Surprising Myths About Stereo Equipment, Audiophiles & Vinyl
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- Опубликовано: 8 окт 2024
- In this video, I discuss myths about stereo equipment, audiophiles, and vinyl collectors. I share interesting information that I have learned from people in the know. A stereo equipment dealer, a stereo equipment designer, and others from a music label have shared their opinions with me regarding these topics.
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#VinylCommunity #MelindaMurphy #VinylCollection #RecordCollection
"We want what sounds the best for what we can afford"- perfect statement M!! Great vid. Agree with you on so many of these points.
Thank you very much! 🤗♥️ Take care.
I used to have Joni Mitchell's "Blue" on reel-to-reel tape. I would put it on when I went to bed and listen till I fell asleep. When I woke up it would still be playing because I had auto reverse on my tape machine. I really miss that.
Oh wow! I bet that sounded incredible. ♥️😀 Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Unless you had the master tape, not more incredible than the vinyl record it was copied from, because copying never improves audio.
So much great and practical advice. Loved your two cents at the end. I think a lot of us have been there where we maybe spent too much at once and have to tell ourselves to lay low for awhile and that you will get it later, etc. Your channel is very genuine and relatable. I appreciate that so much!
Thank you. I know I have been there. I have purchased a hard to get record for a high price and have to watch my spending for the rest of the month. That's ok. It's when we continue to spend a rack up credit card debt that takes the joy out of this. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
I love physical music. I love CDs and vinyl. Nothing better than these two for music
I agree. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
Geez, I just love your common sense attitudes and advice videos. My Tuesday morning is made when I see you’ve posted a new video. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much for the kind words. You are very encouraging. ♥️🤗 Take care.
Love your channel. I always watch because it's always interesting.
Speaking of speakers, I'm sitting around today waiting on the delivery of my dream speakers. I have wanted these for years. These particular speakers are being discontinued, so I saw my chance at a good deal...maybe "good" in quotation marks. They are still expensive even approaching half price. But this has been a dream of mine for years, so I pulled the trigger on this. They're not here yet as I watch your video, but sometime this afternoon I'll be listening to my brand new Revel Salon 2 speakers.
We won't live forever. Make the most of what you get.
Oh, and I paid cash. This will be my treasure. Some guys get a motorcycle or a boat. I got speakers.
Congratulations! I hope by the time you read this, the speakers will have arrived. What an exciting day. I'm so glad your dream is coming true. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy they're here! I wish RUclips would let me post a picture!
Great episode Melinda over the years of collecting records I’ve learned what I can afford and what I not afford I gradually built the system I happy with. Hey I see how your system changed over the year congrats you setup now is awesome have a wonderful weekend.
Thank you very much. I started out with extremely modest equipment. I'm very grateful for what I have today. Take care.
Great little video, on a very important topic! Loved it!
...and I LOVE the design of your Floyd sweatshirt too!! 😍🤘
Thank you so much! Take care. 🤗♥️
Hi Melinda, I'm a full time watcher & part time commenter on your channel. I think everything you said here is spot on. The only thing to me which I feel differently about was when you compared listening to a record and seeing a gig. As great as audiophile records & systems are, it's a completely different experience to seeing a live gig. To me personally nothing beats seeing a great band live. Being in that room when the bands cooking and they take the songs you know & love to another place is a one off magical experience. There's something about that shared unique experience which I can't put into words. I play and have played in a lot of (unsuccessful) bands and when everything is clicking in that room there's no feeling like it. Having said all of that I also have thousands of records and a really killer system that I love which gives me hours of pleasure, but just a different kind. I see listening to records as a more scientific or detailed experience and a great show as pure exhilaration. Thanks for all of your great videos and for letting me ramble on here. Cheers...Ben PS I like how you make me think about things I don't normally think about 👍
I agree. Being at an actual concert is the ultimate experience. ♥️ And it's cool to share the experience with the rest of the audience. I do enjoy listening to records and feeling like the artist is in the room with me. I love how some records can feel like a live performance. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
Thank you for your kind words. ♥️
STEVE IS A TRUE GENTLEMAN !! THANK-YOU FOR YOUR TAKE ON AUDIO SIS, HAPPY LISTENING EVERYONE !!
He seems like such a great guy. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
I've been in audio for most of my life, I'm 59 and I've been in the audio repair business for over forty yrs and one of things that a lot of people do when they're in search of equipment is buy more power than they really need. And that's mainly because the big vintage amps look impressive. Let's face it "They do!" but most people listen to their music in an average sized room and 120w RMS plus amp is probably over kill for most. And they cost a lot especially if they've been restored by someone like me. My point is a lot of very nice affordable smaller amps and receivers go unnoticed or ignored. Which would leave $ room for some very nice high end efficient speakers and maybe even a high end cart and stylus in that turntable. Just my 2c Rock n Roll!
Your right on! I'm 60 and agree 💯. Why waste your green on a monster receiver. agree, they look awesome. Makes me laugh when you see a video of a monster and they can't turn the volume up a quarter of the way.50-60 watts is usually more than plenty. A good pair of speakers will do it.
Exactly ! If one has a very efficient horn speakers, you will need no more than two to three watts per channel !
💯 spot on! Same here (I’m 61) and I’ve been an audiophile since the late 70’s after being exposed to sound equipment (at my uncle’s house) as a kid in the early 70’s.
I’ve worked on gear starting in 1990 for a manufacturer here in NJ. I have gotten back into gear over the last 14 years. I did sell my gear in the early 90’s. I also have my own workshop and bench at home to repair my gear.
On another note, I also love vinyl, but I have all type of sources.
I have Vinyl, reel to reel, cassette, digital streaming and CD.
I think that they all have their place.
For me I’d never say that one is the only way to enjoy audio.
@patrickguice IMO Factory Reel to Reel tapes sounds better than anything. I have a Pioneer RT-707 .A guy I know who is 35 had never heard one before and he couldn't believe how it sounded. Just a shame that the tapes are very hard to find.
Great words of wisdom. You make a lot of sense. Thank you so much. ♥️🤗 Take care.
Great video! Love that "Cool Struttin'" poster too. My set up wasn't expensive, my most expensive component was my turntable and cartridge. I love the way it sounds, I think better speakers are next on my list though. It has taken me several years to get where I am now.
Thank you for the kind compliment. I broke down and bought one of the new Blue Note framed photos. 😀 You have good eyes.
I'm glad you are already pleased with what you have. Improvements you make in the future will just be the icing on the cake. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
Cables are a tough subject. I'm an electronic tech and an avid audiophile and I learned early on that interconnects and speaker cables can make a difference. Most of mine are Audioquest, but that's my choice and they were affordable (not their most expensive for sure). The one thing that I couldn't possible imagine making much, if any difference were power cables and I fought this for a long time. I saw an article years ago where a reviewer did a power cable shootout. One of the ones he raved about was very affordable and had a return agreement if you didn't like them, so I ordered three and I had no expectations of any improvement, but I installed them starting with my DAC and moved on the preamp and then the amp. The improvement, starting with the DAC, blew me away. I still don't quite understand why they make a difference and I'll get a lot of blowback about this for sure, but they made the biggest difference of anything that I've installed in my system to date. There's no way that I would spend thousands of dollars on any cable, but I have made huge improvements by upgrading within reason. Thanks for the videos Melinda!
Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your experience with cables. Like I said in the video, this is an area that is largely unknown to me. I'm thrilled that your cables made that kind of a difference. It's cool that the cables were affordable and returnable as well. Take care and have a great day. 🤗♥️
Listeners like you who report what they heard are more valuable than those forum posts from guys who cite from a textbook written in 1960 & say there can't be any differences. I have yet to try a $100 AC cable, but it sounds like a worthy experiment 🧐
Yes, power cables can definitely make a difference, but like interconnects and speaker cables, generally modest ones. I've bought mostly Shunyata power cables (in the lower range of their line, at deep discounts from Music Direct) and they've enhanced the sound in my system, typically its dynamics.
@@maxhirsch7035 Shunyata is a good company. The ones I bought were Black Sand Audio Violet ZI MKII power cords. They are a Candadian company and great to deal with. If I hadn't heard the improvement that I did, I wouldn't have hesitated to return them. What makes it even harder, is that in another system, there may not have been any improvement. Always a tough call! Thanks for the reply!
@@maxhirsch7035 I also use the Shunyata Venom power cables, connected to a PS Audio Stellar Power Regenerator. At the time, I was using a Denon AVR for my pre-amplifier and I had a hum issue from my phonostage. The AVR power cable does not have a ground. I found that the power regenerator got rid of the hum by totally cleaning up the power and getting the in sync. Given that it made a different with the hum, it probably improved the sound quality as well. However, I never bothered trying to do A/B comparisons.
You do have my full sympathy when covering the topic of hifi Melinda, for someone who is linked to the business you are a great customer because you listen to the gear rather than obsess what the specs are and buy according to your budget. Its one of those hobbies/passions that can drive you to distraction if you obsess about the gear rather than what you are hearing 😸 great vid as always
Thank you for the kind words. I am definitely more on the side of enjoying the music at its full potential rather than obsessing over the equipment. I can understand how that can become a slippery slope. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
@@MelindaMurphy best wishes tou you & family Xx
Yes and with that distraction one misses a lot of stuff such as good music for one! I was linked to the business as well back in 2013 to 2017 as a journalist. Before that, I was in radio and the music scene / business from the creative end.
Firstly, fantastic video, Melinda. I think you pretty much nailed it on the head.
As far as the cable thing goes, I’ve tried everything from bordering on ridiculously expensive to freebie “courtesy cables” and found that a nicely made cable using quality materials with nice ends of them are just fine. Be it, power, interconnects, speaker, etc. cables, the brand Blue Jeans cables work extremely well without spending a fortune. They use high quality low capacitance made by Belden for interconnects, and I personally like their speaker cables made with Canare 4S11 cable with cold welded plugs (banana or spade). I also just make some of my own cables. I’m not the only one who uses Blue Jeans cables in the VC, and people like Patrick and others also use their LC-1 interconnects.
Thanks, Melinda. Good stuff as always. 🔊😊🎶💜
Thank you for the information Nick. Someone else brought up the Blue Jean cables in the comments. I certainly trust you and Patrick when it comes to records and stereo equipment. I look up to both of you so much. ♥️🤗 Thank you so much.
Down the rabbit hole, we go. I am a big fan of Steve's, I have several pieces of gear he has recommended and love them. I have Emotiva, Denafrips, and PSB as the mainstays in my system and all are affordable pieces. I love all types of media, I prefer CDs because I have a small record collection, but I am working on that. Vinyl is very magical for me, it brings me back to my first nice system in the late 70s. I think you are getting good advice about cables.
Thank you for your kind words. I trust Steve's opinion as well. Emotiva is a wonderful brand. ♥️ Take care.
Great topic Melinda.
Steve's videos were my go to for audio advice when I was looking, he is very inclusive on that he can be as excited fir a good $300 piece of equipment as he is about a $30,000 piece.
As far as cables are concerned I usually just go for well reviewed items that are a bit of a step up from basic cables that may come with the audio equipment
That's great advice about cables. 🤗♥️ Steve is great. He's not only knowledgeable but kind and fun to watch. He gets excited about great stereo equipment and it's contagious. Thank you and take care.
Yes, it is good practice to step up the interconnect cables that come with gear and it doesn't need to cost a small fortune! For about just under $100 you can upgrade every interconnect cable you need and be happy for a very long time to forever.
I share the same viewpoint as you do Melinda regarding cables
It's important not to spend too much on cables. 😀 Thank you and take care.
Good observations which I totally agree on, I was a kind of a serious fan of the hobbies in the 80's but after a 30year + hiatus I started again with humble pieces of equipment and as most everybody with the ever present "bookshelf" speakers and after 3 years Im ready to upgrade to more substantial speakers, so little by little we'll eventually meet our goals, cheers.
For most of us, building a great set up takes time and patience but it's also a lot of fun. Enjoy what you have now and look forward to the possibilities of what's to come. That's been my attitude throughout all of this. Thank you for saying hello. Best wishes to you. ♥️🤗
As long as you love what you have bought, let nobody tell you it’s not good. And as long as you have DLR Van Halen, the world is a happy place. Love your enthusiasm and love from Scotland 🏴
Yes! I love the DLR years. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Great comment. I can live without Van Halen but agree otherwise. 👍😊
Thanks for the honest video. You’ve touched on subjects many people avoid. Cables matter, and I’ve probably spent at least $1k on various interconnects, power, and speaker cables. It’s fun to hear the differences, but don’t get carried away. I don’t own very many audiophile records, but the ones I have sound excellent.
Thank you for sharing your experience with cables. That price isn't too bad if you could hear sound improvement. Audiophile records aren't necessary but they can be a wonderful experience and great to have. Take care. ♥️🤗
Have the Joni on order, for me a truly special artist who made some of the most wonderful recordings ever committed to vinyl; and therefore more than worth the cost. Thanks for the streams Melinda, enjoy the music, and hopefully a few more Joni MoFi's in the near future
I hope you enjoy Blue as much as I am. I am looking forward to For The Roses. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Thank you 🙂I am also looking forward to For The Roses, it's my favourite Joni album
Hi, Melinda! Another great video! My family are middle class and all of us has musical taste, and my mom has too savings for one year till find the first hi end equipment in 1992, who was in functions to this date, and then about middle of the past year we replace it, and the other has keep in a rest (still working!). What i mean, is just like you said, music in phisical media is the reason and the music inself, either digital or analog. Have a nice day! 😊
Thank you very much! I'm so glad you and your family have been enjoying music. ♥️ Take care.
Cool channel, first time here. I do listen to my equipments... I am guilty of that.... 😉and why not after all? I am a "tube roller" addict, it's so much fun to hear all these sound differences...!
Thank you for giving my video a chance. 🤗♥️ I personally don't think there's anything wrong with listening to the performance of your stereo equipment. We all do that when we get a new piece of gear. To me, that's part of the fun of the hobby. 😀 Most of us will listen to music we like in the best way possible. Thank you and take care.
Hi Melinda, new to your channel, and can I say, I’m loving your content. I have been watching historic YT content and latest reviews too. I think I’m a true audiophile 😂, and have now got a great system, taken 20yrs, and gone through 5 complete overhaul but finally got here. Purely vinyl only, and have an about 150 records, 90 of which are made up of Mofi , Analogue Productions, Verve. Love your hifi equipment too, I know you’ve listed your equipment, but wanted too ask what make of cables , speaker, power and interconnects are you using?
I will continue to view your great content moving forward, love your honesty and relaxed approach to this crazy hobby.
All the best from Nandu (UK)
Thank you so much for the kind words. I can feel your enthusiasm through your message. ❤️🤗 I'm just using basic cables ect at this point. Nothing fancy or special. You are building a fantastic record collection. I love all of those brands. Thanks again and have a great week.
Thank you , keep up the great content, and have a great week too. God bless Nandu. Ps I couldn’t but send a photo of the system, and more importantly the vinyl collection
I agree with the record sounding warmer and fully dimensional. My next investment for my equipment will be new styluses for my turntables. Going with a tube amp would be great, but not needed. Keep spinning the vinyl, Melinda.😊
I will have to replace my stylus at some point soon as well. That won't be cheap. 😳 Lol. Thank you and take care.
Great review, if I reflect on the biggest "bang per buck" I've had in hifi, I'd include some cables, which I tried before buying and they made a huge difference to me (missing link cables, they're in the UK and do some really nice silver cabling), but I know some friends who don't feel the same. All really subjective. Really agree with used hifi, some brands are easily serviced too and that can be a great way to get max value, with some peace of mind that something can be fixed if it breaks.
Whatever works for each individual is great. I agree with you that it's all subjective. Thank you and I apologize for the delayed response. Take care. 🤗♥️
Great video,very warm presentation.
Thank you so much! 🤗♥️
Great advice at the end of your video!
Thanks for pointing out Steve Guttenberg, The Audiophiliac. Both he and Herb Reichert are my favorites. Both have sales experience and are great reviewers. Steve (and it’s not a myth) wears the coolest shirts!
Haha! Yes, I like Steve's style. He's also incredibly knowledgeable without the ego. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Love your enthusiasm. Great video.
Thank you so much! 🤗♥️
Looks like you have the p8 in the back ground. I recommended that to you. Great choice can't be beaten for the price.
I agree. Thank you for the incredible suggestion. I have been extremely pleased with my P8. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
Oooo...I love that. "Ordinary people who do extraordinary things with their money." I'm stealing it!
Go right ahead. 😀 Thank you!
I was in the US Army from 1973 to 1983. When I went to Germany, I was so amazed at how affordable stereo equipment was, for instance I purchased a Teak X1000 at the PX for 470 dollars when the US MSRP was around 1400. The PXs don't have those great deals now, but soldiers back then could rack up. And I agree that there's nothing wrong with vinyl lovers also purchasing CDs. For instance I've been hooked on the Jethro Tull deluxe sets. The book like packaging and VERY generous amount of extras is wonderful. I will say that when buying classic rock on CDs, it's a good idea to check and make sure that release isn't too compressed. I think the "loudness wars" did a lot to harm CD reputation. At any rate there's nothing that compares to discovering a great vinyl album you've been searching for. Enjoy
Oh wow! I'm glad that our service men were able to get some great deals back in the day. Thank you for your service. 🤗♥️
CD's do have their advantages. They take up less space, are more affordable and the extras like you mentioned are very cool. Thank you and have a great night! ♥️🤗
It was the same when I was stationed in Okinawa in 80/81. Because of the Yen rate to the dollar, everything was dirt cheap. I've been back since then and things cost more there than they do here now.
It was a great experience I’m sure… That’s what my uncle did when he was stationed in Vietnam with the Marines during the Vietnam War. He had brought some gear over at the PX and had it sent back home to NJ.
hey melinda, i was watching the ingroove live video the other day and i heard mike give you a shout out. made me smile then i saw you were in the live chat. anway just saying hello. Love the Curls. Hope you and your husband are having a good week. Brian Charlotte NC
Thank you very much! I enjoy Mike's channel and I am a big fan of other vinyl channels as well. 🤗♥️ Take care.
If you buy a CD player you need the DAC to hook up to it to get the Analog conversion from the Disc.The Dac;s run 100 bucks to You Can't Believe It Prices!
Thank you for the tip. ♥️🤗
This is one of those educational videos for me. Most of this makes sense to me. I love my cds but vinyl just has more charm for me. It also has a less harsh sound to my ears. Unless I try to crank it too loud of course. The stereo upgrades will come with me down the road. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll never go crazy but I definitely need something better. But I still have those “melt in chair” moments too, even with what I currently have. The only point I might disagree with you on, is the “stereo aficionado “ who cares more about the system than the music. Those people exist. I feel more so in my past encounters than current. I’ve met these people who go on and on about their expensive setup and technical details, but know little about music in general or really appreciate the music. Another awesome video Melinda! Thanks for sharing and have a great week!
Hi Gary! You have some incredible records. I have no doubt you melt in your chair while listening to many of them. 😀 I have had very modest equipment and I have had nicer upgrades but my records were always incredibly enjoyable. ♥️
Yes, there are some show offs that love to brag about their stereo equipment. I just like to think that most people are in it for the enjoyment of the music. 😀 Thank you and take care.
Audiophile Myth of “eq’s are bad”: One thing I just realized was looking at the frequency response graph of my speakers and adjusting my eq where the crossover falls short, and the results put a big smile on my face😎👌
I'm so glad you were able to make such a dramatic improvement by simply working with what you have. Nice! 😀
Agreed. The 'EQs are bad' myth is a sub-type of the 'audiophile always means straight wire with gain' myth. Not all (studios, recording engineers, mastering engineers, vinyl pressings, etc.) are created equal, which is the main reason why not all vinyl records (or CDs) sound the same, or as good. Apart from 'tweaking the sound' of your system to compensate for (e.g.) room acoustics using a graphic or parametric EQ, what's wrong with using signal processors to (e.g.) expand dynamic range or other parameters on lifeless recordings? Answer: FA. Sure, everything added into the signal chain adds 'noise' to the signal, but with decent equipment and judicious use of processor settings, the noise added is often negligible while the improvement in listening experience can be significant. Bottom line: you bought th record, you own it, you get to tweak the sound to your own taste...
Good point! I forgot that one as well. EQs are not from hell!! It is a matter of knowing how to use them. Sadly though good ones that do not introduce noise are nearly unobtanium these days. The little small units such as from Bellari or Schiit are good bets. With the exception of my studio monitor cans, all headphones need to be EQ'd in my book because they are always extremely tilted one way or other. I'm not a fan of headphone listening. I'm good for about 10 minutes at best. I'm a speakers guy. Headphones offer no sense of staging to me because there is no room interaction. As much as a PITA it can be sometimes (at least before you get it totally dialed in, which can take an eternity) the interaction between speakers and the room are what provides soundstage. So it is worth the reward to me.
@@ericelliott227 yes the realization came from watching GR Research’s work with the Focal Aria speakers, which I have the 936 models, Focal made the crossover to where the high tweeter response frequencies are dipped very low, which explains the dull sound, so I simply used my graphic eq on my Denon to slightly boost 8k and 16k just a tad, and that made the sound much more balanced 😎👌
@@leonsam12 Yeah GR Research does pretty good work. As you likely know with EQ, sometimes it is slight boost and sometimes it is slight cut in an adjacent frequency or so. More often it is cut, which many don't realize. I don't have worry about my speakers (Paradigm Studio 100 v5) they are very balanced, not to mention revealing and there are some makes that use them to voice their amps (I found that out after I got them). Don't know what happened later at Paradigm with the crap sounding speakers they put out now. (Glad I got the Studios. The bummer is that they can't be replaced). Headphones however is a whole different animal.
Melinda, this is truly one of my favorite topics. Concerning, the cost myth, people may not realize that 20 or 30 years ago, yes, you had to pay a lot of money to get a good sounding system. The cheap stuff just... sucked! Thanks to digital technology, we can now buy an incredible sounding system for less than $200 bucks! The specs are there to prove it! I remember Steve's video about this. Randy talks about t all the time.
Things have really come a long way. It's great that more people can now afford great sound quality for their music. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Basic pro cables at normal lengths are audibly transparent. There are a few”high end” cables that have such high capacitance and/or inductance that they act as a passive low pass filter and roll off some high frequencies.
Thank you for the information. Most viewers agree that cables can make a difference but to not overspend. I will have to learn more as I go. Take care.
This video will teach you more about audio than years of “audiophile” experience. Take some time and learn from one of the grand experts. m.ruclips.net/video/kr6XiYxD10E/видео.html&pp=ygUWSmFtZXMgZCBqb2huc3RvbiBhdWRpbw%3D%3D
What is “high end stereo equipment” - what is a “rich person”? I love my 1973 McIntosh Amp & Pre-Amp, $650 & $350 in 1973; 1987 Denon Direct Drive Turntable w/ Grado cartridge, $225; Note, I get replacement stylus’s direct from Grado; Revel M-22 speakers, purchased 1/2 price, $1,099, new discontinued 2014, with dedicated Revel stands purchased used $75; NAD CD player, probably $350+/-; cables, MonoPrice interconnects, less than $10 a pair & German 14 gage speaker wire, KabelDirkt 100 feet, $39. Note, wish I had $1 for every time I’ve challenged a “Cable Geek” to a blind test, designer cable v quality generic. I’m still waiting for someone to accept the challenge! I love listening to the music, not the equipment! So much “Snake Oil” in this business - How about a Green Magic Marker for the edge of your CD’s or maybe exotic tropical wood risers for your speaker wire 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
To me, high end equipment is something a lot of us would have to save for but is possible. I'm not even considering the $200k speakers ect. They aren't in the realm of possibility for nearly anybody. Lol. It sounds like you have built a beautiful set up and even better is that you have equipment you love and makes you happy. Well done! ♥️🤗
Another great video! I liked your comments about CD vs Vinyl. I happen to enjoy both. Back in the early 90s I bought my first high end system and went all digital thinking it was the wave of the future and vinyl would be extinct. I also thought my digital setup at the time sounded way better than vinyl but the truth of the matter is I had never invested in a decent turntable so I didn't really know. I figured I couldn't put big bucks into both formats. What surprised me when I started getting back into vinyl is how a vintage turntable with a vintage cartridge that were both moderately priced in the day could sound so good. I probably could have afforded both and enjoyed vinyl and digital all along. Part of the problem when I was young were the pops and clicks on vinyl. With better pressings today coupled with so many more effective options for cleaning records, that annoyance of vinyl is usually just an occasional nuisance now. One more comment regarding cables - I do believe they make a difference but would never spend as much money on a cable to connect 2 components as the components themselves. A lot of the decisions are about where best to put your money to improve sound and while I believe at least good cables are a must you need to keep perspective and allocate money wisely.
Thank you so much for sharing your perspective. I remember how much I enjoyed the sound of vinyl after being without it for such a long time. We are able to take better care of vinyl these days and I think it helps a lot as well.
So many of my viewers have shared that cables have made a noticeable difference but not to overspend. That's great advice. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
It's only the rich people that can afford the high-end equipment straight off, without saving up for it.But as I was told when I was younger, saving up for a camera, you appreciate things more when you have worked for it. I am now saving up to build my darkroom. At my age a bit late, but having never had had the space for one in the past, better late than ever. I agree with the vinyl V CD. As for cable, I purchased a good brand, not their cheapest line and certainly NOT the top end of their cables.
What you said is perfect. I also agree that working for something allows us to appreciate it more. ♥️ It's wonderful that you are building a dark room. True photography is a lost art. Thank you and take care.
Another thoughtful video. I’m with you on the analog vs. digital debate. It really doesn’t matter. Both can sound great and, usually, in different ways. As far as cables go I agree with you again. The one cable that I have discovered makes a big difference is, of all things, power cables. I just recently bought a new DAC, the PS Audio DS MKll, that I have been saving up for for two years. When I connected my less than $200 Pangea power cord the sound quality improved dramatically. Just my two cents.
That's great! It's wonderful that a $200 investment can make a big difference. 😀 Thank you and take care.
to quote Rodney King " can't we all get along " .As far as vinyl vs. digital vinyl to me wins hands down. Cd's could sound great but brick walling is what sent me back. I pretty much agree with everything you say.The last thing was beautiful.
Thank you Mike.♥️🤗 We all enjoy music in our own way. I'm with you on vinyl but I understand why others love CD's. Thank you and have a great day.
Hi Melinda. I love your videos. I’ve been a subscriber for a few months now. And I’ll tell ya what really hit me was when u said about not going in debt. I’ve been so guilty of that. And like u said u say to yourself I will have to watch and be good for months because of all the thousands I just spent. And speaking of cables I just spent 15k on 4 used Audio quest Dragon power cables. Oh btw cables are definitely not snake oil. Keep up the great videos Melinda. ❤. Mike. 👍💪👊
Another great video, and you are correct, the average vinyl collector can build a very good system if they make it a priority, work hard, and I recommend shopping around, I have found pawn shops have some great newer equipment at reasonable prices. Thanks for the valuable insights, Peace!
I never thought about pawn shops. That's a great idea. 😀 Thank you and take care.
Hi Melinda! Well, I did it. For years I've picked up records based on your recommend, but I made the plunge and got a P8 with Apheta 3. I can't believe the improvement in sound, and the cart isn't even broken in yet! So thank you...I'm in your debt! Seriously. I'm in debt. Help...
Haha! I understand the debt part but you won't regret it. I agree, the step up is quite dramatic. ♥️ Congratulations and enjoy. ♥️🤗
Whether its a lot of money or ali mony, its all well spent if it gives you goosebumps and even brings tears to your eyes on occasion.
Very true! For that it's money well spent. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Great video Melinda even an old man like me found some interesting information! 😊
Thank you very much. 🤗♥️
Good review. If you ever get up to the D.C. area let me know. In the University of Maryland area is a massive vinyl and CD store. It is fun to just go through the bins.
That does sound fun. I will let you know. 🤗♥️ Thank you and take care.
Hi Melinda. I like my bookshelf speakers (Buchardt S400 MKII) and I built my own speaker cables. My amp puts out 8 ohm and the Buchardt's are 4 ohm so I needed a pretty thick cable. High quality copper wire and connectors did the trick! Cheers
Thanks for letting me know about your cables and speakers. I'm so glad they are working for you. Take care.
@@MelindaMurphy I meant to mention that I have the Joni "Blue" One-Step as well and it is spectacular!
Until 1983 i was a vinyl collector but then something tragic happened to me & my family. We came back from Ivory Coast to Brazil bringing our beloved stereo equipments along with more than 6.000 vinyls but everything got stolen during the maritime transportation. We decided then to rebuild our collection with CDs and i don’t regret such decision since the love and passion for music is the most important thing in our journey regardless how you “travel” to reach your destination. Cables do matter but there’s no need to pay a fortune for them unless you want and can afford such cables. Peace ❤
I'm so sorry to hear that. That's such a terrible thing. I'm glad you found happiness with CDs. ♥️🤗 Thank you for your thoughts on cables. Take care.
another great video my friend and let you know i do love both LPs and cds and i do like tapes and i do miss playing my lps cause i dont have a record player right now lol
Hi Curtis. You are a lot like me. We love all of the different formats. 🤗♥️ Thank you and take care.
@MelindaMurphy now I love to own a reel to reel tapes even them going for lot of money lol
Hi Melinda, I think its right to take an interest in your equipment helps you get the best out of it. And ultimately to hear your music sound the best it can. Cables do matter, so its good to try different cables as they can make as much as a component change to your system. Its worth noting new cables do need some time to run in. My experience with digital is it can sound good and musical, however you need to spend about double to get to the level of a decent vinyl setup. Enjoy the music.
Great advice. I do need to learn more about cables. Many viewers have said they really do make a difference. Thank you and take care.
Another excellent video, Melinda! Thank you!
All so very true. Get the best equipment that you can afford. Most important, it's gotta sound good to you. There might be 2 similar items, one is higher level and more expensive than the other. But, the cheaper one sounds better to you. Buy the cheaper one.
Stores which have a variety of equipment, hooked up and side-by-side for comparison, are becoming as scarce as hens' teeth. I still have a Best Buy store in my area which has a demo room.
As far as cables go, copper wire, without breaks or splices, and gold-plated ends are the way to go.
Many think that bigger is better, but it isn't. Physics are physics and that ain't-a gonna change. From an old friend who is an audio electronic guru, his recommendation for automotive speaker wiring is to use the cable which comes with many speakers. No matter how flimsy it looks.
Keep your wire connecting your speakers to whatever is powering your speakers as short as possible. The longer the runs of wire the more resistance there will be in those wires, so the lower the power will be by the time it reaches your speakers. Conversely, the larger the gauge of the wire, the more the resistance will be. Electricity follows the path of least resistance. The larger and longer a cable is, the harder it will be to push the signal through.
I have experimented with speaker wire over the decades. Currently, both my home theater and quadraphonic systems have Monster Cable, 14 or 16 gauge. The 100 ft. spools they came on take 2 hands to pick them up. You know what? They aren't any better than those speaker cables we used to buy at Radio Shack which came in spools which you could hold in one hand and the 2 wires contained in each wire had a different tint so that you could keep the polarity straight. Also, that plain old brown 2-conductor lamp or zip cord is just as good. Unless you have alot of amp power, you don't need heavy cables. My Monster Cables are overkill. My 7.1 home theater system is only 110W per channel.
If you suspect that your cables might be the wrong size, crank up the sound level and leave the room for awhile. Check if your cables are getting hot. Resistance creates heat. If most of the length of cables is getting warm, then your cables are too small. If the ends of the cables nearest the amp are warming up, then your cables are too large or the run is too long. If the entire cable stays at room temperature, they are OK as long as you get the sound you expect out of your speakers. It doesn't hurt to experiment.
Thank you so much for your advice and wisdom. I have a lot to learn about cables. Take care. ♥️🤗
Interesting that you have a Cool Struttin' poster on your wall. I have a Spyro Gyra Morning Dance poster on my wall.
Yes, it's a new framed canvas that Blue Note released for their 85th anniversary. I love the classic album cover and how it looks above my turntable. Thank you and take care. 😀♥️
Great video Melinda❤You had an enormous amount of valuable data from great sources - I always outfitted my studio with Monster Cable and have 2 great Cerwin-Vega Studio Monitors with 15" Woofers (there's no myth above woofer size = bass performance) but otherwise my investment was under 20K (with 12-Track recording studio for my demos) I can't imagine what choices you had to make with room size - sound penetration - best price - shipping - must have taken a few years - hopefully it won't be outmoded by next year - I only shop online for vinyl - get best price/best shipping - don't really miss Record Shows, going through smelly boxes, wearing gloves and still hearing surface noise after spending all day at the venue - you're my GO-TO channel for vinyl and equipment Melinda❤Stay Strong!
It's taken me quite a while to build a nice set up but it's been a worthwhile experience. It sounds like you have an amazing set up for your music. ♥️
I try to buy from local shops as much as possible but you are correct about finding great deals online. That's how I purchase a lot of my new records. I have only been to one record fair. It was outside on a hot summer day in Florida. Some of the records were sitting in the bright sun 😳 It was fun and miserable all at the same time. Thank you so much for your kind words. It really does mean a lot. Take care and I love hearing from you. 🤗♥️
True dat, as a person who listens to extreme metal and jazz. All my metal vinyls are all digital and my jazz are all analog.
Yes! You are like me, we just want to listen to the music we love in the best sound quality possible. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Great video Melinda! As far as myself, I am a physical media collector, which means both CDs and vinyl records. I do prefer the vinyl, but in many cases today it’s not about the cost difference, it’s that a lot of titles are not available on vinyl. I don’t hate digital sound, but I do hate digital media that you don’t own.
I agree. I like owning physical media. It's nice to have CDs of those albums that aren't available on vinyl yet. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
Your thoughts were very good. What I found over the years is that - regardless of the format - the quality of the sound is highly dependent on what the recording engineers and technicians did. I’ve heard some great recordings on ‘less than marvelous’ stereo systems and the sound was just plain great. And I’ve heard some bad recordings on good systems. In that situation, the lack of care by the recording engineers and technicians really showed.
I agree. A lot of it depends on how an album was recorded. I have records that sounded incredible on my very modest equipment that I used to own. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
I love this video! Everything is spot on.
Thank you so much! ♥️🤗
Cables are great. I use Kimber and worked up to the copper/silver hybrid Select series and they are stunning. A revelation, extended and smooth top end (the silver in them).
The 8TC etc level is great too and where I started - I could easily live with them but the Selects are much better. Maybe get decent cables at the start and upgrade in the future when the rest of the system is sorted out?
The cables do make a difference and are an important part of the overall sound.
I think an important thing in the system is synergy and so I don’t mix and match cables.
Thank you very much for the great advice. Most viewers agree that cables can make a difference, they just advise me not to overspend on them. Take care. 🤗♥️
Hi, I’m from England and you wanted to know what we think about cables yes cables do improve the sound. All independent hifi shops 20:59 will let you do a home demonstration with cables for you to try at home, I’ve had four different types of cables that have listened to to see which one I preferred also internal plug sockets in the wall of your house can make a difference too and slow blow fuses that go in equipment itself can make a difference too
Thank you for the advice. At some point, I will need to try some cables out. 🤗♥️ Take care.
The King has everything: vinyl, reel to reels, 8 tracks, cassettes, and Compact Discs 😲 😲 😲 😲 😲 😊😊😊😊
Very nice! ♥️🤗
Yes…my final comment. I really like this video a lot. But, I haven’t bought a new piece of audio equipment in 25 years. Because I bought very good equipment. Except for my $20.00 Kenwood Dual Cassette Deck 5 years ago. Because, I love to play cassettes and they can sound as good as a vinyl record or CD 💿 if recorded correctly. And, I made sure I could afford everything I bought. Have a blessed night. This video was exceptional. Thank you.
Thank you so much! ♥️🤗
Oh, I so agree with you, the Columbia Two Eye stuff from back in the day offer incredible sound I think on any turntable and you don't break the bank so to speak. Coincidentally, I bought Bravo Brubeck for a few bucks and it is a great sounding album I agree. I have tons of audiophile records and love them. But is is great to have a mix of some really good sounding use albums in my collection too. it is part of what makes up the personal value of a collection...priceless! lol
I agree. I love having a mix of records and I am always pleased to see those old Columbia labels. They almost always sound so good. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
I'm on a fixed income. I spent over 4 years planning and putting together my system. Part of that is because of the pandemic, but mainly because i bought a piece, then paid it off before I bought the next piece. Great video.
That's the way to go. You are able to enjoy your stereo equipment debt free that way. 😀 Thank you and take care.
I am so glad I purchased my equipment pre-pandemic.
@@MelindaMurphy Yes, all paid off, which allowed me to buy both sets of Rolling Stones singles yesterday! Am excited to receive them in a week or so.
Contentious posting, Melinda but very interesting. I'm not really an audiophile. It 'can' be a rich man's (I only ever met one young lady in a hi-fi shop and she actually convinced me to invest in my current set of speakers from 26 years back!) game. That said, I did stumble on a Garrard 401 turntable with SME 3009 tone arm in a charity shop (in UK) for an outrageously low price. There are bargains to be had but luck certainly has it's part to play.
You had a very lucky day when you found your turntable. Very cool! Being an audiophile can be a rich man's game but I hear stories about people finding amazing stereo equipment at estate sales often. 😄♥️ I think finding deals is a big part of the fun. Thank you and take care.
I’d really like to run this by you ... There is sometimes (not always) a placebo effect when someone spends a lot of money on an audiophile album. I found a copy of the Mofi Rolling Stones, Some Girls for $7.00 in mint condition. I compared it to the standard original press. I did not hear any difference. I do have pressings of other albums that clearly sound better than others, but quite often these just depend more on what year, label and plant.
I agree. I recommend that people read reviews before paying a high price for audiophile records. Some are better than others. You got an excellent deal on Some Girls. 😍 Thank you and take care.
I sold gear in the 70s at many stores from Soundesign to Marantz. Best time of my life. I love gear.Thx.
Wonderful! 😀
@@MelindaMurphy ❤
Steve Gutenberg is the reason I started to listen to the band CAN. He brought it up in his review of the JBL Stage a170
Can is a great band. Steve seems like such a genuinely nice guy. Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
I'm learning SO much from you. I'm starting to get better sounds from my equipment. I collect vinyl, CD's and cassettes. Vinyl is my first love, though. 😁 Take care. ❤
Wow! Thank you for the kind compliment. It really does mean a lot. I have special memories of cassettes, CDs and especially records. The old 8 tracks are cool too. 🤗 Take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Aaaah yeah. The 8-tracks. I lost the few that I had, though. 😞
Very true words Melinda. Sometimes I wonder if we are listening to the music or just the equipment. Sometimes we can be surprised by how good or bad a record/CD can sound and that does have an impact on our listening pleasure. It's also quite easy, as a music collector to get caught up in a moment of finding things that catch your eye. It happened to me at the last record fair I went to and the highlight was the 2013 Bob Dylan Mofi 45 RPM "Blonde On Blonde" triple as well as the Santana 3 Mofi & Beatles 1982 Japanese White Album red vinyl mono. No doubt I will again when I attend another one in 2 weeks time. I could also try to be disciplined or simply not go....nah, who am I kidding. 😅 We love what we do because it brings us joy. 'Nuff said
I've upgraded and/or added sound equipment along the way. I have a pair of 50 year old Akai SW177 speakers that have never been serviced but still sound great. I run a pair of smaller Boston Acoustics alongside them. The latter were given to me by my best mate and the two sets truly complement each other. Love your work, honesty and passion. Take care sweetheart ❤😘
Hi Peter! I plan on going to a show in a couple of months to listen to stereo equipment and experience different brands and what they offer. It will be a lot of fun and hopefully won't breed discontentment. 🤗
I agree that with MoFi and other audiophile brand records, it's easy to get caught up in how good it sounds and miss out on the stories and lyrics of the song. It's a home run when a song has both. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
Analog Productions is soon to be issuing Crosby Stills and Nash 's CSN album as a 2 disc 45 rpm set. It is absolutely their finest album. If you've never heard it, check it out. You'll love it. The first track on the album is Shadow Captain.
I do have that album. Two copies to be honest. Lol. I will be curious to read the reviews for this newest reissue. I hope it's great. Thank you and take care.
I notice you never mention Cassette decks Melinda ? Yes, they can't compete with CDs or vinyl, but many come close enough for casual listening ..Do you own one and if so, do you
use it ?
I don't own a cassette deck at the moment but I sure have fond memories of cassettes. ♥️ I always thought they sounded great in my car. Thank you and take care.
Enjoyed your video Melinda. You asked about cables. I went through a few speaker cables that I bought used and even made my own what were terrible. I finally bought custom ones by Morrow Cable. They are not the most expensive. I also had Morrow make all of my interconnects which are not their most expensive. I really feel they made a difference in my system but of course that is very subjective. As far as power cables, I made all of mine myself using Furutech components. It was a fun project and I could make each cable to a custom length. I made a total of seven cables. The main cables to my power controller and mono amps are heavier gauge. FWIW
Very nice. It's great that you were able to make your own cables. I'm glad to hear that the Morrow brand made a noticeable difference in the sound quality. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
Hi Melinda - totally agree. I am mainly a CD guy, but I do buy the odd record. This discussion CD verses vinyl is a waste of time, so I don't even go there - I like both formats, I cant say one is better than the other. Everyone's ears are different. Where I do think the CD format wins out is in the addition of bonus material. CD's in the main have room on the disc for that extra material - and they're not to expensive. Its not as easy on vinyl, and a lot lot more expensive. Take the Who's Next or Camels Air Born box set. 33 CD's - you cant achieve that on vinyl. Its not on my radar, but great to see the reviews - I have their 4CD box set and am totally happy with that. I am totally happy in my own skin and love my CD and vinyl collections -have picked up some amazing buys at charity shops over the years. AND as Mazzy says -"Its the music stupid" - absolutely. Cya Doug
I agree with you. I enjoy both formats and they both have their strengths. CDs are the better bargain right now. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
Hi, Cable can make a difference in radio and electrical requirements in-house. 😊
Anyway, on a channel, I mentioned a method of testing Cable by direct comparison listening or by instrument.
The reply " the results would be too small for anyone to hear. We only listen for nuances. " Nuances by definition = very small differences.
I had a good giggle.
All the best to you from Western Australia.
Thank you so much for the information. Very interesting. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
@MelindaMurphy I was thinking of putting full test here but the typing : (
music is a unique art form that can instantly transform mood. I had a great time as a kid with a kiddie record player. now, as an old guy, my system is more sophisticated, and although both record players were very different, I couldn't say one was better than the other, because both took me where I wanted to go. hearing is a process of the brain, if you think somethings sounds good, the brain has no other reality, so no real need to have the best system in town.
That's a terrific point. If the music sounds good to your own ears, then you don't need to change it. Thank you very much. ♥️🤗 Take care.
I suspect some of the re-issues sound better than the original. That would be a plus for digital ADA. Thanks.
It's great when they can improve on an original. It's truly a case by case basis. Thank you! 🤗♥️
Thanks for busting those myths. Re speakers, also consider that the speaker size needs to be proportional to the room size. Huge speakers in a closet is not beneficial. -- Cables: Agree with some limited experimentation. I AB compared thin AWG14 speaker cables (Cardas) vs AWG~5 (VERY thick) cables (PearlAcoustics), and was not sure I could hear a difference. If I cannot hear it in such massively different cables, I have my doubts about cables in general (Yes I know about fallacy of inductive reasoning). With power cables consider that many fancy power cables are NOT UL listed (!!!), which is a potential safety issue, literally burning down the house. -- Best equipment money to spend: room treatment. Possibly the most underrated hifi "component". Lots of DIY option (I used palette wood), so can be cheap, and make A LOT of difference. -- One more myth: there are "must have" pieces of music. You only have to have the music YOU like. I don't have Dark Side of the Moon, nor a single Beatles album, just don't care for them. Please enjoy your Beatles, as you seem to like them. -- Re spending, I LOVE to buy stuff on Bandcamp Fridays, as it supports currently living artists. I consider that a community service with added benefit that I receive something. This BC Friday I bought a record with one-of-a-kind art-packaging for E150 (I think), totally worth it. With equipment, I am not sure that there either is objective improvement or that I can hear it. So going from current $3-5K components to Harun's British Audiophile 3x upgrade rule >$10-15K components is a mental challenge for me. And I am not one of those people who returns stuff willy-nilly. If I buy it, I better be sure it is the right item, particularly in that price range. Just ordered a Zei$$$$$ microscope camera system. That's a keeper for sure.
I do need to improve my room treatments and I haven't experimented with cables yet. I agree that it's important to get speakers that are the right scale for a room. I love my speakers. They perform very well in our large room. We could have gone with an even larger speaker but since they are in the living room, I like the size of the MoFi Sourcepoint 10's. Thank you for sharing your thoughts. Have a great week. ♥️🤗
Hi Melinda. Great topic! What are the isolation pads under your turntable?
They are the PneumaticPlus Anti Vibration pads. They are available on Amazon. Thank you and take care.
@@MelindaMurphy Thank you!
Such a great video. I particularly liked your observation about a system sounding sweeter when you haven't bankrupted yourself to buy it, and it makes me think about the hifi rule I live by which is, never to listen to something I can't afford, that way I can enjoy what I'm fortunate enough to own. Some of my albums I have bought in charity shops and spent no more than a pound on and some I have bought from new and they cost much more than I would normally spend just because I've struggled to get a good copy any other way. My next relatively expensive album will be Billion Dollar Babies 50th anniversary edition as I can't find an affordable good copy and my original 70s copy is pretty damaged. Here's hoping the 50th anniversary is a good one. I look forward to your next video, they're always a great watch.
Thank you for the kind words and for sharing your wisdom as well. It's important to appreciate what we have. ♥️🤗 I do hope the 50th anniversary version is a great one. The originals are always so beat up. Lol. Thank you and take care.
About cables: there are probably cable changes you could make that won't deliver the improvement you hoped for, especially if the entire chain lacks the resolving power needed to reveal differences. But, a number of years ago, when running Adcom separates using Monster cables, I splurged for a pair of relatively modestly priced ($200) 6' cables to run between the GFP-555 preamp and GFA-545 amp. I think they were hollow core interconnects. The system was driving Genesis Physics 66 towers (that I still use). The difference blew my mind. The low end was much more pronounced and my wife, who normally would be unaware of such differences, picked up on it right away without prompting from me. So in this case, the improvement was profound and thoroughly worth it.
That's an amazing story. ♥️ Most of my viewers have told me that cables can make a difference but not to overspend. It sounds like you invested wisely and got a great return for that $200. Awesome! Thank you and take care. ♥️🤗
@@MelindaMurphy Glad the observation was useful. This was about 1990. Those speakers need a lot of power and have low sensitivity, so I played a fair amount speakrr cables, too, but I can't swear that massive cables or chanting and shaking a rubber chicken over them made much difference. Still, I know the speaker cables probably aren't choking the signals much.
Great channel! Thank you for the videos! 👍
I had to check this one out for the title alone. Glad I did. The one myth of these I see the most conflict over is the cables. I'd like to know how "big bucks" is defined by the naysayers, though.
My experience on cables says that they CAN make a difference. For example, I have Shunyata and Transparent power cords that cost $550-600 each (more now, I think). They're 10AWG and replaced others that didn't connect at the IEC component end consistently; the connection would be lost when they "drooped" enough. I was looking for a better grip on the component end; what I got was better sound. To be specific, cleaner sound with more detail. These power cords feature noise reduction technology, so lower-level detail was easier to hear because more of the noise in the power line was filtered out. I just wanted something to grip the plug better; I got that and more. As for interconnects, I don't think they make as much of a difference as the power cords do.
In a high-end store, I did a head-to-head audition between Kimber 12TC speaker cable (which I owned at the time) and Transparent Plus, and the difference was small. I bought the Transparent even though I liked the Kimber as well; the Transparent was a tiny bit smoother on top. I'm not a hard-core audiophile, but the difference was just enough to make me spend the money. Besides, the Transparent matched the look of my system better. I don't see any need to upgrade cables, and I won't spend ridiculous amounts of money I don't have. It all may depend upon one's ears, system, room, equipment, and method of listening in the end.
Thank you for the information about cables. I wouldn't mind spending some extra money if the cable upgrade makes a noticeable difference. I also like the idea of cables being transparent. That would be nice as well. I think the complaints are with cables that cost thousands of dollars. Are they really necessary? Not according to the people I have talked to. This of course is very subjective and I still have a lot to learn regarding cables. It all depends on one's ears and budget. Thank you and take care.
With the cables if you ever think of upgrading the cables if your present cables are still in working order you could sell them on ebay
Very true! Thank you and I apologize for the delayed response. I just saw this comment. Take care.
Melinda, Do you have good luck buying used albums? It seems like most of the time that I buy them they are in bad shape. I look for scratches etc. and try to eyeball them but I still get burned. Can you offer some advice and tell me what to look for? Thank you so much and I appreciate your efforts to help us and make these great videos. You do a great job girl!
The true answer is yes and no. I usually have a little lower expectations for used records. I expect to hear a few pops, especially at the beginning of the record. Usually as the music starts, I no longer hear the pops. One recommendation that I think is extremely important is properly cleaning every record you get. The dust and debris can really create a lot of noise. Static can also be a culprit. If you can place your records in anti static sleeves after they are cleaned, that may help as well. Make sure the records are free of marks and scratches . Sometimes, we are just unlucky and get a bad pressing. I'm sure that you probably knew all of this but these are the things that I do to insure the best sound. Thank you and best wishes. ♥️🤗
@@MelindaMurphy Great advice! Thanks for the reply and I will watch your channel always.
Iconic cover of Sonny Clark‘s „Cool Struttin“ on your wall😮
Yes,! Good eye! 😀
Speaker cables do make a difference in sound but its not enough to spend thousands of dollars unless u have an ultra revealing high end systen. Belden 9497 are very good cables thatll run you around $100
Thank you for the thoughts and suggestion. ♥️🤗 Take care.
When it comes to cables, only blind comparisons will allows your ears to tell you what sounds good for your set up.
I agree that some high end cables will not be a good investment if the rest of the system is only mediocre, the system needs to be at the level of the cables.
When I did a top tier upgrade on my power cable it absolute past the the blind test and made the entire system sound considerably improved. And look forward to upgrading to much better speaker cables when I can afford it.
Thank you for the wisdom about cables. I agree that the cables need to match the quality of the rest of the gear. Thank you and take care. 🤗♥️
anonymous person , hank 8499 , is the only person I have ever heard of, over my decades of interest, in the subject , actually since boutique wires became available, that actually could tell the difference in a true double blind test. Respectfully, this leads me to doubt the testing methods.
anyone familiar with basic wire functions or the extreme subjectivity of human hearing would question such results.
@richardelliott8352 OH really. I honestly feel sad for you. There were three of us that were present when this was done. We listened to familiar songs that we knew on three different cables. After eliminating the one that sounded the worst then we listened again and it was extremely obvious which sounded better by far. Test equipment included vintage marantz with Maggie's for speakers.
Totally separate "test" while I went on vacation I loaned my top tier power cord to a hifi friend and he had two weeks to listen and compare with his 70k Raidho speakers and Ansuz power cable. When I returned to pick it up we were both very surprised that they were comparable, Audioquest Firebird power cable a pinch more detailed, Ansuz power cable filled the room with more volume.
Give it a try sometime, blind comparison, you have nothing to loose, except maybe some hardheadiness. Bottom line you enjoy your music and I will enjoy mine.
I agree with all that you've said with one caveat. Im not a bookshelf speaker kind of guy. I dont like using a subwoofer, i want the complete sound from one box or two boxes. Lol. But that's personal preference. I like either a 12" or 15" woofer because i like dynamic range. Now, i wont buy just any speaker with 12" or 15" woofers and i do have a set of speakers with 10" woofers which are my Koss CM-1030's. My favorite part of this video is you dont have to be rich to enjoy good sounding stereo equipment. Iam one of those guys. Anyway, awesome video Melinda!! Love your kind views on everything! Keep em spinning. Oh, one other thing, i like cds, vinyl, and streaming.
Thank you for the kind words. I apologize for the late response. I was on vacation. I agree that we can have great signs without breaking the bank. I think every format has its place. I'm glad to have choices. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.
A friend of mine told me the cheapest way to upgrade your sound is to buy better speaker cables. I took his word for it. I struggle at times to hear differences but most of that is because I’m doing something else, always multitasking. Maybe when I retire I will slow down…maybe
Cables CAN make some difference, but the cheapest thing I've done to improve the sound is finding the best speaker placement for my room. That is free, but it can take a lot of trial and error. It did end up me switching the whole room around but my goodness it sounded like I had a speaker upgrade once I had done it!
You're not going to slow down. Lol. You do have some exciting things going on though. Congratulations on your retirement. The next adventure is going to be wonderful for you. ♥️
I have known people with hi end stuff & none of them could be said to be rich. Large speakers can often be inappropriate for a rooms accoustic. I eventually personally settled for a pair of compact floorstanders. This way I got more bass by taking over the space which used to be designated for stands & retained control by having smallish woofers & a tuned port to the rear.
We don't have to be rich to enjoy incredible sound. We just have to be smart with our purchases. Some equipment just works well together. ♥️ Great sound is for everyone not just the very wealthy. Thank you and enjoy your weekend.
Melinda IMHO, you have found a great solution and balance regarding your great "small" :-) "bookshelf" MoFi 10 speakers - the reason I say this is because the best PLACE for the mids and highs of a huge speaker MAY not be the best place in the room for the deep BASS from them. I too have a REL which gives us the freedom to find the best tuning place in the room for deep bass. Regarding cables, I would only suggest that we spend a little more on POWER cables that are SHIELDED to prevent noise from propagating in the system plus when they are close to speaker and signal cables that we cross them at 90º to those. GOOD speaker (like yours :-) designers spend a lot of time and expense on the choice of drivers and R&D on the dimensions of the enclosures. And then WE go and place our speakers (which in essence are drivers themselves) and place them in our rooms (which in essence are "enclosures" :-) So we can imagine how important the speaker placement (AND OUR ROOMS THEMSELVES!) are in terms of the sound we end up hearing. Great video, Melinda. Keep up the great work :-)
Thank you for the tips. We immediately knew we had made the right decision about buying the REL's. I think we have now found the sweet spot for everything. 😍 Take care.
100% agree on your views. Keep it up!
Thank you very much! ♥️🤗
Sorry I was busy yesterday but better late than never once again Melinda Murphy your videos is so very enjoyable entertaining interesting and education at the same time another stereo equipment segment thanks for highlight and sharing this about stereo equipment im going to get into that in a minute there 2 albums i love on this video 1st Aretha Franklin soul 69 album amazing album by the queen of soul i got to get that album on cd and vinyl i got a few on vinyl and one cassette different albums by Aretha but got to get soul 69. George Benson breezin that is my favorite favorite favorite album of all time I was surprised you love breezin album by George Benson i got that album on cd and vinyl as well congratulations you got that on audiophile vinyl for a dollar you can't beat that price great steal my favorite song are this masquerade, six to four great uptempo song, affirmation i love that track, so this is love and lady the great song to end the album. As far as record players my playing vinyl records had to put on hold because on January 14 Sunday i was playing a few records that day but at 12am i was about to play the last record that night kind of blue my record player stops playing i was so disappointed that night mess with it the next day and it still didn't work but i got this record player for 10 years 2013 to 2022 i definitely going to buy another record player coming in late spring around the end of April i be patient but I will never stop buying records. Vinyls and cds are my favorites enjoyables when it comes to music i know this is a long coment but I just had to tell my experience i been through this January great video Melinda enjoy the best quality of great sounding music have a wonderful blessed day always ♥ keep making great videos
Thank you so much for the kind words. I really do appreciate it. 🤗♥️ I was actually very surprised by how much I like that George Benson record. It's incredible. I already knew so many songs that are on it and it sounds great. ♥️
I hope you are able to get a new turntable very soon. I know how much I love listening to records so I can imagine how much you miss it. Thanks again and best wishes to you.
Oh Melinda! I completely agree with you on all your busted myths. The 'cables' argument is unwinnable - advocates swear they can hear a difference, so I guess they are entitled to spend their money as they wish. I did a 'moderate' cable upgrade - my amp power cable, interconnects to the turntable, and speaker cables. I probably spent in the low hundreds all told. I can't honestly say I could hear a real difference, BUT I will say that all my equipment together sounds amazing; I am very happy with it.
I think Steve Guttenberg has wisely said that the two biggest factors that make the most difference are 1) your own hearing and 2) the room you listen in, in respect of the balance of hard and soft surfaces, positioning of the speakers etc. The only two things I have done that made an immediate difference to what I could hear was firstly using a different cartridge (an Ortofon SPU has a very definite 'warm tone', ideal for older blues and jazz recordings) and secondly, playing Audiophile records. I would qualify that latter point by saying that I have found the older the original recording, the more of an improvement an Audiophile recording sounds to me.
Keep up the good work, Melinda. A pleasure as always to hear from you.
Thank you so much for the kind comments. I agree that discovering audiophile records made a huge difference for me. That's how I became a fan of MoFi records. The Bob Dylan records turned my modest stereo equipment into a concert hall. Lol.
I agree, if people are willing to spend the money and claim to hear a difference with hi end cables then who am I to tell them differently? I will need to do a lot of research before I decide to make any upgrades with my cables. In the meantime, my set up sounds very good. I'm happy. 😀 Thank you so much! Take care.
Yes, I too did a "cable upgrade" on a challenge from one of the boutique makes. For my trouble I got them for around 30% off, about a couple hundred (4 sets of interconnects), needless to say I was very appreciative. The company sweetened the deal further by betting they would refund me additionally if I could show through explanation that I heard no sonic difference. Big mistake on their part because I have a science background (physics) per se' and I was able to do just that. So they kept their word and sent me a check for just short of half the total. I was very appreciative not just for the check, but their honesty! I guess they really wanted to convince me. Did the cables make a sonic difference? Nope. I compared them to the far less expensive ones I was running and could not hear any difference and I have trained ears. Humans can't hear such very tiny differences. Measuring instruments can, but humans can't. My philosophy is that if you can't hear the difference in measurement, then what is the point? The one thing that was markedly better then the cables I was using though was the terminators, so I kept the new cables. The terminators on my old cables were extreme and had potential of ripping the guts out of my gear.
I always say the most important thing in any system is set up, which includes the room, speaker placement, etc. It is possible to "make a $1000 system sound like a $10,000 system" (to use the colloquial term) through just a few tweaks without spending a dime more.
I really enjoy your videos you have a kind personality and a kind face I'm 80 years old and I'm in order to fall for over 55 years and I agree with you cables are a joke😊
There is an old saying in life human nature can never be satisfied
Sorry for the typo audiophile😊
Thank you for the kind words. I appreciate it. Thanks for your honesty about cables. Lol. Take care. 🤗♥️
I go to a place in Maryland where they sell use records and buy those albums. In the DC area I have about 10 chose from. I buy mostly CDS but I buy vinyl also. Once in a while I go to a audio store or best buy and buy a expensive album.I can say that the audiophiles albums sound almost and sometimes better than CD. I can also say I cannot tell the difference between the original pressing and the new one. I have that Breezin album on vinyl and CD and had the album since I was in college and it still sounds good. Keep up the good work. PS. The CD sounds just a little better but I have a old Technic 1200 turntable.
The Breezin' album sounds great. I'm sure the original is wonderful as well. ♥️ Thank you and take care.
Hi, Melinda:) Great video as always. For me, music that is recorded well in the first place will always be enjoyable to listen to. Take wonderfully produced albums such as Graceland by Paul Simon or Rumours by Fleetwood Mac. No matter how compressed they get, they always sound great:) Of course, vinyl has a charm that's all its own, and CD is, in most cases, flawless when it comes to clicks and pops. But even a RUclips video or a good streaming at times will get the job done, if the album was amazingly produced:) But of course, holding the actual record album or CD in your hand is priceless:) So, at the end of the day, I'd say that Cds and vinyls are the best. But as you said, you don't need to fork out ridiculous amounts of money to have a great music collection. Take care, and see you soon for another great video:)
I'm right there with you, some records were recorded well and will always sound great. ♥️ I love that we have vinyl and CD's to choose from. 🤗 Thank you for your thoughtful comments. Take care.
🎉Very nicely done, especially the ending. I’ve been building a system (supporting both vinyl and digital) over the last decade, one piece at a time, and now I think I’m at a very happy plateau. The total cost is probably around $20k. I agree with statement that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get very satisfying sound. However, in the end, the equipment and the sound gets better as you spend more money. There are exceptions of course, but I really don’t think the best $500-$1,000 speaker can compare with the best $5,000-$10,000 speaker. Still, we all need to find the system that fits our ear and our budget the best we can. In the end, it is about the music!
I agree. My old speakers that cost 1k wouldn't be able to compare to what I have now. We do have to pay up for better quality. Based on the people that sell nice stereo equipment, people save up for that quality. For most of us, we build on what we have and in time arrive at where we want to be. It would be nice to just walk into a showroom and pay the big bucks but I find the journey I've had to take is very rewarding and worthwhile. I love what I have now and know that it can only get better as I go. How cool is that? Congratulations on the time and effort you have put into building a wonderful system for your vinyl and CD's. Well done. ♥️🤗 Thank you and take care.