Music

HIFI Diary: Beginner’s HiFi Q&A Guide

05/19/2020 /

Hi-Fi: From Beginner to Cremation Series

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The BLOG owner has long wanted to write a beginner’s Hi-Fi guide for newcomers to the hobby. However, what format to adopt and how in-depth to go remained undecided for quite some time. After repeated reflection, the BLOG owner arrived at the conclusion indicated in the title: writing freely as thoughts come, adopting a Q&A format, and keeping fluff to a minimum. As questions accumulate over time, the list will grow longer, so please make good use of the search function. Due to the author’s limited expertise, there may be oversights, and corrections are warmly welcomed. In the interest of fairness, this article does not recommend any specific brand or product; brands mentioned throughout serve purely as illustrative examples.

Q: What is Hi-Fi? How do I get started in Hi-Fi?
A: Hi-Fi literally stands for High Fidelity. Getting started varies drastically from person to person: a $15 earphone can get you started, and a $1.50 Yuanda can even be your endgame. Therefore, as long as you feel you have stepped through the door, you have entered Hi-Fi.

Q: Is Hi-Fi gear always better the more expensive it is?
A: Yes and no. Sound can broadly be divided into two key metrics: technical performance (resolution/fidelity) and subjective listening preference (tuning/musicality). Generally speaking, more expensive gear offers superior technical capabilities—delivering cleaner, more transparent sound with richer micro-details—but it does not necessarily sound more enjoyable to your personal ears. Musicality and sound preference are highly subjective, and everyone hears differently, so there is no need to force yourself to like what others praise.

Q: Does Hi-Fi require a huge financial investment?
A: That depends on how much you are willing to invest, or what amount you consider “a lot.” In the BLOG owner’s view, portable Bluetooth gear provides enjoyable listening with an investment of just a few hundred dollars. Meanwhile, for seasoned audiophiles, a system costing tens of thousands of dollars might only be considered barely adequate. In truth, Hi-Fi is a pursuit of lifestyle quality and a dedicated attitude toward music; you can enjoy the hobby regardless of your budget.

Q: Between reel-to-reel tape, CD, vinyl, PC, digital audio players (DAPs), network streamers, and Bluetooth, which sounds the best?
A: Great question. First and foremost, hearing is believing regardless of the equipment, so one cannot simply declare which is universally superior. Below is a discussion of their respective strengths and weaknesses.
Reel-to-Reel / Vinyl Turntable: From a source perspective, these produce sound closest to the original live recording, boasting the highest tier of analog realism. This is dictated by their operating principle (recording, mastering, and pressing are all analog). Reel-to-reel and vinyl are mature industrial products backed by over a century of technological evolution.
CD Player: The most universal source format (including SACD, etc.). Due to the inherent nature of the recording and mastering process (involving digital conversion), CD playback fidelity is fundamentally different from purely analog vinyl. However, physical discs exist in massive quantities, are relatively affordable, cover diverse genres, and offer comprehensive catalogs. CD players themselves possess decades of industrial maturity and remain a primary commercial revenue stream for music producers.
Network Streamers & Digital Transports: An emerging playback category relying on abundant high-quality digital files from the internet, making listening to favorite tracks immensely convenient. With optical isolation and meticulous peripheral tuning, they can achieve sound quality second only to CD playback. However, streaming and digital audio transports are relatively new with a short development history; thus, both their technological maturity and ultra-high-end offerings trail behind the aforementioned legacy formats. Furthermore, digital products iterate rapidly, so adopting this system requires accepting that gear can become outdated quickly. Optimizing such setups demands strong hands-on skills and experience, so beginners should proceed cautiously.
PC USB: Refers specifically to USB audio transmission from a computer. From a convenience standpoint, PC audio holds an overwhelming advantage—offering access to vast digital libraries as well as seamless online streaming. Fundamentally, it differs little from dedicated digital streamers except in interface protocol, making it the most popular setup among beginners thanks to its simplicity, versatility, and affordability. However, widely acknowledged USB digital interfaces such as the Weiss 204 or Hydra-Z have modest capabilities, holding ground around the $1,500 level (in fact, with recent tech advancements, the BLOG owner believes they are solid at the $750 level today), while ultra-high-end interfaces (such as MSB) see exponential price jumps, leaving the mid-tier somewhat sparsely populated.
Bluetooth: Driven by the rise of TWS earbuds, Bluetooth audio has gained widespread acceptance due to portability and affordability. However, transmission protocol bandwidth and wireless stability impose inherent sound quality limitations. Nevertheless, with significant capital investment from smartphone giants, Bluetooth audio is currently the fastest-evolving segment, and even more impressive solutions will surely emerge in the near future.
Thunderbolt / FireWire / PCIe Sound Cards: Other niche configurations are omitted here due to sparse product availability and low discussion volume; beginners rarely encounter them and would find them challenging to optimize.

Q: Is the audiophile meme about hydropower, thermal power, and nuclear power having different sound signatures actually true?
A: The BLOG owner believes virtually no one can directly A/B test the sound difference between power generated by different power plants—in national electrical grids, all generated electricity is merged onto the same power grid regardless of origin. However, seasoned audiophiles can confidently hear differences caused by different local power supplies, such as AC regenerators with superior EMI ripple suppression or high-grade linear power supplies. Therefore, while the original meme is absurdly exaggerated, the underlying premise—that power supply quality directly impacts sound—is entirely valid.

Q: Does changing cables (power cords, digital interconnects, analog cables) really make a difference?
A: Yes, the effects are distinct. As electrical signals transmit through cables, conductor purity, shielding effectiveness, and internal geometry all directly influence the final audio presentation. However, it is not recommended to fuss extensively over cables on systems with a total value under $1,500, as you likely will not hear noticeable differences. This is partly because budget systems lack sufficient resolving power, and partly because your own listening reference framework has not yet matured through enough exposure. Having an experienced mentor can save you many detours with cables. (Cables encompass a wealth of knowledge; once you master them, you have graduated from beginner status.)

Q: Digital cables, USB cables, and coaxial cables only transmit 0s and 1s; how can a cable possibly affect sound quality?
A: It is true that digital cables only transmit data, but transmitting and receiving digital audio packets requires real-time timing processing (packet reassembly and clock recovery). Processing this data generates significant amounts of jitter (details), which is one of the single most critical factors affecting digital sound quality. In fact, the entire history of digital audio engineering can be summarized as an ongoing battle against jitter.

Q: Are grounding boxes and grounding cables actually effective?
A: Yes, they are. Please refer to the article: here

Q: Do wall receptacles, in-wall wiring, AC regenerators, isolation transformers, and dedicated circuit breakers make a difference?
A: Yes, they do. Because they represent a one-time investment and deliver noticeable improvements, their price-to-performance ratio is remarkably high.

Q: Which music player / playback software has the best sound quality?
A: “Best sound quality” is difficult to define strictly. Currently recognized powerful audio playback software includes HQPlayer, foobar2000, and JRiver Media Center. Software is constantly evolving, with excellent choices across Windows, macOS, and Linux. However, one should not obsess excessively over playback software—it will not magically elevate your system into a higher tier. At most, it offers deeper tweakability and a more polished UI, while sonic differences remain subtle.

Q: Between NetEase Cloud Music, QQ Music, and Xiami Music, which offers better sound quality?
A: Please refer to the BLOG owner’s post: here

Q: Do vibration isolation racks, equipment stands, speaker stands, isolation spikes, and spike pads really work?
A: Yes, their effects are distinct. Sound is fundamentally vibration; eliminating extraneous mechanical vibrations naturally improves acoustic clarity. It is a straightforward physical principle. Never underestimate vibration control—even on a transformerless passive preamplifier, proper isolation produces audible benefits.

Q: Are portable IEMs inferior to full-size headphones, and are headphones inferior to loudspeakers?
A: This is a common belief. Due to the rapid development of various Hi-Fi sub-segments in recent years, this generalization is somewhat imprecise, although at the absolute technological limit, it generally holds true. For instance, comparing a $750 portable setup, $750 full-size headphones, and $750 speakers: each possesses distinct advantages. The portable setup often boasts sharper micro-detail resolution, full-size headphones offer a more relaxed, effortless presentation, while speakers provide a vastly superior, natural soundstage. Each has its merits; it ultimately boils down to your usage scenario—after all, who can guarantee they will never need to listen through headphones?

Q: What does a typical Hi-Fi system consist of?
A: A relatively comprehensive system typically includes the following components:
Power Supply: wall outlets, main power distributor, AC regenerator, etc.
Electronics: digital interface, DAC/decoder, upsampler, headphone amplifier, power amplifier, etc.
Vibration Control: isolation feet/spikes, audio racks, spike pads, etc.
Transducers: headphones / loudspeakers
Cables: power cords, digital interconnects, analog cables
The above represents the potential components of a complete setup. Beginners need not worry about all of these right away, as introductory setups are usually streamlined. As your journey progresses, you will naturally discover the role and importance of each link in the chain.

Q: How should I choose and purchase gear? How do I find products with great price-to-performance?
A: Three core axioms in the Hi-Fi world can effectively guide your purchasing decisions:
1. You get what you pay for (every product reflects its true inherent value).
2. Hearing is believing (never buy blind if auditioning is an option; shipping costs are negligible compared to the experience gained, even if a demo proves disappointing).
3. Exercise patience (Hi-Fi requires patience; only by taking your time and avoiding impulse buys will you find gear truly suited to your taste).

Q: What are digital interfaces and transports?
A: Digital Interface: primarily refers to devices that handle and reclock pure data streams, commonly taking forms such as USB digital interfaces (DDC), Bluetooth receivers, digital media transports, HDD players, network streamers, etc.
Transport: primarily refers to physical rotating mechanisms that read data from physical media, commonly taking forms such as CD transports, SACD transports, vinyl turntables, reel-to-reel transports, etc.

Q: Should I purchase a dedicated digital interface or transport?
A: Currently, the vast majority of DACs feature built-in USB input stages, and many CD players are integrated units combining a transport and a DAC. For newcomers, a single CD player or DAC is entirely sufficient—connecting directly to a computer or playing discs are both great starting points. However, if pursuing higher fidelity, investing in a dedicated digital interface (DDC) becomes highly beneficial, delivering sonic upgrades on par with upgrading the DAC itself. Of course, this also means incurring an additional expense that might rival the DAC’s cost; whether it is worth it depends entirely on your sonic ambition and budget.

Q: Should I buy an all-in-one unit (DAC/amp) or separate discrete components?
A: Given the sheer variety of Hi-Fi products available today, both all-in-one units and discrete separates offer many outstanding options. Thus, the choice hinges primarily on whether you plan to continuously invest in future upgrades. If you have higher long-term aspirations, discrete components are recommended for flexible modular upgrades down the road—though this entails higher costs and additional interconnect cables. If you prefer a fuss-free, one-and-done solution with no upgrade plans, an all-in-one unit is simpler, more compact, and saves on cabling. Naturally, because the value proposition of integrated vs. discrete setups varies across budget brackets, this rule is not absolute.

Q: How do I distinguish genuine CDs from bootlegs/counterfeits?
A: You can refer to the IFPI guide: here, on authentic CDs bearing IFPI codes, there must always be a matching pair of codes (mastering SID code and mould SID code). Any disc with only a single IFPI code, or where the IFPI code does not correspond to the publishing country/region, is a counterfeit.

Q: How is the sound quality of CD-R burned discs?
A: With proper optimization, high-quality burners, and premium CD-R media (such as Mitsui Gold / Taiyo Yuden Cyanine or better), the resulting burned disc sounds vastly superior to bootleg pressed CDs and outperforms many domestic CD pressings (non-Sony DADC pressings). If you own a high-caliber CD player, playback from a well-burned CD-R will often surpass digital file playback from a streamer at the same price point.

Q: What is your perspective on the sound quality and development of wireless headphones (such as TWS)?
A: Please refer to the BLOG owner’s article: here, where extensive wireless earphone reviews and sound quality ratings have been compiled for reference.

Q: What is the current domestic Hi-Fi community environment like in China?
A: Beginners are constantly being misled, intermediate enthusiasts huddle together for warmth, and veteran audiophiles quietly amuse themselves in isolation.

Q: Why are domestic Chinese audio products perceived as inferior to foreign ones, and why are foreign products deemed better?
A: That is no longer true today. A decade ago, domestic manufacturers struggled to offer products rivaling foreign counterparts, but today Chinese manufacturers produce stellar offerings across numerous categories, even leading the world in certain niches (such as Bluetooth TWS). Of course, there are still unscrupulous brands taking advantage of beginners, but rather than relying on outdated prejudices, the BLOG owner suggests visiting audio expos to audition domestic gear firsthand—you might be pleasantly surprised.

Q: Why does my setup sound unpleasant even though I bought everything recommended by senior audiophiles?
A: Recently, a wealthy female newcomer in the BLOG owner’s circle started with a $15,000 budget. Joining an audiophile group chat, various veteran members doted on her and offered endless advice. However, after assembling the system, she told the BLOG owner that it sounded awful. Upon closer inspection, the gear and cables were completely mismatched, reflecting zero fundamental understanding of sound synergy. Hi-Fi is a journey and an accumulation of experience; while following advice can prevent certain pitfalls, it bypasses the development of your own rational and emotional perception of sound. Put plainly, if you only buy what others tell you without understanding why or how it sounds good, you lose the joy of the hobby—and starting at such a high price point only drives future trial-and-error costs through the roof. Furthermore, trying to “combine the best of all worlds” is a major trap in Hi-Fi: buying a DAC on Audiophile A’s recommendation and a power cord on Audiophile B’s recommendation will almost certainly yield a discordant, unlistenable mess.

Q: Are power conditioners / power filters useful?
A: Please click here to read.

Q: What is MQA?
A: MQA stands for Master Quality Authenticated, an audio codec technology developed under the leadership of Meridian Audio co-founder Bob Stuart in the UK. Compared to standard CD lossless formats (APE/WAV/FLAC) and SACD Hi-Res formats (DSD), MQA has not achieved widespread support or adoption. For more detailed insights, please click here.

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