One of the fun parts about getting into a new hobby is being able to take a new look at established trends and question the need. Case in point, I decided to build a small #hifi system for myself while keeping to a minimum budget. I believe I've done so as it sounds amazing to me, but I do have a few upgrades that I'm waiting on. I attribute this to me being a bit rushed to build something for the holidays and not thinking things through, due to not understanding fully. But I'm satisfied with my last purchases and honestly can't see much more being added on afterwards.
But I have looked at what else I can add and decided it's just not worth it. Specifically a CD player (or CD Transport as some "audiophiles" call them) as well as a tape deck. First, I don't have enough media to warrant either one. Secondly, I already have a record player that I'll eventually upgrade once I build up a proper vinyl collection, so why spend more money on yet more media? I have a dedicated media player, a TIDAL subscription, and I'm quite pleased.
So yeah, I've built up a system from components from AliExpress and Amazon, but it sounds amazing to me and I don't care if I'm not "audiophile" enough for some folks. I do still need a sub just to round things out, and maybe one last amp if I really want to worry about cross-channel contamination, but I don't see that as an issue right now. I think once the new amp and DAC arrive, the next upgrade is some op amps and the sub, but then I'm done. I don't need a 7.1 or Atmos system, nor do I care. I want to be able to disconnect and listen to Bowie, Miles Davis, Florence and the Machine and The Hu when I want to relax. I can stream whatever I don't own, and I don't need to get a new shelving system to hold a bunch of CDs or tapes for bands I may only listen to a few songs from.
Sorry for the novel, I just needed to justify my own thoughts to myself.
@Topslakr No pics (yet) as I have some components still en-route, but basically here's the breakdown:
Fosi ZA3 Amp (running a v3 now)
Wiim Pro Plus (streamer, in hindsight I'd of gone with the Pro not the Pro Plus)
Fosi Box V4 phono pre-amp (replacing with a Zen Air Phono, en route)
SMSL D6s DAC (For the XLR outputs, still on the way)
AT-LP16X turntable (nice entry level turntable)
4-to-1 RCA switch for play the turntable directly
One the ZA3 comes in, I'll be using XLR outs from the D6s and RCA from the Zen Air Phono and have no need for the switch.
I picked up some Polk XT-20 speakers for the system, which sound amazing. I'm looking at their 10" powered sub as the ZA3 had a dedicated sub out, but the price is still too high for my liking, so that will be an option later in the year. I think getting some Sparkos Labs pre amps for the ZA3 would be a nice upgrade, but I'm on the fence about going to a mono-block setup as I don't want to spend that much on op amps. 🙂
@JohnsNotHere This is pretty neat! I come to audio from the ‘pro’ side, not the ‘audiophile’ side and it’s always really interesting for me to see what lives ‘over there’. A dedicated box for streaming? Who knew! That’s awesome. I hope it gives you many hours of relaxation and pleasure!
@Topslakr Honestly, it's probably my favourite component! I have a number of old CDs somewhere, but hardly enough to warrant getting a dedicated player. With a streaming subscription, I don't see the point. I can stream whatever albums I want, and with high quality lossless encoding, they sound good enough for me to prefer it to listening to vinyl. I guess that means I can never be an "audiophile", but to be honest I never wanted to or claimed to be. 😃
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