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Oddly, I keep thinking that I should put some money into a decent hifi system...

...and then I remember that I mostly listen to streaming, which even with Spotify premium at its highest bitrate setting is 320 kbps. 

Which means that any money spent over a basic system is pretty much wasted. 

My son wanted some high-end Sony noise cancelling Bluetooth headphones for Christmas (which he's getting). He was also talking about upgrading his music to lossless formats, since the Sony's support LDAC, a lossless Bluetooth transmission protocol. LDAC can transmit at 990 kbps.

Only problem is that he has an iPhone, and Apple refuses to support LDAC, which means he's limited to their AAC format which maxes out at 250 kbps. 

As I said, he's getting the headphones, because they're nice headphones and I found a solid deal. But I'm obviously going to tell him that any effort expended on improving the format of the music he listens to is pointless, as his phone can't even transmit it to the cans at a bitrate that will matter. 

Ed Zachery!

And even worse is that I doubt my ears can discern the difference at my age, and after all the damage I've done to them over the years. 

I was always an Infinity guy until I found Jamo. Now, with the concrete walls in Florida and no way to run wires, I'm a Samsung soundbar and subwoofer guy, all Bluetooth.

Still have the Yamaha 5x CD player running through the Yamaha EQ too, wired to the Soundbar.

I've got a standard surround system in our great room, nothing special just a fairly recent Sony amp, Sony surround speakers and subwoofer, all hardwired into optimum listening positions for TV viewing.

But in our front room, our "parlor" or what Bald Greg calls "the whiskey drinking room" I've started reassembling my old hifi system from high school/college.  I've got a Garrard 301 turntable that my dad brought home from the radio station, a Fisher amp/receiver, my old Phillips CD player, and a vintage set of Boston Acoustic A400s.  I also have a Technics cassette deck but couldn't tell you the last time I played a tape.

If we're traveling, she will stream this in the car.  I never saw much point in a high end stereo in the car.  Supposedly our Hyundai has some upgraded system which is fine, I guess, I would have preferred to save the money but it was part of the package.

I think in a car you can quickly get to a point of diminishing returns, as even in a nicer/luxury car with decent soundproofing, you're never going to be able to cover all the tire noise, wind noise, etc. And honestly you're doing something important behind the wheel by paying attention to the road, not geeking out as an audiophile. You *should* be attuned to things beyond the music. 

But in most cars, the base audio systems are absolutely terrible. Garbage quality, all to save money. The premium audio systems are merely adequate. Not something an audiophile would like, but at least they upgrade the quality of the system somewhat. The difference between base and premium audio in most cars will get you about to that point of diminishing returns.

In the Flex, when I was looking for them used getting the premium audio was one of the features I wanted to see. And it sounds "nice". 

For the Jeep, I also wanted the premium audio, which ended up meaning that I overpaid for something I ended up replacing. The premium audio was fine when I drove with the top on a majority of the time, but it's simply not enough to drive with the top down at freeway speed and actually hear anything. I ended up replacing the interior speakers, which helped, but they were 2 ohm speakers originally and the drop-in Kicker speakers were 4 ohm (designed for the non-premium Jeep which used 4 ohm), which meant I was wasting power. Then I replaced the head unit as mine didn't support Bluetooth (it was a 2009 model), but with the stock premium system that meant that I was driving an amplifier (the premium system had a separate amp / sound processor) with an amplified output. Not ideal for so many reasons. So then I replaced the amp, which meant I needed to upgrade the sub to match and handle that power... So it became a full build.

But now it's bright and clear at pain-inducing volume, with the top down, at freeway speeds!

I think in a car you can quickly get to a point of diminishing returns, as even in a nicer/luxury car with decent soundproofing, you're never going to be able to cover all the tire noise, wind noise, etc. And honestly you're doing something important behind the wheel by paying attention to the road, not geeking out as an audiophile. You *should* be attuned to things beyond the music.

But in most cars, the base audio systems are absolutely terrible. Garbage quality, all to save money. The premium audio systems are merely adequate. Not something an audiophile would like, but at least they upgrade the quality of the system somewhat. The difference between base and premium audio in most cars will get you about to that point of diminishing returns.

In the Flex, when I was looking for them used getting the premium audio was one of the features I wanted to see. And it sounds "nice".

For the Jeep, I also wanted the premium audio, which ended up meaning that I overpaid for something I ended up replacing. The premium audio was fine when I drove with the top on a majority of the time, but it's simply not enough to drive with the top down at freeway speed and actually hear anything. I ended up replacing the interior speakers, which helped, but they were 2 ohm speakers originally and the drop-in Kicker speakers were 4 ohm (designed for the non-premium Jeep which used 4 ohm), which meant I was wasting power. Then I replaced the head unit as mine didn't support Bluetooth (it was a 2009 model), but with the stock premium system that meant that I was driving an amplifier (the premium system had a separate amp / sound processor) with an amplified output. Not ideal for so many reasons. So then I replaced the amp, which meant I needed to upgrade the sub to match and handle that power... So it became a full build.

But now it's bright and clear at pain-inducing volume, with the top down, at freeway speeds!

Yeah I added kicker front speakers and a kicker amp and rear pod speakers to my i s c & a aggie wife's Jeep.  The head unit was fine, 2017 so "modern" enough with blue tooth capabilities plus a decent driver.  But the new speakers and amp make it much better for top-down driving.