What's your golden rule or "10 Commandments" in this hobby?

[Dan]

1. Japan has the brains. (electronics)
2. Germany for mechanical engineering. (speakers)
3. U.S.A for butt whoopin power. (amps)
4. Great Britain for the music. (Led Zeppelin)
5. Canada for the whisky. (Crown Royal)
6. China for the glass to put the whisky in.
7. Fill glass with whisky.
8. Turn system on.
9. Insert Zeppelin.
10. Consume whisky.

Have you heard this (old) definition of heaven and hell?

Heaven is where:
The police are British,
The cooks are French,
The mechanics are German,
The lovers are Italian,
And it's all organized by the Swiss.

Hell is where:
The cooks are British,
The mechanics are French,
The police are German,
The lovers are Swiss,
And it's all organized by the Italians!

 

[Leprkon]

Have you heard this (old) definition of heaven and hell?

Heaven is where:
The police are British,
The cooks are French,
The mechanics are German,
The lovers are Italian,
And it's all organized by the Swiss.

you forgot:

the waitresses are Swedish and
the people who write audio instruction manuals use English as their primary language

 

[Quig]

1. Japan has the brains. (electronics)
2. Germany for mechanical engineering. (speakers)
3. U.S.A for butt whoopin power. (amps)
4. Great Britain for the music. (Led Zeppelin)
5. Canada for the whisky. (Crown Royal)
6. China for the glass to put the whisky in.
7. Fill glass with whisky.
8. Turn system on.
9. Insert Zeppelin.
10. Consume whisky.

Well said.

 

[WoodieB]

Except for #5

Scotland for the whiskey (The MacAllen)

Canada gave us Crown Royal and Celine Dion and we haven't even bombed them yet.

 

[zumbo]

Canada also gave us Rush. They are the bomb!

 

[mustang_steve]

Pretty much the same for me:

1) cables only matter so long as they are of the proper impedance and design...gains are very small at the least, and any loudspeaker buck per gain is a better upgrade.

2) components have little difference once you get into the better gear, but have more gains than cables....still until your speakers are paramount, it's not a valid concern outside of gee-whizz factor.

3) power is power, regulation is not needed, just get a noise filter if your worried about noise in your line and go enjoy some music already

4) please for the love of god, dont try to buy a micro-wonder system and expect it to sound good...5.25" 2-ways are pretty much the baseline, and for decent bass a 6.5" 2-way...anyhting less, and expect less.

5) more power does not equal better sound...better amp design equals better sound.

6) ruler flat response will reveal everything that is bad in your music...if you want to listen to mediocre recordings, either don't go there or have a second system that sounds good with those recordings around. I've learned that the hard way.

8) the room design is one of the largest factors in the final sound reproduction $50,000 speakers in a untreated room, placed right up to the wall is sacrilage, and makes my children which have not even been conceived yet cry....I can hear them right now.

9) Don't worry about trends, if you look for what performs well, that's all you need.

10) The GlenFidditch goes into the mouth, not onto the shirt.

 

[plhart]

TUNE FOR MAXIMUM SMOKE

 

[hopjohn]

1. No one with a credit limit ever told themselves that they don't have money.

2. If time keeps changing, so will your system.

3. If you can't tell the difference between product A and Product B, then find out why before you buy either.

4. Buying something on sale has never saved anyone money, only cost them less.

5. If a penny saved is a penny earned, is the money I spend unearned?

6. Only trust what you know, not what someone tells you you know, you know?

7. Knowing what value is and what values are will take you a long way in this hobby.

8. Snake oil is to audio, as poop is to a cow pasture. You have to watch where you step, 'cus there's always gonna be some.

9. Resourcefulness is where a thin wallet and a good idea meet.

10. Having knowledge is one thing, having experience is another, it's only when you have both that people give you credence.

 

[Audiosouse]

Canada gave us Crown Royal and Celine Dion and we haven't even bombed them yet.

...says Dubbya sipping a Colt 45 while cranking out Whitney Houston on his Bose Lifestyle system...

We also gave you Molson Export and Pamela Anderson...let's call it even.

I recommend Schenley O.F.C. and Diana Krall.

And if your pilots are as good as your World Cup Hockey team, I think we're safe.

Contradictory Commandments
Emotional:
1. If it aint broke...break it so you can buy a new one.
2. My tastes are simple...I am always satisfied with the best.
3. Budget is a word meaning "can't afford it".
4. Never heard of it, it must be really good!
5. ...but the chief enemy of good is better!

Logical:
5. The Rule of Fives states that "You pay about five times the price for far less than one-fifth of the improvement in sound quality." - Doug Schneider
6. Research
7. Measure
8. Listen
9. Negotiate (pride will heal, bank account won't)
10. She'll get over it and your black eye will heal in no time!

 

[WorkerBee]

{ use your own judgement }.

{ don't force your opinion upon others }

{ involve your better half so they can get enjoyment too }

{ don't put yourself in the poor house buying stereo equipment }

{ don't hap-hazzardly pick out a movie, some of them really are lemons }

I also really like the contradictory commandments mentioned /\bove.

 

[sjdgpt]

Speaking of Hockey.... at least 2 of OUR national sports are still playing, and spring training is just right around the corner .

 

[JoeE SP9]

Golden Rules

This is easy to answer.

1. Make sure that you are happy with your rig. Or at least as happy as your spouse will allow.

2. If your $2 or $2,000 cable or any piece of gear makes you happy everyone else can go bite!

3. See rule number 1.

 

[aspaceintime]

Number 1 - Before I did anything, I researched this site. Lots of great info and help. No question is dumb. There are many who are just getting into HT...Number 2, measure 3x, cut once, Number 3 read reviews, Number 4 someone will ALWAYS have something better, Number 5 enjoy, enjoy, enjoy. 6-10, save your money so you can cure upgrade itis

 

[HookedOnSound]

That's a good one.

And always have a few hundred bucks in a slush fund that your wife doesn't know about, just in case a really good deal comes up.

And rather than try to make stuff look dusty and well planted, I simply tell my wife about any purchases. Of course, the price she hears about may be lots less than reality.

"Honey, can you believe it! This guy was selling these Martin Logans at a garage sale for $40!"

And I thought I was the only one using those lines...lol

I would like to add a third: Sometimes it's easier to ask for forgiveness (from your wife) than to ask for permission

 

[bpape]

1. Get the significant other involved. Take her along for final auditioning. Not only does this get buy-in but it also helps train the ear so SHE can see/hear the difference. When you go somewhere else and the wife comes over and says 'is it just me or does that not sound right?' - you've won.
2. Always find something more expensive to audition than what you really want.
3. Listen for yourself. Listen to live music when you can. It's the best reference around. Select components that enable you to recreate that live sound as closely as possible based on the type of music you like. Everyone's idea of perfection is slightly different.
4. Be realisitc about what you can expect for your budget/situation
5. When you upgrade, be willing to buy less pieces of better quality - you'll be happier in the long run. If you have $2k to spend, buy a GOOD sub or a GOOD set of front speakers - don't try to get a whole 5.1 system all at once. You'll only upgrade more often, spend more money, and take longer to get a really nice system together.
6. Don't EVER believe any of the extreme views on any topic. As in the real world, the best answer is generally in the gray area in the middle.
7. Find a good dealer and patronize them. This allows you to do things like take equipment home for in-home auditions.
8. Buy within your tolerance to tweak. If you want a 'set and forget' setup, don't buy a CRT, don't buy an HTPC, etc. IF you love to tweak and have to have the last iota of perfection - fine
9. Don't forget the room. A fair system in a great room will be a better overall experience than a great system in a poor room.
10. Don't get so caught up in the equipment and technology that you neglect to sit and enjoy the music - after all, that's why you bought all this stuff!