10 Characteristics of a Great Audiophile Playback System

[@chacha4119]

I look forward to my listening everyday. I'm a night shift worker so I'm blessed to have my music time daily. I'm blown away each time by dynamics, tight punchy bass,and hearing things in the music like its Always the first time. Many thanks for your video.

[@beece16]

Kidding aside as a life long audiophile these are some good and important lessons.

[@danab7472]

I use outside opinions whenever I can. Most especially my wife. I bought a new amplifier and even though she claims she can’t tell the difference, I note she’s singing along, bopping her head, and dancing more than usual. That amp’s a keeper!

[@roadfordays]

My non-audiophile wife is a good metric for me, too. When I've made a change and haven't mentioned it, but the next time we sit and listen to something she says "dang, this is sounding amazing," I know real improvements are being made. The new amp might be a keeper, but my wife is, too 😃

[@CJ-vh2hf]

Great content Gene ! Man, I could go on for days, but this was an awesome video. I don’t know where to start, but I’ll start by saying the critical listening. Part is so crucial I used to be just a collector and took a little time to actually make time for thorough listening! I used to live in Tampa. You guys have helped me before the name escapes me of a gentleman that helped me, but the equipment matching the use of a subwoofer, preferably plural and just getting your system dialed in with your room! I’m gonna go back and watch this a few more times because every point you made was so important and to this community I think this is the kind of content we need without the snobbery just direct accurate information so people can enjoy their music and movies!!

[@nathanrieben2925]

Hi Gene, this is a great list. Thanks for putting this together.

[@connorduke4619]

Excellent list of sonic qualities. One reason I like the combination of my Dynaudio speaker's tweeter and Marantz PM-11S2 amp is that every track sounds great, no recording is intolerable yet I still hear incredible detail on every track. There are only level of greatness.

[@JonathanDFielding]

I really agree with the idea that fantastic speakers will reveal the true quality of your source music. It wasn't until I got my RBH SVTR towers, and bi-amped them with a homemade DSP and 4ch Pascal amplifier, that I really started to notice the emptiness or compression or just general lacking of the typical pop music that I listen to. That pop music never sounded better but it also reveals the space in between the layering and the compression and more. Everything became so utterly transparent. Also, those speakers really reveal subtleties in the music.

[@marcdargent4290]

Gene you can’t be MORE right with your analogy!!! The system must be first musical and fun to listen too

[@magnaman94]

Another to add to the list. It's so easy to turn the stereo on than it is to turn off. Great video. Checks a bunch of boxes for me.

[@giangvu7902]

Forgetting time when you listen to music say it all!

[@milosdunjic8718]

Exactly ... my SVS powered subwoofer still helps big time to my Neat Acoustics Motive 1, bi-amped with Purify Eigentakt (mids and highs) and Hypex nCore (bass) with power to spare ... great advise Gene

[@joker927]

Nice video. In my experience the best is when the volume can get so loud you can't even hear your self talk yet its not shrill, it doesn't hurt your ears, it's just naturally loud like you "are there".

[@johnd7268]

I wasn’t able to check off everything on your list until I purchased the Cabasse Murano Altos! Amazing speakers and are on another level!

[@jeffwalther]

I had a 20 year old Pioneer AVR that started having problems so I replaced it with a PS Audio Sprout100 and my old 1980's Polk SDA CRS speakers. I am amazed at how well everything sounds now. I don't need to upgrade to a new AVR anytime soon.

[@randyc2316]

I have always said speakers should seem to disappear, too. Listening in 2 channel I've also noticed it sounds like my center channel is playing but it isn't. Listening to your top 10 list I'm amazed that I can check all the boxes.

[@randyc2316]

Gene, something else I have found is listening to music using 3D Auro the sound is smooth, effortless and engulfing. I listen for hours and never get fatigued. I have to make myself quit. 😂 Everything is set so no one channel overshadows any other. They compliment each other but you can definitely tell if one is missing. If you are on the East Coast and have a free half hour, hit me up.

[@Mignificence]

Hello Gene, This was an enjoyable video and so very on point - especially when you mentioned how one can pick up things which aren’t as audible in the car or on portable systems with greater clarity. I’m glad to discover the hidden accents and subtleties in my favorites but there have been times when I was not prepared for the reality that some of them were so poorly produced. Still, it is awesome to sit and lose track of time while being immersed in sound.

[@dl6kq]

Nice summary! I guess I'm also lucky enough to have an audiophile sound system.

[@SuperStanley1984]

I like the i live for the weekends, the thing i miss the most when traveking is listened every night to my system!!!

[@EnricoAnsaloni]

Hi perfect list I agree 100%. My favourite item is the detail I only hear on good systems, it's amazing how much information is in a good recording and how much it adds to the listening experience. My system is not expensive but I am glad to say that it meets almost all the points in your list, except the high volume, but that's more to do with my room and the lack of acoustic treatment. However I cannot listen at high volume because I live in a small apartment and that would piss off my neighbors in the adjacent apartments. Thankfully my system is excellent from very low to medium volume so I'm happy with that

[@VonMagXL]

If you want to hear what's in the recording instead of your own room,there's different requirements. I have both with Carver Dipole Ribbons upstairs with optional Klipsch side and rear surrounds driven by Lexicon DC-1 and a fully analog Carver C5 with 350x2 per speaker active crossovers) with a RT60 of 350ms and 25.1 (11.1.10.4) PSB downstairs in the home theater with a RT60 of 180-200ms. The key is acoustic room control. As Dr. Toole indicates, you can accomplish this with ordinary items instead of hideous panels bolted to the walls. I used heavy draping in the home theater on three walls to both darken the room 24/7 and dampen the acoustics (back wall, front wall behind the speakers and the left side wall. Beside the drapes in the front are filled bookshelves. Across from the left drapes is a fireplace brick mantle. First side wall reflections are dampened with Thomas Kincade tapestries (completely wiped put a slap echo issue). There's also heavy carpeting/mat throughout and 6 recliner type chairs absorbing sound. The difference was so dramatic that I no longer need as much bass correction as before. The Lexicon MC-1 plugged into my 7.1 inputs on my Atmos processor has no correction and actually sounds great with George Michael's Cowboys & Angels song, which I like to use to judge mid-bass because of the varied yet prominent acoustic bass in the song. Before upgrades, the song absolutely needed Audyssey correction to make the bass even. It's now surprisingly even without it at the MLP. It still needs it at lower frequencies, but they're less musical and more sound effects. I plan to move to Mini-DSP for the subs, which will allow me to move to three subs plus a chair shaker channel from only two. The reason for the MC-1 is mostly Logic 7, which I feel is still the best sounding music upmixer for stereo ever made. I like it so much that I have it in three rooms in the house (made affordable by eBay and age) including my exercise room. It gets stretched to 11.1.2 with a dialog lift mixer and Scatmos SS#2 and Front Wides. It's fantastic with stereo music I never knew could sound that good in upmixed surround (I never cared for PLIIx for surround upmixing. Logic 7 is at a different level of performance. Auromatic, DSU and Neural X aren't as good either, although at least Auromatic doesn't butcher the sound stage. If you want to hear the original sound stage in the recording, you do not want a high RT60 number. You want to dampen out most of your own room reflections and replace them with simulated playback of the recording through more surround speakers. Auro-3D native music and even Dolby Atmos can then recreate the room by playing the room reflections from the actual room it was recorded in and send it from the correct directions. I have some Auro-3D music recordings that play back like holograms. You'd swear you were in a church, for example. But even Logic 7 benefits from hearing what its putting out rather than bouncing sound around your less than ideal room shape compared to a symphony hall or whatever. You must have sufficient speaker coverage, however. My room is 12.5'x24'x8.5' and 19 speakers just about does it for regular Atmos (11.1.8 with Heights+Tops). I've got optional Surround Heights and 4 ambience floor speakers (taken from uncorrelated sounds between front and side surrounds on the Front Wide Scatmos PLII extractor AVRs). That gives a dome from floor to ceiling full 360. All speakers are no more than 50 degrees azimuth from each adjacent pair (per Trinnov guidelines). There's 3 rows of seats. I think it sounds mind blowing at times. Phantom images move through the center of the room and pass through you like ghosts on certain demos and music in Atmos. It's uncanny. All speakers are PSB rated +/- 1.5dB in their on-axis range. Upstairs, the Carver Ribbons take the opposite approach by bringing the performers into the room instead with their dipole nature. I kept the room controlled, but more lively, particularly on the front wall (sides still absorbed at first reflection point). The acoustics are pretty spectacular for this as despite a RT60 of 350, the the bass down to 26Hz with the two Carver 10" subs are +/- 2.5dB to 250Hz with no room correction (fully analog playback with a turntable). With your eyes shut, you'd swear Tori Amos was singing in the room (I've heard her sing live from a similar distance multiple times for real). Both approaches have merit, but not having the room destroy your sound is paramount. No room correction I've heard can replace some well placed absorption. I only correct to 300Hz in the home theater anyway (Schroeder).

[@mrboat580]

Excellent topic and video. It helps confirm I did a decent job assembling my system. Also, these topics tend to trigger me into wanting to listen to music when I watch/read them. Right now I think Jazzmasters greatest hits CD would be good. I listen every day. Not always critically, though. Although, my bedroom system is also good enough that I end up listening that way, anyway, because it begs to be. I find that these days, most speakers of any reputation at all, pretty much have an inescapable image, even in the immediate near field, thanks greatly to the computer age, I figure. I am thankful at any rate, because even a lot of the budget products are contenders now. As much as I love my subs, I still enjoy being surprised by a good full range design. I have some hefty 12" JBL 3-ways that really hit some sweet bass notes. Especially when all you really need to hear is the double bass, electric bass guitars and such, not to mention the life-sized,, mid bass punch that a lot of those types have on board.

[@andrewcruga1205]

Gene, as others have said in this thread, excellent video. I entered the realm of high end audio (although my system is in its infancy stage) about 8 months ago and it's one of the craziest rabbit holes I've ever gone down. There are SOOOO many choices in every category of equipment that it's making this journey very challenging. There are very few audio stores in my area and the ones that are here always seem to not have something that I'd like to listen to based on watching videos, or reading about them, or hearing about them from friends. But getting back to basics. I'm confined to a basement (that is finished other than the ceiling) where there's a wall dividing the basement lengthwise. Meaning I have an area that's just shy of 13ft wide by 38 ft long. Recently I partitioned the area so my "room" now is 13x22. How do I figure out how much and what kind/shape of acoustic treatment will work best for my environment? How do I know if a speaker is "too big" for my room? I don't have anyone to turn to for any answers so I feel a bit helpless. Can you please direct me to someone who can help me figure these kinds of things out? Thank you very much.

[@davidt8438]

Excellent list Gene I check off about 7 so I feel real good about that. I need to experiment with some different genres of music to hopefully check off the final three. Thanks

[@m4nc1n1]

Many times, I get up to make sure my center is not on, lol. It's pretty wild how convincing it can be.

[@russellparker4568]

I think if your vocals are always dead centre the setup can be further improved. That would suggest an issue with the dispersion of the soundstage. I think setting up a pair of speakers with a true centre image test track is the way forward, I wouldn’t rely on regular music to set up a phantom centre image.

[@Audioholics]

Nobody ever said to rely solely on music to define a center image. I do very precise in-room measurements at MLP to time align my speakers and match frequency response. Once you get this dialed in, most music will produce a phantom center between the speakers and it's simply magical.

[@russellparker4568]

@ I never suggested that anyone did say that. If you care to read the comment again I was just saying that I would never rely on music to set up a phantom centre or soundstage distribution for that matter. When you time align speakers, does that result in accurate placement of the stereo image or is it just to match output levels and frequency response?

[@davidbecker2107]

Was turned on to high end audio ever since a friend of mine handed down to me his Hafler 500 stereo amp. Paired that up with a Bryston BP20 pre and B&W Matrix 803's...the rest is history, as they say. We have been lucky all that time till now (and future!) to be blessed with quality musicians still putting out great music! Now have three systems in place: an "ethereal " system in the dining room, a pleasing system in the Bar/mancave, and a critical listening system in the living room. All are stereo...b/m has additional sub. Wife works on Sundays, so the living room is mine then!! Was fascinated and agreed on every one of your ten points (and enjoy them)! No, I do not switch out componets often. Most recent acquisition was a Cary DMS 500 for the dining room. No streamer in the living room (CD's and a Sony Z1), but some day... Sorry, all of my records are in storage...only played them once (a while back) to copy them to tape (Maxell Metal). Was young then and did not own a house. Car was primary listening "area" though did enjoy acquiring high end after market systems to install into... Sunday would always have music time in the afternoon/evening and when children were growing up they would sit and listen as well. Never had to turn the music "down" during party's even when approaching late night (1 am...) as the children would just sleep on the sofa right through it! I feel that people are missing out on the joys of music and listening on a system that would allow one to appreciate it more fully. Music is a universal language. (Thanks for listening (reading).)

[@mrcarpentersc]

I find much of my enjoyment comes from swapping around equipment. Always looking for that synergy between components. My listening area although being a dedicated music room has some issues because of the "L" shape of the room and it produces wicked bass nodes. I'm constantly swapping things around and testing and treating. Someday I hope to find the sound I'm looking for.

[@davidbecker2107]

@@mrcarpentersc I do share your enthusiasm for trying various sources...mine is probably tempered by having a few systems to choose from. So long as we both are happy.

[@lgmediapcsalon9440]

Welp, I guess I'm an audiophile. Buying the right gear and setting it up right with the room will do that to ya. Zero complaints!

[@jamesvozar1]

Loved this Gene

[@markwilson0077]

Gene, Nailed it! The Godfather of audio has spoken🙌🏻. Perhaps speak on Audiophile addiction, how to curb / direct the enthusiasm - Real upgrade vs. just a sidestep to an equally performing device or component. Ps. Amplifier power...Massive importance to performance - impossible to have effortless dynamics without adequate and often vastly 'overpowered' Amplifier power.

[@beece16]

I know you were going for the wicked witch but the screenshot makes you look like the Grinch Pimp. Awesome!!

[@steveluth3139]

Me and the misses can sit and listen to music for hours, Friday night is usually just listening to songs we both suggest.

[@constantinoskatodrytis542]

would you agree that for stereo listening treating the first reflections on the side walls can reduce the level of envelopment , width of the soundstage and overall immersion?

[@Audioholics]

It really depends on the behavior of the speakers and how much treatment you're using. I see a lot of dedicated spaces that overtreat and do what you say. It's why I target a specific RT60 Decay time range of 300-700msec depending on room size and purpose of the system.

[@constantinoskatodrytis542]

@ you can treat ceiling and back wall to control rt60 but speakers with good off axis perf might benefit from side wall reflections I read. People in the audio realm often tell you to always absorb first reflections. It is a really confusing subject and more clarity is needed. We need to have live debates on these controversial audio subjects

[@Mike-jm5wt]

I was just thinking about this less than two days ago, i.e. what the characteristics of a good audio system are. I feel I have everything on your list except my bass is intentionally dialed down a bit for personal preference. One quality I especially notice is the sensation that sounds are coming from all over the room, sometimes I feel as if I am hearing sounds coming from well above the speakers. Another is the ability to keep increasing the volume without it becoming loud or painful, bad systems make your ears bleed at a fraction of the volume of a good system.

[@gabemartinez1012]

I agree to all points, specially when you loose track of time. I love when I found new tracks with good sound. Different topic but I cant stand to watch a movie or listen to music on the tv speakers, cant count how many times my wife wants to watch an action movies like that.

[@sPi711]

One lesson I've learned for enabling speakers to disappear is to make sure to stay away from the speakers maximum sound pressure level. It's great to have speakers that can handle high SPL, but they'll always sound better, and call zero attention to themselves, at moderate to lower levels. It's like having a Porsche or some other high-end car. It's capable of going 200 mph, but it idles at 80 and it's so smooth it doesn't even feel like you're moving.

[@bbfoto7248]

This is usually due to a combination of distortion and dynamic compression that many speakers will exhibit at/near their SPL limits. It can also be due to items and objects in your listening room that will begin to buzz/rattle/resonate from the high SPL even if you can't specifically notice them. They can & will mask the imaging cues that our ears & brain need to recreate the soundstage.

[@Audioholics]

Yes, wide dynamic range is critical even at normal listening levels.

[@sPi711]

@@Audioholics The best speakers I ever owned, the equivalent of which I can no longer afford had fantastic dynamic range even at lowest listening levels. They did not need to be turned up before they came alive. Full dynamic range that I can enjoy late at night without disturbing anyone. That's my test for a good system.

[@bbfoto7248]

@sPi711 What is your budget limit to spend on a pair of "End Game" loudspeakers that are, for all intents and purposes, unlimited in SPL & Dynamic Range for either low or high volume listening in all but the very largest of rooms? While I am not suggesting that $4k-$5k USD is affordable for everyone, IF you are willing to go the DIY route, this budget range will allow you to obtain a truly End Game loudspeaker setup, and this actually includes a high-end multi-channel DSP and perfectly matched amplification as well! All you need to add is the analog or digital source player of your choice.

[@JR-ho5qm]

Good video!

[@Nonamehere1]

101% agree!

[@Dan-n9k4w]

Gene, I have a pretty large room with Revel Studios and an SVS sb300 sub. I increased the volume from my older, smaller room, and I also turned up the low pass filter to about 62. But now I'm worried that setting the low pass that high and the volume to about -14db that it might not be as crisp. what do you suggest for a volume /LPF trade off?

[@Chrisspru]

i run a "wall of speakers", but its sounstage tuned: wides, main stereo pair, center, two tiny stereo tweeters, stereo sub the soundstage is basicly a virtual box one foot wider in all directions then my room, behind the speakers and going way past the actual wall. the sounstage also extends 3 feet infront of the stereo speakers. with the common singer voice being at realistic mouth height, at a realistic head size, most often in the middle of the sounstage, a foot behind the speakers. the stereo mains can do that job alone, as can the center+ wides combo. but together they build on each other, with the tweeters and sub adding air and foundation.

[@x-techgaming]

The most hilarious question I get from people about hifi speakers/headphones is, "What do you use them for..?". That's like asking, "What do you use ears for..?". 🤦🏼‍♂️

[@amazoidal]

I agree with Eric Alexander at Tekton. You need large speakers for concert levels. There is no replacement for displacement.😅

[@davidstevens7809]

Its also a reliability issue..if you have more voice coils and motors you have more power handling and heat wicking..so the drivers move less and dont get hot..

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Next, do 10 ways to know when your home needs to be decluttered.

[@Thatrandomwhiteguy]

😂😂 i feel your talking to me 😂😂

[@coprolite_steve]

The clutter is just strategic room treatment in our house.

[@TexSupport]

Or y'all could just mind your manners and appreciate Gene's efforts to aid the community.

[@QuintEssential-sz2wn]

About Bass… I think it’s fairly common in the audiophile journey to discover what “ good bass” sounds like, by which we typically mean, tight, tonally nuanced bass, rather than the “ one note bass” we may have been used to on crappy systems. And then part of the audiophile obsession becomes avoiding “ one note bass at all costs.” So you want those speakers to totally disappear in the base and you want that base to be tighter… tighter… tighter. And often this can lead to buying speakers whose cabinets have been heroically manufactured to reduce every possible bit of vibration… all that type of stuff. But what I found over the years is that this can sometimes result in what I call “ audiophile bass.” In other words , on some speakers or in some systems, the base can become controlled to a fault. So buttoned down it loses the boogie factor. Audiophile bass is when bass instruments appear holography positioned in the soundstage, for instance, the bass guitar or bass synth may sit well back in the soundstage behind the singer, and you’re hearing every articulated note, but the bass is sort of “ staying back there in the soundstage” and not really reaching out and energizing the room like a real instrument can. Even though I’m not a bass junkie nor do I play music super loud , I’ve come to prefer that the system Give me some feeling for the bass. Several years ago I thought I’d finally get around to adding a pair of subwoofers to my Thiel floor standing speakers. I had 2 JL Audio subs, they are expensive crossover, room correction to flatten the bass response, and yes, everything sounded more linear and controlled. But I also ended up with “ audiophile bass” which actually felt less engaging and punchy than the speakers alone in the room. And I sold all the associated subwoofer equipment and never looked back. Likewise, when I was looking for different speakers I’d listen to speakers like Magico, etc And I just didn’t have that reach out and feel it bass, and lost the boogie factor. So one of the reasons I selected my current speakers that replaced the Thiels is that they had bass that reached out into the room and that I could feel - I feel with the drummer doing it with the bass is doing and so it really connects me with the music.

[@jeroenvanwesemael8556]

If you ever get the chance, listen to a system that is dialed in by dirac live bass control. I think it marries the 2 scenarios. The bass is tight, controlled and in your example it really come from for instance the bass guitar, but its als fully in the room like a blanket or a fundament to the music. Since I use bass control I never looked back. And like Gene says, I amazed at how the system sounds every time I listen to it...

[@QuintEssential-sz2wn]

@ Oh, I’m definitely familiar with being constantly amazed by one’s system!

[@roadfordays]

+1 on horns as a canary in the coal mine for a system that doesn't have enough headroom for some reason (amp, speakers, etc).

[@albertelazar4069]

Hey Gene, I noticed that you dont have a center channel in your theater room, did you just decide to go without one, and just use the pantom center imaging from your two large fronts for movie watching?

[@Audioholics]

@@albertelazar4069 the matching center channel is behind my acoustically transparent screen.

[@matthewbarrow3727]

Try it out for yourself. I watch movies on a 120 inch projection screen and the dialog seemed to come from below the screen with a center channel. I have very large speakers and the phantom center channel made the dialog come from the center of the screen. It will also depend on your system. For some systems, the vocals can have spatial volume and be very clear with the phantom center channel. On others, the vocals will not sound clear enough, where you end up turning the volume up really loud to hear the dialog.

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

My favorite is the excitement to just keep on listening. Pulled right into the joyful time dilation. Checkout a song called “Tel Aviv” by skeler ;) I imagine it would be a good automatic playlist seed.

[@markfischer3626]

Would you be interested in hearing an entirely different type of sound system based on my Patent 4,332,979? I'm in the NYC metro area about one mile from Manhattan.

[@jozefserf2024]

No mention of timbre and tone? Without good tone nothing else matters.

[@milosdunjic8718]

Any ultra linear and ultra high SINAD power amp will deliver that

[@martinolson761]

Thanks Gene. Your Theater room is amazing! Love all these thoughts. I've worked hard to put together a nice audiophile system in my odd living room (ie left front is in a corner and right front is in open space) it's now a 5.2 system with the addition of a pair of REL T/9x subs. I'm still dialing it in and wondering if it's correct. Need to hire you to come by and give feedback...lol. Thank You.

[@jeroenvanwesemael8556]

I'm in a similar boat and dirac live helped me enormously! First used the standard version for a couple of years, which was great. But I did not know what good bass was until I upgraded to bass control. Which integrated my subs completely and gave me the bass gene talks about. I can't describe how good that sounds. Bass notes can be fully appreciated and the bass sits as a fundament under the music filling the room... just wow

[@martinolson761]

@@jeroenvanwesemael8556 Not familiar with dirac live... guess I can google it...Thanks!

[@lynnwilliams3118]

What brand of speakers in your theatre system?

[@Audioholics]

www.rbhsound.com/

[@jedi-mic]

I don't think there's anything I can disagree with there!😂

[@Thatrandomwhiteguy]

I definitely feel the pain of some music recordings sounding like complete trash😢

[@TonyMartello]

Paused at 4.12. Hey Gene, I have heard room treatment experts suggest the enemy of a 'real' sound is too much absorption and symmetry. They suggest to alternate the absorption and deflectors to better match a natural sound. From the human ear to the brain there is a chaotic style of presentation 99% of the time. If you listen to anything is an overly 'unnatural' sounding room your brain will not process the sound as natural.

[@bbfoto7248]

True. The amount, type, and placement of acoustic treatment that is used should be specific to the speakers you are using, their placement, the acoustic properties of the room itself, and your listening position. There really is no "one size fits all" when it comes to proper acoustic treatment solutions for any given room + loudspeaker combination.

[@Audioholics]

You don't want to overtreat a room especially with thin absorption which kills HF. If you walk in a room and it sounds unnatural to carry a conversation, it's probably over treated.

[@Tearial311]

Once they mix Atmos properly, why is the song is so much fuller than just 2 channel? And not becuse it’s all the speakers, I’m talking about more bass, more detail, louder etc…

[@casperjensen1769]

So Gerne is Madam Mim

[@garyharper2943]

What’s nice about a less expensive system, you can really enjoy it without knowing what you’re missing. Ignorance is bliss.

[@magnaman94]

@garyharper2943 it's all about speaker placement.

[@willwill5595]

welp, actually - it is all about doing everything possible to achieve maximum vibration reduction in every electronic and speaker component / hint/ remove electronic devices from all metal boxes, place on wood . night /day difference in sound. read everything on vibration reduction

[@gaurd3]

Phantom center channel

[@paulc7190]

Many say their system sounds like a live performance . What live performance are they referring to - stadium concerts, jazz bar, bar bands? Cos I've never been impressed with live performances .

[@Audioholics]

@@paulc7190 unamplified live performance or like a small jazz bar.

[@paulc7190]

@Audioholics ah, got it ... unamplified keyword for me

[@Alsinsin]

You give a great description of what a proper sound you should aim to achieve. I have reach that stage where I can just be in owe when I put anything on. Regarding car audio, the biggest issue is the noise floor, so systems start to sound good at a high volume.

[@HeavyMetalSonicRM]

Wicked is going to be a spectacular failure.

[@frederf69]

Bragging

[@Audioholics]

Yep, I'm proud of what I've accomplished with decades of knowledge and am happy to share it for free to anyone who listens.

[@davidbecker2107]

@@Audioholics ...and we do listen...

[@willwill5595]

But but but live music doesn't have a phantom center. Live music doesn't have anywhere near the dynamic range of electronically reproduced music.😊

[@Audioholics]

@@willwill5595 unamplified live music has extreme dynamic range.

[@gaurd3]

For car, DSP. I use Audison. No rear fill

[@bingdong8571]

already have too much invested in theater. 2 channel when im an old fart maybe

[@Audioholics]

Your theater room should also be awesome for 2CH, too.

[@VoltLover00]

There's no depth in any soundstage or any modern recording. There is no depth encoded in the recording. None. Whatever depth you're hearing is being conjured up in your mind.

[@bbfoto7248]

Not true. We can create depth in a multitrack mix by controlling/adjusting spectral balance (EQ), timing & phase, reverb/ambience, and relative levels. This is exactly why some recordings present a 3D soundstage and some do not...it IS IN the recording itself! Study how our auditory system works in regards to ILD, ITD, HRTF, and head shadowing.

[@lgmediapcsalon9440]

Of course there's depth in audio recordings! see above reply. I think you've never experienced it.

[@archivestereo]

Nice video. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3LWhK2ehr6DsMUsi=tCkgKqUf92AXboef

[@mauriziopaolini5367]

Very interesting topics, it would be great a future video about Auro 3D upmixer for two channel lossless streaming music.