Home Audio: What do you use?

[Syonyk]

This might end up as an Wall of Shame topic... but I'll try it.

What sort of solutions are people using for home audio?  I've recently upgraded my setup(s) a bit from a 20 year old set of computer speakers (in my office) and a 40 year old set of living room speakers to something recent (used AudioEngine gear - an HD6 set for the living room, and A5+/D1 combo for my office), and... yeah.  Wow.

Not having spent any real time around "good" speakers, this is quite ear opening.  It turns out, speaker technology has advanced in the past few decades.  As has amp technology.  And computer speakers aren't that great to start with, even decent ones from about 2000.

I've also been going through and reripping my CD collection to FLAC (I've got a Plex server running on the general home utility system, and it can feed that just fine), which makes a huge difference in an awful lot of CDs compared to the older MP3 rips I had from 15 years ago.  Storage is cheap enough that there's just no point in bothering with lossy compression at this point.

Anyway... what are other people using for general audio stuff?  All the various upgrades ran me a bit under $1000, and while I know the sky is the limit, the difference from what I had to what I have in place now is seriously, seriously impressive.

[DreamFIRE]

Pioneer VSX-01 Elite receiver and Cerwin Vega D9 and AT12 speakers, Yamaha center channel, in-wall rear channel.  The CW speakers are old enough that the foam surrounds on the woofers are cracking and need replaced.  I've got a newer HTPC and some other stereo components that are between 5 and 31 years old.

[albireo13]

I was doing the audiophile thing awhile back but,
sold it all off and am using a Sonos system in the house. 
Sound isn't too bad and convenience factor is huge. 

[Dollar Slice]

I also have the AudioEngine A5 (but without the subwoofer). But usually I listen to headphones (AKG K271) when I want to do serious listening. I like the sound better and they block out street noise. I live in an apartment overlooking a fairly busy road (and on top of a subway line) so there is some level of noise almost 24-7. Some music is OK over a little background noise (electric guitar, brass, etc.) but if I'm listening to something quieter (strings, piano, acoustic guitar, etc.) I strongly prefer the headphones.

[FIRE 20/20]

AudioEngine makes some great affordable speakers.  I kept going back and forth between them and the Emotiva 4S for my computer, and ended up with the Emotivas.  I added an Emotiva sub when they were having a scratch and dent sale. 

You're right that speaker (and really audio in general) technology has advanced enormously in the past couple of decades.  I was a serious musician for a while; I recorded a few albums and played a variety of instruments in a lot of bands growing up.  One of the albums was recorded on a deal with a regional label, but you wouldn't have heard of us.  While I no longer play, music is one of the more important things in my life and audio gear is a weakness.  Fortunately I ended up with a decent system (Sonus Faber Liuto monitors, NAD electronics) before I found Mustachianism. 

There are a lot of ways to keep this addiction hobby reasonably inexpensive.  I highly recommend VortexBox as an almost free way to easily rip all of your CDs to FLAC.  AudioEngine, Emotiva, and others make really nice speakers with integrated amplifiers, so they can connect to an inexpensive DAC and either a streaming service or your FLAC library.  Companies often sell cosmetically damaged equipment like the subwoofer I picked up from Emotiva. 

If you're a fat-FIRE or LBYM (rather than true mustachian) audiophile Audiogon can be a blessing or a curse.  If you need something new all the time you can buy used and periodically swap out components for a very modest loss.  I've been drooling over the Mark Levinson No. 585 integrated amp and B&W 803 D3 speakers since they were released a few years ago, but I'm hoping the urge passes.  If I pass 25x expenses and work isn't horrible I could see myself working an extra month or two to buy them.  Fortunately audio gear and travel are my only two money-related weaknesses and I've been able to keep both in check since finding mustachainism.  I think my total audio gear expenses in the ~5-6 years or so since I found this site have been around $500 while I've boosted my savings rate from ~30% to ~60% but as I get closer to 25x the temptation is getting stronger.  . 

[Dollar Slice]

While I no longer play, music is one of the more important things in my life and audio gear is a weakness.

This is where analysis is useful to find out if your spending reflects your values. Music is one of the most important things in my life, and I spend a lot of money on it. I don't spend anything on audio gear unless something breaks and needs to be replaced... because audio gear isn't the part that means something to me.

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

Main system:

Oracle Delphi Mk. III with SME V tonearm and Sumiko Blue Point 2 (For a variety of reasons I could not think of ever having any other turntable but an Oracle Delphi!)

Audible Illusions Modulus 2B vacuum tube preamp with phono stage, modified by Brooks Berdan (seven pairs of Cardas jacks, Cardas wire)

Hafler 600 amp (Fight me, it's a great amp!)

Vandersteen 2Ce speakers
 
MIT, Cardas, Audioquest cables

I digitize LPs with an ART USB Phono Plus A/D Converter with Audacity software. I usually digitize an LP a week--did over 40 last year!

Keith Monks or Clearaudio Record Cleaning machine (I don't own these outrageously expensive machines, but my audio dealer lets me use them for free because I rock so hard :D )

Portable: Fiio X1 (The BEST bargain in all of audio!), Sennheiser HD-25 or HD-580 Jubilee headphones. Also a tiny Sony USB rechargeable speaker, which I bought for 50$ and is surprisingly great given its size and price. Connect with 3.5mm cable for traveling, vacations.

Computer: Audioengine A2+

Other room: Audioengine A5+ with the sexy-as-hell bamboo finish. Just bought these and am extremely impressed!

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

Also, I use Foobar 2000 to digitize (FLAC) and manage my thousands of CDs and digitized LPs.

I think Foobar 2000 is the BEST piece of software I have EVER used, and I would dump Windows and go to Linux Mint in two seconds if it were not for that and Adobe Lightroom (which is no longer supporting stand-alone, so F-them too!)

[Syonyk]

You're right that speaker (and really audio in general) technology has advanced enormously in the past couple of decades.

I hadn't really looked into anything modern because I was under the impression that speakers were speakers, and amps were amps, and beyond that was into the realm of the loonies who only use hand spun elemental copper power cables woven on some mountaintop by a yak-keeper, and it would only sound correct if you used the proper crystal cable elevators, etc.  And then you get into pure goofballism like the Ambient Field Conditioner (https://www.lessloss.com/blackbody-p-200.html) and the successor Firewall (https://www.lessloss.com/firewall-module-p-216.html) - which are, near as I can tell, 100% Grade A Bullplop.  Or near enough that it's not worth paying any attention to (except to point and laugh).

Mostly, I don't know anyone in person who has a decent system and has cared to show it off.  I see speakers in the store and fiddle with their examples, but in your typical big box store, it's hard to tell anything beyond, "Yup.  Makes nose!"  "Yup.  Makes a lot of nose!"  "Oooh, subwoofer rattle!"  and such.  I'd never had the opportunity to experience a track I was familiar with on something good.  For even very modest values of "good."

There are a lot of ways to keep this addiction hobby reasonably inexpensive.  I highly recommend VortexBox as an almost free way to easily rip all of your CDs to FLAC.

What are the merits of VortexBox vs Plex?  I'm using fre:ac to re-rip CDs to FLAC, Plex for the backing store (since I finally have a server with enough space to put everything in one place and enough guts to transcode the weird stuff, this is convenient), and Plexamp for playback (or the normal Plex interface, depending on the computer).  Plexamp is a newer audio-only player from their Labs division and it supports gapless playback!  Which I didn't realize I'd missed until I had it again.  An awful lot of stuff I listen to is album form, and I've just gotten used to inter-track gaps with Rhapsody/Napster/etc.  Now that I actually have a system that can play stuff back gapless... it makes a difference.

AudioEngine, Emotiva, and others make really nice speakers with integrated amplifiers, so they can connect to an inexpensive DAC and either a streaming service or your FLAC library.

The HD6s I've got for the living room have the built in amp and DAC (I'm waiting for an optical audio cable to show up to run digital from my NUC through my TV to the speakers - it's analog out of the TV right now), and the A5+ speakers in my office (near field at ear height is awesome) will have an AudioEngine D1 DAC bolted onto them tomorrow (assuming it shows up in the mail).  That the HD6s have Bluetooth is insanely useful.  My wife listens to a lot of stuff on her laptop (creating and sorting playlists by category), and hearing stuff through Thinkpad speakers was driving me up the wall.  Now she can play stuff through a proper set of speakers.

I was able to get the A5+ and D1 used from eBay after a bit of patience, which paid off nicely in that I scored a flawless bamboo set for an awful lot less than new.

If you're a fat-FIRE or LBYM (rather than true mustachian) audiophile Audiogon can be a blessing or a curse.  If you need something new all the time you can buy used and periodically swap out components for a very modest loss.

I plan to stick with this stuff for a long time.  My previous living room speakers were my dad's speakers and I'd been using them since high school (they date from the 70s), and my computer speakers were really nice for the time, but are kind of an acoustic mess compared to the new stuff.

Oracle Delphi Mk. III with SME V tonearm and Sumiko Blue Point 2 (For a variety of reasons I could not think of ever having any other turntable but an Oracle Delphi!)

My wife wants to get our turntable back up.  I need to clean up the TV install and stealth the wires first, but I'm thinking of building a nice shelf for the turntable at some point.

Audioengine A5+ with the sexy-as-hell bamboo finish. Just bought these and am extremely impressed!

Glad to hear someone with an awful lot more experience with systems than I have is impressed with them!  I really have no basis for comparison, though the switch to good speakers plus FLAC means that terms like "soundstage" actually mean something now.  I can localize the singers and instruments beyond "There are singers and instruments," which... yeah.  New to me.

Also, I use Foobar 2000 to digitize (FLAC) and manage my thousands of CDs and digitized LPs.

I think Foobar 2000 is the BEST piece of software I have EVER used, and I would dump Windows and go to Linux Mint in two seconds if it were not for that and Adobe Lightroom (which is no longer supporting stand-alone, so F-them too!)

Ew, Windows. :p  Is there any reason you couldn't use Linux to do your ripping and playback?  Plex appeals to me partly because it works on everything (I have Windows, Mac, and Linux in the house).

[HipGnosis]

I ran a Pioneer receiver and infinity floor speakers that I got in '90 for years. And I was happy with them.
Then A/V receivers came out... but I didn't give in.
Then... the pioneer died.
I bought an A/V receiver.  I actually bought and returned 2 cheap ones.  They didn't have the flexibility I wanted (selectable pass-thru was one).  Then I got a Denon and it's working well.
But things did snowball a bit.
Since I 'needed' to buy a new DVD player for HDMI out (to use with the A/V rcvr), I upgraded to BluRay.  But I bought a refurbished, discontinued model at a really good price.
Then I realized that some movies didn't sound quite good enough...  I shopped for a powered subwoofer.  But since it's just for some movies, I couldn't justify the cost.   I replaced the 25 yr old subwoofers in my infinities w/  DaytonAudio speakers from Parts Express.  It's not great, but it's better.
And, since I have so many HDMI ports now, I got a Roku.

[gooki]

Squeezebox radios for the bedrooms, that get moved to the kitchen/outside as necessary.

My diy speakers in the lounge (Arvus woofers, vifa ring radiator tweeters), along with a small Marantz home theater receiver.

AKG K701 headphones for video gaming.

[albireo13]

I used to have some vintage Marantz receivers.  They looked and sounded great!
For awhile I collected and refurbed them.

[undercover]

Decent speakers are worth it for me (I’ve had the A2s for a while which I really like, they even replaced a faulty out of warranty one for me) but the best speaker on the market can’t come close to replicating live music. Also have a Bose Soundlink Mini which I’ve also had a long time for portability and it sounds fine but obviously the A2s are better. And then more recently I picked up a Vizio 2.1 soundbar setup that was marked down to $70 or so. Honestly, it sounds really amazing to me. I recommend stopping when you hear something that sounds good to you.

Really though, headphones are the most Mustachian. You get the most bang for your buck. Headphones are also great for isolation and hearing every single detail. Wear mine most of the time mostly because I prefer the isolation.

[Dragonswan]

Umm... this thread is giving me pause.  I'm generally a LBYM kind of dragon who splurges ridiculously for a tech gadget.  But this is next level stuff.  My mustachian solution to music is to buy the itunes version of my favorites and classics (some are ripped if I can't find it in the itunes store), then plug the ipad into the TV (it is a good one since I spend a lot time in front of it, *gasp*) and switch it to music mode.  Why is this not good enough?  Am I really missing out on phenominally clear sound?

[JLee]

Cheap Denon receiver (S510BT I think), a pair of floorstanding Klipsch speakers and a 12" Klipsch subwoofer that I scored on Craiglist (the pair of RF3 II's and sub for $220, I think).  Center and surrounds are leftovers from the home theater in a box speakers that were left in my apartment by the last person. I would like to get a better / appropriate center, but I don't really have a good place to put it.

I also have Sennheiser HD598's at home and HD6XX's at work.

[Dragonswan]

Umm... this thread is giving me pause.  I'm generally a LBYM kind of dragon who splurges ridiculously for a tech gadget.  But this is next level stuff.  My mustachian solution to music is to buy the itunes version of my favorites and classics (some are ripped if I can't find it in the itunes store), then plug the ipad into the TV (it is a good one since I spend a lot time in front of it, *gasp*) and switch it to music mode.  Why is this not good enough?  Am I really missing out on phenominally clear sound?

It is good enough.
I’ve heard some of the best speakers in the world and I still use a speaker I got at the drug store.

What you’re asking is the same as “is driving a Maserati really that different from driving a Yaris?”
Yes. Yes it is very different.
That doesn’t mean it’s worth the expense.

Now I get it.  Would adding a sound bar improve the situation or am I just putting better tires on a Yaris?

[Breck]

Found some JBL L110s in the trash. Replaced the foam surrounds and really enjoyed them. Too big for my house tho - sold them on CL.

I mostly buy nicer computer speakers from CL because they are cheap and space efficient. Had Bose companion 3s but they failed after 5 years. Now have Bose Cinemate Series II. I know Bose is overpriced, but they aren't bad speakers at CL prices.

Also have some old JBL 8350s from a theater driven buy a Pioneer VSX - XXXX (trash find) for garage sound.

Built a Gainclone and a set of bookshelf speakers a while back. Was a fun project but the cost / benefit compared to my trash finds looks pretty bad.

[Syonyk]

Really though, headphones are the most Mustachian. You get the most bang for your buck. Headphones are also great for isolation and hearing every single detail. Wear mine most of the time mostly because I prefer the isolation.

I've spent so much of my life wearing headphones to tune out the background noise in open office floorplans of ever-increasing density that I'm quite happy not having to wear them now. :)  Perks of building one's own office... I have a set of HD 280 Pros that I'll use if needed, but I enjoy not needing them now.

Umm... this thread is giving me pause.  I'm generally a LBYM kind of dragon who splurges ridiculously for a tech gadget.  But this is next level stuff.

As I said, this could end up in Wall of Shame territory quickly...

My mustachian solution to music is to buy the itunes version of my favorites and classics (some are ripped if I can't find it in the itunes store), then plug the ipad into the TV (it is a good one since I spend a lot time in front of it, *gasp*) and switch it to music mode.  Why is this not good enough?

In general, TVs don't come with good speakers anymore (one could convincingly argue that they never did).  They come with "Makes some sounds" quality speakers, for a few reasons.  The first is that it's more or less impossible to get good audio out of a modern flat screen TV.  They don't have the internal volume to run a good speaker.  My bookshelf speakers each have more internal volume than your TV likely does (unless it's an old CRT, which I doubt).

And, related to that, it's assumed that anyone who cares about sound quality is going to have external speakers of some variety.  So there's no real point in wasting the money on trying to get a flatscreen TV to sound good when the speakers will be silent on most of them anyway.

Am I really missing out on phenominally clear sound?

Almost certainly.  Only you can decide if you care enough to do anything about it.  I thought I had decent systems, and... nope.  Not by modern standards.  The crispness in the sound is insane, and there's a ton of stuff I'm hearing in songs I'm incredibly familiar with that I'd never heard before.  I've also been re-ripping my collection to FLAC (lossless codec) instead of MP3 (and, really, the last time I ripped it was over a decade ago, so I think encoders have improved since then).  Between the better speakers and lossless rips, it's like pulling cotton balls out of my ears.  And cymbals sound like cymbals now.  For whatever reason, MP3 really struggles with that sound and the compression artifacts are really obvious if you listen.  I listen to a lot of folk (American, Canadian, and Irish), and MP3 mangles acoustic stuff as well.  Even back in the day, I preferred the sound of Vorbis, but... nothing played it.

Now, I don't think there's likely to be a worthwhile difference between where I am now with a several hundred dollar setup in the house and office and some $10k hand-wound system, but I'm sure there's an audible difference...

Now I get it.  Would adding a sound bar improve the situation or am I just putting better tires on a Yaris?

Anything designed for sound reproduction (which a sound bar is) will almost certainly sound far better than something designed to produce a picture with a few speakers bolted in.

If you have any friends with a decent setup, take a CD of a track you're familiar with and play it on their system.  See if you care about the differences.

[Papa bear]

You've done some DIY work before - there is basically a limitless world of DIY audio, from speakers to amps.

Take a look at the tech talk forums through parts express to check it out. I'm currently building Paul Carmody's Overnight Sensation MTM speakers. Total material cost will be under $125 for some highly reviewed and recommended speakers.  Plus I get to build them myself. And anything I do myself is more fun than taking out the plastic and hitting "buy" online.


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[HenryDavid]

Technics SL D1 turntable from 1st hifi back in the 80s. Grado cartridge.
Yamaha amp from a Boxing Day sale in the 90s. Basic but accurate and simple.
Denon universal disc player which is OK, bought within an insurance settlement budget—as were the Polk speakers we have.
People comment that it all sounds “really good.” Compared to my audiophile friend’s setup,I can discern that we have less detail, less soundstage. Whatever. Totally enjoyable and lo cost.

Also have a JBL creature computer speaker thing, and that is pretty decent.

[Syonyk]

You've done some DIY work before - there is basically a limitless world of DIY audio, from speakers to amps.

Take a look at the tech talk forums through parts express to check it out. I'm currently building Paul Carmody's Overnight Sensation MTM speakers. Total material cost will be under $125 for some highly reviewed and recommended speakers.  Plus I get to build them myself. And anything I do myself is more fun than taking out the plastic and hitting "buy" online.

If that's aimed at me as I suspect, yes, I'm aware of the DIY audio realm and the results, but it's not a path I'm likely to go down.  I've got the stuff upgraded to far better than it was, and I'm likely to sit with that for another decade or two at this point.  This is one of my "One and done" projects.  I've upgraded things, I'll get everything set up properly (still waiting on a digital link cable for my TV to speakers in the living room and I need to build some speaker stands out of PVC/wood), and then I'll be set for a long, long while.  Once I've got all my music re-ripped to lossless, with good speakers, I see no specific reason to continue chasing this path.  Though there's a non-zero chance the turntable will get some tweaks when I get that set up again...

[Dragonswan]

Umm... this thread is giving me pause.  I'm generally a LBYM kind of dragon who splurges ridiculously for a tech gadget.  But this is next level stuff.  My mustachian solution to music is to buy the itunes version of my favorites and classics (some are ripped if I can't find it in the itunes store), then plug the ipad into the TV (it is a good one since I spend a lot time in front of it, *gasp*) and switch it to music mode.  Why is this not good enough?  Am I really missing out on phenominally clear sound?

It is good enough.
I’ve heard some of the best speakers in the world and I still use a speaker I got at the drug store.

What you’re asking is the same as “is driving a Maserati really that different from driving a Yaris?”
Yes. Yes it is very different.
That doesn’t mean it’s worth the expense.

Now I get it.  Would adding a sound bar improve the situation or am I just putting better tires on a Yaris?

Honestly, if you are happy with what you’ve got, stick with what you’ve got. Like anything else, you just adapt to better sound being your new normal.

My TV is super old and has crackly speakers, that’s why I picked up the sound bar, but I do like the subwoofer for that oomphy bass.

I'm sort of happy.  I'm at the point where I was thinking the lack of clarity was due to normal hearing loss for my age (although I've taken pains to preserve my hearing my whole adult life as I'm a hobby coloratura). So maybe the $250 Bose soundbar I've been debating is worth it.

[Dragonswan]

Really though, headphones are the most Mustachian. You get the most bang for your buck. Headphones are also great for isolation and hearing every single detail. Wear mine most of the time mostly because I prefer the isolation.

I've spent so much of my life wearing headphones to tune out the background noise in open office floorplans of ever-increasing density that I'm quite happy not having to wear them now. :)  Perks of building one's own office... I have a set of HD 280 Pros that I'll use if needed, but I enjoy not needing them now.

Umm... this thread is giving me pause.  I'm generally a LBYM kind of dragon who splurges ridiculously for a tech gadget.  But this is next level stuff.

As I said, this could end up in Wall of Shame territory quickly...

My mustachian solution to music is to buy the itunes version of my favorites and classics (some are ripped if I can't find it in the itunes store), then plug the ipad into the TV (it is a good one since I spend a lot time in front of it, *gasp*) and switch it to music mode.  Why is this not good enough?

In general, TVs don't come with good speakers anymore (one could convincingly argue that they never did).  They come with "Makes some sounds" quality speakers, for a few reasons.  The first is that it's more or less impossible to get good audio out of a modern flat screen TV.  They don't have the internal volume to run a good speaker.  My bookshelf speakers each have more internal volume than your TV likely does (unless it's an old CRT, which I doubt).

And, related to that, it's assumed that anyone who cares about sound quality is going to have external speakers of some variety.  So there's no real point in wasting the money on trying to get a flatscreen TV to sound good when the speakers will be silent on most of them anyway.

Am I really missing out on phenominally clear sound?

Almost certainly.  Only you can decide if you care enough to do anything about it.  I thought I had decent systems, and... nope.  Not by modern standards.  The crispness in the sound is insane, and there's a ton of stuff I'm hearing in songs I'm incredibly familiar with that I'd never heard before.  I've also been re-ripping my collection to FLAC (lossless codec) instead of MP3 (and, really, the last time I ripped it was over a decade ago, so I think encoders have improved since then).  Between the better speakers and lossless rips, it's like pulling cotton balls out of my ears.  And cymbals sound like cymbals now.  For whatever reason, MP3 really struggles with that sound and the compression artifacts are really obvious if you listen.  I listen to a lot of folk (American, Canadian, and Irish), and MP3 mangles acoustic stuff as well.  Even back in the day, I preferred the sound of Vorbis, but... nothing played it.

Now, I don't think there's likely to be a worthwhile difference between where I am now with a several hundred dollar setup in the house and office and some $10k hand-wound system, but I'm sure there's an audible difference...

Now I get it.  Would adding a sound bar improve the situation or am I just putting better tires on a Yaris?

Anything designed for sound reproduction (which a sound bar is) will almost certainly sound far better than something designed to produce a picture with a few speakers bolted in.

If you have any friends with a decent setup, take a CD of a track you're familiar with and play it on their system.  See if you care about the differences.

Good suggestion. I hadn't really thought about it in terms of flat screens optimize picture over sound and I could do better.  I just felt the TV was better than the iphone/ipad with headphones and reviews of little portable speakers designed to enhance the iphone seemed lackluster.  $250 seems a LBYM middle ground between TV sound and my neighbors think I hired an orchestra for a private concert setup.

[jj2]

Definitely a bit of a shame topic for me, but this is where I used to spend most of my hobby money.

Anyone who's delved into audiophile / high end gear at all knows that the sky is limit.

Now, my gear is 'good enough' and I've resisted the urge for constant upgrading.  Most of my gear was bought used on Kijiji (save for the Bottlehead kits), some stuff built or modified.

Main System for Dedicated Listening:
•   Rega P3 Turntable; Bottlehead Seduction / Foreplay / Paramours (DIY tube amps); PI 2 Tower DIY Speakers

Daily Listening / Background:
•   Old Sony CDP; Zune MP3 Player; Technics SA500 Receiver; KLH Model 17 Speakers

TV / Video:
•   Old Sony CDP; Some cheap TV: Sansui AU317 Receiver; KLH Model 6 Speakers;  DIY Horn Speakers

Extra System - Listening / Recording
•   Thorens TD166 Turntable (modified); Denon DCD-2560 CDP; Pioneer CTF-900 Tape Deck; Sansui G6000 Receiver; Pioneer HPM60 Speakers

Extra System - Listening / Recording
•   JVC QL-5 Turntable; Arcam Alpha 1 CDP; Toshiba SA775 Receiver; Realistic Mach 1 Speakers (modified)

Misc:

Onkyo TX-5000 Receiver; Technics SL1300 Turntable

[markbike528CBX]

3 "systems"
TV living room: Onkyo receiver, VHS/DVD player, ?? speakers

Bedroom: TV   Sony receiver, VHS/DVD player, godawful speakers the kids didn't want (side), a KLH bookshelf for "center" and some Pioneer surround speakers under the head of the bed.

Patio, covered
??? receiver, thin Pioneer speakers on stands, Infinity 12" powered subwoofer.

Feed, usually from iPod 3.5mm jack to RCA "Tape" input.  Typically 160kbs .mp3 but some higher and some purchased .aac   Also listen to live streams via .aac (KEXP and Wackenradio).

Caveat:  My hearing cuts off at 6000Hz, not from music/noise, but heredity (verified since early high school/pre rock concert tests).

Total estimated costs, ~$1000, spread over 25 years.    The receivers are a good buy on craigslist.  1/10 or 1/5th MSRP.

[swinginbeef]

I "listen" to a Marantz 2238b receiver (used as a pre-amp) through a Marantz Model250 amp and on to Image Concept 200 speakers. All 70's-80s vintage stuff and all picked up through Craigslist ($125 receiver, $400 amp, $200 speakers). I play through an old laptop and a cheap external DAC. I also use a pair of Sennheiser HD580 that I'm really really fond of (another $100 craigslist pickup).

We also have a cheap Klipsch 5.1 system through a cheap Sony A/V receiver hooked up with the TV in the basement.

Sometimes I'll just listen to background music through Alexa.

[ObviouslyNotAGolfer]

A few points--

1.) I bought a lot of that sh1te years before I got into frugality, FIRE and all that. At the advice of several audiophile friends, I bought it all before I got married.

2.) Some of it, I got used at very low prices. Seriously, $2.5K for a tonearm? Unless I was FIRED and owned a huge house and a lot of other things, then GTFO. However, I got it for a tiny fraction of the price along with four top-of-the-line Nakamichi Cassette decks for around $600 from an estate sale of a CalTech professor of engineering!

3.) The Oracle has worked flawlessly for the 25 years I've owned it, with the exception of a single servicing of suspension, tune-up, and new belt. And, it's a freakin' work of art! Is it worth the money for a vinyl lover and music fanatic like me? Absolutely. How much money do people pay for huge TVs, and will you expect your next one (no matter the size or price) to last you a quarter century?

4.) I compensate in other areas--driving a 27 year-old Volvo that is incredibly cheap to own and reliable. And I spend zilch on going to the movies. Movies are in the basement of my priorities. I would spend a lot more on concert tickets, but honestly, driving into HELL A (live in SoCal--Pasadena) for a concert at Di$ney or Dorothy Chandler is too much of a downer to even consider.

5.) With anything else, it is a matter of diminishing returns. That ADC I mentioned cost me a grand total of $80, and I bought it at the advice of one of my musician/recording engineer friends. My audio dealer advised me to get an Ayre ADC for the low, low price of $4000. Could I tell the difference? Maaaaybe? Worth it? I seriously, seriously doubt it. The ART unit sounds great!

6.) I am not a "golden ears" audiophile, or a snob by any means. However, I will tell you that there is a world of difference between cheap stuff and moderately expensive gear. As a music lover, it makes a difference. There is so much more of the music you can actually HEAR on a good system, the expensive gear can be quite addictive. I'm sure the same is true of high-end video, however, for me that is not worth it, as I just have very little interest in movies.

The Audioengine 5s I have are a prime example. Above that level, you really need to shell out a lot of money to get significant improvements...

I don't have the woofer yet. I am already impressed with the bass, but as someone who listens to a lot of pipe organ music, I will eventually want more...

Has anyone bought the woofer? Thoughts?

[FIRE 20/20]

While I no longer play, music is one of the more important things in my life and audio gear is a weakness.

This is where analysis is useful to find out if your spending reflects your values. Music is one of the most important things in my life, and I spend a lot of money on it. I don't spend anything on audio gear unless something breaks and needs to be replaced... because audio gear isn't the part that means something to me.

I agree.  However, for close to a decade I almost lived on and off in recording studios and concert halls.  A huge part of the enjoyment for me is hearing everything that went into making the music.  We spent hours deciding between a Rode NTK and a Shure SM7B for miking the vocals, fought over the amount of gate on the snare drum, and got a huge wall of sound from stuffing the guitar amps into a broom closet.  Hearing the genius of Glyn Johns' 3 mike technique is amazing in and of itself, but if you've worked with someone trying to replicate it you gain a whole new appreciation for how difficult it is to get right (we never did).  It's not necessary to have high-end gear to appreciate music, but there are subtleties in the performance, recording, mixing, and producing that do require high-end gear to hear. 

[FIRE 20/20]

You're right that speaker (and really audio in general) technology has advanced enormously in the past couple of decades.

I hadn't really looked into anything modern because I was under the impression that speakers were speakers, and amps were amps, and beyond that was into the realm of the loonies who only use hand spun elemental copper power cables woven on some mountaintop by a yak-keeper, and it would only sound correct if you used the proper crystal cable elevators, etc.  And then you get into pure goofballism like the Ambient Field Conditioner (https://www.lessloss.com/blackbody-p-200.html) and the successor Firewall (https://www.lessloss.com/firewall-module-p-216.html) - which are, near as I can tell, 100% Grade A Bullplop.  Or near enough that it's not worth paying any attention to (except to point and laugh).

Agreed.  There's a huge amount of magical thinking in high-end audio.  Cables are the worst in my mind.  Most people are smart enough not to fall for most of the craziness, but for some reason otherwise sane people will spend hundreds or thousands on interconnects and power cords. 

What are the merits of VortexBox vs Plex? 

At the time I was ripping my CDs to FLAC, there weren't many free options out there that had good usability.  There may be more now.  With VortexBox you basically turn an old, unused computer into a CD Ripper, music/movie storage device, and server.  It's as simple as - insert CD, wait until it pops out, insert next CD.  VortexBox does everything else for you.  It's like magic when it works, and it worked for me about 95% of the time.  It eliminated almost all of the editing I would have had to do.  I don't know how Plex's UI is for ripping CDs, but it can't be much easier than VortexBox's. 

[Dollar Slice]

While I no longer play, music is one of the more important things in my life and audio gear is a weakness.

This is where analysis is useful to find out if your spending reflects your values. Music is one of the most important things in my life, and I spend a lot of money on it. I don't spend anything on audio gear unless something breaks and needs to be replaced... because audio gear isn't the part that means something to me.

I agree.  However, for close to a decade I almost lived on and off in recording studios and concert halls.  A huge part of the enjoyment for me is hearing everything that went into making the music.  We spent hours deciding between a Rode NTK and a Shure SM7B for miking the vocals, fought over the amount of gate on the snare drum, and got a huge wall of sound from stuffing the guitar amps into a broom closet.  Hearing the genius of Glyn Johns' 3 mike technique is amazing in and of itself, but if you've worked with someone trying to replicate it you gain a whole new appreciation for how difficult it is to get right (we never did).  It's not necessary to have high-end gear to appreciate music, but there are subtleties in the performance, recording, mixing, and producing that do require high-end gear to hear.

It's worth buying good gear, but my point is that it's not (or shouldn't be) a constant or ongoing source of expenses. Get a great setup - speakers, headphones, whatever you need. But then STOP shopping! Audiophiles get trapped in the endless upgrade/sidegrade cycle to find the "perfect" setup. There's always something out there that might be better. You can spend nearly infinite amounts of money (and time) making the gear into its own hobby. That, to me, is just another form of consumerism for the sake of consumerism. Get to where it's "enough" and then enjoy the music instead of spending your whole life spending money looking for perfection that doesn't exist.

[FIRE 20/20]

Umm... this thread is giving me pause.  I'm generally a LBYM kind of dragon who splurges ridiculously for a tech gadget.  But this is next level stuff.  My mustachian solution to music is to buy the itunes version of my favorites and classics (some are ripped if I can't find it in the itunes store), then plug the ipad into the TV (it is a good one since I spend a lot time in front of it, *gasp*) and switch it to music mode.  Why is this not good enough?  Am I really missing out on phenominally clear sound?

Yes you are missing something, but you might not care.  In my opinion, a pair of Emotiva 4s speakers at $299 or similarly priced AudioEngine speakers (I think they A2+?)can provide a level of sound quality that would have cost close to $1k just a decade ago.  Does that mean you should buy speakers?  Of course not, not any more than it means you should buy a Maserati as Malkynn aptly put it.  The good thing about audio is that you really can get a huge portion of the sound quality of the uber high-end at just a few hundred dollars. 

[FIRE 20/20]

While I no longer play, music is one of the more important things in my life and audio gear is a weakness.

This is where analysis is useful to find out if your spending reflects your values. Music is one of the most important things in my life, and I spend a lot of money on it. I don't spend anything on audio gear unless something breaks and needs to be replaced... because audio gear isn't the part that means something to me.

I agree.  However, for close to a decade I almost lived on and off in recording studios and concert halls.  A huge part of the enjoyment for me is hearing everything that went into making the music.  We spent hours deciding between a Rode NTK and a Shure SM7B for miking the vocals, fought over the amount of gate on the snare drum, and got a huge wall of sound from stuffing the guitar amps into a broom closet.  Hearing the genius of Glyn Johns' 3 mike technique is amazing in and of itself, but if you've worked with someone trying to replicate it you gain a whole new appreciation for how difficult it is to get right (we never did).  It's not necessary to have high-end gear to appreciate music, but there are subtleties in the performance, recording, mixing, and producing that do require high-end gear to hear.

It's worth buying good gear, but my point is that it's not (or shouldn't be) a constant or ongoing source of expenses. Get a great setup - speakers, headphones, whatever you need. But then STOP shopping! Audiophiles get trapped in the endless upgrade/sidegrade cycle to find the "perfect" setup. There's always something out there that might be better. You can spend nearly infinite amounts of money (and time) making the gear into its own hobby. That, to me, is just another form of consumerism for the sake of consumerism. Get to where it's "enough" and then enjoy the music instead of spending your whole life spending money looking for perfection that doesn't exist.

Agreed.  That's why I haven't purchased anything other than computer speakers in the 5-6 years since I found mustachianism.  But if there's one thing that I'm likely to work an extra month or two for (after hitting 25x) it's a set of 803 D3s. 

[big_slacker]

I have a yamaha musicast wifi/streaming amp that amazon sent me to review. That's hooked up to some paradigm monitor 9 v3's that I've for like 15 years from the time when I cared a little more about audio. Also got a sony bluetooth waterproof speaker that I use when I'm out camping, kayaking, etc. Also free from amazon as a review model. ;)

[AccidentialMustache]

I was doing the audiophile thing awhile back but,
sold it all off and am using a Sonos system in the house. 
Sound isn't too bad and convenience factor is huge.

I never did the audiophile thing, but I agree Sonos gear is really quite nice. Being able to play my music (in sync) throughout the house as I move around is really really really nice and still makes me happy.

[Syonyk]

At the time I was ripping my CDs to FLAC, there weren't many free options out there that had good usability.  There may be more now.  With VortexBox you basically turn an old, unused computer into a CD Ripper, music/movie storage device, and server.  It's as simple as - insert CD, wait until it pops out, insert next CD.  VortexBox does everything else for you.  It's like magic when it works, and it worked for me about 95% of the time.  It eliminated almost all of the editing I would have had to do.  I don't know how Plex's UI is for ripping CDs, but it can't be much easier than VortexBox's.

Ah, ok.  fre:ac has the UI of something written by someone who has a thing for audio codecs (read, "horrible"), but it gets the job done.  Plex doesn't rip stuff natively - I just rip into a share on my server and then move it into place.

[Lan Mandragoran]

Google home + google mini's bought on the holidays for 30$ a peice ;). Whole home synched audio and all of the other stuff they do for 3-400$.  If you want really exellent quality sound add in a Home Max for 400, and suddenly you have a pretty sick home system that 15 years ago would have barely been possible(and not nearly as clean/unobtrusive), and for exorbitant costs.

[MDfive21]

for years i had a pioneer 50watt receiver with input from my laptop (p2p dls) and output to a set of no name brand full size 3-way (10in, 6in, tweet) paper cone speakers from the 70s.  sounded really good!  got married and large stuff had to go, so i went to a sony cmt-bx20i.  not as rich, but got the job done.

i've tried pioneer sma3 and sma4 wifi speakers, which sound great as single speakers, but drop connections constantly and they're mono so it's really a tease.  i might repurpose the sma4 as a center channel sometime in the future.  the sma3 is a great kitchen speaker.

currently rocking a $45 from craigslist sony 100 watt/channel STR-DE197, with input from a chromecast audio and output to polk tsi100s.

obviously the current situation blows away everything else and it's less than $200 all in.  i'm thinking about adding a pair of $70 proficient NFM5s from craigslist.


bottom line is that the chromecast audio is the killer device.  a total game changer because you can just plug it into whatever legacy system you have and no worries about connectivity.

[swampwiz]

Audio is one of the things that I am anti-Moustachian, although not ridiculously so (and it can get ridiculous pretty easily).  My computer speakers are pair of (powered) Paradigm Active/20 (retailed for $1700/pr in the late '90s), and I have a pair of Montana Audio EPS (bought demo, $4K/pr, although since I am in a smaller place than I had imagined, they are sitting in the closet getting mildew damage on the finish) and have had in the past Paradigm Studio Monitor (a fantastic pair that they no longer make, but that got stolen) and Gershman Acoustics X-1 (got flooded).  I had always used Adcom for the power electronics, but I am thinking about going for a class D receiver so as to minimize the heat (which is great in the winter but terrible in the summer).

[Optimiser]

I have a Yamaha 6.1 receiver from 2003ish, with some Cerwin-Vega CVT-12 tower speakers in the front, a hand-me-down center channel and some KLH bookshelf speakers (911B?) in the rear and a cheap 50 or 60 watt 8 inch Yamaha sub.

Probably considered to be a mixmatched garbage setup, but it sounds good to me and gets loud enough to shake things off the wall. I'd love to have a really nice set up some day, but it's way down on my priority list.

At work I have some $15 computer speakers and a set of Sony MDR-7506 headphones. I got the headphones for Christmas this year and I really like them.

[DreamFIRE]

I first got into audio back in the 80's.  In recent years, I've really cut back, and I hope to spend more time listening to music again when I FIRE.  I actually mentioned this in another recent thread:  https://forum.mrmoneymustache.com/welcome-to-the-forum/what-do-you-plan-to-do-in-fire/msg1943432/#msg1943432 .  Now, some of my speakers need repaired, and I've put it off since I haven't been listening much music lately.  I don't enjoy music much on your typical modern consumer equipment.  These days, audio quality appears to have taken a back seat to the bells and whistles that are advertised.  Back in the day, more people were concerned about the actual sound quality.

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it, but the acoustics of the environment of your system makes a huge impact on the audio quality.  One of the most impressive improvements I've ever heard was when I moved a component hifi system into a different environment.  A very high quality sound system in a poor acoustical environment, such as a typical room in a house, still won't sound that good to me.  It might be very loud but fall short in audio fidelity.

Regarding compression, you're going to get worse quality the more you compress in general.  The FLAC audio codec uses compression, but it's done in a lossless fashion.  If you need to use MP3 compression such as for use with certain equipment/players, you would want to use a good encoder and higher bitrate to minimize quality loss.

There were some comments about live music and that speakers don't sound as good as live music.  Remember that it's commonplace/normal for speakers to be used for amplifying live music.  They certainly aren't mutually exclusive.

I have several different pairs of headphones.  I like my Beyherdynamic DT880s best for listening in quiet environments.  For closed cans, I use my Sennheiser HD280 Pro or Audio-Technica ATH-A900X when I want to isolate external sounds.  The HD280 Pros isolate better, but they squeeze your head and definitely have a closed sound to them.  The A900Xs are looser and more airy sounding like open phones.  None of these are getting much use these days.

I bought my HDTV when they were several inches thick, and the sound quality is decent compared to the current generation of ultra thin HDTVs.  I have a Sony soundbar and subwoofer that I haven't bothered hooking up since the TV speakers are fair, and I can feed audio into the Pioneer Elite VSX-01 7.1 receiver for anything where I really care about having a better audio experience for what I'm watching.  When I replace my HDTV with a current generation 4K model, I'll probably hook up the soundbar for use when not using the hifi system.

For my home gym, I have a Sony DA-4Es 7.1 reciever, Polk sub, and Energy surround speaker set.

[Penn42]

Music has been my main entertainment preferance since as long as I can remember.  I've gotten some great bang for my buck with my system going the vintage + elbow grease route. 

My main listening system is

- Dual 1219 turntable - $85 total (bought in non-working condition from CL, fixed what I could myself, had a local tech do the more complicated parts)

- Shure V15IIIDU cartridge - $20 (CL score. The DU variation is glued to a Dual sled, making them cost much less since they'll only work on a dual)

- Kyocera DA-410cx CD player - $40 (in mint condition off CL)

- Pioneer SX-650 receiver - $120 total (bought off CL in partial working condition.  Recapped myself.  Still going strong 5 years later.)

- KLH Model 23 speakers - $125 total (Yet again a CL score.  Resealed the cloth surrounds, recapped the crossover and worked some new life in the cabinets.)

I like working on the gear and laying in wait for true steals on CL.  I flip stuff sometimes too.  Don't really make much of a profit on any of it, but it's a fun hobby that fills some time every now and then. 

As others have noted you can spend as much as you want on audio gear.  I don't consider most of it worth it because the law of diminishing returns kicks on way sooner than many think it does IMO.  However, there's definitely reason to want something more than TV speakers to enjoy music with greater detail.

[Dollar Slice]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned it, but the acoustics of the environment of your system makes a huge impact on the audio quality.  One of the most impressive improvements I've ever heard was when I moved a component hifi system into a different environment.

Yes - when I bought my AudioEngine speakers, the plan was to move my old Klipsch speakers to the bedroom so I could listen to music there. I did this and discovered that my bedroom has some bizarre acoustic properties that make it impossible to listen to music with any sort of fidelity. There is a crazy amount of echo/reverb. It's just a little square-ish room, I have no idea what is going on. I have a neighbor/friend who is a recording engineer, I'm always tempted to get him to come over and tell me what is wrong with it. (His girlfriend would probably get the wrong idea if I invited him into my bedroom to investigate its unique acoustic properties...)

[libertarian4321]

1987 Klipsch KG4 speakers, still sound better than most of the weak "high tech" modern crap on the market.

Run those speakers and my TV audio through Yamaha/Pioneer components from the early 90s.

If it ain't broke, why fix it?

[Accidental Fire]

I have a solid Onkyo receiver from the mid-90's that's still kicking strong.  I run my computer and TV through that.  Polk speakers.  I'm from Baltimore, support the locals :)

[moonpalace]

This seems like a good place to get some guidance on this question.

We bought our house a few years ago. The prior owner was an orchestra conductor and the whole downstairs has wired speakers throughout (some in the ceilings, two on bookshelves, two mounted high in kitchen corners). There's a stereo receiver and various components (CD, tape decks, amp) that came with the house, and it all seems very high quality. The sound, to my uneducated ear, is incredible.

So I'd like to use it but we listen to all our music via iTunes and other digital services. We literally own no CDs or tapes.

So far, we've been plugging our phones or an old iPad in to the aux input and listening that way, but it's pretty kludgy and leaves the phone tied up. So I've been contemplating a Sonos:Connect, which seems like it would replace everything but the amp and the box that lets us choose which room to play music in.

Thoughts on this approach? Other options?

[ketchup]

I have some shitty ~10 year old Logitech computer speakers (2.1) plugged into our desktop at home.  The volume control crackles as you turn it and I think one of the speakers only half-works.  I've been "meaning to replace" these for about two years.

I use the speakers built in to our LCD TV.

I have a pair of Sony MDR-V6 headphones I've had for about 9 years that get occasional use.  These by far are my highest quality way to listen to anything.

Most content is served through Plex.

I'm glad I found the MMM mindset before I started making enough money to be able to go nuts with this stuff (at least somewhat).  I'm the type that probably otherwise would.  Ten years ago I realllly wanted a 1080p front-projector full 7.1 whatever system and now I just don't care.  I've become fairly A/V-quality-agnostic once past an acceptable minimum.  I like all the technical nonsense and can definitely appreciate quality, but it's just not worth it for me.

[MDfive21]

This seems like a good place to get some guidance on this question.

We bought our house a few years ago. The prior owner was an orchestra conductor and the whole downstairs has wired speakers throughout (some in the ceilings, two on bookshelves, two mounted high in kitchen corners). There's a stereo receiver and various components (CD, tape decks, amp) that came with the house, and it all seems very high quality. The sound, to my uneducated ear, is incredible.

So I'd like to use it but we listen to all our music via iTunes and other digital services. We literally own no CDs or tapes.

So far, we've been plugging our phones or an old iPad in to the aux input and listening that way, but it's pretty kludgy and leaves the phone tied up. So I've been contemplating a Sonos:Connect, which seems like it would replace everything but the amp and the box that lets us choose which room to play music in.

Thoughts on this approach? Other options?

grab a chromecast audio for each room at $35 and you're golden.  i use bubbleupnp to run mine but any DLNA app will do the trick.

[MDfive21]

...

I like working on the gear ...

since you're into rehabbing these things, any idea what it would take to repair/replace the bass boost in my str-de197? 

if i switch the boost on or off while volume is up, i get a loud pop from only the right speaker.  the right speaker does not put out audio, just a pop, pop, pop at a regular interval, though not as loud as the initial loud pop when i hit the switch.  i've tried every input channel and both A and B speakers, and it does the same thing on every config. 

the left speaker seems fine at all times so it's just the right speaker channel when bass boost is on.  when the boost is off it sounds great and everything works as expected.

[big_slacker]

One thing I forgot to mention in my previous post and one that mustachians will probably love. When I did care about audio I built some audio kits from bottlehead. They are low powered tube amp/preamp kits and various add ons. They also sell a high sensitivity speaker kit that pairs really well with their kits. This stuff is AWESOME for audiophiles, and relatively affordable compared to what you'd need to buy to get similar sound.

Then motorcycles ruined my hearing, now I don't care so much for high end stuff. ;)

[dang1]

bluetooth headphone that connects either to my S7 or Chromebook