Ten things I have learned after 40 YEARS in HiFi and High End Audio. 2025 Edition.

[@ronmiller6344]

One thing is clear : Listening to high-end audio for years, can cause hair loss.

[@Jeep_on_audio]

No, that's not it. Santa is his uncle 😂

[@BostonMike68]

That's probably why I still have thick hair

[@BobbyDazzler888]

‘The best’ hair loss to this day bar none

[@MrBbracken]

@@ronmiller6344 indeed!! LoL I was first exposed in the early 70’s and I don’t bother with hair these days…

[@cravenmoore7778]

@@ronmiller6344 oh that explains it 😂🤣😅

[@dbg317]

I think spotify music file is sample at 44.1khz with 16bit depth and have max bit rate of 320 kbps (basically lossy mp3/ogg not CD quality which bit rate is 1411 kbps), flac bit rate varies depends on the compression. There are 4 things to be considered for a digital music file: sample rate, bit depth, bit rate and format. somehow when streaming service advertise its streaming quality only gives you first 2, makes people think Spotify = Tidal / Qobuz ...

[@mrsinghsstereos6662]

Spotify isn’t cd resolution - its 320kb compression

[@Benvos]

@@mrsinghsstereos6662yep, I have no idea what’s going on for him to be saying Spotify is 16/44. I agree CD quality is all you need, but Spotify isn’t that.

[@henriksrensen3220]

I have learned that you change opinion like the wind change direction.

[@10secondsrule]

Hey don’t call yourself old just yet. You bring a lot of passion and positivity and this does not always go hand to hand with being old. 😂 Greetings from Poland!

[@10secondsrule]

Saying that with age I find myself to listen to music for hours on end mainly thanks to way better quality in comparison to what I used to listen in my youth.

[@michaelengel213]

Spotify streams audio at 320Kbps in the “lossy” Ogg Vorbis format, which means the audio stream has been compressed and is losing a fair amount of detail in the interest of conserving bandwidth.

[@tomehCanada]

#1 Speakers and the room matter most before electronics # 2 Own the music and support the music makers

[@msills255347]

audiophile enjoys the gear much more than the music

[@williammay8413]

I go back 50 years of listening to music and what I find now vs years ago is we know so much more about how our system should sound like in our rooms but back in the day it was just about the music only .

[@David-ik8wj]

and maximum sound pressure LOL

[@chetstern5933]

Spotify does not podcast in 16/34 resolution. It is only MP 3 quality.

[@Ronny-z3j]

I think so too. They advertise that it's 3 times better when you pay subscription. Then you have better quality. In Sweden .

[@AaronSarkissian]

What a series of great pieces of advice! Thank you for your efforts, suggestions, insights, and recommendations that enlighten us, from cables to high-end gear. I truly appreciate your work and am grateful for your presence. Thank you for being here.

[@kobusoomen8914]

Interesting that you prefer the sound of Spotify. Spotify has a max of 320KBs (MP3 quality) vs CD quality @1411KBS.

[@thomaswhitestone8807]

Nice vid. I agree whole heartedly. I get excited about a new piece of gear but at the end of the day, when I get home from work, I just want to listen to music. It soothes the savage beast.

[@TEOTLANXELLI]

Thank you very much for your comments, it’s very difficult for new people that are getting into the Hi-Fi world to understand many things, there are a lot of information that unfortunately gets you confused. thanks for all your videos!!!

[@jdm-uk-yank]

I agree with about 90% of what you're saying. But, when it comes to enjoying the music over the gear, everyone has to take their own journey. It's like going to tell someone to relax. They have to find that place.

[@chrispdx5755]

Spotify has the best algorithm but 320kbps is not lossless cd-quality 16/44 … wtf ? On a revealing system it sounds like garbage.

[@mitchparker7652]

So refreshing to hear you intimate that stress free/gadget free/fomo free listening is the go.

[@allardvanderstarre]

most overlooked...its not the gear; its the room....

[@David-ik8wj]

debating on attending AXPONA again this year. I attended in 2023. Awesome experience but you will definitely suffer from listening fatigue. My ears were aching by the second day. It was fun to actually meet the people that made the equipment in my system or had owned at one time.

[@trucchuong1726]

All great points. Thanks for sharing them with all of us. The "best" (gears) is only considered temporarily, and it won't last forever. The best might or will eventually be replaced by something else. It's what is happening to all of us, "the hardcord audiophiles."

[@paulmcparland3311]

Yeah, it’s definitely about the music but for the audiophile, it’s an obsession borne from the conviction that the music you love must surely sound better on something you don’t currently own or haven’t yet heard. As a result, the audiophile is never really satisfied.

[@markrigg6623]

Music lovers use their systems to listen to music. Audiophiles use music to listen to their systems.

[@cruise2023]

Yes I can relate to a lot of what you brought up, specially when its all about the gear, a rabbit hole that a lot of us get into.

[@vladimirraicevic1165]

My simple 80' Marantz & jbl l112 system super fit's my favorite music. And that is just great. Pm 700 dc , tt 2000 turntable , dvd blu ray Sony, sd4020 cassete deck and st520 tuner. Everything is from my late father and i just refresh what was for refreshing. I am not in streaming yet.

[@wenda86]

A visit to the ENT specialist, to have the ear cleaned might be the best tweak ever!

[@TheEpinema]

For real! The highs have never been clearer 😂

[@Coneman3]

There is both pleasure and work in the journey to a very hi end system. It can seem like a nerd project but it’s all in the service of beautiful music and amazing recordings.

[@derekwalton16]

100% correct on every point! Couldnt agree more....I lost my way for 2 decades because I was chasing "sound" and forgot about the music, listening to audiophile music that I too didnt like!

[@jazzboy]

Love your vids, but Spotify is a parasite milking artists. They should be boycotted for what they pay artists per play.

[@fredhadley739]

Yes, it IS about the music. Humans fall in love with their ears, not their eyes, not their touch, not their nose.

[@mrdaverave]

you surely know about "sh*t in = sh*t out" and you're telling us that oversampling Spotify, which is lossy and not at all CD quality, on your ultra revealing system sounds the best? what a dumpster fire.

[@normansteinbach2007]

If you LP you will have this warm Sound.Streaming is 1:0:1:0

[@lažjeubićusrbina]

Spotify mercenaries😂

[@vzmax]

Ce qui est sûr c'est qu'aujourd'hui nous avons à disposition du matériel d'une qualité incroyable et dont on n'aurait jamais osé rêver il y a 50 ans. Pour quelques centaines d'€ (sans les enceintes) on peut se composer un ensemble HiFi qui excède largement les capacités de nos oreilles...

[@10sassafras]

Entertaining. My first quality system was 45 years ago. Quad 33/303 amp, Kef Concerto speakers, Dual turntable, Aiwa deck and Yamaha tuner. Loved it. These days I am amazed by Fosi V3 monos, SMSL balanced DAC a WiiM mini streamer and B&W bookshelf speakers. Hifi has come a long way and I love the affordability and sound of state of the art gear. Currently listening to my iPhone through IEMs and a Fosi DS2 :)

[@Jeep_on_audio]

Very recognisable. I started at 18, thats 42 years ago now. And I also like to make photos (not snapshots). Some of my best photos are with the simplest camera (a tiny Minox). It's not always about price. Its more to do with talent and taste. So, I made my own speakers. Somewhere in the middle between the Qualio and the Oggi. Fullrange dipoles with an AMT supertweeter. And they sound amazing. The drivers were great to start with, but I designed everything myself. From the solid bamboo cabinets to the filter. And $30k Genesis speakers that are relegated to just bass duty (also dipole). I don't really agree on vinyl, as its not about the ritual, it simply sounds better. Always has. And I have about 10k LPs 😅 You think you would change speakers as easily if you had the ability and talent to desig and make your own? I do wish i still had access to a workshop so I could make my final design I have planned for a decade already (a lot like the PS-audio only open baffle). I love your videos. I really appreciate the videography!

[@dadowns100]

@@Jeep_on_audio where are you located? I'm in St Louis and I'd love to hear your design.

[@howardstever6676]

John Darko says Spotify is 320, not 16/44.

[@mike_lowndes]

Companies - there are also many 'previously awesome' brands that get taken over by corporates, and the magic usually goes.

[@robertvarda9307]

It doesn't take even low-end gear to realize Spotify sounds poor.

[@jamesdwright]

@@robertvarda9307 you mean 'high end gear ' ? I understand your point tho. Strange conclusion tbf.

[@danielrhoden2973]

you could make a drinking game out of audiophiles saying "it's really about the music"

[@seanb3303]

What was the great measuring amp that didn’t sound natural? Benchmark? NAD Masters Series?

[@mircobalzano2455]

Regarding your comments about open buffle speakers, I've experienced the same feeling with Audio Note AZ-TWO. Maybe not as open as your speakers, but the music sounded to my like "free" and more natural than a traditional boxed design. Happy new year!

[@mike_lowndes]

You don't get hirez...but you use a hirez DAC? Nagra has some 'magic' that HQ player does not? Genuine question: I use FLAC but was considering DSD conversion.

[@kevindillinger3699]

I love the DIY Audio, Satisfying when I make someone a set of cable for there system and they enjoy them no matter it they have a $100,000 system or just a $1,000 system. But I do enjoy watching the expensive stuff your review.

[@jdm-uk-yank]

I'm a fan of ChatGTP these days. I've been thinking about getting a step up transformer to use before my phone stage. I input my cartridges I got back a complete breakdown of my cartridges and best impedance matches to use. Discuss mods and DACs it was very blunt about about senerios where I most likely didn't hear a difference.

[@212asterix]

An excellent take on the audio hobby! .. sound wisdom .. the wellbeing aspect cannot be overstated ( .. Phil Aston/ Now Spinning on KZbin touches too on the healing aspect of music .. ) .. I can find tremendous solace in music .. and as you say it is not all about how much you can spend .. it is the music that matters ! .. thank you .. David C

[@radioheadcanadian]

Thanks for sharing, great tips

[@stephenscott2944]

i remember about 1983--5 got a hi-fi answers recommened advanced Rotel amp, i was very shocked at the sound, striped of ambeance. took it back. i also remember in 82 getting a stanton 500 cartrige, after shure and ortofon, [ recommended ] for years, i realized the propper sound of drums.

[@user-mt7nj8gh3z]

My first real equipment exposure was in Japan while in the military. Getting over 400 yen to the dollar I could buy equipment for about 25 cents on each dollar spent. I had the music they had the equipment. Great Time !

[@tubefreeeasy]

I remember seeing your power strip before you grounded your system with Puritan products. That was your game changer. I feel, you were able to hear music cleaner and hear imagery in speakers.

[@thomasbuehring9351]

I learned that even a great system won’t play marginal source material well. Improving your source is more cost effective than improving your gear.

[@David-ik8wj]

yes. Mastering and recording quality rule. I acquired most of my CD collection from 1985 to 1993. They all sound like crap even when comparing to the same recording hosted on streaming services. most recordings that were converted to digital format in that era are awful and were mixed to be played on vinyl.

[@johnhorst6346]

I heard a 100,000$ system make crap recording sound 3 dimensional it was the Sonic Frontiers Transport with the DAC and the digital connection to a Classe 6 preamp to Monarchy 100 class A Blocks a pr of Dynaudio temptations with all Siltech wires Blown-away like the Maxwell man😊

[@DarinLafler]

What’s your favorite vintage amp, speakers? If you have a favorite.

[@strngbns1370]

Also Human ear accommodates faster than other senses . An Excellent sound today ,becomes just ok months/years after . Then We begin the cycle again

[@paulmorgan5841]

For the passionate, there are no such things as diminishing returns.

[@photoipster]

Axpona? So glad to hear. I’ve gone the last 2 years, and am planning for this year. Hope to run into you!

[@janwillemkuilenburg7561]

My advice is to look for the highest synergy between components. You can get incredible sound quality with lower priced gear if the synergy is there.

[@perudolux]

Define synergy ( from a technical point)

[@exitar1]

@@janwillemkuilenburg7561 😂

[@ericelmore887]

Are you top 3 emotionally connected speakers.. 1) Fleetwood Deville 2) klipsch la scala 3) pure project

[@aidmade85]

The MACO Macaria could be one step further when you think about another open baffle speaker. Regarding your preferred sound attributes, you should also try Perlisten R7t or S7t speakers☝

[@Tanner_o]

"When you go Open Baffle, you never go back." Liionidas from Lii Song Audio are less than $5k, you can start from there.

[@tedkay5272]

Caladan open baffles

[@GentielioGaming]

Will you try the pureaudio trio 10 with the amt tweeter? It still open baffle but different sound.

[@cocobolooooooooo]

perfect ears for listening. do you hang upside down at night ?

[@markhouseholder]

grateful for you man!!!! great list, I could imagine myself listening to Boston as a teenager when you told your stories...💪🙏

[@philcallighan6322]

Hope to see you at Axpona. Will you be speaking at a session?

[@davidjudd951]

If you don't notice the difference that an external DAC provides in streaming music,then the ears are probably broken. I can definitely hear the difference between Spotify and Tidal. Its not even close, Tidal wins hands down. But hey, all ears are different. And just listening with a WiiM Pro Plus, a Marantz, and rebuilt three way floor speakers that are in no way, considered audiophile grade.

[@MsLiepa]

I agree with you 100%

[@MSiAventador]

Hello, I'm an Aventador and I'm an audiophile addict, but I've been refraining from buying new audio devices for 3 months now... 😂 I'm holding on with my last strength. 😆

[@paulgolub6823]

55 ain't old!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@matthewhalliday8193]

@@paulgolub6823 I agree 55 is not old at all 🙂.

[@markrigg6623]

If spotofy " hi fi" is being talked about, that speaks volumes about the current quality, surely!!

[@TheLifeGuards]

Spotify only streams at a max of MP3 quality.. 😂😂😂

[@tompw3141]

@@TheLifeGuards There's no such thing as "MP3 quality". MP3s can cover everything from "terrible" to "indistinguishable from CD"

[@WWeiss-nv5vz]

Got news for you, that first $1,500 system will never be matched!

[@cremersalex]

To judge everything with your ears isn't obvious if you're not a reviewer with access to plenty of gear.

[@dennis3779]

Yes Hi Fi is great 🙏🙏

[@Gdawg314]

Incredible insights

[@tgmwright]

I don't think Egsedra is a word. Etcetera is though?

[@Pierre-Leloup]

[@hoobsgroove]

tell you what's going on you're getting artefacts from digital high high res. try a cat5 cable 100 or 120 ohms from the digital out to the dac. it will take away that nast 3rd and 6th and 9th harmonic. don't forget if you make the lead you're only use one wire pear, out of the set of four or five in the cable only two wire. you can use the other wires and wrap them around the single wire to give strength and put a bit of shrink wrap over and then a bit over the whole lot connecting to rca or xlr

[@carminedesanto6746]

13:48 great advice! Dan D’Augustino once said that they made a fantastically measuring amplifier…and it sounded like 💩

[@jumpingwhale]

you buy an expensive set and come to the conclusion that spotify sounds the best. 🤭 🤨

[@theoselemidis7989]

Could there be a sponcorship at play?

[@labalo5]

Yes

[@andreaperez9347]

How much did Spotify pay you??

[@ironsienna]

Ah.. all these AI generated clips... Did you really need them?

[@ronaldweed6103]

Balance in All Things. Yet i agree with you.

[@bruceaitken1918]

That's an average of one thing learned every four years - man, how do you find time to sleep?

[@davidfranks4975]

Possible to share the article on Facebook?

[@Coneman3]

It’s easy to just see negatives with being an audiophile, but there are many positives.

[@dicktater9637]

Usually when someone says something like "It’s easy to just see negatives with being an audiophile, but there are many positives" they provide examples, pros and cons. Please do that because I would sincerely like to hear your opinion.

[@richardgoldsmith8592]

Tidal

[@bencausey]

I thought Spotify was still lossy?

[@AlexReusch]

Still is lossy to this date. Spotify HiFi has been announced, but not available yet.

[@martinaston1715]

Wow 2.12 I remember when I had a mop of hair …..where did it all go😂

[@cremersalex]

Never heard an amp that isn't meant to be linear.

[@ErwindeWit-v9u]

Hmm, Leben and Accuphase amps aren't.. But universally loves non the less..

[@cremersalex]

@@ErwindeWit-v9u Accuphase E-270 frequency response is flat.

[@ErwindeWit-v9u]

@cremersalex Most Accuphase amps have a slight bump in the bass.. So really flat?

[@Miguelissimmo]

Things you have learned ? .. The new stuff is always better than the previous stuff ..

[@John8910]

How about spending 10's of thousand and more only to stream Bluetooth from a low quality source. See it all the time! Lol

[@enjoyunreality]

A 100k system with Bluetooth streaming will sound significantly better than a 10k system with the best possible source ever made.

[@huntrolly2190]

Real life audiophile!

[@willgatlin8229]

Great Thread! 34:55

[@miguelbarrio]

Spotify is not 16/44

[@mcmolony]

@@miguelbarrio What is it?

[@jamesdwright]

320kbps lossy compressed format

[@socksumi]

@@jamesdwright 16/44 uncompressed (1,411 kbps) can be compressed to 320 kbps but it still remains 16/44. Compression is NOT the same as bit rate or sampling rate.

[@FadetoblackBS]

Can someone write the 10 points down please?

[@PP-nh1lv]

LOL!

[@howardstever6676]

Are you sure Spotify is 16/44?

[@AlexReusch]

Yes, but not lossless (yet).

[@renedevreng4499]

Hear hear 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@willhemmings]

Thank you for describing your hi fi journey. I think the choice of adjectives describing your audio priorities may confuse some viewers, 27.05, so I am compelled to draw attention to your 'searching for a sound that has rich, lifelike vocals'. It is possible for one loudspeaker to have rich vocals and it is possible for another loudspeaker to have lifelike vocals, but the only way in which one loudspeaker can produce rich and lifelike vocals is for the loudspeaker to reproduce lifelike vocals in all circumstances and rich vocals in some, depending upon the material

[@connorduke4619]

The amp-loudspeaker pairing is key for that. I run Marantz Class AB analogue amp with HDAM output section which gives rich and lifelike mids. Then paired with Dynaudio loudspeakers which will play what the amplifier tells it but are certainly supportive of rich and lifelike mids. This is "the best" pairing for my ears and is far more engaging than many/most more expensive clinical pairings.

[@willhemmings]

@@connorduke4619 Yes, thank you, but I repeat my assertion, the hi fi system, loudspeakers, amplifiers, source components, shouldn't have any sound at all!

[@petekutheis3822]

yah denbois rod and gongs are oil of the highest ilk.

[@aldepal]

The B roll tho 😁

[@KarolosAthens]

Philips - NIVICO - NIKKO. ❤🎉

[@frankgeeraerts6243]

I can only agree with you......

[@GentielioGaming]

Cable lifters are not an issue. Just make that you cables short enough so they don't touch the floor.😂

[@Jeep_on_audio]

Magnetic fields extend well beyond the cable, the iron bars in concrete floors can distort them. It's not imaginary. But short cables are always better.

[@SrdjanBasaric-w2s]

I don't think you told us the whole truth. We share the same hobbies, photography and HI-FI. I'm sure that throwing a camera on your back and walking in the forest like the one behind your back is much more beneficial for health. Music comes as a dot on I.

[@biggsy..215]

Searching for NAVANA.😊

[@Mork36x]

Very true. Listening to high-quality music has endless health benefits, while listening to consumer-grade music is very bad for you. Every audiophile knows that. I think the limit for speakers is about around 20,000$. More expensive speakers cure just about everything. Listening to anything cheaper will give you cancer. I can't believe I took you more or less seriously until now. 🙄

[@Old_Sailor85]

Only if you listen to Tibetan Throat Singing, or some avant garde' female jazz singer.

[@BostonMike68]

Don't forget it's about the music in the end.

[@BobbyDazzler888]

And from the beginning

[@BostonMike68]

@BobbyDazzler888 exactly 💯