The Listening Craft

“A hi-fi system is never finished — only refined through experience.”

Tag: Beginner

  • Hi-Fi Rebellion: An Unorthodox Guide to Put Together A Hi-Fi System

    Introduction

    Once, 10 watts were enough to fill a vast cinema with emotion and presence. Now, even 600 struggle to breathe life into a living room. We haven’t just added watts; we’ve subtracted soul.

    This endless cycle of harder-to-drive speakers demanding ever more power needs to end.

    The first reason — and I’m sorry to say it — is that these systems are boring. A box made from unobtanium alloy, milled with five-axis CNC machines until 95% of the material is reduced to metal shavings; drivers built from space-age composites, coated in diamond vapor… and yet, somehow, they sound like anything but music.

    The second reason? They’ve become unacceptably expensive. We keep throwing more and more money at a synthetically created problem instead of addressing its root cause.

    And what is the root cause? The speakers.

    If you’re like me and tired of this, keep reading. If you’re happy with your current setup, I envy you — feel free to move on.

    The Problem with Modern Speaker Design

    Most modern speakers use a dynamic driver-in-a-box design — typically a three-way configuration. At its core, this is the most basic, no-risk approach to speaker design. No hassle. No surprises.

    But most of them are also wildly inefficient. Worse, they’re incredibly difficult to drive. Many present awful impedance curves. Some dip below 2 ohms at certain frequencies.

    Two ohms? That’s practically a short circuit. What is the amplifier doing — driving a wire?

    To cope with this, amplifier manufacturers respond by building ever more powerful amps, with power supplies so massive they could keep a household online for a few hours.

    Pity.

    Or… is there a pattern here? A silent agreement between speaker and amplifier manufacturers?

    I don’t know…

    But I remember a similar pattern from the IT industry. For nearly two decades, Microsoft would release a more CPU-intensive version of Windows, and Intel would release a faster processor. People upgraded their PCs — and at the end of the day, both companies made billions off the cycle.

    When you look at the ultra high-end of the hi-fi market, a familiar pattern emerges. There are only a handful of mainstream speaker manufacturers, and only a few amplifier brands capable of driving their products. As you move further upmarket, the freedom of choice begins to shrink — not expand.

    And most of these companies, by hi-fi industry standards, are giants. Backed by powerful marketing machines, they dominate the landscape. You’ll see a hi-fi influencer — pardon me, reviewer — touring their factories on YouTube every couple of months. Their gear is everywhere: magazine covers, YouTube thumbnails, and the main stages of hi-fi exhibitions.

    The Boutique Rebels

    When you shift your focus away from the mainstream, you’ll notice a few manufacturers — mostly boutique — boldly going against the current.

    One such brand is Devore Fidelity, led by John Devore. I’d like to highlight one of his standout designs: the O/96.

    First of all, it’s a wide-baffle speaker. Wide baffles have fallen out of favor in modern speaker design, mostly due to concerns about diffraction — which is why most contemporary speakers have narrow front baffles. But John Devore uses a wide baffle intentionally, not as a relic, but as a tool to increase efficiency. And he doesn’t stop there. He tunes the baffle — likely spending countless hours — to achieve accurate, natural sound, much like a master luthier shaping a fine instrument.

    The result? A two-way speaker with 96 dB sensitivity and a nominal impedance of 10 ohms — using modern drivers. These are exceptionally easy-to-drive speakers. You can pair them with virtually any amplifier you like: from a 10-watt single-ended triode tube amp to a hulking solid-state powerhouse. The speaker doesn’t demand a specific topology or brand. It gives you freedom.

    Another example: Blumenhofer Acoustics — the brand behind the speakers I own and love. I’ve written a dedicated post about them. Most Blumenhofer models offer over 94 dB sensitivity and 8-ohm nominal impedance. The model I own is rated at 4 ohms, but the company thoughtfully includes an impedance linearization circuit in the crossover to make the speaker more tube-friendly.

    Again, we come back to freedom of choice. I’ve used everything from a solid-state integrated amp to a massive Class A power amp, and now a SET tube amplifier. The speakers worked beautifully with each of them. They didn’t dictate what amp I must use — I got to choose what sounded best to me.

    There are many other manufacturers I haven’t mentioned, each exploring alternative design philosophies: point-source speakers, concentric drivers, single-driver designs, horns, field-coil drivers, and more.

    This isn’t just about freedom of choice — though that matters — it’s ultimately about sound. When crafted with care, skill, and time, these alternative designs often sound far better than the typical dynamic driver-in-a-box approach.

    Speakers — arguably the most influential component in any system after the room itself — are also the most personal. They aren’t lab instruments or components of a spacecraft. They’re more like finely crafted musical instruments. They don’t just reproduce music — they play it.

    How to Put Together a Hi-Fi System

    The first question you need to ask yourself is: Do you actually listen to music?

    I mean really listen — sitting in front of your system in a dimly lit room, fully immersed — or does music mostly play in the background while you’re doing something else: reading, cooking, working?

    If it’s background music, there are plenty of all-in-one systems and active speakers with decent sound. They’re convenient and often great for casual listening. But they’re beyond the scope of this post — and this blog.

    If you’re a critical listener and planning to build a hi-fi system, the very first thing to decide is where the system will go: a shared living space or a dedicated listening room?

    The room is the most important component in your system — and the most overlooked. It introduces more distortion than any amplifier, DAC, or cable ever will. That’s why it has the greatest impact on what you actually hear.

    If your system will live in a shared space, your options might be limited. Aesthetic considerations — especially getting the approval of a significant other — can often take precedence.

    But if you have a dedicated room for music, that’s ideal. Sooner or later, you’ll realize that acoustic treatment is essential to get the most out of your system. Just know: these treatments tend to be ugly and take up a lot of space.

    That said, the same basic principles apply to both setups.

    After choosing the room, the second step is determining your budget — and there are some less obvious items that can cost more than you think. I’ll get to those.

    If it’s not already clear: The most important purchase is the speakers. They are the heart of your system — and ironically, the hardest component to change later. Everything else will be chosen and tuned around them.

    Stay away from the mainstream. Avoid the speakers you see everywhere. There are many lesser-known options that offer better sound, better value, are easier to drive, and — most importantly — are more fun and engaging to listen to.

    Don’t shy away from spending the majority of your budget on speakers. If you get them right the first time, they’ll stay with you for many years.

    What Comes After Speakers?

    The amplifier comes second. If you’ve followed my earlier suggestions, you should have the freedom to choose from a wide range of amplifiers. There are plenty of excellent options at reasonable prices — and unlike speakers, amplifiers are much easier to swap out. Home trials are key whenever possible (check out this post).

    Sources — whether analog or digital — are a broad topic. If you don’t already have a CD or vinyl collection, you’ll likely start with a streaming setup that supports high-quality services.

    Hidden Costs to Watch Out For

    Hidden cost #1: The music server Yes, it makes a big difference. A good music server can have a huge impact on sound quality, and prices range from a few hundred to tens of thousands of dollars. A purpose-built server, designed specifically for audio, is well worth the investment.

    Hidden cost #2: Cables Cables do matter. I was a skeptic for a long time. I ran my system with stock power cords and cheap interconnects — until one day, my best friend brought over an aftermarket power cable and a couple of decent interconnects. We plugged them in, and the improvement was so striking, I was mad at myself for not being more open-minded earlier.

    You don’t have to spend a fortune on cables — but stock ones simply won’t do the job. In my experience, the most critical is the speaker cable, followed by power cords, and then interconnects.

    I recommend budgeting for a full set of decent cables from the same manufacturer and product line, and upgrading them all at once. If possible, try them at home first. Also, be patient: cables can take a few days to settle in, so don’t judge the sound too quickly.

    Hidden cost #3: The rack This ties directly into vibration control, which is often overlooked. A proper hi-fi rack can be surprisingly expensive. At the beginning, any rigid piece of furniture will do — the key is rigidity. Later on, if your budget allows, a well-designed hi-fi rack is absolutely a worthy upgrade.

    Stretching Your Budget

    If you’re on a tight budget, the second-hand market is your best friend. Even if your budget isn’t limited, buying used can help you afford a higher-quality component than you’d be able to buy new.

    Many audiophiles take excellent care of their gear, and second-hand equipment often looks and performs like new. If the seller is local — especially if they live in the same city — they might even let you try the component at home before committing. It’s a great way to discover hidden gems without breaking the bank.

    Final Verdict

    There are countless components to choose from, and narrowing down a shortlist isn’t always easy. The internet can be a powerful ally — if you know how to separate signal from noise.

    But keep in mind: reviews, specs, measurements, and influencer hype are only part of the picture. None of them can fully predict how something will sound in your room, with your system, and to your ears.

    Don’t be afraid to go against the grain. The mainstream isn’t always wrong — but it’s rarely where magic lives.

    At the end of the day, a hi-fi system isn’t about checking boxes or chasing trends. It’s about building something that moves you — something that makes you want to stop, sit down, and really listen. If you’ve done that, you’ve already succeeded.

    And if you’re still figuring it out? You’re in good company. That’s what this whole journey is about.

  • Hi-Fi Reviewers and Dealers

    How to navigate the noise and find your own path to hi-fi glory.

    Introduction

    The internet has transformed nearly every aspect of our lives over the past 30 years — and the world of hi-fi is no exception.

    Reviews have always been an integral part of the hi-fi industry. Before the rise of the internet, printed magazines were the primary source. Then came dedicated websites. Today, arguably the most influential platform for hi-fi reviews is YouTube.

    For a long time, traditional magazines held a near-monopoly on hi-fi reviews. But the internet has democratized that space. With minimal investment, anyone can now share their opinions and reach a wide audience. This revolution in idea-sharing comes with both advantages and drawbacks.

    Marketing is a central part of modern business. Every company aims to raise awareness about its products and services within its target audience. But marketing is often weaponized — used not just to inform, but to sell products and services beyond their real value or to crush the competition. The return on investment (ROI) for marketing is typically very high, which is why advertising has become such a massive industry.

    Targeting is the key. To maximize impact, you want your marketing efforts focused on potential buyers — not wasted on the uninterested. So, let me ask you this:

    Can you imagine a more effective marketing platform than hi-fi reviews?

    This is, of course, a rhetorical — and deliberately provocative — question. The point I’m trying to make is this: you can’t fully trust everything you read or watch.

    Have you ever noticed how a new hi-fi product suddenly appears everywhere — on websites, in magazines, across YouTube channels — all at once? Does that mean the product is so exceptional that everyone is genuinely excited about it? Or is it more likely that the manufacturer simply has a larger marketing budget than others?

    This doesn’t mean the product is necessarily good or bad, or that it’s worth the asking price. The point is — it’s almost impossible to tell.

    What makes navigating hi-fi reviews even more difficult is the fact that this is a deeply subjective hobby. One person’s taste in sound doesn’t necessarily match another’s. Even if you stumble upon a completely independent review, it still reflects the reviewer’s personal experience.

    And let’s not forget — music is emotional, even abstract. It triggers feelings that are incredibly hard to articulate. Trying to describe those sensations in words is inherently limited.

    Arguably, all of this subjectivity has sparked a kind of counter-reaction: there are people who believe in pure objectivity and rely solely on measurements. I’ll come back to this later in this post.

    For now, let’s state the obvious: nothing beats listening for yourself, right?

    However, even that approach has its flaws. Where, when, and how you hear a component can make a huge difference. It’s virtually impossible to isolate the sound of a single piece of gear. Even in a controlled setup, when you swap out just one component, you’re still hearing the full system — including electronics, cables, and how everything interacts with each other and with the room.

    In my experience, the best way to judge a component is to test it in your own listening environment — and not just for a couple of hours or even a few days. Ideally, you need to live with it for at least a few weeks.

    Reviewers

    Even so, you still need a shortlist of components to try. It’s practically impossible to audition everything at home — for all kinds of logistical, financial, and practical reasons. That’s where the internet and reviews can actually become valuable tools — if you build your own framework to navigate them effectively.

    Let me share mine.

    First of all, I keep a personal list of reviewers I can relate to. I’m not necessarily interested in what they’re reviewing, but how they articulate sound and describe their experience. It’s the language, insight, and structure that matter most to me — not the gear itself.

    One reviewer I want to start with is Tom Martin from The Absolute Sound magazine. I’ve been watching his videos since they launched their YouTube channel, and I’m also a subscriber to the magazine. Here, I’ll focus on his video content.

    To be honest, his early videos weren’t particularly strong. It was obvious he was reading from a teleprompter, and he looked uncomfortable in front of the camera. The videos felt more like written reviews being read aloud. But over time, the quality has improved significantly — they’re now orders of magnitude better than they used to be.

    What really caught my attention was a blog post he shared a while back on “Audio Believability.” I found it incredibly insightful. He continues to use the challenges outlined in that post as a framework for his reviews.

    Even in a subjective domain like hi-fi, having a well-defined framework makes the reviewer’s perspective easier to understand — and easier to compare across different reviews. Whether you agree with his conclusions or not, the way Tom Martin articulates sound — and the structure he brings to his reviews — had a profound impact on how I approach critical listening.

    Another reviewer I’d like to mention is Herb Reichert from Stereophile magazine. He has been writing for the magazine for quite some time and occasionally appears on YouTube as well. Herb has been in the hi-fi world for decades, and in my opinion, he’s one of the most mature audiophiles out there.

    The maturity I’m referring to has nothing to do with age — it’s about listening maturity: the ability to truly enjoy what you’re hearing and to listen with depth and perspective.

    In one of his interviews, he said something that stuck with me — I’m paraphrasing here: “Whatever you buy, don’t buy anything boring.”

    That single quote completely changed the way I approach hi-fi.

    At its core, this hobby is about the joy of listening to music. The more time you spend in front of your system, completely immersed in music, the better. After reading Herb’s reviews and listening to his insights, I simplified my own critical listening approach to one very basic criterion:

    When I’m listening to something new, if I find myself fully immersed in the music, with the urge to keep playing one song after another, one record after another — that’s the right component for me.

    If, on the other hand, my audiophile brain kicks in and I start nitpicking the sound, or if I get bored and feel the urge to shut the system down and walk away — it’s not for me.

    Dead simple. Thanks to Herb Reichert.

    I’m also a long-time viewer of the YouTube channel The Audiophiliac, hosted by Steve Guttenberg. Steve has been in the hi-fi world forever, and he happens to be a good friend of Herb Reichert. He takes a fully subjective approach to reviewing gear and tends to focus primarily on affordable components.

    What I appreciate about Steve is his relaxed, passionate approach and the way he articulates his listening experiences. He uses music — and records — to describe what he hears, often referencing less common tracks instead of the overused demo songs we’ve all grown tired of. That makes his reviews feel more personal, more grounded, and far more enjoyable to watch.

    Steve has asked this question on several occasions — and I’m paraphrasing again: “How do you distinguish better from different in hi-fi?”

    It’s a simple question on the surface, but there’s no easy answer.

    He also poses another important question: What actually qualifies as an upgrade, and how do you know when it’s time to make one? His advice is to first identify what bothers you about your current system — and then focus your upgrade efforts specifically on that area.

    These questions were monumental for me in shaping how I approach gear changes. And believe me, they’ve saved me from a lot of unnecessary hassle — and more importantly, from making costly mistakes.

    Another reviewer I really like is Tarun, known as A British Audiophile. In contrast to Steve, Tarun takes a much more analytical and structured approach to his reviews. He brings a solid framework to each video, clearly outlining his criteria and observations. He also dives into some of the more technical and “nerdy” aspects of hi-fi — which I find incredibly valuable, especially if you’re interested in the engineering side of the hobby, like I am.

    Lastly, I want to mention Ron Resnick, co-owner of the What’s Best Forum. Although he’s not a full-time hi-fi reviewer, he regularly publishes in-depth interviews with manufacturers and industry veterans — and they’re some of the best content out there.

    What I really appreciate about Ron is the quality of his questions. He asks the things we’re all thinking, but that most people rarely have the nerve to say out loud. For example, when interviewing a manufacturer about the latest iteration of one of their products, he always asks, “What exactly has improved sonically compared to the previous generation?”

    It’s both insightful and, at times, entertaining — especially when you watch certain manufacturers struggle to give a meaningful answer.

    I read and watch almost every hi-fi reviewer out there. There are many more respectable voices I haven’t mentioned, but what I’ve shared here are the ones who’ve had the greatest influence on me — on how I listen, and how I evaluate gear.

    That said, there are also plenty of reviewers I don’t respect. In some cases, the bias is so blatant it feels like an insult to the viewer. It’s painfully obvious when a review is more of a sales pitch than an honest opinion — often funded, directly or indirectly, by the manufacturer.

    Ironically, the more emphatically a reviewer insists that they’re “completely independent” and “pay for everything out of pocket,” the more suspicious I become. In my experience, the louder the claim, the more likely the opposite is true. And, this is not just a speculation, it’s based on insider information from the industry.

    Forums

    Forums don’t have the best reputation when it comes to being a reliable source of meaningful information — and for good reason. People often have a tendency to argue when they disagree, and conversations frequently get derailed after just a few posts.

    That said, I still want to highlight one forum that, in my opinion, provides genuinely useful insights into hi-fi and audio gear: the What’s Best Forum.

    If you spend some time reading through it, you’ll notice that many contributors are highly experienced and truly know what they’re talking about. Most of them are actual owners — people who have bought the gear themselves or experienced it firsthand in familiar listening environments. In my opinion, this kind of grounded, real-world experience is one of the most valuable sources of information available.

    Even if you don’t actively contribute to the forum — like me — I still recommend reading it. Over time, you’ll start to recognize users whose taste aligns with yours, and you can benefit greatly from their impressions and recommendations.

    The Objectivists

    Like in many areas of life, hi-fi enthusiasts are unfortunately divided into camps — primarily, subjectivists and objectivists.

    Subjectivists focus solely on their personal listening experience — how the gear makes them feel and how it performs in real-world listening. Objectivists, on the other hand, concentrate on engineering precision and measurements, believing that sound quality can and should be quantified.

    Each group has its own forums, YouTube channels, and websites — and sometimes, they clash. Whether it’s in comment sections or online discussions, these debates can quickly become heated — and at times, far from civil.

    Then there are people who either aren’t aware of these camps, or simply don’t care. I count myself among them.

    I believe both camps make valid points, and I try to stand somewhere in the middle. Most hi-fi products are, after all, electronic devices, and there’s no question that engineering matters. I want to spend my money on gear that’s well-designed and manufactured to a high standard. But at the same time, I also want to enjoy how it sounds — to be immersed in music and to feel emotionally connected when I listen.

    To me, these goals are not contradictory — they’re complementary.

    In my experience, measurements alone never tell the full story. They reveal how well a component is engineered technically, but not how it will sound. I’ve heard speakers, amplifiers, and DACs with nearly identical measurement profiles sound dramatically different.

    That said, I also don’t want to use components that sound decent but reveal obvious design flaws. I want gear that’s both technically solid and sonically engaging.

    Hi-fi is part science, part art. Nearly every circuit topology has already been explored — especially in analog audio. Whether solid-state or tube-based, most designs trace their roots back decades. Yet, we still have thousands of manufacturers producing gear that sounds uniquely different, even when based on similar circuit principles.

    That’s the artistic side of audio. And that, in my view, is what separates the great manufacturers from the merely competent ones.

    Let me use Kondo Audio Note’s ONGAKU — which I recently wrote about in a blog post — as an example.

    Its schematic was published by its designer back in 1992. When you look at the circuit, it’s a fairly straightforward design with no major surprises. Many DIYers have built versions of this amplifier, and even some manufacturers have released their own replicas.

    And while some of those versions sound surprisingly good, none of them come even close to what the real ONGAKU sounds like.

    Why? Because it’s not just about the circuit design.

    Every detail matters. Every single component — the capacitors, resistors, inductors, transformers — plays a role. The internal layout matters. The wiring matters. The voicing of the amplifier comes from how all these parts are chosen and implemented together.

    The best manufacturers — like Kondo — use these elements the way a master sculptor uses tools and materials. They shape the sound with intention and artistry, far beyond what’s visible in a schematic or a measurement.

    The Dealers

    Hi-fi isn’t a necessity — it’s a luxury. And in today’s world, given the prices involved, it can be far more expensive than jewelry or mechanical watches. In my opinion, hi-fi buyers deserve to be treated just as well as high-end jewelry customers — if not better.

    The entire hi-fi journey starts with the buying experience. You need trusted dealers who know what they’re talking about, who take the time to understand you and your listening preferences. They should be able to demonstrate equipment in a proper listening environment — and most importantly, they should offer home trials for serious buyers.

    Post-sale support is also a crucial part of the experience. Not everyone has the time or technical know-how to properly set up a hi-fi system. Dialing in speaker placement, in particular, can be challenging and frustrating if not done correctly. A proper hi-fi dealer must have the skills and resources to support their customers after the sale — not just until the payment clears.

    Unfortunately, dealers like this are rare. But they do exist.

    I’m one of the lucky ones who has a dealer that goes above and beyond, and it has made my hi-fi journey all the more enjoyable. They are responsive, answer phone calls or messages almost 24/7, and—despite being in a different city—regularly come to my home when I need hands-on help.

    Whenever I want to audition a piece of gear, they simply ship it to my home and let me keep it as long as needed to make a decision. No pressure. No rush.

    That’s the kind of experience every enthusiast deserves.

    Once you’ve navigated the internet and created a shortlist of components, always check which dealers carry those products — and, more importantly, what kind of service they offer. That’s an integral part of the hi-fi journey, and it can make all the difference.

    Final Verdict

    Navigating the world of hi-fi is as much about self-discovery as it is about sound. There’s no single authority, no universally “correct” opinion — only perspectives shaped by personal taste, experience, and context. Reviews, forums, measurements, and dealer advice can all serve as useful tools, but none of them are infallible. The key is learning how to interpret them, filter out the noise, and find what truly resonates with you.

    Over time, I’ve realized that the most valuable guide isn’t the loudest reviewer, the sharpest graph, or even the best demo — it’s your own listening instincts. The gear that keeps you in your chair for hours, immersed in music and forgetting the world, is the gear worth keeping. Everything else is just data.

    So trust your ears. Build your reference points. Be open, but skeptical. This hobby isn’t just about chasing perfection — it’s about learning what matters most to you, and curating a system that brings that to life.