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If You Could Start Over With Your HiFi Journey?

Paulssurround

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In my long and winding road to reach musical satisfaction and enjoyment, has me contemplating whether I might have taken a different journey for my choices in HiFi equipment and speakers.

Would you have followed a different path in hindsight?

My first high end stereo was using an Audio Research SP3A preamp and power amp with Magneplanar speakers and a Rega P3. I loved the sound quality of the mids and highs and the 3 dimensional sound stage that the Magneplanars provided. Stomach punching bass was not that important to me at the time, even though I had previously owned JBL speakers with 15 inch woofers

I could have stayed in the same journey with tube preamps and power amps, upgrade my turntables and cartridges over the years and probably been very happy with my stereo system. There probably would have been no cable upgrades, room acoustic treatment, music streaming or concerns about power supplies and other upgrades.

Somehow, my Linn journey took me on a completely different path that opened new doors and dimensions that I could never have contemplated in the past.

My Linn world opened up to Aktiv speakers, multiple channels of amplification for each individual speaker cabinet, Exakt technology, playing 5.1 surround music, music streaming, and Space optimisation. I discovered that there is a whole new world of experience with my quest for better sound quality, that explored ways to get higher levels of performance out of my Linn.

I would never have travelled to Europe to meet so many Linn owners or having visited Linn headquarters and met the owners and engineers responsible for building and designing my Linn system. I have had the opportunity to hear almost every kind of Linn system ever made and expanded my knowledge of HiFi and music. Most importantly, I met so many amazing Linn owners in person in my journey and the friendships I have made

My HiFi system has never sounded better than it does now, and what an incredible experience this has been.

This journey has been life changing for me, and for that I am truly grateful
 
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Chris 1970

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Audio Research SP3A preamp and power amp with Magneplanar speakers and a Rega P3
Hello Paul,

Interesting tread!

Your first high end system is in fact a dream one, for sure with these speakers and electronics… I could have been happy with this too :)

And you're right: more bass, more control of each driver conduct you to… more control of the room! Something that was not absolutely necessary with your first choice.

But what I can say from my own experience – even more now with digital up to analog in musicality – your first system couldn't translate the rythmic section of a jazz band, the size of a grand piano, or the complexity and energy of a Radiohead tune…
The sound was beautiful, open and vivid, but you missed the variety of sound, that makes the variety of mood and expression.

How many times I told myself (before DSM): with this tune, a tube amp would be fantastic… and so much softer!

But if so, for every tune and style, would I listen to contemporary music or Eric Dolphy today?

Perhaps I would listen only to what sweets the system… :)
 

akamatsu

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When I saw the title of this thread, I started composing a reply in my head. I thought starting over with my musical journey would be like erasing my past and starting over in life. My record collection is like a chronology of my life. E.g., back in the early 1990s, I was hanging out with a woman from Argentina who happened to be a classical pianist. She was into Beethoven‘s sonatas performed by Alfred Brendel. I still have quite a collection of such LPs. Playing them now would send me back to that time in my life. So starting over is a rather ridiculous notion.

Music is music. Hifi is hifi.
 
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Paulssurround

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When I saw the title of this thread, I started composing a reply in my head. I thought starting over with my musical journey would be like erasing my past and starting over in life. My record collection is like a chronology of my life. E.g., back in the early 1990s, I was hanging out with a woman from Argentina who happened to be a classical pianist. She was into Beethoven‘s sonatas performed by Alfred Brendel. I still have quite a collection of such LPs. Playing them now would send me back to that time in my life. So starting over is a rather ridiculous notion.

Music is music. Hifi is hifi.
Thanks, I just changed the title of the thread
 
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Paulssurround

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Hello Paul,

Interesting tread!

Your first high end system is in fact a dream one, for sure with these speakers and electronics… I could have been happy with this too :)

And you're right: more bass, more control of each driver conduct you to… more control of the room! Something that was not absolutely necessary with your first choice.

But what I can say from my own experience – even more now with digital up to analog in musicality – your first system couldn't translate the rythmic section of a jazz band, the size of a grand piano, or the complexity and energy of a Radiohead tune…
The sound was beautiful, open and vivid, but you missed the variety of sound, that makes the variety of mood and expression.

How many times I told myself (before DSM): with this tune, a tube amp would be fantastic… and so much softer!

But if so, for every tune and style, would I listen to contemporary music or Eric Dolphy today?

Perhaps I would listen only to what sweets the system… :)
Thank you Chris

Yes, you are right about the tube electronics with Magneplanars. It was a very sweet setup indeed.

When I first started buying HiFi equipment, much of the transistor HiFi equipment was harsh sounding, and tube equipment was by far my preferred choice. I even had one of my early transistor amps from Yamaha, blow my tweeters

I find it very interesting how my HiFi equipment purchases have evolved over time. I do think about the simplicity of music in the past with playing vinyl, and how streaming has changed the landscape of how I listen to my music now

I never thought I would have to learn so much about computers, computer updates, streaming, ripping music, storing music, software issues, restoring networks and so on, just to play my music.

That said, the journey has been highly worthwhile
 
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audio_PHIL_e

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I wouldn't want to "start over", it has taken me all my adult life to get where I am now.
Another reason: I had the privilege of hearing Really Good HiFi at the age of 18 or 19, and that's what I've been aiming at all this time. Unless I could hear today's Really Good HiFi AND go back to a similar age ... but no, I don't want to do it all again.

See also post #2. When I were a lad, there was lots of easily-accessible stuff that was worth listening to on good kit. Today's easily accessible stuff isn't worth listening to on old tin boxes.
 

Paulssurround

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I wouldn't want to "start over", it has taken me all my adult life to get where I am now.
Another reason: I had the privilege of hearing Really Good HiFi at the age of 18 or 19, and that's what I've been aiming at all this time. Unless I could hear today's Really Good HiFi AND go back to a similar age ... but no, I don't want to do it all again.

See also post #2. When I were a lad, there was lots of easily-accessible stuff that was worth listening to on good kit. Today's easily accessible stuff isn't worth listening to on old tin boxes.
Yeah, it has taken me a lifetime to get to the point that I am now, as well. My journey has involved many HiFi products that worked out well and others that were not great. However, it has been a wonderful learning experience and I have enjoyed my music every step of the way.

Next year, I expect Linn will release new products, such as speakers, amps and streamers. What inspired me to do this thread was thinking what if I sold off all my current Linn , except my new Klimax DSM/3 Hub and start with a completely new system.

Assuming you are also a baby boomer, we certainly lived through a golden time for music.

I do listen to some newly released music, and there is some that I like, but our generation’s musicians are disappearing from the music scene
 

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My HiFi journey will end with a one box streamer and amp and a pair of speakers. If I could start again and todays offerings had been available, and with the benefit of hindsight, this is how I would have started.
 

Dasher

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The defining point for me was when I went active. It happened to be Linn, it could very easily have been Meridian. Had I not done that I would probably be listening to a very different system today.

I do have a piece of my early history though. Back in 1973, when I was a schoolboy with an SP25, Pawn shop Leak amp and Wilmslow audio speakers (about as cheap as one could go), my father's friend brought home a brand new LP12. It was the first that I had heard, and I did get to play my copy of Aladdin Sane on it. 48 years later it was bequeathed to me and we were reunited! "Malpractice" has been spinning on it tonight in memory of another major influence on my life (I cant get along with plectrums either)!
 

Chris 1970

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My sons are 23 and 15. They always saw me listening – religiously! – to different type of music. As my dad did.

I see them evolving in the actual insane amont of choices in music streaming.

Take it or live it – baby boomers as you are – my big son start with Kanie West, then 80' electronic revival (Daft Punk…), then some 80' stars (Jackson…), then to… Curtis Mayfield!
"Dad, You've heard that? It's incredible how it's pure and brillant!"

With music magazine, I try to remain up to date.
A lot of new albums of 20' are really great to me: I think there is something really coming, with musical groups that work very hard to give sens to their music and life, and not just do some 80' remix. It's very fresh.

That said, you sit and listen to Berlin by Lou Reed and… Wow!
No matter what… there is something very difficult to catch today.


To come back to the subject (!), I mean that streaming today opens the doors to the best of the best you can dream of. Still, you need some help – good music and (if possible) good hifi setup, when you're a child – as it is a way to have the idea to go further what's turn all the time on medias. Step by step.
 
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Jail4CEOs2

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Zee's always invoking his Kan's in our discussions. I'm wondering about my love of Katans. I think a "start over system" is an MDSM and Katans, but should I be trying to find Kans (and which specific model)?
 
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silkie

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Zee's always invoking his Kan's in our discussions. I'm wondering about my love of Katans. I think a "start over system" is an MDSM and Katans, but should I be trying to find Kans (and which specific model)?
In many ways I prefer my MDSM/Katan system to my ADSM/M140 system! The ADSM is technically better but the MDSM/Katan's have something that makes it special, speed, I think. I can't place it but I love it. I thought it would be the bloody great sub but just couldn't get it to integrate well with the ADSM/M140's. Katan's are a very special speaker.
 

The Snug

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If only it were possible!!

The biggest mistake I made when I started out was to do my research in hifi magazines then approach a dealer with a shopping list.

The result was I spent years vainly swapping boxes and speakers, chasing the perfect system and forgetting that it is actually about enjoying the music. I would hate to know how much I have spent in the fruitless pursuit of the wrong audio goals.

If only I had started my journey with a dealer who was prepared to challenge my choices - and not be swayed by assumptions about budget.

That all changed in recent years when I finally worked out that the system is just the means to the end and I am now more than happy with the music from my Linn system
 

Oscar P.

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The biggest mistake I made was being born years too early, and saddled with cdp. Streaming with Linn is heaven for me,
although certain brands can do some things much better than Linn - speakers and cables f.e.

I’ve never underestimated the big effect of cables, especially powercords, but I’m still speechless sometimes after hearing those big improvements, making my Linn sounding far less analytical, in a good way.
 

Dasher

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In many ways I prefer my MDSM/Katan system to my ADSM/M140 system! The ADSM is technically better but the MDSM/Katan's have something that makes it special, speed, I think. I can't place it but I love it. I thought it would be the bloody great sub but just couldn't get it to integrate well with the ADSM/M140's. Katan's are a very special speaker.
Active cards in the 5125 is a big step with MDSM/(2 in my case) and Katans. I don't think that I've run mine in that mode with a sub (or at least I don't remember doing). However, it is possible that I may have done though as I have a Sizmik easily available. I've really only found the Sizmik(s) to integrate well when using my Kinos or (currently) Kisto. I do like the MSDM / Katans - and I agree - the 5125 really makes them sing.
 

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