Here I give 15 top tips from 45 years and just tons of equipment . amps speakers turntables CD players DAC s phono stages ,cartridges cables everything .
1. Speaker placement / tilting . . 0:26 2. Keep connections tight . . 1:34 3. Find out the weak link in your system (don't trust the badge) . . 2:12 4. Mix vintage with new . . 3:30 5. Run it flat . . 5:02 6. Room acoustics . . 6:24 7. Tighten the screws (don't overdo it on wood) . . 7:33 8. Money . . 8:28 9. Clean the pots . . 10:08 (heard rumours that DeOxit exposes terminals to corrosion, I use Servisol) 10. Mix and match equipment . . 11:11 11. Is it satisfactory . . 13:00 (find out what makes your heart flutter ) 12. Try it for yourself . . 15:08 13. Beware of chasing WATTS . . 16:50 14. Big sound doesn't come in small speakers . . 17:50 15. It's all about the music, man . . 19:10 Push this up!
Glad to see Your Still Alive. I Love your Way of Stereo review And I Hope Your OK Alive And Doing well And Healthy. Is their any chance you could Just do A Video Just Letting Everyone Know what's Been Happening in your life These Days As We No longer see you on the channel. We Love Ya And I Have 1M People That Watch Your Videos With me. And Were Real Concerned If You OK these days. Any sort of catching up video we sure would love. Thanks ....
Dealing with this profesionally for 42 years now, I am positively surprised by this video. There is a ton of wisdom in here. Of course I subscribe. Hats off!
Nice Mr k (aka Hi-Fi Yoda). Here’s a man who sinks his heart and soul into an art. Obtains a huge amount of good knowledge and passes it on through this media platform - for FREE. Takes time, effort not to mention money to get these out to us. We all appreciate it. You make a difference to a lot of lives with the choices we make and the money we spend. We applaud you sir.
Excellent advice. Very much appreciate your fifteen points and I am saving your video so that I can watch it again when I need to refer to the advice. Thank you.
Love your channel and your experienced insight Calvin. The X factor is spot on. Mixing and matching gear is sooo much fun; especially when you have that elusive Eureka moment. First time this happened to me, I thought there was something wrong because the sound I was hearing was so ridiculously good. Love vintage gear and love the music.
Enjoyed your vid. Great tips from your many years. REally liked the one about using your ears and enjoying the music over the specs or power of a system. Thankyou
A great rule to live by: Don't judge your set-up by the quality of a recording. There are speakers that are more honest than others and lie to you less, giving you the illusion that your speakers (or stack) has failed you when in fact, it could be that the mastering or recording of a certain album has been revealed as shoddy or poor of quality. Listen to a lot of albums before you lose hope.
100% agree. Some records, particularly newer records, but not all, just don't sound right on my fairly vintage system. 95% of my records sound wonderful.
Find a good match is so true! I’ve spent hours trying different combos and have found some excellent pairings. And found some that don’t blend. But that’s part of the fun of this hobby. Great video Thanks for sharing
Fantastic vlog K, easy to follow and digest. Had a chuckle at ' Tip 11' but what made it for me was the passion , knowledge and straight talking. Will everyone agree with all 15? Probably not but that's not the point. It was real, genuine and really felt like the culmination of 45 years experience. Great stuff. Thanks for posting 👍
You and I have been in this fun hobby for around the same amount of time. I started when I was 13yrs old here in Canada in 1976. I have played around with many brands of gear and components over the years and now, since I am retiring, I am content with my current setup which except for my Audio Research SP14 preamp and REL sub, all my gear is used Rega gear. Rega Exon 3 mono blocks, Rega RS5 speakers, P6 turntable, Ania Pro mc cart, Rega DAC R, Rega Apollo CD and Ear headphone amp. My headphones are Sennheiser 6XX. Thanks for posting! Most informative and enjoyable.
Switch cleaner is a great tip. I also use it on the turntable head shell. It makes a big improvement. Great video thank you for sharing. Signal path where your sound is coming from and how you listen and what you listen to sums up all these great tips.
Nice, as usual. I like small speakers, I like tall speakers 😃 in fact I like all kinds of speakers, I always a couple of systems set up. My main system, tone control free. My integrated second system, a receiver with tone controls, sometimes a little added colour is what's called for, especially with some rough old recordings 😃 speaker placement, yes, keeping things right yes. For me the speakers are the most important part... If your speakers are letting the side down, then no matter what sits upstream of them, you'll only realize parts of its delights! Get the speakers that you really enjoy and then a decent amo, and you'll find tons of source components that are pretty great. Love your videos Kelvin
Absolutely fantastic! I am an older audiophile too. I wish I would have known these things when I was young. On the other hand, the trial and error over the years was a lot of fun. Nice work!
Always love the content. Please keep them coming. Love the vintage / modern mix idea. I’m kinda opposite using vintage McIntosh with modern speakers, Dac, streamer. Sometimes tone controls can be very helpful. Speakers (especially modern) that are bright can truly be helped by a little intervention.
Kelvin, solid gold advice - I confirm everything you said - it's been my hobby for 50 years. Thank you for sharing your considerable knowledge with us! Wishing you all the best, Rob in Switzerland
Great stuff. After 56yrs on this quest I would say that you have nailed it in less than 20 mins. Interesting looking timepiece too. Greetings to you and yours ;¬D
Excellent as always Kelvin just to add ensure your speakers are in phase especially if cables are not coded and swap them regularly to ensure they sound the same.
great advice calvin! since covid, i just bought a tube (er valve) hybrid headphone amp. i decided liked it when i noticed i was tapping my feet to street fighting man by the stones. it's all about the music!
Thank you Kelvin. As a beginner in vintage hifi I've learned loads from your videos. I have a set now with NAD and Celestion gear which cost a pittance and sounds brilliant.
This was the first video of yours I've seen and maybe the most relatable I have come across in the audiophile sphere. I appreciate the thoughtful, simple insights and observations and overall you've summed up what I've sort of arrived at myself. In a landscape where people are so opinionated and sure they're right about everything, it's refreshing to hear a someone say essentially "If it sounds good to you, you're probably winning!". That;'s tough to argue. So thanks for that.
Kelvin Brilliant advice. I'm guessing there will be many youngsters out there that will still learn the hard way but in some ways that's some of the fun. As a man of years 66 years🥴 I'm so glad I eventually copped onto your channel. You have blown away so many myth's you have taught me so much about vintage components it has lifted my hi fi system to a level that belies it's cost. Of course I would love to have thousands to spend and chase perfection but by listening to your advice at last I feel satisfied with my system that I can sit and enjoy the music. Keep up the good work Steve
Gave you a thumbs-up right off the bat b/c of your very first point. Correct positioning is, in my opinion, the biggest factor in achieving good sound quality, aside from the room itself (which is the biggest factor). And now I'm off to watch the rest of your tips. :) (I'm an oldie, too - I have 40 years of audiophilia under my belt, but I'm always open to what other audiophiles have to say). Cheers from Toronto, Canada!
BRAVO ! I've been soldering wires for 54 yrs. - as well. Many Many great suggestions coming from years of experience. Well Done. Room Acoustics is Number '' 1 '' for me. I see sound rooms with sliding glass doors, fireplaces, totally irregular shapes , hardwood floors. etc. 50 % gear, 50 % room acoustics. and yes. McIntosh would appreciate the gesture.
This guy is right on. Since I was 16, when I bought my first real system, I got the idea that it's about a system and needs to match or the weakest link would bring down the whole thing to that lowest level of SQ. Later you can upgrade something like a processor or speakers but then you will have a good idea what difference it makes. It's going to cost a lot to get great sound and that's a fact of life. Hobbies are not cheap, boating, photography, flying, motorcycles and cars all cost a bundle to have nice stuff, stereos are the same. I can't live with out great sound and never have. I love this guys assessment of how to build a system, he's right on. The only thing I used to say different from him is about the speakers, I always said they produce the sound to your ears and no system can sound better than you speakers, so buy the best ones you can afford at the time and then upgrade from a receiver to separates later, turntable to a CD player and the cartridge was more important than the turntable, I used to say the two most important things are what pick up the signal and what put it out, the wires and amps and processors can all be upgraded to match those later. But it's really a system and it can take years to afford the whole thing.
So much truth in this video, I’m a 50 year veteran audiophile as well, your spot on the $ , I have had some awful pre amplifiers that have made kept speakers from really singing, I love the tube combo pre amps, they can really add the final icing on the cake.
Great …great advice ..well delivered, I love the passion it so lovely to see someone really enjoy his hobby, the only problem is after listening to this advice I end up buying new or vintage gear 😂… how is he possibly getting thumbs down, some people are real spiteful, there should be no thumbs down, I watch loads of channels like this, I have been in to hifi for 40 years and I think this guy has one on the most realistic channels out there, I also love Steve Gutenberg … very similar but American, very passionate.. well done for the work on this channel you make my day when a new video comes up ❤️❤️
Thank you! Great suggestions love the idea of pairing old with new. I have been thinking of pairing some AR9 speakers with an Adcom GFA-5802 Power Amp Cheers!🥂🎩
Thank you! You said "vintage" speakers, it suddenly occurred to me that my Spendor SP9/1's are in fact vintage - I bought them twenty years ago and never looked back. Just completed rotating the cones 180 degree - sounds awesome! SP9/1 speakers + Pass Aleph 5 amp = magic.
I bought a pair of floor standing Mordant Short 906's and my wife made me put one behind the TV and the other at the end of the sofa. Sounds great! No headache!!
Great advice Kelvin. Due to your channel just purchased a Quad 306 power amp of eBay. Never considered such a thing before and what a difference it has made. Thank you👍
Great advice all round mate. Love my 70's Marantz gear along with a couple of Bryston power amps (Canadian, you see). All built to last. Mix and match. A lifetime audio enthusiast like you.
Really great video man I'm not just saying that! I just found your channel and I'm subscribing! I have been battling myself for like a month about my sound (sound of my turntable speakers) I just can't get it right. Thanks for sharing this advice
Done! Really good video, man! This'll be really helpful to newbies. I found myself nodding along with pretty much everything you were saying. Number 11 makes a really good point. Glad you also pointed out that specs do NOT tell the whole story. Hell, all the points are valid. Great job!
Loved this video. Especially the part about listen to your system for weak links. The corollary to this is, "when you get great sound, don't go changing things and mess it up".
A lot of what we buy is because of our budget limitations, which is sort of what you said. Over the weekend I just pick up (from the ORIGINAL owner) a Yamaha CR-600 and two BIG speakers for $300, all in excellent condition. The speakers I'm certain are ones you've never heard of - Audiocoustics Laboratory XR-310F - a "house brand" speaker sold by a high end audio store here in Indianapolis, designed to compete with Advent at the time. Very well built and they really pack a punch!
Outstanding video, thank you. I agree with every point you made with the possible exception of speakers and their importance. Once you kind of understand your room and where the speakers can go, then you can then pick out a set that you can live with for a long time. Spend most of your budget there, particularly if you are starting out. At that point I would go for an amplification system that drives the speakers properly. Then, finally work on the front-end last, because that's the part that changes with technology the most. How much money have some of us wasted on a digital front end, only to find out that there was a better one coming out each year. Many cases for a lot less money. Not to mention that the used market is tough on digital product. Just my two cents.
Excellent review. Love it and so to the point. Only thing you miss out are those speaker, fiber optic cables. Please, get the biggest copper cable your speaker terminal can accept and for the optic cables, well, light is light... Thanks again for the video.
Excellent video!! it took me a few years to realize that I hate ruler flat reproduction of music. A little EQ is almost always needed in my opinion. Agreed on your point regarding room acoustics as well. My system completely changed for the better after I added a rug, curtains, and diffuser panels to my room. I would say that room acoustics are responsible for around 70% of the overall sound of a system.
@@ENGLISHISBEST Okay… and you know for sure that every single home audio setup just happens to be producing the EXACT same thing they were dialing in at the studio?
Thank you, enthusiastic & factual -- excellent advice! The Fives by Klipsch may not be the best sounding speaker but it IS the EASIEST to set up. Old TV can do nothing modern but a 12' optical worked the first time on a cheap laptop sending reg HDMI 25' playing CZcams live performances. Mindblowing!! (even though I don't have best set of eardrums)
When I was young I had the treble and bass up, but in hindsight only because my amps were seriously lacking. Now I have several very good amps and JC1 mono blocks (tube like sound with 25 watts class A and 400 watts A/B for incredible dynamics and bass control) where I will always bypass all tone controls. Decent high current amp don't need tone controls and they only muddy the sound when you use them. Very good advice you are giving people. I have a few pairs of vintage speakers which I thought weren't very good until I hooked them to a high powered modern amp that could handle the 3 ohm dips. Had I not heard my Kef R900s, I would have been totally satisfied with my vintage Polk LS70s, but only on a high powered and sweet amp. I was amazed how great my LS70s sounded on my mono blocks, but the R900s went back into the system because the LS 70 were a little too deep in tone and the bass wasn't quite as tight. I run all of my speakers with the ports plugged because I like super tight bass and with big amps you can have the best of both worlds (tight and strong bass). When speakers dip to 3ish ohm in the bass, they are sucking more than twice the power for those low frequencies and will still kick some serious bass even if the ports are plugged.
With living in a small studio apartment, I put my Pioneer speakers on the arms of my over stuff loveseat, and point the speakers towards me! I don't have to have it turn up very loud to hear the separation and it is better than listening to headphones! The sound is probably lower that when I play my tv.
Nice to meet you! Fantastic video. I use NAD C352 with mission 734i speakers. Standard ofc speaker cable. Audio output from tv to aux input. The result is dependent on the quality of the source recording. When it's good it blows you away, when it's poor it shows. I like it that way! Subscribed.
My old Naim NAIT (currently in the care of my eldest son), is just 13 watts and still sounds beautiful, fully able to fill a reasonably sized room & drive some decent speakers (like my old Linn Index Plus', also in the tender care of son number 1).
I use an EQ in between my speakers and amp. I have to for the sake of my enjoyment. Some albums were recorded terribly. When they’re good on their own, I just turn on direct. I also make sure that the EQ doesn’t color or change the type of sound as well, even when bypassing and going directly.
will that nonsense about vinyl sounding good never stop? bad dynamics, noise and a terrible frequency curve and when only that sounds good the speakers are crap
Kelvin, love your channel and I sweat on your new posts. The bottom line for me is enjoying the music. I worry about the risk that my enjoyment of the music will be lost if I become hyper-analytical over small system nuances.
Thanks for sharing your experiences! However, I do love small speakers and find them to "disappear" into the room much easier than big ones. My first slightly audiophile speakers way back were Mission 780SE. Wonderful speakers with Technics SU-800MK2 amp from the 90s and a Pioneer PDS703 CD player.
Maybe so, but small speakers will never give you that wow factor. They will never truly represent the full scale and dynamics of the music and instruments.
Great advice Kelvin. Wish I’d had this guidance 20years ago and looked at vintage second hand hifi sooner. I would have saved 1000’s . Mixing modern and vintage is the way to go. One other simple bit of advice is to try bungs in ported speakers ..bass gets tighter and mids and highs feel more open.
I was lucky and did realize it before buying. A well-refurbished 1990s Denon PMA-1060 amplifier and new Wharfedale Lintons and new Cambridge Audio DACMagic100 do a fine job for less than 1500 euros. And just like tip 1 in the video, the Lintons tilted a bit forward on their stands, makes it even better.
1. Speaker placement / tilting . . 0:26
2. Keep connections tight . . 1:34
3. Find out the weak link in your system (don't trust the badge) . . 2:12
4. Mix vintage with new . . 3:30
5. Run it flat . . 5:02
6. Room acoustics . . 6:24
7. Tighten the screws (don't overdo it on wood) . . 7:33
8. Money . . 8:28
9. Clean the pots . . 10:08 (heard rumours that DeOxit exposes terminals to corrosion, I use Servisol)
10. Mix and match equipment . . 11:11
11. Is it satisfactory . . 13:00 (find out what makes your heart flutter )
12. Try it for yourself . . 15:08
13. Beware of chasing WATTS . . 16:50
14. Big sound doesn't come in small speakers . . 17:50
15. It's all about the music, man . . 19:10
Push this up!
I concur
He said: “Loose connections, lose signal” and then “Loose wires, lose signal”.
Not ‘loose signal’.
@@Brinta3 thanks!
It is all stating the obvious
Fantastic advice, 40 years of experience delivered in 20 minutes. Outstanding.
…saved you about 40 years of your lifetime 😂
Fu*k yea😃😃
Glad to see Your Still Alive. I Love your Way of Stereo review And I Hope Your OK Alive And Doing well And Healthy. Is their any chance you could Just do A Video Just Letting Everyone Know what's Been Happening in your life These Days As We No longer see you on the channel. We Love Ya And I Have 1M People That Watch Your Videos With me. And Were Real Concerned If You OK these days. Any sort of catching up video we sure would love. Thanks ....
Put your speakers where your wife tells you to, this will protect your ears .
Tip number 16
don t buy small speakers
Never get married. Best thing I ever did.
@@AlexDroog71 te laat
Happy wife, happy life!
Respect for naming the gear you don’t like! I hate when reviewers don’t mention products they think sound bad
Dealing with this profesionally for 42 years now, I am positively surprised by this video. There is a ton of wisdom in here. Of course I subscribe. Hats off!
Nice Mr k (aka Hi-Fi Yoda). Here’s a man who sinks his heart and soul into an art. Obtains a huge amount of good knowledge and passes it on through this media platform - for FREE. Takes time, effort not to mention money to get these out to us. We all appreciate it. You make a difference to a lot of lives with the choices we make and the money we spend.
We applaud you sir.
Well said MrKaby. May I 2nd that.
Great to hear thanks everyone
K
Hi-Fi yoda... Lol
Great, honest, down to earth advice as always. Thanks. Enjoyed the video.
Excellent advice. Very much appreciate your fifteen points and I am saving your video so that I can watch it again when I need to refer to the advice. Thank you.
Love your joy and enthusiasm for the hobby. Keep it up :)
*EVERYTHING said here is great advice and very helpful. Eye opening indeed. THANK YOU.*
Love your channel and your experienced insight Calvin. The X factor is spot on. Mixing and matching gear is sooo much fun; especially when you have that elusive Eureka moment. First time this happened to me, I thought there was something wrong because the sound I was hearing was so ridiculously good. Love vintage gear and love the music.
Enjoyed your vid. Great tips from your many years. REally liked the one about using your ears and enjoying the music over the specs or power of a system. Thankyou
Great advice, especially the last bit, it really is all about the music, no matter what you are using to listen to it with.
Great presentation! Love the advice about experimenting. Also, the comment about mixing vintage and new gear. Thanks!
Perhaps some of the most honest and real world advise you will ever get on this subject.
Great advice Kelvin. You really gave me a head start with the Sansui Au-317 and the 331
A great rule to live by: Don't judge your set-up by the quality of a recording.
There are speakers that are more honest than others and lie to you less, giving you the illusion that your speakers (or stack) has failed you
when in fact, it could be that the mastering or recording of a certain album has been revealed as shoddy or poor of quality.
Listen to a lot of albums before you lose hope.
100% agree. Some records, particularly newer records, but not all, just don't sound right on my fairly vintage system. 95% of my records sound wonderful.
Definitely one of the best review i heard about Hifi.... And definitely love the last (but not least) tip 👍🏾👌🏾👏🏾👏🏾!!
Find a good match is so true! I’ve spent hours trying different combos and have found some excellent pairings. And found some that don’t blend. But that’s part of the fun of this hobby.
Great video
Thanks for sharing
Fantastic vlog K, easy to follow and digest. Had a chuckle at ' Tip 11' but what made it for me was the passion , knowledge and straight talking. Will everyone agree with all 15? Probably not but that's not the point. It was real, genuine and really felt like the culmination of 45 years experience. Great stuff. Thanks for posting 👍
Good advice, Calvin. A must view for anyone looking to scratch that itch!
Your a champion mate!
The best advice you'll ever find is all here, love it! 👍
I'll second that this advice is fantastic and presented properly without a script my I add!😬 Couldn't be more accurate of a statement!🤔🤭🤗😉😇
You and I have been in this fun hobby for around the same amount of time. I started when I was 13yrs old here in Canada in 1976. I have played around with many brands of gear and components over the years and now, since I am retiring, I am content with my current setup which except for my Audio Research SP14 preamp and REL sub, all my gear is used Rega gear. Rega Exon 3 mono blocks, Rega RS5 speakers, P6 turntable, Ania Pro mc cart, Rega DAC R, Rega Apollo CD and Ear headphone amp. My headphones are Sennheiser 6XX. Thanks for posting! Most informative and enjoyable.
This is brilliant! Honest, unbiased and straight to the point. Great advice delivered under 20mins.
Thanks Erwin
Great show Laddie, you learn something new every day and rotating the speakers or something I never knew… Keep on rockin
I've tried rotating woofer(s) and it worked! I got rid of the noises.
Love listening to this London dude 😍. Very good information!
Thanks for the tips. Was thinking about replacing my Linn 212 speakers. Took your advice and tightened every driver bolt I could access. Fantastic.
I know I just did it today with my LS35A is is such a winner
Switch cleaner is a great tip. I also use it on the turntable head shell. It makes a big improvement. Great video thank you for sharing. Signal path where your sound is coming from and how you listen and what you listen to sums up all these great tips.
Nice, as usual. I like small speakers, I like tall speakers 😃 in fact I like all kinds of speakers, I always a couple of systems set up. My main system, tone control free. My integrated second system, a receiver with tone controls, sometimes a little added colour is what's called for, especially with some rough old recordings 😃 speaker placement, yes, keeping things right yes. For me the speakers are the most important part... If your speakers are letting the side down, then no matter what sits upstream of them, you'll only realize parts of its delights! Get the speakers that you really enjoy and then a decent amo, and you'll find tons of source components that are pretty great. Love your videos Kelvin
“You may be trying to get sound out of a room you’ll never get.” -really well said. Thanks for sharing your passion, experience & wisdom.
Absolutely fantastic! I am an older audiophile too. I wish I would have known these things when I was young. On the other hand, the trial and error over the years was a lot of fun.
Nice work!
Totally agree. The gradual breakthroughs are very rewarding.
Always love the content. Please keep them coming. Love the vintage / modern mix idea. I’m kinda opposite using vintage McIntosh with modern speakers, Dac, streamer. Sometimes tone controls can be very helpful. Speakers (especially modern) that are bright can truly be helped by a little intervention.
What a great video. Applies to both who have been in this hobby for ages and anyone just coming into it. These little things are often overlooked.
Brilliant kelvin boy you no your stuff and speak so much sense. Brilliant
Kelvin, solid gold advice - I confirm everything you said - it's been my hobby for 50 years. Thank you for sharing your considerable knowledge with us! Wishing you all the best, Rob in Switzerland
Thanks Rob appreciate it
Great stuff. After 56yrs on this quest I would say that you have nailed it in less than 20 mins. Interesting looking timepiece too. Greetings to you and yours ;¬D
Excellent as always Kelvin just to add ensure your speakers are in phase especially if cables are not coded and swap them regularly to ensure they sound the same.
This guy is like the Hemingway of Hifi 😂😂…Love it!! My old man has this level of knowledge but it’s awesome to see it on youtube.
great advice calvin! since covid, i just bought a tube (er valve) hybrid headphone amp. i decided liked it when i noticed i was tapping my feet to street fighting man by the stones. it's all about the music!
Thank you Kelvin. As a beginner in vintage hifi I've learned loads from your videos. I have a set now with NAD and Celestion gear which cost a pittance and sounds brilliant.
That’s £1000 you saved
Mines a pint 😀
This was the first video of yours I've seen and maybe the most relatable I have come across in the audiophile sphere. I appreciate the thoughtful, simple insights and observations and overall you've summed up what I've sort of arrived at myself. In a landscape where people are so opinionated and sure they're right about everything, it's refreshing to hear a someone say essentially "If it sounds good to you, you're probably winning!". That;'s tough to argue. So thanks for that.
Kelvin
Brilliant advice.
I'm guessing there will be many youngsters out there that will still learn the hard way but in some ways that's some of the fun.
As a man of years 66 years🥴 I'm so glad I eventually copped onto your channel.
You have blown away so many myth's you have taught me so much about vintage components it has lifted my hi fi system to a level that belies it's cost.
Of course I would love to have thousands to spend and chase perfection but by listening to your advice at last I feel satisfied with my system that I can sit and enjoy the music.
Keep up the good work
Steve
That’s great to hear thanks Steve
Agree, especially the part about getting ''class'' straight away instead of working your way up the ladder with multiple buy/sell/buy...
You are so right, but sometimes "trading up" is the only financially practical way to achieve that quality sound. The end does justifies the means.
Gave you a thumbs-up right off the bat b/c of your very first point. Correct positioning is, in my opinion, the biggest factor in achieving good sound quality, aside from the room itself (which is the biggest factor). And now I'm off to watch the rest of your tips. :) (I'm an oldie, too - I have 40 years of audiophilia under my belt, but I'm always open to what other audiophiles have to say). Cheers from Toronto, Canada!
Fantastic commentary, lots of great advise.
BRAVO ! I've been soldering wires for 54 yrs. - as well. Many Many great suggestions coming from years of experience. Well Done. Room Acoustics is Number '' 1 '' for me. I see sound rooms with sliding glass doors, fireplaces, totally irregular shapes , hardwood floors. etc. 50 % gear, 50 % room acoustics. and yes. McIntosh would appreciate the gesture.
Always nice to look and listen to you , greetings from the Netherlands .
This guy is right on. Since I was 16, when I bought my first real system, I got the idea that it's about a system and needs to match or the weakest link would bring down the whole thing to that lowest level of SQ. Later you can upgrade something like a processor or speakers but then you will have a good idea what difference it makes. It's going to cost a lot to get great sound and that's a fact of life. Hobbies are not cheap, boating, photography, flying, motorcycles and cars all cost a bundle to have nice stuff, stereos are the same. I can't live with out great sound and never have. I love this guys assessment of how to build a system, he's right on. The only thing I used to say different from him is about the speakers, I always said they produce the sound to your ears and no system can sound better than you speakers, so buy the best ones you can afford at the time and then upgrade from a receiver to separates later, turntable to a CD player and the cartridge was more important than the turntable, I used to say the two most important things are what pick up the signal and what put it out, the wires and amps and processors can all be upgraded to match those later. But it's really a system and it can take years to afford the whole thing.
Very informative and straight to the point.
So much truth in this video, I’m a 50 year veteran audiophile as well, your spot on the $ , I have had some awful pre amplifiers that have made kept speakers from really singing, I love the tube combo pre amps, they can really add the final icing on the cake.
Great …great advice ..well delivered, I love the passion it so lovely to see someone really enjoy his hobby, the only problem is after listening to this advice I end up buying new or vintage gear 😂… how is he possibly getting thumbs down, some people are real spiteful, there should be no thumbs down, I watch loads of channels like this, I have been in to hifi for 40 years and I think this guy has one on the most realistic channels out there, I also love Steve Gutenberg … very similar but American, very passionate.. well done for the work on this channel you make my day when a new video comes up ❤️❤️
Great to hear thanks Marcus
Have been into audio for 35yrs or so and totally get what you've said.
Nice vid!
Thanx and enjoy the music; )]
Thank you! Great suggestions love the idea of pairing old with new. I have been thinking of pairing some AR9 speakers with an Adcom GFA-5802 Power Amp Cheers!🥂🎩
Thank you! You said "vintage" speakers, it suddenly occurred to me that my Spendor SP9/1's are in fact vintage - I bought them twenty years ago and never looked back. Just completed rotating the cones 180 degree - sounds awesome! SP9/1 speakers + Pass Aleph 5 amp = magic.
I bought a pair of floor standing Mordant Short 906's and my wife made me put one behind the TV and the other at the end of the sofa. Sounds great! No headache!!
Very wise common sense words. I have just subscribed and will be enjoying watching your videos, thank you.
Great advice Kelvin. Due to your channel just purchased a Quad 306 power amp of eBay. Never considered such a thing before and what a difference it has made. Thank you👍
Interesting thanks
Very cool advice, some of it unorthodox like speakers last but it makes sense. There is a lot of wisdom in these years of experience.
Great advice all round mate. Love my 70's Marantz gear along with a couple of Bryston power amps (Canadian, you see). All built to last. Mix and match. A lifetime audio enthusiast like you.
Thanks Kelvin this is the best video I've ever seen just full of great advice on finding musical nirvana.
This is pure GOLD! Thanks Calvin
Really great video man I'm not just saying that! I just found your channel and I'm subscribing! I have been battling myself for like a month about my sound (sound of my turntable speakers) I just can't get it right. Thanks for sharing this advice
Wow wow wow, awesome advice I would never have thought of.
Done! Really good video, man! This'll be really helpful to newbies. I found myself nodding along with pretty much everything you were saying. Number 11 makes a really good point. Glad you also pointed out that specs do NOT tell the whole story. Hell, all the points are valid. Great job!
Thanks mate appreciate that
Loved this video. Especially the part about listen to your system for weak links. The corollary to this is, "when you get great sound, don't go changing things and mess it up".
Yes I think if you’re relaxed and happy job done
Not expecting a cheque from Music Fidelity then.😄
Another passionate review my friend!
Love your Lava lamp!...you have the most realistic reviews and help over most all audiophiles on CZcams...👍🏼🎶🎶
Loved every minute of your video! Thank you man you are awesome !!
Thanks my friend
A lot of what we buy is because of our budget limitations, which is sort of what you said. Over the weekend I just pick up (from the ORIGINAL owner) a Yamaha CR-600 and two BIG speakers for $300, all in excellent condition. The speakers I'm certain are ones you've never heard of - Audiocoustics Laboratory XR-310F - a "house brand" speaker sold by a high end audio store here in Indianapolis, designed to compete with Advent at the time. Very well built and they really pack a punch!
Outstanding video, thank you. I agree with every point you made with the possible exception of speakers and their importance. Once you kind of understand your room and where the speakers can go, then you can then pick out a set that you can live with for a long time. Spend most of your budget there, particularly if you are starting out. At that point I would go for an amplification system that drives the speakers properly. Then, finally work on the front-end last, because that's the part that changes with technology the most. How much money have some of us wasted on a digital front end, only to find out that there was a better one coming out each year. Many cases for a lot less money. Not to mention that the used market is tough on digital product. Just my two cents.
I could listen to this dude chat about hifi for hours. Subscribed:) 😎👍
Excellent review. Love it and so to the point. Only thing you miss out are those speaker, fiber optic cables. Please, get the biggest copper cable your speaker terminal can accept and for the optic cables, well, light is light... Thanks again for the video.
Excellent video!! it took me a few years to realize that I hate ruler flat reproduction of music. A little EQ is almost always needed in my opinion. Agreed on your point regarding room acoustics as well. My system completely changed for the better after I added a rug, curtains, and diffuser panels to my room. I would say that room acoustics are responsible for around 70% of the overall sound of a system.
No equalizer its just a money spinner gadget. They didn't spend days in the studio for you to change the tones.
@@ENGLISHISBEST Okay… and you know for sure that every single home audio setup just happens to be producing the EXACT same thing they were dialing in at the studio?
THANK'S FOR YOUR TIPS,LOVE THE LAVA LAMP!!!
Thank you, enthusiastic & factual -- excellent advice!
The Fives by Klipsch may not be the best sounding speaker
but it IS the EASIEST to set up. Old TV can do nothing modern
but a 12' optical worked the first time on a cheap laptop
sending reg HDMI 25' playing CZcams live performances.
Mindblowing!! (even though I don't have best set of eardrums)
Thanks for very good advice. Amusingly my Quad 405 from 1978 is still my favourite SS amp and I have tried a lot of equipment...
Yes that’s a good one
Thank you so much for sharing.
Love and respect! Thank you and happy listening.
I’d also add keep your ears clean and healthy. Pretty much the main component in enjoying music:)
Excellent presentation. Thanks.
Thank you
When I was young I had the treble and bass up, but in hindsight only because my amps were seriously lacking. Now I have several very good amps and JC1 mono blocks (tube like sound with 25 watts class A and 400 watts A/B for incredible dynamics and bass control) where I will always bypass all tone controls. Decent high current amp don't need tone controls and they only muddy the sound when you use them. Very good advice you are giving people. I have a few pairs of vintage speakers which I thought weren't very good until I hooked them to a high powered modern amp that could handle the 3 ohm dips. Had I not heard my Kef R900s, I would have been totally satisfied with my vintage Polk LS70s, but only on a high powered and sweet amp. I was amazed how great my LS70s sounded on my mono blocks, but the R900s went back into the system because the LS 70 were a little too deep in tone and the bass wasn't quite as tight. I run all of my speakers with the ports plugged because I like super tight bass and with big amps you can have the best of both worlds (tight and strong bass). When speakers dip to 3ish ohm in the bass, they are sucking more than twice the power for those low frequencies and will still kick some serious bass even if the ports are plugged.
Spot on, on all counts, excellent concise comments, well said. I couldn't agree more (from an old electronics audiophile.
Thanks for the great HiFi common sense…..Subscribed!
Every single tip is on the money. All great advice. Thanks Kelvin!
Thanks mate
With living in a small studio apartment, I put my Pioneer speakers on the arms of my over stuff loveseat, and point the speakers towards me! I don't have to have it turn up very loud to hear the separation and it is better than listening to headphones! The sound is probably lower that when I play my tv.
Thanks for enjoyable video. The only thing I would add is the extent to which the recording affects the sound, probably more than the equipment
Nice to meet you!
Fantastic video. I use NAD C352 with mission 734i speakers. Standard ofc speaker cable. Audio output from tv to aux input.
The result is dependent on the quality of the source recording. When it's good it blows you away, when it's poor it shows. I like it that way!
Subscribed.
Ultimately, if it sounds good to you, its right.
My old Naim NAIT (currently in the care of my eldest son), is just 13 watts and still sounds beautiful, fully able to fill a reasonably sized room & drive some decent speakers (like my old Linn Index Plus', also in the tender care of son number 1).
Another top video ….Brilliant !!!
Thanks kelvin! You make us music lovers smile
I use an EQ in between my speakers and amp. I have to for the sake of my enjoyment. Some albums were recorded terribly. When they’re good on their own, I just turn on direct. I also make sure that the EQ doesn’t color or change the type of sound as well, even when bypassing and going directly.
You have the right approach to use an equalizer.
Buchard mark ii might be challenging your small bookshelf bit 😂 great video!
Super advice! Rotating woofers is an important tip for vintage speakers. Also, some vintage era speakers just don't sound right with CDs
will that nonsense about vinyl sounding good never stop? bad dynamics, noise and a terrible frequency curve and when only that sounds good the speakers are crap
Great tips, many thanks.
Kelvin, love your channel and I sweat on your new posts.
The bottom line for me is enjoying the music.
I worry about the risk that my enjoyment of the music will be lost if I become hyper-analytical over small system nuances.
Well I’ve got a say there is some truth in that sometimes you just have to have a word with yourself as they say up north
Thanks for sharing your experiences! However, I do love small speakers and find them to "disappear" into the room much easier than big ones. My first slightly audiophile speakers way back were Mission 780SE. Wonderful speakers with Technics SU-800MK2 amp from the 90s and a Pioneer PDS703 CD player.
Yes small speakers often great mid range
Maybe so, but small speakers will never give you that wow factor. They will never truly represent the full scale and dynamics of the music and instruments.
Great advice Kelvin. Wish I’d had this guidance 20years ago and looked at vintage second hand hifi sooner. I would have saved 1000’s . Mixing modern and vintage is the way to go. One other simple bit of advice is to try bungs in ported speakers ..bass gets tighter and mids and highs feel more open.
I was lucky and did realize it before buying. A well-refurbished 1990s Denon PMA-1060 amplifier and new Wharfedale Lintons and new Cambridge Audio DACMagic100 do a fine job for less than 1500 euros. And just like tip 1 in the video, the Lintons tilted a bit forward on their stands, makes it even better.
Loved your video, thanks!