Five years, the Audiophiliac YouTube channel is five years old, incredible! A big thanks to all of my loyal viewers, I couldn’t have done this without you!! In Part One of today’s show Steve recalls how his first system blew his mind! And after a certain point audiophiles need to take a break and stop buying stuff for a few years.
The very first Audiophiliac episode! https://youtu.be/W9TXooOjbZs
Twitter: @AudiophiliacMan
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/steve.guttenberg/
#hifi #audiophile
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I am almost fifty but I am still obsessed with listening to new music (probably my involvement in college radio is to blame). I became interested in higher end audio because I wanted to hear my music better, some of which you couldn't even hear on lower quality systems (Jakob Ullmann, Elaine Radigue, Taku Unami, Eric la Casa, etc..)
Congrats Steve! I've been with you all the way back to your CNET days when you were recommending DACs and Speakers for first time/entry listeners to hear more. Here's to many more!
I've actually generally benefitted & been blown away by purchasing more expensive gear, but crucially, I've done so in a cautious manner, by not upgrading too often, carefully researching system synergy for components beforehand, staying somewhat w/in known product lines, not expecting any of them to perfect the sound, optimizing new gear through proper placement, isolation, & cabling; and finally, most of all focusing upon seeking and enjoying the music.
I’m going to try! This year, it didn’t work so well though..
Congratulations on five years, Steve!
Best advice coming from "been there, done that". But sometimes, tough to resist curiousity hormones 😉
Buy once.
Keep forever.
This just takes planning.
But not hard to do really.
I can usually get a well behaved, sorted result in about five years of setup work.
Doesn't bother me.
I truly dig high performance.
And it's a hobby so time is the entire POINT of the exercise.
Thanks for the advice. I am embrassing jazz music for the last couple of years. Unfortunately music on AAA quality vinyl is getting very expensive. Keep fine.
CONGRATS & Yes that first purchase that awakens your senses can be a life long addiction or as you explain something ethereal as you see in a video I did in the nursery the importance of sound and music to a human being is a treat for for the senses both sonically and for people on this Channel VISUALLY c’mon y’all not here to see the VU METERS it’s Steve’s Shirts LOL
There are some people no matter how much they like music they are happy listening to it phone speakers and no amount of convincing them with my lovely hi fi will get them to even appreciate good sound
that shirts awesome
Listening to Frank Zappa, that has made my music experience expend very much. I listen now more jazz and classical music.
Congratulations Steve!! Love the show and hope to see you soon!!
Always thought of being an audiophile a double edged sword..I do love gear. The aesthetics of it and ofcourse a good sound. But good is good. It can always be better i guess. But i love music more than gear, so i rather spent money on new music, songs, sounds than listening to the same old songs on a different set which cost a lot of money everytime again. So i agree to have a good set or maybe even a great one but music comes first imo. Too many audiophiles are more concerned about their gear than what its invented for. To playback our music.
Congratulations 🍾🎈🎉🎊 Mister Steve Gutenberg. Excellent job. May The Blessings of Music 🎵 Be always with You and Mrs. Audiophiliac. Your ancient fan from Tehran Iran. 🫵💎
Unless! …you'll know when and why you need to 😀 That said, your show is cathartic in that one can scratch that buying-something-new itch vicariously. Watching your reviews actually vindicates how satisfied I am with my gear (finally, haha). And when it is time, we have your guidance at the ready. Keep it up buddy
Congrats. You deserve the subscribers and respect. Well done.
For everyone wanting to try opera, one of the very best is Tchaikovsky’s ‘Evgeny Onegin’. If you want something lighter Mozart’s ‘nozze di Figaro’ will do the trick also. Enjoy!
Nope…. Very hard pass on country music
Congrats!
Please keep it up Steve, always nice to see/hear someone sharing their views with passion.
Yes I expose my ears to new sounds by listening to not only english, but world music: latin, french, middle eastern, japanese, vietnamese, chinese, korean, russian.
Thank you for all your shows!
Steve, the best Audiophiliac out there (Sorry Randy – really like you too), are offering fantastic tidbits of Audiophiliac info. I'm 71 YO. Your advice to Stick With What You Have is an Oximoron to the Audio Industry. What….don't buy new speakers, Amps, etc.!! I'll cite my own brief story. Like you my original system was a Pioneer 20 Watt per channel (forgot the model , but it is a Vintage receiver), a pair of JBL 100 mid tower speakers and a Thorens TT (all purchased at J & R Music , downtown Manhattan). After our house in Queens was robbed one day – they took my Pioneer receiver, I replaced that equipment with AKAI separates (still have the Tuner) circa 1982 +/-. That was replaced with what i still have in our new house (1985) in Suburbia NY, in 1987 : NAD 1300 Preamp, NAD 2600 AMP, a Dual CS5000 TT and a pair of KEF 104/2 tower speakers in our LR. No EQs, No SWs, just pure clean sound. Added an Onkyo CD – 6 disc player a year or 2 later. Plays and Sounds terrific. The old JBLs were given nto my BIL who used them foe another 20 years, doing DJ gigs !!. I learned of NAD in the Stereo / HiFi store in Mt. Kisco when i was buying my system (there was no google or web at that time), the same with the KEFs. KEF is a British Speaker company and was Music To My Ears in the music testing room. After i brought the system home, the following Sunday, the NY Times Entertainment section which had Sunday reviews of stereo equipment, reviewed the KEF 104 /2 Speakers. They were rated Number 3 in the World. That offered some great satisfaction in that I knew what i heard in that room. !!
Pertaining to the restraining of buying more Stuff, COVID Hibernation can make you do some things that you may not normally do. In hibernation , working fromhome, heading toward retirement (May 2021), I created a new stereo system for my new ManCave / Office in the finished basement. I also resurrected playing Drums after 50 Years. So I splurged on new "Stuff". Watched many reviews and thankfully ordered and tried Stuff via Amazon, and if displeased, returned it. Now I have too much "stuff" and taking Steve's advice. Audiophilaicism can lead to OCD for sure. Happy Music to All.
👏👏👏👏👏👏🎼🇨🇦
First, congratulations on five years of great work!
Also, I think this is a good message. Basically, “want what you have, don’t have what you want.”
I sort of had this same idea a few months ago and I am enjoying music much, much more.
Anyway, thank you for doing what you’re doing. You’re the real thing, Steve.
What is that painting over your shoulder?
Loved my Ohm C2’s!
My system has two externally bridged Yamaha M80s and a accompanying C80. I just bought a re veneered Thiel cs 1.5 for my small room and I was floored, this kick started a sell off. Selling my Freya+, just sold my Cambridge Soundworks tower ii, and selling my Boston Acoustics RS 326 also. I think I found my spot with Thiels!