Tuesday, January 30, 2007

My hi-fi

Yesterday, my friend asked me to go together with him to MK to buy hi-fi cables. We audited a few cables, on the expensive hifi at the shop. Yes, I can spot the difference of different cables, quite easy indeed.

When I backed home, I tried to listen to the same music with my hifi. OH S__T!!

I know I need a better CD player (I am using DVD now), and I know I need to place my speaker more carefully, and I know my amp is not good enough for hi-end. But the difference is so big! Yes, my set has the power; is good enough to listen to beautiful voices; also good for ensembles with few instruments (even with drum ensembles). But when it comes to big bands, it sucks.

I should never go to hifi demo rooms again.

5 comments:

Frankie Chu said...

Get a decent CD player, a Benchmark DAC (~HK$8,000 from that hi-fi shop at the end of Ap Liu Street) and a decent headphone (visit Mingo's shop http://www.mingo-hmw.com/ and check some out). It's far easier than dealing w/ speaker placement and neighbours' complaints.

Anonymous said...

Forget it. There is nothing small room, small speakers, and/or headphones could do when it comes to big band and orchestral music.

One can't have 'em all.

Toby Chiu said...

I won't use headphone at home. I just want to fill the living room with music, therefore headphone is out of question.

I will change to a better (just better) CD player later, and I am sure the positioning of instruments in big bands and orchestral will be improved. Definitely cannot compare to hi-end ones for sure. But I just want better sound, and I never want to be a real hi-fi fever.

Frankie Chu said...

Toby if you only want to fill your living room with music then getting the positioning right isn't exactly your concern.

I suspect changing from a DVD player to a "better" CD player wouldn't improve the sound field of your equipment. It's the speakers and the room setup.

Toby Chiu said...

Frankie, you are very right about the room setting. My room setting really sucks. The speaker itself should be good enough, but I don't put it on stands and just use pins to support it on my marble fixed-cabinet. I asked few months ago and learn that the original stand for my speaker had been discontinued (the entire series of my speaker has been redesigned, replaced the piano-wood panels with wood, and the prices almost doubled...)

Thanks for your advise Frankie. I can save money... :p