Please Help: What must I study or know to be considered as knowledge on Hi-Fi?

[ODUODU]

I'am based in Aliwal North .............


Now stop laughing immediately!!

It'a a little town in the Eastern Cape on the Gariep river where the N6 crosses the river as the border between the eastern cape and ther free state. There isn't much in the way of sound going on here. We have Aliwal Sound service run by Ruan "Grassie" Erasmus which is mainly into stage and car sound but nothing in the Sterio/high end region happening here.

I would love to work in a hi-fi shop if it was possible but just never seem to have the opportunity and the money at the same time.

Ockie

[E9]

As has already been said by many on the forum i dont think any kind of course exist for what you want to do. i have been into audio for as long as i can remember and have come to the conclusion that it doesnt matter what the specs (watts/THD/damping factor etc...)say if it sound good thats all that matters.

i had a similar issue a while back where sales people kept on bullshhhhhng me about things that when i now thing back where utter nonsense, made a lot of purchases that way. i am not sure who said it but the best way to be knowledgable is to read up on audio in general, good starting point is the Audio Video magazine or any Audio video mag that is. That will give you some idea of what's what and then thereafter your friend is "google". You also need to have the drive to know, dont give up, things audio in my opinion are very personal. What may be good to one may be nonsense to the next guy. This place and a lot of other audio forums are a good place to learn but just as well experience is a great teacher.

[ODUODU]

Just one other thing I would like to throw in the air: are there any female members on this forum?

It all seems to be men all the way. I would like to hear a woman's perspective on sound.

Maybe you can all ask your wive's opinon on the matter!!!!

Cheers

( Stereo Analog Rules !! )

[GearSlave]

My wife does have an opinion on audio, you just don't want to hear it...

[Byrd]

There is at least one lady active on the forum, and my wife enjoys audio and peruses the forum every so often. She enjoys going along with me where possible to see / listen to the goodies. She is a gadget girl, but I suppose I wouldn't term her a very critical listener. She is quite supporting of my little passion though.

I think it is clear that it is a male dominated environment though, and I dont see that ever changing.

[chipwelder]

Generalisation warning: Women listen to MUSIC men listen to Equipment!
My wife is also interested, but only as far as to it sounds nice...
Most memorable quote from her: (listening to a 2ndhand Steinhart amp...) This is R18k? When we getting one? In my moment of idiocy, "unfortunately darling ... we need three..."

[ODUODU]

Blame the amp... you weren'y thinking straight when you saw it. 

Don't blame you!!!

Ockie

[dotVIBE]

How do I gain knowledge about equipment?

hmmm. one day I build a new house, with ducting for 5.1 pre-installed.

So i connect up my AWESOME Logitech Z-5500 (don't laugh  ) to my tv. then they get stolen. great oppurtunity for an upgrade. but to what? I go to HiFi Corp, but that just confuses me. off to the internet.

I look at equipment, and compared them. Then I found out what the differences was, and why the differences cost money, and how they affected sound. I hang around in forums, and I'm learning. It's a process.

[Hein]

Generalisation warning: Women listen to MUSIC men listen to Equipment!
My wife is also interested, but only as far as to it sounds nice...
Most memorable quote from her: (listening to a 2ndhand Steinhart amp...) This is R18k? When we getting one? In my moment of idiocy, "unfortunately darling ... we need three..."

Oh my word... That sounds SO familiar...
From time to time, I get to borrow new toys from retailers that I supply... Just to verify interaction between our products and theirs... Yeesh! The moaning on Monday morning when it has to be returned... Normally it's the other way around - usually the wife complains that the equipment is too expensive! I guess I'm (supposed) to be one of the lucky ones...
UNBIASED appreciation - we can all learn from that...

[mafioso]

Hi oduodu

Lots of good advice for you Living in Aliwal North may just be a brownie point for you. Your municipal public library may not yet have been raided by destructive types looking for Hi-Fi books to pulp, like what happened here and is probably still happening. Sticking my head in a rat's nest, old audio mags from the mid 50's until the 90's primarily for diy, lay constructors. The city libraries was my first source of knowledge. Then I started subscribing to audio mags, which are also available free from libraries. Enquire at you local library. Those who work there will help with pleasure. Even if they have to get you 'reads' from PE.

As your knowledge grows, you will be able to recognise book titles and author's names which will be useful to you. Here in Cape Town, I frequent a secondhand bookshop called CAFDA. At this place, I have acquired anything from piles of old audio mags and audio yearbooks from the UK to a small personal library of my own, totalling about 40 or 50 books by especially English authors, written during the 'golden age' from when stereo started.

One problem I have encountered: It is extremely difficult to make 2nd hand bookshop owners or librarians understand exactly what literature it is you're interested in as it is such a technical subject.

For most of the 'desperate times' I needed to have knowledge of what I wanted to do, I didn't own a computer. Once I sorted this problem, my sources of audio knowledge increased a hundredfold. Make google your friend. Try fooling around. Just type "famous hi-fi writers" or "vintage audio books" and see what comes up (I haven't tried this, btw).

Good luck in your quest. The fact that you asked, counts for a lot already.

mafioso