"People are trying to sell shit." Truer words were never spoken. Liked and subscribed!

Is this guy the best? So quietly understated, yet so good. What a great point to finish on!

I really like how you don't pretend to know everything and you can just say from experience things sound better than others!

You change the cable and it always sounds better, especially if it cost more. And don't forget the five stars from what hifi, that helps with the sound !!!.

Love this guy, he doesn’t BS around and isn’t influenced by incentives like those other clowns like SG, AR or Jay. Don’t be a sucker.

Kelvin these hi fi chats are so thoroughly interesting. I still have a pile of Hi Fi Answers and other mags in my roofspace that used to be my only hi fi digest back in the 70s and early 80s (before the female of the species stole my attention!!!) that I would read and re-read, enthralled by it all. This sort of chat is the modern equivalent - interesting, entertaining and informative. What lucky people we are to have lived through hi-fi's real era of change and progress.

Everything old is new again. I still use mu Sansui 881 receiver every day and am loving it. Who knew it would last 57 years after I bought it? They built them well back then.

"The ultimate plug is no plug" What a brilliant zen-like and all-encompassing philosophy. This actually applies to all circuitry and components; any component in the signal path can only degrade it. Have a great Christmas my friend ;0)

As a more than casual, but not entirely knowledgeable hobbyist, I found some very useful nuggets of basic info in this video. Nicely done and highly watchable.

@8:20 the listening room has as much of an impact as the speakers. the room is a resonance box, it's what creates constructive and destructive wave interference. two wires of same resistance are ALWAYS going to SOUND the same. for a wire to influence frequency we need to go way above the 16kHz most of us can hear... when dealing w/ MHz and GHz wires do play a role..

Brilliant! Thank you very much for such great clear and down to earth advice!

Really enjoying this channel and straight talk. Thanks for sharing this content. It's very helpful. The world needs more content at this level. Thank you.

HELLO FRIEND , KIRK HERE . ENJOY YOUR SHOW ! ONE REASON I LIKE THE " SOUND " OF VINTAGE AUDIO , IS THE AMPS AND OR RECEIVER HAS ALMOST NO ENTERNAL ENTERFEARENCE FROM impedance From multiple circuits . It is very simple chanel to output , which keeps the sound so clean !

Really enjoy your no nonsense approach with hifi, keep them coming.

I have to say I have been hooked by your knowledge and style of imparting that knowledge. It really is common sense a lot of the time. I now can answer the simple fundamental question, thanks to the insight you have provided. Question: which is better ? 1. A 3,000 (Pound, Euro/Dollar) system. 2. A 10,000 (Pound, Euro/Dollar) system. 3. A 50,000 (Pound, Euro/Dollar) system. Answer: - The one that sounds best to me. The question is emotive and subjective - personal preferences play a huge part in audio decisions. One person may like the "wall of sound" approach while someone else prefers a little more precision and detail. Me ? - I like both depending on my mood so my system development tweaks revolve around how to have precision, detail and accuracy on one hand but have the capability of switching to an extreme range delivery of power where you can feel the music as well as hear it. Not there yet but looking like two identical amps - one feeding a delicate set of responsive speakers and the other amp feeding into a more resounding speaker set. Amp and speaker A - is the precision set up Amp and Speaker B - is a richer more full sound using both sets = wall of sound - the speakers need to be different when listened to individually but also compliment each other when played together. got it wrong and the speaker set up I have sort of not compete - just not work well - the sum is less than the components. I have a new (2nd hand) set of speakers I am hoping will be a perfect fit that only time and experimentation will tell. I have not spent much on any of my kit but my enjoyment of the fettling and the listening has been thoroughly enjoyable.

Excellent tips for both new and experienced music listeners ...! Well Done!

I was seeking a magical improvement for my existing hi-fi system. What I found surprised me. I had split the budget three ways between source (turntable), amplifier and speakers. Magazines had begun to change their advise to source being more important and that seemed illogical to me. I was invited by a dealer to bring my current equipment with me to do A/B comparisons with what they considered upgrades and a few alternatives. It took barely a bar for me to appreciate the difference the source made and the differences in swapping equipment around were sometimes night and day and other time meh! My amplifier was a poor match for my speakers. The magazine and dealer choice favourite was no better. But both sounded hugely different with more efficient speakers. Using a pre and separate mono power amplifiers with 100 watts really got my speakers going. Years later I got those speakers back and used a modern 5 channel 100 Watt amplifier for my first surround sound system. Hearing the differences with your own music and being able to swap equipment to compare allowed me to narrow my selection and eliminate alternatives - regardless of price. I did end up spending a major part of my annual salary on a new system but then kept it for 40 years with one incremental change to the turntable a decade later (now 30 years ago). Ten years ago I experimented with 5+1 systems ending up with adding active rear, centre and sub-woofer to my vintage active speakers picking now very cheaper models from the 1990s. Repairing and getting parts for equipment over 10 years old is an on going problem. Back in the 70s and 80s there were equipment that most people would agree where good value for money and few at different price points. Although you might get something different it was for features that were considered worth paying extra for. The choice has mushroomed since and each manufacturer has played to increment model change and our choice includes all of those second hand and can be imported from anywhere in the world. Source for me is now a computer and Hi-fi is not about stereo music but media:- radio, podcasts, video, television multi-channel and multi-room from digital storage. A digital source files and active speakers have a different set of issues to get working as I would like. Your equipment only has to satisfy you and only you can decide how much a difference is worth while particularly as costs rise rapidly for smaller and smaller changes and improvements that you hear.

Great review! Just subscribed ! Love the honest view on the Hifi world!

Just so refreshing and honest this channel is. Really valuable advice,

Liked your video and you make some excellent points, based on your experience. I am willing to bet you would be a blast to have a few pints with!

Great video, like many here i'm waking up to vintage gear and its value in terms of great sound my "modern gear" is mainly 15 years old my older Amp, tuner & speakers are 46 through 43 years old ... and all sound great to my ears .. keep going with your "ramblings" i think they are great ...it's like chatting in the pub or at a bake off ..particularly when we can't currently

Calvin, I have really enjoyed watching the channel. My equipment ranges from 1940 through 1990. Tube uprights & consoles, S.S. Components receivers Samsun 661/771 and Sony to digital Kenwood etc... Its like you say if you feel it in the gut and it puts a smile on your face then it works. Cheers.

I first got into hifi from reading magazines in the early to mid 90s. As you found, it's the clever use of words that draws you in and makes you spend money. I soon learned my lesson when the kit I bought or listened to in the shops didn't match what the magazines were saying... That's probably why I'm suspicious of anything I read, especially when it comes to politics.

Excellent tips. I really enjoy your videos.

Well said Kelvin. For me vintage was the way to up my game from a p.c and awful speakers. The nineties amp and cd blew me away, but were soon replaced by better models from the same decade. Another big change in quality.I'm using Br03 speakers though because living in rural Wales it's a three hour drive to go and audition anything, and they were a dealer's return bargain at £230. Luckily I love them and my 'system' fills me with joy every time I switch on. Visitors, unsolicited, comment on how good it sounds. Like you say, it's all about enjoying the music- I pity those who get sucked into the audiophile trap. I believe they get their pleasure from arguing and boasting, rather than the music. I don't even want to hear superior stuff until I've got cash burning a hole in my pocket, as I fear that would make me discontent. You only have to visit the forums to see how many poor souls are caught up in their desires. Having said that I am lusting after a NAD 3020, thanks to yourself.

Just discovered your channel, Brilliant at last an honest down to earth take on hifi without all the "la di da you get from the snobby audiophiles ( more money than sense )most of them !!! Recognised the Sanusi 661 receiver in your video & brought back memories as I used to own one & had it for years great piece of kit !!! Many thanks 😊

Kelvin, these videos are real gems, I've learned so much from you. I'm trying to scrape the money together for a pair of used Harbeth P3ESR's, they are a revelation to me.

Just got my hands on a beautiful Rogers Ravensbourne paired with some Dynaco A-25's for next to nothing. Cant wait to listen to it, and see how it compares to my "modern" set up. Good channel!

Soldered connections sound better because a good soldered connection actually decreases the resistance encountered by the audio signal. It's not a huge deal, but I am now intrigued by the idea of the soldered phono connection. Still, you can obviously achieve a great sound with RCA connections there. Great tips here!

I pressed the tone defeat on my 70s Rotel,,,,,,good advice,subscribed!!!!

like the honest tips and comments, subscribed!

Thank you , I now have a whole new way of thinking and approaching the the Hi Fi I feel empowered by whole new knowledge.Thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience.Wow you have same me a great deal of time and energy and money. Thank again.

Very true new stuff not necessarily better than old stuff. 70's and 80's stuff was so well made with top components and cost a small fortune. Buying that stuff today in great condition is a cute thing to do. I have a pair of Celestion 3 Mk2's that cost £45 on my second system that sound better than most new speakers under £500 today. I bought an immaculate pair of Mordaunt Short Avant 908 2.5 way floor standing speakers for £100 for my main system that compare to many up to £2,000! Very good advice!!!!! Why pay for advertising - the sound is what's important!

Enjoying your channel , great tips along the way and some great gear on show. ron.

I was using a modern $700 tube amp. It's super popular. Then I get a Sansui 221 vintage amp for $100 and it just crushes it! My whole world has been turned upside down!

Super video. Admire your honesty and no bullshit approach. So much wisdom and experience about hi-fi. I have a modest system and feel your comments ring true. I BBC engineer who repairs stuff like classic Mission and Nad amps says like you that to get similar quality now is a huge amount of money. I have been watching Steve Guttenberg's hi-end hi fi channel. He's a nice guy, of course, and says similar to you but I think unconscious bias kicks in. As you say you have to maintain the idea of the latest thing if you review h-fi. Also the paradox of some hi-fi people enjoying gear but not music. Summed up by a high end Chinese audiophile with a very expensive system playing the Lion King.

17:00 Now that was all I needed for my speakers, that 'little bit of an angle' . Great tip, thank you, sir!

Yessir! Great advice my friend!

Amplifiers haven't moved on that much, I'm still using a fully restored Quad 405 & it sounds fantastic, great video, keep up the good work👍

Loved this video some really good advice thank you 👍

Excellent tips! Ive auditioned £800 speakers.... thinking these have gotta sound good, but as soon as I broke them in, I couldn't wait to put my budget speakers back on!

Very interesting listen as usual, full of information and truth thanks

I agree with what you say about reviews and the importance of reading between the lines. In particular I have noticed that reviews describing positive aspects of bass performance of small loudspeakers (low bass, articulation, etc ) rarely tell you that the speakers will only achieve this when played loud, often louder than average listening levels. I learned this from auditioning small loudspeakers in shops where I could only achieve what the reviews described by turning the volume up far louder than I would usually listen to at home.

agree with most of that most definately, great vid :) missed your B&O vid so about to catch that now, i hope your kind :)

I enjoy your videos very much. Thank you.

If you want more (boomy and muddy) bass, put your speakers in the corner. Using boundary gain to achieve more bass is not a method for sound quality. If you want to party, sure, but otherwise forgetaboutit. The best way to get stronger and tighter bass is to make sure your speakers are solid and don't wobble sitting on top of carpet. It's physics. For every action there is an equal reaction. If you are standing on a skateboard and attempt to throw something, an equal force will push you backwards and greatly reduce to force on the object you are pushing forwards. Speakers push bass drivers forwards and an equal force will rock your (wobbly) speakers backwards, dissipating the lost energy into the carpet as heat, rather than SPL. Wobbly speakers can also cause distortion when a double (or multiple) bass slam fights against the opposite movement of the speaker box. The movement might be small, but so to is the movement of the woofer at normal listening levels. It makes a huge difference especially in a basement with concrete floors. By spiking the speakers through the carpet to the concrete will also mass load the speakers, which also helps to isolate resonance from the box. I had to edit this comment when he brought out a speaker stand that had wheels (the skateboard affect I was taking about) on it.

Very interesting video thank you for sharing.

You are right. Your two ears are the ultimate judges which ones are best.

Everybody would have a big smile on their face, everybody would have a lovely time...lol...priceless comment. Great show and so true...love your channel.

Brilliant advice. Thanks.

great advice and channel!!

A miracle happened with my Quad CDP2 player and 909 Amp when I ditched the costly aftermarket mains cable & used the black quad cables I’d left in the boxes! Quad engineers commented that their black “kettle” cable was carefully designed to bring out the best in their equipment! Made sense really!

I fully support your ideology i buying vintage , I have done it most of my life. My last purchase on evil bay was a speaker system that was part of TEAC radio/cd system. The bass sub was nothing special, so I rejected that but the satellite speakers were smallish flat panel , balanced mode radiators badged NXT. I set up the system with an active bass speaker I made myself using a 130mm Visaton bass unit. The results sound incredible because the BMR s have a ruler flat response from 200 to 18000 Hz and roll off naturally at the low end. So that is hyper real sound for less than 500. The input is coming from a portable dab/FM radio.

Excellent video, thank you!🙋

Gread advice , thanks.

Excellent tips... even us olde-timers will benefit. Minor point... but can you please put a towel under the Ditton 11 when sliding around a hard surface... or 4 stick-on pads ? I am looking for Ditton 11's to lay down on kitchen shelf.. any scratches on ends will be visable. Tnx again for posting video.

You know your stuff! I have enjoyed the videos of yours that I have seen and you explain things very well. I went modern average joe to vintage to audiophile modern to highend. Now I am mixing highend and vintage. I am falling in love with vintage again and am enjoying my system more after removing $6000 in gear and replacing with garage sale vintage gear lol

Great advise! I love the comments concerning "poetic comments" by "experts".

Tip number 1 was spot on!

Thanks mate! You saved me alot of time

Really enjoyed ,cheers.

1. It's a sales thing 0:48 2. The cables 7:52 3. Tweak things 14:03 4. Mix and match 21:55 5. Getting sucked into the metrics 24:39

Spot on,like your style,subbed! just enjoy the music agreed☺️

Great tips ! if your into vintage hifi

Liked his point about the importance of the speakers!!! I just replaced a speaker in a bass amp I'd grown tired of. Suddenly its working like a hot damn! Its always the speaker(s)! Everything that happens until the coil unloads onto the paper, is signal at whatever strength. The paper, which formula is patented, by the way, is where the magic unfolds! JBLs use of cones made them an international favourite all those years ago. The thick white coated 12" has yet to be equalled for low/mid bass response. With the right port, a sub is really unnecessary and the tone is exquisite!

Very well put

Kevin everything you said was spot on!

My boss told me when I was 14 everything done in business is to make more money haha So true, I’ll never forget. As the consumer you gotta smart and reasonably what is the Best Buy for you. Great video, I like your honesty

“Be aware of the world your in and the forces at work in it” 7:01

Good stuff mate!

Yes please, one about turnables.

Some great advice 👍🏻

your right ,you have to live with any change to your setup for a week or two listen to tracks you know well, then a week later change back and then see what you think

I'm still enjoying my Sansui 771 with my Benjamin Miracord Elac turntable and a pair of B&W 602 S2 speakers and that's all I ever need .

Watching again KELVIN🤗👍💚💚💚

Ok, process is slow, but if reviewed from the 70's it's jaw dropping for the technology in producing components and putting them together and for the materials. Then it would be head spinning for source, digital and in music production. The increments for what gets to your ears are smaller. In 1979 I only had access to rubbish hi fi, now i can access some top quality hi fi....from the seventies, golden age !

My whole system costs about $7000. Not much by audiophile standards but a LOT by normal people standards! So I go to my local record stores and they all have vintage gear usually spinning records on a technics turntable and one day I realize, this set up that probably cost a tenth of mine sounds just as good if not better!

Regarding the comment at the 26:00 mark... I remember learning that a doubling of watts results only in a 3db gain. Most consumers don't know this and never (can't) wind their volume controls to 10 to compare. I see the same thinking for people buying guitar amps; they assume 2x the wattage is 2X the power and worth 2x the price. And sometimes different volume controls can manipulate the appearance of more power - putting most of the gain in the first third of the knob rotation.

I have got Legacy audio focus from 90s, every time I listen to them it puts a smile on my face. I don't even want to compare it to anything else, just in case I get that feeling of "I got to have it". Reminds me of the story When the Cathedral Saint Basil’s Cathedral At The Red Square was finished, Ivan the Terrible blinded the architect - Postnik Yakovlev so that he could never build anything so beautiful again

I sold audio gear in the 80's and the old "how many watts" thing got soooo old. Especially guys - it's like they drew a comparison between amp wattage and engine power. If memory serves me right, a doubling of watts adds just 3db of gain, and who's ever run an amp on full and felt they really needed 3 db more. I'm sure most of us never surpass 5-10 watts of power in most situations, and as you say, so many other factors add up to the quality of the sound. In my music room I've measured the volume and it's been between 85 and 95 db which is a nice level for a long listening session. If you look at speaker sensitivity, many produce 90+ db (though it's probably a sine wave) with 1 watt. I think there is a line of high end british amps that have an output of just 2-3 watts, but I forget the name. Anyway... good point... don't be seduced by metrics and wattage. They are not the secrets to sonic excellence.

I started at Marantz 2230 in 1977 still is my favorite !

Many thanks.

Hi you have good advice about Hi Fi Gear , I am the Speaker Doctor , I love old speakers and modern as well for English speakers i use to run Wharfedale ,Tannoy Gold,Celestion, all my Marshall amps use Celestion, plus I like Vintage Electrovoice , I also build my own enclosures.

I so agree with your point about spending an absolute packet on a system, and think that if we had the luxury of going to Hampshire Audio (or whatever your local hifi shop is called) and said do me your nicest combination for £2000 then maybe they would surprise us wityh the makes and combinations we had rejected without hearing. I reacall hearing a B&O system and thinking I had died and gone to heaven, but looks wise it was too off the wall for me. Silly attitude I know, but if B&O had packaged their gear in Sansui clothes then they'd have been on to a real winner. About the wattage, I recall someone in Hi Fi Answers saying you had to multiply watts rms by ten before you got double the output. Something to do with decibels I think. I know my new Yanaha amp is only marginally louder than my old Yamaha one but the new one is 650 rms total and the last one was 50 rms total. It's bonkers.

Extremely "dangerous" GOOD information !

That last comment really hits home, cause I don't know when to stop.... Lol

It is like cooking a good food.Put the ingredients and herbs you like until you have the perfect stew haha.In my case Yamaha and Nad work so well together.Yamahas clarity and neutrality with NADs richness and sweetness gives me just mind blowing musical experience.

The most difference i ever heard with loudspeaker cables was, when i sprayed contact cleaner on the ends, wiped the oxidisation off, sprayed some more on and clamped them down again. Louder, more details. An improvement almost for free.

Hi Kelvin, you are right, cables do not change hifi sound to a great extent unless you have not taken impedance into account. Rule of thumb (danish way to say it): if your preamplifier has an output impedance of 1,000 Ohms (typical for tube preamplifiers without a buffer in the output), the subsequent power amplifier should have an input impedance of 20,000 Ohms (20K) 1: 20...so you are on the safe side and avoid loss of bass and treble. As an example, Luxman C02 has 100 Ohm in output impedance and no known output amplifier has an input impedance of only 2000 Ohm...from a Luxman C02 you can basically buy fence wire as a connection to the power stage without losing anything in terms of sound....no, just a figure of speech..... buy reasonably good cables and you're ok Rgds Kim

Hey Kalv , your videos are very addictive , thanks for sharing your knowledge , and after listening 70’s Speakers I agree with you , Now question is does 70’s amp better for 70’s speakers? Or new amp will go with em fine , I was blown away when I listen to This 70’s ,bloody wide soundstage and Fun to listen specially 70’s rock music and Classical music it was singing to me

I think "looking for the perfect" receiver, speakers etc...is a big downfall...fun at times...but can get to be expensive.

Good talk

I learned all this more or less the hard way, or I already knew but didn't want to believe at the time.

Thanks Kevin. Interesting stuff. Quick question - what do you think of the B&W CDM1 speakers? Would they pair well with a vintage Audiolab 8000a amp? Cheers, Tintin / Brighton

I was lucky enough to find a Mordaunt Short A 5000 amp a few years back . I bought it without a 2nd thought and boy am I glad I did . To me it sounds superb , like a more rounded and musical Audiolab 8000a . It turns out its a very rare unit from 1989 of which only a few were made. Apparently it was a doomed attempt to broaden MS's range with eyes on selling the company to a bigger outfit , it was designed by a top amp designer but proved to be way to expensive to produce and was soon axed . It's in top condition and cost me £25 !

Such good info in these videos! 23 years old and getting really into good vintage equipment ever since I listened to a Johnny Cash original Vinyl. Quick question: I have an old Akai receiver that was my dads, some of the crossover buttons are flaky when pressed and have pops and crackles. Is that an easy fix or should I leave it be? It sounds lovely other than that.

well said!

I drink coffee and watch, cvd19 on pause. I agree 100%, me just buying many stuff speakers, headphones, micro systems, subwoofers, thurntables, LPs, CDs, cassetes... Cables short better, do not use to fat cables... The biggest progress in HiFi from 70th to 1990 is remote control, digital is simple not good like analog, but it can be very nice to. I have once Onkyo amplifier with 30 watts from 1975 I thnk, model A3000??, 30 watts was good as my Onkyo receiver with 350 watts, marketing...

7:51 "Tip number two" , looks over shoulder, on the lookout for angry hifi magazine writers.

13:55 haha, funny cheers really good channel