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Talk but not walk?

Hi Guys

This isn't meant to start a fight, but it is important to on lookers. As a qualifier, I have my own audio forum where we report on audio issues as we empirically test them. It helps us short cut on theories and developing methods of listening. We have a wide range of systems and they are all over the world adding their experiences to the mix. Some are engineers, some are artist and others are audiophiles both new and old. One question I am almost always asked while I am visiting other forums, from some of my members and also members of the forum I am visiting is, why do so many HEA hobbyist talk theory without any, or very limited, empirical testing or experience?

I have been around empirical testing labs since I was a kid, and one thing that is certain is, you can always tell if someone is talking without walking. Right now on this forum there are easily 20 threads going on where folks are talking theory and there is absolutely no doubt to any of us who have actually done the testing needed, that the guy talking has never done the actual empirical testing themselves. I've seen this happen with HEA reviewers and designers and a ton of hobbyist. My question is this, why?

You would think that this hobby would be about listening and experience, so why are there so many myths created and why, in this hobby in particular, do people claim they know something without ever experimenting or being part of a team of empirical science folks. It's not that hard to setup a real empirical testing ground, so why don't we see this happen?

I'm not asking for peoples credentials, and I'm not asking to be trolled, I'm simply asking why talk and not walk? In many ways HEA is on pause while the rest of audio innovation is moving forward. I'm also not asking you guys to defend HEA, we've all heard it been there done it. What I'm asking is a very simple question in a hobby that is suppose to be based on "doing", why fake it?

thanks, be polite

Michael Green

www.michaelgreenaudio.net


michaelgreenaudio
jf47t
116 posts
 
I'm still at Michael's. Peaceful, powerful, thick or body, spiritual, not high end audio sounding, and transformative. I never would have guessed this being the same recording. I had to ask Michael if he can do this with any CD? He said "pick one and come back tomorrow". BTW while I listened MG said "Goodwill night". He left and came back with two bags full of CD's "would you like any". MG is not like any other listener you have ever met. He literally shapes the music so well that it makes a high end audio show system sound incomplete (distorted) by comparison. But what makes these visits so impressive is he always says "you can make this system sound better than I can". MG is a firm believer in everyone being the master of their own sound. I've picked George Michaels "Faith" for tomorrows listening.
prof
3,501 posts
 
@jf47t

Any thoughts in reply to my previous post?  Thanks.
amg56's avatar
amg56
887 posts
 

@jf47t I am firmly the master of my own music, but spiritual? Lordy, lordy, what were you listening to? Or smoked during?

There is a thread on Cerebral or Visceral. You might do well to read it.

jf47t
116 posts
 

Hi Prof came home a couple of minutes ago, Wow! That was one amazing journey. Even though I am working on my own MGA system I'm not sure I can do what he did tonight. He says "you'll get it" but he has this intuitive spirit about him that must only be able to achieve with practice. I am no where near that level but excited to be living so close to him.

"But I wonder if the sentiment is the same "from your side of the fence" because posts like you just made does continue to imply others are not "doing" this hobby, and if not by implication "doing it wrong."

I don't think Michael believes in right or wrong, only growth vs settling for. MG believes there is always more to get out of a recording and tonight was a major lesson to that end. Where he started and where he ended up at was more than any amp or speaker change I've ever witnessed. It was also far beyond any trade show display I've ever heard by a long shot.

"And certainly, MG himself spends a lot of time posting on forums, writing evangelically about his method."

I don't think I've ever heard Michael say tuning was his method. I've only heard him talk about being a part of tuning, following in the footsteps of instrument and music tuning. He views a stereo system as an extension of the recording process. He can explain this better than me but the way he says it is the recording starts with tuning and playback ends with retuning. The recording is a code and playback is tuning in that code. With what he showed me today that makes perfect sense.

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