Most of my gear is second hand. You can save a lot of money.

A lot of snobbery in the hifi world - a lot of smoke and mirrors - you always keep it real and down to earth.

audiophiles should keep chasing the hi end sound because it makes them happy. but music lovers (unless they are also audiophiles) can probably keep it relatively cheap and get what they need

system matching is a dark art, at least our mistakes can be sold off and save up for new mistakes... :-D

There is some really solid advice here. Great video as always.

Just to put this out there, most modern speaker amps have a separate op amp driven headphone section, rather than being tapped off the main amplifier, unfortunately

Your years of experience have certaily gone into this video. I myself reached a level of mid-fi that seemed to do the job and spent more money collecting records. Did buy some lovely transmission line speakers to kid myself it was high end! Thank you for your Sunday afternoon broadcasts.

I have three systems. One is an old Pioneer SX-780 receiver, another is a small vacuum tube amp, and the third is for the tv, a home stereo receiver. Kudos and respect to those who can afford high priced, high end gear, but I like mine just fine.

Example - ther is a boutique brand called Speakercraft in the Us - I had a 920, around a 1000 USD new. it was detailed, but just sounded flat, even when Eq'd. It was beat out in both imaging and matched for detail by my 77 Pioneer Sx 750, which was eventually beat on sound by my 71 Sansui 4000!

lovely to see you back, the video concept is very interesting thank you

It would be very interesting to have you talking us through a few good matches in your own collection, from A to Z that is, cable matching included. What I would also love to watch is a complete tour of your collection; all the stuff. Take ur time.😄

It's all down to personal taste everyone got different ears

Another great video. You sound like you have no skin in the game, an honest & experienced opinion. I couldn’t agree more. 30+ years ago I worked in Bill Hutchison HiFi Glasgow. I heard loads of BS when working there, my favourite was “Aural spaciousness”. People would come in with What HiFi magazine and point out the latest winner. My answer was always the same, come in with your own LP, CD or tape and I’d let them listen to various connotations of gear. Not once did they walk out with the magazines appointed gear + I usually saved them some money. 1 thing to remember is that what I consider to fantastic may not sound good to you, everyone hears differently, rooms sound different. I have a 10k set up in my living room but I still prefer my old A400 with a PD9700 and Bose Acoustimass + streaming with a cheap Node 2i in my bedroom. I’ve had this gear for well over 30 years. The amps been fixed 4 times now but the CD player and Bose have never failed. Don’t get hung up on the pomposity of HiFi snobbery. Like the man said, start with a good amp (using your existing gear) and slowly over time build onto it. Good luck and have fun! Fun is what good HiFi should be about.

Kelvin always a interesting channel and discussion. The biggest factor of all is....... Your ears!!! As i get older i cannot have the hearing i had at 20. Regardless of how much you spend or how good the hype - the weakest link inevitably is the "end-user' & time....

Good video Kelvin. Some people doubt whether there really is a higher performance level. And some of them are suspicious enough to think the hogher priced stuff is snake oil. When buying used amps, on the internet, you often get ones which are staticy sounding when you turn the knobs. One of them, an older vintage integrated, always had static and the one channel would go out and then come on again, when you jiggled the knobs. After using it for about 5 months on a regular basis, it just stopped doing it; like it fixed itself.

Another brilliant video Kelvin , thank you for sharing your experience , knowledge and views in such an easy way to understand

You have to ask yourself if you prefer listening to music or to equipment. I listen to music on £11 JVC IEMs and a smartphone and I get so much pleasure from that.

I’ve got two systems - one at home and one in my studio and both are mostly vintage with modern turntables. They sound amazing. Both under 3k each. In my studio a guy up the corridor has a 25k setup and honestly it’s to harsh. With audiophiles refusing to use bass or treble or loudness options (or totally missing from amp) on modern amps it often sounds like shit. My addiction is buying records but for me this hobby is all about the music so happy with that focus. As mentioned, the speaker placement and the room’s acoustics make a huge difference in sound. Not to open up a rabbit hole - cables for me also make a difference. Saying that the more expensive cables seem to my ears just add to much high end.

Good advice. Don't trust the stars - unless the star is Kelvin. An enjoyable video as always.

Advices are very good. I fully agree with you. Spend money on a really good amp which I like very much is a good idea.

I have never heard speakers that sound good for all my music, it just depends on what I want, when deep bass is fantastic I can't focus on the mids as good, if the mids are sounding great I want the bass down so I enjoy the mids, in the end what's important is choose a good enough system for you and then enjoy the music rather than the equipment, good enough is alright, best does not exist

Is it all worth it? Yeah, course it is. It is fun and playing around with gear is why we watch channels like yours, Kelvin. If you want a decent/safe sounding system to plug in and forget on the shelf then get an old Quad. It’ll play for years and gather dust. It won’t ever set the world alight though. You have to search for that and that is where the fun/hobby is. Totally agree that to find true satisfaction you have to spend a bit. Cheers

I have a Sansui AU555a in my main room and Sansui AU 222 in my bedroom. Love the sound coming from the amps. Clean and warm sound. I change my speakers a lot, but the amps are keepers. I am a Mid-Fi guy on a budget......

Very true what you say about writing and stars. Purchased a Krell KAV250a / Krell KAV250p. Sounded great with vintage Roger’s Jr149 speakers with new falcon drivers and recapped crossovers. Got carried away by reviews and writings and purchased a pair of Revel M106 performa. Law of diminishing returns has kicked in. No audible improvement. It’s a credit to Jim Roger’s design skills. He could produce something 1n the 1970’s which still holds its own. He did not have carbon fibre or computer aided design. And did the job with very basic test equipment.

Agree that a great amp is the foundation of a great system. Years ago I bought the Marantz PM11-S2 on a 50% run out sale and it remains an excellent cornerstone of my system to this day.

He’s right. Following my first entry level system, I jumped up to around £600 on a NAD amp, and £600 on B&W speakers from Sevenoaks. Hugely disappointed for many years, and parked the “hobby”…. Only just recently invested in a complete new system at around £8k. And OMG, what a difference!!

I can't help but love this guy He's actually a genius and has gotten me to dwell into my most intimate and deeply passionate hobby which I somehow forgotten about due to energy vampires like Family and friends and the robotic society I can't thank this little wizard of a man enough for awakening the beauty of the Soul

800 was about the price of my Yamaha integrated in 2021 and really surpised how good it has been. 145 watts into 8 Ohms and extremly reliable. Swiss knife for all my needs and comes with a remote. I doubt very much it can handle some expensive ProAc or ATC? It's so hard to get a demo these days so I shall continue to buy and sell second hand loudspeakers. Had a pair of PMC TB1 for a couple of months. Very bright, nice bass and passed them on. About to try a pair of LINN Kan. Cheers everyone.

This is an illness not a hobby and I'm amazed that in 2024 this is still going on. I worked in the hifi retail market fifty years ago and let me tell you now. If you are the kind of person that has the money to buy any system on the market you will never ever ever ever be happy. You have accidentally fallen into the twight zone and you have made the biggest mistake of all, you have stopped listening to the thing that hifi was designed for and that is the music. All this crap about spending £700 on an amp and the £800 on a pair of speakers and then no doubt £1000 on a turntable and £500 on the cartridge followed by god knows how many different types of connecting cables, it's bollocks. There is an amp in my local hifi shop for £5500 and no doubt some bozo with too much money will buy it, along with the £8000 pair of speakers next to it and the £3000 turntable on top of that. I get that if you have a £4.000.0000 house with a couple of farrari's on the drive you are going to need a really expensive hifi system to go with your home cinema and helipad. You are then very unlikely to be a music connoisseur unless you have made your money in the music industry, in which case in most instances you are even less likely to be one. You are much more likely to be spending the money just because you can. In all reality, who can borrow a system from someone else and bring it home or would want to. The furnishings alone will make it sound completely different from the imaginary friend you borrowed it from. if you later change your sofa and curtains, it's all going to sound different again. If you can pursuade your hifi shop to let you take a system home and take it back if it clashes with the wall paper, fine. Also do you live alone and listen to the music on your own? A little sad if you have to, but if you share your listening pleasures with a partner the likelyhood of him or her hearing and sharing the sound that you like is in the low zero's, it will likely be too top end or too bottom end for them. At the end of the day we all (unless we are deaf) hear things differently. So maybe you need to buy two f.....g systems to appease both of you. Take my advice, decide on a budget, visit a hifi shop, listen to a few systems within your price range, don't piss about listening to lots of different amps, a tiny tweak of a bass or treble control if they have one, will alter everything anyway. Spend your money, take the system home and listen to the music, don't try and hear the difference between two different speaker cables, you will drive yourself crazy, likewise with turntables and cartridges and then enjoy whats left of your life, 88 years is your average lot, many don't get out of their 60's. Life's too short my friends.

Start with the speaker and then room interaction. Then match the amp to create the sound you want. More expensive doesn't mean its better. Make sure the foundations of your system and right.

Firstly, Kelvin I love to watch your channel, you are a wealth of knowledge! Now about those who may be perceived as spending too much on HiFi. Folks, since the year dot "Boys like their Toys" and to those who say go & spend it on other things (home, kids, spouses, holidays etc etc) Well all good if that's what you want. I don't see too much difference between other big boy's toy's. I mean when I look back on my life with spending more & more in the pursuit of "BETTER" with Motocross, vintage bikes, classic cars, cars in general, Golf, cycling PHEW! well REALLY? I reckon having fun tinkering with audio is quite a mild hobby! Some like spending heaps on smoking or drinking. So really is this such a bad thing as long as it's one's own money & your not putting yourself or your family in debt. At least your home playing with your hobby! and not down the pub. So my vote goes to folk's just having FUN. Are there really that many people feeling stressed about trying to get a better sound? well maybe a few I would guess, but holy crap I used to see a lot doing it with other sports/hobbies! at the end of the day YES, we are only on this planet for a short time....go and have FUN

Great advice once again 😊.

I found it absolutely crucial to get the right set of speakers which were the right size for the room and my tastes..

My fave in my room is a Marantz 2245 paired with ADS L620 speakers. Then again my Marantz PM8004 with Snell E2's and my Sansui 881 with large Advents is no slug either.

It also depends on the combination. My full range electrostats need a good and stable amp. I build my amp myself more than 25 years ago and it still is very very good. You can only judge an amp when driving speakers, specially when those speakers are a difficult load

On the net there is a blindtest with small atc 2way speakers and a cheap system compared to a high end system....most could not tell which they prefer and those choosing the expensif system were not more then those prefering the cheap Cheap was cheap cables, cheap Sony CD player, cheap Behringer studio amp , The expensif was expensif 3000 euro french amp, teact vrds cd, high end cables and expensif furniture So the only common was the small atc 2 way....and having 50 years audio experience and second hand audioshop in Brussels , so could compare lots, and I agree there is a lot of' snake oil'.....but yes clipping distortion. Is very easy to discern...so that's why I go for high efficient systems

To save precious money one can go for secondhand oldschool treasures that are out 'fashion or style'. Like u say "the middle ground" of modern hifi is a big pile of the same that doesn't bring nearly any progress sound wise. Or go the DIY route;-)

I got LS50 mk1 blacks when the metas came out... Pretty good speakers for £400.. and still worth that or more.. effectively depreciation Free-Fi if bought correctly. Nearfield on my desk the LS50s sound excellent.

Kef LS50 are the darling of the Audi press , what HIFI get a bone on over em . Kelvin a while ago reviewed them against vintage Bang and Olufsen speakers and a couple of other brands may have been Rogers and someone else . He said the vintage speakers blew the Kef away!!!!!

Today with class D power amps (Hypex, Purifi, Icepower) you can get a very good amp voor not thousands of pounds (but you can also spend much more). You can build the rest of your system around them to taste. For speakers look at the used market because there is some great value to be had. Just be patient and not too skimpy. You can always replace crossover parts for better ones to up the game. Cheap upgrades are decent power cables, even cheap Chinese ones get rid of a lot of sibilance. I think they act as a filter for unwanted electro magnetic pollution that does something to the upper harmonics.

You can get as much satisfaction from a good combination of entry level gear that when it all gells togeather sound more than good enough for most people. Upgrading can be an expensive mistake, and i agree the the mid range amps are often just more expensive rather than better. For some reason i always wanted an Audiolab amp, my local shop had taken one in as a part exchange so i borrowed it for the weekend, compared to my trusty NAD amp, it sounded sterile with far too much top end and a weak mid range, so i took it back. The owner smiled and said he knew i would return it, they are way over hyped in the reviews I have owned Sony ES and Pioneer Elite systems yet that NAD was the one i used the most it has a sound that you can listen to all day, whilst the higher end gear sounds great at first then you get tired of it's in your face sound.

If you're buying your first system & lucky enough to know a good dealer, that's where you should begin. A dedicated dealer can start you off with an amplifier, speakers, CD player & cables. Dealer's know what sounds good together & it's money very well spent. If you're skint or avoid this route, it's a minefield of buying & selling but it's all good. 😊

In my opinion the most important part of a great sounding stereo is the speakers, then source and then the amp. I say that order because a $5,000 dollar CD player sounds no better than a $250 Onkyo 6 disc changer. You do not need a $5,000 dollar amp when you can get several great sounding units for far less. But speakers... It does not matter what amp you use, what turntable or CD player. If the speakers are not good then nothing else matters. Other than stereo itself, the room acoustics is also very important. I have had the same system for 6 years and just moved and it sounds so much different than where I used to live. Cables are all snake oil. As long as your interconnects are good quality there will be no difference in more expensive ones.

love your videos. would have been great if you had pointed out a few amplifiers to get us started in the high end :-)

the approach discussed here has me eyeing the Exposure 2510, that amp strikes me as a serious analog amp that would probably last a lifetime

I have 3 amps 3 sets of speakers and a sub woofer that is only connected to one set of speakers they all sound different I would rather have this set up rather than one expensive system

Use headphones. LOL and behind you is a Meridian 101 pre-amp without a headphone socket. Oddly enough the output is the right level for some headphones so Meridian made me a DIN to 1/4" headphone socket to plug in instead of the power amp or active speakers for my AKG K240 headphones. They also updated the silver cable to a solid core twisted pair of wires and extra long cables. Going active also reduced the number of components to compare. The 101b/M1 with Linn LP12 was 50% of my annual salary back in 1981. Still have it today, 43 years later with some service and parts upgraded, cartridge replaced. The dealer invited me to bring in my equipment and set it along side their choices to compare. In going from moving magnet to moving coil meant I couldn't just swap out the turntable with my old amplifier and speakers. What I had was in fact very good choices but not the best together. A more power amp for my speakers or more sensitive speakers for my amp would have been better for similar money.

Spot on...perfect video subject...you are so real...people have to start liking your channel more and more because you tell things the way it is and people will understand you, like me...I can relate to every word you said!🎶

Having watched your videos over the last week and thoroughly enjoyed your advice, especially about it being about what makes the music get you in the gut, I have an idea. As no one speaker can do everything, then perhaps choose a pair which handles mid and high range vocal brilliantly and ones that are more bass sensitive then set them both up on an amp with 2 channels then you can switch between (or have both on).

Spot on- great video. I had the Kef LS50's for about three months. I kept scratching my head thinking it was just me as the reviewers raved about them but I just couldn't get on with them. The middle ground can be awful, and its expensive to keep trying different kit.

You could use very expensive silver wire or battery as a power supply, have the very best speakers etc and have a great experience? In the past i used to listen to Radio Luxembourg on a poor medium wave transistor radio under the pillow at night with the signal waving in and out with lot's of fade and have a great experience?

Nice to have people like you now! Early on I bought a Pioneer SX-850. Gets used the least. Low expectation stuff Sansui 221, Superscope 1240, Sanyo Plus 35, Fisher Futura 202. All more enjoyable and cheaper!

Agree 100%, so many people trust blindly those equipment reviews and even worst certain YTer (not thinking about themself!). Also this annoying re-phrase *you need room treatment first*, wrong!! Get FIRST good electronic and AMPs the can handle several speakers and NOT the way around.Also don't get yourself fooled that Vinyl is better than digital, WRONG, it is by far eqal!! I've spent some time and money on my main and 2nd system and sometimes I was so wrong, but now I'm happy (I've uploaded my room tour in my YT profile). THANKS A LOT, KEEP GOING, LOVE IT!

At the end of the day you have physics to play with and come into the equation so it never going to be perfect no matter how much you spend

I share your journey Kevin! And your love for Sansui amps. Listening to my 505 now, with modern buchardt speakers. What an amp!

Great advice as always ..

Hi Kelvin, you forgot to mention the most effective upgrade that will vastly improve the sound of any system. Making this upgrade will let you know that your system can sound far better than you ever thought it could. The upgrade is called extensive acoustic room treatment. For my listening room I built 20 deep porous broadband traps and 24 tuned limp membrane sealed bass traps. Not easy or cheap to do but the end result is astonishing.

Very true, thanks😊

When I had a system for doing reviews, I started with the amp. Meridian 557 served me well.

I really enjoy your take on things and agree wholeheartedly with what you say about reviews being “just writing and some stars” 👍

Thanks for the video. This really hits the spot. I'm exactly in this situation where I spent a lot of $ on speakers and have been buying some different gear and I'm finding myself disappointed by each new piece I buy. I haven't borrowed gear and tried it out in my space, but that seems like a very good idea before i buy something after reading reading a positive review or something. Anyway, Thanks again. Very helpful.

Hate to be this person but the room is a bigger factor than most people realize.

Most of my system is 40 years old. Still excellent sound quality. My neighbour has a new £10k system. I wouldn't swap him!

Hi Kelvin, I have watched all of your videos several times over. I really like your enthusiasm in sound quality and the way you describe things with a poetic touch. I am amazed with your instrument sounds (especially drums) that you can make with your vocals. You definitely have the rhythm in your soul. You have done such a good job described exactly what you like, so it's easy to see that we like the same attribute for great sound. And we share several favorites (Eagles, Blondie, Alison Krause, Michael Jackson has top notch recordings.....). We have a totally different view on a certain speaker and I understand why. I "jumped the shark" 5 years ago and I will never look back. I have learned a lot from you about vintage gear. I can clearly see that you are a highly intuitive and smart guy and I hope you don't mind if I point out some things I see you missing about more modern gear. You are a very likeable person as the comment section clearly denotes, so I want to take the time to explain in detail how the more fundamental aspect of electronics work. I'm not an engineer, but I have a decent understanding and can repair most electronics. I think we have a different perspective when it come to "budget, middle and high end". I think we agree that modern day budget is absolute garbage. I know you consider your (newer) Quad amp and your Naim amp to be higher end, but if you contrast the prices from the 70's for high end big powerful receivers, they cost $10,000 or more in todays dollars. I'm not to familiar with the Naim, but the Quad definitely has some serious problems (50 watts into 8ohms and only 34watts into 4ohms). Wattage at 8ohms doesn't really tell you much. All speaker are dealing with AC current, thus their is no DC (zero hertz) resistance. The is no such thing as a strictly "8ohm" or "4ohm" speaker. All speakers vary greatly (many more than 40 ohm fluctuation), so what matters is how low in impendence a speaker dips. Watt's law is very simple (amps x voltage = watts) pay attention to this for later. Ohms law deals with the relationship between resistance, voltage and current (amps). All amplifiers have a set voltage rail with a maximum currant capability from the power supply. It is important to understand that current is always drawn by the electronic device. Things like heaters, light bulbs, toasters... draw a certain current. Speakers are different because they deal with different frequencies, which the current draw changes according to different frequencies. When considering suitable speakers for your amps, look at how low they dip in impedance, because the lower it is the more watts are needed at any volume relatively. You never want your amp's voltage rails to get pulled down (it will sound like sh!t and make your speakers distorted). Most amps can't properly drive 4ohm loads (require twice the current as 8ohm loads), let alone 3ish ohms as many modern speakers like Kef. Ohms law dictates that if the resistance (impedance for AC because it varies in frequency) drops (say to half) then your amp needs to deliver twice the current to stop the voltage rail of your amp from sagging. It should be obvious now why speakers need a ton more current (not necessary power which watts constitutes) if they dip down far from 8 ohms. Your newer Quad amp is a great example. It can deliver 50 watts at 8oms, but it sh!ts the bed when speaker dip lower. All speaker dip lower, even vintage, although not as much as modern speakers. All great amps double down in watts at 4 ohms compared to the 8ohm rating. Forget about modern day Quads (you will never be happy). Buy a used Parasound amp from the late 80s-90s, which all have high current and they are direct couple. Meaning there are no capacitors or inductor (as in speaker crossovers they block frequencies) in the signal path, which allows for a very open and airy sound. Most of Parasound amps were designed by John Curl. He was a tube guy in the 60s. He made $40,000 amps for Levingston and he considered his "masterpiece" to be the Parasound JC2 preamp (super detailed, but silky smooth and deep grunt in the bass with speed and agility that can handle the busiest of song. I had the JC1 mono blocks for a few years with great speaker and DAC, but I was still analyzing instead of "being bathed in the music". It sounded good, super tight and articulate bass, fast and agile, instrument separation, but I like to play it loud enough to enjoy the dynamics. At such volume the vocals had just a touch of edginess with a good preamp. I paid $1700 ($5000 new) for a mint used JC2 preamp and it was the greatest improvement ever. Everything else was neutral, except the prior preamp I had. A lot of people think that neutral (natural flat balanced response) is boring, but the truth is that because it isn't bumped in any frequencies, it can play as loud as you want and super clean and dynamic. In the 70's they bumped everything up in an attempt to create fake dynamics, due to the weaker amp. You can't compare modern day mass market receivers, because there is no money left for sound quality (or power) after the gimmicks and royalties for all the propriety patents for digital crap. I paid $4700 for my used JC1 mono blocks, but if you consider how much the higher end vintage receivers cost factoring in inflation, it a steal that will absolutely smoke anything from the vintage era. You actually get real dynamics and will just enjoy the music, rather than analyzing. I totally get you Kelvin. We want the same things in music. You are a "fuss pot", but I am a bigger fuss pot. I want it all and I got it when I "jumped the shark". I didn't want to spend a lot of money either, but I spent a good amount on good gear that a fuss pot would never be totally happy with. I highly recommend buying any HCA Parasound amp from the 90s. An amp (100 watts) of pre amp was almost $1000 in the late 80s or early 90 but they can be had for about $400 and will smoke anything new for at least $2000. I mean just separates, not integrated $2000, because that will be mediocre at best The mass market is garbage and the boutique, "high end" is overly priced jewelry. Parasound is renown for the best bang for the buck. I had the JC1s in mind and when I saw a video of Kef using the JC1s to Demo their $40,000 Blade speakers, I figured they could afford any amp that would sound best to sell their product. Kef and Parasound are neutral and that is why they are a great match. I know you don't like new Kef speakers, but believe me, (no offence) none of your amps have the balls (very high current to keep the voltage rail stable) to drive the LS50s to anything remotely dynamic and clean. Speakers don't make sound. They simply play what you give them. I have a few sets of tower speakers much more expensive than the LS50s, but I am using the LS50s with subs simply because they totally disappear, have a huge sound stage with great imaging and can play very loud and clear with zero edginess (I cringe with the slightest harshness). The tonal balance is perfect. I know your experience is different, but speakers can only play the quality of which you give them. A lot of people like more forgiving speakers, but once you hear "angels singing" you can't go back to "warmer" (AKA muddier and the magic is gone). I got back into audio after not listening at all for a couple years, because I remembered the vintage sound from the 70s. I bought a few new mass market receivers and was totally disappointed. Only when I bought a used B&K Components receiver ($3500 in 2000, USA company) for $400 did I realize I can get back into audio. It was a million times better sounding than the $1200 Harmon Kardin receiver I bought new. Jump the shark Kelvin. You are too much of a fuss pot to piss around with mediocre gear. You will always be left wanting. I have a lot of good amps, good speakers, good pre amps, good DACs, but I only have 1 amazing system. I spent about the same on all of the good gear, as I did for my killer system.

Good comments. I owned an audio and record shop for six years and sold it and sold some great equipment like Naim, and others and it was all about price and advertising!

This can be a rabbit-hole chasing hobby. For years, no decades, I periodically revamped or totally started over with my system. It's fun to a point, and definitely expensive. But now I'm basically back where I started nearly 50 years ago. I've added an upgrade in the area of streaming from a tablet through and an Auris Blume Pro. A decent pair of of Sennheiser HD 560S headphones. And I am enjoying the music more than ever. No more changes for me unless something goes down!

I agree, when I upgraded from the B4 to B6, I was slighlty disappointed too, ho hum.

I chased equipment for many years, and then realized that speaker placement had a bigger effect than all of that other stuff I was doing. Live and learn.

The fundamental point is your hearing! If you have worked amongst noise etc then doubtless your ability to hear the higher frequencies has been compromised. This limitation cannot be overcome.

I don't like a heinz 57 system.Components that are matched are made to work together.

Snakes and ladders🤣

I'll suggest second-hand high end and self-build or repair if your electronics and soldering skills are up to it. My favourite guidance is go to a small local music venue on an open mic night. Talk to the musicians you like best and ask what they listen to at home. You will get a few surprises but I have never received bad advice this way. Whether a piece of kit is worth the money is totally subjective. E.g: two grand may be a lot for a DAC but if you use it for 20 years and listen to music several hours a day then its cheap entertainment. Get another pair of ears. My experience with my preamp is a classic example. I spent nearly four solid days building a passive magnetic preamp. For those unfamiliar with these, it uses high quality audio transformers with many tappings and switches as a volume control instead of a pot or resistor network. It sounded so different to my valve preamp I had serious doubts. My son however was impressed with the new kit and urged me to try it for a while. He was right. I gave it a week and tried the old kit and found although the presentation was more familiar it had many shortcomings I hadn't noticed before. Interestingly, because lowering the volume also lowers the output impedance (the opposite to a pot) it is far less picky on interconnect cables - and my system is extreme in this respect as my power amps are next to my speakers - a 10 metre run from the preamp.

If I bought a 2 grand amp, it wouldn't be long before I was wondering what a 4 grand amp would sound like. Thankfully as a result of watching this KZfaq channel, I'm really happy with the handful of old Quad and Linn amps I have in rotation and I never paid more than 200 quid for any of them

I have been dabbling with hi-fi for years including vintage gear and I dont like too many 'bells and whistles' on gear / and I agree get a good quality amp and match with speakers - that's it really. I enjoy my Sugden A21 Class A amp / Lintons 28th Anniversary / Rega P3 and Audiolab CD transport and Audiolab DAC. I was tempted to invest in a Micro Seiki Turntable BL91V SEAC WE308 arm - but I enjoy the simplicity of the Rega P3 - I think 5000 is a sensible budget - Greetings from Ireland

The amount of money I've wasted on recommended gear I dare not say if you get to the point where you're happy stop buy the way I borrowed kef ls50 meta from a friend absolute junk my spendor bc1 is in about 5 league's above great review common sense plays a part

‘Hi-End’ there lies madness.

I actually have an Ebay Amp A -B switching Box - around $60 - that I use to switch amps when listening . I agree on Headphones.

I pride myself on getting good deals on used gear that was thousands brand new but only hundreds now. I did buy two integrated amps new that are more middle of the road but sound pretty darn good. Yamaha A-S801 $900 in the family room and Rotel A11 Tribute $650 on sale in the bedroom sound pretty damn good with my used higher end speakers. My CD players have wolfson DACs that I really like. I got them open box for $100 each and things sound great to me

No, as there is a rather obvious point where diminished returns kicks in. I started to climb the high-end audio ladder and it was a bit redundant with regard to recorded music. So much so, I actually went in reverse after hearing how 'audibly' flawless, well recorded music came across on even some of my budget gear, and often with much less complication. Especially when you realize how much of the cost is in cabinet work/finish that adds very little to the quality of the sound beyond a certain point. A lot of snake oil in high-end and plenty of suckers to fall for it. It's also a great place for the most pretentious beings on the planet to flourish. I am at a point in my life where I could afford to spend much more on audio, but after 50 years in it, I have found the known, basic fundamentals still apply. Except now we have affordable neutral speakers and ways to measure them. Same thing that holds back sound quality now is the same as it always was. The real difference is how acoustically unfriendly much of modern architectural trends are, compared to the cozier environments we inhabited just a few decades ago. Look at what the current audio fashion trends are. Sparsely furnished, shiny listening places with ridiculous engineered wall and ceiling treatments and a postage stamp for a rug, and the token Eames chair in the middle of the room and one may soon get the idea that it is designed more to look at, than to listen to.

Unfortunately, the good stuff cost as much as a sports car

Ten years ago I had the Croft/Quad combo. It was ok for the money.

I think you get hi-fi obsessives who aren't actually into music, more the gear. Then you go to some record head and they have amazing vinyl but a crap turntable and don't give a hoot for the sound quality. I think you have to stop when you have a smile, when enjoying the music. So much of it, for me is the original recording. Spira Gira, Morning Dance. That should sound good on anything.

Sound advice in the snake oil world of HiFi...thanks!

Be prepared to be disappointed, broke and frustrated more times than you can count. This is not for the faint of heart. But and it’s a big bit of you get it right it’s a legendary daily experience. The problem is the amount of variables and many KZfaqrs out there not this one but peddling cheap stuff for the sake of views. Like what he mentioned the LS50s are absolute trash but everyone pushes them. If you want a good hifi system don’t look at speakers under 2k ditch the lame integrated amp and go separates. Did I mention you’re going to go broke? Excellent video by the way.

Buying secondhand can be a great strategy even at the high end. But whatever level you buy at, you need to be aware of the risks Resarch as much as you can about product weaknesses and don't pay excessive prices for something because of the brand. I bought my exposure amps a 2010 and a 3010 in excellent condition. Both were as new, and they are the premier amps in my collection. Whatever components you choose as your premium system, the end result should be that you dont feel the desire to upgrade. That is the best place you can be in this hobby, then just focus on enjoying your music.

Well said in the end if you're close to being to spend the money. Yep, go for broke. The results are amazing and worth the expense.

I don't bother with much except speakers, and a little bit of room. Wire with gain amplifiers suit my needs; flavouring could work for some people i guess. It also means i don't have 5x the gear because cd players, turntables, most amplifiers etc are only passing interest or if it was a great deal. (Mostly used too)

the stuff coming out of china these days with Topping etc, and the likes of Hypex and Purifi with Class D means you can get unbelievably sound for a relatively reasonable price

I do alot of research, and then some more. There have been some audio pieces that have have blown me away.

Good to see your back!? Where’s the neck bandana? You’re my favourite hi-fi channel

100% agree with you, Kelvin, when you say "Is it worth it?" The point where the law of diminishing returns kicks in is actually well within most people's budgets, so when we reach that point it's an extremely pertinent question. There's no shame in realising that what you can afford is, realistically, all you really need. I found more enjoyment in moving sideways rather than upwards, and building alternatives into my system that work for different styles of music. Get an amp, for example, that can drive two pairs of speakers - with respective strengths that suit different musical genres. As always, of course, buying used is a force multiplier for getting value for your hard-earned pennies. 'The vintage sound' is a popular myth: there's plenty of variation in that field (especially when you step away from the vastly overrated Pioneers and Marantzes that so many KZfaqrs witter on about!). Case in point: I haven't found anything to beat my second-hand 40-year-old Luxman L-114A (and yes, I've tried), and it cost me less than even a budget amp of today would. Better amps exist, certainly, but I couldn't justify spending thousands on rolling the dice to hunt for the elusive something that would be significantly better in every aspect.

How good is this man's knowledge everything he says is so true another great video kelvin 👌👏✨️♦️

It's a merry go round...but when you get it right...🎶🎶🎶...most of the time people go on and on to find the synergy...if we all lived next door to you, i bet it would save people there sanity and $...you could open an in person audio advice company

9:10 been there done that. One need to be humble and acknowledge that sometimes your new stuff didn't work out. Being honest to your experience, your senses and your feelings are key, otherwise you might get stuck with something you want to like but don't.

Just buy Sugden amplifiers & you won’t be disappointed. You’re probably right about the middle ground but I’d put that at about £5k for speakers, amplifiers & £6K for sources. I had the original Naim Nait when it came out & listened to one of the Naim Naits at the Bristol show a couple of years ago & couldn’t stand it. No emotion, too clinical.

I bought a rega turntable and q acoustic speakers, both British and sound great together. I feel you can go with your gut after reading and watching a number of reviews.

Hi Kev is there a chance to see more tube equipment on your channel?

As usual l totally agree with you. In my experience over the over the years and l am now 75 with Hi-Fi with gear l have tried, the British brand ‘Nytech’ for what they seem to sell for second hand are excellent value and clean sounding.

Matching is massive.... Top ten matches ? Amps and speaker

Yeah worth every penny. Just upgraded my amp to Roksan from Cambridge audio Cxa81. Absolutely brilliant. 😛😛