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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?

-----

Can your Audio System be too Transparent?

Steve Guttenberg 19.08.20

https://youtu.be/6-V5Z6vHEbA

cd318
glupson
7,842 posts
 
"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?


glupson
7,842 posts
 
"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.
glupson
7,842 posts
 
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.
johnk's avatar
johnk
1,973 posts
 
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. 
cd318 OP
2,636 posts
 
@johnk ,

"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"

"This hobby is more about knowledge and less about spending. The more you know the better the end result."


Wise words. Care is needed in system building and price is very little guarantee of success as anyone who has attended a show will have discovered.

There's never been a better time to get into audio. Some much good gear at reasonable prices and so much real world information available. 

Hopefully with sites like this there will be no more need for anyone to blindly follow reviewers and throw their good money after bad.

I tried that and it didn't work. Not finding the sound I wanted led to far too many compromises which soon proved unsatisfactory.

As you say, knowledge is important. Perhaps knowledge of exactly what you're looking for and unwillingness to compromise on that is the most important.

Sometimes just learning about yourself can take years. 
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