How to Buy Your First System

We go into some detail and strategy for buying your first audio system.


As always, we would love to hear from you, so please leave your comments and feedback below. If you have suggestions for future topics, please let us know.

Audio Excellence Inc. is a high end audio/video store in Markham, Ontario, Canada, a suburb of Toronto. We've been in business since 1991.

Check out our interviews with designers and audio luminaries like Daryl Wilson of Wilson Audio, Paul McGowan of PS Audio, Paolo Tezzon of Sonus faber, Wendell Diller of Magnepan, John Atkinson of Stereophile, Dan D'Agostino of D'Agostino Master Audio Systems, Nelson Pass of Pass Labs and others.


Contacts:

[raphaelmeillat]

So much fun to listen to you guys tell stories! Wish I were back in TO to drop by and say hi! Cheers from France!

[Michael-xznk]

I love the idea of buying your first system and still having it. Never jump on the merry go round and save lots of money and still be happy.

[bshah]

As a starter simple system I would recommend Power Node 2i with quality cables. Allows experimentation with gear and types of music as Blu OS supports so many streaming services.

[wallyandellen]

Thank you for such a lovely informative video and what I noticed is everyone hears and sees audio very differently.

[rig]

Good conversation as usual guys. I recently sold my collection of UHF magazines. The earlier magazines were called Hi Fi Sound. ✌

[bikemike]

Always a joy to listen to you guys ...

[willofomphalosgroomslll]

Thanks guys this was very informative...

[matta]

Who is the one person giving this a thumbs down lol? Great video keep the content coming

[JG-ggwk]

As always nice video. Sharing your experiences so valuable. Do talk about Shindo gear, always heard much about them. A dream system for some that I know. Nice to hear your take.

[StuartMcFarlane]

Great episode. Can you guys talk about your thoughts on what makes a "good dealer"? I think this is an important topic worthy of your thoughts. What is "good" today may not be what was good years ago. How do we spot a good dealer and as importantly identify a possibly bad dealer before it's too late?

[louisperlman]

If my memory is correct going back 40+ years, the advantage of a low mass tone arm and high compliance cartridge according to Stereo Review, was to get the tone arm resonance frequency above the warp frequency but below 20hz. Higher than that would have the resonance amplified and sent to the speakers. A high mass tone arm and low compliance cartridge would be well below that, but would be excited by footsteps. No mention was ever made of turntable suspension design and/or isolation.

I can also remember when stereo equipment was sold in appliance stores, who would often sell a thousand dollar system with a $69 BSR changer for the turntable. Those were the days 😊/☹️

[michaelswitzer]

Question please: the combination you mentioned of the Hegel H120 integrated amp and the LRS speakers, would it work in a relatively large room with high ceilings? Thanks.

[photoipster]

I really appreciate you two so much. Such seasoned and honest advice. I’ve now watched every episode! I do have a question... i have 2 systems, both Linn. 350 Klimax and 530’s Akurate DSM. I would like a personal system (headphones). Preferably in a room other than where the Linn systems are. I think i have picked the headphones, but with about a $5k budget, am not sure how to allocate. Streamer/dac? Dedicated headphone amp? I’ve never seen you review the headphone space. Would love your thoughts.

[IronCan]

Villip what's your opinion regarding the focal arias 926 or the aria bookshelf you mentioned? How does it compare with the sonus faber?

[richardsauer]

Budget is the first consideration, but musical genre is also up there. If I were going to your store, I'd say "I listen to mostly classical music. That means instrumental, chamber, orchestral, choral, and opera. I am especially concerned about audio production of big works, like Beethoven's 9th or the Verdi Requiem. What kind of set-up will I need to play these works so everything is transparent from lows to highs? What will I really need to effortlessly blast this stuff so there is no distortion? (If you are playing these works at low levels, you are turning them into background music.) Something tells me that 5000 dollars isn't enough for what I'm asking.

[stepicm]

Thank you very, very much for this video! Next one should be “How to convince your wife to put xyz in the living room...” :)

[tigertiger]

You guys are great.., but your painting of a hifi sales setting time aside for demos/ plaiting etc.. has never happened in my decade of giving hifi sales my time and $…, as a sale rep myself… I really appreciate their role..,
I’ve had plenty spend time on couch with retailers.., but rear ever asked what I like..to listen to.., unfortunately while there have been a few.., they have no longer in my scope..
But I am learning through yourselves and myself.. 😂 and other reviewers..,
Having said that.., I have finally found a great retailer..

[papermate]

For a new system, can the Hegel H95 stream or only the 120? It’s hard to tell from reading the online descriptions. Will the H95 need a Lumin D2 or Bluesound node?

[garysmith]

Got a lot of 'still haves' for you...

Keyboards. Bought a Yamaha CS-60 new in 1979. Guess at what they are going for now? Still have mine, like brand new, been in storage since 1991 a bedroom piece, cost $2400 back n the day...

Korg? Still have the MS-20 and SQ-10 sequencer, bought new in 1978. They too have appreciated substantially! As a pro musician and a KORG guy, I have come up through the days of the Polysix, DW-8000, DSS-1, all bought settled on a PAIR of Kronos 73 note workstations. The M1 of course started it ALL for the rest of the keyboard industry

However, after 6 years, the Kronos is still at the top of the workstation game (O:

One have my DUAL 506. Bought it brand new back around 1972, and it is not that far behind my REGA RP6 ! Thanks guys, love what you do (O:

[Johnnytrades]

Hi guys, I have decided to upgrade my speakers. Decided on Legacy, the Classic HD with a Silverscreen center, replacing Paradigm Prestige 75F. I am in Calgary AB, there are no Legacy dealers anywhere close to audition. Have you heard the Classics? any feedback would be awesome!