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I use live chickens for tweeters. I used to use geese, but they had a noticeable 'honk' in the upper midrange.

The perfect system is the one in front of you at the moment, playing the music you want to hear, with no distractions and feelings of contentment.

I watched you, dove into the deep end, overspent, and will emerge in 2026, but I am listening to absolute joy, and filling my soul with binge listening happiness.

Tubes and Heresy IV’s injected new passion for me in this hobby.

I occasionally flick the aluminum tab on my cheap beer. Love the sound.

Thanks Randy. Reaffirms that my two systems have morphed into just what I need and want. Like you, a few flat spots coinciding with TGs, amplidynes, and feed pumps not to mention 65 years of use. Thank goodness for tone controls...

Love the ADS call out. My old man had a pair of L910s that I absolutely loved. My mom called them the "R2-D2s." They were great fun. He sold them a number of years ago. A tragedy in my opinion because they sounded good and looked great. I think it's because they were so gosh-dang big, but damn if I don't miss them. I have a pair of L520s though, and I'm never letting them go, even though they're just a secondary system these days.

Grrrrrrreat! A perfect, concise, well-thought out, constructively balanced video that really covers all bases without veering into the over-technical side of our wonderful hobby. Randy, you've knocked it out the park *yet again*. all the very best to you & your family from G. in Japan (the wee Scotsman)

I like the very sensible approach of starting out with a spreadsheet and weighting by importance.

My son bought me a Sabaj A10h headphone amp for Christmas. I'm using it as a remote volume control for my Marantx 2220b that my other son gave me for Christmas a few years ago. So have adult kids and watch your system grow! lol

Brother I literally laugh out loud at some of the things you say. Our sense of humor is very similar. Love the eggs reference! Keep up the good work.

Great video and even better timing. I was bidding on a used Chord Mojo 2 + Poly the morning before this video came out. I realize that my 900+ dollars is better spent on upgrading from my HD 6XX and getting maybe a $200 DAC & AMP.

For me it is multiple systems. I enjoy music everywhere. And fortunately have the space here in Oklahoma. I happen to enjoy higher powered amplifiers though 😆 Used and new, all is good. Good video.

Holding it down from the doghouse. Thanks for all you do buddy!

I have owned a couple of $2k integrateds, and I have to say that I absolutely love the FOSI TB 10D. I wish it had a couple of inputs, but the sound rivals that of my expensive amps.

My Dream System - wiim mini + Cambridge axr100 + wharfedale linton in a room of 70 square meters!!!

I bought a pair of active speakers from Buchardt together with the Platin wireless hub. Perfect Hifi system for me! (also almost no cables and pesky clutter all over the room)

Have to admit, just by accident that the first video of yours I watched, the one where you said are you divorced yet, or whatever. Laughed my ass off. Since then I have watched quite a few of your videos in search for todays stereo options. Went with the recommendation of the Aiyima T8 tube pre-amp and the 300 watt Ayima power amp. Hooked them up to a set of Bose speakers 201 series IV, and damn what a nice sound I am getting. Loving it, been a long time since I heard music at home on a decent setup. Thanks, and keep it up!

Sage advice. I really liked this information and thought it very practical. If anything, from the numerous blunders I made over the years, I would add "Do Not Be in a Rush". There is a lot of joy in the journey, and you will never get ahead in settling for a component or speaker that is a budget compromise versus the one you really want. There have been far too many times where I shot myself in the foot by purchasing things just to have something. Then selling it at loss, putting myself even further behind. If I just saved up for a couple more months and got what I desired in the first place. I would have saved myself a lot of money.

Hi Randy. Two days ago I asked you about your dream system, and now a see you did this video. I found it very interesting and helpful. Take care and good luck.

If you want to save some money look at speakers that have 92 plus efficiency if you are in a very large room. Low Efficiency speakers will need a Amp and you will be spending more on the AVR that has pre outs, and then you will also spend more on electricity to run your system . Medium size room is easy on the wallet wise to work with. Small room becomes hard to place subs in

I whole-heartedly agree with you about keeping a coue of speakers in rotation. I'm about to swap out my kitchen speakers for my bookshelf speakers I. The bedroom. Between those two rooms, the garage and my son's rooms I have speaker storage down pat.

I'm trying a cost saving strategy that I hope works out. Instead of paying $1800 on a multi channel amp for my avr, I'm buying these $60 2-channel chifi amps he keeps reviewing. I bought 4 which gives me 8 channels and I kept my lcr's on the avr. So I spent less than $300 on these little amps for my surround which sounds fine to me. The cool thing is now my avr seems to send more power to the lcr and they sound a bit louder. I don't have an ear to notice the quality difference with/without amps but I do enjoy the 5.1.6 Auro 3D setup I've built. Plus if one of these little amps breaks I'm only out a small bit compared to the 2k big boy amp from emotiva/monoprice. Then as time goes on and the chips improve I can replace out some of these amps if needed. And when I go turn on my system I get to flick the four amp switches and act like Marty Mcfly in Back to the Future's opening scene.

There's so much variance in source material that finding the perfect system is more akin to finding a perfect compromise.

Good synopsis of many of the opportunities in assembling a system. It can seem a little complex but you just need to start. You might make some mistakes but that's just part of the fun and the learing process. Thanks for the overview!

Yes! I maintain two totally different complete (and costly) systems, one for serious listening, and the other for fun. Both have multiple sources, analog and digital, and in different locations in the house. 🥳 Never got the bug for home theater, but sometimes I think about it; right now we only have books and a sub for the dvd’s .. need something better; what I have there is kind of crap bc I’m spoiled lol

I did grap a beer instead....... I trust this is ok 😃

Finding your channel a few months ago gave me the bug to upgrade, so I fully blame you 😅. First started with home theater and main 2 channel system. Then decided to build a little desk top system that I could easily move around if need be. Still have the itch and been racking my brain though on what book shelves I want to go with for a secondary system. Thankfully I'm not in the doghouse though since I'm single. If I wasn't, I think I would be underground instead of the doghouse 😅.

This might be your best video to date

Great info, Randy. Ebay, audiogon, etc are your friend. Just keep your equipment in good shape, keep all the original boxes and packaging, and you can get most of your initial investment back when you upgrade to something else after selling your gear on the used market. Just today I purchased an open box Rotel amp on Ebay for about 500.00 usd less than the retail price. Sweet!

Agree, I've been using similar principles, myself.

Well said. And humorously said. Love your channel.

Well done, and solid advice. Cheers!!

Bought a pair of JBL L220's back in '82 for $1600. Pretty pricey, but one step down from their flagship. I was 18 and they had a fifty-pound magnet on their 15-inch bass cones...So, there you go. In 2017 traded them out, even up, for B&W 805 S2's. I feel like I did pretty good on those. The rest of my old equipment, good but not worth crap. Randy's right, you're probably not going to win out switching out equipment often.

I'm more than happy with my second hand/clearance sale Dolby Atmos home cinema: kef kht3005se for LRC and surround, atmos are the kef kht2001 and now got the kef e301 as replacement/ extra speakers. Subwoofer is a Yamaha yst sw-340. All Sony receiver dst1080 or something like that and blu-ray xbm800. Total Cost 1600€.

After listening to to the Fosi BT30D I'm ready to downsize from vintage it's that good, thanks Randy!

I was surprised to see the Fluance bookshelf speakers missing from your budget list. I found and bought a pair of those on Amazon yesterday based on a video from about 8 months ago. I'll let you know how they sound when I get my paws on them.

Nice! This really falls in line with one of the channel suggestions I gave in your video inquiring about changes to the channel. Not saying you did this because of my suggestion (or even read it) but this was one of the topics that I think are very important. Thanks Randy!

Randy: That's why I like to have 2 sets of speakers Wall: *Mumbles unintelligibly behind 40 speakers*

Great input, thanks. I feel very comfortable with your ideas. Exactly how I am going about building my system.

Most informative and real video in some time. Good job Randy.

Good advice for a beginner is always welcome, love your channel.😉

I got my Carver receiver 2000 by trading for a Rolex watch back in 1984. I still have it ✌

I already sold my chickens. And house. Now I am happy listening in my chicken barn.

this is extremely good content, thank you Señor Chapeaudio

In your thumbnail pic you look like the lead singer of Coheed and Cambria when he did the rush Salute with Tool, primus, and I believe anthrax. A bad ass cover of Rush

I watch you videos not to learn or improve my knowledge about hi-fi, but mainly because you are funny and entertaining. Keep posting videos. And if you want to post a video about putting up a sound system in a 5 X 5 dog house, I would be interested. Say, some waterproof in-wall speakers, a Wiim mini that the kid could use to play hockey with the dog while not in use... :-)

Got some knukonceptz kord kable 12 guage 100% oxygen free copper speaker cable. And it was only $129 for 100 feet! Great cable for the money and now I saw 100 feet for only like $89! That’s a steal ✌️

Great video! I just acquired a pair of Presonus active studio monitors and a Focusrite interface and i find them perfectly suitable for just listening to music besides producing and mixing etc.

Have had the Emotiva b1+ since late October and still getting better

That thumbnail is awesome.

Most people who have hi-fi equipments don't listen to the right songs If you have a crisp speakers and amp try this songs : - mourning grace by Patricia Barber -le temp passe by michel jonasz -Mande djeliou by djelimady tounkara

Well, let's go hunting - thanks for a nice summary and inspiring input - just what I need, Carlo

Thumbs up for the wizard thumbnail!

I buy used stuff, except for DAC. DAC is where the most development has been in the last decades so I pays to get a new one. Used stuff usually retains it's value better than new so you can sell it if you miss buy and not loose a lot of money.

Now I know how to put my chickens to good use

I'm getting into retro gaming. Playstation 1, Playstation 2, Super Nintendo, N64, etc. Back when I was younger, I could only use my CRT. Now that i'm older, I'd still like to use a CRT tv, but with better sound in mind (maybe top out at 5.1). What is/was the best old receiver I can use to utilize these legacy connections? Even better, a way to switch systems on the fly, without having to go to the back and switch out cables. I'd love to know your thoughts! Great video! You've got yourself a new subscriber!

Ads i?.. havent heard anyone mention them in Decades.They were great in tries here day ..Show up occasionely at thrift stores.Usually a good find.. Crappy push buttons for the wires otherswise not to many problems.. well worh seeking our! I had the mini L years back!

Great video....although I have now realised I mostly listen on headphones and need to figure out what that means I should focus on...

I have a pair of polk tsi 200 bookshelf speakers and an Aiyima a07 amp with 10 gauge speaker cables hooked up to my tv via headphone output and I know I need a dac so that will be next. My fiancé doesn’t want subwoofers on each side of the speakers because she thinks subwoofers need to be in a corner lol. Unfortunately we don’t have corners that are by our tv to place the subwoofers. I love my fiancé regardless 😂

Randy, with a new season of the Mandalorian starting on March 1, it may be time to budget for a new TV. 😁

Great episode.

If I may, I'm in the commercial electrical business with one of the largest firms in the country. I specialize in low voltage, which is/was until the latest NEC, under 120V. That includes A/V, Access Control, CCTV, and building automation systems. The quality of the cable boils down to this, the quality(copper) and SIZE/GAUGE of the conductor based on length/ power requirements/ headroom required ( power provided/ length-guage) and the quality of the terminations- terminal ends. The most expensive gold plated blah blah blah isn't worth crap if the terminations suck or the shielding sucks or if you have dirty, inconsistent power or a crap ton of electrical interference from an old branch circuit...and just so many other things. In fact, a really "high end" cable is a waste of money that is going to SCREAM about how filthy your structural wiring is. All that said, a properly sized Belden, Mogami, Genspeed, etc cable properly soldered to a good honest terminal end is all you need. Do not over spend on "magic gold plated bullcrap". Electricity is electricity. Copper is your friend. Every damn piece of gear used to produce that record, much less mix and master it, used copper, and nothing fancy for terminal ends. Hell, half of the best records were recorded on consoles and tape machines that were not in perfect or close to perfect electrical condition. Don't buy voodoo. Buy standard, solid, conductive, well shielded cables properly built. Or better yet, buy a soldering iron and build your own. It's easy as crap. Sorry for the rant. Great video. Love this channel!

This is a great video !!

Do reach out to other audiophiles. I know I would gladly donate gear to someone that would use it and not just sell it. Also I find that it's more system matching and experimenting then cost. My main system used to cost around 12k. Now it's 3.5k and I like it better. I even built a super cheap system all vintage oddball stuff cost around $400. It's ugly, amp needs some repair but when it's not acting up, it's one of the best sounding rigs I've owned.

Love your channel. But today I wanted to learn each individual part of a full “hifi” setup. I’m still confused as to what a phono output, pre-amp, streamer, amplifier, does or dosent do. I was hoping to see a chain starting from beginning to end (hearing the sound) I know the basics, right now I have a Yamaha receiver and Yamaha speakers connected to my TV. I’ve tried all the sound bars , and small speaker home systems from Best Buy; but I’m itching to find a better sound , and I’m willing to have individual parts instead of integrated amplifier. Just not quite sure what parts are available AND what are actually required.

Once you build the perfect system, party over? Oh NO!! 🥳 I need an extra DAC !!🤣🤣 PS) The one big thing you accomplish Randy, aside from entertainment, is psyching people out to buy gear. Respect..👨🏻

Solid advice as always Randy. Thank you 🙏🏾

Integrated amp, for sure. Then speakers. My one complaint is how much CD players cost. Holy cow. I guess I'm old-fashioned and even though I have a subscription to Apple Music I find it skips a lot even with a good wifi signal. Frustrating. CDs don't skip, and I have a lot of them.

Haloween came really late with that witch costume brother.

Awesome my good fellow...👌🏽

Wow, I’m fifty five. I bought some one and done, then , realized I prefer to tinkle. ( gigging musician that grew up on a farm. I miss the high end sizzle in my eght year old ears)

...Thank you for your service.

There is great options but what if im looking for amp that has hdmi arc. I have used to play spotify from my Lg oled and its convenient that amp starts same time as tv?

Great video man! I agree with everything you said.

I have decided to go with separates but am still very confused. Is there a list of what is minimum best start would be. I already have 2 passive focal speakers. Next I need a? Amp and Dac? PreAmp and Dac? I have a bunch of FLAC music I play on my computer and want to play it on a nice stereo. I want to build a system over time so just need to get started. Then I need pointed to a video that tells me how to play it from the Dac.

Can't wait for the new season of "The Rings of Power" to see what Wizardly deeds the Imortal Randy get involved in.

I'm thinking of 'getting rid of a almost perfect audiophile system' seeing that I have 3 systems already. Too bad I don't know someone who is just starting their audio journey as they would be the best recipient. I'll probably give it to my neighbor or my brother. I haven't decided which.

Nice graphic, Randy Pothead ;)

What do you think of the pioneer sp-fs52? I just got a screaming deal on a pair- figured I couldn’t go wrong with an Andrew jones designed speaker. What inexpensive amp would you pick to drive them? Thanks

Location, location, location: Move to Charlottesville, VA and spend every day at Crutchfield.

What your setup ? My is thorenst d160 turntable ortofon x1-mc aiyima t3 pre amp Marantz sr5003 Klipsch rf 25 Kost arount 1000 € Stil need a nice tube amp

Yes. Perpetually looking at new pieces of equipment. It's an illness, according to my wife.

When you will review aiyima t9 pro ?

Randy, great advice for both novice and experienced audiophiles. Enjoy a cup of coffee on me.

I have a pretty sweet stereo sound system but I want to upgrade my tower speakers. I have a pair of jbl 580 and a pair of klh quincy I would like to sell. Any places ypu recommend for selling speakers beside facebook?

Small PC > DAC-A1 > A07 > ELAC > Done

Thanks Much!

Great info as always. I have a 12 inch powered Klipsch sub already but thinking about adding a SVS sub.....any thoughts on a SVS around $500-600?

I have a dozen chickens Just allowed me to get two REL woofers with the money saved

A+ thumbnail

This is from 1 day ago says around $400 for emotiva ta1 yet it's $599 on site. That's a statement and question.

I blame you for all my recent Hi Fi spending. At least to my wife.

McIntrash solid state is built like a tank … and sounds like a tank.

what do you think of m&k speakers by the way i ma a suscriber and love your channel!!

I want vinyl, CD, streaming,. I do not need very high power amp. I need sub integration and high pass filter

Quick question? I follow you on all your videos and really appreciate your opinions. What emotiva center would you reccomend c1+ or c2+? I have the B1+ but also hoping to upgrade to B2+. My AVR is onkyo tx rz50.

Where do we fit room correction here?

But how do you build a perfect room for listening music? This is what is keeping me from going more into buying hifi stuff. If anyone sees this and has some pointers, channels that they follow, please do recommend.