Never do THESE FIVE THINGS with your HiFi! #1 Can instantly IMPROVE your sound. 

I've been into hi-fi for 42 years and I've found the quest for perfection is a total waste of time in fact slight fault's in the sound can sound better than an overly detailed and Analytical sound witch can get tiring overtime you know when you've found your sound because it'll make you smile and not just that you'll stay with those components and won't continually change out there's no perfection in the real world so just build a system that sounds fun and entertaining.

in short buy the gear you like in your budget and don't care what audiophiles or reviewers say don't go on the hype train cause this train Never stops

5. Never look for perfection. 4. Never assume that the more expensive audio pieces are going to be better than the less expensive ones. 3. Never buy prices cables without an audition as they may sound worse. 2. Never buy speakers that are too large for your room and vice versa. 1. Make sure you set up your speakers the right way (positioning).

Rule number one. “Don’t let others rule your personal life”

Thanks for this advice, some years ago I moved my speakers out of the corners and the difference in the sound was incredible. The bass become tight Speaker positioning is everything

I like that you emphasized speaker placement several times. Speaker placement and room dynamics are HUGE factors in any system.

The first rule he mentioned is the most important. Really worth listening to. A friend of mine once said "audiophiles are never happy." I'm trying not to have that problem.

Speakercables only need to be >99% copper in superfine threads, and the right mm2 for the power it needs to transport in the given length. Everything else is hocus-pocus to drain audiophile wallets. This is from my decades of experience in audio. You can thank me later.

My primary audio rule- Gear doesn't mean a thing until you sort out the acoustics in your listening space . Not an easy task (until you actually know how to accomplish it), but audio simply -can not- sound correct until it is done. It's physics, and no amount of fancy expensive gear can beat physics, not even $10,000 speaker cables. Sub pro tip #1- Room modes, untreated, distort the sound throughout the entire hearable audio range, as in, a primary room mode in the low bass region effects sound all the way up through the audible range. So, solving the room mode and threating it is essential to audio success.

Great recommendations. A caveat: The wall behind your speakers is the front wall--it's in front of you. Dimension recommendations for speaker placement are silly unless you know the type of speaker, esp porting, you're dealing with. Speaker placement is hugely important and more complicated than described here. Audio Notes (for instance) are designed to be placed against the walls and in the corners. Rear ports vs front, no ports, etc.... It's not rocket surgery, and it's hugely important, but it's not a one-size-fits-all fix.

Some audiophiles endlessly chase upgrades because most of what they're buying just doesn't impact sound. Their impressions are based on perception and perceptions change.

Re speaker positioning, it also depends on whether the speakers have back or front ports (or bottom firing ports!). The distance from the back wall is less critical for front ported speakers, but you also lose some control on the bass. It makes a bigger difference for back-ported speakers. Speakers often come with foam plugs you can use to tune the bass (but YMMV). The toe angle and the distance between the speakers and the chair makes a difference. Experiment, try different placements and see which one you like most!

After being into audio for the better part of 36 years, I've finally come to a place where I'm largely happy to just collect more music. I still make small changes, but when I sit down and listen I am often just really happy with how the music comes to me. I've had more expensive systems, but this is the most satisfying I've ever had. Rega P3 (Neo PSU), AT-VM95SH cart, Schiit Mani, PS Audio Sprout 100, GR Research XLS Encore (with all the upgrades). I also use an Audiolab CDT6000 transport and the internal DAC of the Sprout. I like it so much I also go through all my existing records and re-discover them. It's a great place to be, finally. It took a bit of work to find the correct speaker positioning to get the best imaging the system is capable of, but it paid off a lot in terms of being able to hear the impact small changes have, since a lot of it lies in the imaging (and the lack of smearing thereof).

I bought speaker cable from amazon not dear sounds fantastic. I've had dear speaker cable never heard the difference.

Don't spend thousands (or even hundreds) on mains power filtering. They mostly just replicate what went in...

About big speakers in small rooms, it can work quite well if you use a DSP to tailor the bass response to your room. That way you will get an extended response and great dynamics without overloading the room.

You can even buy quality vintage hi-fi like amps, reel to reel tapes, cassette decks, turntables , preamps , loudspeakers in charity stores, online, and thrift stores for peanuts. Like I do. With a little tender love and care, they sound like magic. And they have looks and personality built in the US, UK, Japan, South Korea, and Europe. Not built cheaply for local companies in China.

Speaker cable guys crack me up. 50 bucks for a roll of 12awg speaker wire works fine.

Thank you. Excellent practical advice. 👍

I have found over 30 years of listening and purchasing hi fi gear that speakers are what make the greatest sonic difference. If possible have an A/B comparison with same source before making a choice.

Solid, pragmatic advice. I appreciate the info about cables and especially the company that lets you audition cables like Warby Parker. Tip #1 is key!

This is great advice. I can particularly relate to number 5 as even after upgrading a component that has lead to a significant improvement, it’s not been long before I have been looking to upgrade another part of my system. Thankfully, I have now reached a point where I am happy with my set up, with the last major upgrade being in April 2021.

And #2 is fantastic. Subscribed. Also, if you could give some kind of quantitative assessment coming from experience, or even some examples based on room dimensions and examples of speakers that actually fit it ....

Spot on advice !! Booming bass !...bad !! Finding the right balance of course is key where it does not effect the the upper frequencies, and allowing you to hear deeper into the music!

Breathing room around the speakers changes things dramatically. Not just behind them but in every dimension. I personally don’t use floorstanders anymore because I think the cabinets going all the way to the floor (with drivers or ports near the floor) is a big compromise and I don’t like the effect it has. For large speakers I prefer something with vintage style cabinet dimensions, up on a stand, with breathing room between the cabinet and floor.

I always buy high fidelity pieces by the piece. Sometimes one piece is better than the other pieces. Once in a while a piece is just a piece. If you have pieces that don't work well together, you wind up with just a bunch of pieces. If my lexicon was larger, I wouldn't have to use the word piece so often.

Arrived at a system in the mid 90's after going through quite a few components. Decided to go back to adding a turntable. It was necessary to get a new pre amp to make this work. This initiated a high angst, wallet draining domino effect in component juggling that has lasted for about two years. Some recordings sound fantastic, quite a few don't. Can't wait for it to be over...it's starting look like having two or three systems is the only way to cover all or most of the bases.

I have Sonus faber olympica 1s in a 10X12. Granted I have 2 12" Rythmik subs in there too---and the level knobs on those are barely an eighth of the way up. Def agree for small rooms to keep the speakers small....

I disagree only with the speaker cable section; any copper cable with the correct diameter for the power rating will sound the same. All the connections must be clean, though. A 20 watt speaker system will do very well with lamp cord. A high-power amp and speaker system will need larger gauge wire to handle the higher voltages.

For people who like boomy bass. Just add a subwoofer or two. Pull your full range out in your room and do the sub craw for your subwoofer. Simple as that lol

Regarding your comments on big speakers in a small room. According to your review you loved the big Cornwall IV in your small room. You were so impressed that they ranked in the five best speakers. A quote from your review: “If you have a smaller room like me, well these are also amazing in that scenario and can even rattle your bones if you are daring enough to raise the volume a bit. No, they are not “too much” for a smaller room as long as you have quality amplification.”

Opinions, please: Minimum size room for Klipsch RP-600Ms? (If the room gets 7/10 score on extent of carpets, upholstery/drapery, cushioning, books.) Thanks

Perfection does exist, but it's clearly 100% subjective. Sound system dissatisfaction usually emanates from solely listening to the equipment, as opposed to the recordings, which surely at the end of day, should be the ultimate aspiration.

On speaker size in small room- would love to hear your thoughts on Ojas

Search for a state of contentment. Then try to optimise your room and experiment with listening and speaker positions. That will be revealing.

#3 would be also be best advice from me. Different cables just make different sound. Maybe better maybe worse but not always better with more expensive. My favorite cables aren’t even the most expensive I owned, luckily borrow it from the shop and love it so much that I just have to buy it.

I've learned not to audition anything at home, because I will end up buying it for slight improvements. I tried some replacement mains leads (Titan STYX) for a week, went back to the standard Naim ones, and ended up buying the Titan. Kudos KS speaker cable was also an improvement over the Naim NACA5 cable, after a week of listening, I put the Naim cable back onto my system, and I was sold on the Kudos. The HiFi bargain of the year has to be March DAC1, which I use as a Roon endpoint. Your point about speakers and room size, I have to agree with.

Regarding the chasing perfection suggestion, I would have quit the upgrade game after the Klipsch Lascala acquisition.

Small room + small speakers + 1 or 2 subs works fine. Placement of the subs is key.

Great advice!

I dont know i plug my fender tele into my dual rectifier Mesa Eng 100 watt tube Amp and it sounds perfect every time

The missus said to me "let me get this straight, you spend over £1,000 on speaker cables because you can 'hear the difference' but you can't hear me calling you from the kitchen" 😁

Do you think the La Scalas are appropriate for your listening room size? I'm thinking about getting some and my room is about the same size. Thanks

I love your advice and review brilliant

Maybe it's better to try new music than new equipment

What do you guys know of putting some diffusers on the ceiling 🤔 Do they help ?

IMHO, the #1 DO in audio is: DO have as few as possible components in the signal path.

thanks!

As price goes up, so do your expectations go up , too.

exactly---the Rose line up looks great---but----the MytekDAC + has been perfect for me.

Great advice as always!

I agree, the Leica M10R is the best camera for me, but definitely not for everyone. It’s not very easy for a costumer to find the personal perfect system. The market is so big, maybe to big to test every turntable, loudspeaker, … .

Are those Fleetwood Devilles still killing it for you??? I'm listening to some Harbeths this weekend. Hoping to pull the trigger on them and Luxman 509. Let me know what you think so far of the Devilles. Might be the next ones. Love the content. And yes the Leica is all about the feel and look. My xt3 and Nikon F6 are my go to for shooting film and digital. My m6 is for my soul only.

Excellent

Excellent as usual!!!

You can borrow several sets of cables for free from The Cable Company - that saved me tons.

I like sound - even when it’s not perfect it’s fun.

Great. As always.

What about ghoust communications? )))))))

i love your table for turntable, what is it?

15" inch woofer's and big power amp sound's great.

Something I’d add. Just because a speaker is bigger and or has more drivers doesn’t mean they will sound bigger, better or have better bass output.

I must disagree to Your #2! The size of a speaker has nothing to do with overloading a small room, as I had the chance to learn recently. What makes a smaller room overloaded, is the excursion/deflection of small bassmembranes, when they try to move big masses of air in very low frequencies, but they lack of area, and so try to compensate by displacement. If You replace the wobbely let´s say 8" bass with a stiff 15" bass of a horn loaded speaker, it will blow You away with minimum deflection and no standing waves / problems in a small room, and be more dynamic besides. The rule is: the smaller the room, the bigger the bass membrane to go! (For instance a speaker that comes to my mind in this regard: Ø Audio)

I learned about "Looking for Perfection" the hard way. I have an Old School Sony receiver, I bought in 1998 in Calgary. I have been using it ever since, it does music perfectly. Has 650 Watts and 5.1, but it has old school connectors. So I thought I would get better, spent way too much and bought a Denon. The Denon is gutless, under powered crap. After 6 months the overpriced and under powered Denon is sitting in a box in my garage and I am using my Sony. Someone is going to get a great deal for themselves at Goodwill.

Having to build large home subs for car audiophiles and most prefer 2.1 stereo

One of the five things should be never review audio equipment in an untreated room...

Im more into HT but listen to music often aswell. I bought paradigm founder 120h speakers. The cables are long runs about 15m left speaker is connected with a nice cable all insulated but its small gauge. The right is connected with a 10 gauge cable but just the cheap cables you buy on ebay. I noticed the right speaker plays much louder with the bigger gauge cable but in rare frequencies in some movies (never music ) the tweeter seems harsh. Im not sure which cable i should match the same. I would get more expensive cables but you can imagine on 15m runs its not cheap. Any thoughts ?

Nr2 , if a small speaker play a flat curve, and you switch to a big speaker, and it play a flat curve, how can it be more bass? My belive was what a big speaker could play louder, and maby with a bigger pounch in the bass region, but should it matter in the same volume if both speakers have a flat curve 20-20000Hz ? How can that be?

$30,000 DAC? $100,000 CABLES? HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA!

Face it, it’s more of an addiction than achieving perfection.

Can I get decent, stereo sound with a pair of bluetooth speakers?? If so, which ones??? And what you reccomend for a home receiver like 50 watts or so. Ty

Dont change tubes when your amp or preamp is still turned on or be prepared to smell smoke.

My room is 12 by 15. Running JBL 100T3s. Don’t believe in overload. Clearly 🤕

The best does not exist! 100% true.

The reason is marketing and addiction to "fill the gap" with something "new" and "better".

Never give up your gear because your wife doesn't like it.

In the words of the Dalai Lama… “True perfection seems imperfect, yet it is perfectly itself“.

Great tips, but tend to partially disagree with the last one, 3d scene is still possible if speakers located near the back wall, but back wall has to be covered with acoustic panels.

Agree with number one. Speaker placement is very important and so is recognizing how the speakers interact with the listening space and treating that listening space acoustically

Also, listen to live music to get your ears used to the real sound of instruments. And, untreated rooms have more affect on the sound than cables and interconnects beyond £500

As an audio nut for decades, I think cables are the biggest hype in audio world. My modest system is about $20k. My cables are entry level cables, but quality manufacturers such as Kimber, Wireworld, and Pangea. I rather spend $ on components.

I think the 3 big things that hold you from getting a great stereo are: 1st you have no clue what you want. 2nd as long as you don't build hifi stuff yourself you will never find out what you want. 3rd The industry wants you to stay in this condition.

Thx.

I sure would like to look for perfection. However my wallet is not big enough lol

Finally, so honest to goodness stuff :P

Great perception of audio is not that much about perfection in components. It is about creating variables in illusion. Some tailor their system and room all the way just to create the best illusion of a piano or singer in a room. I once experimented with two sets of speakers to beam audio forward and backwards as performers on stage are 3d and sound goes either way. However, this illusion might do well with some recordings (guitars +++) , it doesn't apply to all. Synthesizer concerts like kraftwerk are hardly going two ways in reality as amplification is key there and speakers faced forward to an audience. Same goes for open baffle speakers. Great for vocals in an intimitate performance, not for the illusion of being at a rock concert (buy Magnat or sth). And that quest for an illusion as an element of fun is to me what seperates studios with monitors to people in the real world. Since there are many illusions possible, there is also a neverending story to the quest about what is best, but coloration is not bad for an enthusiastic consumer. Most speakers add a little illusion, and that is fine.

Unless you are trained experienced tech, turn off before fiddling with components

9:55 These 500 bucks-cable may where the best cables you ever connected to your system. They probably just showed the real sound of the other components [just kidding. Or could they?]. When it comes to cables you should start at the power-plug or even better at the line voltage. A clean and stable AC voltage can improve your system more than a 'high-end' speker cable.

None of the recordings that are listened to were ever mixed or mastered on hifi speakers. This market exists to allow for dentists and anesthesiologists to brag to each other.

Also agree with #1. I would add: keep the volume down! No,, I am not your neighbor :-)) I say keep he volume down enough not to saturate the available dynamic range. There is a trade-off there, because your ears get easily accustomed to higher sound pressure, and they want more. In no time you end up there where it is hard to discern the low passages and small details, and at the same time you have no dynamic headroom. It's like flying too high in an airplane: the air gets thinner, you need more speed, so more power from the engines, and you can't maneuver at all. I prefer to keep the volume softer and enjoy both the details and the incredible dynamics of well recorded music (not much you can do with badly recorded music unfortunately).

1) spend time setting up your speakers in the correct position, if you can’t get it quite right, buy an amplifier with tone controls 2) don’t buy expensive cable at any time. It’s a load of bollocks. Just buy anything made from Canare or Mogami- resists RFI, well built and studios use it to make music. So it’s fine for you.

A lifetime of experimenting with expensive hifi equipment might lead you closer to basic facts of acoustics that you could have learned in the school.

Never let reflected sound reach your ears before the direct sound.

Just like you held on to those La Scala’s lol

Banana speaker cable improve,s my sound :)

That is so true

Why is it High-End Audio seems to be two channel stereo rather than multi channel stereo,after all we hear all live music and sounds with 360 degree ears ,after all two channel stereophonic sound was and is more realistic than single channel Hi Fi and it makes sense that more channels are more like hearing the music live !

Hi sir.

Can you hear the cables can the cables be heard

perfection does not exist in nature.