Looking to put together your first (or second) hi-fi system? Before you get to setting a budget and building a shortlist, why not reduce the tyranny of choice and find out what would best serve you by asking yourself these ten questions:
1. Would you classify your listening space as small, medium or large?
2. To what degree do you see a hi-fi system as a household appliance?
3. Are you a loud listener or do you prefer to listen to music at lower volume levels?
4. Do you like the look of floorstanding loudspeakers or do standmounts have greater visual appeal?
5. Would your downstairs neighbour object to you running a subwoofer?
6. Do you know what an open-baffle loudspeaker is (and why you might want one)?
7. To what degree are you a minimalist?
8. Do you like to tinker with technology?
9. Is your couch movable?
10. Would anyone in your household object to acoustic panels being hung on the walls?
Srajan Ebaen and I sat down last month, just before Munich High-End, to discuss how one might best approach buying a first (or even second) hi-fi system.
Listen via SoundCloud, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, TuneIn or the embedded player below:
As mentioned in this podcast…
DALI Spektor 2:
🛒 (US) https://amzn.to/388qsEW
🛒 (DE) https://amzn.to/3wj4uam
🛒 (UK) https://amzn.to/3P9LZ0G
Rotel A11 Tribute:
🛒 (US) https://amzn.to/3P8j2BW
🛒 (DE) https://amzn.to/38dTfrB
🛒 (UK) https://amzn.to/3P8cfbG
Topping E30:
🛒 (US) https://amzn.to/3KVcO5p
🛒 (DE) https://amzn.to/3FoiMKK
🛒 (UK) https://amzn.to/37qHTjv
Mark Levinson No. 5909
https://darko.audio/2022/01/mark-levinsons-no-5909-is-a-999-bluetooth-headphone/
Mytek Liberty II
https://darko.audio/2022/05/reviewed-myteks-liberty-ii-dac-vs-the-original-liberty/
https://6moons.com/audioreview_articles/mytek-liberty-2/
Lyngdorf TDAI-1120
https://darko.audio/2021/11/a-short-film-about-the-lyngdorf-tdai-1120/
NAD M10 V2
https://darko.audio/2022/04/a-long-film-about-the-nad-m10-v2/
Dutch & Dutch 8c
https://darko.audio/2019/05/unfinished-business-with-the-dutch-dutch-8c/
Grimm LS1
https://6moons.com/audioreviews/grimm/1.html
Kii Three
https://darko.audio/2018/08/a-short-film-about-the-kii-three-loudspeaker-system/
Vicoustic room makeover
https://darko.audio/2021/11/vicoustic-room-makeover-installation-day/
Mola Mola Tambaqui
https://darko.audio/2020/08/a-short-film-about-the-mola-mola-tambaqui/
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