11 Questions for Hi-Fi Enthusiasts.

[majingotan]

The Questions
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole?

Sony MDR-7506

2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own.

DIY L0rdGwyn Aegis: this DIY amp injects very pleasing harmonic distortion to my headphones, keeping me smiling and engaged in music for hours

3. Name the product you bought that you regretted.

Sony MDR-7502 - just terrible

4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?

Dire Straits - You and Your Friend

5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?

There's no perfect system

6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be?

FLAC

7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?

Stickers and Rocks that are supposed to increase black background lol

8. What is your next upgrade?

Just more tube rolling for different distortion profiles on my tube amp

9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone.

DIY L0rdGwyn Aegis with beautiful looking tubes

10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.

Hifiman Susvara original

11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without?

My internet access. I stream only so having internet is a must for my music library

 

[markstein]

1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole?

I have to name the first three:
- My uncle's Grundig Fine Arts Stereo system with Transrotor Conoisseur turntable. Liked the sound and looks very much.
- T+A Criterion T 160 loudspeakers I just wanted to own at that time because I liked the sound whenever I auditioned them at a dealer at that time. Way out of my reach at that time - a dream.
- Cabasse Atlantis digital active loudspeakers I listened to at Frankfurt "High End" exhibition about 30 years ago. Never had such an emotional listening experience again. Dynamics, imaging, bass performance - incredible.

https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y0-12T5HfxE/YCLjA6aVGcI/AAAAAAAEBZ0/UpfPEDCa-OcszRJEuDYXNcp5eb_5BIEBQCLcBGAsYHQ/w732-h732/148549117_3675206219263515_9144582318746165006_o-1.jpg

2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own.
- I like all of my current equipment. However, it's more a rational relationship than an emotional one. When the music starts playing, I close my eyes and it gets emotional

3. Name the product you bought that you regretted.
- Some "high end" MIT loudspeaker cable I thought was urgently required to improve my listening experience when I was a student..
- And worst: I upgraded the power cable of my T+A CD player at that time as well...

4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?
- Dire Straits, You and Your Friend

5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?
- Some technically advanced loudspeaker system, active, cardioid dispersion, like Dutch&Dutch 8C, Geithain RL901K, GGNTKT M3 that also can be used in a "normal" room - non (heavy) treated, non symmetrical, also used as a living space...

6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be?
-Digital, 48kHz /16Bit, FLAC

7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?
- Everything that is less than I regard "adequate". Certainly bad mainstream bluetooth loudspeakers and bad mainstream earphones.

8. What is your next upgrade?
- New loudspeakers. See question 5.

9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone.
- None. I love looks and style (gut feeling and I am a very visual guy), however, the rational part is stronger. So I live with ugly and boring looking RME and Neumann stuff no one but me can operate...

10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.
- I think that's a myth. If you have reached a certain level of fidelity, I think there is no such component that changes everything. However, small, right corrections in loudspeaker EQ can certainly make a difference between "technically correct but boring" and "emotional" listening experience. I prefer the latter.
- During covid, I bought my Audeze LXD-X and, with eq, this headphone certainly provides a really really nice listening experience with very good tactile bass, which is very important for me.

11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without?
- Room EQ for my RME UFX II (DSP capability with PEQs and delay per channel in general)
- Multi Sub Optimizer and REW software - and a microphone

 

[gsp1971]

Interesting way to spend a few minutes thinking about my hi-fi journey from my youth to the present day.

The Questions
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole?
My dad's B&O system

2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own.
Oppo BDP-105

3. Name the product you bought that you regretted.
A useless system from Technics

4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?
Probably a song from Muddy Waters - Folk Singer for sheer raw vocal power

5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?
I was blown away in a hi-fi show some years ago by a pair of Focal Sopra speakers powered by Mola Mola mono amps.

6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be?
SACD

7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?
Expensive cables

8. What is your next upgrade?
KEF LS50 Meta + integrated amp (undecided yet)

9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone.
B&W M-1

10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.
Hopefully I'll get there soon with my next (and final) upgrade

 

[wadude]

The Questions
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole?
As a kid, Dad's c.1960 Heathkit system with Garrad table, then at age fourteen hearing Sgt. Pepper's through my brother's Marantz 2230 and Koss Pro 4-AAs

2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own.
Edit: A Ghentaudio aux cable fabricated from Canare L2B2AT covered in techflex (which I normally abhor) and Sennheiser plugs that I like so much I ordered another. P.S. : It’s interesting living in a time when sources and amps are now commodities and cables have become boutique items.

3. Name the product you bought that you regretted.
None

4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?
Edit: I don't demo, but when folks are over I try to offer music that suits the moment.

5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?
I don't think this way. Edit: For me a stereo is a source, an amp and a pair of speakers; if something needs to be replaced I’ll see what’s available and make my best choice.

6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be?
Edit (misunderstood the question): I'm enjoying streaming files from my home library. It's so much better than anything previously available.

7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?
Dedicated listening rooms. For me music is integral to everything else going on around.

8. What is your next upgrade?
I'd like to get walnut plank inserts for my wire shelving. I would paste wax them and felt the undersides.

9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone.
That's not my motivation, although I wouldn't buy something that doesn't look good to me.

10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.
The music draws me in, not the equipment.

11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without?
N/A

 

[Multicore]

7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?
Dedicated listening rooms. For me music is integral to everything else going on around

+n