Many reviewers will lead you down the wrong path.


A lot of reviewers will tell you that they listen for something specific on certain records to see if things are correctly setup. Either they don't know what they are talking about, or it is very misleading. This is how you tweak a system. One: use the objective parameters, i.e., tonearm should be level with record being played; speakers should be so many feet from the back and/or side wall, anti-skate dial should match tracking force dial, etc. Two: slightly tweak things one way or another, until you hear what does what. When they tell you that from memory, they think such-and-such, ask their age. I would discount anything they say if they are over 50(I'm 55). When you find out what does what, you will know what to do. If the final answer doesn't have the treble that you've heard before, or has sibilance, or not enough bass, too bad. You do not use things to dial in things that you know exist. Your job is to find out what is best for what you are dealing with. Ignore all the other stuff. You'll be glad that you heard this from me. Go on to other parameters, but do not try to dial in one thing from one tweak. That is not how it is done. You listen until you hear what one thing does and put that right.
mmakshak
Mmakshak, If the part of my post you need to study relates to set up and use of out of phase information, a subject rarely discussed in this forum, I'll be happy to explain my procedure. Or, whatever....I didn't mean my post to be ambiguous. :-)
Mmakshak.
Actually this wasn't my thinking, this has been my experience of innumerable amplifiers over a period of 30 years. The specs of for example the NuForce IA-7 are good but not stellar. I might be tempted to audition it if I were in the market for an amplifier of that power rating at that price level. If it really provides a better result than its peers, then that would show up from the audition.
No recommendation, review or brochure is going to change anything. Previous generations of this type of amplifier certainly have not lived up to their hype.
many opinions may mislead, unintentionally, whether from reviewers or serious audio hobbyists.
Age isn't that relevant to ability to hear (maybe 70, not 50), nor is a bit of upper frequency loss. I know people who have some high frequency rolloff, and I do as well, and they hear quite well. I know that I can better evaluate and hear nuances now, at 40+, than I could at 21.

Much of this has to do with the hours of 'training' my ears received. As older, wiser, I can quickly pick out characteristics of a component that didn't gel in my 25 year old brain.

Reviewers are / write good and bad, and everything in between. And some of them hear a lot better than others, just like people do on this site. Your truth may not be my truth, because our minds and personas decode our experiences differently. I suggest reading many different reviewers' opinions, and then listening to the products yourself. In the end, it is your opinion that matters the most, as whatever sound makes you happy is what you should buy.
Post removed