High Fidelity Systems and Low Fidelity Ears
By the time you can afford Krell speakers, you'll have AM radio ears.
This is the grim reality of high fidelity. It's a race against declining high-frequency hearing.
Here is a very depressing pair of charts. Look at frequency perception at older ages.
Here is an unbreakable rule: Do not pay more for any component unless (1) you can hear the difference, or (2) it's easier to use. Buy better sound or less frustration.
Therefore, if you are over age 20, the first step to take in putting together a high fidelity playback system is to test your hearing. The Web makes this easy.
First, see what a group of mixed-age people can hear. If there were no females in the group, it would be even more depressing. Women retain high-frequency hearing for much longer than men do.
Next, here is a test for you. It also shows why we lose our high-frequency hearing.
Next, here is a more precise test. You can hear exactly where your high-frequency hearing kicks in. They recommend that you wear headphones, but I got the same results with my desktop speakers: Audioengine 5. (These are really good computer speakers.)
Next, a truly precise series of tests. This takes time to go through. You need headphones, but they do not have to be expensive headphones. First, check your headphones:
If they are OK, the whole series of tests are here:
The general hearing test is here:
Finally, right-left-both tests are here:
SPEAKERS
Speakers are transducers. They convert electrical signals into moving air. There has been less progress here than in any other area of high fidelity. Also, the cost is highest. The difference in sound between a $200 pair of speakers and a $2,000 pair of speakers is significant, if you have young ears. This not true of electrical components, where everything sounds pretty much the same.
Speakers are highly personal -- far more so than electronic components.
But here is reality: you cannot recall the difference after a few minutes. This is why A/B testing is the best way to go for expensive speakers. Don't listen too loud. Your ears will not detect subtle differences.
My ears no longer detect not-so-subtle differences.
I bought my first high fidelity components in 1958. You can see them here:
For the best payoff for your high fidelity budget, buy the best headphones you can afford. Decide whether you like open back headphones (people close to you can hear them) or closed back headphones. The sound is different.
Because things change so fast, I am posting my recommended strategy for buying headphones on another page.