Michael Fremer | Stereophile

[@cnccnc1738]

I have only cables. No amplifier, no turntables, no cds no nothing. Just cables. They're sound great. I can listen to them all day long.

[@cnccnc1738]

Analog Planet please do it first

[@cnccnc1738]

... schizophrenia or Self-Smothering.

[@alerey4363]

lol, when your cables cost $18000 they reach spontaneous-resonance level

[@leqin]

My cables are better than your cables. I don't even need to be in the same room as my cables to hear how much better they are. My cables haven't even got plugs on them to spoil the purity of their awesome sound - thats how superior my cables are - in fact my cables haven't even been unrolled off their real because doing that would make them sound awful.

[@alerey4363]

lol Nigel, in fact his cables came straighten from the factory in a long truck, that's how ridicilous are these snake oil buying "reviewers"

[@antoniobolgnameyerwe3844]

This guy is nuts. You don't have to spend $18,000 on cables. You can get equally good sound for $12,500. Easy.

[@Caifo]

antoniobolgnameyerwe LOL

[@Morgooooo]

:D :D

[@venturarodriguezvallejo9777]

Better for $17,999.99 (VAT and assurance included). 😁😁😁

[@jn3750]

His Wilson speakers cost more than my home!

[@venturarodriguezvallejo9777]

@@jn3750 Sure! I don't know if he pays with a mortgage on his own home or if he has received an enormous heritage from a parental. In the first case, most probably he'll be paying for the rest of his life, wich I desire long and happy.

[@JoaoLopes-1982]

The story of the stroke victim man that was aware that his collection was being sold for a $1 / record but could not speak left me heartbroken. Probably the biggest lesson I took from this tour... I shall teach my wife about all my precious items, even if she doesn't understand.

[@renatogonzalezmora4191]

Take care about your Blood pressure!!

[@VeI_2.0]

AWEUWWJWEEHAEH2HAAE

[@CockatooDude]

It pisses me off that he didn't tell the stroke victim's wife about the records' value, even after he had bought them. I think that's a shitty thing to do, especially when that stroke victim is right there, losing his mind but unable to say anything about it. His life's collection getting sold for nothing.

[@trackingangle929]

The sale was being run by an estate sale firm and to have done that would have created quite a scene so I bit my tongue

[@Waitaminutesilly]

Good heavens, I sincerely hope that you have an excellent water damage coverage by your insurance company.

[@analoguecity3454]

Hell yeah!

[@NathanComstockFuzzyWuzzy]

Came here to say the same. The messes that I have had to make in mechanical rooms, goodness. Hot water tanks can and do burst on occasion, terrifies me to think of the damage on that.

[@oschiri66]

Oh, he would just play his records wet. :)

[@Sams911]

yeah... Alan Parsons: “Audiophiles don’t use their equipment to listen to music. Audiophiles use your music to listen to their equipment”

[@user-kf7oz6nu4g]

Well well, and geeks don't use their gadgets to open files. but the files will open to admire your gadgets (equipment).

[@eddisc4205]

@Ephraim Winslow yeah no no yeah - you genners can't seem to decide what to say when you say nothing/something

[@pandstar]

As much as I respect Alan Parson as a producer and musician (I own quite a few of his recordings), he was wrong when he said that, and he is still wrong. This is a false stereotype of audiophiles that may apply to a small minority. But not the majority. I am an unabashed audiophile, but the music comes first. It was my deep love of music, that get me to want to hear it as accurately as possible. And this love of music is what got me into this hobby. The only time most people run into audiophiles, is on audiophile forums, audio shows, audio stores, etc. So, what is the most likely subject they will be talking about? Audio gear.

[@bbb8997]

@@pandstar most audiophiles know nothing about music, only how to one up each other with the latest & greatest "lirpa" gear. avoid audiophiles, & used/audiophile record stores like the plague.a bunch of socially retarded dweebs!

[@bbb8997]

rock on alan

[@MalteWilsen]

That man is way ahead: I listen to music, he listens to CABLE.

[@pandstar]

...and he listens to music.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Try listening to music without cables

[@DonMegaphone]

@@AnalogPlanet I'm sure somebody is fleecing audiophools with $10,000 Bluetooth receivers.

[@shadouxg7150]

@@AnalogPlanet lol ye

[@AnalogPlanet]

@@DonMegaphone not me.

[@phpn99]

Some people buy yachts. This is just gentle madness but madness nonetheless. The reproduction gear is more sophisticated than the recording gear. It's nonsense. I used to own that level of equipment (Wilsons, Spectral, you name it); spent as much on audio as people spend on a house. Not anymore. It sounded great, no doubt, but it shifted my attention from the music to the sound. I've rediscovered the emotion of music by going back to cheap but clean gear. I own Schiit Audio and KEF LS-50 and I've got the goose bumps I had as a teenager. My kit costs less than one of my cables used to cost and I feel both happy about it and less of a manic fool.

[@z1522]

Good on ya. Folks fail to realize how our senses are actually strongly about the mental processing which can magically accommodate road noise, garbage AM through cardboard speakers and make us "hear" the music. The realists who can establish clear double-blind tests repeatedly demonstrate the inability for many to even hear close to 20,000 Hz. I actually suspect the M cable industry was a bait-and-switch scheme, as I did find sonic differences between their less expensive cables - but the better sound was an even cheaper Radio Shack pair! It's a lot of insecurity displayed by rich posers, peacocking to impress others like them.

[@adamcrawford6421]

As someone who is just getting into the HIFI audio game, I found this to be a very insightful comment. Cheers for sharing your experiences

[@salvadorrodenas3071]

I could NOT get rid of all my marvels, instead I, like you, listen music with high musicality, low value, to keep up and working the real stuff that matters to me, some pretty vintage gear, by age not use that's it. I can enjoy listening to cheap gear while owning hi-fi marvels. Among audiophiles, nothing should surprise us no matter what bizarre story could be.

[@MWorsa]

After going 5.1 and now back down to an old hk I hoisted out of a dumpster years ago and a pair of Mirage OMD-5's, couldn't be happier.

[@MWorsa]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hGnGn3yHndqjjbs

[@youtert]

You know you have a problem when you're taking out a mortgage to buy an amplifier.

[@mikedo6]

I FOUND my amplifier while taking out the garbage!!!!

[@LastGenGaming675]

@@mikedo6 😂🤣😂😂🤣😂🤣 this is great

[@chamade166]

I had to check the price. I am sorry, but you don’t buy these on credit/loan. Trust fund baby.

[@boschrder9466]

yeah a monetary problem :))

[@bokardithetaomicron4932]

His one out is he sorta does this for a living

[@guitarman13021]

musician shows up at recording studio with $5 road/gig beaten instrument cables and any random power cord for the amp to make the recording. Audiophiles decide they need $50k of cables in order to reproduce this sound.

[@60zeller]

Dennis Quill guitar players use after market cables also.

[@alfiesell8077]

@@60zeller Not to that same extent

[@Gnofg]

@@60zeller The most valued amplifiers are usually Fenders from the 1960's and same for the Gibson and Fender guitars. This guy is nus plus Mccartney stuff in his latter years is pretty bad.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Actually musicians do pay attention to cables. And power cords. At least the ones that care about their sound. They also pay attention to tubes, and tube brands. I guess you haven't been to too many recording sessions. Sure, some don't care. Some audio enthusiasts don't either.

[@walkinthrutheparkbymr.melo3905]

hahahahaha!

[@dougle03]

As a sound engineer the two most significant differences to sound reproduction is: 1. Room acoustics and 2. Room acoustics. Certainly not the mains power cables! - If you're that bothered, how about an external triple filtered DC mains supply instead? One thing I do notice about all deluded audio snobs is that they love telling anyone within earshot the price/cost.... I'm convinced that this level of gear is firmly about bragging rights than it is about raw sound quality.

[@andersforsgren3806]

Indeed, room acoustics, then how is his gear connected - RCA or balanced plugs? Those amps fully differentiated ones? I doubt it! So what about the source of the signal? Do he have 96/24 (96k 24 bit) or at least the new standard format 48k/24? ...No, wait a sec, he play music on a vinyl disk where the music come pre-compressed, eq'd and then had to be sent trough quite dramatic EQ to sound normal the RIAA correction + scratch and pops. Have he got rectifier tubes in each box to get the internal electronics to work smoothly, instead of the pulsed DC which solid state creates? Doubt it. Working with sound, recording tech also radio plus an on and off career as musician have made me luv tubes. But I am not an orthodox believer, there's solid state gear that sound fantastic at a bargain price - example Teac AX-501 your fav album played on a low priced but musical CD player NAD 5425 - yes balanced XLR and a pair of Elac speakers.

[@doctiberius2717]

@@andersforsgren3806 LOL that's why I make music with my hands 🎶😉

[@andersforsgren3806]

@@doctiberius2717 Same here, I have been playing since the age of 6. Working on an album right now that I will be happy if it sell 200 copies or dowloads of - havn't done any music for nearly 2 decades so I am quite certain I'm mainly forgotten by now and going growl metal is not exactly the recipe for finding a new audience - but I have fun and find a satisfaction meanwhile. ;) But yes, it were in the studio I learned that stuff that higher bitrates sound better, and that tube amps for instruments did sound sooo great, even better when they had a rectifier tube for the power as well - no clicks or hiss either. So that was what led me to get stereo stuff that are made the same way for home.

[@heliopijpe]

Yep

[@chrissain2343]

they both matter in a high performance audio system.

[@Spastafarian]

Wow Jerry Springer has a lot of records.

[@leslori3619]

Cian O'Sullivan lol 😂

[@kaivrock]

HAAAA!!!!

[@AnalogPlanet]

Yes, all Jews do look alike and all Irishmen belong on the Lucky Charms cereal box, right?

[@frederickfranchi6408]

that's funny😃

[@AnalogPlanet]

all assholes post the same shit.@Rusty

[@77hodag]

Thank you for allowing your readers to visit your listening room, Michael! It's a real treat!

[@alb.1911]

Thanks Michael, this make my day. I am one of this young people that started collecting LP at 25 years old... Regards.

[@JammingWave]

I will be scared with that water tank sitting aside that precious sounding room

[@Zaes223]

I was just thinking about that like man can you imagine if that blew.

[@trevorbraden5448]

@@Zaes223 and they usually do eventually

[@Zaes223]

@@trevorbraden5448 From personal experience they don't often explode usually they rust out and start to leak slowly but I've heard of them exploding.

[@trevorbraden5448]

@@Zaes223 yeah man didn't say they explode ...... the other guy did....... I was just meaning that they can bust open a bit and flood out your basement.... if had that happen..... it builds up all that calcium deposits in there also..... I would be nervous if it was me though...... thats some serious money....... or just one of the pipes breaking would be really bad.......

[@ConcertGrande]

me too !!!

[@davecollins1048]

Audiophile hell is equipped with a GPX dual cassette boombox and a single tape recorded off a drifting radio station.

[@ngtflyer]

And as youngsters, we loved it because we taped our favorite songs off the radio and played them whenever we wanted.

[@kurtlyons136]

Why don't you talk about the wiring in the wall going back to your fuse panel or circuit breakers and then out to the telephone pole and then the miles and miles of wiring going back to the power plant. And then there's the argument about the audible differences between Siemens, General Electric and Westinghouse power plants. And coal versus gas versus hydro versus nuclear. $1000 6 foot long power cables are a joke!

[@charlesclements9672]

This is the best comment ever, more people need to call people like this out on their bullshit.

[@AnalogPlanet]

Charles Clements you are clueless. You think that clown’s comment was a “revelation”? But enjoy your ignorance. You know what else? The pipes that bring water into my home are old and some are probably corroded SO WHY BOTHER PUTTING A WATER FILTER ON THE END OF THE FAUCET?

[@charlesclements9672]

Analog Planet first off what do pipes have to do with this? The point of the comment was to prove that all the big, stupid, and expensive cables are a joke and a waste of money. How are cables going to make any difference if the power in your house isn’t as “high-end” as the expensive and stupid cables that you use as connections between your stuff? how would it make any audible difference? The point of the guys comment was to joke about that fact, his point was if your going to spend $30,000 on a cable between a turn table and a preamp then why don’t you make the wiring to your house “high-end” as well? Not having everything be “high-end” defeats the purpose of spending crazy money on cables in the first place. And you you call me ignorant? Ha, you clearly have no idea what you are taking about. Next time why don’t you actually do research instead of just saying “but my pipes are old and that justifies my expensive cables” I don’t know if you have heard this but water and electricity are quite different. Who is ignorant now?? you are just another rich idiot that will buy anything no matter the cost. Next time think before you type another angry comment. If you are so smart and know so much then explain how it works, I’ve explained why it’s total bullshit if you think I’m wrong then prove me wrong.

[@BronsonOsborne]

@@charlesclements9672 awww did you get offended and are mad because he enjoys the stuff he talks about and yes better cables do help to a point that you really can hear the upgrade your the dumbass that don't hace a clue about high end systems

[@charlesclements9672]

bronson osborne I’m actually not offended at all, this is fun to me. How many morons can I get to make angry comments? A lot apparently. Btw that was an excellent run on sentence, what grade are you in?? If you are such an amazing intellectual Why don’t you read my whole comment and explain how a cable can make a audible difference? Or at least try to prove me wrong. But nope you didn’t do that, all you did was make an angry comment like all the other morons do when I call out the bullshit. And you call me a dumbass? Look in the mirror, you clearly don’t know a damn thing. Next time come at me with an argument. not a pathetic, and whiney comment taking sides with with another rich idiot who knows nothing.

[@nicholascremato]

Michael, you made your love of music and musical reproduction your life. you may never, know how you have helped countless numbers of people like myself build audio systems that let us experience music in ways we never dreamed of. I was a musician my entire life and to sit in my home and to transcend my human condition, is in a large part because of you. I still remember the day I heard a music system so good I actually cried. The gentleman sitting sitting next to me said "you got it man", Can we switch seats?

[@ianpickering5193]

I’m sure you probably never look at comments from some of your old videos but just want to say how much I enjoyed this. I’m from England and you made it so interesting, amusing and matter of fact with great stories about your collection. It’s your money to spend and knowing the pleasure you can get listening to great music and artists I just appreciate what you have. Thank you and now I’m subscribed will keep watching you.

[@thomasgrim4325]

Fantastic tour and I absolutely love the history and your sense of humor!

[@AmericanConstellation]

You nailed it about having records. The memories are incredible. You remember when you bought them....where you were...what you were doing. It's incredible. Younger people don't know what they are missing. I'm 61...have tons of records that I've bought since the 60's.....Most of them are mint! I thank God I took good care of them and kept them. Also I have tons of CD's. Now people have been convinced those are out. This is a great time to buy CD's for cheap. Get a good CD player with a DAC!

[@tangyorange6509]

There’s a lot of us young people that college vinyl haha

[@vinnyvinny9794]

..I am 67 years old.... ..Now i know there is someone who thinks like me .... About records and the music of our times.... ...... thank you....for sharing......

[@wernermarycudney]

Hot water tank next to records? Confucius place for high end audio!

[@jayaramg9411]

He must really trust the plumbing :P

[@shiitakestick]

Jayaram G -- its a subwoofer

[@jordesign]

Confucius say man who stand on toilet, high on pot.

[@AnalogPlanet]

You didn't listen to what I said. Yes, I don't own the cables. but I own everything else. Your truly have normalized ignorance. @

@@AnalogPlanet You just confirmed what I said already. Are your extreme prescription spectacles dirty? LOL 😂 I'll make it clear ..slow it down to 18rpm HE IS GIVEN ALL THIS CRAP (so of course you own it bright eyes) Giving you some credit , you're not censoring my comments. And yeah < that's the most often used argument from people in youtube land , an ad hominem attack on my user name (which you miss the subtle humor ?). I thought you guys were keen on wordplay and humour.. Woody Allen was. Bob Dylan too or whoever wrote his songs. Are you really from Wack-Off N.J.?? Jokes man , Jokes.

[@painterdood2484]

The best upgrade my poor little $10k sound system ever got was a great big listing room

[@drw78]

I need to sit in that chair and hear how good this sounds... or confirm that this man is in fact completely insane.

[@CockatooDude]

I've heard a few high end systems and they really are no joke. This guy's system probably sounds incredibly good. Would it also sound absolutely incredible with less expensive preamps, tonearms, and cables? Absolutely. But some people really want that last few percent. Honestly you could get just the speakers, a set of monoblock amplifiers to drive them that have the requisite power handling, and a good preamp and DAC and your system would sound 95 percent as good. Generally in a modern audio chain with good components, the speakers make the most difference followed by the dac. Anytime you're converting one format of encoded music into another is where you have your losses, so like electrical to mechanical in the case of a speaker or a set of bits to an analogue signal in the case of a DAC.

[@727skydivers]

@@CockatooDude Pretty much like cars. You can have fun in an old Mini (50Mph/90kph) feels like F1 when cornering. Alpine A110 - thumbs up with less than 300BHP. Porsche GT3 with 500BHP, even faster. Or an Aston Martin Valkyrie (100BHP), insane. Pricing are algorithmic. If you can afford the dream, just go for it! I'm pretty sure I would be grinning in a Go-Cart illegally on a B-road!

[@1061shrink1061]

Too cluttered for me.... I find I enjoy my system much more when its in a nice clean uncluttered space. The sense of peace that comes from a nice minimal listening environment really adds to the music IMHO. That much clutter just causes an unease and a lack of relaxation. Doesn't matter how good it sounds, I couldn't enjoy it.

[@tonycolbourne7694]

Yeah agree. Personally I've never come across a better way to set up speakers than the Rational Speaker Placement method. Bass note, Toe in and Rake angle. Takes a while to set up but once done it sounds incredible forever. 👍

[@Morgooooo]

If you guys don't believe that everything makes a diference it's okay but doesn't mean that you are right ! From what i experienced the smallest change can make a diference.

[@Morgooooo]

@@RFXCasey we are the finest measurment systems cause we have a brain.

[@Jamie.Laszlo]

My actual arm on my body isn't worth 30k.

[@Netlife-001]

hahahahahahahaha ;o)

[@unclepizza2000]

You're absolutely right, I'll give you 7 grand for it and not a penny more

[@rothburyvezzy]

I lost my leg in a motorcycle. My leg was actually worth 30k not a penny more.

[@Smokey66s]

My hearing capability isn’t good enough to appreciate the subtleties of this high end equipment.

[@electriceyeslide5959]

Oh come on man... Please tell me you’re not impressed by the guy who spends $30K on a tone arm... You’re worth a lot more than you think my friend.

[@fastjazz]

Well Fremer certainly appears to be a happy goof so good for him...

[@MrCatalysis101]

Wonderful. Finally a guided tour of the inner sanctum. And I agree with Michael, vinyl should be enjoyed while we can.

[@TheTacticalMess]

I think this might be the best example of insanity I’ve ever seen.

[@larrydaniels6532]

Better to say that YOU can't understand why someone would have over $1,000,000 of audio equipment, but then you've never heard his system. Calling anything insane that you do not understand only speaks to your limitations.

[@TheTacticalMess]

Larry Daniels My limitations in terms of what? I can hear and enjoy his system and find it absolutely amazing and I would still call him insane.

[@larrydaniels6532]

@@TheTacticalMess You reinforce my point with your reply, you are truly dense.

[@TheTacticalMess]

Larry Daniels It’s funny you say that when you don’t know me. The fact that you fail to ask why I perceive it the way I do, and immediately rush to insults just goes to show that you’re incapable of grasping where I am coming from. Hence why I didn’t bother to tell you to begin with.

[@31cify]

@@TheTacticalMess Well as long as this thing doesn't get too out of hand, it'll be all well and good. So let's keep it constructive.

[@KevinWickerProductions]

Very interesting...an amazing collection...even more so your equipment. Thanks for sharing!

[@Fallacy99]

Thank you Michael! Your passion is electric! PS: I really like your record shelves, I think I will make ones similar. Your fan from South Africa.

[@YoshiV819]

Thanks for sharing. Don't know if anyone else mentioned it but I find it remarkable that you keep possibly over a million dollars worth of audio gear and media within feet of your water tank...a large destructive vessel destined to fail unexpectedly. I wouldn't even want a plumber proactively swapping it out in such proximity of all that stuff. You even pointed it out!

[@michaelvaladez6570]

Aaahhhhh..next to a water heater aaahhhhh..an accident waiting to happen....

[@trackingangle929]

It’s not really a water tank in the traditional sense. It doesn’t heat water, or have the usual plumbing. It is a passive hot water storage tank and so pretty impervious to leaking. A unit on the wall produces the hot water stored in the tank

[@gregcharles4475]

You have some amazing gear, and probably the ultimate audiophile man cave, the search for audio nirvana is obviously not for everyone, but I admire your enthusiasm.

[@juanmiguelhernandez703]

Thank you Michael for invite us to your home and share your sympathy, passion and knowledge. Maybe somebody misunderstood the way you do. Fortunately, in our little world there are some people looking for the excellence, and investing a lot of time and effort to achieve the state of the art. That’s why we can enjoy and value brands like Wilson Audio, Audio Research, Air Tight, Brinkmann, Koetsu... or A. Lange & Söhne, even if they are not affordable for most of us. Thank you again.

[@_Chev_Chelios]

Like you, I can tell a huge difference in sound quality when I have a fully functional water heater in my listening room. It definitely creates a warm, fluid sound doesn’t it! At what temperature do you have yours set? Everything makes a difference indeed.

[@_Chev_Chelios]

I am considering upgrading to instant on demand hot water, looking for more immediacy, consistency, and micro-dynamics in my system.

[@scottaubrey8392]

I find it all fascinating, I don’t understand why he has to go through all of equipment and tell us if he owns it or not...literally every item

[@dallasmorrison6983]

@@sgals3395 You are so FULL of hate! Is your life that miserable?

[@dallasmorrison6983]

S Gals Man you are a piece of work! You must have a miserable life! I’ve met people like you that are so miserable that they want everyone around them to be miserable too! And I would kiss Mr. Fremer’s rear end for what reason? That doesn’t even make sense. I looked at the KZbin video about whether a guitarist needs to know how to read music because I was curious as to their opinion and how they supported said opinion. No matter what you think of my “playlist” (and I don’t really care what your opinion is), your remarks to Mr. Fremer and myself are very hateful. Thus you are only reinforcing the image that you are “full of hate”. Why such anger over Mr. Fremer’s opinions? His KZbin video is free. It’s not part of a paid subscription to Stereophile magazine online. It costs you nothing! So it’s not as if you’re being cheated out of your hard earned money. Furthermore no one is forcing you at gunpoint to watch it. If you disagree with his opinions, that’s fine. But why the personal attacks? Against him and me? A question for you as well...the same as before, because you didn’t answer it the first time. It was rhetorical the first time I asked, but now I ask in earnest...is your life that miserable? Is that why you are so hateful? You can insult me further if you wish, that seems to give you pleasure. I won’t respond to any more insults. You may regard my next statement as sarcasm,but please believe me, it is not. I’m truly sincere. I will pray for you. You seem genuinely unhappy and I’m sorry if that is true.

[@housepianist]

Love the video. I could listen to your stories and the history behind it all day long. Really great stuff.

[@fontasgenave7066]

This guy is enclosed in a breeze of good and healthy fun. I really like his audio system. Everything seems to works nicely together and is a wonderful looking setup for a trough music admirer.

[@georgedoughly6344]

Awesome Stereo System and Record Collection! I Love the Rega RP10 Turntable 🤩

[@freekeemonkee]

This is the most random, most amazing thing I have seen in years.

[@mrmikeh-nv7cq]

I could spend all day with that guy, and I would love to hear his system and some of his record collection.

[@jdg2335]

The emperor has no clothes.

[@1Rabih]

Reminded me of donald trump 😂👌🏽 on second thoughts ewwwwwww 🤢🤮🤣

[@AnalogPlanet]

I've got a great wardrobe even though all clothing is the same.

[@nodoubt46able]

you look like jerry springer

[@johannestitz5797]

Say about him and his hobby whatever you want, I have to admit i watched this Video like three times because he is just that entertaining. (points at boiler) "this is my subwoofer"

[@ianborthwick6931]

Hugely entertaining. More of this please Mr Fremer.

[@soren777]

He sounds like a true reviewer and not a shill. What a rarity in this day and age.

[@bennycop]

All I need in my life is : Marantz 2 x100 Watts, 2 speakers capable with it and a Led Zeppelin CD

[@youdontknowme2325]

Its been a long time since I rock and rolled...

[@johnnykaldani633]

What, no cannabis?

[@JerryWDaviscom]

Mothership, a joint and a bottle of Merlot😁

[@rwortman2]

I am a skeptical audiophile. I have a pretty nice system but nothing like the expensive gear you have. I think a lot of what is written about is either imaginary or not discernible by most listeners. I thoroughly enjoyed the tour of your system and now think I would love to hear it. After listening to you talk about it, I am leaning towards not discernable by most listeners. Perhaps cables and well made amps sound different to people that have spend a lifetime reviewing for a living and have trained themselves to do so. Some professional audio reviewers don't hear differences that others do. It would seem probable that hearing acuity differs between people just like any other physical or mental skill. The real question is not whether Mr. Fremer or Mr. Atkinson can hear a difference, it is whether the prospective buyer can hear a difference and, if so, is it a quality difference worth paying for. I admire the fact the Mr. Fremer "puts his money where his mouth is" and purchases the gear he really falls in love with. It is much more difficult for me to take seriously the rave reviews of megadollar gear that is on indefinite loan to a reviewer. What is silly expensive varies from person to person. I have close to $10K in my system including two channel gear, surround speakers and a HT receiver. Almost everyone I know thinks that is an insane amount. None of them, having listened to it, think it sounds just like their BT speaker or name brand one box solution they have at home. The bad news today is that the ultra high end equipment is completely unaffordable to most people. Some of it is expensive only because there are people that will buy it. Other stuff (like Mr Fremer's speakers and turntables) are expensive to build. The good news about audio today is the inexpensive gear has never sounded better. Great sounding audio gear is available to anyone with an interest in it. Buy what you like within your budget and have fun. I do wish the Stereophile would attempt measuring interconnects and speaker cables. Perhaps they have and found no differences so they quit. I suspect that some of the differences are not improvements in fidelity but subtle filtering effects that cable designers put in on purpose because it will make them sound different.

[@sheri1983]

I love this guy for one reason, he's always true to what he believes in whatever it's right or wrong and he has a sense of humor. Although I won't ever own these type of equipment and not a fan of modern stuff I like to see where the technology is going.

[@bdirisadok1980]

Saw Bob and Johnny, you made my day. That's it, I'm buying a house and I'm making a room just like yours. I'm sick of being told to keep it down. Freedom!!!

[@RichTeer]

Thanks for showing us around your room (published on my 50th birthday, no less!). I also really appreciate you saying what bits of gear you bought and which are on loan, for I can think of no stronger recommendation than putting one's money where one's mouth is. Industry accommodation or not, hard-earned $$$ are hard-earned $$$, so I applaud your transparency. From a fellow vinylphile, keep fighting the good fight!

[@billrowse2266]

Christ talking about that stroke victim like that was tasteless...

[@TheMentalblockrock]

Not only that but he ripped off the old couple paying them $1 a record.

[@mikelucey5035]

I guess the one $ he had to pay was still too much.

[@ertatta]

Oh please come on, it was hilarious 😂

[@tanyet]

I’m guessing he was riffing off a scene in The Ninth Gate.

[@DAP-mi7ck]

Grow up, he was being lighthearted and actually very funny.

[@w0bblyd0inkb0ink]

What an amazing tour, thank you for sharing

[@Demidar665]

imagine taking this dude to a basement, with a 90s pc and aux sound. And a cheap 10$ headset from walmart

[@chrissmate]

I've watched this video a few times already. I love his listening room and the gear he owns. Very entertaining! Respect to you Mr. Fremer. I would love meet you.

[@dcan911]

Great video, can't decide whether I like this guy or not, i liked his 'stroke guy' impression.

[@mergatroid1212]

I am yet to hear an A/B comparison on the difference a cable can make? I wonder why that is?

[@dirtharris]

Because you only have one set of cables?

[@cody8992]

All that great equipment, and nobody can pick up the crap on the floor?

[@sdjklsdjksdjklf]

Cody Earnshaw Are you mad bro?

[@galevincent2684]

Mother much?

[@salvadorrodenas3071]

Envy affects that way. MF has the good luck of having a piece of space where he can do whatever he wants without having to worry about WFA, it remembers WtF 😂. This apparent mess it's not!. I like this messy tidyness, I bet he can find whatever he wants in a moment because he knows where everything is located despite this apparent untidiness. I love Stereophile reviewers. I miss Wes Phillips.

[@venturarodriguezvallejo9777]

@@salvadorrodenas3071 Do you include John Atkinson, who said that a vinyl sounded better than the very master tape it had been cutted from? Extraordinary statement, indeed!

[@salvadorrodenas3071]

@@venturarodriguezvallejo9777 particularly John!!! They are like you and me, they have their vision that don't have to met ours, at least in a hundred percent. I've also said things that after a while I've regret .

[@yvesboutin5604]

I love you man! You are totally right! Being truthful to our own vision of things is more important than making friends!

[@stoutdog56]

Looking at Michael's collection of vinyl, I don't see how he can listen to or even find an album or track without some form of cataloging and even having the time to do so and continue to add to his library. His library and hardware are off the charts impressive. I resubscribed to Stereophile to catch up on what the industry has evolved to over the past couple decades. I see it has spiraled out control of my budget (Ha!) and reality. When my subscription lapses, I won't be resubscribing since I don't live on that plane of life anymore.

[@drivn4895]

This is my subwoofer- Errr I, this is my hot water tank. xDDDD

[@qwertyuiop8056]

Танk.Много проводов.Помню заставил транзисторный усилитель петь.Подбирая вручную витую пару сетевого провода.К каждому усилителю свой провод к каждому проводу специалиста\жириновский\

[@qwertyuiop8056]

паправка Подбирая=скручивая на слух

[@the_nondrive_side]

Took me about 20 minutes to realize this wasn't Jerry Springer.

[@the_nondrive_side]

Gurn Nardley nah the comment section is full of them. 😂

[@musgrovebarry]

Yes, but KZbin doesn't have burly bouncers throwing them off stage

[@sircupcakes7226]

Gurn Nardley LOL !!

[@pickmeanameso]

Shame that all this pricey gear looks like the bastard offspring of Buck Rogers and a nespresso machine.

[@Zach_Routhier]

"When I feel like slumming it I put on digital." -Michael Fremer 2017. I love this guy!

[@earlyetman5588]

I’ve been reading your reviews for 25 years!!! I use Krell, Dynaudio, etc, for years based on your reviews! Thank you!!!

[@brunorivademar5356]

The audiophile world is a freaking rabbit hole, I better be careful getting into this xD!

[@richardshippful]

there is NO upper limit.

[@alexandermikhailov2481]

More like a can of worms that you find at the bottom of the rabbit hole 😉

[@Instrumentals4Sale]

33:38 - spot on! I'm the same with my records, I have so many white labels or one off 12" runs by artists that are just gold! And the sound quality is far warmer than any digital format. Streaming is great for finding stuff or listening on the go, but it doesnt compare to actually owning an artifact in your hand and experiencing the precise moment you stumble across something new that blows you away :D

[@martinthe3rd664]

Listening to one record and making mental notes of the sound, then going off to do some work while someone changes out cables and then coming back to compare simply does not work. You MUST employ direct switching (A/B tests) to get anything out of it otherwise it becomes purely anecdotal and just guesswork really. It's hard enough to hear subtle differences between cables when performing A/B-test, trying to compare with long breaks in between is impossible.

[@homeboi808]

They must be double blind as well. For speakers at least, it’s been proven that when doing sighted and blind, people will rank a nicer looking speaker higher during sighted tests. So, if doing sighted A/B switching between a super skinny normal speaker wire compared to those “hoses”, I’d say most people will say the hoses look better, because they think it must.

[@loremipsum7471]

Keith O. Johnson, one of the founding partners of Reference Recordings said you can't A/B music listening. kzbin.info/www/bejne/mHO1ZJ6JacqSrc0m

[@kennygsmooth83]

Very Impressive equipment and music collection. If you haven't done it already I'd recommend that you catalog, appraise and insure EVERYTHING in your workspace. Then you're covered in case of flooding, fire, etc. and your wife won't have to worry about how much the stuff is worth. Thanks for sharing!

[@deepspaceproductions6419]

So much wisdom and music knowledge.... almost scary!

[@stephendouglas1797]

An absolute pleasure to see your space and show your Queen album letter !:)Ty

[@xxsaruman82xx87]

I have this record! I think this was the first complete recording of Porgy and Bess. I have the original UK pressing from 1976.

[@hitty9]

i loves u porgy!

[@freejrs]

Do you have an 3.5mm aux cable so I can plug my phone in? You'll be happy to know I only use flac files. 👍

[@31cify]

Flac files? Don't you at least have a Croz?

[@MattC-jg1yb]

Bro pass the aux. I got DUBSTEP_MIX_2013_KZbinDOWNLOAD.mp3 I wanna play

[@AustraliaGraves]

Michael's enthusiasm is infectious in best of worst ways.

[@thepirategamerboy12]

The part of him talking about the furry convention was easily the most interesting thing. lol

[@brwi1]

And I’m over here agonizing over spending 25 bucks on 50ft of cable

[@Marco-717]

Then get a job, looney tune

[@brwi1]

Marco CB k

[@BT-dh1jb]

Seeing your records and audiophile equipment crowding your hot water tank made me cringe! The tank will need to be replaced one day, hopefully not after a leak occurs, when you’re not around...and just thinking about the plumber working in that space, pulling out the old tank and putting in the new one with all that priceless equipment and records in close proximity would give me nightmares. I’m not a doomsday type of person but from experience I just know that if there is a chance that something will get damaged by some goon who has no clue or care about such things. Enjoyed your tour and LP related stories. Agree with you about the importance of meaningful connections to the music. I also hold the same regard.

[@agfagaevart]

what about the humidity and those records??? :-/

[@horowizard]

@B T If anything goes wrong with that water heater, you can be damn sure that Michael would move everything out of that room. My concern was that the tank has to generate heat which could warp all those records that are so nearby.

[@justinmartindale6855]

Though I may not understand a lot of this (yet). I am now a fan. I’ve been collecting records a long time but could never afford a decent way to hear them. I’m now putting together a little system and every piece I’ve changed has made a world of difference. So does that mean power cables will make a difference? Don’t know yet. But maybe. You’re love of vinyl is infectious and all these troll commenters need to find a better hobby than worrying about why someone spends their own money.

[@dannyc9784]

Don't listen to the haters. I too didn't think power cords could make any difference, but they actually make a BIG difference no clue why, but use your ears. There's plenty of places you can try for 30 days and see if you can hear an improvement. In my case I hear tighter cleaner bass less hi frequency hash, a much quieter background & improved soundstaging. if the recording has that info.

[@antonmedvedev1128]

On second thoughts, guys like him make history too as well as they keep it going and alive! 🏂🏄

[@tawilk]

I bet 99.99% of people wouldn't be able to tell the difference between your system and mine that only cost ~$1,500 total.

[@mikethebeginner]

And I thought I was bad!!!!!!!!!!!!! At least he spends a good deal of time talking about records.

[@MOOeymania]

Clearly Animalimpics is how he can afford all this amazing gear. Good for him.

[@ThatGreenSpy]

Rene Fromage.

[@MOOeymania]

@@ThatGreenSpy Rene Cheese

[@hippydippy]

I'd love to hang out with him in that space. What a character. Gotta love his passion.

[@johnnail4595]

Michael, thanks for the video. And you are right, you don't have to disclose anything about the money side of your business and hobby. We don't need to know if you own it or not. It isn't anyone's business but your own! Happy listening (and reviewing)!

[@tonyking9235]

thanks for sharing

[@willytv5345]

I heard a pair of Wilson Audio speakers ($185,000) at a very high end store in Scottsdale, Arizona.... not impressed AT ALL. Went into the adjacent room and heard the same music on a pair of $45,000 Sonus Faber speakers that simply DESTROYED the Wilson's. There is so much OVERPRICED BS in this business. I have heard systems that were under $20,000 that completely TRASHED systems that these guys think are so great that cost 10X that price.

[@aleshaglenn3288]

Dont like Wilsons too, sound to boxy way over price and to much politics, compared them to Magico and no contest also way over price.

[@EddyTeetree]

Well there has to be hooks for the rich right look how many Porches you see in capital cities a car that’s extensively engineered to drive safely over 200kph on German autobahn system but wankers spend it to go 60kph. Watches with complications that sell for a million but only tell the time? Fat ugly billionaires that buy haute couture but would look better with a paper bag over their heads! And the beat goes on......

[@fredriksvard2603]

WillyTV i prefer cheap fat klipsch speakers to any anemic ”transparent” bs high end speaker

[@Mrcloc]

Nope. More expensive = better. You see, they go mine some special compound from Saturn's core which makes perfect speakers, and such mining is expensive. BTW Sonus Faber actually do real proper things to make their speakers sound as good as possible. I haven't had the privilege of hearing a pair, but it's very high on my bucket list. Wilson I will live my whole life never wanting to hear them. It's just a matter of ethos and engineering.

[@Mrcloc]

@Sam Sguanch Cars and speakers can't form an analogy. Linearity for massive dynamic range is much more important. The closest analogy is why did you buy the porsche? To drive 200 or to have fun from 0? Same reason why the Abarth 595 is so great - you can have heaps of fun without going fast. A friend of mine bought an RS3 because he wants to beat everything else in a straight line. That's like the guy who puts up a PA system in his listening room. I have a 320d and the amount of fun to be had is incredible. I'd buy the Abarth over an RS3 every day with my eyes closed. You get what I'm saying? The porsche is the most fun you can have in a car. Period.

[@timgroves3606]

forget MQA, get a Chord DAC

[@kianbisset]

“It’s none of your business where my money comes from” *tells us where his money comes from*

[@bolsesolheim7469]

THIS SHIT DEMANDS MONEY TO GIVE GOOD REVIEWS! THATS WHERE HIS MONEY COME FROM!!!!!!!!!!

[@dallasmorrison6983]

@@bolsesolheim7469 I don’t believe that for one minute!

[@ivanyankurbolsoff1342]

Dallas Morrison. I do because it Is true! He is a shill!

[@AnalogPlanet]

@@bolsesolheim7469 that's 100% not true

[@AnalogPlanet]

@@ivanyankurbolsoff1342 I am not a shill but you are a douche bag. I'll tell you where some of the money comes from: Ive made around $200,000 from my turntable set up DVD.

[@cathalmacsiurdain7762]

Very enjoyable. Thank you for having me. Would love to go through that collection of Brit albums.

[@philbarone4603]

I can’t imagine that any system in that room with all that shit in there would sound good.

[@tyleryosef9862]

I’d hate to see the bathroom. I just want to get in there and clean up the mess. Put everything in its right place.

[@sakusaaristo191]

He knows what he hears... Except in ABX test. ;) First thing to start recovering from "Pravus Audiophilia" is to test ones hearing and learn about confirmation bias. Then to do some ABX testing with stuff one has or even just normal blind tests with a friend or a spouse. Studying some real audio science is very much recommended also :)

[@Finn-McCool]

HAHA "We make cable that will cost you $30,000.00. And yet we are so inept that we sent YOU the wrong cables." Gotta love the cable crowd. HAHA

[@Finn-McCool]

@Jason Jay Gould Oooh what a zing. I'm crushed.

[@naschylobo]

This is like a Saturday Night Live sketch. I love it.

[@StefanUrkel]

after some point you get diminishing returns.. what makes the most difference is to take a special marker and color the edges of your cd's.. also, there is a special solution you spray on your cd's and then wipe.. it helps fill in micro-abrasions.. finally, get some stabilizer rings that stick on top of the cd to help keep it spinning smoothly.. less wobbling..

[@customerservice3303]

This is such a fantastic video, excellent on many levels, laughed my ass off at the garage sale section :-)

[@anonymousonlineuser6543]

You lost me at the power cable.

[@Falcrist]

As an electrical engineer... He lost me at the speaker cables. Seriously, it's a couple pieces of copper. Make it stranded for added flexability, give it some nice terminations, and wrap it in a pretty insulator. THE END As long as it doesn't have significant impedance, it will have zero audible effect on the music. *ZERO*

[@Falcrist]

No shit it's simplistic. That's because wires are remarkably simplistic in this context. We aren't talking about the RF characteristics of antennas. We're talking about the effects of short runs of copper on power transmission. As far as hearing is concerned, h(t) = 1. There is no effect. Anyone who says otherwise is selling something, or part of a cult.

[@Falcrist]

I'm not just saying I'd be happy with a lamp cord (provided it had enough copper to keep the impedance low). I'm saying _you_ aren't able to tell the difference between that lamp cord and $30,000 speaker wire. Back EMF? Don't try to use big words with me. You don't know the impedance characteristics of a transmission line. Here's a bode plot of the effect of a speaker wire in the audible frequencies: ____________________________________________________________________________________________________

[@khunopie9159]

I use the Monsters Cables Speakers Wires. They sound the BEST in my opinion

[@humanbass]

Powers cable are to transmit energy from point A to point B, nothing else, they cant add anything to the sound. As long it's decent copper the electrons will travel just fine. Since the wires inside the hall of your house are not "silver plated blablabla bullshit", but standard electrical copper, no magical cable will change that.

[@diegomendivil7101]

Granted I will never be able to afford a system like this. I see no difference with the tone of these kinds of tours and rappers telling you how expensive they gaudy jewelry is...

[@quanyhuang3178]

You can use some good sound equipment, but the price is within your affordability www.hiendchina.com you can come to my shop to have a look

[@prowling4truth]

Like they say... If i have to explain it to you, you wouldn't understand.

[@Theburrowingid]

That was a trip. People like Fremer are forerunners of what we are eventually going to learn about what's really going on with sonic equipment and sound in general - not just "music." We have a long way to go before we really understand sound and the brain processing sound and the electronic brains too. Electronics are a "nervous system." Nervous systems radiate influence out into the world at large by means about which most of us are clueless.