Perhaps a sticky note? To help new persons in this hobby.
Legendary members to add their 2 cents worth.
1. Your own ear is your best measure of how equipment sounds, thus if you can, demo equipment before purchase. If demoing is not possible, research, read up on your likely purchase and also see if there are members already with what you are looking for that won?t mind assisting (bearing in mind that each listening room is unique; same speaker might sound different in two different spaces)
2. As a newbie, you will go through lots of gear (if unlucky like most of us) thus your first set, you might have to sell again after you have tested, listened and realized it?s not for you. Thus try purchase ?popular? brands. Have seen many unpopular brands stay on the classifieds for sale section for over a year, and still no sale. Poor owners have to be creative and match to popular brands model (this is like y range of x brand)
Try go with KEF, Monitor Audio, Bowers&Wilkins, Polk Audio, (add more to this list), only when you are astute can you then dabble with some unknown, unpopular high end high quality stuff.
3. Stay away from gear that?s not in mint condition. I am talking from experience here. When I started out, I bought...and I bought...and I bought without ?caring? too much about the condition, a scarf here or there?s, If it was okay, I bought. Sadly that will count massively against you when you want to let the items go. You will lose money, real rands and cents. Buy stuff that?s in mint condition; this sounds obvious, but yeah, it?s not when you are starting out and just want to get going.
4. Once you have a decent kit, I.e good sounding speakers, good amps and receivers, etc. pause for a minute before you go gunho and go for that massive upgrade without looking at treating of your listening space.
Might be a carpet, bass traps, audio panels, curtains, etc. These small investments can alter the sound experience for the better without spending another R100k or more on gear. There comes a point when the law of diminishing returns kicks in. By the way, this exact point on diminishing returns is quickly reached when it comes to speaker cables. See next point.
5. Herewith a nice read on speaker cables, http://sound.whsites.net/cables.htm
don?t be fooled by snake oil. Yes some folks purchase Gucci clothes because of the name brand Gucci not because it?s better quality. So nothing wrong with buying R100k worth cables (hdmi, speakers, interconnects), as long as, as a purchaser, you are clear on the reason thereof.
Folks, I know you have a lot of valuable experience and thoughts to share, kindly add
With thanks
Vince
Legendary members to add their 2 cents worth.
1. Your own ear is your best measure of how equipment sounds, thus if you can, demo equipment before purchase. If demoing is not possible, research, read up on your likely purchase and also see if there are members already with what you are looking for that won?t mind assisting (bearing in mind that each listening room is unique; same speaker might sound different in two different spaces)
2. As a newbie, you will go through lots of gear (if unlucky like most of us) thus your first set, you might have to sell again after you have tested, listened and realized it?s not for you. Thus try purchase ?popular? brands. Have seen many unpopular brands stay on the classifieds for sale section for over a year, and still no sale. Poor owners have to be creative and match to popular brands model (this is like y range of x brand)
Try go with KEF, Monitor Audio, Bowers&Wilkins, Polk Audio, (add more to this list), only when you are astute can you then dabble with some unknown, unpopular high end high quality stuff.
3. Stay away from gear that?s not in mint condition. I am talking from experience here. When I started out, I bought...and I bought...and I bought without ?caring? too much about the condition, a scarf here or there?s, If it was okay, I bought. Sadly that will count massively against you when you want to let the items go. You will lose money, real rands and cents. Buy stuff that?s in mint condition; this sounds obvious, but yeah, it?s not when you are starting out and just want to get going.
4. Once you have a decent kit, I.e good sounding speakers, good amps and receivers, etc. pause for a minute before you go gunho and go for that massive upgrade without looking at treating of your listening space.
Might be a carpet, bass traps, audio panels, curtains, etc. These small investments can alter the sound experience for the better without spending another R100k or more on gear. There comes a point when the law of diminishing returns kicks in. By the way, this exact point on diminishing returns is quickly reached when it comes to speaker cables. See next point.
5. Herewith a nice read on speaker cables, http://sound.whsites.net/cables.htm
don?t be fooled by snake oil. Yes some folks purchase Gucci clothes because of the name brand Gucci not because it?s better quality. So nothing wrong with buying R100k worth cables (hdmi, speakers, interconnects), as long as, as a purchaser, you are clear on the reason thereof.
Folks, I know you have a lot of valuable experience and thoughts to share, kindly add
With thanks
Vince
