Photo by Behnam Norouzi
No, actually “audiophile on a budget” is a contradiction in terms and there’s nothing remotely audiophile about my inexpensive setup.
Audiophiles obsess about high-fidelity sound reproduction, investing copious amounts of money in expensive stereo equipment like turntables, amplifiers and speakers in pursuit of that elusive audiophile sound.
I, on the other hand, care passionately about my jazz and classical music collection, but not so much about spending inordinate amounts of money on gear. My requirements are relatively modest, and I know full well that the more you invest in equipment, the more you get diminishing returns.
In my case, money is better spent acquiring more music on compact discs rather than new hardware.
That said, I’m extremely satisfied with my setup, especially since it cost me close to nothing and my music listening experience has greatly improved.
So here’s how I spent just over $100 for a reasonable stereo setup inside my small bedroom, where I listen not only to jazz and classical music, but also Japanese pop and the occasional classic and alternative rock.
Music source: Dell All-in-One Desktop
When Microsoft finally pulled the plug on Windows 10 last year, our office was left with a couple of Pentium-powered, practically worthless, all-in-one PCs that needed to be disposed.
I took one home, wiped the hard disk clean, and installed my favorite Linux distro (Xubuntu) in it. I then ripped my CDs to FLAC files with Asunder using the built-in disc drive.
I could have saved hard disc space by using 320kbps MP3s instead and I wouldn’t have known the difference in sound, but for archival purposes, you couldn’t go wrong with lossless formats like FLAC.
For playback, I used Xubuntu’s pre-installed music player: Rhythmbox. I use this Dell PC exclusively for music playback and nothing else.
Total expense: $0.
Amplifier and DAC: none
I thought of getting a cheap desktop amp like Fosi Audio’s, but I wasn’t sure it would make a lot of difference, and it would occupy precious space and add more cables in my small bedroom.
As for DACs, my PC’s built-in, generic digital-to-analog converter would do for my needs. A dedicated, inexpensive, external DAC might or might not significantly improve the sound, and I didn’t want to spend money just to find out.
Simplicity of set-up was my priority, so I opted out of both.
Total expense so far: $0
Speakers: Edifier MR4 Monitors
Edifier MR4 powered monitor speakers
I very much prefer listening to music through speakers instead of headphones, so I got a pair of Edifier MR4 monitors. These powered speakers have built-in amplifiers and are supposedly designed for accurate, neutral sound reproduction, for near-field listening, like in a room.
I specifically chose these speakers for their small size, reasonable price, excellent reviews, and Edifier’s reputation.
I have a normal size six-tatami mat room (about 9 square meters), and these speakers have no problem projecting sound inside this confined space. The room acoustics might have to do with it more than anything else, but the music is clearer and more engaging what I hear from my bigger JBL speakers in my living room (with a Marantz CD player and vintage Victor amplifier).
Total expense for far: $85 (¥13,500)
Listening chair: Coleman Resort Chair
Finally, I needed a comfortable chair in front of my speakers.
Ikea’s POÄNG would have been a reasonable choice for this but again, my bedroom space is very limited so I opted for this foldable outdoors chair from Coleman instead.
Not as comfortable as Ikea’s armchair, but I could easily store it under the bed when not in use (price: ¥2,600). Life is full of compromises.
Total expense: $102 (¥16,100)
Listening experience
Adding more equipment or upgrading existing ones in this setup will most likely improve the sound, but it would add more expense, take up more space, and increase clutter in my small room.
With this relatively inexpensive and simple combination of all-in-one PC and two small speakers, the listening experience is very good indeed, much better than I expected.
I prefer CDs for their convenience, availability and budget-friendly price (photo by Alfred Kenneally).