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

 

jackhifiguy

I would suggest cleaning up your desk, getting speaker stands, an acoustic pad for your speakers, and getting rid of all the stuff on your ceiling. 

 

You go again but this time i will smile... 😊

getting speaker stands, an acoustic pad for your speakers,

My speakers are modified by the way by heavy concrete  load yes but also by some Helmholtz devices attached to them and on top of them (psycho-acoustic method here)...This is not visible on this old pictures...I i will not put images for two reasong: no one need to do that and i dont want some people  to mock me. i am a bit to reactive to need that...

By the way they are on mutiple materials decoupling platform and under isolating springs tuned compression in two way with two different compressive forces applied with a second set of springs on top of them and under a different compressive load because being on top the weight of the speakers is applied with the load only on the first springs set... They do marvel for decreasing resonance impact... cost: peanuts...Springs are tuned under 100 grams of load by ears...The total concrete load is around 80 poounds +speakers weight ...

Then you did not have ever see my room and speakers...

I dont suggest to people to transform their living room in a "mad lair scientist" audio room i suggest common sense experiments in mechanical electrical, and acoustical control...

I would suggest cleaning up your desk,

and getting rid of all the stuff on your ceiling.

Respect me and keep your simplistic advices... I will respect you also...

Respect is a TWO WAY road...

 

People are used to throw their money...The reason is precisely it is simpler to throw money than thinking...

Not only most room are an acoustic  INVISIBLE mess and they dont even know but the world is a  visible mess right now and they dont figure it out either...

They dont read acoustic articles for example... True research articles not publicity ... They dont experiment and they dont inform themselves most of the times...And they judged my old audio room... 😁😊

All of what i experimented with is ALREADY KNOWN...But they cannot figure it out...

There is no need for a layman like me to wrote a book about acoustic...

But i can give some truth advices here where all people think that the onlty way to reach high end sound is 500,000 systems...

Mine is 500 bucks sorry...And i had a sound quality not SO far off that people may think from a 500,000 bucks system... Thats is my truth...

Too complicated for here. Book forthcoming….

 

 

@mahgister that is true the info is all out there for the taking.

But the op is asking us as individuals how we do it. That book about me is not out there. It would be a bestseller, believe me! 😉

You should write a book too. Maybe get some independent sources to review. Never hurts!