Top 10 HiFi and Home Theater Purchases I REGRET THE MOST
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 07. 2024
- Thanks to Keeps for sponsoring this video! Head to keeps.com/AndrewRobinson to get 50% off your first Keeps order.
✅ CLICK SHOW MORE ⬇️ to shop our reference Hifi & Home Theater Favorites
► HIFI/HOME THEATER STUFF THAT MAY NOT BE A WASTE OF YOUR MONEY
▹▹ Marantz SACD Player: amzn.to/3uhOGFf
▹▹ Sony Blu-ray Player: amzn.to/3AR8sZw
▹▹ Speaker Cables That You Can Afford: amzn.to/3HamjNf
▹▹ HDMI Cables: amzn.to/38v0zwE
▹▹ Auralex Subwoofer Isolation Pad: amzn.to/344F7ir
▹▹ Washing Machine Pucks: amzn.to/3sOeCE3
▹▹ Silver Ticket Projection Screen: amzn.to/34rfBDR
▹▹ Basic Acoustic Panels: amzn.to/3AQejhw
► SHOP OUR LIVING ROOM
SPEAKERS: bit.ly/3gblAPH
TV: bit.ly/3uaJTn5, amzn.to/3zFCCN1
SPEAKER STANDS: bit.ly/2VOs7p3, bit.ly/SolidAA
HIFI RACK: bit.ly/3yrPUgi, bit.ly/ssvlrack
BENCH: amzn.to/3lIxJ0Z, amzn.to/2VSx9EO, amzn.to/3lDgKNx
ART: bit.ly/howfaryt
LEATHER OTTOMAN CUBES: amzn.to/3cfcfF1
TV STAND: bit.ly/BDIMEDIA
EAMES REPLICA CHAIR: amzn.to/39mcn2Y
EVERYTHING ELSE: bit.ly/ARdecor
► TOP 10 HIFI AND HOME THEATER PURCHASES I REGRET THE MOST
You know the old saying, you live and you learn. Well, I’ve learned a lot in my journey as a hifi and home theater enthusiast. Over the years some lessons definitely cost more than others! These are my top ten worst HiFi and Home Theater purchases I’ve made. These are my audiophile regrets. What are yours?
10 HIFI & HOME THEATER PURCHASES I REGRET - INTRO: 00:00
SACD: 01:21
HD DVD: 02:07
BLU-RAY: 02:57
CABLE LIFTS: 04:03
HIGH-END AUDIO CABLES: 04:40
ISOLATION PRODUCTS: 05:32
MODIFYING AUDIO EQUIPMENT: 06:37
EXPENSIVE PROJECTOR SCREENS: 07:39
ACOUSTIC TREATMENTS: 09:08
DEDICATED HOME THEATERS: 09:42
KRISTI'S THOUGHTS: 11:18
SIGN OFF: 16:41
► MY REFERENCE AUDIO AND HOME THEATER SYSTEM
POWER
Audiolab 6000A Play: bit.ly/3AiW43w, amzn.to/398qSrJ
Cambridge Audio AXR100: amzn.to/3e45mHR, bit.ly/3e6GMWX
Bluesound Powernode: amzn.to/3hloPW8, bit.ly/3jPxG40
LOUDSPEAKERS
Klipsch Forte IV: bit.ly/3komedS, amzn.to/2NYmZOO
Magnat Transpuls: bit.ly/3DUJicC
SPEAKER STANDS
Kanto Speaker Stands: bit.ly/Kanto26
SolidSteel Speaker Stands: bit.ly/3xsoe9M, bit.ly/SolidAA
TURNTABLES & ACCESSORIES
Audio Technica LP140XP: amzn.to/33OfgXO
Cambridge Audio Alva: bit.ly/AlvaCA
Ortofon 2M Black: amzn.to/3qy53tn
TOP SMART TVs
Sony A90J: bit.ly/3twsun8
Sony X95J: bit.ly/3uaJTn5, amzn.to/3zFCCN1
HOME THEATER
Onkyo RZ50: bit.ly/3n6DSX9, bit.ly/3k1gqs8
Sony A9: bit.ly/3AIoyno, amzn.to/3kFDjls
Sony SW5: bit.ly/3tZcI5F
Samsung Q950A: amzn.to/3bt6HpT, bit.ly/3yd7Tr1
DESKTOP SPEAKERS
Tannoy Gold 5: amzn.to/3damM5r
Kanto YU: bit.ly/2YrRzoX, amzn.to/3oFs7ro
HEADPHONES
Sony WH-1000XM4: bit.ly/WH1000xm4
► MY STREAMING SERVICE
TIDAL (60-day FREE Trial): bit.ly/TIDALrobinson
ROON (14-day Trial + 1 Free Month): bit.ly/2NTuDKH
► MORE ANDREW ROBINSON VIDEOS
➔ 10 Things I USED to believe about HiFi: • 10 Things I USED to BE...
➔ Do Specs Really Matter? • DO SPECS REALLY MATTER...
➔ Dolby Atmos Setup Guide: • How To Set Up a DOLBY ...
➔ HiFi Starter Kits: • HiFi Starter Kits!! TO...
► STAY CONNECTED
SUBSCRIBE & RING THE 🔔 bit.ly/RobinsonYT
MERCH: bit.ly/3y550bU
JOIN THE CREW: bit.ly/ARobMbr
INSTAGRAM: bit.ly/AndRobIG
BUSINESS INQUIRIES: bit.ly/andrewbiz
⚑ FTC: THIS VIDEO IS SPONSORED BY KEEPS.
⚑ LINKS: Some links above are affiliate, meaning we make a small percentage if you buy through the link. The good news is it won't change the price for you and it’s a great way to help support the channel as well as the retailers we trust and help support the community!
#hifi #hometheater #homeaudio - Věda a technologie
★ *Thanks to Keeps for supporting the channel! For more info: **keeps.com/AndrewRobinson*
★ *QOTD: What are your biggest hifi/AV regrets?*
★ *CLICK 🔝 “SHOW MORE” in the description for answers to many of your questions*
★ *RULES: Please be respectful. NO OUTSIDE LINKS, URLs, email addresses, etc.*
I regret buying so many streamers with really awful interfaces. So much so I don't think I'll buy another. Use a laptop and a dac only now. Other than that, not much I can think of. I certainly regret selling some of the things I used to own.
@@zardoz2627 Oooh what have you sold that you regret?
@@andrewrobinsonreviews Wow so much. Yamaha M-80 amplifier I bought in 1986 (that sucker is worth A LOT now). Polk Audio SDA 1a speakers I bought in 1986. Polk Audio SDA 1c speakers I bought in 1988. 2 NAD 2200PE amplifiers I bought in 1988. Those are probably the biggies I can remember off the top of my head. A bunch of little things.
@@zardoz2627 Those Polk speakers were nice!
I think this is one of the best videos you've ever produced.
Nobody likes to share their dirty laundry. Thanks for sharing.
What I’ve learned on my journey… Buy right, buy once….. Meaning if there is a set of speakers or an amp you want just save up until you can get exactly what you want. Eventually the desire to upgrade will get to you and you will end up buying the more expensive thing anyway. Now you have 2 of whatever and have to deal with the headache of trying to offload what you really didn’t want in the first place at a huge loss.
Buying different components and changing things out is often part of the process of figuring out what you like, which is why it can be helpful if not desirable to stick to good quality entry level gear until you figure out what you like, rather than just spending money on expensive things because they seem better.
Well said. I’ve done the same thing over the years. It drives my wife nuts because she doesn’t understand the differences but she knows I’ll be a miserable bear if she pushes me to buy the lesser product I don’t really want. We’ve both learned that ends up being the costlier option overall.
Im glad that I even found THE speaker I want since there are like millions lol
Like most things you want to last for a long time, “buy it nice or buy it twice” is definitely a determining factor in any purchase I make.
@@steveclark5206 Oh, I’m stealing that line. That’s my new motto!!
I've been into audio since I was in high school back in the 80s. I've been very fortunate. I've never dropped a lot of coin on something useless. I have learned a few things:
- If a sales rep is really pushing something expensive, it's overpriced and not worth buying
- If a sales rep trashes particular brands, he's trying to sell you something else that's overpriced
- If an audio component requires proprietary media or accessories, it's destined to fail and not worth buying. (I remember car stereos that required proprietary memory sticks. I didn't think that would last. Sure enough, it was gone only months later.)
- Always consider the laws of physics. When someone tells me uber-expensive, heavy duty speaker wire is going to work so much better than a six foot lamp cord, I remember Ohm's Law doesn't care how expensive the cable is
- If I can't hear a difference, it's not worth spending money on it
- Before buying a well-respected brand, make sure it hasn't been sold to a Chinese consortium
- Never forget to have fun! Home audio shouldn't be about bragging rights or elitism. It should be about pursuing what we like and enjoying the hobby
The wife's retort is hilarious. "I'm embarrassed for you." LOL
In my humble opinion the best audio accessories are a comfy swivel chair , an ottoman and an end table for coffee and remotes.
The only mod I've discovered that ALWAYS makes my system sound better is weed.
😂
My guy 😂😂😂🤞🏾
Hilarious AF
So true
😂🤣
I would say don’t settle for an entry model of whatever it is when you really want the higher priced model. Wait and save for the thing you really want.
Pretty solid advice especially since most of the time you end up buying the more expensive thing later anyway ultimately costing even more in the long run.
but there always comes newer models and you may end up saving til next best thing and not buying at all. 🤷♂️
@@JS-dr7sm or just buy the one you wanted originally used and save even more
@@bryanherr1093 thats actually true - been there, done that 🤩
DUUUUUDE LOVE THIS VIDEO !!! A giant welcome back to earth video. SOOOO many things to comment here. First of all PROUD OF YOU for admitting mistakes, hope you and OTHERS learn from these mistakes. Astounded your wife did not make you sleep in your HT room while using SACD player as a pillow and keeping yourself warm by wrapping yourself in expensive cables.
HAHAHAHA Thanks!
Yesss, the true scars of a recovering audiophile: any “custom” cable related components. I always got the stares of death when asking about the quality of wires inside high quality speakers that were barely more expensive than the speaker cables or interconnects.
This has been cathartic.
I’m going to text my therapist to let him know that I won’t need any sessions this month.
Oh, and like my middle aged ears with hundreds of hours of heavy metal can tell the difference!?
SAME HERE !!!!🤘🤘
Being an engineer, I never fell for high end cables (and Kudos for calling them out here) but I have to admit spending over $29K a custom home theatre that ROCKED but that I hardly used. As it aged, it became less and less relevant and fortunately I was able to sell it with the house and now have a nice 4K display with a decent 2.0 stereo system that is used constantly AND sounds great. When I want to upgrade something, its easy and I don't have to tear walls apart!
Kristi! 🤣 “I’m embarrassed for you”. Well done. Lol.
The video was already a good one, and that was just the perfect cherry on top.
Great work again guys!
Thank you.
The biggest trap for audiophiles is the belief that spending more will lead to satisfaction.
Instead, it leads to higher expectations that are never met, which results in frustration and disappointment.
One needs to close the wallet, take a deep breath and focus on enjoying music again, instead of obsessing over the equipment.
This makes entirely too much sense for any CZcams comments section.
Biggest trap for a lot of hobbies is the belief that spending more gets you more.
@@KristiWright Thanks Kristi. I really enjoy your perspective and contribution to the channel.
@@gorillapancake Thank you for watching to the end!!
Sold my Hegel h160 last week and now using a second hand $40 Yamaha avr receiver to power my 3k speakers. The Yamaha is warmer sounding and sounds better on my bright speakers. It’s about matching. The denafrips ares II DAC helps the Yamaha avr receiver to sound pretty good.
The cable lifts had me laughing out loud. Thanks for the honesty.
Expensive B&W speakers found them hard to drive, bought into the hype never satisfied with them now I own a set of Lintons
Love them I just enjoy the music now.
This is one of the most helpful audiophile videos ever made on CZcams. Truly made me feel that I'm not alone and learned important, money saving things. I'm 26 years old.
“Audiophile logic” 🤩. Thanks for the honesty.
It's real.
Don't worry Andrew Robinson, you are not alone. I remember reading a while back that most home theaters go largely unused.
I haven't been to a theater in quite some time, I mean, even before Covid I didn't go very often, what can I say, I'm not the biggest movie fan, but despite all the hassles and other people, a big part of the thrill of going to the theater, is actually GOING TO THE THEATER, GETTING OUT OF YOUR HOUSE, even if you are around others, good or bad, they do change the experience, and it will NEVER be the same if you do it in your house.
Honestly, unless you are a hardcore movie buff, a dedicated home theater isn't a great idea, it will mostly go unused, and as you said, most people wouldn't want it in their living space.
Now THIS is some quality content. :::::immediately adds to saved videos for repeated wisdom before all hi-fi purchases:::::
I once bought a Mumford and Sons album, I very much regret that
Same! Lol!
I used to have a good set of speakers that I recently sold for almost as much as I bought them for (because I didn't buy them new), so that was ok, but I've discovered more joy in finding cheap speakers and seeing how they sound. Some sound bad, some sound ok, some even sound good - but all of them are interesting to me and when they DO sound good it is fun because you're always pleasantly surprised.
I loved that Pontiac Fiero joke 😂. I guess it's my reminder to re-watch that series! Great video Andrew. Good to know I'm not alone on the whole SACD debacle.
On the flip side, it would be fun to see a video of you and Kristi's top ten best home theater purchases that you don't regret! Love the channel!
Over the course of around 16 years, I built up a collection of 10,000 (that's not a typo,) DVDs, some HD DVDs, and a whole lot of Blu-rays.
Yep, they are sitting in boxes.
As for two-channel listening, recently, I put away my two subs, and my two towers, after I was pleasantly surprised how well my bookshelves sound while sitting on their respective stands.
As I got older, I began to simplify, and that turned out to be what I was missing.
I'm in my mid 20's and feel the same. So much stuff that doesn't get used or used very little and by now all the clutter is annoying me and I actively try to get rid of it. It feels good to have some select stuff that I really like and use, brings so much more enjoyment than lots of stuff that brings nearly none.
The nice thing about having kids is you can train them to hold up your speaker cables.
LMAO!
I’m married to a gal I call the Brunette. Every time I mention a new piece of gear I want, her first words are “You don’t need that crap” You know what? She’s right 90% of the time.
Regret the home theater system - $2500 or so. After the “Hey! That fighter jet went right past me” or “I hear people talking in the back of the room” and earthquake rumbles, it just got boring fairly quickly, so when something went wrong with one of the channels, I never turned it on again. Plus, the wives (one at a time) wanted to just turn on the TV and watch something, not juggle many remotes to turn on multiple units and switch sources/room effects and such. “But, this remote can control everything!” did not impress. The friends we had come over to watch things weren’t particularly impressed, either.
I'm with you... I'm ditching the surround, going back to two-channel stereo even for video watching. I find the DIALOGUE to be more clear with simple two-channel and I find the effects to be more-than-satisfying.
Wow, this episode certainly establishes some credibility. Man, you’ve been there, done that. I really like the sentiment “allow yourself to be happy.” This, just… yup. Thank you for sharing, your putting it out there is very endearing!
As a teenager I worked part time at a stereo store and part time at a local electric motor company and learned a fair bit about wires and power transmission.
My first job at the motor company once I'd done a while as a helper was to wind a coil motor with 2.8km of copper wire. There was a very comprehensive electrical toolset there and I used those tools to test some speaker cables I'd picked up and they were WAY higher impedance (~17ohms) than they said and when put to higher power levels they actually warmed up. The sales rep told me they were meant for tube systems only when I called to complain so they offered me a refund minus a 25% restock fee. I lost $180 after shipping a pair of cables back to England and this was in 1983. It also took about 6 months to get the refund cheque.
Never pay for super expensive speaker cables. They don't even include dinner or lube.
NO RAGRETS ANDREW!
LOL
My first Blu Ray player was a SONY PS3. It eventually died and I went with an Oppo BDP-103. It still works and was also an SACD player.
👏👏👏for calling out the expensive cable BS!
$60 Audiophile power cords (and outlets). Still fed via ROMEX thru a crummy circuit breaker panel. Not saying you shouldn't get rid of those outlets that had those quick, pushin leads (some had no screws at all). Pro grade Back wire (has screws that clamp the wire) are a couple of $ each in contractors 10PKS
I am a deliberate thinker by nature (drives my wife of 40 years crazy) and I try hard not to make quick or early (not necessarily the same thing) decisions about important audio and video solutions for the exact reasons you describe in this video. I am in a new home with a bonus room that we bought two years ago with a plan to create a theater room. I bought a very nice TV and have nice speakers in the room and have noticed exactly what you are saying about the fact that we rarely use that room. For that reason, I think I am pretty close to abandoning the idea of upgrading it to an actual Theater Room.
Thanks for another fun discussion in this video! Fortunately, I learned from those around me about overspending on gear. Though I was hooked on building and overclocking PCs early in college, which was as frivolous as chasing HiFi dreams. Eventually I found the quality experiences with people close to you.
Thanks for watching!
My good investment tips:
-buy, if you can, all your audio gear second hand when you made a decision. Saved me 1500 on the speakers and 400 on the sub (50% off of the speakers and sub)
- buy a nicely polished granite slab for downfiring sub and maybe put some rubbers under the slab. Costed about 200 put redirects all of the sound of the sub and got me 10+% more output and way tighter bass. You need something hard underneath those subs!
Buying the same movie on VHS, DVD, HD DVD, Blu-ray, 4k Blu-ray... amazing how many times formats can make you buy the same title. On the flip side I bought an HD DVD player and movies after they lost the battle for virtually nothing, built up a large HD movie range from nothing for a bargain.
You missed one...Laser Disc!...or am I out on an island by myself on this one?...
Just wanna say the video and especially, ESPECIALLY the audio production in your videos are a joy to hear, whether on my tower speakers, book shelf or phone; top notch sound quality, love it!
As a relatively new audiophile convert, videos like this and channels like yours have kept keep me from making any (overly) stupid decisions. I gave up on “home theater” years ago when it was clear that for my budget - there really isn’t such a thing home “theater.” Kick@ss 2-channel stereo? Turns out that I can totally swing! Deal-hunting + Patience + guidance and research = one happy camper. 😁
Laserdisc! But they were awesome. My first was Bram Stokers Dracula. Don't regret it except for the discontinuation.
I LOVED laserdisc! My ex wife did not...lol...i.loved it so much, I even have entertained buying another!
Such a great movie!
@@stephenstevens6573 the laserdisc was analog at its finest. It was basically a record player for video.
@@stephenbrockway5899 my favorite Laserdisc by far, was AC/DC live at Donnington castle
@@stephenstevens6573 Never had the pleasure of owning one. Did get to see them elsewhere. Almost bought a used one. Saw lots of titles going for next to nothing in local resale shops.
This video really helped clear my mind about some things I’ve already been wondering about. Mostly FOMO…..fear of missing out. I’m not an audiophile but I love really good sound. I don’t have access to hear different components together so you just never know unless you just take a chance. But you’ve help resolve my FOMO. I’m just going to really rethink some things and be content with simplicity
Love this video Andrew & Kristi! Especially around audio and video cables!
My only foray into Blu-ray? A PS3. At the time it was the cheapest way to get a Blu-ray player, and you were able to play games on it. Still have it. Still works. All original chonky version. No blue screen of death. Thanks for this Andrew and Kristi. I think we can all admit hi-fi mistakes....I'm looking at an early CD transport from Audio Alchemy that doesn't turn on...bad auction purchase. SAD-FACE.
Same for me. I found myself completely baffled listening to Andrew talk about Blu-Ray players.
My PS3 is still going strong.
Isolation devices always get a laugh out of me since the only things in my experience they effect are turntables, thanks to a ton of floor vibration I had, and our lab equipment(SPM-IR)
The Laser Disk player had probably the shortest useful lifespan, and least content available, although it did give a slightly better picture than Super-VHS tapes on the 480i CRT TVs of the day.
Thanks Andrew. Your candid opinions are most refreshing.
Companies peddling hardware upgrades are still around. There is an outfit on CZcams whose name I won't mention that says that almost every speaker on the market is crap. They encourage viewers to upgrade crossovers, bracing, and acoustic foam at a high cost to get acceptable sound, or better yet, buy a complete speaker kit from them.
Gr research!🤔🤫🙄😎
That company which I will say is GR-research. stay away from them with a flourish. I fell into his snake oil b.s. I did the upgrade all by myself. It really didn't help as I thought. Be aware Thanks
I highly respect Kristis mature perspective.
Time in life and health is too precious to worry now about what could be in the future, especially when it comes to objects
Hi Guys,
What a brilliant video👍 I can hear many of your viewers saying 'yes, yes...been there'. Our hobby, our passion can be a nightmare for putting you on the 'good, better, best' road to - at times - nowhere. What really made me smile and feel your pain, was Kristi's priceless opening; 'I feel embarrassed for you'. Oh the shame...and it's one I share, Andrew - you are not alone. Too many vintage turntables in my case - all of them needing work. Why? WHY? Great video - thanks, both...really made me smile👍🙏👍
This was helpful, thank you for sharing your experience
I can't believe you mentioned cables and isolation products are BS, and that room treatments can be over bought along with Audiogon, all in the same video. Those guys over at AG are probably going out of their mind!!! And no, I did not post your video there, I care about your health and well-being! LOL
Did I mention, that this is the best video you've ever done? Absolutely awesome!
Cable lifts gotta win this, haha.
Things get pretty wonky in the high end audio market. At this point it's surprising some brand doesn't offer a shamen to come bless your cables.
★ QOTD: What are your biggest hifi/AV regrets?
My Father!!! Though I did not purchase him, he is my biggest regret. I was born into his collection of Mc's, Klipsch, JBL, Technics, Sony, Yamaha, and so on. Without him, I would be ok listening to crappy sound. Because of him I get annoyed with hissing noise, sharp high frequencies, blurry mid ranges, and floody basses.
Love this video, you guys made me realize how my kids are going to hate me more in the future... :-D
I think this is my favorite audiophile vid ever. So many truths. Also lived the HT Room drama on selling my second home. High-end cables??? LMAO. Sorry for learning the hard way, but all of this is so 100% accurate. Many thanks for some smiles today.
Appreciate the honesty especially the home theater experience, gives us all a lot to think about - thank you!
75k for a screening room. Holy. Mother. of. God. I'm weeping and it wasnt even my cash. I admire your honesty. Semper Fi.
Oh, in today's money I'm sure a similar build out would cost multiples more. Some of these screening rooms have insane budgets and then get filled with the lamest gear or decor.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews I'm glad I didnt have that amount of money to spend! I have a friend that paid 10k for Meridian speakers 15 years ago *and that was just the front pair) and spent most of his time blasting pink noise through them when we just wanted to watch a movie! Ah... when I was young! lol!
Hey Andrew loved this video! I too was on the side of HD DVD! Still have my Toshiba and the discs.
Another great Sunday video Andrew and Kristi! No purchase regrets for me; if anything your channel is preventing me from doing so!
Love it!!!! a few years back I designed and installed a 15k watt SLS sound system in a church. Speaker wires...... #10 thhn wire! thanks for the great video!!
Attention Everyone, do NOT give away your cd or record collection...you will regret it one day!
Yeah, I’m guilty of falling for a few of these. Expensive (for me) cables ate up way too much of my budget, and I never really thought ANY of them made a difference. But I thought I ‘should’ have them. Thanks for owning up on behalf of the rest of us.
I cannot even add up how much money I have blown on cables. I bought into Audioquest, Cardas, Kimber, Transparent, Crystal Cable, Wireworld, you name it. To date, the ONLY cables from those brands that I have left are my Transparent cables. I don't believe they're better sounding than any of the others, but they are built to last, which is the ONLY reason I still have them and use them still.
Andrew I appreciate your honesty, some of my first hifi gear I gave away to family members that share my interest. Hey, by the way this is what makes your channel so liked!!!
I only buy secondhand gear. This is better for my wallet and keep things fun, whether I make a mistake or not.
And I try to keep focusing on enjoying the music and not the gear.
This is a good video, and I think serves your channel well. Having admitted to trying snake oil and eventually rejecting it implies that your reviews are going to deal with demonstrable differences in products rather than wishful thinking. I've been pretty immune to the snake oil salespeople, because for me my purchases usually come down to a cost/benefit analysis and snake oil usually immediately fails that test.
You Very well put. It's human nature to justify a purchase, even bad ones.
The grass is always greener, indeed... I definitely need to learn how to just stop and truly enjoy what I have more these days, instead of always wondering how I can make things "better". That mindset will definitely plague you. It's an endless journey to an impossible goal...
Love that 11th tip. Be happy with what you do have. That was golden advice right there. It applys to many things in life!
Literally lol’d at cable lifts. Never heard of such a thing.
One of your best videos! Keep up the great work 👍
Thanks for this video. We recently moved to a new apartment and had this feeling that we didn’t build home theatre room (mainly because of space limitations) this video helped me understand maybe I m not missing much. I love the living room setup and had always wondered if we will actually go to the dedicated room whenever we want to watch Netflix!
I am so glad you tackled this subject. Sure to cause lots of discussion. I hope everyone replying is civil.
So far everyone has been alright, but it's early.
I can kinda agree with you on the acoustic treatment. I have furniture and so on, curtains, an art panel that is accousticly treated. But I have mobile treatment that I can move in and out the room whenever I need. Honestly it sounds way more lively and fun to my ear when I take the mobile treatment out the room.
👏👏👏👏
It's hard to generalise but there isn't a listening room or system that won't be improved by proper treatment, especially in the low end. Problem is, it's easy to add treatment that sucks energy out in the upper mids and highs and that's where the sparkle is so you can definitely do more damage than harm of you're not addressing the actual room physics on hand.
As for the idea of lifting speaker cables off the floor, I have found it can make sense if one has carpet. Lifting my speaker cables off the floor got rid of an annoying buzz which would randomly show up when playing music. I mean SUDDEN, LOUD buzz. Perhaps the signal flowing through the cable on the carpet created the problem (static?). But I used simple wood pieces to get the cables off the carpeted. No more buzz since.
This is great content :)). Well, when you're talking about a passion, there is no price and I can totally relate to it.
One word (maybe two?) Laserdisc.
The only audio equipment that I regret buying was when I was about 19, financing a stereo at a furniture store for $1100 then finding that same stereo at Sam’s with additional surroundsound speakers for $400.
are you foocking dumb ? XDDD
Great video! And your wife's commentary at the end is always very insightful and this one brings back memories of my own removable face plate Kenwood cassette player with trunk mounted six disc CD changer. It was great until the face plate was removed for some reason I don't remember, and got lost when someone accidentally threw it away thinking it was junk rendering the whole system useless.🤣
Another gem. Keep them coming!
Another great video. I know your intent is not to trash other reviewers, but there is one in particular who waxes poetic about all manner of feet, stands, platter mats, upgrades etc etc using such lavish and specific prose that I began to wonder if I was missing the boat by being deeply skeptical about what he appeared to be hearing. Thank you for some common sense sanity on these topics.
I honestly have no idea who you are even talking about...which is to say this is definitely not meant as a way to call out another reviewer.
@@KristiWright of course. It’s me not you. And he’s a good reviewer. He just loves the do-dads
This should be the first video any new audiophile watches.
Thanks Andrew for your honesty.
Love you AR & your honest guidance
I own a Pontiac Fiero with 183,000 miles on it, they're MUCH more reliable after you replace everything.
I was in the industry over 25 years. Now that I am out, I don't listen and watch with such a critical mindset. Hobbies gone crazy. Just enjoy!
I can only imagine how freeing that must be for you!
Manufacturing garbage is definitely a problem. I appreciate you shooting it straight.
I appreciate you watching!
Loved your delivery on the cable tripods, hilarious!!
I didn't really regret it, but I bought a Yamaha KX-1200u cassette deck for $450 (in the PX) instead of the Nakamichi Dragon that was $1500... mostly so I could make hi-def copies of borrowed CD's on tape using DBX noise reduction. I could've purchased a shit-load of CD's instead with that money.
Really fun video, while I don't have any of my own stories to share I will say my dad thought mini discs would be the next big thing after cds
I literally just sold my nice Sony MiniDisc player/recorder and a bunch of discs. It had been boxed up years ago and untouched for a long time before that. I didn’t kid myself about their future, but they were certainly convenient for recording and preserving vinyl. Thing is, I never played them (other than occasionally on my portable player/recorder), but instead continued with the original vinyl 🙄.
I enjoyed this video a lot. Thanks.
11:20 My biggest regrets are how many cool turntables, amps, receivers, cassette decks, CD players, graphic equalizers, reel-to-reel decks, VCR's, DVD players, Blu-ray players, speaker sets, etc. I purchased when 90% of them have been sitting unused in boxes for 10 or 20 years when, had I been sensible, I could have purchased one or two higher-end amplifiers, speakers, and other gear and then just called it a day.
The problem is I love industrial design as well as its audio or video uses or qualities which is what makes this hobby so addictive. However, I have reached a point when visiting thrift stores, for instance, where I ignore the gear I see because I just don't need any additional stuff and I even sold a turntable, receiver, and pair of speakers to a buddy of mine to get rid of a few items to which I had no emotional attachment, but it helped him to launch his record-collecting hobby.
One does have to reach a point of being happy with what one already has and not constantly falling down a very costly rabbit hole. :)
LOL. I am buying a $1000 mint sacd player for $85 today. No regrets.
OK I'm not just a subscriber. I'm a fan now. I don't have access to the resources you do, but over the last 40 years, I have made 9 mistake for each satisfying acquisition. Then you move to new digs, and you're starting over again. Nevertheless, listening to music on stereo equipment, even lofi stuff, can move me and groove me.
Yeah. I totally agree with most of this. I started building my own speaker wires for way less money. Just got the correct gauge of ofc wire, braided wire sleeving, wire pants, shrink tube, and screw on banana plugs. The finished product looks pro and sound just as good as any retail cable. Not only that, I can make them the exact length needed per speaker.
I just buy bulk OFC CL-rated wire nowadays and use screw on terminals. I should try and make something a little more high-end to see if I like it over bulk wire. Maybe a good video idea? Thanks for sharing!
Confessions of an audio enthusiast. We’ve all been there. Great video.
The acoustic treatment one hurt the most. I am trying to do a dedicated home theater on as much of a budget as I can. I spent close too $1000 on just treating the room alone. Some parts look cool, but for the most part, I'm already having regrets and I feel 70% of the panels could come down. I feel I over did it and the paint that I used to darken room, not even command strips will stick to it and the panels keep falling off the walls which is not very flattering.
So I need to rethink on treatment, take some down and reuse the ones I have to only place where they are actually useful.
The Light that I mounted on the ceiling though is pretty cool and happy with though.
It was also disheartening to hear a dedicated home theater room is a waste. I had ideas to use that as a selling point, cause how many homes have a home theatre.
Curious what made you (and Andrew) think a home theater room would _add_ value to the home. People want to live in a home, not sit in a dark room. Andrew even mentioned that others attempted to convince him it was a worthwhile investment! This sounds crazy to me.
Sure, build the room if you want it, but not to increase a home's value
Kristis thoughts are great!!! I don’t regret a single thing I’ve purchased. I guess I do wish I’d save a bit longer and buy bigger the first time, instead up upgrading slowly.
I also think it has a lot to do with contentment. Not even necessarily with AV items. Just in general.
I bought a Cambridge Audio DVD/SACD player in the mid-2000's. I still have it and bought a handful of audio CDs. Whatever investment I had in that format, I made it back in spades when someone offered me $1500 for a rare SACD disc. I was happy to sell it to him.
Can’t say I saw this video coming. I seriously thought HD DVD was going to win that war as well. Fortunately for me, I didn’t spend one single dollar into that format as I wanted to sit back, observe and patiently wait out the winner.
I learned THAT skill from observing Michael Corleone.This was a very funny but brutally honest video.
Masterfully done!
You two are an amazing team.
Hearing Kristi's story about that car stereo, I had something similar happen to me back in my 20's (without the car frame damage, thankfully). After that I decided to just stick with factory car radios that thieves wouldn't want to steal.
The worst part was I was left paying off my credit card for a system I couldn't use anymore. Had to go back to the factory radio!
I had 3 oppo blu ray players, I still have 2 and give 1 away and they all still work perfectly. The saddest day in home entertainment was oppos withdrawal from blu ray player market.
I have used the Auralex Gamma Isolation Risers, for my Ampeg and Aguilar bass cabinets. In our band's rehearsal room, and in small to medium sized venues; for live performances.
They are very effective in decoupling my bass cabs from the floor. Which addresses the long bass waves reverberations, and bass overhang.
Tightens up the bass, allows for better tone control/adjustments on the amp and bass. And my band mates definitely appreciated it. Bass overhang messes up the whole band's sound.
As for home stereo systems. They work the same.
But I have used cheap neoprene mouse pads, different type of rubber pucks/ footers for disc players and turntables to reduce shelf or footfall vibrations.
Decoupling bass heavy floorstanders from the floor, and addressing room acoustics makes a difference.
But as Andrew mentioned: you you don't have to spend a ton of money. Get creative with rubber or neoprene products, for isolation.
Another great video 👍
Glad I’m too poor to do any of these things.