Stereophile Article - Holt telling it like it is.

The man is absolutely right, but audiophiles are elsewhere, out on a limb.

Since the only measure of sound quality is that the listener likes it, that has pretty well put an end to audio advancement, because different people rarely agree about sound quality. Abandoning the acoustical-instrument standard, and the mindless acceptance of voodoo science, were not parts of my original vision.

What a wise words! Sadly audio is one scientific application where the scientific method has lost the battle in the hands of ignorance and charlatanry.

Cheers,

Amem, Jaybo. The carrot is too far away now to entice us as it once did. In the early 80s I had modified Hafler DH 200 amps which set me back some $400 plus each. Naturally I dreamed of the several thousand dollar Levinson or Threshhold or Rowland amps and could imagine somehow owning them. Today's youngster is using an Ipod and keeping a vast store of music on his (or her)computer, never even thinking about multi-thousand dollar component audio systems. The cost of assembling something better than their computer and Ipod is well beyond imagining, especially since they are living in a bedroom in their parents' house.
We have ever more manufacturers vying for a piece of an ever diminishing pie. It's sort of a metaphor for our world of depleting assets and burgeoning population. Everything has a breaking point.

My solution to the spiraling cost of high-end gear and the hijacking of our hobby by the lunatics and nouveau riche is to rediscover the joys of playing the sax. There is simply no comparison between the timbre and freshness of my alto with its reproduction on my audio system. Afer listening to music for an hour or so on the stereo, I simply cannot wait to get down to the basement to play some more.

And the more time I put into my playing, the less time I feel like sitting in front of my stereo. Does this mean that I have lost touch with the neurosis that makes so many audiophiles easy marks for manufacturers and reviewers? I hope so.

Randy

I am curious does anyone know what gear Gordon Holt owns and currently uses at home? I know what speakers he uses already but I lost track of the other pieces after he left Stereophile. Given his strong opinions and vast experience and the fact that he has no affiliation anymore it might be interesting to compile a list of what does he use himself (rather than slam the baby boomer generation...)?

Or does nobody care...is Gordon completely irrelevant in todays audiophile world of "lush" and "sugar-coated" sound.