. I couldn't find how to remove the bass boost etc and soon gave up trying.
If you're still with me you're probably wondering "What is the point of this rambling?" and "Why would some one with the obvious wit and itelligence of Seagull bother to waste his life writing it in the first place?" and "Why am I still reading this drivel?"
I just thought I'd like to remind everyone here the reason why they buy Naim gear is to improve their own quality of life by listening to music. Also that there is a huge gap between the amount of listening pleasure to be derived from music played on real hi-fi and music played on the statistically modal level midi system found in most homes. Its not really a case of value for money (£550 vs £5500) the difference is not ten times better its a case of the real hi-fi being the absolute minimum level for listening pleasure. If I had a cheap stereo at home it probably wouldn't get played that much either. My wife claims not to be able to tell the difference but she rarely plays music at home - she was always wary of the LP12 but even using the CD5 scares her.
If I had the money I'd probably spend it on more gear (yes that Armageddon and Aro for my LP12, the CDSII and XPS, perhaps the 552/500 and SBLs etc.) but as I don't I've probably come to the end of my journey for now (its about 18 years since my last foray into hi-fi, about the same length of time I've been with the boss!) so I don't suffer from upgrade-itis (not terminally anyway). I just think that being subjected to other people's "hi-fi" systems has made me appreciate my own even more.
Try it some day (if you only know audiophiles go to Currys or Comet and have a listen) then go home and enjoy what you have already.
"£2000 on stereo!? But that's a holiday!" (julie thought it was for a complete system)
Hmmm, Julie never takes into account the cost of clothes, meals and DRINK! but I understood where she's coming from, she didn't rate hi-fi very high on her list of priorites... She then said that their cd player (meaning the **** mini stack thing) wasn't working. A quick glance showed a huge vase of flowers sitting directly on top of the unit. I suggested that she should move the vase because mixing water and electricity is never a good idea I reckon that the weight of the vase, water and flowers probably distorted the (plastic) case of the unit resulting in the laser alignment being out. She also said that they didn't listen to music much anyway (I'm not surprised - it sounded dreadful when it used to work!)
A visit to some other friends at the week-end I was subjected to more crappy 'hi-fi', although the volume levels were low the ridiculously over boosted bass overpowered everything else to the point of the music being played being almost unrecognisable (mind you, I thought that was just as well given what I did recognise!). I ended up with a head-ache (this is someone who once fell asleep propped up against a PA stack at Reading Rock) and was releaved to go home.
At another recent party I was asked if I could sort out the row emanating from their speakers (again ridiculously overpowering flabby bass). It was a party, I had been imbibing several pints of ale (see my "what were your last five pints" thread for examples) and like most of you I'm used to only having input selectors and volume control on my amplifier. The 'hi-fi' had this funny dial thing on it which allowed you to select all sorts of settings (like Disco, concert hall etc.) all of which sounded crap. It also had a very bright led display which danced to the music. I couldn't find how to remove the bass boost etc and soon gave up trying.
If you're still with me you're probably wondering "What is the point of this rambling?" and "Why would some one with the obvious wit and itelligence of Seagull bother to waste his life writing it in the first place?" and "Why am I still reading this drivel?"
I just thought I'd like to remind everyone here the reason why they buy Naim gear is to improve their own quality of life by listening to music. Also that there is a huge gap between the amount of listening pleasure to be derived from music played on real hi-fi and music played on the statistically modal level midi system found in most homes. Its not really a case of value for money (£550 vs £5500) the difference is not ten times better its a case of the real hi-fi being the absolute minimum level for listening pleasure. If I had a cheap stereo at home it probably wouldn't get played that much either. My wife claims not to be able to tell the difference but she rarely plays music at home - she was always wary of the LP12 but even using the CD5 scares her.
If I had the money I'd probably spend it on more gear (yes that Armageddon and Aro for my LP12, the CDSII and XPS, perhaps the 552/500 and SBLs etc.) but as I don't I've probably come to the end of my journey for now (its about 18 years since my last foray into hi-fi, about the same length of time I've been with the boss!) so I don't suffer from upgrade-itis (not terminally anyway). I just think that being subjected to other people's "hi-fi" systems has made me appreciate my own even more.
Try it some day (if you only know audiophiles go to Currys or Comet and have a listen) then go home and enjoy what you have already.
Julie (& Peter) did recently buy a brand new people carrier and yearn after a holiday in Florida! They then had to spend a couple of hundred on replacing the wing mirror that Julie managed to wreck when reversing off our drive 
Our other friends (in the second example) also recently bought a people carrier and had a holiday in Florida this year.
I think there could be a trend here
Ok we bought one of our own cars from new (a Saxo VTS soon after they were launched), but that was in the days when we had money to spare (i.e. before our daughter was born after a gap of 11 years!) and we did go to Florida (ditto).
This year's holiday was sacrificed so that I could spend the money on the hi-fi this year
I dare say next year will be pay back time!
Our other friends (in the second example) also recently bought a people carrier and had a holiday in Florida this year.
I think there could be a trend here
Ok we bought one of our own cars from new (a Saxo VTS soon after they were launched), but that was in the days when we had money to spare (i.e. before our daughter was born after a gap of 11 years!) and we did go to Florida (ditto).
This year's holiday was sacrificed so that I could spend the money on the hi-fi this year
I dare say next year will be pay back time!
Do most people spend so little time listening to music because their system is cheap and crap?
or
Are most people's systems cheap and crap because they spend so little time listening to music?
Having spent a fair mount of time with a poorly amp (lack of funds to get it serviced) I had it serviced earlier this year it sounds great now and I've re-kindled my enthusiasm for my record collection again before the service I was reluctant to play music. Whenever I am at home now, I play music - except when the football's on!
just like I used to when I first bought my Linn/Naim kit in the early 80's.
or
Are most people's systems cheap and crap because they spend so little time listening to music?
Having spent a fair mount of time with a poorly amp (lack of funds to get it serviced) I had it serviced earlier this year it sounds great now and I've re-kindled my enthusiasm for my record collection again before the service I was reluctant to play music. Whenever I am at home now, I play music - except when the football's on!
just like I used to when I first bought my Linn/Naim kit in the early 80's.Yup, scarping along on a G reg Orion. Although I have just 'invested' in an N reg Skoda
I recently bought my mother a Denon DM30 one-box thingies for £300 (complete with little Mission speakers) and it blows away every other similarly priced midi/mini system I've ever heard.
She loves it!
The other week I bought some half decent stands for the speakers and swapped the bell-wire for average speaker cable and even my mother could hear the difference these changes made.
Picture total amazement that a wire can make that much of an improvement.
Why did I buy that one? Because I did research. I read reviews and asked my dealer what they recommended. And I listened to it first.
She now listens to much more music than before (and has even bought the matching tape deck and soon the CD-recorder) and thoroughly enjoys it.
Maybe she'll never want to join me on the Naim path, but her appreciation of the music she has always enjoyed has greatly increased.
Pretty good sounding stuff can be had without spending the sort of money we do and maybe encouraging your "I don't listen to much music" friends to spend £300 and get the best they can for their money will increase their enjoyment of music.
And result in the death of flashing lights, graphic equalisers and "Concert Hall 1" settings.
What makes this whole crappy midi situation worse is the "that looks cool\nice\techy in the Argos catalogue" approach to buying.
I'm sure virtually no one on this forum would dream of buying anything remotely hi-fi without listening to it first or a car without a test drive.
Joolz,
If you think the grief over the price of a Hi-Cap is bad, try explaining £50 for a pack of 4 Nordost isolation points ("50 quid for them silver things????")
She loves it!
The other week I bought some half decent stands for the speakers and swapped the bell-wire for average speaker cable and even my mother could hear the difference these changes made.
Picture total amazement that a wire can make that much of an improvement.
Why did I buy that one? Because I did research. I read reviews and asked my dealer what they recommended. And I listened to it first.
She now listens to much more music than before (and has even bought the matching tape deck and soon the CD-recorder) and thoroughly enjoys it.
Maybe she'll never want to join me on the Naim path, but her appreciation of the music she has always enjoyed has greatly increased.
Pretty good sounding stuff can be had without spending the sort of money we do and maybe encouraging your "I don't listen to much music" friends to spend £300 and get the best they can for their money will increase their enjoyment of music.
And result in the death of flashing lights, graphic equalisers and "Concert Hall 1" settings.
What makes this whole crappy midi situation worse is the "that looks cool\nice\techy in the Argos catalogue" approach to buying.
I'm sure virtually no one on this forum would dream of buying anything remotely hi-fi without listening to it first or a car without a test drive.
Joolz,
If you think the grief over the price of a Hi-Cap is bad, try explaining £50 for a pack of 4 Nordost isolation points ("50 quid for them silver things????")
quote:
Originally posted by GaryW:
I recently bought my mother a Denon DM30 one-box thingies for £300 (complete with little Mission speakers) and it blows away every other similarly priced midi/mini system I've ever heard.
Looks quite cute. I was looking for a system for my teenage son's birthday later this year - I had no idea what to look for but that appears to offer everything he would want (i.e. a CD player and apparently a reasonable sound - must find one to try it (I found it on the web for £253) but obviously need a demo first.
My initial suggestion to the Boss was to give Tom a new cd player and my old amp and speakers and for me to buy some new ones (NAIM of course!) - nice try I thought but that was a non-starter!
