[Closed] is hi-fi emporers new clothes..?

Rogers LS3/5a are the sweetest sounding speakers

I don't like any 15ohm LS3/5a, or the ones we used in that show, as they are all bloated and slow in the bass to my ears.

I prefer 11ohm LS3/5as, although they have less extension and sound like 2/3rd of a speaker, so need a sub.

As a standalone LS3/5a I much prefer the Stirling Broadcast V2 version - although I know Doug so take my recommendation lightly maybe. They are much less compressed sounding and have a far superior bass. The only drawback is that the tweeter, which is the same as in the Harbeth HLP3, beams a little more than the T27.

But best of all is my 11ohm LS3/5as with the Cicable crossovers, in thinner wall cabinets like the original prototypes.

Now they are sweet...

Is there a difference between an individual paying to listen to a live act or a download? Either way music is a commodity.

And this interaction with the performer you speak of. Are you one of these groupies?

It's all about what you play..

[IMG] [/IMG]

[IMG] [/IMG]

The focus placed on the quality of the playback system is indicative of a shift away from "music" as a phenomenon of socio-cultural interaction between people, something which happens between people, rather than a thing in and of itself.

...

the playback system doesn't matter

what a load of guff.

Sure, some people may get lost in hifi-itus where they are chasing enhanced resolution, awesome sound, etc.

But most people buy a system to play back music, and a good system is needed to play back music well.

The system needs to present the music well, hopefully presenting a facsimile of a live performance even, or you are not going to want to listen to it.

That is maybe why tube amps are popular - they may add harmonic distortion and so be less accurate, but so does listening live to a band in a club.

The ultimate accuracy doesn't necessarily matter, just the recreation of a believable 'soundstage' such that you can forget that you are listening to a system, but listen to the performance.

As to the new clothes thing, no of course it's not.
The commonly accepted definition of HiFi is to get as close to the original source as possible.
No problem with that.
Some kit is good at this, some is not.

I put in another thread

Listening to a bad music system is like reading a book with half the words blanked out, or a badly focused photograph.
You can sort of tell what's going on but you the miss a lot of the detail.

I like systems that present as much of the original info as possible in the way the artists/producers/engineers intended.

It's then up to me to decide whether I like the music or not. That's the important bit.

And I'll stick with that.

Some very interesting parallels regarding how we consume music and how we drink alcohol in some of these posts, btw.

In each case, it's not the sound or the alcohol that's the problem, it's how we use them.

Blaming a Hi Fi fanatic for your broken relationship with music is like blaming a real ale fan for your alcoholism.

Solo - Member
Apologies to all. I haven't read the other posts.

However, for me its this simple.

Yes, it seems so.

Even a modest HiFi has become a bit of a rarity these days. Far far better than the current offerings one finds in electrical sheds. The rise of Japanese £99-£200 discrete satellite surround sound systems, or one box mobile phone docks seem to have almost obliterated real HiFi. They sound better than the total rubbish that preceded them, but they are relatively still rather poor/mediocre at best.

I was once an avid HiFi enthusiast, but the incessant interruptions from my wife put pay to my listening pleasure. Her musical taste extends to: Pet Shop Boys, Robbie Williams and Take That - moron!

Many years later, the marriage slowly broke down and I'm just about to get my decree absolute, so a small detached bachelor pad will soon be sought. 😀

Any man who has been through a divorce will recall wincing at the pain and injustice of the whole process, but I am hugely excited at the cessation of the insufferable and largely pointless squawking from that nagging whining stress bag! Believe you me, I did my damnedest to try and understand what went on in that inscrutable tiny little brain of hers, but I failed spectacularly. After a mesmerising 25 year voyage of discovery, I still DO NOT have a bloody clue! Game now over - how magnificent.

That hideous undignified soul destroying cacophony will be soon replaced by relaxing mellifluous tones washing over me, delivered by my beloved real HiFi system!

The Spongebob bachelor pad will also include a robust bike shed to store "the collection" and all sorts of other delights will adorn my new home. No more shall frilly chintzy clutter and other functionless detritus, blight my life. 😀 😀 😀

congratulations are in order Spongebob... 25 years wandering alone in the desert must have been quite an ordeal..

welcome home 😀

TurnerGuy, did you manage to find a UK source for those Pioneer speakers btw?

Another LS3/5a fan here - mine went years ago, never found anything quite the same.

Thank you Yunki. I was trying very hard not to sound misogynistic. Must confirm that my feelings are purely about my ex-wife, not women in general (especially the slim ones with long legs, big tits and who don't hate men) 😆

I'm going to hi-jack my own thread here

does anyone know much about Chario Silhouette 100 speakers..?

I need to pick up a second hand amp to power them.. I used to use an anomalous budget Denon that won a few awards, but I can't quite remember the model number or specs..

Whilst we're here, what might be involved if I wanted to go "emping", I wonder...

Clearly, at least a change of work wear.

lol @ gofasterstripes

Emping is Indonesian chips, a bite-size snack kripik cracker made of melinjo or belinjo (gnetum gnemon) nut. The emping crackers have a slightly bitter taste.[1] The emping snack available in the market can tasted plain (original), salty or sweet depends on the addition of salt or caramelized sugar.

😕 Eh?

Another LS3/5a fan here - mine went years ago, never found anything quite the same.

If you are anywhere near Horsell in Surrey I can lend you some V2's to try. Next month I will be getting Stirling Broadcasts AB-2 bass extenders, which perform quite differently to the old AB-1s and really make the combination a full-range system.

Have you also tried Harbeth M30s, bigger but very much like a high grade LS3/5a - I had some but my room and wife didn't really compliment them...

congratulations are in order Spongebob

I might also be going down this route - although amicably at the moment...

Spongebob - Member

Eh?

emporers new clothes

🙄

congratulations are in order Spongebob
I might also be going down this route - although amicably at the moment...

Sorry to hijack this thread, but I can't let this be...

Amicable is a strange word, used repeatedly by her nasty little hypocrite divorce lawyer - man, was that woman SO ugly. A real man hating dyke no doubt!

Top tip: avoid engaging a lawyer until you have worked out the bones of a deal. (To my utter dismay and totally beyond my control, this was where my wife started off, thus causing maximum expense and acrimony).

Better still, seek professional help from the likes of organisations like Relate to reconcile your differences. (My wife refused, saying she didn't need any counselling because her life was perfect, except for me - nutter!)

Damn, HiFi.......

Ta for the offer, but up North.

Had lots of nice bits and bobs in the 80's.
No one wanted old valve amps - think my last pair of Quad II's were bought for £150 and sold for not much more. Can't believe how much they are now.
Same with original ESL's.

Seriously thinking about trying a pair of those Pioneers. Will try asking a few dealers and see if they can get hold of a pair.

I must confess that one of the many advantages of being a singleton is being able to play one's music whenever one wants and at whatever volume one wants. 8)

Top tip: avoid engaging a lawyer until you have worked out the bones of a deal

already planned, there have been several DIY divorce threads on here recently so I have been taking notes...

But she had a bout of depression last year so I have told her to wait until it is sunny and she is pumped up on vitamin D before making any decisions 🙂

But it will be nothing like my mates recent split from his Chinese wife.

Things first started to go bad when the social worker, when assessing his access to the kids, took exception when her casually referred to her by the name 'nutty'!

But she did go nutty and her kids were fully aware. When they went to court it was her lawyer than pushed for a court order for access as he recognised that she was unlikely to give access anyway.

She hasn't given access and takes the phones from her daughters so they can't text dad.

She is living in the house but recently said that she was selling it for 570k, but it turns out she is selling it to her brother for 625k, all part of trying to screw my mate over. And she is very wealthy on her own account.

Think of the Landlady in KungFu Hustle - I think that probably sums it up.

Ta for the offer, but up North.

Have you tried Rogers JR149s?

same complement of drivers as a 15ohm LS3/5a but but more wideband and less compressed - although not quite the protection and midrange.

Unfortunately they are going up in price now.

Another for the must try list!

Ta for that, will keep an eye out.

[img] [/img]

Rogers JR149's were lovely speakers, especially when partnered with the matching coffee table style Rogers active subwoofer.

I had a set of perfect walnut Rogers 3/5a's with the AB1's back in the late 90's I sold them on ebay to a chap in Australia for a fortune and yet I still think he got the better end of the deal. Even my wife who has no interest in hifi but likes music thinks they were the best speakers we ever had. Limited in lots of ways but for vocals there's nothing better IMHO.

So, umm, what do you lot make of this?

http://www.tonearm.co.uk/faq-tonearms-frequently-asked-questions.htm

Oops, sorry.

http://www.tonearm.co.uk/tonearm.htm

The tech behind the mods, the percentages of improvement....? Sounds pretty crazy stuff.

Yet EVERYONE seems to rate these upgrades, so it must be great?

😆 @ gofasterstripes' rickrolling.

Not sure about freq.response, but LS3/5a sure have a far better WAF* than Nautilus 801s...

(*Wife Acceptance Factor)

The audiomods mods seem to be rated higher than the OL ones

Cheers for the heads-up TurnerGuy!

Sold all my Hifi kit just recently as its just not compatible with such a young family.

What an odd statement. We've 3 kids (teenagers now) but never did we even consider doing anything other than stairgates and a child-proof lock for the undersink cupboard.

I never understood why so many people sell/store their hifi once kids are on the scene either. Just teach them what they can and can't touch. I have active ATC's and a 2yo running around. I'd rather have a decent stereo in the house than have a crappy mini/dock system. I accept that one day they will probably suffer some kind of damage. But drivers can be replaced and cabinets cleaned up should the worst happen, it won't be the end of the world.

I never understood why so many people sell/store their hifi once kids are on the scene either. Just teach them what they can and can't touch

Ask the mother! This is beginning of their long process of emasculating their partners.

Once you give them a baby, you fall to the bottom of the pecking order and then it's game over.

From there on in, they will have it all their own way, in the interests if the child of course!

We have a proper hearing test (sound proof booth) as part of our annual work medical. In my case I have 30% loss in my left ear at the 4khz frequency. Spending loads on HiFi in my case would just be a waste of money, and I suspect if people knew the state of there hearing the same would be true for many.

Spending loads on HiFi in my case would just be a waste of money, and I suspect if people knew the state of there hearing the same would be true for many.

That's bollox - if you tell the difference between listening to a music system and listening to a band live then you will be able to appreciate and benefit from a good quality system.

TurnerGuy - Member
Spending loads on HiFi in my case would just be a waste of money, and I suspect if people knew the state of there hearing the same would be true for many.
That's bollox - if you tell the difference between listening to a music system and listening to a band live then you will be able to appreciate and benefit from a good quality system.

Exactly what Doof Doof said...We've a 15month old running round, I built a decent cabinet to store the Hi Fi and the Grilles just live on the Floorstanders now. There is a point though, for instance these days I wouldn't dream of spending hundreds of pounds on Interconnects.

She enjoys sitting in between them in what is now called Vinyl Saturdays where she dances away to Black Sabbath, Megadeth and the like whilst playing with chewing her way through (the less valuable) record sleeves.

I just can't understand why people would listen to music through a computer...I can just about bear listening to the radio (but even then I've got it hooked up to teac mini amp and monitor speakers bolted above the drawing boards)

I just can't understand why people would listen to music through a computer

What, like a CD player?

Yes just a like a CD player, just like I quite frequently use my Kettle to search the internet.

erm... a CD player is basically a computer. Not sure of your point.

Seeing as you are clearly unsure of mine, I was just suggesting that listening to a CD player is quite comparable to listening to a computer in that they have many common components and very few see a great issue with listening to music from a CD player.

What is your reservation about listening from computers? I can understand if you are a vinyl purist but otherwise, I don't understand.

Not read the previous but Yunki I feel your pain mate.

I was once the proud owner of several hundred (i think decent) vinyl albums a beaut of a Quad stereo and some damn nice KEF speakers with a Linn Turn table. Kids and wife put pay to my hours of "loud" music interface until one day those fateful words were spoken " your'e getting rid of that eye sore". the ayatollah had spoken and the sound systems days were numbered.

Now we have a Vita audio docking thingy that I cant bring my self to look at much.....although to be fair it does have a DAB which nowadays is about all I get to listen to, and 6 music seems to play most of my old collection.

People should look at the Tivoli stuff as well if they need to down size.

I heard a setup at a hifi show with the supplemental speaker and subwoofer and it was pretty good.

I was aware of your point that yes on a basic level a CD player may contain some components that also exist in a Computer playing a CD.

The difference being a CD player is designed to do one job and one job alone which is convert Digital to Analogue it does this with the minimum of fuss to let the Amplifier do it's job and in turn let the speakers do theirs.

A computer on the other hand was designed not to do this, is essentially a rather large calculator and therefore has to be doing a million other things at the same time as making the digital turn into analogue...let alone the fact that it will be passing through an amplifier stage designed for output to headphones. 🙂

That all rather depends on what sort of computer you are running.

My HTPC has all the DAC outsourced to elsewhere, I have a WASAPI filter running in my player to ensure that there is a bit perfect reproduction of the source material to the digital outputs, it has a variety of connections and can be easily upgraded/modified as required.

If anything, my computer is a better source than a CD player, it has fewer moving parts, an isolated power supply, is more configurable and can play dozens of different formats.

I would never go back to shiny bits of plastic.

Each to their own.

Each to their own.

+1