In three months of reading Stereophile, I have learned:
Source:
- CDs are forever. The thousand of MP3s I have collected from iTunes are crap.
I've found that I've never in fact listened to the music that I've downloaded from iTunes. The CDs I've ripped to ALAC and HD tracks I've purchased are sonically different from MP3. I can hear incredible detail and frequencies that were absent on my MP3s. I've rediscovered songs that I have owned for years. Genre's that were previously unappealing are now engaging.
Hardware:
- Simple solutions to hardware inadequacies give great results. Through trial and error, I've found that the Meridian Explorer DAC and B&W P3 headphones can give you dramatic results. I suggest upgrading your headphones and buying a simple USB DAC. Something that will cost you ~$600 is best if you can't afford a Hi-Fi system.
- Reviews are a good starting point but you have to listen to speaker systems to see what you like. I've listened to several of the well reviewed bookshelf speakers (KEF LS-50, B&W CM-5, Dynaudio Excite X12). I found only one of them to my liking. Bring your own CDs and sit down for a while and relax. Don't feel like you're in a rush or obligated to buy.
These truths are self-evident, but they deserve mentioning.
In three months of reading Stereophile, I have learned:
Source:
- CDs are forever. The thousand of MP3s I have collected from iTunes are crap.
I've found that I've never in fact listened to the music that I've downloaded from iTunes. The CDs I've ripped to ALAC and HD tracks I've purchased are sonically different from MP3. I can hear incredible detail and frequencies that were absent on my MP3s. I've rediscovered songs that I have owned for years. Genre's that were previously unappealing are now engaging.
Hardware:
- Simple solutions to hardware inadequacies give great results. Through trial and error, I've found that the Meridian Explorer DAC and B&W P3 headphones can give you dramatic results. I suggest upgrading your headphones and buying a simple USB DAC. Something that will cost you ~$600 is best if you can't afford a Hi-Fi system.
- Reviews are a good starting point but you have to listen to speaker systems to see what you like. I've listened to several of the well reviewed bookshelf speakers (KEF LS-50, B&W CM-5, Dynaudio Excite X12). I found only one of them to my liking. Bring your own CDs and sit down for a while and relax. Don't feel like you're in a rush or obligated to buy.
These truths are self-evident, but they deserve mentioning.