Reason For your HiFi

Why don't you visit more frequently the Music Room? You might find all your answers right there in the open.

Because I love music and I particular I love Rush and wanted to hear their music as close to what was recorded as possible.  Why Naim?  Because I moved from a Pinnacle Show Centre streamer and wanted something that would stream and sound good and I saw a review for a Qute 2.  Once I got the Qute I was hooked

Well I was going to ignore this because as Haim says the answer is obvious.    But in reality for many the Hi-Fi is the end in itself.  

But Mango I posed you the question in another of your threads the other day "has this journey enhanced your enjoyment of the music"?

Regards,

Lindsay

Mostly what i try to get out of the system, is from what I put into it... But I feel that's just as interesting. 

Not just the music put into it..   Also the invested willingness to suspend both belief and disbelief.    

I now know that I'm a listener that enjoys aesthetic differentiation and tone as much as the tune.   Toe tapping is good but sometimes I want more.

Really something to engage the senses. Not just the ears but physical and emotional.  why ?   I guess it's a selfish means to stimulation. Those who are perfectionists and find frustration at others will find an affinity with Hi-Fi. Likewise some who don't have a skill set, social awareness or physical abilities to engage with life as much as they'd like can find an affinity with Hi-Fi. Also those who use it as a conduit for social and educational means.   Perhaps I'm a bit of all three of them as it pleases. Which is only a press "play" away.

For me it's all for the music. About 20/25 years ago I ended up with Roksan TMS/ Micromega Trio sources into 82/HICAP/135s feeding Epos ES14s. I was looking at a Supercap or a 52, then realised I was listening to music with great pleasure every night I was in, so just stopped and stayed with what I had. That lasted me until 10 years ago when a mains problem blew an Unserviced 135, and when it came back from Salisubry I realised I'd lost a woofer. So B&W 804s speakers arrived. The trio when it died about 5 years ago was replaced by a Cd5x.

That system stayed constant until last year, when I decided I wanted the convenience and quality of ripped music, and a HDX arrived, then a few Qbs. I've an NDX on order, for the convenience of Tidal, and will probably pick up a new Uniti for the upstairs lounge (better views over the valley), but smaller room so not great for the Olives/804s. I may sell off the HDX at some point.

That'll stay constant for a good few years, I'll be able to enjoy my music at a quality I enjoy, and won't feel the need to change the system, and I can focus on the reason I have a hifi system, my record and digital collections.

Simple, I love listening to recorded music with a full frequency range and dynamics, it's exilerating and relaxing. 

The same reason that I cannot listen to music on phone,  trannie or in car. 

No Naim here at mo, but sure there will be some in the future again, and again 

David 

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well I was going to ignore this because as Haim says the answer is obvious.    But in reality for many the Hi-Fi is the end in itself.  

But Mango I posed you the question in another of your threads the other day "has this journey enhanced your enjoyment of the music"?

Regards,

Lindsay

@Lindsay - To the question, at it's face value, the answer would be  - the question does not compute for me - and I'm not entirely sure what you are trying to get at. I apologize, but it just isn't obvious to me. (Maybe that itself is answer enough).

The journey itself was terrible. In this case, it really wasn't about the journey. If anything, it's consequence was fatigue, annoyance etc. If I knew what the journey would have entailed, I would not have started. The end result was not with the years of pain, obsession, time sink, apprehension. Not fun at all.

A person that IMHO is a good judge of character called me a bulldog. Once I get my teeth into something, I can't let go. (Not sure if that's what bulldogs do - but you get the idea). That makes me successful in certain aspects of life  - but it certainly can be a liability if I get my mind set on something inconsequential.

So  - when I started off - October 2010. Bought a new home. Finally thought I'll get a nice system.

[Mind went back to ~30 years ago - when I first heard for the first time,  by my standards, a nice system. I was in 8th grade. Memories are obviously hazy and unreliable - I just remember the soundstage being wide.] 

Anyway - not looking for much. Bose would have been great. whatever. Didn't  know better. Did some rounds of Hifi stores. Here's  the funny thing - my PC, playing mp3s, a $100 sound card and some PC speakers did better than  most $1000 systems. Not suprising, in retrospect. 

Hey - just wanted a system that worked. Could fill the big room with music. Is that asking too much?

The next 5 years are documented in the forum. :-)

I just couldn't make the damn system sound any good. It just didn't sound right. Now like a bull dog, I held on, while I was being dragged by the car. Too stupid to let go. .. more later...

Dealer for help? I did call him in at the beginning- talking about aspects I did not like. Answer - FlatCap, Powerlines. I paid retail, and they did nothing. I din't want to take up any more of his time...

Anyway - 5 years later, after a crazy s/h driven upgrade path - nd5xs, naitxs, superuniti, ndx, 202/200, 282/hicapdr/250, supercap, 2 hicaps, back to 282/hicapdr/250, NDS... each step better, each step ultimately unsatisfying... somewhere  a unitiserve came in, better network cables, etc. etc, the various power strips... - Yes, I did go off the deep end... - throwing good money after bad?

Until finally..

Peace. system came together. got rid of synology. QNAP TS-453A. That plus TrippLite on the various network components in the house... A few weeks ago - this was the first time, the system rivaled a CDX I heard many years ago..

Having solved the problem - It's all good. I can go back to the core need from 7 years ago. Just want a nice system. Play some tunes. Kick back and relax. A ND5XS/naitXS would be plenty. But who am I kidding - now I'm spoilt- once you get used to the NDS/552 level of sounds, it's hard going back...

Come to think of it, that many years ago, should've stuck with the CD5XS/NaitXS. Tha was one helluva system. I haven't heard the latest incarnation of the network systems - maybe they finally sound as good as the cd players of yore...

Does that answer your question?

Not knowing how to compromise must be more difficult than dealing with it and working towards something positive.  Same with anything.

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well .....But in reality for many the Hi-Fi is the end in itself. ... 

Regards,

Lindsay

Lindsay, could you elaborate on the above phrase, please!

TOBYJUG posted:

Not knowing how to compromise must be more difficult than dealing with it and working towards something positive.  Same with anything.

Glad the journey has ended. Really didn't want to  make this a hobby. Sel Avi....

Your strengths, your weaknesses.. they make you who you are. And your strengths are your weaknesses...

Maybe the right thing would've been to just give up, trash the whole thing six years ago.. and be satisfied with a small system in the study that  was no good to the family since I'm in there only at nights when I work...

Anyway, problem solved. System sounds awesome. Even the Kudos Super 20s have no sign of brightness and sound wonderful. (Some cable dressing, set up etc).

Now for the study - yeah, I can make it a hobby and change stuff around if Iike - or not - I'm in control this time - and I know myself now. Won't let the bull dog aspect of me take over.

I'm sure there were moments of pleasure and joy in the journey. Or whole months.. more about that later...

Ah, allante my friend. How's my 250.2 working ?

MangoMonkey posted:

Ah, allante my friend. How's my 250.2 working ?

Great, can't distinguish it from the 2015 250.2.

Things are tight, if I don't get any sales I might have to offload all three of my 250.2s! LOL..

Buds HCDR is a cracker!

Allante93 posted:

Things are tight, if I don't get any sales I might have to offload all three of my 250.2s! LOL..

So why not ditch two of them and get an XPS? But you won't because of some dream of some active system you heard in the nineties! Really, this game is not supposed to be this hard.

Apologies to Mango.

C.

Christopher_M posted:

Allante93 posted:

Things are tight, if I don't get any sales I might have to offload all three of my 250.2s! LOL..

So why not ditch two of them and get an XPS? But you won't because of some dream of some active system you heard in the nineties! Really, this game is not supposed to be this hard.

Apologies to Mango.

C.

No need to apologize - I agree - it shouldn't be that hard. :-) 

and it would not have been if I had gone down the cdp route ...

And - I loved the 202/200 when I had it. :-)

MangoMonkey posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well I was going to ignore this because as Haim says the answer is obvious.    But in reality for many the Hi-Fi is the end in itself.  

But Mango I posed you the question in another of your threads the other day "has this journey enhanced your enjoyment of the music"?

Regards,

Lindsay

@Lindsay - To the question, at it's face value, the answer would be  - the question does not compute for me - and I'm not entirely sure what you are trying to get at. I apologize, but it just isn't obvious to me. (Maybe that itself is answer enough).

The journey itself was terrible. In this case, it really wasn't about the journey. If anything, it's consequence was fatigue, annoyance etc. If I knew what the journey would have entailed, I would not have started. The end result was not with the years of pain, obsession, time sink, apprehension. Not fun at all.

A person that IMHO is a good judge of character called me a bulldog. Once I get my teeth into something, I can't let go. (Not sure if that's what bulldogs do - but you get the idea). That makes me successful in certain aspects of life  - but it certainly can be a liability if I get my mind set on something inconsequential.

So  - when I started off - October 2010. Bought a new home. Finally thought I'll get a nice system.

[Mind went back to ~30 years ago - when I first heard for the first time,  by my standards, a nice system. I was in 8th grade. Memories are obviously hazy and unreliable - I just remember the soundstage being wide.] 

Anyway - not looking for much. Bose would have been great. whatever. Didn't  know better. Did some rounds of Hifi stores. Here's  the funny thing - my PC, playing mp3s, a $100 sound card and some PC speakers did better than  most $1000 systems. Not suprising, in retrospect. 

Hey - just wanted a system that worked. Could fill the big room with music. Is that asking too much?

The next 5 years are documented in the forum. :-)

I just couldn't make the damn system sound any good. It just didn't sound right. Now like a bull dog, I held on, while I was being dragged by the car. Too stupid to let go. .. more later...

Dealer for help? I did call him in at the beginning- talking about aspects I did not like. Answer - FlatCap, Powerlines. I paid retail, and they did nothing. I din't want to take up any more of his time...

Anyway - 5 years later, after a crazy s/h driven upgrade path - nd5xs, naitxs, superuniti, ndx, 202/200, 282/hicapdr/250, supercap, 2 hicaps, back to 282/hicapdr/250, NDS... each step better, each step ultimately unsatisfying... somewhere  a unitiserve came in, better network cables, etc. etc, the various power strips... - Yes, I did go off the deep end... - throwing good money after bad?

Until finally..

Peace. system came together. got rid of synology. QNAP TS-453A. That plus TrippLite on the various network components in the house... A few weeks ago - this was the first time, the system rivaled a CDX I heard many years ago..

Having solved the problem - It's all good. I can go back to the core need from 7 years ago. Just want a nice system. Play some tunes. Kick back and relax. A ND5XS/naitXS would be plenty. But who am I kidding - now I'm spoilt- once you get used to the NDS/552 level of sounds, it's hard going back...

Come to think of it, that many years ago, should've stuck with the CD5XS/NaitXS. Tha was one helluva system. I haven't heard the latest incarnation of the network systems - maybe they finally sound as good as the cd players of yore...

 

Does that answer your question?

Yes it does.  Just struck me that you've been on one long journey.  And I agree that once you've reached a level little else will satisfy.   Similar to yourself when we moved to this house back in 2001 I decided I was going to invest (progressively) in a "reference" level hi-fi whatever that might have meant!?  But my overidding obsession remains the music so once I'd hit 282/250 level decided to consolidate at that level. 

Best regards,

Lindsay

MangoMonkey posted:

Christopher_M posted:

Allante93 posted:

Things are tight, if I don't get any sales I might have to offload all three of my 250.2s! LOL..

So why not ditch two of them and get an XPS? But you won't because of some dream of some active system you heard in the nineties! Really, this game is not supposed to be this hard.

Apologies to Mango.

C.

No need to apologize - I agree - it shouldn't be that hard. :-) 

and it would not have been if I had gone down the cdp route ...

And - I loved the 202/200 when I had it. :-)

I can understand exactly what you're saying and how it feels to not let it be. I'm there now. Wanting more. Not being satisfied. Chasing. Difference between us it seems is lack of finances on my part to chase the way have. I should take notes and learn a lesson from your journey and just be happy with my Uniti 2. Stop obsessing and do what I intended to do when I started with this and that's enjoy the music. Something for me to really step back and think about. Thanks for the post. 

Allante93 posted:

The Strat (Fender) posted:

Well .....But in reality for many the Hi-Fi is the end in itself. ... 

Regards,

Lindsay

Lindsay, could you elaborate on the above phrase, please!

Yes - simply I observe people on other forums swapping boxes seemingly continuously and I'm sure it's a hobby they enjoy.   But for me I couldn't be bothered with it.     

For the joy or music.  Naim? Because its sound quality helps me to enjoy more.

Because it makes me cry

In general simple. I like music and the better the equipment the easier it get's to enjoy the music. Nothing more nothing less. I am not into the boxes etc. if one box would lead to the best result - I would only have one box....

Stopped by my local record shop to pick up a saved red copy of the new Spoon album this afternoon. Quick in and out I told myself- just pick up the record from the guy behind the counter...no problem.

I emerged close to two hours later with a bundle of both new and used vinyl..coudn't help myself . That's my reason for continuing on my journey with HiFi- I just love the whole damn thing. The music, the equipment, the search for hidden gems. I even love how record stores smell for God's sake ! Great fun and very happy to have drank the Kool-Aide long ago .

ATB,

Mark

PS New Spoon album is great!

a 250dr playing into some 683 S2 with Ben Howard - time is dancing coming from a V1 through Audirvana 3+

I set out in November last year to buy good hifi and that's what I did. So quickly I learnt that "good" can mean any manner of things.

Both the first DAC and amplifier have been changed once already for Naim units mentioned above. 

I wouldn't go back on those decisions and yet I know already that in 5 years time funds permitting again, I'll be able to sit here and post an update to this thread listening through a supercap 282 250dr and 802 d3, probably contemplating a 300dr as I do it...

regularly I see posts delving deep into the pursuit of perfection and I myself am guilty of it too, sadly forgetting the very reason I started off happy with a dacmagic 100, Marantz 6010 and some mission 701s

at this level of niche, hifi is as wonderful as it is stressful and now more than ever I listen with a smile as the hours slowly clock up on the 250 seemingly getting a little sweeter. 

Ben Howard plays on and on and on and in the short space of time I've been on the journey I gotta say, roll on 2022.

I originally got into this hifi game to listen to music with a reasonably decent system - so a combination of enjoying music and enjoying how it could be reproduced in the home. Quite simple really - well it was so back then. These two 'draws' - the music and the quality of reproduction (SQ), have fought with each other (well in my head anyway) over many years. I now have to acknowledge that SQ has occasionally taken over the sheer enjoyment of music at times and this is when upgraditis strikes and it gets expensive, sometimes irrationally so. But hearing what a great upgrade can do to your music collection can be as great a thrill as the music itself. You just have to watch the quest for ultimate SQ (whatever that means to the individual - and it will mean different things to each of us) doesn't become all-consuming to the point you lose the rationale for having a system to reproduce music in the home in the first place - that is to simply enjoy the ability of an artist and a piece of music to produce an emotional response from the listener. I say simply - of course it is far from simple.

A rather innocuous, some might say, recent development in home audio technology and a change in the way I 'consume' music in the home has had a rather wonderful impact on my enjoyment of music. That is, enjoyment of music and not simply the enjoyment of how well it is reproduced (SQ). 'What is this wonderful thing you speak of?'... I hear you say (assuming anyone is reading this and anyone has the slightest interest in my ramblings of course). Tidal, I say! 'What, Tidal?' Yes Tidal. Well not just Tidal. The Music Room on here and internet radio, combined with the ability Tidal gives me to listen immediately to something I might discover flipping through say the 'What are you listening to, and why might anyone be interested' thread on here. Suddenly I discovered new artists (well new to me), wonderful new music and music genres I had previously toyed with but could now research properly and immediately. My gradually stagnating music collection was suddenly renewed, vibrant, enjoyable. In a way I rediscovered music. In short music re-established itself as the reason I have hifi in the home. That might sound a little over-dramatic. But the convenience of digital sources and on-line music streaming allowed me the opportunity to savour the wonders of new musical experiences and I again appreciated the ability of talented artists to move me.

So I would say to anyone still reading this, if you feel the symptoms of upgraditis coming on, simply listen to as much new stuff as you can, be choosy and buy your favourite 'discoveries'. I promise you, you will love the experience and it will be far cheaper than succumbing to upgraditis in the long term.

Wow what a journey...

Nowadays I am happy with a Chord Mojo in my car where I do most of my listening.

It's all about the music - I loved music before I heard a Naim, and my listening with Chord Mojo only in my car (no Naim amplifier) proves even more to me it is about the music.

The best hi-fi gets out of the way and brings you closer to the music.

I just attended Bryan Adams concert recently, and obviously one does not pay attention to cables, speakers amplifiers, just the performance of Bryan and the band (it was magical)

FWIW, I found what I was looking for once I had a Hugo DAC (Now Dave), 282/HCDR/250DR and Dynaudio Focus 260 speakers.

I do agree with Mango about 202/200, it was the first Naim amplifier I heard, and it still sounds amazing to me, along with Nait XS.

Why Naim - oh well it brought music to life and boogied, but I slowly realized that source first applies, and the Hugo was for me a game changer, well for the reason that Hugo is really hi-end sound and is portable ! 

nigelb posted:

I originally got into this hifi game to listen to music with a reasonably decent system - so a combination of enjoying music and enjoying how it could be reproduced in the home.

Quite simple really - well it was so back then.

These two 'draws' - the music and the quality of reproduction (SQ), have fought with each other (well in my head anyway) over many years. I now have to acknowledge that SQ has occasionally taken over the sheer enjoyment of music at times and this is when upgraditis strikes and it gets.........

(assuming anyone is reading this and anyone has the slightest interest in my RAMBLINGS of course)..............

So I would say to anyone still reading this, if you feel the symptoms of upgraditis coming on, simply listen to as much new stuff as you can, be choosy and buy your favourite 'discoveries'. I promise you, you will love the experience and it will be far cheaper than succumbing to upgraditis in the long term.

Well put Nigel, I bet 90, well 99% of us can relate to your RAMBLINGS!

Enjoy your Music, the why!

Allante93!