*Can't wait for YOUR answers to these questions!* Related Videos: Original Video by Skylabs: ruclips.net/video/OM0X0OQf7B4/видео.htmlsi=DYZ8YZfIVuNZY47G MonAcoustic Platimon Unboxing/Set up vlog: ruclips.net/video/yA07x1AIFas/видео.html MonAcoustic Platimon review: ruclips.net/video/OjDA3o7xUcE/видео.html Interview with MonAcoustic designer in Korea: ruclips.net/video/JebpZ8hzzeE/видео.html Best Product of the year award video: ruclips.net/video/tJ73ydDCU7M/видео.html AGD Audion Monoblock review: ruclips.net/video/26bLvCAklHk/видео.htmlsi=ZmBPDYUIrEwIkaFY NAT Transmitter Monoblock review: ruclips.net/video/UwMy6yVb-Lg/видео.htmlsi=vbSwdRSItFZVtm7u Best Music Format (Video on Reel to Reel): ruclips.net/video/r5avwoCNi4M/видео.html Vincent Belanger (Les9) Backstage Video: ruclips.net/video/f3ZmwqrBDo4/видео.html JBL L300 Video: ruclips.net/video/VK6E2o0yOFE/видео.htmlsi=_pOCaxHABt-Xsw7d Sonus faber electa amator iii: ruclips.net/video/yYIAWzSh1pQ/видео.htmlsi=vxLxYOGl1At0LO_o AWESOME HiFi Tweaks and Accessories that works for me !: ruclips.net/video/g79dyS_iTbo/видео.html Definitely Check Out This Track: amzn.to/4fV4oeN Products in this Video: Audio Technica M50X Headphones: amzn.to/3YU5X6M Sennheiser HD598 (now 599) Headphones: amzn.to/3X3yMLx AGD Audion Monoblock: agdproduction.com/product/audion/ Dynaco Pas3 Pre-amp (vintage): www.hifishark.com/model/dynaco-pas-3 JBL Hartsfield Speakers (vintage): www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/jbl/hartsfield.htm NAT Tube Monoblocks: www.11stereo.com/search-results?q=NAT Audio Note DAC: www.audionote.co.uk/dacs Aurender Streamer: aurender.com/ Avantgarde Speakers: avantgarde-acoustic.de/en/ Solid Tech Rack: www.solid-tech.net/radius/ JBL L300 Speakers (vintage): audio-database.com/JBL/speaker/l300-e.html Sonus faber electa amator iii speakers: www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/electa-amator-iii MonAcoustic Platimon: monacoustic.us/product/platimon-virtual-coaxial/?v=3e8d115eb4b3&sld=35 IsoAcoustic Isolation devices: amzn.to/3j5FGvM Here are the 11 questions: 1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? 2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own. 3. Name the product you bought that you regretted. 4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? 5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system? 6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be? 7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand? 8. What is your next upgrade? 9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone. 10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. 11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without? Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/ follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: ruclips.net/p/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0 Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3 Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7-vintage-hi-fi-speaker-stands/ acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/ acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ amzn.to/3chBuFZ other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1 amzn.to/30bsUCH my fav hifi tweaks: (Isoacoustics devices) amzn.to/3j5FGvM
Thank you so much. I really appreciate you joining the #hifitag. I have been enjoying your content and videos for a long time. You are a true class act, Jay. I will be checking out that Vincent Belanger track later tonight :)
Another winner, Jay! These community sharing videos are quite engaging. I'll just answer the 1st question. In 1979, during my college sophomore spring break ( yep, I'm ancient), I was invited to a friends home. When I entered his dad study room, I frozen in my tracks. Instead of a library full of books, a Reel to reel, an Adcom pre amp, and amp, a Thorens turn table, a phone stage, Polk 10B monitor speakers, and a book case with countless LPs lay in front of me. My buddy sat me down and proceeded to play music that was unfamiliar for a good 4 hours. No particular piece of equipment hooked me. The entire system and the dedicated listener space did it. Forty five years into my audio journey, I can say that by far the most important factor in anyone's system is the actual quality of the recording itself. That's why a reel to reel original master recording is usually mind blowing. Thank you, Jay, for your genuine passion and bringing us a wide variety of hi-fi gear.
What a great bunch of mates you have, you lucky boy, you must be so happy with what you have achieved, I wish you luck for the future. Many thanks all the content you supply.
I own an older pair of avantegarde duo's (90s) and I have found them to be both nasally and beautiful. It took awhile to get things settled with gear etc to sound how I love. There is a certain harmonic that makes the horn shout that certain women's voices can trigger but I now hear it so rarely that I don't think about it and just enjoy what they do so well.
You were one of the videos I was really looking forward to hearing. So thank you for responding. I'll check out the track. One reaon I love Steve Guttenberg's videos is the music selections. Darko was on that hill of it is about the music afterall, another one who mentions his music. BTW I saw a video where Guttenberg was interviewed and said something along the lines of your channel being a bright spot for the future (next generation in a hobby with mostly older generations) of hifi and reviews. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for picking CD as your second favorite format. Since I am a CD guy, your pick just confirms my faith in the excellence of CD-s. Regarding the question about favorite piece of equipment I own, I just cannot choose between my German Heco Victa Speakers and the Cambridge Audio AXA35 amplifier. They are nothing super fancy but they work like a beast and bring lots of joy into my everyday life....
As another Platimon owner, the Platimon is also my last audio equipment that makes me revisit my entire library. That sound quality and sound presentation is just so addicting!
❤wow love this conversation. Great pics as always. I really need to listen to the Mon acoustics speakers now everybody is raving about them, even Z reviews❤❤
I still have my Wadia CD player and I love it to death. I’m sure DSD would be an improvement but I’m very happy with this player and have no plans as a senior to do anything unless it gives up the ghost
Dahlquist DQ-10’s really turned my head although I had a very nice Fisher tube system with Goodman speakers prior to that. I started my journey at the age of 12 and I’m 78 now so just imagine how many components I had over all of those years. A time and phase aligned speaker (actually just about the same thing) turned my journey upward and outward. It’s not only reproduced music that I love, I love live venues as well where I can hear what instruments and voices really sound like.
Great vid Jay! I would like to mention that Z brought me into hifi as well, but he absolutely hated and shat on the audio technica m50 and m50x😂. He did love the m40x after swapping out the pads with huge cowhide ones and switching out the stock cable.
Question 1. What product got you into Hi-fi? The church I went to as a kid fed the poor and always had picnics and events so they had these GIANT industrial size coffee cans. Like 10 pounds or more. Thick metal construction. I took 2 of these empty cans. Built a plywood baffle and used a jig saw to cut out a hole for a 6-8" coaxial speaker I got from an electronics catalog. Got some thick paint and painted the inside of the cans to help dampen the metallic ring.Used the heaviest speaker wire I could buy and STUFFED the inside with fiberglass. Essentially what I had was sort of a point source Tannoy in a circle enclosure.Hooked it up to clean Sherwood tube amp and original AR turntable with a Shure M91 cartridge. Sounded many many times better than my parents' huge Magnavox console. Of course when I cranked it up playing Santana or some other rock you couldn't get away from the ring of the steel can(lol) -- but it was a revelation at lower volumes and had image and soundstage for days.
For cheap isolation, try sponge hockey pucks. A pack of 10 for less than $20. on Amazon. They provided benefit under my Integrated Amplifier and under my CD Transport. Not good under my speaker stand or under my Ares II DAC. I Think they are effective under heavier pieces having a large footprint (width and depth).
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? While working from home, I listened to music on our Klipsch soundbar in the family room while I was in the office. 2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own. If I have to choose only one, it's my Geshelli J2 AKM DAC that I picked up local. I'm really digging the Geshelli sound and curious about the Dayzee. 3. Name the product you bought that you regretted. It was an expensive power cable for my Puritan 156, that's all I'll say about that. 4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? I would say "Jaws" by Sleep Token. 5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system? I would get a baller Audio Group Denmark system probably maybe idk. 6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be? Streaming fo sho. 7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand? Tannoy and their whole fanbase. 8. What is your next upgrade? Super secret project that I cannot discuss at this time. (Something tube related 😉) 9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone. My Pass Labs x350.8 for weight alone, it's too freaking heavy to move but everytime I stare in to that beautiful blue glow all my worries go away. 10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. Ray Tubes in my BHK really elevated my system, the hype is real y'all. 11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without? I like the Stack Audio EQ for component isolation and I use their feet on my Dynaudio contour 20i's/stand's.
Jay, enjoyed this video! I recently heard the answers from a different person on the list and of course your answers were different but still interesting. I really hope all the people on the list will respond. Thanks for a great channel!
Interesting. My story is similar. Was comparing the Senn HD 585s to my previous Audio Technicas while making electronic music in the mid-90’s and then caught the bug. Headphones remain a great entry point into the audiophile world. Great value proposition.
I really enjoyed these answers to iconic questions as I enjoy all that you say, Jay. My only disheartening answer was the one about the dyna preamp as being the worst product you owned. When I was a teenager in the '60s, I built a dynaco stereo 35 along with the matching preamp the dynaco PAS3x. I loved the pair but must admit they were the product that led me down the rabbit hole. At the time, I listened to classic rock like Cream, the Beatles, Iron Butterfly, etc. so maybe the equipment didn't matter. I'm saying to myself now in my 70s that maybe my ears were never any good. Love your channel and the products you review.
Sennheiser was also my first introduction, to an Audiophile grade experience. Mine were the lowest of their Audiophile Tier, the HD500. Back then, I was basically a Destroyer of Headphones. I often ended up breaking any headphone, in less than 3 months worth of time. Most often, the cables broke internally. However, some also broke in other ways, too. When I was at the shop, I was looking at their two most expensive headphones. One was like a Sony or Koss... and the other, was the Sennheiser. Both appeared to have similar specs. However, the Sennheiser showed that it had a replaceable cable... and so, despite being even more expensive, I decided that it might be worth the extra cost... At that time, I HOPED for a better sound quality... but I assumed that it would be the same as any other headphone that Id owned / heard.. as that was all that I had ever known / experienced... When I finally got home, it took some time before I decided to open up, and test my new headphones out. I had my PC hooked up to my Pioneer 5.1 surround sound system. I also had FOUR Techniques, 12" 3-way tower speakers, hooked up to my surround sound system. I put the headphones on... popped a DVD into my PC's DVD Drive, and hit Play... Suddenly, the music BLASTED loudly... as I seemed to have forgotten to turn my speaker toggles off, on my Amp. At the time, it was around 2am, and others in the house may have been trying to sleep! I ripped off my headphones, and Dove towards my AMP... but then I realized something... My speakers were NOT ON !!! These were the first and ONLY headphones, that sounded so "Holographic", that it actually fooled me into thinking my entire surround sound system was playing. I was totally blown away, and the experience forever Changed me. Now... While the HD500, had a fantastic 3d soundstage, and the bass was far more natural, and deep... They lacked some upper frequency details. I didnt know it at that time... because again, I was used to lower spec headphones. Eventually I upgraded to the HD590 's and that gave me the missing high frequencies. It also made many of my then lower quality MP3s, unusable... because it revealed every single flaw. Anyway... I had owned the HD500 for about 13 years, before I managed to critically break them. I replaced the cables a few times.. and replaced the ear pads at least once. The drivers were always rock solid. The comfort on them, was also fantastic. I also used them daily, as my Ear Muffs, in the brutal winter cold. They are far more comfy than normal earmuffs, and they seemed to keep my ears much warmer, too. Eventually, I managed to hear an Audiophile grade speaker, at a friends small Arcade + Slot Car track Business. It was the first time that I had experienced a Holographic 3D audio experience, in my entire life. It was almost as if the band members were playing live, in the room. Even more incredible... was the fact that I spent a good 10 minutes, trying to FIND these speakers. I eventually broke down, and asked him what they were.. and WHERE the heck were they ?! He walked me to the front of the store, next to the window ledge. He was a bit of a pack rat... so there was stuff all over the pace... including a mountain of magazines, placed on top of the speakers. One of the speakers was laying on its side... and the other, about 7 feet away, standing vertically... and partially blocked by a sit-down arcade racing game. Basically, some of the worst speaker positions... but it didnt seem to matter at all, to these magical speakers. In fact, the 3D image and Sweet Spot, was probably a 15 x 15 square foot area. If you walked a little beyond that distance... you finally started to notice a distinct drop-off in volume levels, details, and positional imaging. The speakers themselves, sort of "Vanished". If you were blindfolded, for example... you would not have been able to point to the source of the music / speakers. It was more like the sounds were simply in the middle of the air, without any projection source. I again, was Blown away, and had to have a pair for myself. Those speakers, were the 70s era "EPI 100v" speakers (the model with the updated version of the inverted tweeter). EPI sold many fantastic speakers, based on this design... for many decades, before being bought by "Genesis Physics". Genesis Physics used the same drivers, but also added to some new unique cabinet configurations. However, they also continued to make the same 100v type of speaker, just under their own company name. These were produced for quite some time, before the company eventually dissolved. A big problem in the 80s, was the introduction of various audio "gimmicks", and in much Cheaper (low quality) speakers, largely due to the use of Ported speaker designs. They also added up to 5 drivers in a single cabinet.. which LOOKED visually superior to 2 or 3-way speakers... Yet, in reality... these often performed FAR worse than the previous high quality, sealed, 2way speakers. Because a lot of people buy things based on LOOKS... and had no idea about the superior internal drivers.. home audio quality, dropped drastically.
Question #1; when headed to College over 45 years ago my parents treated me to mid 1970s Pioneer Receiver and Bose 301 speakers; that started my audio journey
Jay, I believe you would like Bryan Miller's latest upgrades to his ST 70 amp! You may want to re-visit and hear the differences for yourself. Also, Danny Richi of GR research has made available his "tube connectors" as an upgrade, and they also improved the sound by quite a bit! Just FYI!
"COVID turned me into a Hifi nut" It was the beginning of Covid and I was stuck at home feeling a bit bored, so I thought I'd dust off my old CD collection and listen to a few tunes. Attempted to play the first CD only to discover my Marantz CD player was dead!... it had been some time since I last turned it on! So jumped on the computer and started looking for a new player, during the searches RUclips reviews were popping up and I eventually decided to listen to some of them. Your channel was among many I found, I eventually settled on another Marantz CD6007 and so I was happy and could listen to my old CD's. However, after listening to all those reviewers I kept hearing comments about DAC's and I thought what is this DAC talk all about... And so without realizing it, I was walking down a HIfi rabbit hole. Ended up buying an RME adi-2 dac and this addition actually gave me a WOW moment while listening to familiar tracks and also reminded me about the reviewer's comments on the importance of Amps. At this point I was starting to get angry at myself and I should stop this nonsense but I had to scratch that Amp itch and further down the rabbit hole I went... Bought the Denafrips Thallo and thought to myself that's it, job done, stop listening to those reviewers, this is all I need! But there was another seed that reviewers were so excited about "TUBES" so at this point I wasn't going to buy anything but it could be fun listening about what tubes do... Next minute I've ordered the Shitt Freya plus, help I think I have an addiction, when was I going to stop? Thinking this Hifi journey was over and loving this new sound experience I was feeling content but because I did all this hifi searching the algorithms kept sending me Hifi sale discounts, bargin buys, and a pair of second hand PMC twenty5 floor standing speakers popped into my inbox, the price was so good I couldn't let it go and I knew these would be on another level compared to my 17 year old Audio Physics, and yes I bought them. This must be the end I'm thinking... Well the journey wasn't over the words "Mono blocks" were lurking in the back of my mind and some 20 odd reviews later I ordered the Emotiva HC-1 300 watt mono blocks. The PMC's really woke up and the system was on a whole new level however another second hand bargin hit me, a Weiss 502 dac, I had to buy it. Covid was winding up and so was my bank balance and fInally I dragged myself out of the hifi rabbit hole and just enjoyed the system for what it is and these days I only look at small tweaks, (IsoAcoustic speaker feet, RAC cables, netgear low noise network switch, Curious evolved usb and ethernet cables. I blame COVID for all this mess but my world sure does sound good these days.
Thank you for sharing! But man, Avantgarde? A shot in my heart, these are my favourite speakers at their price! I don't hear nasal quality, like I do with some other horns. I'm happy to answer. I will skip the ones for which I have no way to answer or too little experience with. 1. Some old Creative tiny plastic 5.1 PC speakers. It's no hifi, but it's what got me interested in how much better can things get. 2. TelluriumQ Black II AES/ABU cable :D just because it kicked ass of another (of similar price) 3. Emotiva RMC-1L - sounds ok but very buggy and Emotiva apparently gave up on fixing it 5. MBL 101 X-Treme, some turntable (IDK any models, I just know vinyl sounds so much more natural), Accuphase pre and power amps, Siltech/TelluriumQ cables, a dedicated person to change records while I'm listening, also to buy and clean records for me :D 7. Prima Luna Evo 400 pre. Sounds very modern hifi, no tube magic. 8. Pre and power amp. Accuphase, if money allows. Maybe biamp with some class D for low end of my ruthlessly power-hungry speakers 10. Accuphase E-650. I had it on loan. I'm not sure if it was crazy synergy or pleasant distortion, but the tone of this amp was just out of this world: so natural, rich, vibrant, tangible.
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? Bought some Sennheiser hd201 during a summer internship and that's when I got into the headphone game. 2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own: Modwright LS100 (It's got me curious of the world of tube preamps). 3. Name the product you bought that you regretted: Paradigm Persona B (I don't regret owning them, I regret choosing to purchase them from a certain dealer). 4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? Angela Brown - St James Infirmary (Live Edition). Heard it during my listening of Borreson C1 from Lars this year at Axpona 5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system? Alta Audio Aphrodite + Modwright LS300 or something from BAT + Norma Audio Revo PA-160 monoblocks/Infigo monoblocks + Aurender N200 6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be? Streaming. The convenience factor is a big one for me. That said, my answer may change a year from now as I just got my first record player. 7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand? Anything from Tekton Designs 8. What is your next upgrade? Just got an Aurender N150 a week ago. A new amp. 9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone. Nothing so far. 10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. Modwright LS100 11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without? Govee LED lights: Table Lamp 2. Lighting at night is so important to me in the listening room. Don't like overhead lighting.
Hi Jay. JBL Hartsfield .....mmmmm... good choice !. ..... although the paper cone lower midrange units in the 4350/55, 4343 might sway that decision...... cheers S (18'" woofer in the 4345 too slow....)
Jay your love for the Platimon is quite obvious. How does this speaker compare to the KEF Reference 1 Meta that personallty blew me away when I heard them in Montreal last March. In the market for new higher end stand mounts.
I started with the Koss Porta Pro headphones. These were eye-opening for me. Then I started watching Z Reviews as well, and other channels. Then I got my first $20 IEM that sounded crazy good, then all the chinese brands went nuts with the IEMs, I tried almost all of them. Then I got a few mid-tier DACs and amps, and headphones like Dan Clark, Sennheiser, then bought my Focal Clear and that is my “end-game” for now. I tried the neutral Shure headphones for my music production journey (as a hobby of course, that’s why I suck at it still). I regret buying a vintage SACD player Marantz SA 8400, because I was unlucky to get a noisy player, like a lot of noise comes from the hardware/internals, not from the speakers. I also don’t think I can hear difference between that player and a simple Sony blu-ray player when playing SACD. Maybe my ears are not that trained, but do you think vintage stuff can sound good today? Sure, it sounds musical, but do you think that vintage can beat newer stuff in performance (more detail, dynamics, etc.)?
awesome! Thanks for sharing. And I think Vintage stuff can certainly compete with current new products. Of course, depends on the product in question cheers
1. Rabbit hole: When working for a British Mail order firm back in the mid 70's, I lusted after a music centre in its catalogue. Never bought it, but it's what got me hooked. 2. Favourite piece: My DIY Decware Zen ZF15M open baffles. Tangibly better than my Quad Revelas. 3. Regretted product: Shed loads of stuff too numerous to mention. 4. Demo Song: Not my absolute favourite, but surely good for demoing -- Gordon Goodwin's big band version of "Sing Sang Sung". 5. Best system: I'd keep most of my present stuff but do lust after Qualio IQ speakers and maybe a Hypex Nilai amp. 6. The format I currently use almost exclusively : Ripped CD tracks played on my laptop over USB cable to my SU-2 DDC and thence to Gustard R26's I2S socket. 7. What stereo product don't you get?: Streamers -- many tracks, but a very small percentage worth listening to hence IMHO a waste of time and money. I can check out specific artists I'm interested in on RUclips before deciding whether to purchase them on CD -- and then I own them. 8. What is your next upgrade? Dunno. Getting close to end game I reckon. 9. Equipment kept in your system for looks alone: None. 10. Last piece of equipment prompting me to re-listen to my collection: Has to be my Decware ZF15M speakers. 11. Recent accessory I can't live without: An inexpensive (c£80) OCXO 10 MHz external clock for my Gustard R26. Definitely makes for an airier and more refined sound.
I think the best accessories that I have used, 1. Free RPM app on my phone for turntable speed 😂 2. Synergistic research power conditioner 3. Kanto speaker stands just easy with options and sizes not breaking my bank. 👍🏻
I got into stereo audio in the early 70s when I was 15. My first bought piece was a small integrated amp (Sonata NS1600). I built speaker boxes and bought 6" Kaltro FR drivers for the boxes. I used a turntable from an old school mono turntable and replaced the cartridge with a ceramic stereo cartridge. 😅 Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens was one of my favourite albums back then. Later I bought a Silcron turntable and home hacked a tone arm and bourt a Sure magnetic cartridge, and later bought a Panasonic arm. I also upgraded the Sonata amp with a way more powereful amp (forgotten the name). Then bought an old school Philips tube amp, and later got a Star tube amp, the best amp I ever had and I sold it for a more powerful Sansui tube receiver (but it didn't sound as good as the Star). Bummer move! Now I have some solid state amps, my best is the Audiolab 6000A. 😅 I got some B&W 706S2 Speakers as reference for my speaker building hobby. But the B&Ws don't have much texture in the voice sound. I just take that into account when I voice my made speakers, and they smoke the B&Ws cos I put texture in the voice sound in my made speakers. But the B&Ws are still a great help, when the bass sounds so different when walking around in my room. Reference speakers are the only way I can get any idea of bass level in that room. 😅
Really enjoyed this video, Jay!! 10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. -- I've been using an iFi Zen Stream with a good power supply fed by Audirvana software. I've been really happy with the sound of this front end.....H o w e v e r recently I found a good deal on a used Innuos Zenith streamer/server. I'm really surprised/shocked about how much of a difference it's made! I can't turn the stereo off!! 1. First piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? I heard Ohm F speakers at a friends house. These were huge omnidirectional speakers that were popular in the '70's... Very spacious and 3-dimensional & especially good for orchestral music. 2. Favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own. -- Linear Tube Audio integrated amplifier. This is so sweet..., holographic & has transparancy too... 4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? -- Stacy Kent, Jardin d'hiver, (Raconte-moi Album 2010)
"I'm terrible with french" @Jayiyagi You aren't so hot with english at times too buddy, lol🤣 I joke, I kid. You make up for it with your charm and charisma!
Cool video, the first piece that really got me started was a vintage pioneer sx- 5500 integrated amp . It had the blue led lights and looked awesome. I got it for $20 at salvation army and I loved the way it looked and sounded . I started collecting vintage speakers and receivers . I would recap the speakers, put new surrounds and refinish the wood.. I went through some hard times and lost everything. But I started again thinking an AVR would be enough. Soon realized I was wrong . I started designing and building speakers and I honestly think I make furniture quality speaker cabinets. But they are big and heavy. Even my portable Bluetooth speaker that I designed gets down to around 35 hz and looks like it was made by sonus Faber. It's on my profile. But all my speakers are multiple layers with solid hardwood on top. I have an idea for a new pair not that I need anymore speakers. They are all really nice looking and sound great but this pair is going to be really special. Unfortunately it's going to weigh a ton
Hmmm…most REGRET?…When I was new…this guy Jay HIGHLY recommended The Kinki Studio Monoblocs Amps (no return policy!). 😣 Can you say "thin"…and being new…I tried to fix with a Denafrips preamp…and things just got worse….So I took a massive financial BATH 🛁 in selling those things off… and started listening to RUclipsr's "opinions" a LOT less as I rebuilt. 😅 I will say that I learned a lot from that rabbit hole! 🕳️ 🐇
oh shit haha... I'm sorry that my review led you to something you didn't like. Nemo and others that have the combination love it and of course synergy and matching plays a great role in all this. I'll continue to try improve my delivery in making sure I deliver the expectations more clearly. cheers
I am currently playing around with shanling et3 and its awesome but there are a few cd players that I loved and many of them were vintage like the Naim cdx or revox with double crown chips
I would LOVE for GR research to do a video on these and actually have this guy on his show. That guy talks like he’s the absolute beginning and end to what is correct. Totem and many others prove he’s not
Hi Jay, appreciate it if you can let me know if Monacoustic Platimon and Kinki Studio Ex-M1+ (Integrated Amp) is a good match. Currently I've the Ex-M1+. If not, what bookshelf speaker (similar price range) is a good match with it? Thanks.
I have never tried the Kinki stuff with the Platimons but I don't see why it may not be a good match. I personally really liked the Buchardt s400 mkii with them and I believe the PS audio FR5 might also be a good match
Here are the 11 questions: 1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? Pass Labs Aleph 0 2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own. My own design grounding pod, for power mains and speaker 3. Name the product you bought that you regretted. Dunlavy 5 speakers 4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? Cruel question. I 100% believe in testing mostly with LIVE recordings. More room/venue information. More able to tell if your system is realistic. When I Was a Young Girl (Live at Auckland Town Hall; Marlon Williams 5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system? At this point, I would not trade my current system for any in the world. It might not be the loudest. But, I would bet it is the most spatial, holographic, nuanced, and emotional system around. Regularly, listeners are stunned, and sometimes, to the point of tears. a. Unfortunately, the source currently (prepare to laugh) is a hot rodded AMAZON CUBE. Upgrade power supply. 6 layer shielding for cables in and out. Splitter that separates the HDMI out into HDMI and Toslink. If anyone knows any other source that would stream movies, TV, and AMAZON Music, please let me know. b. Toslink input into a HIFI Rose 150b. The ROSE will upsample the audio into 24/192 output, into a USB cable. c. The USB signal goes into a CHORD UPSCALER, that upscales the signal to 768 output. (The upscaling from both the ROSE and the MSCALER are extremely synergistic. Never sounding artificial or exaggerated.) d. The 768 output goes into a CHORD DAVE DAC. e. The Analog signal goes into dual AGD VIVACE monoblocks. f. The amplified signal goes to HEAVILY modified DUEVEL JUPITER, omni-directional horn speakers. Stock these speakers only go up to 19k frequency. Heavily modified they go up to 30k! Each speaker, has its own grounding pod. The mods are to remove noise and distortion from the design. They are not unique in that all speakers with magnetic drivers will create some EMI noise, that needs to be corrected. g. The power mains, is: * Audioquest Niagra 3000 split into; a second and third Audioquest Niagra 3000 for each side. * The AMAZON CUBE, HIFI ROSE, and Chord products each have their own ISOTEK GENESIS ONE Power Conditioner. * Each side has its own Grounding Pod. Since the Niagra is largely capacitor and grounding choke design, the Grounding Pods greatly enhance their performance. * The GROUND for the house has a 40 ft lateral 3 gauge copper line going across the backyard, with 7 grounding rods. h. There are a few other inventions/enhancements made to the system, that I will keep proprietary. Needless to say, the system is unique. i. The goal, has been to remove any and all points of noise and distortion. And I have never heard any system sound more natural and musical. 6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be? This will not be a popular answer, but streaming. It is very, very difficult, to get a streaming source to be excellent. But it is possible. Optimally, have a fiber optic input signal for your internet. Get a good power conditioner for all the equipment, like the Audioquest Niagra series (which is GREATLY enhanced with an excellent grounding pod). Shield the crap out of everything, that makes sense (carbon, copper, aluminum, and tinned copper sleeving, and shungite). Vibration dampen everything, I have found Sorbothane/Heavy Felt Pads work well. Also, equally unpopular, I have found, that once you take out all of the noise and timing problems that usually come from streaming, the source is quite excellent. And very surprisingly, I have found that AMAZON MUSIC sounds more realistic than, than QOBUZ, TIDAL, SPOTIFY, and etc… I assume that is because they have a superior network to all other streaming services. 7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand? Easy --- B&W speakers. They look good, their tweeters are good. But their midrange is WAY TOO smeared and lacking texture. Anyone would get MUCH better overall sound with Tekton speakers, particularly with the Beryllium tweeter driver as the midrange drivers. You will hear midrange texture and detail that will blow your mind. 8. What is your next upgrade? I’m in the middle of another test and enhancement that works on the electro-magnetic field surrounding the electrical components - amps, DAC, streamer, and M-Scaler. I’m half way through and the results are nuts. (I’m sure you think all of this is NUTS). This takes what LESSLOSS was attempting with the BLACKBODY, to 3 more levels. 9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone. Only the audio rack 10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. See #8, the last Upgrade. 11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without? Mad Scientist Audio - Contact Enhancer
What's wrong with you audio guys?! I'm not here for Skylabs. STOP entertaining his silly "challenge". It's a marketing tool for him to advertise his channel and acquire your audience. That means taking away their time from you (less views = less money and subs).
Hah-hah, "soundstage" from headphones. What a laugh that notion is. Was just at a concert last nigh at a small theater. If we're looking to replicate a live performance are you aware it's not presented in "stereo". How the soundman, maybe an engineer, sets up the mix for the PA is typically in immersive mono. So, "soundstage" is simply a myth created on recording by engineers, not the musicians. Myths - the crown prince of audiophiles.
I often go to concerts and sound staging and imaging is very real. Can a stereo system replicate the true soundstage as it took place on stage? I don't think so, any time I hear the "real" thing, it's something beyond what my stereo can provide. I'd even argue its an entirely different experience and thats perhaps why I still buy tickets and physically go to concerts. Now of course this depends on the venue of course. If its a large venue and most of the sound you are hearing is out of the PA speakers, then what you say here is pretty valid. However it quickly becomes invalid if you are talking about an actual LIVE concert with the source of sound being the instruments and artists themselves. Myth is something that is not real, sound staging and imaging is very real
@@Jayiyagi Is not real unless it’s your example in the last sentence. And I was referring to a 300 seat theater with great acoustics. Just because the lead guitar appears on the far right side of the stage, only one’s vision assigns that location as the source. (This this was a four piece band with no percussion.). Close your eyes and all the sound is coming from the full width of the stage. Soundstage was full. Imagining as I said is a myth (or created by the soundboard). There was no imaging.
This is another very typical I know the best, arrogant reply. You know all speakers and headphones are literally reproducing audio devices, right? What are you arguing? You think headphones donMt have soundstage and sound imaging??
Well, I like listening to youtubers’ life stories as it adds more relatable human connections. If you just want information, just go google instead of watching a video contents… 😂
But his Hi-Fi story, I did find interesting, as were the questions he passed on to us and the answers some of us have given. Lighten up my friend -- don't be such a grump!
*Can't wait for YOUR answers to these questions!*
Related Videos:
Original Video by Skylabs: ruclips.net/video/OM0X0OQf7B4/видео.htmlsi=DYZ8YZfIVuNZY47G
MonAcoustic Platimon Unboxing/Set up vlog: ruclips.net/video/yA07x1AIFas/видео.html
MonAcoustic Platimon review: ruclips.net/video/OjDA3o7xUcE/видео.html
Interview with MonAcoustic designer in Korea: ruclips.net/video/JebpZ8hzzeE/видео.html
Best Product of the year award video: ruclips.net/video/tJ73ydDCU7M/видео.html
AGD Audion Monoblock review: ruclips.net/video/26bLvCAklHk/видео.htmlsi=ZmBPDYUIrEwIkaFY
NAT Transmitter Monoblock review: ruclips.net/video/UwMy6yVb-Lg/видео.htmlsi=vbSwdRSItFZVtm7u
Best Music Format (Video on Reel to Reel): ruclips.net/video/r5avwoCNi4M/видео.html
Vincent Belanger (Les9) Backstage Video: ruclips.net/video/f3ZmwqrBDo4/видео.html
JBL L300 Video: ruclips.net/video/VK6E2o0yOFE/видео.htmlsi=_pOCaxHABt-Xsw7d
Sonus faber electa amator iii: ruclips.net/video/yYIAWzSh1pQ/видео.htmlsi=vxLxYOGl1At0LO_o
AWESOME HiFi Tweaks and Accessories that works for me !: ruclips.net/video/g79dyS_iTbo/видео.html
Definitely Check Out This Track:
amzn.to/4fV4oeN
Products in this Video:
Audio Technica M50X Headphones: amzn.to/3YU5X6M
Sennheiser HD598 (now 599) Headphones: amzn.to/3X3yMLx
AGD Audion Monoblock: agdproduction.com/product/audion/
Dynaco Pas3 Pre-amp (vintage): www.hifishark.com/model/dynaco-pas-3
JBL Hartsfield Speakers (vintage): www.audioheritage.org/html/profiles/jbl/hartsfield.htm
NAT Tube Monoblocks: www.11stereo.com/search-results?q=NAT
Audio Note DAC: www.audionote.co.uk/dacs
Aurender Streamer: aurender.com/
Avantgarde Speakers: avantgarde-acoustic.de/en/
Solid Tech Rack: www.solid-tech.net/radius/
JBL L300 Speakers (vintage): audio-database.com/JBL/speaker/l300-e.html
Sonus faber electa amator iii speakers: www.sonusfaber.com/en/products/electa-amator-iii
MonAcoustic Platimon: monacoustic.us/product/platimon-virtual-coaxial/?v=3e8d115eb4b3&sld=35
IsoAcoustic Isolation devices: amzn.to/3j5FGvM
Here are the 11 questions:
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole?
2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own.
3. Name the product you bought that you regretted.
4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?
5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?
6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be?
7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?
8. What is your next upgrade?
9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone.
10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.
11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without?
Support on Patreon: www.patreon.com/jayiyagi
follow on Instagram: instagram.com/jays_iyagi/
follow on Facebook: facebook.com/jayiyagiofficial
Follow soundstage take 2 reviews: ruclips.net/p/PLPOzvlhtSqn5xdc__ftuSt4Rxy_wm5Af0
Speaker stands: amzn.to/3ssRhI3
Better speaker stands: solidsteel.it/my-product/ss-7-vintage-hi-fi-speaker-stands/
acoustic panels I use: ua-acoustics.com/
acoustic curtain: amzn.to/31d1zAM
BDI Cabinet I use: bit.ly/2OJRwQQ
amzn.to/3chBuFZ
other BDI Cabinets: bit.ly/3ctxXV1
amzn.to/30bsUCH
my fav hifi tweaks: (Isoacoustics devices) amzn.to/3j5FGvM
Thanks Jay.
Economically, build the same 😮
present rig. End Game High End
Thank you so much. I really appreciate you joining the #hifitag. I have been enjoying your content and videos for a long time. You are a true class act, Jay. I will be checking out that Vincent Belanger track later tonight :)
I appreciate you and your content too Kevin! Cheers
Another winner, Jay! These community sharing videos are quite engaging. I'll just answer the 1st question. In 1979, during my college sophomore spring break ( yep, I'm ancient), I was invited to a friends home. When I entered his dad study room, I frozen in my tracks.
Instead of a library full of books, a Reel to reel, an Adcom pre amp, and amp, a Thorens turn table, a phone stage, Polk 10B monitor speakers, and a book case with countless LPs lay in front of me.
My buddy sat me down and proceeded to play music that was unfamiliar for a good 4 hours. No particular piece of equipment hooked me. The entire system and the dedicated listener space did it. Forty five years into my audio journey, I can say that by far the most important factor in anyone's system is the actual quality of the recording itself. That's why a reel to reel original master recording is usually mind blowing. Thank you, Jay, for your genuine passion and bringing us a wide variety of hi-fi gear.
Thanks for sharing!
What a great bunch of mates you have, you lucky boy, you must be so happy with what you have achieved, I wish you luck for the future. Many thanks all the content you supply.
I own an older pair of avantegarde duo's (90s) and I have found them to be both nasally and beautiful. It took awhile to get things settled with gear etc to sound how I love. There is a certain harmonic that makes the horn shout that certain women's voices can trigger but I now hear it so rarely that I don't think about it and just enjoy what they do so well.
Thanks for sharing!
I thought I had nasal problems with my horns, turned out to be an issue with acoustics/room size/ placement and crappy cable connectors.
I think the dispersion on horns is such that room treatment becomes essential. That is certainly the case on mine. @@isaacestep3321
You were one of the videos I was really looking forward to hearing. So thank you for responding. I'll check out the track. One reaon I love Steve Guttenberg's videos is the music selections. Darko was on that hill of it is about the music afterall, another one who mentions his music. BTW I saw a video where Guttenberg was interviewed and said something along the lines of your channel being a bright spot for the future (next generation in a hobby with mostly older generations) of hifi and reviews. Keep up the great work.
Thanks for picking CD as your second favorite format. Since I am a CD guy, your pick just confirms my faith in the excellence of CD-s. Regarding the question about favorite piece of equipment I own, I just cannot choose between my German Heco Victa Speakers and the Cambridge Audio AXA35 amplifier. They are nothing super fancy but they work like a beast and bring lots of joy into my everyday life....
Thanks for sharing!
As another Platimon owner, the Platimon is also my last audio equipment that makes me revisit my entire library. That sound quality and sound presentation is just so addicting!
❤wow love this conversation. Great pics as always. I really need to listen to the
Mon acoustics speakers now everybody is raving about them, even
Z reviews❤❤
Love the black and copper AGD!
I still have my Wadia CD player and I love it to death. I’m sure DSD would be an improvement but I’m very happy with this player and have no plans as a senior to do anything unless it gives up the ghost
This is fun…..great tag from Skylabs and enjoyed the commentary. Nicely done Jay.
Thank you Kevin, love this comparison and tied in to learning! More more!!!
Yes, great video. Thanks Jay & thanks Kevin!
Jay, I just love your attitude and passion. Great seeing your joy.
Great format! 👍🏼
Dahlquist DQ-10’s really turned my head although I had a very nice Fisher tube system with Goodman speakers prior to that. I started my journey at the age of 12 and I’m 78 now so just imagine how many components I had over all of those years. A time and phase aligned speaker (actually just about the same thing) turned my journey upward and outward. It’s not only reproduced music that I love, I love live venues as well where I can hear what instruments and voices really sound like.
Great vid Jay! I would like to mention that Z brought me into hifi as well, but he absolutely hated and shat on the audio technica m50 and m50x😂. He did love the m40x after swapping out the pads with huge cowhide ones and switching out the stock cable.
Question 1. What product got you into Hi-fi? The church I went to as a kid fed the poor and always had picnics and events so they had these GIANT industrial size coffee cans. Like 10 pounds or more. Thick metal construction. I took 2 of these empty cans. Built a plywood baffle and used a jig saw to cut out a hole for a 6-8" coaxial speaker I got from an electronics catalog. Got some thick paint and painted the inside of the cans to help dampen the metallic ring.Used the heaviest speaker wire I could buy and STUFFED the inside with fiberglass. Essentially what I had was sort of a point source Tannoy in a circle enclosure.Hooked it up to clean Sherwood tube amp and original AR turntable with a Shure M91 cartridge. Sounded many many times better than my parents' huge Magnavox console. Of course when I cranked it up playing Santana or some other rock you couldn't get away from the ring of the steel can(lol) -- but it was a revelation at lower volumes and had image and soundstage for days.
For cheap isolation, try sponge hockey pucks. A pack of 10 for less than $20. on Amazon.
They provided benefit under my Integrated Amplifier and under my CD Transport. Not good under my speaker stand or under my Ares II DAC. I Think they are effective under heavier pieces having a large footprint (width and depth).
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? While working from home, I listened to music on our Klipsch soundbar in the family room while I was in the office.
2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own. If I have to choose only one, it's my Geshelli J2 AKM DAC that I picked up local. I'm really digging the Geshelli sound and curious about the Dayzee.
3. Name the product you bought that you regretted. It was an expensive power cable for my Puritan 156, that's all I'll say about that.
4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? I would say "Jaws" by Sleep Token.
5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?
I would get a baller Audio Group Denmark system probably maybe idk.
6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be? Streaming fo sho.
7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand? Tannoy and their whole fanbase.
8. What is your next upgrade? Super secret project that I cannot discuss at this time. (Something tube related 😉)
9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone. My Pass Labs x350.8 for weight alone, it's too freaking heavy to move but everytime I stare in to that beautiful blue glow all my worries go away.
10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. Ray Tubes in my BHK really elevated my system, the hype is real y'all.
11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without? I like the Stack Audio EQ for component isolation and I use their feet on my Dynaudio contour 20i's/stand's.
Thanks for sharing!
Quad
Jay, enjoyed this video! I recently heard the answers from a different person on the list and of course your answers were different but still interesting. I really hope all the people on the list will respond. Thanks for a great channel!
Great vid! Enjoyed this a lot. I would have bet $100 you would have said “Hey Now” by London Calling. Thanks Jay!
London Grammar?
That was the most fun video I’ve seen in along time thanks for doing such a great job.
Wow, thank you!
Interesting. My story is similar. Was comparing the Senn HD 585s to my previous Audio Technicas while making electronic music in the mid-90’s and then caught the bug. Headphones remain a great entry point into the audiophile world. Great value proposition.
great vid jay. it means we all get into the answers on a personal basis.
I really enjoyed these answers to iconic questions as I enjoy all that you say, Jay. My only disheartening answer was the one about the dyna preamp as being the worst product you owned. When I was a teenager in the '60s, I built a dynaco stereo 35 along with the matching preamp the dynaco PAS3x. I loved the pair but must admit they were the product that led me down the rabbit hole. At the time, I listened to classic rock like Cream, the Beatles, Iron Butterfly, etc. so maybe the equipment didn't matter. I'm saying to myself now in my 70s that maybe my ears were never any good. Love your channel and the products you review.
like I said… mine could have just been defective or “tired” parts inside the unit
I feel better about myself after your reply, Jay. Thank you.
Sennheiser was also my first introduction, to an Audiophile grade experience. Mine were the lowest of their Audiophile Tier, the HD500. Back then, I was basically a Destroyer of Headphones. I often ended up breaking any headphone, in less than 3 months worth of time. Most often, the cables broke internally. However, some also broke in other ways, too. When I was at the shop, I was looking at their two most expensive headphones. One was like a Sony or Koss... and the other, was the Sennheiser. Both appeared to have similar specs. However, the Sennheiser showed that it had a replaceable cable... and so, despite being even more expensive, I decided that it might be worth the extra cost...
At that time, I HOPED for a better sound quality... but I assumed that it would be the same as any other headphone that Id owned / heard.. as that was all that I had ever known / experienced...
When I finally got home, it took some time before I decided to open up, and test my new headphones out. I had my PC hooked up to my Pioneer 5.1 surround sound system. I also had FOUR Techniques, 12" 3-way tower speakers, hooked up to my surround sound system. I put the headphones on... popped a DVD into my PC's DVD Drive, and hit Play...
Suddenly, the music BLASTED loudly... as I seemed to have forgotten to turn my speaker toggles off, on my Amp. At the time, it was around 2am, and others in the house may have been trying to sleep! I ripped off my headphones, and Dove towards my AMP... but then I realized something... My speakers were NOT ON !!! These were the first and ONLY headphones, that sounded so "Holographic", that it actually fooled me into thinking my entire surround sound system was playing. I was totally blown away, and the experience forever Changed me.
Now... While the HD500, had a fantastic 3d soundstage, and the bass was far more natural, and deep... They lacked some upper frequency details. I didnt know it at that time... because again, I was used to lower spec headphones. Eventually I upgraded to the HD590 's and that gave me the missing high frequencies. It also made many of my then lower quality MP3s, unusable... because it revealed every single flaw.
Anyway... I had owned the HD500 for about 13 years, before I managed to critically break them. I replaced the cables a few times.. and replaced the ear pads at least once. The drivers were always rock solid. The comfort on them, was also fantastic. I also used them daily, as my Ear Muffs, in the brutal winter cold. They are far more comfy than normal earmuffs, and they seemed to keep my ears much warmer, too.
Eventually, I managed to hear an Audiophile grade speaker, at a friends small Arcade + Slot Car track Business. It was the first time that I had experienced a Holographic 3D audio experience, in my entire life. It was almost as if the band members were playing live, in the room. Even more incredible... was the fact that I spent a good 10 minutes, trying to FIND these speakers. I eventually broke down, and asked him what they were.. and WHERE the heck were they ?! He walked me to the front of the store, next to the window ledge. He was a bit of a pack rat... so there was stuff all over the pace... including a mountain of magazines, placed on top of the speakers. One of the speakers was laying on its side... and the other, about 7 feet away, standing vertically... and partially blocked by a sit-down arcade racing game. Basically, some of the worst speaker positions... but it didnt seem to matter at all, to these magical speakers. In fact, the 3D image and Sweet Spot, was probably a 15 x 15 square foot area. If you walked a little beyond that distance... you finally started to notice a distinct drop-off in volume levels, details, and positional imaging. The speakers themselves, sort of "Vanished". If you were blindfolded, for example... you would not have been able to point to the source of the music / speakers. It was more like the sounds were simply in the middle of the air, without any projection source. I again, was Blown away, and had to have a pair for myself.
Those speakers, were the 70s era "EPI 100v" speakers (the model with the updated version of the inverted tweeter). EPI sold many fantastic speakers, based on this design... for many decades, before being bought by "Genesis Physics". Genesis Physics used the same drivers, but also added to some new unique cabinet configurations. However, they also continued to make the same 100v type of speaker, just under their own company name. These were produced for quite some time, before the company eventually dissolved.
A big problem in the 80s, was the introduction of various audio "gimmicks", and in much Cheaper (low quality) speakers, largely due to the use of Ported speaker designs. They also added up to 5 drivers in a single cabinet.. which LOOKED visually superior to 2 or 3-way speakers... Yet, in reality... these often performed FAR worse than the previous high quality, sealed, 2way speakers. Because a lot of people buy things based on LOOKS... and had no idea about the superior internal drivers.. home audio quality, dropped drastically.
Great video! Great answers!
great stuff today. thank you for taking the time.
Question #1; when headed to College over 45 years ago my parents treated me to mid 1970s Pioneer Receiver and Bose 301 speakers; that started my audio journey
Great Vid. Thanks Kevin! (and Jay)
"Ooh yeah, I like the look of that" 😂
Jay, I believe you would like Bryan Miller's latest upgrades to his ST 70 amp! You may want to re-visit and hear the differences for yourself. Also, Danny Richi of GR research has made available his "tube connectors" as an upgrade, and they also improved the sound by quite a bit! Just FYI!
"COVID turned me into a Hifi nut"
It was the beginning of Covid and I was stuck at home feeling a bit bored, so I thought I'd dust off my old CD collection and listen to a few tunes. Attempted to play the first CD only to discover my Marantz CD player was dead!... it had been some time since I last turned it on! So jumped on the computer and started looking for a new player, during the searches RUclips reviews were popping up and I eventually decided to listen to some of them. Your channel was among many I found, I eventually settled on another Marantz CD6007 and so I was happy and could listen to my old CD's. However, after listening to all those reviewers I kept hearing comments about DAC's and I thought what is this DAC talk all about... And so without realizing it, I was walking down a HIfi rabbit hole. Ended up buying an RME adi-2 dac and this addition actually gave me a WOW moment while listening to familiar tracks and also reminded me about the reviewer's comments on the importance of Amps. At this point I was starting to get angry at myself and I should stop this nonsense but I had to scratch that Amp itch and further down the rabbit hole I went... Bought the Denafrips Thallo and thought to myself that's it, job done, stop listening to those reviewers, this is all I need! But there was another seed that reviewers were so excited about "TUBES" so at this point I wasn't going to buy anything but it could be fun listening about what tubes do... Next minute I've ordered the Shitt Freya plus, help I think I have an addiction, when was I going to stop? Thinking this Hifi journey was over and loving this new sound experience I was feeling content but because I did all this hifi searching the algorithms kept sending me Hifi sale discounts, bargin buys, and a pair of second hand PMC twenty5 floor standing speakers popped into my inbox, the price was so good I couldn't let it go and I knew these would be on another level compared to my 17 year old Audio Physics, and yes I bought them. This must be the end I'm thinking...
Well the journey wasn't over the words "Mono blocks" were lurking in the back of my mind and some 20 odd reviews later I ordered the Emotiva HC-1 300 watt mono blocks. The PMC's really woke up and the system was on a whole new level however another second hand bargin hit me, a Weiss 502 dac, I had to buy it.
Covid was winding up and so was my bank balance and fInally I dragged myself out of the hifi rabbit hole and just enjoyed the system for what it is and these days I only look at small tweaks, (IsoAcoustic speaker feet, RAC cables, netgear low noise network switch, Curious evolved usb and ethernet cables.
I blame COVID for all this mess but my world sure does sound good these days.
Thanks for sharing!
Thank you for sharing! But man, Avantgarde? A shot in my heart, these are my favourite speakers at their price! I don't hear nasal quality, like I do with some other horns.
I'm happy to answer. I will skip the ones for which I have no way to answer or too little experience with.
1. Some old Creative tiny plastic 5.1 PC speakers. It's no hifi, but it's what got me interested in how much better can things get.
2. TelluriumQ Black II AES/ABU cable :D just because it kicked ass of another (of similar price)
3. Emotiva RMC-1L - sounds ok but very buggy and Emotiva apparently gave up on fixing it
5. MBL 101 X-Treme, some turntable (IDK any models, I just know vinyl sounds so much more natural), Accuphase pre and power amps, Siltech/TelluriumQ cables, a dedicated person to change records while I'm listening, also to buy and clean records for me :D
7. Prima Luna Evo 400 pre. Sounds very modern hifi, no tube magic.
8. Pre and power amp. Accuphase, if money allows. Maybe biamp with some class D for low end of my ruthlessly power-hungry speakers
10. Accuphase E-650. I had it on loan. I'm not sure if it was crazy synergy or pleasant distortion, but the tone of this amp was just out of this world: so natural, rich, vibrant, tangible.
Thanks for sharing! And like I said with the Avante garde speakers… maybe I just haven’t heard the right one!
Cost no object from preamp through speakers would be all MBL especially the speakers MBL 101 extremes latest version
Great sharing 👏👍
Fun video Jay. Thanks.
enjoyed your response to the 11 questions on your channel as well! cheers
Loving these Q&As
Definitely gonna be a fun one
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? Bought some Sennheiser hd201 during a summer internship and that's when I got into the headphone game.
2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own: Modwright LS100 (It's got me curious of the world of tube preamps).
3. Name the product you bought that you regretted: Paradigm Persona B (I don't regret owning them, I regret choosing to purchase them from a certain dealer).
4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be? Angela Brown - St James Infirmary (Live Edition). Heard it during my listening of Borreson C1 from Lars this year at Axpona
5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system? Alta Audio Aphrodite + Modwright LS300 or something from BAT + Norma Audio Revo PA-160 monoblocks/Infigo monoblocks + Aurender N200
6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be? Streaming. The convenience factor is a big one for me. That said, my answer may change a year from now as I just got my first record player.
7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand? Anything from Tekton Designs
8. What is your next upgrade? Just got an Aurender N150 a week ago. A new amp.
9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone. Nothing so far.
10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection. Modwright LS100
11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without? Govee LED lights: Table Lamp 2. Lighting at night is so important to me in the listening room. Don't like overhead lighting.
Love it. Thanks for sharing
Never heard of Angela Brown, so listened to this track on RUclips. Wow! Thanks for sharing -- I'll be checking out more of her stuff.
Great video!
Hi Jay. JBL Hartsfield .....mmmmm... good choice !. ..... although the paper cone lower midrange units in the 4350/55, 4343 might sway that decision...... cheers S (18'" woofer in the 4345 too slow....)
Jay your love for the Platimon is quite obvious. How does this speaker compare to the KEF Reference 1 Meta that personallty blew me away when I heard them in Montreal last March. In the market for new higher end stand mounts.
I started with the Koss Porta Pro headphones. These were eye-opening for me. Then I started watching Z Reviews as well, and other channels. Then I got my first $20 IEM that sounded crazy good, then all the chinese brands went nuts with the IEMs, I tried almost all of them. Then I got a few mid-tier DACs and amps, and headphones like Dan Clark, Sennheiser, then bought my Focal Clear and that is my “end-game” for now. I tried the neutral Shure headphones for my music production journey (as a hobby of course, that’s why I suck at it still). I regret buying a vintage SACD player Marantz SA 8400, because I was unlucky to get a noisy player, like a lot of noise comes from the hardware/internals, not from the speakers. I also don’t think I can hear difference between that player and a simple Sony blu-ray player when playing SACD. Maybe my ears are not that trained, but do you think vintage stuff can sound good today? Sure, it sounds musical, but do you think that vintage can beat newer stuff in performance (more detail, dynamics, etc.)?
awesome! Thanks for sharing. And I think Vintage stuff can certainly compete with current new products. Of course, depends on the product in question
cheers
1. Rabbit hole: When working for a British Mail order firm back in the mid 70's, I lusted after a music centre in its catalogue. Never bought it, but it's what got me hooked.
2. Favourite piece: My DIY Decware Zen ZF15M open baffles. Tangibly better than my Quad Revelas.
3. Regretted product: Shed loads of stuff too numerous to mention.
4. Demo Song: Not my absolute favourite, but surely good for demoing -- Gordon Goodwin's big band version of "Sing Sang Sung".
5. Best system: I'd keep most of my present stuff but do lust after Qualio IQ speakers and maybe a Hypex Nilai amp.
6. The format I currently use almost exclusively : Ripped CD tracks played on my laptop over USB cable to my SU-2 DDC and thence to Gustard R26's I2S socket.
7. What stereo product don't you get?: Streamers -- many tracks, but a very small percentage worth listening to hence IMHO a waste of time and money. I can check out specific artists I'm interested in on RUclips before deciding whether to purchase them on CD -- and then I own them.
8. What is your next upgrade? Dunno. Getting close to end game I reckon.
9. Equipment kept in your system for looks alone: None.
10. Last piece of equipment prompting me to re-listen to my collection: Has to be my Decware ZF15M speakers.
11. Recent accessory I can't live without: An inexpensive (c£80) OCXO 10 MHz external clock for my Gustard R26. Definitely makes for an airier and more refined sound.
Thanks for sharing!
I think the best accessories that I have used, 1. Free RPM app on my phone for turntable speed 😂 2. Synergistic research power conditioner 3. Kanto speaker stands just easy with options and sizes not breaking my bank. 👍🏻
Thanks for sharing
I got into stereo audio in the early 70s when I was 15. My first bought piece was a small integrated amp (Sonata NS1600). I built speaker boxes and bought 6" Kaltro FR drivers for the boxes. I used a turntable from an old school mono turntable and replaced the cartridge with a ceramic stereo cartridge. 😅 Tea for the Tillerman by Cat Stevens was one of my favourite albums back then. Later I bought a Silcron turntable and home hacked a tone arm and bourt a Sure magnetic cartridge, and later bought a Panasonic arm. I also upgraded the Sonata amp with a way more powereful amp (forgotten the name). Then bought an old school Philips tube amp, and later got a Star tube amp, the best amp I ever had and I sold it for a more powerful Sansui tube receiver (but it didn't sound as good as the Star). Bummer move! Now I have some solid state amps, my best is the Audiolab 6000A. 😅 I got some B&W 706S2 Speakers as reference for my speaker building hobby. But the B&Ws don't have much texture in the voice sound. I just take that into account when I voice my made speakers, and they smoke the B&Ws cos I put texture in the voice sound in my made speakers. But the B&Ws are still a great help, when the bass sounds so different when walking around in my room. Reference speakers are the only way I can get any idea of bass level in that room. 😅
Thanks for sharing!
Really enjoyed this video, Jay!!
10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.
-- I've been using an iFi Zen Stream with a good power supply fed by Audirvana software. I've been really happy with the sound of this front end.....H o w e v e r recently I found a good deal on a used Innuos Zenith streamer/server. I'm really surprised/shocked about how much of a difference it's made! I can't turn the stereo off!!
1. First piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole? I heard Ohm F speakers at a friends house. These were huge omnidirectional speakers that were popular in the '70's... Very spacious and 3-dimensional & especially good for orchestral music.
2. Favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own. -- Linear Tube Audio integrated amplifier. This is so sweet..., holographic & has transparancy too...
4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?
-- Stacy Kent, Jardin d'hiver, (Raconte-moi Album 2010)
Thanks for sharing! Love that track!
More often. Good idea.
phase tech PC 50 and 60 for me . got me started had a denon PMA 750 as well
i still have the first sony CD player that came out .that i used on that set up . tower records had 6 CDs at the time .people told me i was crazy LOL
🤔NeoTech cable Demo video have too!!😘
"I'm terrible with french" @Jayiyagi You aren't so hot with english at times too buddy, lol🤣 I joke, I kid. You make up for it with your charm and charisma!
Cool video, the first piece that really got me started was a vintage pioneer sx- 5500 integrated amp . It had the blue led lights and looked awesome. I got it for $20 at salvation army and I loved the way it looked and sounded . I started collecting vintage speakers and receivers . I would recap the speakers, put new surrounds and refinish the wood.. I went through some hard times and lost everything. But I started again thinking an AVR would be enough. Soon realized I was wrong . I started designing and building speakers and I honestly think I make furniture quality speaker cabinets. But they are big and heavy. Even my portable Bluetooth speaker that I designed gets down to around 35 hz and looks like it was made by sonus Faber. It's on my profile. But all my speakers are multiple layers with solid hardwood on top. I have an idea for a new pair not that I need anymore speakers. They are all really nice looking and sound great but this pair is going to be really special. Unfortunately it's going to weigh a ton
Thanks for sharing!
@@Jayiyagi sorry that was a lot to share. I get excited when I talk about audio and speakers
I love it!
IsoAcousitics Nite and day difference !
Hmmm…most REGRET?…When I was new…this guy Jay HIGHLY recommended The Kinki Studio Monoblocs Amps (no return policy!). 😣 Can you say "thin"…and being new…I tried to fix with a Denafrips preamp…and things just got worse….So I took a massive financial BATH 🛁 in selling those things off… and started listening to RUclipsr's "opinions" a LOT less as I rebuilt. 😅
I will say that I learned a lot from that rabbit hole! 🕳️ 🐇
oh shit haha... I'm sorry that my review led you to something you didn't like. Nemo and others that have the combination love it and of course synergy and matching plays a great role in all this. I'll continue to try improve my delivery in making sure I deliver the expectations more clearly.
cheers
Jay, would love to hear your recommendations on cd players.
I am currently playing around with shanling et3 and its awesome but there are a few cd players that I loved and many of them were vintage like the Naim cdx or revox with double crown chips
I would LOVE for GR research to do a video on these and actually have this guy on his show. That guy talks like he’s the absolute beginning and end to what is correct. Totem and many others prove he’s not
Hi Jay, appreciate it if you can let me know if Monacoustic Platimon and Kinki Studio Ex-M1+ (Integrated Amp) is a good match. Currently I've the Ex-M1+. If not, what bookshelf speaker (similar price range) is a good match with it? Thanks.
I have never tried the Kinki stuff with the Platimons but I don't see why it may not be a good match. I personally really liked the Buchardt s400 mkii with them and I believe the PS audio FR5 might also be a good match
@@Jayiyagi Thanks for your insight.
@@Jayiyagi I wish I can experience what you'd when the sound is so good that made you want to re-listen to all the music in your collection.
I think you should ask Nemo Propaganda as he own Kinki amp and he owns a pair of PlatiMon. Cannot remember which Kinki model tho.
oh right! he does own the kinki monoblocks
What would be the next step down from audiophile?... that's where i live.
Here are the 11 questions:
1. Name the first piece of gear that led you down the hi-fi rabbit hole?
Pass Labs Aleph 0
2. Name the favorite piece of hi-fi equipment that you currently own.
My own design grounding pod, for power mains and speaker
3. Name the product you bought that you regretted.
Dunlavy 5 speakers
4. If you could only use one song to demo your stereo system, what would it be?
Cruel question. I 100% believe in testing mostly with LIVE recordings. More room/venue information. More able to tell if your system is realistic.
When I Was a Young Girl (Live at Auckland Town Hall; Marlon Williams
5. If money were no issue, what is your perfect system?
At this point, I would not trade my current system for any in the world. It might not be the loudest. But, I would bet it is the most spatial, holographic, nuanced, and emotional system around. Regularly, listeners are stunned, and sometimes, to the point of tears.
a. Unfortunately, the source currently (prepare to laugh) is a hot rodded AMAZON CUBE. Upgrade power supply. 6 layer shielding for cables in and out. Splitter that separates the HDMI out into HDMI and Toslink. If anyone knows any other source that would stream movies, TV, and AMAZON Music, please let me know.
b. Toslink input into a HIFI Rose 150b. The ROSE will upsample the audio into 24/192 output, into a USB cable.
c. The USB signal goes into a CHORD UPSCALER, that upscales the signal to 768 output. (The upscaling from both the ROSE and the MSCALER are extremely synergistic. Never sounding artificial or exaggerated.)
d. The 768 output goes into a CHORD DAVE DAC.
e. The Analog signal goes into dual AGD VIVACE monoblocks.
f. The amplified signal goes to HEAVILY modified DUEVEL JUPITER, omni-directional horn speakers. Stock these speakers only go up to 19k frequency. Heavily modified they go up to 30k! Each speaker, has its own grounding pod. The mods are to remove noise and distortion from the design. They are not unique in that all speakers with magnetic drivers will create some EMI noise, that needs to be corrected.
g. The power mains, is:
* Audioquest Niagra 3000 split into; a second and third Audioquest Niagra 3000 for each side.
* The AMAZON CUBE, HIFI ROSE, and Chord products each have their own ISOTEK GENESIS ONE Power Conditioner.
* Each side has its own Grounding Pod. Since the Niagra is largely capacitor and grounding choke design, the Grounding Pods greatly enhance their performance.
* The GROUND for the house has a 40 ft lateral 3 gauge copper line going across the backyard, with 7 grounding rods.
h. There are a few other inventions/enhancements made to the system, that I will keep proprietary. Needless to say, the system is unique.
i. The goal, has been to remove any and all points of noise and distortion. And I have never heard any system sound more natural and musical.
6. If you had to choose one music format, what would it be?
This will not be a popular answer, but streaming. It is very, very difficult, to get a streaming source to be excellent. But it is possible. Optimally, have a fiber optic input signal for your internet. Get a good power conditioner for all the equipment, like the Audioquest Niagra series (which is GREATLY enhanced with an excellent grounding pod). Shield the crap out of everything, that makes sense (carbon, copper, aluminum, and tinned copper sleeving, and shungite). Vibration dampen everything, I have found Sorbothane/Heavy Felt Pads work well.
Also, equally unpopular, I have found, that once you take out all of the noise and timing problems that usually come from streaming, the source is quite excellent. And very surprisingly, I have found that AMAZON MUSIC sounds more realistic than, than QOBUZ, TIDAL, SPOTIFY, and etc… I assume that is because they have a superior network to all other streaming services.
7. What's a stereo product that people love that you just don't understand?
Easy --- B&W speakers. They look good, their tweeters are good. But their midrange is WAY TOO smeared and lacking texture. Anyone would get MUCH better overall sound with Tekton speakers, particularly with the Beryllium tweeter driver as the midrange drivers. You will hear midrange texture and detail that will blow your mind.
8. What is your next upgrade?
I’m in the middle of another test and enhancement that works on the electro-magnetic field surrounding the electrical components - amps, DAC, streamer, and M-Scaler. I’m half way through and the results are nuts. (I’m sure you think all of this is NUTS). This takes what LESSLOSS was attempting with the BLACKBODY, to 3 more levels.
9. A piece of equipment that you've kept in your system for looks alone.
Only the audio rack
10. The last piece of equipment that made you want to re-listen to your entire music collection.
See #8, the last Upgrade.
11. What is an accessory that has come out recently that you can't imagine living without?
Mad Scientist Audio - Contact Enhancer
Thanks for sharing!
Great questions.. I might also have to do this. .. less editing tho ..lol =)
6:25 😅 6:28 53 w
333
22w😊3 awe we qq55 3rd 3qe 43
3d wall die 500.00 500.00 in e ear r was weak e 4r die ez 2x t 3e42
Do you have a playlist on Tidal?
Yes I do, it's available to patreons
Great !!
just get a monacoustic tattoo already lol
only if u get iyagi tattooed on your face Kuma. After-all you've been a patreon long enough righ? lol
@@Jayiyagi I can’t leave you lol
Hi Jay, just curious to know if you have used any "Airtight or Living Voice" amplification?
Yes I have and they are wonderful. I wish to review them one day
@Jayiyagi The only reason I asked is because you mentioned Audionote and these other two brands really impressed me on auditioning them.
Instead of CD Player, how about DSD files played from hdisk and thru a DAC?
I honestly don't care about DSD and all that high res stuff but thats just me and I'll explain why in a different video
cheers
@@Jayiyagi am surprised. Looking forward to your take on it.
🤔Do u have any Taiwan NeoTech Cable Demo video Have!! Video have?
Is it possible to get your playlist?
On patreon
Same here with Avant-garde. Way tiring speaker to hear. It’s like a trumpet in your ears.
I can't find Rupture in Qobuz. I did find it on CD, but I don't have a cd player anymore
I use Tidal so I was not aware it wasn't available on Qobuz! That's crazy. it's available in LP, CD, Tidal and amazon music from what I can find
Try some albums by Zoe Keating, who plays Cello. She was born in Canada, although now lives in Vermont.
I found it on Spotify
are you playing the black myth wukong?
Jay you have to try the kroma Mimi. They will blow up you 😂
Oh my! Just googled them and love what I am seeing. I gotta find a way to hear them now!
nr one yes
Hi fi rabbit hole: gave up LS3/5as for Dahlquest dq-10s.
Classics!
The only thing IsoAcoustics do it to put your speakers higher.
What's wrong with you audio guys?! I'm not here for Skylabs. STOP entertaining his silly "challenge". It's a marketing tool for him to advertise his channel and acquire your audience. That means taking away their time from you (less views = less money and subs).
I'm ok with that. Kevin seems like a good dude and he had a good idea to get the community involved with interesting questions.
Hah-hah, "soundstage" from headphones. What a laugh that notion is. Was just at a concert last nigh at a small theater. If we're looking to replicate a live performance are you aware it's not presented in "stereo". How the soundman, maybe an engineer, sets up the mix for the PA is typically in immersive mono. So, "soundstage" is simply a myth created on recording by engineers, not the musicians. Myths - the crown prince of audiophiles.
I often go to concerts and sound staging and imaging is very real. Can a stereo system replicate the true soundstage as it took place on stage? I don't think so, any time I hear the "real" thing, it's something beyond what my stereo can provide. I'd even argue its an entirely different experience and thats perhaps why I still buy tickets and physically go to concerts.
Now of course this depends on the venue of course. If its a large venue and most of the sound you are hearing is out of the PA speakers, then what you say here is pretty valid. However it quickly becomes invalid if you are talking about an actual LIVE concert with the source of sound being the instruments and artists themselves.
Myth is something that is not real, sound staging and imaging is very real
@@Jayiyagi Is not real unless it’s your example in the last sentence. And I was referring to a 300 seat theater with great acoustics. Just because the lead guitar appears on the far right side of the stage, only one’s vision assigns that location as the source. (This this was a four piece band with no percussion.). Close your eyes and all the sound is coming from the full width of the stage. Soundstage was full. Imagining as I said is a myth (or created by the soundboard). There was no imaging.
@@Jayiyagi I said imaging isn’t real - not soundstage.
@@Jayiyagi You know full well that the stereo effect is an illusion. Please...
This is another very typical I know the best, arrogant reply.
You know all speakers and headphones are literally reproducing audio devices, right? What are you arguing? You think headphones donMt have soundstage and sound imaging??
The story of your life is of no interest.😪
Well, I like listening to youtubers’ life stories as it adds more relatable human connections. If you just want information, just go google instead of watching a video contents… 😂
that's ok, you do not have to watch if it is no interest to you
cheers
But his Hi-Fi story, I did find interesting, as were the questions he passed on to us and the answers some of us have given. Lighten up my friend -- don't be such a grump!
jaz mijagi, wax on wax off