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I have been reminiscing on my journey so far in this hobby and I am pretty pleased with myself, I seem to have gotten to sound aspect fixed to a tee, so much so that I am now thinking of aesthetics of my components. In fact, I am in process of changing my preamplifier purely for purely aesthetic reasons. When I look back, I am happy with the last two systems that I built and will be willing to live with any of those systems in lieu of my existing one.Well, it's fun and I ain't downgrading, rather I intend to acquire some more audio jewelery, I am fan of Japanese SS, so maybe my next venture will be to build a fabulous sounding vintage Japanese hi-fi system.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
Follow Ups:
because my wife and my house impose certain disciplines on me. Such as:1. the room I have available won't accommodate the space needs of floorstanding speakers, let alone something like planars. (I have "bookshelf" speakers that actually sit on top of built-in cabinets (thankfully, at the correct height if you turn the speaker upside down so the tweeter is on the bottom) about 15" in front of the wall behind them.)
2. All of the hardware must go inside the built-in cabinets, which rules out certain things like massive heat-generating tube or Class A transistor power amps and imposes a finite limit on how much stuff I can have and still have room to store records.
I'm sure some will see my system as hopelessly compromised.
Maybe they're right.
But I like listening to music on it, which, after all, is its purpose.
I'd prefer to stay with minimalist/functional appearance and shoot for higher levels of musical performance.
Give me rhythm or give me death!
tighter than a tic. Enjoy your hobby anyway that you want.
/
Yeah, nothing at all. But would you throw a monkey wrench in the works if you were completely happy, ONLY for a better looking piece of gear? Now if you had reason to believe that said gear was an improvement sonically and the looks were the icing on the cake, that's another story. Even then, w/o hearing it you are still rolling the dice. Hey, we've all done it. But the original post was extolling perfection. Oh, but with the exception of that ugly preamp that just HAS to go. At least he can sit there and admire how good it looks, even if it sounds like crap....
nt
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
thank you, it seem too many folks want me to enjoy the hobby on their own terms instead of my own terms ;-).
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
I don't buy it. You want to change either because:1) you are not satisfied in some way with your sound
or
2) you are a gear addict who can't stop from trying the next thing
or
Easy now. You don't want to suffer the same wrath I did for pointing out the obvious......
Spoken like a true gear lover, not a music lover. It's funny, everybody claims "...it's the music first..." but endless statements like this potently say otherwiseHowever, it's your money and your perogative. Good luck with the new statuary.
Sure its music first, however the gear runs it a very close second :^),Here is my old moniker of mine. "It ain't all about the music I also want excellent sonics!"
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
"I have been reminiscing on my journey so far in this hobby and I am pretty pleased with myself, I seem to have gotten to sound aspect fixed to a tee, so much so that I am now thinking of aesthetics of my components."I know of only one person who was satisfied with the sound of his audio system and then made changes to it for purely cosmetic reasons.
He made this change roughly 25 years ago, replacing some Harman/Kardon Citation separates with a Sansui G-9000 receiver. Afterwards, he really regretted the change, and to this day, has been unable to attain the sonic satisfaction he had prior to that one change. (In spite of moving up to Spectron, Ayre, and Revel.)
Now if your "aesthetic" changes are merely altering the looks of existing components, disregard my warning.
Thanks for the advice, I am keeping my original preamplifier, should in case :-), the new preamplifier is a visual match for my SACD Player it will be a pity not to at least try it.thanks once again.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
But whatever made you do that?
That Sansui was a monster.
It's a friend here in CA who traded the Citation gear for the Sansui..... He was beguiled by the looks of the G-9000..... (He may have had the one down, the G-8000.) He spent more time at that Federated store than I did.....I personally had a couple of these units several years ago. Found out the G-901DB, the European model, looks and sounds better..... The unit looks even bigger than I remembered, but it was indeed eye candy.... (I was collecting vintage receivers for awhile. My faves are the Onkyo TX-8500 and the Harman/Kardon 930.)
He peruses this site on occasion.... May have even posted here..... He might appreciate you feeling his pain.... [-;
> In fact, I am in process of changing my preamplifier purely for purely aesthetic reasons <How dumb, and it flies in the face of what your post is all about. If you are really happy with the sound of a system, why not go and do something stupid like change the preamp for a "better looking" one. Yeah, that makes perfect sense........
I agree. Maybe start a new hobby of art collecting instead. This way it is purely for "aesthetic" reasons.
I had the Sony TA-E90ES preamp in one of my systems for five years. I think it is a great pre and sexy too.
That's not exactly what he was saying.
> That's not exactly what he was saying. <
....just what exactly WAS he saying then?
Let's look at the facts, shall we?
> I seem to have gotten to sound aspect fixed to a tee <Ok, now I THINK I know what that means, how about you?
> changing my preamplifier purely for purely aesthetic reasons <
Now this one, hmmmmm.......what can we make of it?
Doofus loves his sound, wouldn't want to improve a thing. But doofus will change a key component in said system for one that looks better. Sure fire way to upset the apple cart, wouldn't you say?This ain't my first rodeo, Gertrude........
Oz
There have been a few threads I've commented on where Ozzy has shown up to add nothing to the conversation, except to be negative for no apparent reason. He just wants to be an elitist - most of his negative comments revolve around that theme in some way.Ozzy, sometimes when you have nothing positive to add, maybe it's best to just say nothing. 3500 posts is plenty from you - maybe it's time to start restricting your posts to those where you can make a positive contribution? Maybe stop buying equipment for a year or two - try listening to some music.
I wouldn't have bothered posting this myself - it's not a positive post to be sure - but I've seen Ozzy butt into a few threads I've been involved in where he similarly had nothing to add of any value whatsoever. Just look at his thinly veiled anger even in this innocent post by an audiophile reflecting on his state of audio contentment. Ozzy will have none of that contentment stuff on this page - if he can't achieve it, he'll be damn sure to piss on anyone who does!
Playing Nice Nice to every post, especially one contraditory as this one, serves little purpose.Ozzy balance sheet on adding value is VERY high and for many years.
Heck you should have gotten some of old Sunny Jack G if you think Ozzy "reset to norm slaps" were too strong know what appropriate, but stinging slaps really feel like.
A "slap" was needed? Ozzy seems to have to issue a lot of "slap"s based on his own sense of superiority - and I only read his posts in threads I'm involved in generally. It is possible to disagree and be constructive - but maybe I'm mistaken on what the shared joy of audio on AA is to be all about. I only posted because even in just the few recent posts I've been in, it seems Ozzy had to issue "slaps" there as well, with no other contribution.Maybe I'm just mistaken about the kind of environment we all want around here.
I'd think with soooo much money to buy all that top notch equipment Ozzy would be one of the happiest guys in the world, and wouldn't feel the need to "slap" so many people. But instead he seems to vent often enough to quality as a rageaholic - I stand by "bitter perennial equipment chaser". May I never have his money or equipment if that be the price - and I can guarantee you I already have his money, I just don't need to spend it. I'm happy.
Well this is a first for me. I have never been accused of "having money". That is rich.Let me be clear. My system was not compiled of expensive components with little or no thought to how they might perform together. IMHO, it is well balanced and relatively inexpensive. Hell, with the exception of the speakers, preamp and cartridge, everything was purchased used on Agon. Hardly state of the art, but it does sound very good to me.
As for being an equipment chaser, some things have been constant for many years. My preamp, turntable, and amp have been hanging in there for quite some time. I am on my second Benz L2 becuase I liked the first one so much. And I actually sold and bought back my RM9 because I realized just how much I loved that amp. Yes, speakers have come and gone, but I usually end up with some iteration of Peter Noerbeck's offerings.
But I DO NOT change equipment purely for aesthetic reasons. As was pointed out by morricab, audiohobby should realize that changing his preamp will take him in a different direction sonically. Maybe better, maybe not. And that's ok for him, why should I care? But don't tell me you have reached the pinnacle and couldn't be happier, but are completely content with screwing it up for the sake of some bling.
"But I DO NOT change equipment purely for aesthetic reasons. "and why I should that be an issue for me exactly? How do you know that the new preamp will screw things up? Do you know the vintage of the new preamplifier? And at any rate, if it is not successful, is it not a simple matter of swapping back to the old preamplifier? However, if successful I will have a more aesthetically pleasing system. What is up with this lousy attitude i.e. system building motivated by 'fear of screwing things up'?
"But don't tell me you have reached the pinnacle and couldn't be happier, but are completely content with screwing it up for the sake of some bling."
And why not, Ozzy? It is my my money and my prerogative to do what I please with my system and yes I am willing to pay extra for the 'bling' because the system forms part of my domestic furniture, therefore it's aesthetics matters to me.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
"Ozzy balance sheet on adding value is VERY high and for many years."As an regular reader of Planar and Speaker asylum I disagree, in fact a a couple of times he needed a couple of slaps :-^), which duly got administered.
Why is the post contradictory? I did not say I was changing the preamplifier to a worse sounding one, just a more aesthetically pleasing one. the main crux of the post is that I seem to have got getting good sound in my system down a fine art, as a result my attention has shifted a way from how to achieve good sound (since it is solved problem) to the aesthetics of the system. Is that contradictory, I think not.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
"I did not say I was changing the preamplifier to a worse sounding one, just a more aesthetically pleasing one."I find this a bit funny though because over in amp/preamp you are going on about how important the sound of the preamp is and now you just want one that looks better. Surely you realize that changing the preamp will fundamentally change the sound of your system? This means that maybe it will sound better or maybe worse but it will sound DIFFERENT from your so called "I have reached nirvana" system. Unless of course you are simply changing the faceplate of the current one to a chrome plated beauty or some such thing.
Why not simply take out all the circuitry of the current one and have a custom case made for it to your own aesthetic desires?? This way your sound doesn't change and the looks improve.
"I find this a bit funny though because over in amp/preamp you are going on about how important the sound of the preamp is and now you just want one that looks better."Sure, the preamplifier is important, but how do you know that the new preamplifier will screw things up?
"Surely you realize that changing the preamp will fundamentally change the sound of your system?"
How could you possibly know that without knowing the preamplifier in question? Seems to me that you guys are attempting create a storm in a teacup, the preamplifier could work either way, it could screw things up, make no sonic difference at all, or even improve things. So what's up with this wholly negative approach to system building? At any rate, it is unlikely to have any negative impact but if it did, rectifying the situation is obvious, simple and easy, i.e. go back to the old preamplifier.
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
and you don't.Personally, I don't care for the original poster much. Hence my tone. Nonetheless, the content of what I said would ring true for even my best friend. Granted, the delivery might be different, but the message would remain. "If you like it, don't fuck with it because your preamp looks like a turd to you".
Hell, look at a shot of my preamp. It wouldn't win any beauty contests by a long shot. But I LOVE the way it sounds and it replaced a preamp that was much more like eye candy.
Yep, I've bought and sold some gear. Even come back around the block sometimes. And yes, I've made mistakes. But to admit to something as stupid as to swapping a component out of a system that you are totally in love with just for something that looks better? Well I had to call bullshit on that dice rolling.
And to reference your last statement in your post, if this is truly about "contentment", why in the world would you do what audiohobby is suggesting? One last thing. If my 3500 posts have annoyed, offended, constipated, or enraged you, I suggest you don't open them from now on.
I can understand your comments about Ozzy's choice of wording, just as i'm sure that Ozzy would say the same thing about many of my posts. On the other hand, i completely understand the comments that he made and why he made them. Anyone that is / has been a "bitter perennial equipment chaser" knows where he's coming from.If you've got your system set up in a fashion that you are completely satisfied with, messing with it in any way, shape or form is simply asking for trouble. In most cases, trying to make "perfection" just a "little bit better" typically results in a loss of system synergy. In most cases, people will then try to alter something else, trying to get back to "perfection" while still retaining their latest acquisition. In the long run, so many variables are entered into the equation trying to get back to "perfection" that "perfection" is no longer attainable. Nor can one remember how to get back to that point, regardless of how hard they try.
As such, i would HIGHLY recommend documenting EVERY aspect of system installation prior to ANY changes being made. Using this methodology, one can keep track of various installations and equipment combos as one tries to improve upon "perfection". Something as simple as swapping a set of cables from one location to another can make MAJOR changes in system synergy, even though the same cables are still in the system.
I learned this the hard way several years ago. That is, i had a system that was working phenomenally well. Being the incessant tinkerer that i am, i tried to tweak the system even further by "making things better" only to lose the "magic" that i had previously attained. In the long run, i was never able to get that system back to where it once was, teaching me a VERY valuable ( and hard to forget ) lesson.
Learn from others mistakes. Even if their teaching methods aren't the best, their intentions are. Sean
>
"If you've got your system set up in a fashion that you are completely satisfied with, messing with it in any way, shape or form is simply asking for trouble. In most cases, trying to make "perfection" just a "little bit better" typically results in a loss of system synergy."I will rather ask for trouble ;-^), aesthetics is one of the motivations that inform my choices, as the saying goes, better is the enemy of good. Will the new 'more aesthetically pleasing' preamplifier work in my system? I have reasonable grounds to think so. Maybe it would not work, but I sure ain't gonna let the fear of upsetting the 'system synergy' of the current setup stop me from trying.
NB: Wrote a longer post but deleted because there is no point attempting to justify my actions.
[nt]
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It's not I'm anti-social,
I'm only anti-work,
Glory Osky, that's why I'm a jerk!
nt
Music making the painting, recording it the photograph
Sgt. Hulka.
You're always last...
nt
.
I bought the DP-65v used a few years ago. It replaced a very nice Cary 306/200 player. The Accuphase is built like a tank, looks great, and more importantly, it sounds awesome. It's more transparent throughout with a better extended top end vs. the outstanding Cary 306/200.I have no experience with Accuphase amps but I'd like to try one someday.
It don't git much better than that she said!
You want a real treat? Check out the Luxman gear on their Japanese website.
The best looking gear I have ever seen. Stunning design, similar to Accuphase.
I agree. Their stuff was gorgeous looking. I doubt I will ever forget the receiver a friend had in the 70s.
I have also always liked that blue light Pioneer used to have.
Yeah,I remember those Luxmans (Luxmen?)What great product architecture!Also remember a Pioneer 737 receiver with the blue light.It also had such glorious symmetry and silky smooth knobs.My golden Marantz with the sliding volume control was the envy of the dorm mates.Its time for some retro styling!Remember the Ferrograph Open Reel deck?
I wonder is some of the appeal of tubes is actually the styling of the kit.
I seem to remember that the Pioneer blue is different to other companies' blues bit I might be mistaken there.
With the lights down I thought it looked just right.
And did it make the music sound better?
Well I can't say it didn't!
I would probably settle for a tuner with that blue now and a Luxman the next time I need an office system. Now, let's get over to eBay.
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