Hi-fi equipment in the age of MP3 etc.

[Bonn1827]

I'm considering upgrading my aged hi-fi equipment and, despite reading hi-fi magazines (which are biased), I'm unsure about the future of CDs and whether it is warranted. Many people seem to go for Home Theatre sound equipment these days but I wonder if this is as good as good gear for CDs. Also, the issue of increasing quality of MP3 downloads etc. may mean it is no longer viable to invest in fairly expensive CD player and other gear. I'm at a crossroads and would appreciate any advice. I'm living in fear of CDs disappearing as I have such a valued collection! I'm sure others face the same predicament.

[Michael]

Bonn, (May I be so familiar as to use your first name?)
I don't think you need worry too much about the demise of the CD. Millions of people around the world own CD collections and every DVD or Blu-Ray machine is capable of playing them. A lot of people are raving about the convenience of having their complete music collection on a single tiny hard drive (which conjures up images of eggs and single baskets) but only the very foolish would dump their backup CDs.
Even an inexpensive CD setup should sound better than any MP3 download. However, a dedicated CD player will give better results than a DVD machine.
Look at vinyl! Turntables costing literally thousands of pounds are still bought regularly. And the whole Beatles catalogue, which recently came out on CD, is shortly to be issued on vinyl.
Downloads and hard drives are all very well, but I think a lot of music lovers still prefer a physical artifact, vinyl or silver, nicely packaged, over something that exists only in cyber-space. I have a huge collection of CDs and I have no doubt I will always be able to find something to play them on.
(I read recently that there are only two types of hard-drives: those that have failed, and those that haven't failed yet.)

[Bonn1827]

Thanks, Michael, I do feel a bit more reassured. But, should I buy a more expensive hi-fi set-up? I've currently got B&W speakers which are 25 years old - they cost me a lot back then - and are still working, but I think I can do better. The other equipment - amp etc. - is failing badly. Bowers and Worthing have some excellent speakers available, but at a recent hi-fi shop they tried to tell me to buy home theatre set-ups. Whilst I think sound on film has always been under-rated (I detest crash/bang BTW) I still can't get my head around using it for classical CD collections.

Point taken about vinyl and I have noticed a resurgence there. In any case I've just bought 15 CDs from Amazon!!

I enjoy your humour, particularly on another thread regarding vocalizations!! I do find it very distracting. Also have heard traffic noise, breathing etc. To some extent this is to be expected with sophisticated sound-recording techniques, but vocalization IS preventable.

Cheers, Sue (aka Bonn1827)

[Michael]

My "hi-fi" could only be described as mid-fi. My main amplifier and speakers are about fifteen years old and still going strong. I have a lot of recorders and players plugged into it but nothing hugely expensive so I don't really know if I'm the one to advise you. I have a big sound that fills the whole room and it seems okay to me as, over the years, I have made myself concentrate more on the music than the medium.
However, all the experts agree that a sound system which is designed for a DVD/TV setup is inferior to one dedicated to audio. I keep my telly and my audio in different rooms (I have an understanding wife!)
Sorry I can't be of more help. There must be other members with better equipment?

[Preston]

Many people seem to go for Home Theatre sound equipment these days but I wonder if this is as good as good gear for CDs.

Depending on what kind of setup you are talking about, that is a good way to go. Also, take your entire cd collection and transfer it to the .mp3 format.

[atserriotserri]

Hi, Bonn1827.

Five years ago I moved to my home from a leased apartment, and I decided to buy what they call a "high-end" equipment with the money I saved from the works I had to do at home (my amp failed, it was quite old, hard to repair, etc...).

I bought both a stereo valve amplifier (my option) and a home-theater transistor amplifier (women, you know ), and the difference is enormous, honestly. Aside from certain "special effects" in movies (explosions and in SOME cases the surround effect on some scenes of some dvds... yes quite exceptional ), the stereo valve amplifier is far, far, far superior, more than the difference of price between them. Where I bought my equipment they announced me that I was being a little bit of a fool and that the home-cinema would be underused (as it is), so I'm surprised that if you present yourself as a music lover more than a movie lover they'd try to sell you a home theater.

I don't want to extend, but I can give you some examples or details of my equipment, if you want.

Since I understand your main concern is your cd collection I'd say that a home-theater is not necessary, go for a good stereo amplifier and don't save on connecting cables (is surprising how sound changes only by changing the cables).

Regarding your speakers, age is not necessarily a key factor.

The player... depending on your budget could be secondary. You don't mention you're considering changing the player but I find this decision quite more complicated. Some DVDs provide very good sound, for an affordable price, not significantly inferior than cd players and the first will allow you to play music in other formats when many audio cd players usually don't... Also depends on the connection you use between amp and cd player standard L/R, the digital output...

I'm not particularly concerned about the CDs disappearing, and agree with Michael's reasons that new formats players are compatible with cds, not to forget it is still the standard for car audio, etc... so people ends up burning mp3 to cd to listen in the car, etc...

[Cocchini]

Isolation cones are very often overlooked in an equipment setup! These cost about $8.00 each with three (not four) placed under each piece of equipment. In my system, the sound around each instrument becomes more focused with more "air" surrounding each instrument. Highly recommended!

[Bonn1827]

Atserrio (spelling) thank you so much for your excellent advice. I'm paralysed between options at the moment. My system is 25 years old, with an aged CD player which is intermittently feral!! I have B&W 330 series speakers which are still reasonably good, but I think they will need replacing. The Amplifier is breaking up too. All in all, not good. The only thing working consistently is the FM tuner!! I paid a lot for this system - which I put together carefully - in 1985!!! (I used to read "Gramophone" and Hi-Fi magazines at the time and the salesmen in the place where I bought my system used to get annoyed that a woman knew so much about Hi-Fi!!!)

I am a movie lover, but film prior to 1965 - with a few notable exceptions - so home theatre isn't really an issue. The sound on many "restored" films is less than perfect anyway.

Your comments re the "valve" system are interesting and I note that a lot of people go that way. I won't be, because I don't know enough about it. I think I'll stick with sound equipment for classical music rather than home theatre, using my elderly speakers for that role (even though my kids complain "they're too big"!!) Trouble is, a lot of good sound outlets have gone out of business here in Sydney because of competition from huge retail stores selling "home theatre" (crash, bang). I did look at Bang & Olufsen a couple of years ago but felt that they were over-rated.

Thank you so much for your invaluable contribution!!!

[atserriotserri]

Your comments re the "valve" system are interesting and I note that a lot of people go that way. I won't be, because I don't know enough about it.

There is not much you have to know... only if it matches the music you listen (some are not versatile enough if you listen to rock, tecno, etc...) and your personal preference. Now most of them don't need any special care aside from changing the bulbs when they're gone to meet their Maker

Trouble is, a lot of good sound outlets have gone out of business here in Sydney because of competition from huge retail stores selling "home theatre" (crash, bang). I did look at Bang & Olufsen a couple of years ago but felt that they were over-rated.

That's the real problem... huge retail stores have little offer... now it's hard even to find an stereo amplifier because home-thaters are the "trend".

[Bonn1827]

I expect I'll be meeting the Maker long before the bulbs on a valve amplifier!!

There are a couple of places left in Sydney where one can buy good equipment, thankfully. But I think the element of competition has gone. I only listen to classical (I prefer "art") music and some jazz, with sprinklings of American Musical Theatre - Gershwin et al.

[Cocchini]

Have you tried: http://www.newfidelity.com.au/aboutus/whoweare.html

[Bonn1827]

No, Cocchini, I haven't but thanks for that great tip. I'll go straight to the site. I've always said that when films improve dramatically I'll move into a decent home theatre system - I don't see either things happening. You guys are champions, BTW!!

[Quijote]

Live is best. Naturally.

[Marek Krukowski]

I don'tknow if you have changed your equipment but my advice is:

Don't buy the newer one. Try to buy some older. It should be better.

[Michael]

Live is best. Naturally.

I know. Believe me, I've tried, Philip. But never again will I try to fit the Vienna Philharmonic into my front room. What with making umpteen cups of tea and supervising parking, I never got to hear any of the music.