[Syan25]

Traditionally - would one assume to start with the source components - but there are plenty of people out there who started their systems from the headphone choice or even the amp choice...
For me - I fell in love with amps and speakers and then went from there until I got the sound that made the music audible heaven
 
 
Please add your comments here...
 
Portable:
1. Amp - SR-71A
2. Headphones: Shure SRH 840/ Beyer DT-880's/ HD 600
3. Ipod 160 GB
4. Cables: RSA LOD 
 
 
PC:
1. Soundcard: Blaster X-Fi
2. Yulong DAC D100
3. Amp - SR-71A
4. Headphones: Shure SRH/ HD 600
5. Stock USB cable
 
Home HiFi:
1. Speakers: B& W 803s
2. Amp: Mc Intosh MA6600
3. Source: McIntosh SACD CD301
4. Cables: Van Hueyn

 

[WasabiJ]

• MacBook Pro
• FiiO E7 (via USB)
• iPod classic 80GB with FiiO LOD.
• Sony MDR XB-700's (haven't seen them yet )
• Sony MDR XB-1000's (same )
• FiiO E9

 
With customs holding my phones hostage, I feel really silly because I have nothing really worthwhile to drive.  I AM noticing a difference in quality in just my cheap headphones though, so I know the equipment is worth the price, but without the full experience, it's just... disappointing for now.

 

[Syan25]

Sounds like a nice set-up!

 

[phosition 1]

I am quite new at this. My decisions are roughly composed as such: 25% research, 10% aesthetics, 15% monetary funds, and 50% blind leaps of faith.
 
Already had prior to audiophilism:
Macbookpro
 
Purchases/Future Building:
1. Denon D2000
2. Audinst Mx-1
3. Mogwai - "Hardcore WIll Never Die, But You Will."   ;   Colin Stetson - "New History Warfare Vol.2 =Judges="  

...

4. Kicas Caliente (purchased over head-fi... should be at my door next week!)
 
...5,6,7? Integrated Amp?...PSB Image B's???...next pair of headphones????
 

 

[MomijiTMO]

I've done a lot of blind leaps .
 
As for research, well I think all you can do is get more confused. There are a lot of false truths posted here and after a few months you'll see how silly it gets.

 

[phosition 1]

Quote:

I've done a lot of blind leaps .
 
As for research, well I think all you can do is get more confused. There are a lot of false truths posted here and after a few months you'll see how silly it gets.

 
Two months ago comparisons and reviews were all I really used - they are probably how I chose the Mx-1. But now I'm starting to use them as picture guides, prospective setup capabilities, and new, comparable equipment contenders. Any way I put it, this whole audioholic thing is pure sport, and I love it so far.
 
I'm also starting to be able to get a sense of those posters who are actually speaking "truths" and those who are just sort of talking jibberish... with no real meaning to what they are saying.
 

 

[Syan25]

You speak wisely - I also agree that there can be alot of jibberish,

About set ups - it does seem that for PC audio - starting with the computer is a smart move. Only now - am I changing my PC innards to suit audio recording, mixing and of course playback enjoyment ... it seems I went about it as an after thought - until recently, I had never taken PC audio too seriously...I was always more of a hi-fi man...

 

[phosition 1]

Quote:

You speak wisely - I also agree that there can be alot of jibberish,

About set ups - it does seem that for PC audio - starting with the computer is a smart move. Only now - am I changing my PC innards to suit audio recording, mixing and of course playback enjoyment ... it seems I went about it as an after thought - until recently, I had never taken PC audio too seriously...I was always more of a hi-fi man...

I was browsing through some digital music magazine, and saw things much more complicated than a head-fi setup. What sorts of "innards" are you changing? Recording and mixing is an after thought for me right now, so this is an interesting idea. I personally always felt Digital Audio, as compared to an analog setup, gave a much wider spectrum technologically, but I think this is pretty much a given and most people on these forums would agree with that. An analog setup, on the other hand, has a wider spectrum sensationally. The choosing of one or the other, at least for me, could be made by answering the question as whether you wished to explore music, and music only (analog), or if you wished to explore music and the era it exists in (digital). Well, maybe not the "era", but at least the generation.
 
 

 

[Uncle Erik]

I started with good headphones. Digital sources aren't all that different - that's a holdover from Linn's advertising campaign from the 1970s. The same guy who thought that having an undriven speaker in the room was the worst thing ever. No joke. He knocked that silliness off after some blind tests with an undriven speaker in the room.

But in 40 years, a lot has changed. Back then, a good turntable was important. A good turntable is still important. But there were no digital sources at the time. I haven't really heard a genuinely bad digital source, save for some computers that add RFI to the signal.

Most important is the recording quality. Next are headphones. A bit below that is the amp. Analog sources are important, but beyond that, digital sources and cables make little to no difference.

Which is why I invested in good recordings - I have quite a few great SACDs, CDs, and LPs. I invested in a good turntable, too. A couple of very good amps came after that - the Zana Deux and Moth Si2A3. They were the icing on the cake. My digital sources are a Marantz SA8001, a Technics DVD-A10, and a clone of a Pass Labs D1 (needs finishing, though, I don't have much ripped to lossless right now).

So get the headphones you want, find the best available recordings of your music, and worry about the rest later.

 

[Syan25]

I totally agree with uncle Erik - always start with the recordings and then the source component. As for digital sound - from the mixing, editing and of course recording side - I think digital is totally the way to go - it is far better than the older ways of recording and anyone who says different is in my opinion in sane.

Having said that - for listening purposes - I believe analog is the BEST way to hear music. These days - the cycle is - from analog source ( if not MIDI) to digital recording - digital processing of the recording - and then playback converted to analog -

This to me is the best of both worlds and are quite interdependent on each other - we have it lucky in this day and age - we get to have our cake and eat it.

 

[phosition 1]

Uncle Erik,
You have taken all the fun out of head-fi! Why worry later, when I can worry now? A head-fi system can't simply be for musical enjoyment. If that was our only aspiration, then this entire philosophy of "entry-level" systems would be a waste of time and money. If music was the only reason for building a system to represent music as it is naturally produced, why not go straight to the pinnacle, or the "flagship" system? As far as the best quality recordings go, why buy top-notch hiking gear if you are only going to hike  a 100ft hill? There is certainly something more to this hobby then simply music, I wonder what it is?

 

[pp312]

 
Quote:

Uncle Erik,
You have taken all the fun out of head-fi! Why worry later, when I can worry now? A head-fi system can't simply be for musical enjoyment. If that was our only aspiration, then this entire philosophy of "entry-level" systems would be a waste of time and money. If music was the only reason for building a system to represent music as it is naturally produced, why not go straight to the pinnacle, or the "flagship" system? As far as the best quality recordings go, why buy top-notch hiking gear if you are only going to hike  a 100ft hill? There is certainly something more to this hobby then simply music, I wonder what it is?

Hmmm...looks like this guy may have sussed out what this hobby is really all about. He may even have got tired of being a Beta and stopped taking his medication. You guys know what has to be done.
 
 

 

 

[TheOtus]

Portable started something like 5 years ago with Creative MuVo 1Gb, what a great device back then. Really durable too. Used mostly the stock buds or some cheap ones. I sort of understood something back then too, noticed quite a differences between them, and really enjoyed one of Koss' buds, can't remember the model though. Later I got an iPod and Koss portaPro, and from that moment, we've been living happily together, very. Also using Maxell's in-ears, which really are suprisingly good.
 
My main rig started out with the same portaPro I suppose. Started to seek for something better, and ended up with AKG K142HD, and ended up selling them for the sake of my ears, so uncomfortable even after weeks. Next step was Audio-Technica ATH-W1000X and Musical fidelity X-Can V8P, which I enjoyed a lot. Then I upgraded my PC's soundcard, bought an Esi MAYA44, for a better DAC and optical out, my old PC didn't have one. Then Musical Fidelity M1DAC. Next was selling the X-Can V8P... And next friday I'm going for a new amp, most likely the M1HPA.
 
And an upgrade that's going on forever is buying CD's... 243 so far, pretty modest still.

 

[Dreaming Of A Better ...]

....

 

[xtcriott]

1. Built computer years ago(nothing special audio wise
2. Sansa Fuze V2
3. Meelec M6
4. cmoyBB amp
5. Fiio E5
6. Audio-gd FUN(just got yesterday from fellow head-fier)
*7. Denon AHD2000/other full size headphones(still researching, but leaning on the Denons)

*Future purchase