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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?

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Can your Audio System be too Transparent?

Steve Guttenberg 19.08.20

https://youtu.be/6-V5Z6vHEbA

cd318
jjss49's avatar
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jjss49
6,612 posts
 
@lukiluki

you are new here

your question should be asked on a fresh thread, with the topic shown properly in the title -- see the button above called ’Start a New Discussion’.

putting it here in this discussion about something totally different is not the right place
douglas_schroeder
3,281 posts
 
Apologies given, apologies accepted. I get a bit gruff on the topic at times. That's usually an indicator for me to step away from the forum for  a while. 
mahgister's avatar
mahgister
12,961 posts
 
douglas_schroeder

You has always been a gentleman by the way..... My best to you...


plga
184 posts
 
I don’t have tons of experience, but I believe that a properly setted up and voiced system, with carefully selected gear (with great price to perfomance ratio and good synergy) can easily outperform another system costing many times more, but with all of those variables incorrect.

A very very good sounding system is very expensive as there are so many variables/parts to take care of (AC conditioning, source quality, amplification, speakers, subwoofers, acoustics, cabling, vibrations, etc). All of them are important and all of them are costly and time consuming. Not to mention the cost and time of the mistakes during the journey to this audio nirvana!
fleschler
1,935 posts
 
I agree that it is difficult to assemble a great sounding $5K system using new components, especially if analog is included.  HOWEVER, my second system which is CD player based is outstanding using used equipment which cost me about $6.5K ($2K GroverHuffman Pharoah cabling, $1K modified Dynaco ST70 with $150 SR blue fuse/, $1K custom pre-amp, $300 modified Pioneer DVD DV5, <$2K Legacy Signature IIIs).

Another great sounding system is a Yamaha CR620 receiver ($300), Legacy Focus speakers ($2.5K), EAR Acute CD player ($2K) and GroverHuffman cabling (Pharoah $1.5K speaker/power cable).  That's $6.3K, or substitute Legacy Signature IIIs (<$2K).  

I've heard $500K to $1.5m systems which all sound inferior to my main system with an estimated cost of $75K (although the custom room was twice that cost).
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