STOP Worrying About These 5 Things in Audio!

[@laurocantu3324]

I think my truck always runs and handles better after I wash it...I think once you purchase your products and are happy with the sound and performance, you should immediately stop watching reviews on new and upcoming products. All they do is leave you second guessing your decisions.

[@graysonpeddie]

Yeah, I had to quit watching reviews of new speakers because I'm happy with my JBL Stage A180 floorstanding speakers. Plus, I'm glad I did some research regarding the impedance switching in my Denon AVR-X3400H receiver. I purchased a discontinued model because I do not want to pay $300 for eARC at the time and honestly, if I do want HDMI 2.1 for 4K at 120Hz, I can just get an audio extractor and pass audio to my AVR and video to my TV. Plus, I'm not too much of an audiophile probably due to my hearing impairment since the day I was born. So yeah, at the end of the day, I do have to control KZbin's algorithms so that it does not recommend speakers to buy. I have to do lots of research and spend responsibly.

[@gww730]

Washing my car instantly adds at least 25 bhp.

[@JayDrinking]

I bought a Arendal 1723 THX LCR as my first setup and boy when I tell you. I had my days of thinking about returning it

[@MagicTK-]

​@@gww730 Adding pin stripes adds 10 to 15 HP as well.

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

Wisdom

[@blueriverlore]

I have 70 year old ears and eyes. I can't hear frequencies above 13 Khz and I wear glasses. I could throw all the money in the world at a system that costs me $150K but getting old has reminded me that I'm very happy with my current setup.

[@Audioholics]

13khz hearing is amazing at 70 years old. Be proud of that. My hearing doesn't extend much beyond that and I'm 50.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@Audioholics This is interesting. 73 and ~14k.

[@Audioholics]

@@Douglas_Blake_579 occupational hazard

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@Audioholics 👍 But, there's an amazing feature hidden behind every Volume Control... Amazingly they can actually be used to turn things down! Who knew?

[@tedrubinstein2003]

Ahh your still young

[@edsonmenini1570]

"you don't need validation from others, even from us" is very honest and revealing, thanks for that! 👋

[@EHiggins]

"I need to hear how your speakers sound through my speakers" XD It is like the old TV commercials that show you how awesome another TV looks on your TV.

[@doctorbritain9632]

I find the type of wine I'm drinking when listening to music makes more difference than almost anything else. A fine Bordeaux sounds best.

[@Audioholics]

💯

[@raygarza6231]

Single malt scotch sounds best

[@doctorbritain9632]

@raygarza6231 Oh yes that's good too.

[@kensmith5694]

Cabernet Franc with a sunset sounds the best.

[@doctorbritain9632]

I appear to have started something.

[@davidjudd951]

A friend of mine couldn't quite fit his new receiver into his cabinet. I went over there with a rasp and widened the slot. He said that, that was the best audio file he ever saw.

[@BillDouglass-m9d]

The only thing every audiofile should concentrate on is working on room treatments not so much on equipment. 😊

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

Even though I disagree with Dennis Foley on some details, his youtube videos and shop is a great place to start: Acoustic Fields

[@vinylrules4838]

​@@Munakas-wq3gp Curious what details you disagree with. I have been watching his videos for a few years now.

[@vinylrules4838]

Agree 💯 % on room treatment. It is about 50% of the sound. I wish everyone could hear a great system in a properly treated room. I think most people would be astonished at what is possible. Aside from room treatment is speaker placement. Looking at photos across the internet, most people don't even have their speakers properly set up.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

@@vinylrules4838 Mainly about speaker size vs room size and subwoofers. Dampening is not the only way to treat room modes, it can be achieved by using multiple subs in calculated positions. A well designed speaker will work in any room regardless of ithe speakers size. Aside these minor details I fully agree on everthing else and I have recommended Acoustic Fields to numerous poeple who fight with their rooms.....

[@kensmith5694]

@@vinylrules4838 I know my speakers are not properly set up. Thats the space I have and it is good enough.

[@axebeard7677]

I built a decent home theater and didn’t use it for like 3 months because I was busy working all the time. When I finally sat down to watch a movie it sounded so much better than I remembered.

[@gww730]

If you truly believe that cables (or other associated tweaks) will improve sound quality, then you will absolutely hear differences. I firmly believe that music sounds better between 6pm - 8pm in the evening, and even better when the weather is nice outside. Perception is everything.

[@Audioholics]

Also your mood has a huge affect on sound perception. My best listening occurs late night when everyone is asleep and I'm in the solitude of my theater room.

[@peterowings7233]

And even better with your favorite adult beverage in your hand.

[@_Chev_Chelios]

@@peterowings7233gene has an episode about using a little MJ to elevate your experience.

[@genkifd]

to me believing or not does not matter - what matter is the consumer hears a difference or not. if he / she does or does not shouldnt matter to anyone else.

[@robertriwden2990]

Beer helps too!

[@Infidelio]

The most blinged audiophile systems remind me of religious altars. Everything is perfectly spaced and tiered. The holy speaker cables must not be allowed to touch the floor. The vinyl comes out like the most holy book, cleaned to laboratory perfection and zapped with an anti-static gun. But seriously, belief plays such a large role in the industry. 'Can you hear the divine soundstage, brothers and sisters?' 'You must have faith.' 'The double-blind listening test is Satan trying to test your faith.' "Believe, believe!"

[@carlitomelon4610]

Truth. But you have to keep your eyes closed during music services 🎵🎶🙏🎶🎵

[@Roudaki677]

I am in charge of decent size development and engineering department in a company that designs telecom equipment. I spend staggering $$$ for compliance and safety. When I see audiophile fuses that do not have a UL certification I truly freak out. I keep preaching this type of scrutiny to younger audiophiles continuously….the fundamentals of engineering will never change.

[@gww730]

I didn't even realize that "audiophile fuses" were even a thing. To me, power cables are the worst offenders - I've seen dozens of Hospital Grade power cords dressed up in custom housings and techflex selling for hundreds, and even thousands of dollars.

[@Roudaki677]

@@gww730 the closest legitimate, “possibly” better fuses that have UL are produced by “littelfuse”, a legitimate surge protection manufacturer and are available from Mouser, Digikey, etc. If one sees how quickly an item goes up in flames with incorrect or bad fuse during a compliance test, these fly by night fuse supplier would go out of business. Unfortunately, we support these weak products.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

THANK YOU GENE! All 5 points are right on the money... The best audio advice I ever got was: *Do all the free stuff first* Move speakers, in small increments, until you find their sweet spots. Move your listening position, in small increments to find the best sound. Clean and maintain all the connectors in your system. Learn to do dust removal and control cleaning on your gear. Listen to the music ... not your system... You'll enjoy it more. For what Gene calls Audio Jewelry ... Treat it as such. Do not expect any improvements in sound quality from cables, weights, crystals or gadgets. Without hesitation I will tell you the whole "high end" accessories industry is borne of nothing better than ripping off gullible people. All those big displays and fancy show tricks exist for one reason an one reason only ... to part you from as much of your money as they can! Ask yourself why you put your system together, Was it for you and your family to enjoy... or was it to impress your friends? It is far more likely that you are the only person who is impressed by your system. All the regular folks in your life simply don't care and are entirely unimpressed by it. Also consider the sheer folly of building an amazing system then locking it away in a private listening room that only you go to. It is likely you would make a much better impression on others by cleverly integrating a mid-fi system into your living room so that everyone can enjoy it. There is considerable value in not dumping cash on the "next greatest thing". We are at a point in engineering and design where changes are incremental and often very small. Most often you can skip 3 or even 4 generations of a product before there's any good reason to upgrade. Again... the best audio advice I ever got ... Do all the free stuff first!

[@Lif-999]

Simple, plain words of great erudition! Delivered almost as plea to a multitude of slack jawed, gullible consumers. I do hope someone is listening. Respect.

[@SpockLogic66]

I feel everyone, whether beginner or a veteran, in our hobby and passion, needs to watch this video. No-nonense, logical advice from a man who also understands the science of audio. Well done, Gene!

[@freepress8451]

I was thinking exactly the same, too many reviewers promote their sponsors wares

[@bobtowncarguy82]

I agree with everything you said. The only person who needs to love your system is you. Don't overspend on things. Most of the audio products depreciate. There are a few products that hold their value.

[@user-st9wh4ed5l]

Almost no electronic device including speakers and AVR's retain anywhere near their value. Not even close.

[@johnshepherd708]

This is refreshing. Belden Cables via Blue Jean Cables is a very. good resource. American manufactured wire/cable professionally terminated at very reasonable prices. Belden has real engineering and is used in more studios along with Mogami than any other brand. The advice here is down to earth and accurate....thank you for your honest and accurate advice.

[@davetelling]

I recall many years ago the well-known engineer for National Semiconductor, Bob Pease, had a standing offer of (I believe) $10,000 to anyone who could tell the difference between some expensive speaker cables, and pieces of random hookup wire he soldered together in an A-B test. No one ever took the challenge!

[@chrisvand2678]

You're right. The bet is still up, and it's $1million..

[@anonymousmc7727]

I took the test he paid me the 10k that autism paid off😂

[@dcusator]

BJC is the only place to get cables IMHO , great prices , great customer service, and quick delivery. Great work Gene

[@s.daniel9224]

Yep. Good cable/terminals at a fair price.

[@bocrux]

Yeah, they are such an easy company to recommend. I've been buying from them for 17+ years.

[@craigboyd6600]

I co-sign for BJC!

[@markh351]

Especially the part about seeking validation from others. Well said. Everybody has their own biases and preferences.

[@schaunkleynhaus5041]

I'm going to bookmark the video and listen to it every time I want to buy something. Great advice man. Ons of your best.

[@JohnSmith-qi6co]

The cable comments are the best. I only use the Blue Jeans cables because they aren' that much more expensive than plain zip cord when you figure in the connectors you'll need too. I like to spend that little bit more to also make sure the bananas are really REALLY well connected to the cabel. No way you are going to do that yourself the way that guy at Blue Jeans does with his equipment.

[@chrisvand2678]

It's pretty easy to solder and/or crimp the plugs by yourself, but you do you..

[@cnman9743]

Thankyou for taking a "realistic " approach . You are so correct on all 5 of those points!

[@raulgarcia1718]

Excellent summary of many of the points you’ve made over the years. The one I connected with is seeking validation after purchase. At some point I realized that I just needed to stop watching reviews and just spend the time enjoying content and getting know my gear. I took six months off KZbin and it made a big difference. Now I can watch reviews just for entertainment while I enjoy the gear I have, a lot based on Audioholics recommendations.

[@ken33935]

I think the Crutchfield "online audition" is good at hearing the sound signature difference (warm/neutral/bright), and you can verify that with the frequency response measurement, but that's about it.

[@SimplyGetPaid]

@1:58 🤔🧐 SO FUNNY YOU BRING THIS UP.. ..I FIRST SET UP MY RECEIVER AND SETTLED ON 4 OHMS AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 4 AND 8 OHMS BECAUSE IT SEEMINGLY SOUNDED LOUDER AT THE TIME.. ..ABOUT 6 MOS LATER, ON A BORED DAY, I REVISITED THAT SELECTION AND WAS ASTONISHED AT HOW I COULD HAVE MISSED THE ABSENCE OF DYNAMIC RANGE (AND FIDELITY)..

[@liam3284]

Most amps can handle reactive load, so VSWR isn't going to be an issue. Not that your amp would even notice unless the speaker cable was over 2km long.

[@jimf5160]

very well said....and remember those who argue against blind level matched A/B/X testing are doing so, because they know that their equipment will make zero audible difference.

[@strykerking]

Came over from the 2 channel community, love the channel and approach. Building into a home theater now, your vids are really helpful.

[@chuckmaddison2924]

Hi, It's refreshing to see someone speak the truth. I believe the only benefit of fancy, expensive cable and parts is that it allows the owner to say " I've got ,i spent." Its been said before " fashion magazines only make you feel ugly "

[@mfkhometheater7742]

I've said it before, cables do make a difference... a negative difference to the pocketbooks of the people that buy them and a positive difference to the pocketbooks of the people that sell them. That's pretty much the only measurable difference. Great video, you are very much correct on all items mentioned.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

If you have low impedance speakers and long cables, you will get treble attenuation with small diameter cables. But that can be very cheaply fixed by getting 4-6mm2 speaker cables, no need for exotic things. Of course some people have OCD and their brain would melt if they didn't have fancy gold connectors and wrist thick cables sitting on 'dampening blocks' lol. But that has nothing to do with actual sound.

[@davemoritz2174]

If your happy with how your system looks and sounds then be happy with what you have! Your system only needs to make you happy and no one else!

[@kensmith5694]

Yes, and listen to some music. That is what it is for.

[@howardskeivys4184]

Another excellent video, which is no more than I’d expect from Audioholics. I’m 100% behind you on all 5 points particularly your point about cables. I’ve always held the opinions and advice of Audioholics in high regard. Not so much the opinions and attitude of Jay, whom you’ve recently taken into your hearts and given high praises to. So, here’s where the grey area starts to emerge. Jay has also been taken into the heart of Danny from GR research, who has also sung Jay’s praises and together they’ve collaborated to convince more gullible audiophiles that cables do make an audible difference. This is why there is confusion and division amongst audiophiles. When they get conflicting views and advice from a conglomerate of reviewers, how do they differentiate fact from opinion, truth from subjective bias.

[@JamesBigham-v6b]

Have u tried high end cables?

[@howardskeivys4184]

@@JamesBigham-v6b I am aware that cables can make a difference. I believe you have to be price appropriate with your cable choice. If you’ve invested 1800 in your amplification and 2500 on speakers, there will be no virtue in investing 2000 on cables.you would not remove the cable that connects your 40 watt bedside lamp to the wall socket and use it to connect your 1.5kw heater to the wall socket, would you? But, you could use the cable that connects that heater to the mains outlet to connect your bedside lamp to the wall socket. It would not however, cause the lamp to perform any better. All that having been said. I was browsing through my local bricks & mortar hi-fi store, one sunny Saturday afternoon last September. They were having a closing down sale. Their third that summer. I noted they had a ‘high end’ mains cable reduced from 5000 to 1000. I bought it on a wim. Well truthfully, I bought it on my Amex platinum card. When I got it home, my wife noticed the price. 2 weeks later, when I was discharged from hospital, I used that cable to connect my 1800 spin speed washing machine to the mains outlet. The difference was phenomenal. The water in the machine heats to the desired temperature 0.00097 seconds faster. I calculate that if I keep that machine for 17004 years, the cable will have paid for itself. Also, now, when that machine reaches its full 1800rpm spin speed, it no longer dances around my utility room. I attribute that to the cable’s binding qualities, not its electrical properties. But, as you’re doubtless aware, life is never that simple. For every action there are consequences. My hi-fi is now a lot clearer, has a much darker noise floor. Mainly because it’s no longer being drowned out by that 1800 spin speed washing machine. The caveat, because there is always a caveat. My teenage daughter used to derive great pleasure from sitting astride that machine when it reached full spin speed. That damned high end cable has denied her that basic primal pleasure. However, it has drastically reduced the frequency we need to use the machine. Because of the much smoother spin the amount of lingerie my teenage daughter gets thru has been substantially reduced.anyways, regardless of your esoteric choice of hi-fi purchase, or opinion, most importantly, enjoy the music.

[@De132an]

Love it! Thank you for these tips. Even a seasoned audiophile sometimes forgets these basics. 🙏

[@CoolJay77]

Besides the visual factor that you have mentioned, when you feel a bit chilly in the room, you might feel that your system does not sound as warm as when your body feels somewhat warm. There are psychological and physiological factors that often affect our perception of a sound systems.

[@edsonmenini1570]

I have found out that the whole music experience sounds a lot better when you are with friends drinking wine! That alone enhances everything much more than you can imagine 😀😀😀

[@danlah1303]

Good stuff Gene! The old PC buying advice rings true for any tech: Buy the best that you can afford when you need it. No matter how long you wait, there will always be the next big thing right around the corner.

[@norbac]

I'm guilty of listening to youtube video demos before I bought my Klipsch RF-8000 II speakers. There's an influencer from South African who demoed those speakers by comparing them with Polks and other brands. In the end though, I'm very pleased with my Klipsch. They do sound awesome! But I do have to agree with Gene on those four other mistakes. Thanks Gene!

[@crashedcorvette]

The information was extremely helpful, especially the beginning about impedance. I am mixing brands of speakers, and 4 ohm and 5 ohm and 8 ohm in an 11 channel system. I just keep the receiver cooler by running a fan cooler on the top that also helps with ventilation

[@Rabbelrauser]

I saved up dozens of egg cartons and glued them to two 6'X5' black posterboards. I put one on the wall behind my system, and one in the back of the room on the wall behind my seating position. I put a fine persian rug on the floor. Then I EQ'ed my sound system. Most people thought I had some super high end system. No, it's really just some big boombox speakers I bought at Circuit City in the early 2000's, a $200 reciever/amp, and some EQ'ing. Those speakers have 18 AWG wire built in to them. For years that was my setup and people actually paid me money to come set up their home AV systems after hearing mine. I advised them to invest in better gear though.

[@Clint_the_Audio-Photo_Guy]

Lot of good points. As an audio salesman of 20 years now, I can attest people are always waiting on new technology. I tell them, if you're waiting on technology, you'll be waiting forever. Whenever anything new is coming, the previous version is now junk, and the new one is the answer to all their hopes and dreams. This is just not true. Purchase validation is a very real thing too. What annoys me on forums is the people who immediately try to tear down their choices. "You could have got TWICE the performance for HALF the money!" ect. I see comments like that all the time. It's so beyond rude.

[@tom-nl5sj]

This couldn't have come at a better time. I just purchased a pair of Polk R700 speakers. I am moving up from Klipsch RF82-2's and even though I read not to switch the impedance setting on the Marantz SR7009, it was cool to hear Gene verify that...

[@jeffsloane8628]

I can be critical of Gene on some topics. I’m 100% in alignment with him on this one.

[@B4G3L5]

Hey, Gene! I'm just getting around to watching this, and I appreciate everything you discussed in the video. Though, I think the most beneficial was your last point. I'm always wanting to wait to get the next big thing, so I never pull the trigger on what I want today. You actually replied to my comment a while back, when I asked if I should buy the Onkyo RZ70 or wait for the next model, to which you advised getting the RZ70 now. I missed the sales, but I'll catch it when it comes back around. Thanks for the _sound_ advice!

[@shoujiki999]

Great breakdown Gene, always love your honest and transparent view. Greetings from Australia.

[@mikaelbiilmann6826]

I just bought an old (2013) Pioneer SC-LX57 from my friend. That’s good enough for me. I used to be into hi-fi and had some fine systems, but my ears are shot after too many ear infections, so I just want a system where I can hear the effects and nothing more. Got some crappy loudspeakers with it, which I am going to dampen inside just for fun, to see if there can be any improvements.

[@MK-rn2hm]

Spot on everything you said. Thank God for honest folks like Gene

[@surrender_monkey]

I worked for AMS in Burnley Lancashire, my main job was building the patch bay from the recording studio to the mixing desk, each unit would use typically 22 kilometres of wire around 245,000 connections. They used custom wire with higher purity levels than average copper (store bought) wires nothing special. I have worked on a good few projects for them including a Lucas studios desk modification, Sony music 88 desk, Tori Amos home studio, the "wire" problem is not a thing in reality it's horrible that ppl are being lied to about such a simple thing.

[@stevengagnon4777]

I've seen plenty of comments like this from people in the feild such as you. Most uf us have other priorities that should out weigh the " addiction " to spend our resources frivolously like this . Just as you needed to consider while doing your installs. I'd say for me personally shortening my way to long and tangled interconnects straightened out might be slightly audible thinking about making my own. Good enough is good enough. I believe your clients would have let you know if it wasn't good enough and you would have been fixing it one way or another.😅

[@liam3284]

Indeed! Any copper wire of suitable thickness will work fine. At worst, you might have to cut off tarnished ends.

[@ceddy1031]

I can't agree more. I did a few blind test long time ago. Putting a cheap speaker cable vs Siltech Classic legend (borrowed from a friend of mine). 5 out of 5 failed the test. None of them can tell the difference. If you have the money to show off , sure get the $100k speaker cable. That means you don't qualify to be an audiophiles purist. Cause you have hearing problem lol. Oh btw I found out by adding three rolls of toilet paper on my speakers. It increase the clarity. Very dark background. You guys should try it.

[@biglew1161]

if you don't need something right-away, sometimes waiting for the next model can be a good way of getting the previous model that fit your needs for a lower price. (if it still fit your needs)

[@Jimsathome]

Excellent Video Gene. I'm amazed that people constantly need to be reminded about cables, and other snake oil. Remember Cable stands to keep them off the floor? I still see them used in video reviews at trade shows, and I cringe folks buy them.

[@jimhibert]

“The technology is already mature “. Yeh, since 1970! Great video, you speak the truth!

[@scientificaudiophile]

My opinions: 1. Impedance - you’re correct, burning down your house isn’t important as quality sound. 2. Cables - after sinking tens of thousands of dollars in pure silver cables, that chocolately sound is worth every penny (p.s. I won’t move my head) 3. Listening Demos - agreed, I don’t want to pay for music licensing. 4. Validation- disagree, I sell validation so send those people to me. 5. New models - everything before May, 2024 sucks!

[@Audioholics]

LMAO

[@MrBonger88]

lol

[@rexn1589]

Lmao 2!! Best response here by far! Thank you!

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

I have a botlle of snake oil to sell buddy. Just soak your silver cables in it for exactly 8.25 days and you'll hear a buttery smooth, if not downright oily, improvement.

[@imnoone492]

I agree 100%. I attended CES shows in the 90’s seeing items such as $3000.00 a foot Oxygen free cables, $50.000 turntables and not hearing very much difference in the lower cost systems.

[@MangoZen]

My favorite that drives me nuts is indeed sound clips on KZbin. There are audiophile channels where the KZbinr has spent thousands of $ in microphones and dummy heads.😂 I’m a retired electrical engineer, yet The one area where I diverge a bit from you is cables. You put so much focus on the measurements, whereas I focus on how they sound in my system. Mind you, I bought a pair of somewhat inexpensive Nordost flatlines 20 years ago and never looked back. Thanks for your videos, Gene. You do a great job.

[@ronbrock738]

FINALLY, I have found 2 audio channels that I can enjoy the content. Your channel and Erin's are my chosen ones. There are too many reasons that I like Erin's and your channel much more than any others, but here is one. It appears that you both recognize that in the end, choices of what sounds good is purely subjective. Measurements, analogous terms to describe sound (warm, bright, etc) , mean little to me. In my room, how do I like it, is everything. Thank you. I look forward to watching your past and future videos.

[@StopAndGetGas]

All of your points are (adjective) sage and sane advice! Dedicated senior-aged two (2) channel-er here. My upper range hearing dissolves into my tinnitus at about 8.7-9K, depending upon SPL. Before suspending my hifi habit almost 30 years ago, Monster speaker cable was about as far as I had ever gone into 'boutique' wiring (giant zip cord). I was a journeyman broadcast engineer (AM/FM radio) 'techie' back in those days, always with a focus on 'value' (...money has ALWAYS "...been an object"). The well established, secondary market for 'pre-owned' components is a rich landscape if you're nerdy and have the time to investigate, compare and shop on line. After starting back up a few years ago, I now have a couple of beautiful, premium pieces in my system (Hegel, McIntosh) that were WAY out of reach when they were the "...newest, latest and greatest". And again, this video offers great advice and value, too! Thank you.

[@mikemmikem2758]

Excellent and very truthful common sense (as usual from you) video. Here's an old one for you harkening back to the arrival of the CD. Putting green magic marker on the edges to increase fidelity.

[@DigbyOdel-et3xx]

Agreed. I actually tried this on some of my CD's in the 90's. Yeah, yeah the power of persuasion is high. That said it cost next to nothing and did not damage the CD's. It did give the placebo effect though. So for the while I messed around doing such it felt good. It's like people who buy and use esoteric car polish/wax on their cars. They feel they get a better polish/wax job than using lower cost choices. I have tried the fancier polish/wax on my cars and honestly have found using the good ole orange bottle of Nu Finish gives me excellent results and is easy to use as well as less costly.🤔

[@richardbixler]

Cables actually can make a difference as far as noise floor. I’m not saying they have to be expensive or anything, but it can be beneficial to twist your speaker wire and ensure they have a solid connection. In my spare room I have a decent preamp connected to a 2.1 speaker system. The sub has an RCA input with a pair of push pin speaker outs and really cheap high gauge speaker wire. I had a lot of hiss and could faintly hear radio stations. I had some 14 awg copper wire in the garage. I spent $10 for a 17’ twisted RCA cable for my record player; to go across the room. This alone made a huge difference but I still had a little bit of hiss, so I separated and twisted the speaker wire and added some cheap banana plugs with woven copper ends. The hiss is completely inaudible now, unless I put my ear directly up to the speaker. It was a fun little experiment. It really did transform the sound, but only because I’m in a small room listening in the near field at low volumes.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

You must have an incredily high powered radio station next to your home if you can actually pick up sound from it. And the hiss is not coming from the cables, it's the amplifiers poor filter/buffer stage that creates the hiss. If you had extremely poor quality cables before, installing standard hifi-spec cables can help with impedance matching between the source and the amp, that's the only explanation scientifically I can understand how your hiss became lower...

[@richardbixler]

@@Munakas-wq3gp The included speaker cables were terrible. I’m guessing 30 AWG, not copper, probably aluminum. I know the hiss doesn’t come from the speaker wire and I never claimed that. For whatever reason they were passing more hiss to my speakers. My really expensive $10 Amazonphile grade speaker cable pretty much eliminated the hiss. As for the RF noise. That was coming through from two strung together old RCA cables I had to use to make the 10’-12’ run from my record player to the preamp. The preamp in the sub probably isn’t great. For whatever reason, the newer $10 twisted rca cable is a worse antenna than my old cable. Thems the facts, believe or don’t. You can relax, I’m not pushing exotic $10,000 Himalayan speaker cables woven from the fleece of virgin lama’s or anything. Im also not playing armchair scientists here. I’m just pointing out that really crappy dirt cheap or damaged cables or loose connections can degrade sound quality. It’s easily solved with run of the mill copper cables and or cheap banana plugs . So cables and connectors do matter, just not very much. The point of diminishing returns is very low. I only shared my experience so that people who watch this video don’t buy a pair of decent desktop speakers and stick with the crappy included cables because they think cables make NO difference. Cables SOMETIMES do make a difference. But like I said, only if they’re really really bad.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

@@richardbixler With very long pulls cables do start to matter, for example if you have multiple active subs and you need to pull a signal 5-6 meters away. The shorter the pull, the less need there is to worry. Best cable is no cable...

[@richardbixler]

@@Munakas-wq3gp Agreed, I wish more subs and preamps came with balanced connections. Sometimes long runs are the only option. I’m not a perfectionist when it comes to sound quality, but I do have really good hearing. I’m in my mid 40’s and can still hear up to 18 khz. High frequencies really bother me. Hiss is really annoying and electronic coil whine makes me want to run out of a room.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

@@richardbixler My late father was an electronics repairman and when I was a kid he always had 2-3 tv sets gutted open on desks. I remember how annoying the coil whine from the old tube tv sets was... Hurt ears.

[@georgeanastasopoulos5865]

Great lecture, and very thorough in a shorter span of time than other reviewers on KZbin. Another thumbs up, as always. I recently bought a pair of Paradigm SE Monitor Atoms, designed, engineered in Canada. And I prefer those SE Atom bookshelf speakers, on speaker stands, more to a previous pair of Klipsch R-51Ms. Atoms SE speakers are now connected to a used Cambridge Audio AXR100 Receiver, in very good condition; I thought I'd say so for any confirmation, ha. More seriously, I believe that when interconnect cables, and speaker wire are logically considered, you are no less than 97% correct! There are audiophiles out there who may think you are 79%; however, it has more to do with a perceived Placebo Effect. If anything other than physical measurement, in terms of sound, it may not be actual subjective determination, either.The most expensive cables I have, that are actually of moderate price compared to most other brand hi fi cables, are Blue Jeans Cable, mostly made in the USA. Excellent transfer of musical signals.🔉🎵🎶

[@CORVUSMAXYMUS]

Yes trust in your INFORMATION that you search not from amateur.

[@rovd4433]

Thank you bro. As a low level audiophile, I was a bit hung-on on cable quality. This was because of many audio folks comments on KZbin which made me to condemn audio copper cables sold at my local DIY store. An experience audio technician told me that my DIY store cables were no different from the expensive ones. And that he has used them in his system.

[@garycard1826]

Good video. As an Electronic Technologist and life long audiophile I agree with your comments. 👍

[@Delius1958]

Thank you for this excellent video! - Thirty years ago I suddenly had enough money to buy a decent audio system. The first weeks of listening were very disappointing. I thought: Okay, let‘s get these suckers to work! A nice preoccupation on the horizon. I did what could be done: cared for good electricity, bought good speaker cabels and rca cabels (yes, I did!), used vibration absorbers for all the components etc. And you know what?: Every step increased the sound quality ( I swear!). And these very components are playing for me up to now, every single day. I don‘t have any interest in new stuff, I LOVE these fellas. Perhaps there may be some psychology mixing in the listening experience, but many people said the sound was not recognizable to what it was before. So: I strongly believe you CAN achieve some good results with cables and other stuff, but you have to try and try, some fit, others don’t. And it‘s much fun and doesn’t have to be expensive. I‘ve never had the money for high end things, it‘s just decent hifi. - Thanks again for the video and greetings from Berlin, Harry

[@armylrs2391]

Once you get a great calibration be happy with it and be wise enough to leave well enough alone. When that feeling creeps in telling you that you might be able to make it just a bit better, ignore it. In the end you'll be kicking yourself because you can never get it to sound quite as good again.

[@boardertrashtv8638]

Top job Gene, I’m glad I found this channel a few years ago, it’s saved me hundreds of ££ and worry concerning cables. I just wish the rest of the audiophile online community would see sense but then I guess that’s marketing for you 🤷🏼

[@EnricoAnsaloni]

Always wise words from you Gene, thanks! The thing that pisses me off the most are really expensive cables. I always try to reason with cable lovers, trying to explain that their ears cannot be more sensitive than lab equipment and that they can't hear any difference but it's a lost cause

[@pnichols6500]

There are a few brands that have very reasonably priced cables that are just as nice looking as the expensive ones, I'll spend a few bucks for something that visually looks nicer just because it makes my system look more expensive than it is and makes me happy.

[@EnricoAnsaloni]

@@pnichols6500 of course... I have no argument against someone choosing more expensive cables for aesthetics, that's a perfectly valid reason (if you don't go crazy with the price) especially if you already have a nice looking and expensive setup. My issue is with people that say they can hear a difference over quality but reasonably priced cables like mogami or monoprice

[@dougrobinson8602]

@@pnichols6500 I like nice cables, too. Not esoteric overpriced ones. Just nice looking well made cables with good terminating hardware. Years ago, I bought a huge bulk roll of very high quality speaker cable and bought some nice connectors to make my own cables the perfect length for my room. I didn't do it for sound as much as I did it because I enjoy making my own stuff. They look nice and sound almost as good as zipcord.

[@CharlieStokes-hw8rw]

I'm running a cheap pair of Chinese powered speakers ($68 on Amazon) by Bluetooth off my laptop with KZbin Music. I'm disabled, living off SSI at $1200/mo. Hundreds of thousands of songs for $14/mo., thrilled at the excellent sound quality for my old ears and wonder how much better can it get? I think everyone should take a step back and marvel at this world of music we live in, available even for the less advantaged.

[@redspotaudio]

Agreed Charlie. I'm in the same boat as you, on low income. My system was basically free. Consists of amp, speakers, turntable and stand (all free) with a $100 Bluetooth receiver listening to Spotify for $16 a month. Good times.

[@liam3284]

I have a couple of bookshelf speakers, simple Class AB amp. Only equipment is a small isolation transformer due to ground loop via the TV antenna. Noise floor is below my environment.

[@pfslik]

@@liam3284 I've tried many fancy class D amps and not a one sounds as good as my vintage class AB, done trying with class D ;)

[@xTremeSequences]

I couldn't agree more about the cables. Years ago I purchase Acoustic Zen cables which are thick and my SVS cables sound just as good. I am one of those that recently purchased the Marantz AV10 and AMP10. I like them both. I wish the AMP 10 ran a little cooler as it keeps my AC Afinity running a lot to keep it at 85F. But, I am biamping my LRC channels so maybe that is making it work harder. Thanks for the video.

[@patricklixudong]

Great review, particularly the point regarding to cable. My experience, the best option to uplifting sound experience is to add super woofer. European brand Piega launched a very expense SPEAKER - it contains two tower-speakers - one is base, one is mid-hi.

[@resistorstudios]

Something that some people totally miss. Many people with vintage receivers never heard them serviced. Its a real shame. I've done a few Marantz (recap, new transistors)...its a huge difference

[@emmnuelj6136]

This one kind of go on hands with approval. And that is the Cultists that even without research think 1 brand is the best for all scenarios and nothing else come close.

[@andreyutzuu]

Yamaha R-N800A is working ok with Wharfedale EVO 4.2? Thank you

[@darylyancey5398]

I stumbled over you while surfing YT. Thanks for the video. It confirmed what I thought was basically true about audio equipment and made me feel all chocolatey. 🍩 I look forward to watching more of your presentations because common sense is hard to find on YT.

[@woohunter1]

I always try to buy at least “2 next models up” from the item that I think I want, that tends to keep me happy for a while longer…….. most of the time.

[@duprie37]

The only thing I really disagree with is speaker demos. Of course you're not going to get an accurate representation, but what you do get is an idea, an inclination. I know the reference sound of the speakers I'm using to watch the demo and believe I'm familiar enough with them (whether it's my high ends, my soundbar or just my phone speakers) to compensate for that to get, not a precise, but still a useful ballpark sense of what this speaker will sound like. If nothing else, it scratches an itch for most people. Just demo the dam things, it doesn't hurt anyone.

[@davidcotter4556]

All of your content & reviews are absolutely Great. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.

[@BTW...]

LOL... Spot on. I gave up worrying about these 5 sins long ago. Some people can blow a lot of money ..and good point - Mess with stuff in the digital realm, preferably. What I do like to focus thought on is; seeking high dynamic range output, headroom (starting with power supply rating) and driver efficiency. High quality measuring instruments is also a must, after all, how ya supposed to do good work with crappy tools? I always like to do a good job. Ummm.. with respect to the 'visual' queues - subjective perception beyond audio reproduction technology - I take it you are not shooting this video in your Proper listening room, given the family room clutter. 😂 ... and on that point... one of the most difficult things I've encountered is the Manager of Home Decor's resistance - veto - to making room arrangement and equipment mods. In the interests of domestic harmony perception it's better to do nothing sometimes. 😉

[@suppiahadnan6776]

Hi... thank you for your sincere advice. Coming from you, it is certainly creditble and I do hope many of those so called "audiophiles" out there and newbies to this hobby, do take heed of this valuable advise from Gene, someone who is certainly qualified, unlike many other "experts" who make nonsensical claims that's beyond common sense. Thank you, Gene.

[@davidjudd951]

The stereo in my car improved dramatically, when I removed the Fur Dice from the inside rear view mirror.

[@kyleo2113]

Gene - good video - I would love to hear more on addressing issues in the digital domain in regards to time, phase and channel matching - tools like REW, rephase, convolution etc. you have covered treatment extensively but would love to hear more about the finishing touch in making adjustments in the digital domain to get the most out of a system.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

Don't worry about the digital domain .... We use digital signalling to send information to the furthest points on Earth and beyond... with bit perfect accuracy. Audio in that domain is just data, like any other, and is delivered just as flawlessly as any other.

[@Lif-999]

The listening room is the single biggest cause of distortion when listening to a reasonable quality replay system. I use a miniDSP Flex with REW to EQ away [or in reality reduce] those pesky room nodes and reflections that are at the root of this problem. To be able to easily generate a 'house curve' response [without introducing phase anomolies] is only possible in the digital domain. Recommended.

[@kyleo2113]

@@Lif-999 100% agree, room has a huge impact. I had a big improvement after adding some treatment. I have been playing with convolution using REW, rephase and a convolver in Audirvana to adjust FR and “flatten” phase - very much a novice and would like to learn more.

[@denniso9503]

"Thats what we will be talking about in this video"............ famous words ..... Thank you for the insight Gene .

[@SwirlingDragonMist]

In the distant future when archeologists dig up Gene’s tomb full of RBH, they’ll make a new Mummy movie, and that’ll be his tagline spoken in the ancient dialect of Italian Floridian.

[@bikdav]

I was concerned about the impedance switch issue. Thank you for mentioning this. My speakers are 4 ohms and my receiver was left at 8 ohms. Nothing complained or blew up in my system.

[@jake24680]

You remind me of something i did years ago that i only recently figured out and am ashamed of. My buddy bought my Yamaha receiver and two 15", 400-watt cerwin vega speakers. He asked if the receiver has the ohm switch for the 4ohm speakers, and i showed him and switched it to 4ohm as he wanted it to be. Once getting it all hooked up i could not for the life of me figure out why the windows were not being blown out of his house like i told him this setup was capable of doing. Lol. I never thought of it until many years later and long after i had not seen him, that the reason was that switch being moved to "4 ohm ".

[@jazzkatt7083]

I have the Home Depot speaker zip cord cables and I get tons of detail from my setup. I recently improved vta and got even more impressive sound and I’ve heard fancy cables at shows. I’m good

[@CORVUSMAXYMUS]

Let dig even more: Frequency master clock from a device if is very cheap it will sound for 5 USD

[@don7294]

Great job and I agree with every point you made. Thank you. I would like to add; Be careful where you buy your gear if you are buying used. I found a pair of speakers that I wanted the full range drivers for another project from Canuck Audio Mart, since I live in Canada and thought I could trust the site. I paid the guy $600 and we had a number of phone conversations. Then nothing for months. I even contacted the folks in charge of the site and they tried to help but, he finally claimed he sold the speakers to someone else. Lesson learned. I am retired due to a terrible auto accident so my wife supports me and I was planning on building a great set of speakers to save money. $600 is not much for audio equipment but, it is a lot for me. This incident happened a number of years ago and I still don't have a set of good speakers. Be careful.

[@Audioholics]

Sorry to hear this.

[@ordinaryjoe2247]

I actually like the idea of waiting until the new model comes out. Then the old model often is available at a reduced price! The day that the Rotel A11 Mk II came out, the A11 Tribute price plunged, yet it no less was a great piece of equipment.

[@JoeJ-8282]

The "worst" point is when people try to use ANY online virtual video to "evaluate" the "sound quality" of ANY component or speaker, because that is literally physically impossible to actually do accurately or effectively, simply because there are SO MANY variables in the long "chain" between the actual sound being produced in the actual room that the speaker, (or whatever component), is playing in, all the way to the sound that actually reaches your own ears when/if you're NOT in that exact same room with whatever is being tested, and whether that end result is played through headphones OR any OTHER speaker, it is a TOTALLY different sound, each and every time! (AND it's also NEVER exactly the same in every way as the sound that's actually in the same room with the speakers or equipment being supposedly evaluated!) If you use ANY online video to "evaluate" the "sound quality" of ANYTHING, then you're basically just comparing "apples to oranges", and pretending that they're both exactly the same because they're both "fruits", LOL!

[@Dreamediaav]

Great topics Gene! We always appreciate your honesty and efforts to inform consumers. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work! 😁

[@TheFrogmanTV]

So why do you sell cable risers? Do you not think it is dishonest to sell them and claim they "reduce distortion and noise, coupling capacitance in cables, effects due to electric interference fields from floors and walls." I was really disappointed to see you advocating for snake oil.

[@bostromberg4704]

Concerning cables, I would not put much emphasis on measurement but a good way to test is to have a couple or better a few of alternative cables (type price range etc) play the same song and as soon as possible switch from one to another. At least my experience is that there are small but still significant differences. Maybe it is worthwhile to spend about 20 % on cables in relation to other components.

[@LelandPratt-nw9ix]

I’m a little fussier than you about my cables. The differences are not great but some cables are less edgy and sound more focused, (instrument separation). If you’re really into your sound, tune up your system, and deoxidize and clean all the terminals. (Power cords too).

[@JukeboxAlley]

These are perfect and accurate points. Utube listening tests do nothing, your little phone or headphones cant reproduce whats goin on in that room, its just not possible, so demos arent useful, fun to some maybe, but wont tell you much about how it will work in your room. Cables and cable risers, thats all nonsense and literally is just senseless spending on no audible improvements. Thanks, great video.

[@Munakas-wq3gp]

Well to be fair, youtube tests can reveal balance issues and bad room acoustics very easily. They don't of course sound like the live play but still you can hear if the balance is flawed or if the speaker suffers from early reflections. It's actually funny how a recording can reveal a bad room acoustics but when you're physically in the same room, you rarely hear the echoing a recording will reveal... When I got my first large panel electrostatics I was amazed how some of the songs I hated to listen with my old boxed speakers started to sound awesome. There was deep holographic sound stage and performers could be located with pin point accuracy. This is because the recordings were made with a simple stereo mic setup. Studio recorded music generally sounds very boring with good ESL:s as there is no perception of the recording space acoustics...

[@SteveP-n7r]

All 5 points make sense Gene. You are right about listening via KZbin over the web...however, unless you live in a market where audio products are plentiful, it's difficult to compare. KZbin becomes the default comparison tool, limited as it is. I thought about buying 2 different speakers to room test, knowing that I could send one or both back. Don't trust that process enough for full refund and shipping.

[@Audioholics]

Trust the process of manufacturer return policy EVERY time over a KZbin listening test. Reputable companies like SVS, Arendal Sound and others don't mess around.

[@Lobo243]

Very true about speaker placement and acoustic treatment...That helps A LOT

[@paulhalucha526]

Great video. For me it is largely aesthetics once you get to a certain price point. I love looking at my Mcintosh system as much as I love listening to it. Fell in love with the look of LS-100 Classics before I ever heard them.

[@oliverbeard7912]

Add in fuses, fuse directionality,cable burn in and cryogenic freezing 😊

[@Audioholics]

Complete snake oil

[@bryanjones9952]

Definitely hung up on the last one, "waiting for the next best thing". I am happy I waited for the manual supra though...😁

[@tomhill4003]

Wise words indeed! Thank you for clearing the air of all the high-end bullshit out there! The audio signal you hear on your stereo has run through miles of cable that wouldn't pass muster with the high-end geeks. One or two meters of the same cable won't have any effect on your stereo. One thing I would add though: Use good quality connectors on your cables... not the ridiculously expensive kind, just ones that have a tight fit and aren't prone to oxidation.

[@brooklynknightss]

Especially speakers!!i have speakers 32 years old and still sound fantastic!! Def tech BP20s !!

[@clsanchez77]

7:08 Purchase Validation. This one needs to be repeated by everyone. I see this in other hobbies as well, especially reef aquarium hobby.

[@Chrisspru]

in my experience, there are a few tweaks that work: - acousticaly treating your room - decoupling the speakers from the floor/ the shelves while firmly rooting them in place ( heavy cushioned feet) - making sure your room has fresh air ( for enjoyment and mental presence) - making sure your room is clean ( for enjoyment and no bodily stress) - make sure your room is aesthetic to just be in for you. better mood baseline. - make sure your listening spot is confortable and feels safe & controlable. - have interesting and pleasent interactive things in the room you enjoy. so its a good general place, not just an audio place. - care for your general health, fitness, well being, good direction and hearing health. - have things organized in general. - get enough sleep, extra if possible. - have a stocked pantry, gas in the tank, water in the fridge and some cash on the side. knowing you have time in case makes for a chill life. - get something nice to drink or other measured treat to enjoy while listening.

[@Chrisspru]

a depressing room, living on edge more than necessary, being in artificialy worse health and bad air can ruin any listening experience.