5 DUMB THINGS Audiophiles Believe!

[@TheLEEC]

Three words: Gold Plated Toslink…

[@supercompooper]

Haha

[@thor7564]

And fat high end USB-cables from your USB-drive to your DAC.

[@acetechnical6574]

@@thor7564 now, is that an oxygen free, molecularly directionalised pro-lymer shielded prospec strain reliefed pro antideinsulated USB? cause if not pffffft

[@domfjbrown75]

Awesome!

[@bennieirvine1861]

i seen them for sale so fucking supid

[@flyingv7747]

I noticed a HUGE improvement when I switched from snake oil to unicorn farts. Taste the rainbow.

[@johnnaighley9252]

You may also use an audiophile air freshener to clear up the sound ...

[@ralfbaechle]

The diet of the unicorns makes all the difference. I hear beans, onions and some eggs make the experience special.

[@dsandoval9396]

Unless you're getting Ol' Henry's Unicorn Farts, you're NOT getting 100% unicorn farts. Most of these supposed "Unicorn Farts" are _actually_ gnome farts mixed with unicorn urea. The unicorn urea gives the gnome farts certain characteristics, all of which make the product seem like real Unicorn Farts, but non of which actually give you the benefits of _real_ Unicorn Farts. Don't get me wrong. Gnome farts really do give you huge improvements, BUT, what gnome farts do (what Unicorn Farts don't) is oxidize your ear canals at an alarming rate until one day, your ears just fall off without warning. At worst it's extremely painful and very traumatizing. At best it's incredibly embarrassing in front of friends and/or family. Stay safe and rock on, brother. 🤘

[@flyingv7747]

@@dsandoval9396 Wow.... haha, blew a laughing snot bubble on this one. Good stuff, thanks.

[@palomarjack4395]

Strangely, they are rainbow colored, too. And, slightly toxic.

[@barkingpumpkin5693]

My favorite audio tweak is wine, three or four glasses of it. I suggest you spend minimum $20 per bottle though.

[@Newrecordday2013]

Try bourbon, you only need one!

[@jimgardner5129]

Liquid tone control. Works every time.

[@mixtapesfrommylatepartner]

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds

[@jeffreybischoff6772]

Beer, or gin and tonic, for me.

[@westsider1442]

There’s some good quality wine in the $12 range

[@djvycious]

For a long time I was struggling to find the perfect sound and could never realize why I was never satisfied. I tried amps, speakers, different audio sources, speaker placement, but nothing was working. Then I realized that as a child I used to hit plastic caps with a hammer. As a teen I went to loud concerts and would headband near the big speakers. In my twenties I attended Formula One races without hearing protection. I realized my hearing just sucks and no piece of equipment is going to make my biological limitations any better!

[@mkp3824]

Yes! I remember being able to hear the sizzle of the highs from a set of Jensen triaxials from a head unit. Those days were short-lived and long ago.

[@kjelleriksson2793]

@djvycious Yes. At first I for some reason got less hearing in my right ear. Then i got Morbus Méniére and became deaf on my left ear.

[@tombgoth]

I sent tweeters back to the US from England for repair, but found it was my hearing. Hearing aids now help to a small degree

[@tonys4396]

I'm 74. I went to an ear doctor and he tested me. Slight loss in the extreme upper frequencies but almost undetectable. I'd have your ears checked before assuming anything

[@domfjbrown75]

I feel this, lad!

[@HowToHomeLife]

As a "high-end" manufacturer of audio components, GAS Co. was continually approached by "golden-eared audiophiles" claiming the amplifier or preamplifier they owned clearly sounded superior to any of the GAS Co. products we were producing. I would always invite these individuals into the sound room with their preferred audio component and proceed to connect it to the switching system. I would have them select a comparable GAS Co. component that I also connected to the system and then carefully adjusted both components with a precision AC voltmeter for equal levels. Before the testing commenced, I would give the audiophile the remote lanyard--a small handheld box with a toggle switch labeled A or B. I always told them that the "A" position was their piece of equipment and the "B" position was the GAS Co. equipment. After exhaustively auditioning the two components, the golden eared individual would always have a litany of subjective terms that negatively described the sound of the GAS Co. component such as: "overall dullness", "lack of transparency", "ill defined bass", "irritating midrange", "shrill highs", "lack of depth", "unstable imaging"..... ad nauseam. While the audiophile was espousing these opinions, I would bring the level of the music back up, then casually walk over to the components, switch off the power to the GAS Co. component and ask the audiophile to please toggle the lanyard switch between A and B. Unbeknownst to the audiophile, I had connected the switching system exclusively to their component only. During the test when they switched from A to B, the sound audibly dropped-out during the switching process for a few milliseconds cueing the listener that something had changed. When the audiophile realized that I had clearly demonstrated that their golden ears were not golden at all, they would quickly disconnect their component from the system, and while stomping out of the listening room, turn around, and, depending on how invested they were in believing they had golden ears, generally espouse a litany of profanities directed at me. Don't shoot the messenger! David Riddle

[@palomarjack4395]

It's worse than you thought. There used to be a website/forum called AudioAsylum. I was a member. At first, it was a bunch of us that discussed home brew equipment, speaker placement, tube rolling, blah-bla-blah, etc. Members went out looking for actual scientifically substantiated information. And even sources of higher quality coupling capacitors that actually did something useful for amplifier performance. Then, well, someone decided that if copper wire for interconnects was good, silver plated was better. I said, "Woah, stop, you are wasting your money, that silver plated wire is for RF circuits where skin effect makes it actually useful. Audio frequencies and direct current penetrate far deeper into the conductor". "Pshaw, you don't know what you are talking about. Why my amplifier never sounded better." Then not to be outdone, someone else decided having their transformers rewound with silver plated wire was all that an a bag of chips. Let's not forget about the clowns that replaced the power cord on their equipment with 10 or even 8 gauge cables. I asked, "What about the 14 gauge wire in the wall?" No reply. Someone else decided removing the shrink wraps on his filter capacitors in the power supply was just the thing. The reason, older amplifiers sounded better because the old filter capacitors were just bare aluminum. Really? That's why? Of course it did wonders for his system. I'm not joking. I gave up and left right there. After a few years I decided to see what was going on so I signed back on. At this point people were taping some kind of super-duper crystals to their 8 gauge power cables, 4 gauge speaker cables and wall plugs, completely neglecting the 14 gauge wire in the wall. Others had these same crystals mounted up in the corners of their listening room, again, I am not kidding. And yes, not suspending your speaker cables above the floor was tantamount to blasphemy. The original group had been replaced by morons and soothsayers. Last time I looked a couple years later it was gone. I guess they spent so much money on Super Power Crystals, rewinding their transformers and buying the next weird gadget to make their lash-up sound better they could not afford Internet any more. Too bad.

[@ericwichmann9536]

Its the term oxygen free copper advertising was hideous. When you melt any metal to molten state its oxygen free because its burning the oxygen away.

[@chrisantoniou4366]

I use 0.6mm solid silver wire for speakers and interconnects. Beautiful sound, not excessively expensive, and discrete.

[@shanerorko8076]

@@ericwichmann9536 OFC is actually a thing, it's when it's cooling and pores open up. It's used in RF electronics quite often.

[@shanerorko8076]

Yes they are a weird bunch of people, there is a channel GR-research, he calls people that don't believe that speaker cables make a difference "flat earthers" I don't know if he can see the irony or not? There is truth to speaker cables though, as they will minutely change the electrical properties between the amp and crossover. But if this was a concern wouldn't it be cheaper to buy a DSP and another amp and go active crossover? Oh and the amp's lololololololol yes if there ain't enough power reserve to power a certain speaker it will sound not as good, but you can get that with amps under $1000, so how do people justify $50,000 amps?

[@chrisantoniou4366]

@@shanerorko8076 The irony about fat cables is that even though you are keeping them as short as possible, the mere fact that they're cables means they are using multiple strands of fine copper twisted and twisted until they are thick, so they are in fact longer than their stated length implies. Also, if you look at cable inside a clear PVC insulator, it looks much thicker than it is, and that is quite deliberate. Unfortunately a LOT of Hi Fi is all about cosmetics, especially the brand name, and nothing to do with sound quality...

[@obscurazone]

Speaker placement over here in Europe is the biggest pain in the rear. Most of us live in cities, in apartments, so not only are we immediately hamstrung by having to play at respectable volumes and less bass, we are all living like sardines in tins, in annoyingly irregular shaped rooms, which simply don't enable us to pull speakers out into our spaces - every single inch of room is precious. I've got a really great pair of audio physic spark 3's in my dutch apartment, but because of the room I'm forced to back them against a wall (about 25cm from it) and I know full well that they sound infinitely better 1 meter away, but I can't do that, not even temporarily. I love the speakers though so I'm not gonna trade in for a set of bookshelf boxes. So yeah, practicalities often get well in the way of HiFi. It's not always binary.

[@patrickcarlson1400]

My brother has a log cabin that he's got his Bose 501's series 2, and Bose 901's powered by an old Pioneer tube Amp, oh his 901's are hung from the ceiling on chains free swing, now the room has a vaulted ceiling with a peak of 30 feet and the room has two walls that are logs and it's huge area 20 x 30 feet he then with a big smile asked what i thought, and i was honest with him and told him the system biggest problem was it was bottoming out around 500hz and he'd be better of with a pair of Klisp loud speakers as they could at least mask the rooms terrible acoustics, then later took out to my 2003 Cadillac CTS that's has Focal's ES 165 3 way components in the front, JL Audio 2 way components in the rear doors, and 2 Rockford Fosgate T1D212 Punches boxed and ported rear firing in the trunk, powered by JL Audio 660/4 HD Amp for the fronts, and a Rockford Fosgate 1,500 watt mono block running the subs, ran thru a professionally tuned DSP that I've tweeked a little to my liking, but he bitch that i had to much bass so I turned down the subs a little and I never turned the volume beyond 30% , it's seriously to lound over 50% as it can hit 130db, but has great sound staging and is clean with great SQ , but just couldn't get him to understand that his cabin just wasn't a room designed for great sound it just has way to many odd shapes and sizes and that hanging his speakers by chains wasn't ever going to give him any bass response and no way to get the same kind of sound staging I could with my car's system with the DSP, as he had a 31 band Harmon graphic eq, where i tried to explain how the DSP gave me 5 10 band parabolic EQ's as well as timings delay

[@smokedog7730]

Most of us live in houses here in the UK city or not.

[@obscurazone]

@@smokedog7730 I'm from the UK. And my point is equally applicable to "most" uk housing, it being mostly tiny awkward shaped rooms.

[@merlingstoss6332]

@smokedog7730 Pretty sure you'll find that the vast majority of those houses have been now been split up into flats or bedsits, with double or quadruple the number of people living in them than they were built for.

[@tonys4396]

If you can't afford high end audio gear, get another hobby. That means a BIG house and rooms you have built for your audio gear.

[@whitbyretreat145]

I was kicked out of an audiophile Facebook group for saying someone’s $350 8 feet speaker cables were snake oil. And I have an electrical engineering degree.

[@whitbyretreat145]

@General Lao I can smell buyer's remorse lol

[@whitbyretreat145]

@General Lao if defying laws of physics floats your boat, then be it!

[@whitbyretreat145]

@General Lao Yep, thats what we studied and trained for, unlike you

[@bacarandii]

What is the conductivity of snake oil?

[@MusicLover-rt4bs]

12. Unless of course it's pure vegan snake oil, then it's 42.@@bacarandii

[@pedrocols]

There's a guy on his 60s claiming he can still hear up to 19.5khz...lol

[@dahaizang]

Who? Any link?

[@geofflongford2008]

Pardon

[@shanerorko8076]

Possible, if he has been in quite environments his entire life, I just did a YT test sweep and hit 16.5khz and I have been in a mechanic workshop for the past 17 years.

[@Rondo2ooo]

​@shanerorko8076 The degradation happens due to age. Constant loud noises accelerate the process. Forget YT sweep tests. Go to the ENT for a checkup. There are often dips in certain frequency.

[@scottlord5288]

I used to have very good hearing way up into “Bat level” ;) But, it all decreases with age. I mix and record music for fun and always tail things off beyond 16khz. Makes no difference really to my ears and nobody ever seems to comment. Most of what makes music work well is the mid range anyway. I hate too much boost at either end. I see people continuously pump up their subwoofers because they wants to be in a cinema. All it does is make me feel sick(!). Ah well, you pays your money eh? :)

[@VintageVic93]

I don’t care what anyone says. I’m enjoying my Sith Audio Audiophile Coaster. It helps to isolate the glass so that the bass energy doesn’t get lost in my drink. My system sounds very musical now.

[@DodgyBrothersEngineering]

Not to mention your drink stays fizzier for much longer. That alone is worth the investment, even before the sonic improvements it makes to the system.

[@jimgardner5129]

Yeah, yeah, rub it in. We can't all afford fancy coasters.

[@moniack]

I've tried other coasters, but until I tried the Sith Audio version I was never a believer. Now I'm looking to spend even more than the $99 (I got it during the Labor Day sale) I spent on the Sith.

[@ranbymonkeys2384]

Theres been fake ones going around and less it's made with the patented s quark, you my friend have been had. The s quark design features a 80/20 density to air ratio that is only obtainable by a unique manufacturing process called "squarking" so if you have a fake one I believe it's all in your head.

[@christinearmington]

Yep 🤦‍♀️😆

[@davidt8438]

I have my turntable attached to a cork base which allows me to float it in distilled and ionized water. It’s self leveling (obviously) and is next to my integrated amplifier which has speaker connections utilizing solid copper rods (10mm) to the speakers. I experience very little signal loss because of the copper rods so my speakers receive every frequency known to man… and then some. The speakers have been modified by using a vapor deposition method to apply a super thin coating of titanium, producing compounds of hydrogen along with boron nitride. This gives an outstandingly flexible and yet nimble surface for sound waves to be produced from almost before the signal is received by the speakers themselves. The speakers are suspended over the floor by a series of opposing rare earth industrial magnets. I don’t use a CD player or streaming because I don’t believe in gimmicks.

[@JG-DivMan]

I knew a guy once with (arguably) more money than brains. He had *at least* 50K in his system at the time, but rarely played it because he could always find "one more thing" that he wanted to improve -- and once he identified what it was that needed an upgrade, it bugged him so much that his system became "unlistenable" until he bought the new thing. Rinse, lather, and repeat and it's quite easy to see how he had so much invested in his gear. I knew that there was no test I could perform that would convince him otherwise (his system, by this point, was quite good and incredibly enjoyable to listen to). It was sad, actually, because what should've been an enjoyable experience had turned into a perpetual exercise in frustration for him. From then onward, I've gone with the mantra that the best system is one that's being listened to. They all sound the same when they're powered off.

[@TrevorDodd-ev1sx]

Been there and done that ! In the end I realised I was obsessed with audio quality and lost the enjoyment of the music I was so passionate about. Now I am enjoying my music with an IPhone and earbuds with a Bluetooth speaker for the home.

[@XB10001]

​@@TrevorDodd-ev1sxthat's all it takws. My best system is my car stereo. 😁

[@Colin-From-Corby-yy4vb]

Yes I have the T-shirt, but thankfully recognized my illness that had become obsessive, so pulled the plug on buying upgrades, my ex used to call it 'Upgradeitus' never a better description in my opinion, always chasing that elusive ultimate part that will make your system better than ever lol, easy to fall into that trap, the first sign of it is watching KZbin videos about a new better than ever Amplifier, or a brand new version of a pair of speakers you've always wanted, then having bought those supa dupa speakers, then you suddenly realize you need to upgrade your speaker cables to get the best out of your new supa dupa speakers 😅😅 on and on it goes 👍

[@jamesvozar1]

yep just like all woman look the same with the lights turned off.

[@DaveJ6515]

The funny thing is that you think that 50k for a stereo set is some outrageous amount of money. It is not. You all guys are right saying that cables cannot make a difference. In your cheap audio system, they don’t, because there’s no way you can hear a difference in a 5k system (or even a 10k system). I know because I have had a cheap system for most of my life. But in a real hifi system, rest assured that a lot of things make a difference (while others don’t, for instance hi-res music or 24bit, audiophile ethernet cables, audiophile streamers)

[@robertdaly6209]

I purchased a speaker system for $1500.00 years ago at a high end stereo store. The sales person was talking about the "transparency, the coloration" of the sound. I didn't understand how you can hear all these things that have nothing to do with sound. I brought the speakers home and set them up and played a cd of classical piano and noticed what sounded like a cone rubbing at one note that was playing. I brought it back to the store amd setup the exact cd with the cd at the point where i can hear the cone rub. He couldn't hear it. He can hear the transparency and the coloration but, not a simple cone rub. He did have the speaker replaced just to make me happy.

[@jenbill]

Not only Speaker placement can have substantial impact on sound quality but objects near the speakers can play a role, buddy of mine was going crazy when he couldn’t figure out a slightly distracting noise he was picking up from his stereo, said he tried everything he could think of before asking me to come over and give a listen, poor guy was in tears ready to buy a new system so I go over and he cranks it up after going around the room to each speaker I bust out laughing and tell him the problem it was a little glass figurine sitting near one speakers picking up vibration causing it to rattle Ahahahaahah!

[@MJLUCEY-sd1mq]

So, not a "Golden Ear" then?

[@matthewpeterson3329]

This is funny, and I have a similar story. I was painting a room, so I had everything pulled away from the walls, masking where needed, and when I am all done, I had the kids help me peel off the masking. I replace everything once the paint was dry and go about my business. A few days later, I turn on my stereo and it sounds like one of my woofers is blown out... a fluttering rasp as if the foam was shot. Grille comes off to inspect and everything is fine. What the hell? Turns out my 3 year old had stuck a small piece of masking tape in the rear port, and it was fluttering like the reeds on a two-stroke carb. That 3 year old is now 18 and he's totally into music. Because of that story being told over the years, his listening space is completely sterile... nothing stays in the room that isn't glued down. He's a bit obsessive about it, and I have considered some harmless sabotage as payback.

[@APinTheAK]

@@MJLUCEY-sd1mqwell, he did pick it up tho… sooo….

[@what-h3j]

Similar issue at my buddies place. Had a very distracting noise when trying to listen. Tried several things.. cranked the volume and that helped some but could still hear it. Finally, put his bratty kids outside and everything sounded good.

[@jenbill]

@@what-h3j 😂😂😂👍

[@fridgemagnet]

Audiophiles use music to listen to their systems, music lovers use their systems to listen to music.

[@jakecraddock2575]

Perfectly summarised

[@wavemechanic4280]

what if I told you music lovers can be audiophiles too

[@blackdaan]

why do people even like this post

[@blackdaan]

@fridgemagnet it makes no sense. Music is ment to be touching. And only a few of us know this. Because they have truly good speakers. It's just a shame sooo many songs are not well recorded. Like 95% of all the music from the 80s till now is bad recorded. When sound is so precise its so beautiful and touching. It's something you probably never will understand I would say you don't know what music truly is. And I do..

[@fridgemagnet]

@@wavemechanic4280 absolutely.

[@SylvainDuford]

I think purified air makes everything sound better, less interference with the sound waves. Arctic air is the best, makes the sound crisper and airier.

[@techsamurai11]

I use a humidifier to add more weight to the high frequencies! In fact, my EQ system takes humidity into account and will stop and start the AC unit accordingly😄

[@jimgardner5129]

Hey, if the best water for vodka comes from Arctic ice, I'm with ya 100%.

[@asotomayor]

Do people living closer to the tropics hear things “warmer”?

[@kongwee1978]

@@techsamurai11 Bless your electronic don't deteriorate faster. I live in hot and very humid country.

[@jackwood2328]

Now I understand the 8 track on my snowmobile sounding so fine.

[@DJ_PROMO_PR]

Audio BLIND TEST comparisons. The nightmare of audiophiles. 🤷‍♂

[@chrisantoniou4366]

True, but the only way to properly subjectively test anything.

[@lug.5329]

Yes!

[@Justin-fy7xk]

They are dead nuts against blind tests. They are conspiracy theorists in the audio world who do not like to be found out for the horsesh- - they sprout.

[@IlBiggo]

There's still a 50/50 chance to actually spot the more expensive system. A True Audiophile will pray to the Mighty Golden Cable, luck out, and proceed to buy something made in a gold/platinum alloy.

[@chrisantoniou4366]

@@IlBiggo Yes, and no. A proper blind test is done enough times to rule out the possibility of chance. You also need to ensure that a test can be falsified - for instance, I can listen to a fantastically good set up and compare it to a transistor radio and maintain I can't hear a difference, or that I think the transistor radio sounds better than the good set up! If someone believes there IS a difference between components, it is up to them to prove it by picking out which system they prefer. If this is done correctly and a preference is consistent over multiple listenings, then one needs to conclude that there is in fact a difference and that difference makes that system sound better, or even if the component being tested makes the system sound worse!

[@michaelsterckx4120]

I'm an ageing working class boy from a Britsh Comprehensive school background, I know how to stretch a pound and my budget is set up is budget, but I know what I like and it suits my ears. The musi is more important the fashion label quality of the equipment. I'm happy. The£500 machine for shaving off the edge of a CD, to gain an allegedly superior audio sound, and roundly mocked by Techmoan did make me chuckle at the gullibility of these self deluding fools.

[@Gullsz]

You don't need perfect pitch to mimic music. Relative pitch is the same skill, but you can't identify the notes, just the relationships. Not only that but after embarking on relative pitch training myself, not only did my musical ability improve, but I found it much easier to discern lyrics and follow baselines and melodies than I did before. In my own experience, training my ear did make it easier to hear details in playback music.

[@qua7771]

I'm close. Perfect pitch would drive me nuts. Everything would have to be just so. Tuning down a half step wreaks havoc on my note orientation in the worst way. Perfect pitch would bee too much drama.

[@RennieAsh]

Training your brain. The ear works the same :)

[@mycosys]

@@RennieAsh Yes, but not your conscious brain - the auditory cortex has specialised neural hardware dedicated to both pitch and harmonic detection, directly connected to the auditory nerve. Saying ear is a lot easier ;)

[@mycosys]

When you're trying to tune a room full of instruments together, absolute pitch doesnt matter but gee relative pitch is important XD (Synthesist world problems lol)

[@tempus_fugit7366]

I built my system on a shoestring budget. I can't afford the most collectible and desirable components. Early on, I set a few ground rules for myself. First try to ensure all or nearly all components were of the same brand and then make sure the components were the best I could afford, or find stellar bargains. This was a personal choice and was based on nothing more than a simple preference. My system mostly is a hodgepodge of items from the same brand but all from different time periods, including the 70's to the 90's. All were clean and functional and other than a miscellaneous belt or some simple cleaning, they were ready to run with little investment or effort. To me, my system sounds great and I couldn't be happier. Like many of us, I am ALWAYS on the lookout for better components and as long as I can satisfy my rules, I will always be happy. Ultimately though, I am the only person my system needs to impress!

[@robh9079]

Cool! btw for info; Perfect Pitch is the ability to recognise specific pitches without reference point. What you described was playing by ear - so someone with PP would not necessarily (e.g.) be able to recreate complex chords and accompaniment and someone with a good ear and good relative pitch might be able to do just that - though if from memory might play it back in a different key. PP is an advantange in some things, a massive advantage in a few niche things, and possibly an annoyance in others (e.g. if playing in a different tuning or using a transpose function).

[@Newrecordday2013]

Thank you for the correction.

[@robh9079]

@@Newrecordday2013 Thank you for the Video!

[@AudioExplorer]

My college jazz instructor has perfect pitch and it drove him nuts when we had a chart arranged in a different key than the original he had in his head. He told me that it was an advantage at moments but he’d rather rely on his relative pitch if he had the choice. As a musician I have found it true, not having perfect pitch isn’t a hold back at all. AND, when one ages it can go away…. Relative pitch hangs around, especially if it is a learned skill. Thanks for the comment and putting the correct information out here. 👍

[@danielgeiger7739]

Yep. Also a problem in baroque music with old pitch of a' = 415 Hz vs modern a' = 440 Hz. And then there is scordatura sheet music, which sends PP folks up the wall. Looks like normal music (more or less, never mind sharps *and* flats in the key signature) but is actually a fingering chart. There are advantages of being non-pp.

[@AudioExplorer]

@@danielgeiger7739 definitely. I used to obsess over that until I understood the down side and realized that just having pp alone doesn’t make someone a musician. Yet the myth persists lol.

[@hoth2112]

The instant gratification of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome) is a tough thing to overcome. It's easy to think that upgrading to the latest/best new piece of gear will do all these wonderful things, but when you've already got good gear, but a bare room with no treatment or placement, you haven't even heard what the gear you currently have is doing. It's not about how much you spend, it's about how you spend

[@hgbucher]

I went thru Guitar Acquisition Syndrome years ago. Terrible disease.

[@hoth2112]

@@hgbucheri feel it, there's still bass guitars I would love to own one day, but i dont play bass enough in any fashion to even consider paying the $4000-8000 for each of them... Especially when im left handed...

[@jimgardner5129]

Personally speaking, I find the release of GAS to be even more gratifying.

[@VeI_2.0]

I have PTGAS. Post traumatic gear acquisition syndrome... *shakes uncontrollably*

[@jcfab1266]

I always thought "Perfect Pitch" was when you threw an accordion into a dumpster and it landed on a banjo!!😂

[@maker-matt]

And then the two of them fell onto the bagpipes. I think bagpipes were invented when someone was carrying a sick goose under their arm and squeezed a bit too hard.

[@bruth6138]

I got in an argument at an “audiophile” store about an optical cable. It was like 800 dollars and he said it “sounded more warm” than the cheap ones. Jesus. Its digital. It works or it doesn’t.

[@Stringboiler]

But $900 cable sounds warmer)

[@nuttyisms]

Well, you could try borrowing a decent cable from your dealer & swapping out the standard CAT cable and listen for yourself in your own system before making that statement. They all work, but sound quality isn't like an on & off switch. If it sounds the same, you win.

[@Synflood-dot-txt]

​@@nuttyismsyou know digital connections have correction codecs?

[@BoOb-yd4dk]

@@nuttyismsdigital is literally on off.

[@theaudiofool5475]

I have a great audio system, but my room sucks. I placed my Bowers & Wilkins 805d3 's as far from the wall as the lady of the house accepts in our living room, technically it is not enough but the sound stage is decent. I also don't have any room treatment in the way most Audiophiles think of, like absorbers en deflectors. But I do have carpets, sofa's, furniture, lamps, potted plants, curtains. 😬 And I have one trick up my sleeve my wife does not realises😁 As a hobby photographer I have made some large canvas prints of some of my own photos, and I have placed 18mm thick felt behind these photos 😅 And because I dont have a separate listening room that's al I can and want to do, because ultimately it is way more important to enjoy the music than breaking my head about the last 1-2 % of sound stage.

[@shanerorko8076]

It sounds like you need to ditch your wife.

[@theaudiofool5475]

@@shanerorko8076 Go ditch your own wife, if you even have one.

[@kolgrillarn]

🎉I😂 What they dont know about, they dont feel bad about! She got a painting/picture and you got better acoustics, both happy👍👍

[@usaturnuranus]

This one of the best guides on achieving the sound you really want. Soundstage baby, it's the magic. Speaker placement and a few correct room treatments can turn an average decent system into something pretty surprising and remarkable. EQ is for dialing in small, final corrections, and best used sparingly. BTW, zero out any EQ and tone knobs when positioning your speakers, get those right, and then see if you need to adjust these. You might be surprised.

[@MikeGervasi]

Your video on speaker placement changed everything for me years ago and I HIGHLY recommend everyone watch and follow it as it's gospel truth. My Cornwall IV's are about 6' from the back wall in the sweet spot. I have to say regarding EQ, having a Room Correction system like a MiniDSP makes a world of difference as it adjusts spectrum freqs and timing based on the mic measurements of the room. Of course you can EQ to taste AFTER that room correction but then what you'll find is album to album that tone will vary based on the mastering. While a perfect jazz album may sound beautiful, put on a Todd Rundgren/Utopia album and your top notch system will sound all wrong. So then what? Chase the tone album to album? Maybe.... but it comes with a dash of insanity.

[@johncasteel1780]

I am closer to 80 than 70, so I have been around for a while. My favorite bit of idiocy is the idea that cables need "breaking in" to achieve their optimal performance.

[@billvill61]

All they need is a sufficient gauge to carry the signal and sufficient shielding to not bleed that signal over longer runs....well that, and decent connectors to transfer the signal to the loudspeaker.

[@AudioGuyBrian]

Don't forget about the lunacy behind cables that have to have a certain direction to them. The first time I saw that I thought.. do people not really understand how alternating current works. There is no direction!

[@burritocodes]

How about the notion that a specific cable can boost frequencies? "This four-thousand dollar cable can bring out the mids, making female vocals more forward."

[@patland1762]

That and cryo treatment.

[@Faxie83]

Didn't you know the crystals need to set in the cable?

[@drdiesel1]

I demand more black and white porch jamming Ron.

[@andyr8812]

I know some audiophiles that are well into their 40's, but audiophiles should actually never be more than 20 years of age, and should pass the frequency hearing test of at least 18 kHz. How can someone be an audiophile if he/she can not hear the whole audio frequency range?

[@dan.nathan]

I was going to make a list, but this comment right here is the dumbest thing I've heard so far.

[@craigellsworth3952]

​@@dan.nathan So you are over 40?

[@elitetrader5468]

The highest pitched instrument in an orchestra is the piccolo at 5000 Hz. So lots of old people in their 80s can still enjoy the symphony quite well.

[@heyguyslolGAMING]

My wife left me because she was say'n something about how I listen to music more than I listen to her. I dunno tbh I wasn't really paying attention. However, when she left me she didn't shoot my dog but rather ran over him w/ her car. She later came back and took EVERYTHING from me; she even took the ice trays in the freezer. What kind of a sick b!tch takes the f#cking ice trays??!!

[@evil_twit]

Well she could have recorded her words and you'd certainly listen then, riiiiight?

[@dougbulldog9947]

The three most important and significant audio tweaks I use are fail safe, fairly simple, reasonably common and readily available, they are mathematically based and scientifically proven, through many year's of blind listening sessions, although these important tweaks are time sensitive and mood dependent, they can be measured quite easily, when perfectly applied in just the right sequence, audio navada can be achieved with or without EQ with the combination of kind Weed, Willie and Whiskey.

[@kongwee1978]

The problem about blind test is, you get 20 audio engineering student ABX 20 cable in lecture room and listen to different. But do not tell what to listen for. Start telling everyone no difference, a Z-cord will sound just fine.

[@sjhorton1184]

Saw that one coming...although I was expecting whiskey first...or wine is some cases. And yes, it is a joke, but yes it actually does make a difference as you relax, it changes how your jaw opens your ear canal among other things. Try listening while clenching your jaw, and then with your mouth open and see if it makes any difference. YMMV...

[@dougbulldog9947]

@@sjhorton1184 yeh blind drunk and slack jawed

[@carlitomelon4610]

PRaT was a mnemonic coined in British Audiophile circles by Linn/Naim dealers i believe. Ironically: "What is a prat in British slang? (præt ) noun. slang. an incompetent or ineffectual person: often used as a term of abuse. Collins English Dictionary." Ironically #2 : Music is impossible without pace rhythm or timing 🎵🎶🙄🎶🎵 Entrainment comes naturally to those who listen 😮

[@nuttyisms]

It's a derogatory term, usually preceded by a graphic verb...

[@stevenmichael7770]

The first time I heard someone reference PRAT I wanted to choke them through my screen. As a drummer for many years, I was unaware that the speaker and amplifier were responsible for what I thought was my job. This is the pinnacle of hifi nonsense. Thank you for calling it out.

[@JoshFisher567]

Front firing port allows for easy room placement. Reducing problems associated with having the speaker close to the back wall. With that said, most speakers have rear firing ports so that one can depend. Even if it's front firing you don't want it "against" the wall but it definitely doesn't need the distance a rear firing port speaker needs.

[@Leroyy536]

Spliff IN and exhale OUT makes my cheap system king

[@keithneal5369]

Hi, greetings from the UK. Back in the 70s some guy marketed a product called electret foils, tiny triangular pieces of aluminium foil that he claimed if attached to plugs, cables, headshells etc would improve the sound of your system. Magazine's even reviewed them . What a load of rubbish. Sticking them in your ears may have changed the sound somewhat but what a con. Also paying a fortune for cables seems such a waste of money. Keeping connections clean gives much better results.

[@philharris9631]

You mean Peter Belt … (RIP)

[@every1665]

My favorite was the speaker cable (sold by the meter - no fitted connectors) with little arrows all pointing in one direction. The arrows had to point towards the speakers because "The electrons flow better in this direction". Forgive me if I'm wrong, but speaker signals are AC. And of course I'd be surprised if electrons preferred moving through copper wire in one direction!

[@jamesfoo8999]

It's entirely possible that a cable can be designed and even manufactured with some intentional aspect that allows it to be stated it is directional. So yes it could be legit it being stated. However, this is basic 101 marketing and doesn't mean it bears any difference whatsoever, and likely doesn't.

[@PhonoDirect]

@@jamesfoo8999Those "aspects" have names. Mostly a "snake oil".

[@listeningto8371]

@@jamesfoo8999 nonsense

[@totalplonker824]

Arrows on cables are for future reference. One wouldn't wish to run a cable a different direction other to the way it's already been burnt in! I once thought I burnt a cable in the wrong way direction only to discover now that the cable has already been burnt in. I'd be better off leaving it, and in the future, just run it that way. If one actually experienced the difference, one know why! Disparaging comments usually come from those for whatever reason are unwilling to take the punt.

[@listeningto8371]

@@totalplonker824 The disparaging remarks are coming from intelligent people.

[@akhnenaton]

I've only known 3 people in my life with 20Hz to 20Khz. You do NOT want 20Hz to 20Khz, trust me. It will drive you mad.

[@Taylor88Productions]

The dumbest thing I've heard is audiophils saying they can HEAR the difference between good speaker cables and "high end" speaker cables. Cmon now... There's no way! 🤣

[@elitetrader5468]

Maybe they can. Maybe some can't. Maybe you can too? Have you tried? And everyone discounts the placebo effect as being bad. If your brain is tricked into thinking something more is there (whether or not it is) and you obtain more enjoyment, isn't the goal achieved? Isn't that why people abuse drugs?

[@jimtaylor201]

There have been blind tests related to that and speakers connected with coat hanger wire and were indistinguishable from the the premium wire. As long as the wire can meet the power requirements of the speaker its fine.

[@Mart77]

Placebo effect works with everything. For example blind wine tasting, if you tell your subject that glass A has very expensive wine and glass B has cheap wine (while in reality it's the other way around) - they'll say that A has tons of depth and taste while B is just bland. If subject knows that something is expensive then they almost always tell it's better. Same with speaker cables, c'mon bruh these $2000 cables must sound better than $30 cables from hardware store,

[@nazaholicable]

Speaker positioning, as described by you in this video, and the resultant 'sound stage' effect is totally true. I brought the speakers further into the room, because of your advice. Nothing much happened upon my first attempt, but this was down to me not pulling the speakers out far enough. I was convinced that pulling them out even further would negate bass. Not so. The whole system has that sound stage going on big time. What's more the sound is more acceptable at lower-than-before levels. Bass is still there and well defined. Instrument separation is immense. You were so right on this one. I had taken as gospel that the speaker manufacturer was correct to talk in terms of 1 foot from the wall. But no, you have to get the speakers into the room. For me, that was 17 inches out, meaning, the back of the speakers were /are now 17 inches from the rear wall. This is the sweet spot for me, and I'd never have gone beyond the manufacturers recommendation without watching your video. So a big thank you from me. You know your stuff.

[@magnustorque5528]

LOL @ 375 hrs of "burn in" time eclipsing the return policy.

[@daleboylen6427]

Ears are like anything else. The more you train, the more you listen, the more you use them, the better they get. The average person, the average audio listener doesn't listen like that, doesn't train his/her ears as others do. It's no different than body builders. Huge muscle mass is possible but only if you work on it hours and hours every day. Those folks don't have "Golden muscles", they work their asses off at it. I've been a musician all my life. Recording engineer for 40 years. Trust me when I tell you I hear things in music others simply don't hear, not because they can't hear it (they can), but rather they aren't TRAINED to hear it. For example, take the Joni Mitchell "Blue" album. I easily and readily heard different vocal mics on her voice on literally every single song on that album. (Verified by mastering engineer Steve Hoffman). How many here have heard that album hundreds of times w/o picking up on that detail? When I first heard the MFSL vinyls of Frank Sinatra back in the 80's, I could easily hear his voice was out of phase with the orchestra. My ears are trained to hear these things. It's not "golden ears" it's training. Hours and hours a day for decades. Just like body building. So sorry Ron, have to disagree with you here.

[@Newrecordday2013]

What you described is something I can get behind, or something as I’ve described as a trained or experienced ear. The “golden ear” thing I feel is a little different and I’ve noticed a lot of audiophiles like to believe they have it without anything close as to what you articulated here. So, we might actually agree, just need a little more context.

[@elitetrader5468]

100%. Very much like watching a movie a hundred times. You will pick up on more things.

[@txstanger]

Fairly new watcher and I do love your videos. This one was hilarious, and you nailed it about the crazy stuff people tend to say or spew on the internet.

[@claypf4795]

Watch any of his videos from 3+ years ago..

[@davidharrington1133]

People who are actual musicians are almost never audiophiles

[@scottborenstein8291]

I’ve been an audio enthusiast for decades. I had a 10 band EQ in the 80’s because they were popular, could never get the system to sound correct with it. EQ’s used by people with no clue will certainly make your system sound crappy. Set up and yes some room treatments are crucial for how the system will sound. I now have an integrated amp without any tone controls at all. And my system sounds great.

[@RUfromthe40s]

that´s real ,my better system doesn´t have tone controls and sounds perfect in most of the recordings no matter the source type but i have components with a quality that sounds good in flat and being a relative modern tube amplifier didn´t came with a phono input but i bought a chinese tube pre-amp for 35 € and it´s working perfect with one of my turntables using a high output cartridge it delivers a incredible good sound but when younger i had the luck of my father buying a complete Revox system and already having a good system i received the top-end components from the 76 pioneer catalog, that i only when beeing sick of seeing everyday for two decades the grey system in brushed aluminium, in the 90´s i bought a entire new system in colour black and i was better in what concerns to my economical condition so i bought what i thought it was a good system and tried at least 3 till i kept one till today, the equalizer it´s a funny component ,i had a real good equalizer but i almost never connected it ,the funny thing is when using cds for the first time i had to use equalizer or the cd would be the less good sounding component in my system and was a expensive cd player , normally i hear people comenting that did the test of asking some friends to listen to a song and then say wich was the cd and wich was the cassette ,well , normally the cassette always sound better for the fact that if one uses an average cassette deck the sound will become more dynamic and not so compressed as it sounds the cd. I having a lot of music in cd and records when listening to music i always make a recording on cassette with my favorite songs for diferent types of music that i own ,it´s to me more simple to hear first my favorite songs and when wanting to listen to the whole album i hear it but the cassettes are always available when wanting to hear diferent types of music , maybe in 2017 i started to use spotify and made playlists of diferent types of music ,that when i want to hear it´s just a matter of starting my computer and listen to those playlists and with time i change songs on those playlists add or remove songs that are not sounding that good to me because i hear them a lot of times and making the recording of cassettes not so often and when wanting to record one i already improved the list of songs i wanted to hear or by listening to new albums on spotify i started to spend more money on records or cds , but the only deck i tried and found it with enough quality to be heard in direct source was the pioneer CT-93 also the CT-95 but i prefer the CT-93 that uses the design of a tradicional cassette deck and compared to others it as a higher quality output and a wider spectrum of frequencies on the recordings, but in my 76 system i still use a ZX-9 from nakamichi , a pioneer CT-959 and the CT-F1000 that after all these years with regular maintenance still sounds perfect and having a cd player that i recognise as being excelent the PD-73 also have other to my main system with the transport and functions in two modules but i bought it to make cds sound better with my direct amplifier sound ,it´s a CEC or chuodenki i bought in mid 90´s. I remenber at the time friends telling me that the rega cd players are incredible good "you have to try one" , after all these years mine is the only that still works as if it was the first day i used it ,others or are stoped with problems others work but not all cds play there and look real bad ,mine still looks new ,even the PD-73 from pioneer still works perfect and delivers great sound without having to make a repair ,just tune the laser more or less from 10 to 10 years if it needs to be done but being a 80´s cd player now it needs some attention, in 2019 i ask a friend who repairs electronic devices , if it needed a new laser or engine ,he told me that it was still ok but to buy a new laser because when in need of one they stoped being sold but i found one in a componets store for 400€ ,i phoned my friend and asked him if it was that expensive ,he replyed that they are very rare to be found now and in his catalog of parts it costs 300€ and this in a catalog from 2014 ,i bought it but the original one still works perfect after being tuned, equalizer is always needed today with digital sources mainly if one hears rock music ,the guitars need to be improved on the equalizer normally in the 2khz frequency, wich in spotify is a frequency that is played higher ,maybe why it sounds on the amplifier and through some HPM-150 relativelly good

[@SingularityMedia]

Sound treatment in your room is the most major thing you can do to improve your sound. If people haven't treated their rooms and are blathering about different cables, they have no idea what they are talking about.

[@rockyhill9965]

Yes. EQ tweaking can easily cause phasing to be out of place, causing "mushy" or "unclear" music.

[@aeyb701]

Fremer gave his blessing to Krupps-Funkensheit mica-cellulose audiophile record sleeves (June, 2018) which “reset the bar for imaging, presence and air”…”blow Mobile Fidelity’s out of the water”, were his exact words. ;)

Things You have mentioned are just entry level to audiofoolery. The rabbit hole is deep and it starts at burning in the power cords, goes trough esoteric tweaks such as "quantum" fuses, cable lifters or magical "room treatments" or ground conditioning, and ends where the magic starts: Schummann resonators, shun mook mpingo discs, various resonators and tweaks that goes full feng shui. I could talk about this all day long, i run local (Polish) channel on testing audiovoodoo claims

[@TheDystopiaInside]

The *BEST* thing about audiophiles is I usually get so frustrated reading about all the expensive gear that I need that I give up and just decide to be happy with what I have, or just do something else besides listen to music. Thanks audiophiles 👍

[@roadcykler62]

The thing that gets me, is that many folks get into disagreements about what and what doesn't make an audible difference in a system. Until something has been blind tested in a controlled environment, it's all opinion. I do take a slightly different tack with your stance on EQs. Several years ago, lots of reviewers both professional and not, were enamored with a very small pair of Andrew Jones designed Pioneer speakers that were selling for about $100. I bought a pair and didn't like them at all. They had very little treble to my ears. I even asked my wife to listen to them, and with no prompting, she said the highs were not there or muffled, and she couldn't care less about a stereo. An EQ may have helped that, but I didn't take the time to find out and returned them. It's all subjective.

[@rproctor83]

Being an audiophile is akin to chasing the dragon. IMHO there is no reason to fall into the rabbit hole unless you enjoy throwing away money and time.

[@chrispicquet733]

Good point! Been building speakers for some time now.Time Arrival is critical.Voice Coil alignment is the way to build speakers without complex crossover designs,that simply try to compensate for the design flaw.

[@Montreal_Audio_Systems]

Nothing beats an active system! That is why studios all use monitors with active crossovers!

[@JoelHernandez-tz3vk]

​@@Montreal_Audio_Systems although I imagine the biggest drawback is that it's more expensive. Such crossovers seem to be guaranteed to cost at least $200. ... I still want an active system anyways.

[@steverushforth7009]

While at uni I had a Saturday job at a top-end HiFi centre, it was the time of overpriced cable becoming a thing, and the commission on these cables was astronomical, one of the tricks was to have a resistor in line with the standard cables to make the boost in gain when the "premium cables were swapped in.

[@Grumpy_old_Boot]

The mumbo jumbo cable sellers sell, is unbelievable ! Are cables important, sure. But as long as you are playing at regular day to day volumes, a regular 240v cable will be good enough, if it's shielded.

[@mycosys]

@@Grumpy_old_Boot You dont particularly need to shield a cable carrying 40 Volt signals that wont be amplified.

[@Grumpy_old_Boot]

@@mycosys It's still good to have shielded loudspeaker cables, especially if they are lying next to some active 240 volt AC cables.

[@mttrashcan-bg1ro]

It frustrates me the amount of headphones out there with god awful cables, and to replace them with ones that aren't super stiff or rubbery and awkward to use, you either pay hardly anything and get garbage, or have to pay over $100 for a nice cable that the headphones should have come with. My Sundara has a terrible cable, so does my DT 700 Pro X, and I have a Focal Radiance on the way and I hear even Focal cables aren't very good. The Sennheiser ones like on the HD58X are alright though.

[@drozcompany4132]

@@Grumpy_old_BootNo amount of shielding will suppress 50/60 Hz AC on a speaker line, sorry. I'm an EMC engineer so I know a few things about this.

[@slidetek]

I caught the audio bug in 1973. Luckily (more or less) I went through most of these phases and have settled down with incremental changes for the past 20 some odd years. I probably wouldn't have changed anything if not for a divorce and being without a system for a few years - heck I probably still wouldn't have a DAC. The part I loved the most about the Mo-Fi "debacle" was all those _golden ears_ who could hear those digital stair steps anywhere apparently missed it here. Bwahaha. Me? Yes, I have cable lifters. *Not because it sounds better.* But, because I have woven cloth covered braided cables and a dog. You try vacuuming/plucking dog fir out of -fur tumbleweed catchers- braided cable for an hour and suddenly those lifters are a godsend. BTW, _orphan hearts_ are still the best option for a properly setup phono stage. Beany baby blood is basically the beyond meat substitute.

[@zulumax1]

Remember in 1973 when building your own DIY speakers was all the rage? If you had a table saw and some plans from Popular Science magazine, or Popular Mechanics, you were in the game. Built some of my own designs that would have Danny Richie climbing the walls! Did not know about crossover design, driver placement, phase response, and edge diffraction. 2 foot tall cabinets with 12" three way coaxial driver all the way near the floor, and added a horn tweeter all the way near the top. Phase response and comb filtering on those would be terrible! Everyone learns lessons in this hobby and will make mistakes, it is part of the journey, and fun.😏

[@jimgardner5129]

Now here's a dedicated audiophile.

[@dkindig]

LMAO! Finally, a practical real-world use for cable lifters! I have a long-haired cat and feel your pain...

[@RennieAsh]

Run some tape along them :)

[@RennieAsh]

@@zulumax1 I've seen some speakers that had nice woodworking but was really poor in terms of speaker design . And then there's the speakers that have decent design but never got a coat of paint lol

[@thejollyjoker187]

Whatever we ever say or shout, they will ALWAYS think that gear from popular brands are better than the rest. This is the one thing they will NEVER shake off.. Just seeing the popular brand label, somehow lights up the "better" sign inside their brain. Like fashion victims, but with hi-fi gear. It's a plague.

[@davidperry4013]

Expensive cables that costs hundreds if not thousands are literally just jewelry for your sound system and serve no sonic improvements.

[@elitetrader5468]

I'm sure you've thoroughly tested this in your own system to reach said conclusion.

[@IlBiggo]

@@elitetrader5468 Do you touch EVERY flame you see to confirm it's hot? Knowledge is a thing.

[@elitetrader5468]

@@IlBiggo Hmm, not an accurate analogy in my opinion.

[@IlBiggo]

@@elitetrader5468 The only way a cable makes your system sound better is when a previous cable was broken. Electricity at those levels and frequencies isn't a mystery.

[@ralfbaechle]

I disagree. Jewelry at least looks good and maintains its value more or less.

[@smanzoli]

My music flows much better now I've used vaseline in the audio cables.

[@doctorbritain9632]

I was at a hifi show in the eighties when some bloke was putting little stickers on CDs and people swore blind they could tell the difference, he was selling sheets of them for £££. Complete and utter snake oil but people still fell for it. I realised then that audio was full of huxters.

[@johncasteel1780]

Back then, a green magic marker had the same effect.

[@kjelleriksson2793]

@@johncasteel1780 Or a blue one.

[@brianpacheco1927]

A good power cable reduces jitter which is noise. Better shielding, less noise, more detail and dynamics. Not hard to believe or understand.

[@NeilBlanchard]

Ron, you make excellent points. There are a number of things that do need to be questioned/checked/called out in this thing we all enjoy; called listening to music. I hope that a discussion will be had - about why more speakers should be designed to play close(r) to the wall - and how this a good thing! For myself, I need good tonal balance with as much bass extension as is reasonably possible - this is personally more important than even soundstage. Though the good news is, I think, that good quality bass and enough bass extension - is part and parcel with good soundstage.

[@rosswarren436]

Indeed. I know open baffle speakers and Magnepans or Martin Logans can sound GREAT in the right room where they can be pulled out far, but most people don't have that "right room"...Or even if they do, there is too much risk in leaving such speakers out if you have pets or children that might topple them.

[@NeilBlanchard]

@@rosswarren436 Yes, open baffle speakers are necessarily different than most other types of speakers. For lack of a better name "box speakers" can be designed to work "with" room lift, and therefore can (or need to) be placed closer to the wall. This can avoid a bass hump or boom that can result with a speakers that is designed to be placed far(ther) from the wall.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

@@NeilBlanchard Sadly, I wished most speaker manufacturers will revisit the acoustic Suspension design. I have a pair of vintage ADS speakers that are just that, and the bass is phenomenal with those. Tight, throaty, but not boomy and with depth. Good example was the day I first played Fleetwood Mac's Rumours on vinyl no less and never heard Mick's drum kit so cleanly, clearly etc than I did that day when the speakers were first installed into my system. Even the, that was with the old BPC receiver, but they do better with a slightly older NAD 7240 receiver (they are 6 Ohm speakers). All I have done is put them up off the floor on milk crates so are about 15" off the floor. The big complaints from others likely stems from them being right on the floor is they can be boomy (the L810 "bookshelf" speakers).

[@adzajcom]

I've heard Audio Note speakers at NY Audio Show a few weeks ago. They are actually supposed to be placed by the wall and close to the corner as well... Very good presentation in a barely treated hotel room...

[@JoelHernandez-tz3vk]

​@@johnhpalmer6098 Arendal. Anyone?

[@imrulhaque]

This is so true 😂😂😂 people spend thousands and thousands for some things that they can’t hear but believe it’s there.

[@garymendham]

Hi, I'm new to this channel and did stumble across it by accident but you did make me laugh! Everyone's an expert on something nowadays and for the most part "audiophiles" are just sad people who need to justify spending large amounts of money on their hobby and in an effort to make themselves appear important and knowledgeable, feel the need to impart their "knowledge" to a wider audience. Forget the electrical equipment, what about the primary equipment - your ears? High frequency hearing loss with age happens to everyone - EVERYONE. What you can hear from any particular audio setup is not what you will hear from it a year later. Your ears will have changed. Perhaps if you rub your ears with the snake oil instead of applying it to your elevated oxygen-free speaker cables it will help? There are many people in this world who will always prefer pseudoscience over facts; that's why we have astrology for instance, but if someone wants to spend a huge amount of money on audio equipment then it's harmless enough and at least keeps the equipment sellers in business! Keep up the good work!

[@robertlaplaca3922]

I am 71 and have been, until recently, somewhat concerned with any speaker system that didn't have a relatively flat response to beyond 10,000 Hz. Six months ago, I had a hearing test with an audiologist that showed my hearing drops off somewhat dramatically above 6600 Hz. I no longer have this obsession and now just enjoy the music through my speakers without regard to the speakers high frequency extension.

[@jooch_exe]

I design speakers, but also amplifiers and the listening room. Details matter, great fidelity can be achieved at low cost (if you know what you are doing). If someone talks a lot about products and cables, he's not an audiophile, he's a pinata.

[@tbonet859]

I really do enjoy your review videos. As well, your knowledge and experience. However, once again.. I do believe your points are a bit detached from the reality of most music lover's lives. A large percentage of music loving people, do not have the luxury of available space to pull speakers out into the room. Or have a dedicated music room. Most people have to work their music systems in, with very limited options. Acoustic treatments are often, a path most people can not take: because they rent apartments or rent homes. Or, are not financially feasible. Some people also have young children, or enthusiastic pet; without the luxury of a dedicated music room. I have an idea. How about reviewers, such as yourself: make some suggestions regarding loudspeakers and gear, which would work well ( provide good sound) in real world apartments and homes; in closer proximity to walls. Seems like that would be a much more productive problem solving path. Thank you for your time and efforts. Informative and entertaining .

[@stevenoconnor5693]

I have to agree a 100% with you many peoples living situations don’t give you an ideal environment have ideal settings most reviews don’t try their set ups in difficult environments. I’d love to see what you would do Ron. I have a 4.2 configuration and it’s amazing but it took a great deal of time and configuration to achieve.

[@jpdj2715]

Being able to play a melody after hearing it is not "perfect pitch". Perfect pitch means you can tune the central A of a piano to 440 Hz (*) without reference, or means you can say the instrument is out of tune when that note has become 444 Hz. Being able to play a melody after hearing it in the proper key is relative pitch and every student admitted to (BA Level) conservatory should be able to do that on paper in their "solfège" admittance exam. That quality however is meaningless in the audio domain. Many musicians hear note or chord or scale or key patterns, not sound quality. In the 1800s, a Wagner hater was asked to read a score of Wagner's music by a fan. The man started reading it and after some time looked up and said, "hm, Wagner's music is more beautiful than it sounds." Just the note patterns on paper. While some musicians go to great length to have a beautifully sounding instrument, others don't and in listening most are focused on the notes they hear and how this interprets a composition than how it actually sounds. Or, many musicians are worthless in judging sound quality. And, when older, a lot of them are hearing impaired. Imagine playing on the row in front of the brass section and the trombone having to play fff (loudest) - that's 140 dB. (*) 440 Hz is today's standard. It was different in the past, just like frequency distances differed between the notes in an octave. People with perfect pitch would hear that and either revel in it for presumed historical accuracy or shiver in mental pain.

[@DustinHaning]

This is so true, if you want a perfect example of the ridiculous 'word salad' that self proclaimed audiophiles use for complete snake oil, look up reviews for audiophile cable lifters. They are literally $300+ stands that hold your cables off the ground, supposedly having clearance all around the cable improves sound quality. Depending on the length of your cables, you might have to buy dozens of these too. It's so laughable.

[@dougleydorite]

😂

[@Giovanni36]

These $100,000 cables made my system out shine anything I heard in a showroom. I’m glad I bought these million dollar speakers and $200,000 pre/pro

[@gside98]

Ron lives in Texas and doesn't own a real cowboy hat?! C'mon now.

[@molecularaudiocanada]

Serious speaker system developer here. Words can hardly express how much I agree with you on EQing to help correct a deficiency caused from physical design flaws. Correct the deficiency at it's source is most logical. This is the main reason for the practice of R&D. Earlier in your discussion you touched upon a natural ability of my great uncle, perfect pitch+. He could listen to a new complex orchestra performance via radio. Hearing it only once and then play it perfectly on his electronic piano style organ. I still don't have his specific ability to do that.

[@sparkplug5392]

word salad terms like "tubey", "holographic", "liquid"...

[@gavincurtis]

Isolation transformer is a must. Never share electrons with your neighbor; my tweeters got a yeast infection from their toaster.

[@dameanvil]

0:00 🧩 The video addresses five common misconceptions held by audiophiles. 0:19 🎵 Perfect Pitch is a genuine skill, but claiming to have a "golden ear" for detecting audio differences is often self-declared nonsense. 2:14 🕺 The belief that a system has "Pace, Rhythm, and Timing" (Pratt) is often misused and exploited by those selling audio products. 3:45 🎛️ While EQs can improve sound preference, they don't fix underlying issues in audio systems. 5:54 🔊 Proper speaker placement, away from walls, is crucial for achieving high-quality sound. 7:21 🛠 The idea that a single piece of gear can solve all audio problems is misleading; a holistic approach is necessary for optimal audio performance.

[@gj8550]

You don’t know what you don’t know. Just because you can’t tell the difference, doesn’t mean that nobody else can.

[@crazyprayingmantis5596]

I can now hear the drumsticks cutting the air on their way to striking the kit now that I have the latest DAC chip made by NASA, its the same chip they use in their Hydrotrythermalneucluatide module

[@ericschulze5641]

My pet peeve, they don't get that digital signal won't play without a dac ,everything already has a dac & if there was a "BETTER " dac you would have to disable the dac in line before it first

[@3rdaxis649]

The placebo effect is a very real and powerful thing.

[@AbsoluteFidelity]

All eq does is fix tonality issues. It does not fix jack outside of that. The end. Good luck in fixing that wonderful 3% distortion at 3khz.

[@richardbixler]

For me it’s measurements especially frequency response. Nothing against measurements, they’re very useful. But I have a feeling that there is a lot of snake oil going on with this at the moment. It’s like the car analogy. Sure, knowing a 0-60 and 60-0 time is useful when shopping for a vehicle. The most important aspect is still how you interact with the car, and your use case. You could probably find a pickup truck and convertible coupe that have nearly identical 0-60, lateral g force grip, power to weight ratio etc. You still won’t be happy with the pick up on a race track or a convertible on a camping trip. Same goes for sound systems. You can find small powered speaks that measure really flat with low distortion and massive five way towers that measure equally as well. Doesn’t mean your desktop speakers are a good fit for an auditorium or the towers are great for your 10x10 spare room. Then there’s testing methodology. If the testing is if flawed, it can be really misleading either intentionally or unintentionally. Again, no beef with scientific data if it’s controlled and transparent. It’s just the sort of pseudo scientific mumbo jumbo that a lot of people blindly follow. Like how marketing people love to show graphs and charts to make their BS look legit.

[@wiebl5266]

the one thing that will solve everything is a fallacy that I've fallen into in my journey. Thanks for articulating it so eloquently.

[@ginocolaianni46]

Just my observation: EQ's started to appear on the landscape when tube equipment was phased out due to solid state. I still think good tube equipment sounds better and fuller. But for some reason, even now, expensive solid state equipment seems to have a difficult time squeezing out the last bit of crisp treble for percussion without making the frequencies shrill. Enter the graphic frequency equalizer. Usually set at what audio folks refer to as (the smile), it helps recapture those delicate sounds, so things like finger cymbals don't get drowned out by easier-to-reproduce midrange instruments. Just my opinion, I could be wrong.

[@davehill9951]

Being a musician for years, i have no problem with a 31 band eq, like a Clark Technic's unit. Yes the product is old school now. but people seem to always use an eq wrong. Rule of thumb in a live situation with said unit is to subtract a bad frequency or so i was taught. Never go above the centerline on the graph. With my stereo at home i treat it the same way.

[@robertwilliams1215]

Your buddy Danny is a huge proponent of cables ( including power cables ) and speaker cable risers. I would like to see a video of the 2 of you discussing the subject. Room treatment is definitely the proper way to deal with room anomalies, but most people aren't going to spend the money on those professionally made and aren't going to take the time to build their own. But more so, they aren't going ( or aren't allowed, lol ) to put them in their room. The biggest anomalies are in the low frequency range. With multi subs, a Minidsp ( approx. $235 ), a calibrated mic ( about $100 ) and REW when incorporating not just equalization but also time delay can bring a huge improvement. Was the best few hundred bucks I've ever spent on audio ( for music and movies ). Improved bass is a wonderful thing. I enjoy the your videos and all you put into helping us in the great journey of audio. Keep it up.

[@QKLICKER]

Yes, they are golden ears and also tin ears. Listening is the most brain tricking experience. I myself was proud of my listening acuteness, 'till discovered (after listening (sooo fine sound!!!) for several months my own AR5 speakers had blown tweeters!!!! 🤣. That turned me into very prudent.

[@swinde]

@@QKLICKER The AR-5 tweeters crossover at 10,000 Hz so you really don't miss too much when they fail because all of the sound above 10k are harmonics. I am 76 and have great difficulty hearing the the tweeters in my AR-3a speakers. (The same driver as the AR-5). The only difference in the speakers is that the AR-5 uses a 10 inch woofer and possibly loses about a half octave of low bass.

[@robertt7238]

You should argue with idiots, they will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.

[@dennisvanmierlo]

People of age buying expensive gear or cables because they 'hear' that it sounds better. Sometimes it does, but when I talk about loss of hearing because of age, it is not applicable to them.

[@AUTISTICLYCAN]

The thing audiophiles often say that cracks me up is they can hear sound qualities in speakers and amps that exist well outside the range of human hearing.

[@jackkan5987]

The things you don't hear can be the building blocks on what you do hear. As an example......how does a supper tweeter increase bass depth or mid-bass definition ? Can it be a fundamental within playback towards the present time ?

[@andyboxish4436]

@@jackkan5987 in real life, noises produce echoes in the higher frequencies, that, even if we cannot "hear" them, affect perception with their presence. back in the day, many cheap stereos had a "bass boost" button on them. that bass boost button did not actually add bass - what it did is allowed the stereo to recreate the upper frequency echoes that, if bass was present, would exist, and the human ear kind of assumed there was bass because it noticed the presence of these higher frequency echoes. it's stuff like this that knowitalls don't get - instead of becoming curious, they just dismiss stuff and pat themselves on the back for being smarter than everyone else, while always mentioning their engineering background. sad people

[@BartdeBoisblanc]

5:15 Using the EQ to make your Speaker sound better could easily cover up problems with the speaker.

[@MH-rl9ep]

Hey Ron. Great video and excellent points, though I do have a couple of issues. Regarding eq, I agree that using eq to fix system problems is not a good fix. However, w.r.t. tone controls/loudness compensation, I feel that these circuits, properly designed, can enhance the enjoyment of recordings needing a bit of fixing (tone controls) and making listening at low levels (loudness comp) more enjoyable as well. Tone controls/loudness comp are not evil when used sparingly, as long as they are defeatable. W.r.t. speaker placement…..yes, well out into the room is best but unless you have a dedicated listening room, it is hardly ever practical. I can’t think of a room in our house where pulling speakers 3’ or more out into the room would make sense unless I had to rearrange the furniture every time I wanted to listen to something and then put it all back afterwards.

[@johnhpalmer6098]

Totally agree, and it's worse if your living room is one, small, 2 is a pass through to the kitchen/bathroom, and it has 3 doorways, one being from the front hall, one to the original bedroom that's next to it, and then the kitchen in the back of the house. However, I AM thinking of flipping the room around and replace my old wall furnace (gas) in the process, thus making the layout of an awkward, and small room better. However, still can't pull the speakers out into the room much more than before.

[@cruise2023]

With speaker placement- I agree and most people are in the same boat. Very few people have a dedicated room just for their audio. So is there a question regarding the realistic action of reviewing audio components in a dedicated listening room as very few will benefit from the results ? Am I wrong?

[@MarijkeWillemsen990]

Loudness for low level listening is specifically designed to correct the hearing features of the human ear. With low level listening some frequencies tend ‘to disappear’ compared to listening at a full volume. The (preferable adjustable) loudness setting repairs that problem and boost these frequencies.

[@chriswelljack4910]

@@MarijkeWillemsen990 some speakers socks at love volume I listen low at night with my system and I might have to turn even lower the quieter the night gets

[@tauernhiker0001]

I once ran into a person who tried to convince me that the speaker cable direction needs to be changed, because of the winding direction of the wires. My reply: "oh yeah?? - yes, please plug the cable in the other way around, sure!" And I acknowledged the improvement in sound just to get him quiet. 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@AudioExplorer]

An audiophile I respect actually said that sound treatment doesn’t matter. As if physics, when inconvenient, may be ignored. I’m working on sound treatment now and already have positive results. I knew he was wrong and that actually ignited me to go find out. Physics is real, no doubt about it. 😊

[@CJL36]

Part of the fun of my audiophile journey has been living in 4 different high rise apartment buildings with my system over the last 2 years. It sounds completely different in each residence. It has been very eye opening.

[@JoelHernandez-tz3vk]

I already found this when I was 9 years old by simply clapping in different rooms and/or different positions. How does a fully grown adult ignore this?

[@FOH3663]

@@JoelHernandez-tz3vk How does a grown adult ignore this? Implementation of a proper ITD Gap, thus elevating direct energy prominence relative to the reflected energy... Methodologies include speaker placement and proximity, listener location, sidewall geometry and treatment. I type this ... but I've a feeling maybe it was a rhetorical question...

[@andyboxish4436]

Maybe your friend was mainly a headphone listener

[@paulstearns93]

Three words "Carbon Tuning Discs." A few gems from a fuse FAQ; Q: Are fuses directional? A: Yes, fuses are directional. Electricity should flow from the left to the right when you view the fuse. If you do not know the direction of flow you should listen to the fuse inserted in both directions. One direction will sound more detailed. This is the correct way. Q: Do fuses have a burn in period? A: Yes, most products have a settling in period. The first 200-300 hours of use are the most crucial.

[@lloydfirchau6100]

Ahem... his name's not Ted, and he's not my cousin. His name is Jimmy, and he's my uncle. And with a flashlight, a pair of pliers and a roll of duct tape Jimmy can fix anything. Just sayin'. P.S. - I love this video.

[@poogy3]

Word salad "Is" the only choice at the Audio-Phile diner.

[@sean_heisler]

I think you did a great job in channeling Tee-Jay the Stereo Bargainphile!

[@eugenemodzelewski6471]

For most people, whatever floats your boat and you get enjoyment from it then that's all that matters. I read in a audiophile magazine that using there signature line cord which is 99.99% OFC ( oxygen free copper )with gold plated contacts for superior electrical contact to elevate your audio to newer and higher levels ! 24 inch power cable starting at $149.95 and if you need 1 meter (39" ) a low price of $199.95 plus shipping !!!! Also to put that ultimate AC cable into a AC duplex , well ,how about a gold plated phosphor bronze AC wall duplex socket for $49.95 ( this duplex offers 250,00 volt standoff and low loss dielectric properties ! ). I guess I could have a crappy amp and replace my line cord and my stereo would be considered high end stereo ! One last thing, this audio magazine sells a headphone and preamp that doesn't use a hybrid tube or transistor design. If you are yearning for that golden age of high fidelity there 5 tube amp sells for a mere, stingy low and very affordable price of $7999.00 plus shipping ! I must say I know two people that buy into this non-sense and they are my age late 60's. If they can hear over 10kHZ they are lucky. But again if it makes them feel happy then so be it.

[@bren1886]

Pace, rhythm and timing is very real. I owned a system where I could barely sit still listening to it such was the speed and dynamics etc. I now own a valve based system which just doesn't do that. Its slower, smoother, bass isn't punchy, it has its own virtues but it practically sends me to sleep. It's a completely different sound. Also, as for burn in, I sent this valve amp away to have the power supply upgraded and when it came back I could have cried. It sounded lean and thin and just awful. It sounded broken and had no bass, it just wasn't there. I was gutted. So much for expectation bias. Fast forward a few weeks and the bass, although slow and soft, is overwhelmingly there. F***ed if I know what that's all about but it happened

[@bren1886]

@@HungryMoosey what a load of bollocks . And a £100 mini system amp sounds the same as a £9000 amp I suppose. I'm sure it has exactly the same damping factor, grip on the speakers, and dynamic headroom etc too. Perhaps if I hook up my radio alarm clock to my speakers I'll get the same sound too

[@bren1886]

@@HungryMoosey as is psychoacoustic phenomenon which can't be measured. I've actually no interest in being right or wrong. I've also no interest in converting anyone to my own thinking. Was just sharing my own experience of two things which did sound different. I didn't imply 'better' at any point

[@bren1886]

@@HungryMoosey you must have misread. I was implying that my earlier system was better. My new one sends me to sleep. Which I quite like aswell btw

[@YourfriendNextDoor2]

Weed is the best purchase you can make to get that joyous p r a t!!!! 😂

[@MGoudsmits]

my list 1 special power cables 2 shock absorbers under amplifiers ( not tubes ) and CD players 3 re-clocking digital CD signals 4 speaker cables thicker than 2,5 mm^2 and shielding 5 hdmi cables above 100 euros (assuming you use 4K UHD

[@andyboxish4436]

all of the above makes a difference, no matter how small, but it does. whether or not it's worth the money is another matter, but you seem to imply these things simply do not exist and do not effect sound in any way whatsoever? if that is indeed what you are saying, that is simply not correct.

[@MGoudsmits]

@@andyboxish4436 it is indeed what I say, and no one ever proved it otherwise. What you will find are people playing around with that stuff and then testifying they hear a difference. ( many of them also are at an age they can not hear above 12 k Hz anymore) That is not proof. It is like placebo's for some they work. Always open for measurable proof.

[@danieldavis3565]

It is funny that you criticize that some audiphiles crown themselves of being able to hear all kinds of details, while you crown yourself to being able to identify thos being able to do so and those who are not 😂

[@parkarlsson3833]

Hifi is and will be crazy questions. A hifi geek is never satisfied but a music lover likes the situation.

[@elitetrader5468]

Very stereotypical statement which is of course untrue. It is a spectrum. I always enjoy my system in the now as the music is all that matters. I've had "music lovers" and musicians listen to their music on my system and they become much more immersed than when it was playing via their iphone. Go figure.

[@szeredaiakos]

Technically crossover issues can be fixed with and EQ. Unless the speaker is purposefully engineered to have a fucked up phase relationship between the transducers with ... you know ... like another EQ inside the speaker. Speaker placement depends on the room, it's treatment and the speakers, obviously.

[@BruceCross]

Golden ears don't hear better than anybody else, but trained ears can identify issues faster and describe them better. I also enjoyed the comments on PRAT, EQ, speaker placement, and the "magic" component that fixes everything.

[@lerrynhawke3375]

As a audio engineer you are 💯 percent right

[@gomiwomi]

@@lerrynhawke3375 Myth Number 11 ''Trained Ears".

[@bren1886]

Fair point. I wonder if woman can hear better than men though. My wife can, with ease, discern when I've changed something in my system (and not by looking a bank statement). She has no interest whatsoever in hifi and isn't prone to blowing smoke up my posterior

[@BruceCross]

Great point. Never miss the chance to tell your wife she's awesome. Since the majority of audiophiles are men, I was only talking about men. Yes, there are differences between the sexes. Women have greater hearing sensitivity, especially at high frequencies, and their brains process sounds faster (good mothering/nurturing skills). During the first half of the menstrual cycle, their hearing becomes more "masculine" due to high levels of androgens. Men are better at sound localization and detecting signals within complex sounds (good hunting skills). Men's brains are better at localized tasks (more grey matter) and women's brains are better at organization (more white matter), which benefits their language and communication. Men tend to lose hearing above 2 kHz and women lose hearing between 1-2 kHz, so men hear vowels better and women hear consonants better. Women can make fantastic audiophiles if they chose to pursue the hobby, but most women are only into the music, not the hardware.

[@andreasmoller9798]

Ears can be trained to hear more, thats something i have improved over the years with many hours of listening

[@lwwells]

Are you adjusting your room acoustics for the facial hair? … or vice versa?