2. speakers
  3. 159485-102681

High Performance Audio - The End?

Steve Guttenberg recently posted on his audiophiliac channel what might be an iconoclastic video.

Steve attempts to crystallise the somewhat nebulous feeling that climbing the ladder to the high-end might be a counter productive endeavour. 

This will be seen in many high- end quarters as heretical talk, possibly even blasphemous.
Steve might even risk bring excommunicated. However, there can be no denying that the vast quantity of popular music that we listen to is not particularly well recorded.

Steve's point, and it's one I've seen mentioned many times previously at shows and demos, is that better more revealing systems will often only serve to make most recordings sound worse. 

There is no doubt that this does happen, but the exact point will depend upon the listeners preference. Let's say for example that it might happen a lot earlier for fans of punk, rap, techno and pop.

Does this call into question almost everything we are trying to ultimately attain?

Could this be audio's equivalent of Martin Luther's 1517 posting of The Ninety-Five theses at Wittenberg?

-----

Can your Audio System be too Transparent?

Steve Guttenberg 19.08.20

https://youtu.be/6-V5Z6vHEbA

cd318
spenav
502 posts
 
@douglas_schroeder 

No one is attacking you. Matter of fact, I had a lot of respect for you. That’s why I said that I didn’t expect that from you. You should have known better. What makes your comments incorrect is the generalization. Not all 40k systems sound better than all 5k ones. Decades ago, I had a 5k system that sounded great and I decided to upgrade it. I spent thousands of dollars and ended up with a much worse system. It took me a while to recapture the magic and finally surpassed it. So I learned my lesson. 
What you should have said is, everything else being equal, more money should give you better sound. We all know that. Unless you reach a limit, you can always get better hardware. Whether it’s Mahgister getting more stones or me doubling my interconnects, we all can use more dough, but knowledge and experience count for something. The best amp is not necessarily the costliest. And then you add the variables that are out of our control and things can get complicated. That’s what makes this hobby fascinating. It’s not a sport for rich guys only. 
rvpiano's avatar
rvpiano
2,819 posts
 
On the question of “diminishing returns,” I do believe after a certain point, the improvements in a system become so minimal as to not justify tons of money being poured into it. (Unless money is no object to you.) I’m not speaking about a $5000 system compared to a $50,000 (or even a $25,000) system, but a $50,000 system compared to a $200,000+ system.
Assuming musicality is the object, how much more MUSICAL enjoyment is there? 
After a certain point, it becomes not musical but technical improvement.
jjss49's avatar
jjss49
6,612 posts
 
more heat than light here in this latest tussle around doug schroeder’s words

a poor choice of words, no doubt, that has elicited negative responses, folks feeling talked down to - even if doug’s intent is hardly to have that effect

reality is more expensive systems, done right, money well spent, will sound better than more modest ones ... no doubt about it, better is better...

... but the dimensions of ’betterness’ comes are many -- fill a big room? image like a real performance? produce natural timbers of real instruments and voices? resolve microdynamics to the n-th degree? sound pure and full at low volumes?

it is all in the relative prioritization - hard to have it all in an affordable system for the ’average hifi nerd’ wanting real good sound

to me it is what this board is all about -- learning about yourself, your tastes, your priorities, learning about equipment, its advances, SQ available at various price points, how different pieces dance well together and what doesn’t -- then you find your ideal spot on the value curve and build your system
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
13,736 posts
 
... but the dimensions of ’betterness’ comes are many -- fill a big room? image like a real performance? produce natural timbers of real instruments and voices? resolve microdynamics to the n-th degree? sound pure and full at low volumes?
my 500 dollars used audio system with well chosen branded known quality name give me that to a relatively high degree, the days i have finish to embed it rightfully....

BUT a costly system will beat it, if it is also rightfully embedded, no doubt but to what degree? Not world apart sorry.... It comes a time where music is there....Better yes, world apart no....

It is here that diminushing returns money reality enter the stage...

All my rant was about how to embed a system, before upgrading anything if it is not necessary..... Embedding is the way to audiophile experience NOT upgrading, and this is valid for ANY systeM at any price....


lukiluki
3 posts
 
Hello , im new in this forum. I need your help guys. Few days ago i bought swedish speakers. I cant find any information about this model. This is link to post from 2012 but its not many information there.  https://www.carlssonplanet.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5479

Maybe somenoe know something abot this speakers. I need some specification and maybe price. 
Thanks for your help
More to discover