A good audio system is something that should follow you your whole life. If you love listening to music, it’s worth investing the effort and the cost.
Even to the non-initiated (like me), it’s surprising what untrained ears can pick up! Almost anything will sound better than the low quality sound we are used to with our low-end earphones and YouTube quality music. Visiting a local Hi-Fi store and ask for a demo is hear an eyes hears revealing experience.
Pricing
There are a lot of elitism in the audio space but you don’t need to spend $20,000 for a nice system.
A good compromise can be found with the below 1 :
- Era Design 5 bookshelf speakers: $900/pair
- Parasound NewClassic 2100 pre-amplifier: $600
- Proton D1200 amplifier: $599
- Parasound Zdac digital to analog converter: $475
Total: $2,574
It’s still a steep price but more reasonable than the $20,000 or more that is often boasted by some audiophiles.
What to expect with the above
I think the equipment above is a good compromise between sound quality and price. Design was not taken into account, though.
Some pieces of equipment are quite old, which means they passe the test of time.
There is no need to buy it all at once, but one piece at a time.