Frugal - by necessity!

[Johnny Vinyl]

Although it wasn't always so, the last few decades have taught me that a person can still be an audiophile, regardless of the expenditure made. By doing some research, and it doesn't have to be in depth or take months and months, it is actually quite easy to assemble a rig that lets you hear your prized music collection in full glory. I know I can confidently say that if Steve or Mike or Gary had an opportunity to listen to my setup they would be pleasantly surprised at its level of performance for the little amount I have invested, provided they listened to MY system without comparison to theirs. And that is a key point to remember.

I could say (because they are only words) that my $5,000 investment sounds better than some $10,000 investments, but I won't as I quite frankly don't care if it does or doesn't. What I do care about is the enjoyment I get from it and the satisfaction in knowing that I've assembled something to be proud of. There is no doubt that hearing Neil Young - Massey Hall 1971 on Mike's system would be amazing, and maybe even revelatory, but I wouldn't come home and now appreciate this recording any less.

In addition to my meagre investment I have tried as best as I can to tweak where I can tweak with placement, room treatments, vibration/isolation and the like. Hanging wall-to-wall curtains behind the system, adding a throw-rug, creating some DIY vibration/isolation devices, inexpensive foam sidewall treatments, and a sturdy component stand have all helped to maximize my investment.

From a component perspective, I also think I made some solid choices. The Pioneer SA-9500II is a kick-ass Integrated unit with plenty of power for a small room (11x10). I can grow with this by adding a power amp or preamp should I have the good fortune to afford a step up in the chain. My Nottingham Analogue Horizon SE is fully upgradeable, so if wanted an upgrade on the vinyl side I could so. Those were considerations when I bought them.

While it would be nice to afford a true audiophile system, and I hope (in complete honesty) that one day I may be blessed in acquiring such a thing, my system gives me great pleasure and there is nothing I enjoy more than sitting back in my comfy leather listening chair and hearing the magic that is music!

 

[flez007]

That's all that matters John, that you are happy enjoying music....thumbs up!

 

[cjfrbw]

Wine corks make a great, economical vibration tweak for light components. My neighbor left the detritus from his daughter's wedding in or garbage pails, including dozens of wine corks and some nice wood cases. I rescued the corks and took the cases to Santa Cruz for stands.

I started using the wine corks, two at each end and two on the side to restrain rolling, under small tubed components. Works extremely well for frequency re-assignment and roller blocks.

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

That's all that matters John, that you are happy enjoying music....thumbs up!

Thank you my friend , and I do! I suppose it helps being a music lover first though.

Wine corks make a great, economical vibration tweak for light components. My neighbor left the detritus from his daughter's wedding in or garbage pails, including dozens of wine corks and some nice wood cases. I rescued the corks and took the cases to Santa Cruz for stands.

I started using the wine corks, two at each end and two on the side to restrain rolling, under small tubed components. Works extremely well for frequency re-assignment and roller blocks.

Sometimes the simplest things make for unexpected pleasant suprises...one just has to be open-minded. In my case "frugality is the mother of invention".

 

[Mike]

There is no doubt that hearing Neil Young - Massey Hall 1971 on Mike's system would be amazing, and maybe even revelatory

Thanks, John, but, if truth be told, my sytem is a little over-rated

Nice post!

 

[garylkoh]

Nice post, John. When I get up there for the TAVES or to visit Angie, I'll try to make some time to come visit you. I'm glad that you are hearing the magic that is music and I have enjoyed our discussion of tweaks. Frugality is the mother of invention indeed!

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Thank you Gary! And it would be a pleasure to have you in my home for a visit!

 

[Thf99]

John, that's exactly what everyone should do...enjoy the music. After all good music is what we are all after. It's not about cost. Being able to enjoy the music is the key. We should be music lovers rather than hifi lovers. I find that a lot of owners of high end systems spend a great deal of time trying to find faults with their systems instead of enjoying the music.

 

[NorthStar]

--- Yes, it's all 'bout the Music; sweet sounds for the ears and emotional strings. :b

...And same with Movies; the Cinematography, the world locales, the people, the story, the acting, and the sound too, the Music. :b

* All vibrations of the Soul.

>>> Good quality music recordings that we like, and Movies that we love, is 90% of the full recipe.

 

[JackD201]

Yes, and I think for the younger generation, the next step is to go to a headfi event or other headphone show and listen to what those so called high end, (but afforadable) phones sound like, and then instantly you are in audiophile territory as far as getting quality sound anyways.

Tom

True. In the last show over here, there were a bunch of Head Fi guys who came. I could see that they were really enjoying themselves. It's not that free space is necessarily better to them but you could tell they were enjoying the sound of the displays for what they were, a different type of musical experience. Not far fetched to see some of these guys building free space systems alongside their head-fi rigs given that they already like music, like playing with gear and know what sound they like. The only hurdle is the costs. That's why forums like this about bang for the buck is something I find extremely helpful in growing this hobby of ours.

 

[JoeyGS]

I got myself into this hobby with being Frugal in mind. First order is to allocate funds for the family and whatever is left for the audio hobby... I had to make do with it. Sometimes I would have the opportunity for branded products (but mostly pre-owned) whenever bonuses comes in.

Being frugal in my choices allowed me to think DIY or DIBANE (Do-It-By-An-Expert). 60% of the audio gears are DIBANE, 10% DIY, 30% Branded (pre-owned).

But you know what.....aside from enjoying the music, I am enjoying the never-ending search for DIY products that would perform mid to hi-end with prices that are rock bottom.

I do have a dozen projects at hand, both moving and not. All are worthwhile progressing with patience while reading forums and websites for new and exciting knowledge.

At the back of my mind, if I had just bought the best branded gears out there, then it would just then be enjoying the music. But me..... I'd like to learn and discover new things....experiment and enjoy both success and failures. Then, this is indeed a hobby....for me. Am a happy camper here.

Music plus DIY has been one of my stress management tools in coping with everyday life.

Am still looking forward for more bang-for-the-buck gears while enjoying my music.

In our country, I would also like to see the hobby to grow amongst the not-so-well-off. From what I see, and as an example, most of the not-so-well-off can only afford amplification ranging from 15-90watts class AB (SS as reference, tubes excluded) and these would need fairly efficient speakers for optimum performance. And, DIY products are mostly the way to go or pre-owned gears.

I hope this section grows as there is a sizable population who wants to enjoy the hobby at an affordable price.

 

[NorthStar]

--- Affordable price, best value & performance for the buck is key. :b

...And companies that support their products & customers. :b

 

[garylkoh]

...And companies that support their products & customers. :b

I think so too. One of the most frugal things to do would be not to have to upgrade your gear for years and years. I had an FM Acoustics phono stage that may look decidedly un-frugal. However, considering the fact that I owned it for 18 years, and then sold it for $2000 less than I bought it new, it cost me just over $100 a year for a fantastic performing piece of gear.

 

[jazdoc]

I think so too. One of the most frugal things to do would be not to have to upgrade your gear for years and years. I had an FM Acoustics phono stage that may look decidedly un-frugal. However, considering the fact that I owned it for 18 years, and then sold it for $2000 less than I bought it new, it cost me just over $100 a year for a fantastic performing piece of gear.

I think Gary is really on to something. If you buy the best (you can afford), it only hurts once and costs less in the long run.

 

[JonFo]

I think Gary is really on to something. If you buy the best (you can afford), it only hurts once and costs less in the long run.

amen to that. I bought my MartinLogan speakers in 1993 and still have amps purchased in the 90's. None were cheap to me at the time, but have turned into a great investment that I've enjoyed for years.

To me Frugal is making wise choices and getting good total lifetime value out of a piece of gear.

 

[NorthStar]

---Right on! ...We're all on the same track: Longetivity. :b

 

[Bill Hart]

Don't forget: this hobby started with what you are calling DIY'ers. Raw drivers, circuit designs that could be built at home, perhaps not homemade turntables (i remember one older enthusiast i knew in the 60's who had this huge Rek-o-Kut turntable, everything else was pretty much home built). And that didn't reflect frugality- there weren't alot of ready-built products in the space after WWII. I think folks were adapting stuff meant for commercial sound applications, like theatres.
And, as you no doubt know, some of the cutting edge folks today still use just such equipment, old WE drivers and amps, lot's of odd ball vintage tube circuits, home made speaker or horn cabinets, etc. And these are people that are striving for the top rung of home music reproduction, not just 'settling' b/c of budget. One of JazzDocs' favorite suppliers of hardware, Jeff Jackson, makes tres cher tube electronics based on these very principles. (and how long do old Dyna St-70's languish on Audiogon- most were relatively cheap kits when new, and have been brought up to spec or modified to exceed original spec, over the years). Wm. Johnson's first amp, as I recall, was basically a massively upgraded Dynaco.

 

[NorthStar]

--- Good post Bill (whart).

 

[es347]

Wine corks make a great, economical vibration tweak for light components. My neighbor left the detritus from his daughter's wedding in or garbage pails, including dozens of wine corks and some nice wood cases. I rescued the corks and took the cases to Santa Cruz for stands.

I started using the wine corks, two at each end and two on the side to restrain rolling, under small tubed components. Works extremely well for frequency re-assignment and roller blocks.

Wine corks and the wine itself. I've found that a 2007 cab is one of the most effective tweaks.

 

[carolkoh]

I have this Aiwa boombox and JBL speakers that Gary gave me for Christmas... uhh... about 20 years ago... that are still hooked up to my gaming PC and still sounds fantastic.