Breaking up with Hi Fi

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Okay so is there a Sale thread of what I understand is a 9 page dilemma thread. Would be nice to see what all is up for grabs, unless I missed that post.

MaSh
 
raghupb said:
@Vivek Batra
Use loudness compensation for "let's not disturb the household" kinda situations.
Use tone controls to tweak "poor" recordings (+/- 3dB in most cases).
In general, if content is from good source or streaming service, let the Luxmans and Fortes have their fun.

Cheers,
Raghu
Click to expand...

Spot on!!
 
I read & get that Vivek likes his system & even does not have any complaints about its output.

However, he is devoid of the contentment & is ineffectual to derive the joy, that MUCH needed Joy outta his system even with support or tweaks.

Hence, I certainly see no point in suggesting or advising Vivek to hold on, hold on & hold on to his system so that he contends than be contented with it.
 
It's actually a simple decision one way or the other.
1. Hold on and work with what's at hand
2. Sell off everything and move on
This thread ain't gonna help you @Vivek Batra to make the decision whatever it may be.

Seriously take option 2 and be done with HiFi.
It's a beast if you don't have patience and inclination.

Cheers,
Raghu
 
I think trying out vintage gear would be a good idea. Small setup with bookshelves.
Possibly that's the sound Vivek is looking for.
 
Naturelover said:
I think trying out vintage gear would be a good idea. Small setup with bookshelves.
Possibly that's the sound Vivek is looking for.
Click to expand...
I would second that. I recently got into vintage equipment and I paired a set of vintage technics speakers with a mini technics amp and was blown away with how good it sounded...especially vinyl. Bang for the buck. Overall investment was 15k
 
arj said:
If thats the case, I suspect you are not listening to the real sound of your speakers/Amps. music is not soft and if you want it as background music then you really need not invest in a stereo..actually Bose and other lifestyle system is the best for with its small and physically disappearing speakers and multi room capability since you can listen to it across the house as a background

Speakers like Klipsch are meant to be enjoyed full range and ideally as an active listening where you can feel the full dynamics of music...Personally I actually prefer headphones when I go for passive listening
Click to expand...
@arj has said it as clearly as possible.

Expanding upon it, I also think that @Vivek Batra could, using this as an opportunity, invest time and effort in ‘learning how to listen music actively’.

I am all for individual choice and freedom in deciding what to do with their lives, work and hobbies including how to pursue them. There’s no harm in remaining a passive/background listener all your life. And if that’s the choice eventually, then Arjun’s advice regarding gear above makes the most sense.

However, if there’s a slightest chance that Vivek, you might want to give yourself, to shed a bit of that reluctance, and explore actively listening to music, this might be a good time. Because, in the possibility that you start enjoying it, like so many of us, you would start valuing your system for what it is truly worth, and in the process, not just salvage the investment, but connect yourself to a lifelong source of unbeatable joy.

And I am not referring to the ‘Music appreciation’ courses that tend to get academic (that can be for later in case one wants to get deeper into a genre); but learning and practising a few basics that could include:

- Sitting in one position for half an hour (at least) at a stretch;
- Without any distraction - mobile/any other
- Deciding on an artist and album to play. Getting in touch with yourself to see what might be in line with your current mood/mindset
- Getting the CD/Vinyl out of its cover and placing it in the slot - all mindfully. Or say opening up the album in Tidal or Roon app again mindfully. Glancing over the cover art and album liners to build the anticipation.
- Getting into your favourite, cosy listening position that gives you proper imaging and hitting ‘play’.
- Close your eyes (helps) and focus on the music, right from the first note (yeah, it’s very important not to miss).
- Focus here doesn’t mean analysis (there are some who do that, it’s a choice, but not essential). Try maintaining a ‘relaxed, yet keen awareness’ - make a small effort on your own and the music will do the rest for you.
- Listen to the instruments, the melody the rhythm, the harmony - pay attention. Don’t need to think it out, but important to experience it. For example, let the melody (and words) build an emotion in you. Or the rhythm start swaying your body. Or the harmony in the music reflecting in an inner harmony.
- Be in touch with your sensations. I’ve found it quite useful. See what the music does to your sensations - the drum roll, the high hats, the taan, the gamak, even the lyrics, and so many other aspects of the music. You needn’t analyse the cause-effect, but just to ‘experience’ the sensation awarefully.
- The mind and body are intricately interconnected. And as the musical immersion starts deepening into the song and album, the mind starts becoming subtler (more perceptive) and the body starts resonating/pulsating, together getting you into a state of harmony and flow.
- And there would be those few lucky times when you transcend with the music - get to a level of heightened awareness that feels blissful. That’s difficult to explain. It’s short-lived, but has a deep effect. One shouldn’t aim for it, it’s best let to happen, if it has to.

There could be other reactions depending on the person and the music. Some might start singing with the singer, some get up and dance, some might play mock rhythm on their thighs/sofa. There’s nothing sacrosanct about it - no one way to listen actively. But whichever way you evolve for yourself, it’s bound to provide disproportionately higher returns to what you’ve invested in it. I’d think every active listener will agree with that.

And yes, it’s important to also understand what active listening is not! It’s not a self-applauding audiophilic exercise with all focus on the hi-fi artefacts (imaging, 3D soundstage, detail, separation, tonality, and what not). All of these are valuable and enhance the listening pleasure, and there can be sittings where one is focused on assessing and improving them. But avoid that consciousness when listening to music. By all means savour the effect of your system’s audiophilic properties as they enrich the listening, but don’t look for them consciously. That will impede the much higher joy which active listening (and even the joy that passive listening) to music can provide.

See if you want to give ‘active listening’ a try, and your system a chance to prove its worth.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I have learnt from both at office and home tasks that brownie points quickly turn into additional responsibilites :p
I usually resort to trade offs , listen to high volume where your wife sits and get scolded at few times. Then listen to your desired volume in your speaker room and say I hope atleast here its ok. Side affects could be speaker remaining and you getting thrown out of your home but worth the risk i would say ;)
 
SachinChavan said:
@arj has said it as clearly as possible.

Expanding upon it, I also think that @Vivek Batra could, using this as an opportunity, invest time and effort in ‘learning how to listen music actively’.

I am all for individual choice and freedom in deciding what to do with their lives, work and hobbies including how to pursue them. There’s no harm in remaining a passive/background listener all your life. And if that’s the choice eventually, then Arjun’s advice regarding gear above makes the most sense.

However, if there’s a slightest chance that Vivek, you might want to give yourself, to shed a bit of that reluctance, and explore actively listening to music, this might be a good time. Because, in the possibility that you start enjoying it, like so many of us, you would start valuing your system for what it is truly worth, and in the process, not just salvage the investment, but connect yourself to a lifelong source of unbeatable joy.

And I am not referring to the ‘Music appreciation’ courses that tend to get academic (that can be for later in case one wants to get deeper into a genre); but learning and practising a few basics that could include:

- Sitting in one position for half an hour (at least) at a stretch;
- Without any distraction - mobile/any other
- Deciding on an artist and album to play. Getting in touch with yourself to see what might be in line with your current mood/mindset
- Getting the CD/Vinyl out of its cover and placing it in the slot - all mindfully. Or say opening up the album in Tidal or Roon app again mindfully. Glancing over the cover art and album liners to build the anticipation.
- Getting into your favourite, cosy listening position that gives you proper imaging and hitting ‘play’.
- Close your eyes (helps) and focus on the music, right from the first note (yeah, it’s very important not to miss).
- Focus here doesn’t mean analysis (there are some who do that, it’s a choice, but not essential). Try maintaining a ‘relaxed, yet keen awareness’ - make a small effort on your own and the music will do the rest for you.
- Listen to the instruments, the melody the rhythm, the harmony - pay attention. Don’t need to think it out, but important to experience it. For example, let the melody (and words) build an emotion in you. Or the rhythm start swaying your body. Or the harmony in the music reflecting in an inner harmony.
- Be in touch with your sensations. I’ve found it quite useful. See what the music does to your sensations - the drum roll, the high hats, the taan, the gamak, even the lyrics, and so many other aspects of the music. You needn’t analyse the cause-effect, but just to ‘experience’ the sensation awarefully.
- The mind and body are intricately interconnected. And as the musical immersion starts deepening into the song and album, the mind starts becoming subtler (more perceptive) and the body starts resonating/pulsating, together getting you into a state of harmony and flow.
- And there would be those few lucky times when you transcend with the music - get to a level of heightened awareness that feels blissful. That’s difficult to explain. It’s short-lived, but has a deep effect. One shouldn’t aim for it, it’s best let to happen, if it has to.

There could be other reactions depending on the person and the music. Some might start singing with the singer, some get up and dance, some might play mock rhythm on their thighs/sofa. There’s nothing sacrosanct about it - no one way to listen actively. But whichever way you evolve for yourself, it’s bound to provide disproportionately higher returns to what you’ve invested in it. I’d think every active listener will agree with that.

And yes, it’s important to also understand what active listening is not! It’s not a self-applauding audiophilic exercise with all focus on the hi-fi artefacts (imaging, 3D soundstage, detail, separation, tonality, and what not). All of these are valuable and enhance the listening pleasure, and there can be sittings where one is focused on assessing and improving them. But avoid that consciousness when listening to music. By all means savour the effect of your system’s audiophilic properties as they enrich the listening, but don’t look for them consciously. That will impede the much higher joy which active listening (and even the joy that passive listening) to music can provide.

See if you want to give ‘active listening’ a try, and your system a chance to prove its worth.
Click to expand...

that looks like a beginners guide to music listening course
 
SachinChavan said:
@arj has said it as clearly as possible.

Expanding upon it, I also think that @Vivek Batra could, using this as an opportunity, invest time and effort in ‘learning how to listen music actively’.

I am all for individual choice and freedom in deciding what to do with their lives, work and hobbies including how to pursue them. There’s no harm in remaining a passive/background listener all your life. And if that’s the choice eventually, then Arjun’s advice regarding gear above makes the most sense.

However, if there’s a slightest chance that Vivek, you might want to give yourself, to shed a bit of that reluctance, and explore actively listening to music, this might be a good time. Because, in the possibility that you start enjoying it, like so many of us, you would start valuing your system for what it is truly worth, and in the process, not just salvage the investment, but connect yourself to a lifelong source of unbeatable joy.

And I am not referring to the ‘Music appreciation’ courses that tend to get academic (that can be for later in case one wants to get deeper into a genre); but learning and practising a few basics that could include:

- Sitting in one position for half an hour (at least) at a stretch;
- Without any distraction - mobile/any other
- Deciding on an artist and album to play. Getting in touch with yourself to see what might be in line with your current mood/mindset
- Getting the CD/Vinyl out of its cover and placing it in the slot - all mindfully. Or say opening up the album in Tidal or Roon app again mindfully. Glancing over the cover art and album liners to build the anticipation.
- Getting into your favourite, cosy listening position that gives you proper imaging and hitting ‘play’.
- Close your eyes (helps) and focus on the music, right from the first note (yeah, it’s very important not to miss).
- Focus here doesn’t mean analysis (there are some who do that, it’s a choice, but not essential). Try maintaining a ‘relaxed, yet keen awareness’ - make a small effort on your own and the music will do the rest for you.
- Listen to the instruments, the melody the rhythm, the harmony - pay attention. Don’t need to think it out, but important to experience it. For example, let the melody (and words) build an emotion in you. Or the rhythm start swaying your body. Or the harmony in the music reflecting in an inner harmony.
- Be in touch with your sensations. I’ve found it quite useful. See what the music does to your sensations - the drum roll, the high hats, the taan, the gamak, even the lyrics, and so many other aspects of the music. You needn’t analyse the cause-effect, but just to ‘experience’ the sensation awarefully.
- The mind and body are intricately interconnected. And as the musical immersion starts deepening into the song and album, the mind starts becoming subtler (more perceptive) and the body starts resonating/pulsating, together getting you into a state of harmony and flow.
- And there would be those few lucky times when you transcend with the music - get to a level of heightened awareness that feels blissful. That’s difficult to explain. It’s short-lived, but has a deep effect. One shouldn’t aim for it, it’s best let to happen, if it has to.

There could be other reactions depending on the person and the music. Some might start singing with the singer, some get up and dance, some might play mock rhythm on their thighs/sofa. There’s nothing sacrosanct about it - no one way to listen actively. But whichever way you evolve for yourself, it’s bound to provide disproportionately higher returns to what you’ve invested in it. I’d think every active listener will agree with that.

And yes, it’s important to also understand what active listening is not! It’s not a self-applauding audiophilic exercise with all focus on the hi-fi artefacts (imaging, 3D soundstage, detail, separation, tonality, and what not). All of these are valuable and enhance the listening pleasure, and there can be sittings where one is focused on assessing and improving them. But avoid that consciousness when listening to music. By all means savour the effect of your system’s audiophilic properties as they enrich the listening, but don’t look for them consciously. That will impede the much higher joy which active listening (and even the joy that passive listening) to music can provide.

See if you want to give ‘active listening’ a try, and your system a chance to prove its worth.
Click to expand...
I thought I was a reasonably serious listener, till I read this. Now I am question my all my recent audio purchases :mad:
 
How I actively listen to music. (Only recommended for children above the age of 40.)

Open the bar cabinet. Take out my favorite whiskey. Probably even blow it a kiss. Pour myself a generous portion. Sniff, twirl or twirl, sniff depending on my mood. Make sure I know where my chair is. Turn off the lights. Take a deep swig. Hit play. Start moving / dancing (depending on which drink I am on)
 
ssf said:
How I actively listen to music. (Only recommended for children above the age of 40.)

Open the bar cabinet. Take out my favorite whiskey. Probably even blow it a kiss. Pour myself a generous portion. Sniff, twirl or twirl, sniff depending on my mood. Make sure I know where my chair is. Turn off the lights. Take a deep swig. Hit play. Start moving / dancing (depending on which drink I am on)
Click to expand...
You forgot to turn on music.
 
ssf said:
How I actively listen to music. (Only recommended for children above the age of 40.)

Open the bar cabinet. Take out my favorite whiskey. Probably even blow it a kiss. Pour myself a generous portion. Sniff, twirl or twirl, sniff depending on my mood. Make sure I know where my chair is. Turn off the lights. Take a deep swig. Hit play. Start moving / dancing (depending on which drink I am on)
Click to expand...
That will only qualify as 'active drinking' ;) (which I wholeheartedly endorse)
 
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