2. misc-audio
  3. 136121-109363

What Matters and What is Nonsense

I’ve been an audiophile for approximately 50 years. In my college days, I used to hang around the factory of a very well regarded speaker manufacturer where I learned a lot from the owners. When I started with audio it was a technical hobby. You were expected to know something about electronics and acoustics. Listening was important, but understanding why something sounded good or not so good was just as important. No one in 1968 would have known what you were talking about if you said you had tweaked your system and it sounded so much better. But if you talked about constant power output with frequency, or pleasing second-order harmonic distortion versus jarring odd-order harmonics in amplification, you were part of the tribe.

Starting in the 1980s, a lot of pseudo scientific nonsense started appearing. Power cords were important. One meter interconnects made a big difference. Using a green magic marker on the edge of a CD was amazing. Putting isolation dampers under a CD transport lifted the veil on the music. Ugh. This stuff still make my eyes roll, even after all these years.

So I have decided to impart years and years of hard won knowledge to today’s hobbists who might be interested in reality. This is my list of the steps in the audio reproduction chain, and the relative importance of each step. My ranking of relative importance includes a big dose of cost/benefit ratio. At this point in the evolution of audio, I am assuming digital recording and reproduction.

Item / Importance to the sound on a scale of 1-10 / Cost benefit ratio

  • The room the recording was made in / 8 / Nothing you can do about it
  • The microphones and setup used in the recording / 8 / nothing you can do about it.
  • The equalization and mixing of the recording / 10 / Nothing you can do about it
  • The technology used for the recording (analog, digital, sample rate, etc.) / 5 / nothing you can do about it.
  • The format of the consumer recording (vinyl, CD, DSD, etc.) 44.1 - 16 really is good enough / 3 / moderate CB ratio
  • The playback device i.e. cartridge or DAC / 5 / can be a horribe CB ratio - do this almost last
  • The electronics - preamp and amp / 4 / the amount of money wasted on $5,000 preamps and amps is amazing.
  • Low leve interconnects / 2 / save your money, folks
  • Speaker cables / 3 / another place to save your money
  • Speakers / 10 / very very high cost to benefit ratio. Spend your money here.
  • Listening room / 9 / an excellent place to put your money. DSPs have revolutionized audio reproduction
In summary, buy the best speakers you can afford, and invest in something like Dirac Live or learn how to use REW and buy a MiniDSP HD to implement the filters. Almost everything else is a gross waste of money.
128x128phomchick
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
amg56
However I absolutely agree that an unpredictable change may produce a large influence in the way we appreciate the sound (in this forum’s case) of audio/music. That in essence is what tweaks in this forum are about. And it is my hope that readers and writers in this forum will share them with explanation.

>>>That’s not what I’m saying really. Look, tweaks, tweaks of all kinds, by and large are a known quantity, maybe not to you specifically, but to most audiophiles who, if they have not actually bought them have at least read about them. A tweak is something that improves the sound. It is or should be predictable. It should also be verifiable. It should be repeatable. They should be reproducible. In this regard tweaks should be treated scienfically just like components or cables. I.e., a Black Box. Since we’re interested in the effect on sound quality of the Black Box, we shouldn’t prejudge the thing before all the test results are in.

Having said all that, obviously you don’t have to look around too hard to find some poor guy somewhere who complains he can’t hear it, whatever the device in question is. We already know that.

As far as explanation of tweaks go, as I’ve said on previous occasions, ‘tis probably best in certain cases for manufactures not (rpt not) to provide explanations, or hazard an explanation, for their tweaks as it can oft come to no good, leading to lots of accusations uncontrolled tongue wagging. Besides, contrary to popular opinion, Audiogon is not intended to be a forum for peer review. Sorry to shatter any of your illusions or hopes for the future. 

leonardcooper
20 posts
 
Well, back in the 1950's I was building mono tube amps and FM tuners with my Dad. Since then the hobby has come a long way. There is a lot to be said and most of it has been, tweakers and non. Tweaking is important as far as the room is concerned and gawd I spend time doing that, but in my opinion (and it ain't humble) you need a good source and good speakers. I listen to vinyl and will spend a lot of money ($17K) on a cartridge and TT to help it track. If that Porsche had crappy tires it wouldn't stay on the road right. If I have a cheap TT and cart I'm not in the track right. Speakers next, then electronics to match the speakers and sources. $2000 cables are a waste. Simple.
mdrums
11 posts
 
I am a on-off audiophile....I really agree with the original post. As a musician/drummer who has spent my entire  working career as a professional musician and/or in the sales manufacturing side of the industry....its really all about the music, how it was recorded and your personal room acoustics. yes you need some good playback gear but there really is a point of no return....spend your money on your room and speakers then amp then source then cables.
elrod
245 posts
 
Better to be tweaking than twerking...
banyanbull
35 posts
 
Excellent thread.  Thanks to "phomchick" for kicking things off. These responses have been most interesting. Start with a nicely engineered recording, add a nice (subjective) well positioned (not subjective) speaker system, address room problems as much as possible, and the music/movie lover is well on the way to an enjoyable experience. Eventually however we run into the topic of interconnects (power cords, HDMI, network, speaker wire, etc.) knowing that cost vs. performance reaches a point of diminishing return in any given system. But here's an interesting factoid.  Live demonstrations by companies like Audio Quest and Nordost will often use modestly priced components, (speakers, amplification, and source devices) in their demonstrations. It's also surprising how AC noise filtration, by the likes of companies like SurgeX, can improve the listening experience. Some will argue that, if these previously mentioned priorities are addressed,cabling should be considered as another component in your system. Fortunately many dealers will also allow the end user to take such items home for audition to determine if the changes warrant the investment.            
More to discover