Audiophile Alert - Page 4

Budget Breakdowns:

2 (Stereo-Speakers) - $2,500 Minimum – you’ll be severely impacting the likelihood of ever adding to or upgrading components connected to a receiver worth less than $1,050. In fact, ‘decent, future proof’ (in the sense that it’ll support bigger, better speakers down the track, all receivers at the $1,000 mark do most everything that makes them future-proof, other than this) receivers alone set you back $3,000.

2.1 (Stereo-Speakers + Subwoofer) - $3,300 Minimum

4.1 (Stereo-Speakers + Subwoofer + Rear Speakers) $4,000 Minimum

5.1 (Stereo-Speakers + Subwoofer + Rear Speakers + Centre Speaker)

7.1

9.1

5.2

7.2

9.2

I don’t even want to guess what the Minimum cost or breakdown would be for these setups, suffice it to say I don’t have this sort of cash! What I did learn is that quality is subject to diminishing returns.

i.e A $15,000 pair of speakers did not sound 10 times better than $1,500 speakers. They were noticeably ‘crisper’, due to the increased number of cones, and therefore, segregation between frequencies ranges, as well as the broader frequency ranges they could accurately reproduce, and lower THD values. But, as someone who considers myself pretty serious about quality audio, I can safely say that after hearing $1,500 speakers (which I loved the sound of) and switching to $15,000 ones, and then switching back again, I wasn’t constantly thinking, “I wish I could afford the better ones”, because honestly, they weren’t that much better (to my ears).

Every doubling of power is another +3dB of loudness. Adding power is increasing the amplifier cost, consider these jumps:

The table demonstrates:

1. Music louder than 70 decibels is not likely what you’ll listen to regularly, for exposed periods of time (I’m yet to turn my stereo up above 60% volume)