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
@twoleftears , the Adante is "flawed"? I guess that’s why it won EISA’s product of the year award over speakers that cost magnitudes more. All the guys at EISA must be stupid too. Have you actually heard it with competent gear in a decent room dude? Or are you another one of the prophesizing yappers on this forum who never heard it? ."it may sound like"..."it should sound like...".... yappers and their prophesies!

The Adantes were selling like hot cakes all over Asia (more intelligent customers there, i suppose). The reason it was stalling a bit in the US was because Elac entered the US market at a entry level price (the Debuts for a coupla hundred bucks). Nobody had ever heard of Elac before over here. When the price got higher, dudes were stalling thinking it’s a entry level speaker brand. Make Revel release a speaker for 200 bucks. Examine how many 20k speakers they sell after that.....It has a lot do with posturing.....Either way, the only reason it was discontinued was because Elac Germany didn’t want A. Jones’s concentric driver designs taking over their ’higher end’ offerings (a.k.a steal their thunder). They had many of their pricier offerings with the JET tweeters to sell. They also forced him to do something with a JET tweeter (Carina? whatever). Goofy move.

Another unique coupled cavity design like the Adante will come back from Andrew at some point in the future (If Elac Germany isn't too butthurt about losing their thunder), priced at 30k & above. Watch the audiophools unload their wallet when that happens. Audiophools will only get down on their knees and bow down in respect when they see a high price tag. Observe these audiophools bow down in respect to an absolute piece of crap speaker because they saw a high price tag somewhere. It happens everyday....So, a charity price release often gets no respect no matter how good it is (from clowns who’ve never even heard it in the first place).... Andrew should stop doing charity and set the price at 30k and above. Why stop at 30k... make it 60k or 80k....the audiophool clown car will bow down for longer...it will be a lovely sight.
"Either way, the only reason it was discontinued was because Elac Germany didn’t want A. Jones’s concentric driver designs taking over their ’higher end’ offerings (a.k.a steal their thunder). They had many of their pricier offerings with the JET tweeters to sell. They also forced him to do something with a JET tweeter (Carina? whatever). Goofy move."

That is quite some insider's knowledge of ELAC's business practices. Member of the board of directors? Chief Operating Officer?


"Audiophools will only get down on their knees and bow down in respect when they see a high price tag."


Straight from the person who is using really expensive amplifier to run the best speakers on Earth and has bought some of the most-respected, and far from the most affordable, speakers in the past. What do they call such people? Converts? You know, those who discover the opposite of what they used to be and then strongly argue their cause against all the other sinful souls.
In case ELAC's website does not come back soon, check out Canton's Reference K series for more of a coolness factor to spill here.
I want my systems to sound as close to real music in real space as possible. This can be done fairly affordably if one DIY and knows what they are doing for checkbook types I sadly feel they may never get such performance no matter what they spend. This hobby is more about knowledge and less about spending. The more you know the better the end result.