Which HI-Fis are worth getting?

redgull44 said:Let’s be brutally honest here: high-end hi-fi simply doesn't exist for $500.

How on earth can you claim it doesn't exist—what kind of nonsense are you talking about? I personally spotted some serious hi-fi gear over at $266, and they were even offering a 20% discount for cash transactions!!!!!!!!😁 🙂

I think you're exaggerating a bit. If you're aiming for the absolute top tier, you didn't even mention the audio Note Kegon—arguably the most expensive amplifier on the planet at $833333 😁
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Kevin Chavez3 said:A friend of mine has this old fifty-inch Panasonic setup, and honestly, I have never heard anything quite as muddy or lifeless in my entire life. It’s really no wonder why Susan Nguyen85 listens to what she does, because even the Buzzcocks would sound incredibly depressing playing through a system like that...

Yeah, sure, because if I had a better system, I guess Joy Division would suddenly sound as upbeat as Britney Spears, right? 😁
And does this friend of yours have one of those cheap subwoofers that lets you toggle settings for heavy, clear, soft, disco, live, and hall? If he’s got it set to live or hall, it isn't any surprise at all that everything sounds muffled.

PrittPen said:(by the way, Susan Nguyen85, you probably don't even have what people would call actual hi-fi, just a boosted shelf system—you couldn't find that kind of setup for $700 if you tried. plus, what you're running right now could easily be picked up for $500)

If you're actually looking to buy some legitimate, high-end hi-fi, you're going to have to shell out at least 10 $0.00 for all the extra components. My younger brother is set up that way. He has a massive collection of high-end speakers and an endless array of premium gear to ensure sound quality, all from Technics. He just happens to have the money, whereas you can't exactly tell someone looking for a $1,500 system that they should really go out and spend $10,000.
As for me, the sound from my current system still holds up pretty well... sure, it needs a little cleaning up here and there, but I can definitely hold out for another 😁

Susan Nguyen85 said:Oh, please. If I had gear that good, Joy Division would sound as bubbly as Britney Spears, wouldn't they? 😁
And does this friend of yours have that fancy woofer setting? You know, the one that supposedly changes the sound for heavy, clear, soft, disco, live, and hall modes? If he’s got it set to live or hall, no wonder everything sounds muddy.

I can't believe you! I listened to Joy Division through a Marantz model 7 preamp, a Marantz model 9 power amp, a Marantz CD-7, and B&W Nautilus 801 speakers, and—total Britney! 😁 😁 😁

Yeah, well, he has his little "lucid" tricks too, but his setup just sounds muddy to everyone. What can you do...

ironfalcon18 said:I think you're exaggerating a bit. If you're aiming for the absolute top tier, you haven't even factored in the audio Note Kegon—arguably the most expensive amplifier on the planet, priced at $833333 😁 .

And even that doesn't hit the ceiling. I remember reading about this monoblock tube amp in an old issue of T3—it’s basically crafted out of pure silver. We're talking close to a million pounds (the name escapes me). Apparently, the manufacturer claims a couple of wealthy idiots actually bought five of them just to build a home theater setup... 😁

Anyway, Ziggy, you can get a perfectly decent Hi-Fi setup for just 500 $0.00...

🤣 Pure nonsense... 🤣

Richard Howard2, I suspect you're right about the trend 😁 You can actually find high-end hi-fi for $3333 enough to sound great without paying for a new Mercedes-Benz. Susan Nguyen85, you're saying your relative dropped $3333 on a line of Technics gear? 😲 Is he out of his mind? Technics just isn't worth that kind of money. In the world of hi-fi, if there's such a thing as cheap mass-market junk, it's Technics. Especially those amplifiers—they aren't up to par, still using chips at the output instead of actual transistors.

Richard Howard2 said:There was talk about some mono tube amp made mostly out of pure silver—supposedly priced at around a million pounds.

It’s likely the audio Note Kegon—where the wiring is all high-purity silver, totaling roughly 24 kilos per mono block...😁

Though I doubt the price tag is actually that astronomical...

Richard Howard2 said:So, what would you actually recommend when you're looking to pick something like this up?
If you're looking to pick up one of those mini-systems, I’d suggest sticking with Aiwa or Kenwood. To my ears, they actually deliver the best sound. As for Sony, they're just... well, you know.
The budget speaker line is basically junk. Who actually designs these things?

Wait a second, didn't Sony pick up Aiwa a couple of years ago just to use them as a testing ground for new products? If an Aiwa model actually moves units, they’ll probably just slap a Sony logo on it and call it a day.
So, you're asking if Sony and Aiwa actually hold up these days, now that they're basically the same company? What do you expect?
I find myself staring at the Sony MHC-WZ5 again. Why bother? Here’s the photo.

Tyler Grant86 said:I’m betting it’s an audio Note Kegon setup where they’ve used enough pure silver wiring in those mono blocks to weigh in at about 50 pounds total...😁

though I doubt the price tag is actually that astronomical...

They probably ship that thing via a semi-truck when you order it, or 😕 😁

as for Technics, honestly, that's pretty much the bottom-of-the-barrel hi-fi you can get your hands on...
and don't even get me started on the Nautilus stuff...😍

this happens to be the Prestige series anyway
so I don't think many of them will actually show up.😁

Those speakers from the link are priced at roughly $110,000.

ironfalcon18 said:Susan Nguyen85, you mentioned that your relative was the one who gave it to you. $3333 Regarding that line from Technics. 😲 Is he actually serious right now, thinking that Technics isn't worth the investment?

I saw some parts from his Technics and Sony setup last time I caught a glimpse of that massive monster of a system he's running.
I haven't personally owned any Technics gear myself, but I know plenty of people who swear by them, and they all say it’s a top-tier company. To be honest, I don't really have much experience with their stuff, but the reputation seems solid enough. 😕
When it comes to my music setup, I've pretty much gone all-in on Sony and Panasonic gear.

Technics sucks! 😁
I used to have some Pioneer gear, and it was alright, I guess, but it sat in my attic way too long and ended up getting trashed. 😁

Burzum said:Those speakers from the link are roughly $110,000.

No. They actually run closer to $55,000. If we are talking about the absolute peak of mass production, the most expensive single speaker globally would be the Martin Luther King Jr. Statement, sitting at approximately $125,000. After that, you have Focal. Then comes the JBL at about $100,000, followed by the rest of the heavy hitters like Wilson Watt / Puppy, Avalon Eidolon Diamond, Audio Physics Kronos, and so on. Only then would one even consider mentioning the B&W Nautilus.