EP 054 Has HiFi Made Music More Enjoyable Or less? 6Moons.com and Soundstage! join us for a debate

May 19

4 min read

Updated: Sep 1

Music First: Has HiFi made music less enjoyable?

A global discussion about music, HiFi systems and the lessons learned over decades in the audio industry. The conversation between Andrew Hutchison, Srajan Ebaen of 6Moons.com and Edgar Kramer of SoundStage! Australia begins with a deceptively simple question. "Before becoming interested in sound quality, was music more enjoyable?"

Members of the Global CoLab are Andrew Hutchison Host of Not An Audiophile, Edgar Kramer reviewer from Soundstage ! Australia and Srajan Ebaen reviewer from 6Moons.com — The Global CoLab - Andrew Hutchison, Srajan Ebaen 6Moons.com and Edgar Kramer Soundstage! Australia

Better equipment can bring greater clarity, realism and emotional engagement, but it can also make listeners more analytical. Instead of becoming absorbed in a song, audiophiles may find themselves judging the loudspeakers, amplifier, recording quality or room acoustics. The challenge is to improve the sound without allowing the search for better HiFi to overwhelm the original reason for owning a system - the enjoyment of music.

Headphones, Nearfield Listening and the Importance of Room acoustics

One of Srajan’s most important lessons is that a good headphone system can teach listeners what is actually contained in a recording. Headphones largely remove room acoustics, ambient noise and listening distance from the equation, revealing detail, frequency extension and bass definition that may be obscured by a conventional stereo system. Nearfield listening can offer similar benefits by positioning the loudspeakers close to the listener, reducing room reflections and allowing smaller speakers and lower-powered amplifiers to produce exceptionally clear sound.

Srajan Ebaen reviewer of 6Moons.com — Srajan Ebaen says Class D is completely on par with expensive class A, Class AB.

Edgar also reflects on the money audiophiles can waste changing equipment when the listening room is the real problem. Loudspeaker placement, the listening position and room behaviour can sometimes deliver a greater improvement than replacing an amplifier, DAC or cable.

Are Active Streaming Speakers the Best Way into HiFi?

Active streaming loudspeakers may provide one of the most practical entry points into modern HiFi. By combining amplification, digital processing, streaming and loudspeakers in one integrated system, active speakers can deliver accurate, full-range sound without the cost and complexity of matching multiple components. DSP adjustment can also help adapt the sound to the room and the listener’s preferences.

Edgar Kramer reviewer from Soundstage! Australia — Edgar Kramer says the chasm between live and produced music is so large that it doesn't matter what you listen on.

This approach may appeal particularly to newer HiFi buyers who expect products to be compact, multifunctional and easy to control from a phone. New listeners are also looking for more enjoyable music moments. However, passive loudspeakers and separate components still offer something active systems cannot: the pleasure of experimenting with amplifiers, valves, turntables, cables and system combinations. There is no single correct path—the best HiFi system is the one that suits how its owner wants to listen.

Class D Amplifiers and the Changing Value of High-End Audio

The panel also considers how Class D amplification and Chinese HiFi products are changing expectations of performance and value. Modern Class D amplifiers are smaller, lighter, cooler-running and more energy-efficient than many traditional Class A and Class AB designs, while the best examples can compete sonically with far more expensive conventional amplifiers. Chinese audio manufacturers have also moved well beyond the old “Chi-Fi” stereotype, producing original designs with strong engineering, extensive features and increasingly impressive build quality.

Andrew Hutchison host of Not An Audiophile — Andrew Hutchison says he can't enjoy music on a terrible system. He can turn it off no matter how loved the music is.

Affordable streamers, DACs and all-in-one amplifiers now provide performance that would once have required a much larger investment. Established European, American and Japanese brands will continue to attract buyers through heritage, industrial design and ownership appeal, but country of origin may matter less to future customers than sound quality, functionality and price.

Can HiFi Reviewers Remain Objective?

The episode concludes with an unusually frank discussion about audio reviewing by two of HiFi's most recognised reviewers. There is no formal qualification, governing body or standard career path for becoming a HiFi reviewer; reviewers are largely self-taught and continue learning through experience.

Srajan and Edgar explain that a responsible reviewer must recognise personal listening preferences while still identifying the audience for whom a product may be ideal. Reviews should educate and entertain, supported by enthusiasm, technical accuracy and a clear account of the reviewer’s industry background. YouTube and social media have created new opportunities for HiFi journalism, but algorithms and audience approval can discourage reviewers from covering unfamiliar products or expressing contentious opinions. Ultimately, credible HiFi reviewing requires experience, openness and the ability to remove the reviewer’s cap occasionally and simply enjoy the music.

https://youtube.com/shorts/f98rsknUg8U?si=f8GdC_A474ipKWNL

Srajan from 6 Moons asks "When we started out on this HiFi journey - at that point all we were doing is listening to tunes completely unconcerned with sound quality. If the music came first and the equipment came after would we say in retrospect that our enjoyment today is the same, less, more or different that it was when we started out?"

Srajan bemoans his loss of innocence after becoming interested in HIFi equipment. He says it is the difference between listening for things and listening to things, and took him away from the naive enjoyment of the music.

Andrew, our Host comes from the perspective that he can't enjoy music on a terrible system. Although he doesn't consider himself an "audiophile", he can turn it off no matter how good the music is if the system sound is "horrible".

Edgar describes his perspective of music vs equipment as a fork in the road that follows on a parallel. His enjoyment of listening to music expanded into experience with equipment and the two things come together.

Thanks to these fine Global HiFi Brands for their Support.