Your golden rules for buying Hi Fi

Don’t listen when you can’t afford it

Use the wisdom of others

Every element counts, so don’t only look at the electronics per se

Start if possible with your endgame speakers

Enjoy what you have and don’t always focus on what could be better

Audition - your own ears is the only thing which counts

Look for an all service dealer who can make the journey with you

Buy pre-loved if possible and relevant. It could enable you a bigger step up then imagined.

yeti42 posted:

leni v posted:

Always wait for the next model.

Is that before or after it’s been announced?

No need to wait for annoucment,its always around the corner.

Here are mine:

START BY BUYING THE MOST EXPENSIVE SPEAKERS YOU CAN FIND  Some people will tell you that you need to think about room acoustics.  This is nonsense.  Really large and pricey speakers will "drive" the room and give you plenty of the most important characteristic of speakers: lots and lots of bass.

DON'T WASTE MONEY ON EXPENSIVE ELECTRONICS  Everyone knows that all amplifiers sound the same and, of course, this goes for source components as well.  Besides, lots of unnecessary black boxes will dominate your house and lead to the need for rewiring and re-plastering.

DO ASK FOR ADVICE ON THIS FORUM but make sure you ignore any suggestions made in response.  All posters on the forum are only interested in promoting what they own and trying to encourage you to overspend on a certain brand of hifi.  And, above all, never under any circumstances put anything in your profile.

NEVER BUY SECOND HAND  You'd never know who's touched your knobs and what infections they might be carrying.  Always buy fresh-from-the-factory goods, preferably shrink-wrapped.  It's the only way to be sure of good hygiene.

AND FINALLY  Don't waste your money buying lots of music.  You really only need one CD or download to show your system off to your envious friends.  Actually, you probably don't even need one.  Provided your speakers look impressive enough, that should be enough to make your friends properly jealous.

Roger

I would adjust this... I say start by getting the best preamp you can find... I have learnt through experience that it the heart of the system... get that right most things get brought along with it... then focus on getting the best speakers you can find for your room.

Also do consider second hand, but do purchase via a dealer or known source where the previous owner is known.....

The challenge to anyone reading this thread - particularly any newcomers seeking wisdom (!!!!) - is identifying which threads have followed the OP’s ironic inverted rules and those that have responded with seriosness based on the thread title. Of course, the OP’s own intro might not have been ironic inversion....

First, buy the most expensive graphic equaliser you can’t afford. This will allow you to manipulate loads and loads of settings and boost/reduce the bass and the treble to suit your mood at the time.

The ones with ‘sliders’ and red led indicators work best.

This will save cash downstream as everything else can be cheap-as-chips, knowing it can be adjusted by your primary purchase.

G

If you don't have the funds for new equipment then simply sell some of your music collection.

JUDGE ALL PURCHASES BASED ON NUMBER OF VEILS LIFTED - an ok upgrade lifts one veil, the best upgrades lift up to seven veils (seductively, one at a time).

Buy the heaviest kit you can get your hands on. Spikey spikes and shreddie fins are a must to foil the plebs. Ask your dealer what 'extras' come with the item. A spirit level is the absolute minimum and must be calibrated in imperial measures.

Sell everything and take a hiatus. This gives your brain a chance to heal & re-wire.

Put the word 'don't' at the start of each sentence below for a hilarious sarcastic surprise:

Always test a product before you buy. The internet and hifi media is often full of s***.

Always demo products side-by-side.

Always use exactly the same connection (that you plan to use at home) with each product. For example, test using a USB connection playing FLAC files across all devices. Don't test one device with CDs and the other with Spotify.

Research the most cost effective set-up for your needs. Two examples: 1) network streamers and 2) headphone amps. 1) Usually a USB connection to a laptop or a media centre (e.g. Nvidia Shield) can do the 'streaming' part of the job for £200, as opposed to a £2,000 streamer. You can then put that money towards the right DAC and amp. 2) There are plenty of DACs with great headphone amps. I personally couldn't justify buying separates for a budget of under £2k.

Dont demo just once. You need two to three sessions -- especially with headphones, as your ears get fatigued.

I almost always buy dealer Demo gear. If not dealer Demo I do things "on sale" (for internet direct stuff).  

I amost puller the trigger on a in a pair of Zu Omer DW, but couldn't quite pull the finances together. They were on sale for $999 instead of $1599. 

Once I get the funds together I'll wait for the next sale. No need in wasting $600 that could go towards more music or other new gear. 

Patience can be your friend, if you need to watch you finances.