Why is hi-fi important to me?

Due to circumstances I don’t have a really good hi-fi system ‘at home’ for quite some time. At the office, of course; there is the wonderful Alpha reference system. But at home it is a compromise. And that has taught me a lot about what is really important. And what I personally miss when it’s not quite right.

Now I have to put things into perspective. For a lot of enthusiasts, the temporary system at home will still serve extremely well. But if you are coming from a pair of ATC SCM40A, a Metrum Acoustics Adagio (L2) and Ambre streamer with Mutec MC3+ reclocker (plus a dedicated power supply and Titan filter), this temporary system with a pair of PSB A5 with Bluesound Node2i and Hypex pre and Nilai takes some getting used to. Not to mention the Teufel Bluetooth speaker. Yes: I had to live with that too for a few months…. And no: that’s just not enough as someone who needs music like any human being needs air and food.

The current, temporary system is fine, of course. The Hypex Pre and Nilai Power is really good. We know that. But the Bluesound Node2i and the PSB A5 are simply not good enough for my use and for what I’m used to myself; (for me) too much coloration, not enough layering and the dynamics lack finesse. Which is not to say that they are not solid products. They are. And certainly for the money, they are even excellent products. But it is not the level that touches me personally.

Directly into the music

The thing is that I want to get into the music directly. A really good system draws the listener directly into the emotion. And the Alpha reference system can do that; even at lower volume levels. And so can the ATC and Metrum Acoustics Adagio. You turn that system on and “boom!” … you’re in the music. And that relaxes me and enriches my life. I really need music to relax.

What exactly makes a system that gets you right into the music? The ‘boom!’-factor… What exactly creates the mojo? It is very difficult to explain. After all, a Node 2i does nothing wrong. And neither does a pair of PSB A5s do anything wrong if you look at it objectively. But it is not a TAD E2, ATC SCM40A or, say, a pair of Revel 226Be or similar. Those speakers grab you … carry you … move you if you put on the right song.

Less music

The result is that I like to sit down at the office and put on an album; vinyl or stream. And then I enjoy it intensely. I feel the need to listen to more tracks…. Often I grab the laptop and write the pieces there. Or work through some e-mail. Purely to avoid getting away from the music…. Note: it’s not about the system…. it’s about the music!

But at home… rarely. I certainly do watch a couple of episodes on Netflix. Or a movie. Or some interesting videos on YouTube. This system is certainly suitable for that. But to listen to an entire album? No. Actually, no. Not for me, anyway.

So how exactly that comes about, I’m not so sure. The coloration? Not necessarily; we’ve tested quite a few speakers at Alpha that add color to the music. And even those can be very interesting to listen to. The level of detail? Also not necessarily… detail isn’t everything. The dynamics or timing? That could be it. Just like (a lack of) layering.

Is that directly due to the individual components? No. It could also be the combination, although I think the Nilai combines easily with any speaker. The weak link is – I estimate – in the Node 2i, which lacks finesse. But that’s not what this article is about for the moment.

Preferred

Here we come to an important point. It’s about what I personally find important in a system. If that’s missing, it doesn’t suit me as a listener. I have found that I find insight into the various musical layers particularly important. It get nervous and tired if I cannot easily distinguish these layers. And well… that is not something you can sustain for longer periods of time…. it becomes very tiring.

The same goes for timing. Rhythm. I’ve actually noticed this only recently. If a system is timing-wise incorrect, it either becomes very boring, or restless. Both are not desirable in any other way. And in either case, you’d rather turn the system off quickly.

Interesting

So it is quite interesting to take a big step back for a while. Only then will you really notice what you are missing. And how that affects your music consumption. For me, listening to music loses most of its fun. I put on fewer albums. Purely because I miss elementary things.

And now I can’t really complain, because I just have access to an insanely great system at the office. And I can borrow things very easily. However, I also think this is an interesting discovery. And a valuable lesson.

What about you?

What are elementary things for you? What can you absolutely not miss in a system? Share it in the comments!