I am sorry to say, but I am spoiled. I just do not appreciate ANY low end home audio systems. I don’t bother with Sony, Kenwood, RCA, BOSE, etc…
I’m not talking about computer speakers, or about portable sound. These systems are just not able to perform like I want them too. Their usage requirements simply does not allow for high quality results.
I must explain why I feel this way. I hope others may understand where I am coming from. I believe this could save others from making mistakes.
As a teenager I wanted loud music! I didn’t pay much attention to how it sounded. I grew up learning that loud music is slightly distorted, and later when I started to listen to higher end systems I had to re-teach myself how to judge what is “loud”.
I found that the more expensive equipment would become VERY loud without me even knowing it. I quickly learned how mistaken I was when I would shut the system off and had ringing in my ears for the rest of the day. Now I know why the salesman didn’t stick around for very long when I requested him to turn it up. He wanted to save his ears for later in his life. This brought me to the next level of understanding what good speakers should sound like.
I started finding myself walking into Stereo Shops and talking with the employees. I would bring my own music, and I would have them put it in. Of course the employee would turn up the volume, but I would quickly request that he turn it down. I didn’t need to listen to high volumes very long to tell the ability of speakers to play loud music. I simply used volume as a judgment of how the speakers behave under stress, and if they would support the extreme peaks in my movies.
I found myself going to stores that would spend the time bringing in speakers from another room, and hooking them up. If I wanted to compare speakers, the only two speakers in the room would be the two I was listening too. I read over and over again in magazines that volume levels and speaker placement were VERY important to the music experience, and the quality of my comparisons. I expected that the sales man would not only understand this, but would attempt to meet these needs.
I would always test the speakers at volumes where I could talk to the sales man without raising my voice. In fact, I found myself spending the most time listening to speakers at these lower volumes. I found good equipment would free me from only enjoying loud music.
My life with music changing quickly changed after I bought my first pair of “high end” speakers. No longer did I need to blast my brains out with high volumes to feel the music. The hair on the back of my neck would rise at very low volume levels. I could now listen to the music all day long at low volumes without loosing any part of the music or the experience.
Of course I still pump the volume up, but now the feel of the base against my skin makes me shiver and not the volume of the system.
What freedom!
I don’t recommend buying $10k systems, unless you have money to burn. I would recommend spending $2,500 or more on 5 speakers and a sub. I just haven’t found a good 5.1 system for less.
I am anything but rich. I find myself saving for a long time to buy my next pair of speakers. I always buy used speakers, knowing that if the system quality drops as the drivers get real old, that I could exchange my drivers without spending ungodly amounts of money.
As I said, I am not rich. I don’t even own a complete 5.1 system yet. In fact, I own a old pro-logic receiver and ONE set of speakers with a sub. I finally have enough money to buy 3 more speakers and a new receiver that could power them.
My first pair of speakers where Thiel’s CS.5! I spent $800 and couldn’t be happier. I later bought a sub woofer. That was about 5 years ago! I wouldn’t change a thing. I was more satisfied with movies in stereo then I would have ever been if I bought a low quality 5.1 system.
High end speakers from good manufactures should last you a life time. Good companies provide exchange programs that last well over 20 years. These exchange programs provide the consumer with re-coned drivers for your used drivers at really reasonable prices. If the company doesn’t provide this service for their 20 year old equipment, then I wouldn’t consider them a quality company.
My father has a pair of 30 year old speakers with paper cones. The drivers where so old the cones started to fall apart. The company who made the speakers was bought by another speaker company. That new company provided 2 re-coned drivers in exchange for his old ones. He spent less then $150, and the sound from these speakers is as good as the day he bought them. These speakers still sound AMAZING!
Mike
