Anyone else into quality audio?

Which Polk speakers? I am a huge fan of Polk speakers and have owned a bunch and own a pair right now. To me this is also about finding deals, as with drums or any hobby I am in, I don't have a bunch of money to throw at any hobby I am into.

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These are a pair of Vandersteen model 7 cost 50,000 a pair and had about 90,000 worth of gear running them. They sounded simply amazing but I know I could never afford it.
 
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Right, but what I'm getting at is that if your speaker costs more than the microphone used to record the sound,(or frankly and device in the recording mixing or mastering chain) what are you really gaining from all that expense?

I meant that deficiences* in the amp/speaker end of the system are more obvious than with other components, and it's more expensive to achieve higher quality, so that's where I spent my money. Spending more on a CD player or cartridge isn't as dramatic an improvement, so I'm more modest with those expenses.

Can a CD player that costs $2000 really sound better than the $200 one? Maybe a little... but definitely not by a factor of 10. But can a $10,000 preamp, amp & speaker system sound better than the $1000 one? Absolutely, and those differences are more readily obvious to the ear. I don't think that end of the system can be compromised for those who want great sound, whereas other components in the chain do not get markedly better as they become more esoteric.

My money is definitely better spent on the "gain" end of the system than on the source components.

Bermuda

* Noise, clipping, sound coloring
 
If you obsess over the best possible sound, and know what a pre-amp is and would never use just a receiver, When someone has a home theater in a box and make a remark about how good it sounds and you try not to laugh, you might be an audiophile.
This has been my main hobby for most of my life I got into it about 8 years old and have been going ever since. I have built and installed I dont know how many car stereos some of them were complex as hell. Now I am pretty much out of the car audio and got back into home audio. I have build home speakers and subwoofers and recently rebuilt a bunch of Polk SDA speakers, new tweeters, put new capacitors and resistors in the crossovers. I have had about 140 pairs of home speakers throughout my life and at one time I had like 27. I have always had a good ear for what sounds good and simply hate it when someone is listening to music on their phone or laptop. I am a fanatic about music and sound, also the best sound when it comes to movie soundtracks.
Anyone else on the forum like me? what are some of your stories? what kind of set up do you have?
This is my most current set up, at one time I had three audio rigs but in this house I can only have one.

Hearing high level (audiophile) sound was the costliest mistake I ever made!

Rotel and B&W are my middle name but I lust for McIntosh.
 
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Like many others here noted, my funds have depleted with my two sons college educations, and declining income. That said, I was excited to see your post as I am way behind the curve on audio gear. My highest achieving system consisted of Alon II speakers,Musical fidelity integrated and Sony 7700 DVD player. The Alons/Acarian System speakers are hard to beat at any price.

I am hoping someone here might clue me in to the current budget gear buys, as well as wireless audiopjile speakers (if they exist yet...)

I would like to encourage those of you on a budget about my current home theatre/dedicated music listening setup:
Yamaha HS80 powered speakers,Sony blue ray and Apple TV. The Yamahas actually do an amazing job, and require no external amplification. They will do it all, (in relative terms) for a very low cost.
I added the notion of Apple TV because you can watch YouTube Videos (as well as Netflix etc) Seeing Vinnie thru the powered Yamahas DOES convey the reality of his skills beyond mere earthlings WAY BETTER than watching it on your computer...
tracer
 
I am not an audiophile, I mean, I listen to vinyl, but through a cheap turntable. I also like lo-fi music. If it's a professionally recorded song, I just want it to sound good. I'm not picky.
 
Not an audiophile at all - I guess I am satisfied with other aspects of music without the hi fi. I enjoy hearing the efforts of those who take care with sound if the musical content is there as well.
 
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