First, I weight the potential new unit, like Upscale recommends, to make sure that I'm getting my money's worth. Then I pop the lid and carefully count the number of electronic components, and also gauge the amount of free space, to ensure bang for the buck. Obviously, the more packed the better. That's why a company like Denafrips score high on my rating scale.
How do you judge audio components and speakers?
I would say - listening to music you're familiar with, and comparing. We can talk about tight/bloomy bass, midrange clarity, treble extension and things of that nature. We can also be very specific with regards to how a particular track is supposed to sound; based on high-performance gear that we were able to experience - but only if it purports to be accurate without sonic colorations. Therefore, I guess you could say we have a reference point. This part is what I would consider "objective performance."
Along with this, measurements go hand-in-hand.
On the other side of the coin - subjective performance is how we "want our systems to sound." If the vocals are too bright or sharp, if snares or unpleasant sounding instrumentals ruin an otherwise good song, it's usually because the system is too accurate. So high-end audio is about chasing an ideal that doesn't exist in reality - but in the minds of audiophiles who are seeking a very particular kind of sonic presentation that bodes well with their music library as a whole....giving you just enough detail to keep you interested, while at the same time having a sense of realism, presence, and imaging that makes the speakers dissapear. We are seeking the illusion of a live performance.
The above are just my points. Feel free to share what you think. If you think I'm wrong, I don't mind.
Cheers.
Jack
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I agree, nothing better than a densely populated and very heavy component. I suspect a lot of other folks would agree as well. :-)
I also agree (because I'm so agreeable!) with artemus 5 - especially when it comes to tweaks - I find I often don't miss them at all, even though I thought I had something meaningful. |
@twoleftears ….Touché |
I typically start with weight. I have found a very close correlation between increased weight and higher sound quality. Then I generally look at cost. I find that the cost of heavy audio components correlate highly with the sound quality. After that, I just have to read reviews and listen to them to make sure they correspond to my personal taste… which has been honed by attending symphonic concerts monthly for the last ten years. |
To evaluate a system we need not only some well known recordings but a room adapted to the specific system we want to evaluate if not , how could you know the real potential of the system under evaluation in bad room conditions ? Not the reviewers perspective for sure, who change the gear he listen to every month and who will never bother himself to optimize the gear under evaluation in the best working condition....( it takes months of listening experiments to tune a room to a specfic system) Us customers we are conditioned in a Pavlovian way about gear upgrade and the attention focussing on gear brand name, with NO or VERY FEW BASIC knowledge in audio magazine about the way to optimize what we already own.... They sells gear, they dont inform about the essential... Who will pay their publicity if they will inform us that we can afford high-end sound experience at low cost modulo mechanical, electreical and especially acoustical information ?
---Diminishing returns or/and accelerating returns are subordinated to the OPTIMIZATION PROCESS... ---The optimization process is constituted by the three working dimensions controls : mechanical,electrical and acoustical ... ---The relation between the audio system and an acoustically controlled room reveal how bad system worsen way more and good one improve hugely more...
Evaluating by the weight and the number of internal pieces is nowadays meaningless...Minimal design can mean low noise and each addition of new processors in the design is a trade-off between the speficic associated noise which is introduced and the way it will affect, correct, or degrade the signal... Engineering is an ART based on science....Not on weight... My dac is minimal in parts and weight and stupendous in my acoustically controlled room ....And The Berning ZOTL amplifier for example weight very little... Sometimes less is way better....
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