The Insane World of High End Audio! Is it All a Scam?

When I first started out in this hobby, I was sure all cables sounded alike and cable marketing was all a scam.  As my ears got better, I could hear the difference and realized it was important to me, so I bought into pricey cables.

And I have never heard two pairs of speakers sound the same -- there's always a difference.

My impression is that cheapaudioman 1) cannot tell the difference in sound at the high end which is convenient because 2) he doesn't have enough money.

He notes the diminishing returns with higher price.  At some price level, he can't tell the difference (or the difference is too small for him to care).  But there are others who hear the difference and do care about it.  When listeners can tell the difference between $60k speakers vs $10k and have the funds, the value proposition makes sense.  That's the market niche.

So with sour grapes, he labels the high end a scam.  May his ears never become educated to appreciate the finer differences in those diminishing returns.

It seems most people dont get my point about this video and "the dog who did not bark"......

For example the essential is not perceiving a difference in sound in "the same room", anybody can do this at least most...

Acoustics is the art of pairing a specific speakers to a specific room transformed and settle for this specific speakers... Doing that we must use listening skills in relation with specfic acoustics concepts and experiments

This is why gear price has nothing to do with acoustic optimization. And this is why audio is a deceptive hobby because of acoustics ignorance...

Instead of hating cheapaudioman and accusing him to be on the wrong end of the stick of capitalism it is better to think...

The gear price has no relation with the minimal acoustical satisfaction threshold. The gear price and design is linked only to our budget not to acoustics science...Once it is chosen we are free to optimize any gear system...

Any system at any price may sound relatively good when optimized in relation with his specific potential for sure..

My pleasure comes from acoustic balance and knowledge not for being on the upper end of the capitalist end of the stick...it is as pitiful as crying because we are on the lowest end of the capitalist stick...

Acoustics rules audio not money nor snobbery....

Buy more books than gear pieces...

For theoretical Acoustics i recommend  "sounds source" of Akpen J. Essien

For practical physical acoustics : Floyd Toole book...

For articles about theoretical acoustics and applied one,  Edgar Choueiri is the third genius...

I thought Randy's video was ridiculous and the comments worse. He's just playing to his crowd, stoking resentment, cynically trolling for clicks. If someone wants to buy a $60k or $600k set of speakers its their business, not mine or yours. And how the hell would he know what motivates a particular buyer of audio equipment? And why would anyone be bothered if someone wants to spend their money to get a 5% increase in performance? 

The many comments ridiculing those who choose to spend their money for higher end products reek of jealousy in the same way that those who ridicule buyers of inexpensive products reek of arrogance. I'll never own a million dollar system, but I don't resent the few who do. I also don't delude myself into thinking that I'm so smart that I've assembled a system for a fraction of the cost that is "just as good," because I know that will not be the case unless they have chosen very poorly.

We all have a budget that we are willing and able to spend on audio equipment. Its enough for me to take care of my budget-yours is none of my business. Its an absurd video.

This guy's a clown, just as most of the audio Youtubers are. His sheer silliness was obvious is less than 60 seconds.

WAF... the dog that does bark!

Acoustic treatments are avoided because of room aesthetics. A hard wood floor with no carpet is the worst offense IMO. People who paid for wood floor will NEVER put carpet on it. It will remain acoustically untreatable. Just horrible imo.

Windows are the next problem and have more solutions but the look of the window is far more important and most are very reluctant to cover it.

I've also found people don't like the look any acoustic panels or bass traps on their walls. Most people don't think it makes that much of a difference if any.

They get used to the room acoustic the way it looks best and that's the way it will stay.