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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


128x128michaelgreenaudio
glupson
7,842 posts
 
jf47t,

"All the instruments were now feeding off of each other with equal presence."
I am totally inexperienced in this jargon. Is there a way you could explain to someone not adept at that lingo what this sentence really means? Also, did I understand it correctly that on your second listen the flute was not heard anymore? Seems like a karaoke machine of some sort.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 

glupson
geoffkait,

You are really getting confusing.

These two are your statements. Both of them.

“...lumbering up the narrow winding mountain road read..."

"Eggs ackly! No path. No road. No Nirvana. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news."
Which one should I consider correct statement? The one in which the road exists or the one claiming that the road does not exist? They are contradictory.

>>>>Life itself is often contradictory, grasshopper.

I am sure that true audiophiles know what "true audiophile" means. The problem is that nobody else knows it. A secret club for those who think very highly.

>>>>Eggs ackley. It’s a secret club, grasshopper. Now you’re getting smart. 
glupson
7,842 posts
 
geoffkait,

Making contradictory statements renders either of those statements potentially incorrect and therefore not worth considering in any discussion. What life is contradictory to means nothing in this case, if that statement itself is even true.

It would be helpful to know how true audiophiles define themselves.

I am not sure what grasshoppers you are referring to.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
prof,

If you are still around here, I would like to report to you on first impressions from my own little tuning/tweaking experiment. Partially intrigued by this thread, I bought new XLR cables. It was at least 20-fold price difference between old ones and new ones ($15ish to allegedly $350). My new cables appeared new, but were used. There were a couple of noticeable differences between them. New ones are much more inconvenient. They are hard to bend and I had to move the rack further away from the wall for them to fit behind. They are harder to hide there, too, as they follow their own form which likes to stick to the side somehow. Another difference was that new ones look like a much more substantial product. They walk the walk when it comes to appearance. As far as sound goes, there was an impressive lack of difference. Not for better, not for worse.

I think they were worth the price for me. I had my opportunity to try for myself and, much more importantly, I bought them mostly for the looks which they do deliver better than the cheap ones. On the other hand, I bought them for the looks but find them inconvenient because they are now more visible than the old ones. I will have to discuss that one with myself or some professionally-trained expert on split-personality disorders. At least I know that, if I decide to go back to the old cheaper cables, I will not be missing anything in the sound department. Probably, others would have a different ownership experience, but this is mine.
geoffkait's avatar
geoffkait
23,365 posts
 
glupson
jf47t,

"All the instruments were now feeding off of each other with equal presence."

I am totally inexperienced in this jargon. Is there a way you could explain to someone not adept at that lingo what this sentence really means? Also, did I understand it correctly that on your second listen the flute was not heard anymore? Seems like a karaoke machine of some sort.

Stalker alert! Obviously a disengenuous stalker of the cheap innocent loaded question variety. And just as cheap innuendo. 🤡
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