Superhuman hearing - Headphones vs loudspeakers & how audiophiles hear things others can't

[@duviworthing]

Nearly 50 years ago I used to work for B&W Loudspeakers. It wasn't until I stopped listening to the HiFi that I started listening to the music.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely

[@laszlobacs9347]

Many years ago I attended a guided birding tour for the first time in my life and during that tour I noticed that the guide would stop and start talking about a bird before even seeing it first. He would hear the bird first and then finding it by looking in the direction where the sound came. Then he would point the bird out for us. It's a skill one can develop and take to the next level. Since, I'm able to hear and identify close to one hundred different species of songbirds just by listening. You pointed out brilliantly in this video how hearing works and I thank you for sharing your knowledge and experience with us. Much appreciated. Cheers from Canada.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@@laszlobacs9347 thank you for sharing your story. And Thanks very much too for your kind words of appreciation

[@peterlarkin762]

Beauty is in the ear of the beholder. I spent 3 years making various pre's and amp's, and critically (completely focused) listening EVERY day for about 4 hours. Like a muscle, all this exercise built up abilities to differentiate subtle differences in equipment, but more importantly showed how your state of mind, mood, glucose levels, anxiety levels, time of day can have a very big impact on how music is perceived. I eventually got some kind of fatigue from this and ended up with a warmer less detailed daily hifi system. I have a theory that once a hifi produces a high degree of perceived details, and focuses on fast high frequency dynamics, our attention is turned up to a degree where we get more adrenalin and dopamine feedback which is 'exciting'. But it very much depends on the individual.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Marvellous contribution to the topic, thanks!

[@davegleeful]

Of all the KZbin videos I've watched recently this one has stopped and made me think about the basics of listening to music. Harley's videos are always worth making time for.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you very much for taking the time to respond with your kind appreciation. Were so glad you enjoy our videos

[@mykytaprusakov1256]

Harley, thank you for the great conversation and for creating such an engaging, informative video! This kind of knowledge-sharing is incredibly valuable, especially for young enthusiasts just beginning to build their experience in the field. Please keep up the great work!

[@PearlAcoustics]

You are so welcome! Thanks for your motivational appreciation

[@larserikpettersen6658]

I always have the highest expectations when it comes to content and execution of your videos, you nailed it again👍

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. That’s very kind. I will continue to try and meet your expectations…. Glad you enjoyed it. Best wishes from Belgium

[@kakarrot62]

I have always thought about whether it was better to listen to headphones vs speakers. I personally prefer speakers. they seems to give much more "body and soul" to the music i listen to. Your explanation on Tinnitus is very insightful. Thanks for covering this Harley!

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome. Glad you enjoyed it

[@texfish]

Your best video yet. The next time someone asks me why i spend so much money on audio equipment and hi-res music i will show them this video. I always listen to music with my eyes shut,it really helps the image formation and details. I use my headphone system to listen for fine details that i might miss but once i know they're there i can hear them through the main speakers. It's like you say,if your not looking for them you won't find them.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you! Very kind. Nice comment

[@Zaparter]

Not trying to be mean, just want to let you know that you can listen exclusively to the difference between a hi-res track and a CD standard track. By inverting the signal of the CD quality track and playing it at the same time as the hi-res track. The result is entirely inaudible. Make of this what you will. I like audio systems, spend a good amount of money and time on my own as well. But hi-res audio doesn't do anything when listening to music.

[@texfish]

No problem ,don't think your being mean,your intitled to your opinion. There is a slight difference between cd quality and high res. There is slightly more depth and width to the image and more space between the instruments. Totally admit it's very slight, but is there. I listen to cds and tidal hi res and will always listen to hi res album on tidal rather than 44.1/16.

[@Zaparter]

@@texfish It is not an opinion though, which is why the information is often dismissed as me being rude. Let me explain the process in more detail. FIrst is loading the hi-res track (calling this track A) into an audio editing software, e.g. Audacity. Then export the track into CD standard 44.1/16 (calling this track B). Load that track B back into the editor, alongside the hi-res source. Then you invert (phase flip) the CD quality track B. You may now export both tracks in parallel into a single hi-res track ("C") and load that track back into the editor. You have now subtracted the CD track from the hi-res one. That last track C contains all the difference between hi-res and CD. You don't have to play that track, you can just do a frequency analysis of it to find that it doesn't contain audible signals below 20kHz. This is not a subjective listening test, it is objective proof that there is no audible difference. You may play the C track to test wether your system is actually producing audible noise from playing exclusively supersonic frequencies, which can happen due to nonlinearities, or at very high levels of gain clipping the amplifier or overloading the speaker.

[@texfish]

@Zaparter This is one of a few subjects in hifi world that really divides opinion and i enjoy the discussions as long as its kept civi,l which you have. I think if you have spent £3000 on a new cable, to replace a £300 one , human nature will tend to make you see improvements to justify the outlay of money. It's a psychological thing and maybe there is no difference but if you think there is, can that be seen as improvement? I can hear no difference in cables and bought some reasonable quality ones that will last me a life time. £5000 for a power cord? Don't think so. Vynyl v digital. Which one sounds best? They both sound different and the one you prefer will sound the best. My point is not everything can be measured by machines,the human psyche is more complicated than that. I think it's been proved that humans cannot hear any improvement after 44.1/16 but 96/24 sounds clearer and more open to me even though it shouldn't. I've decided to stop worrying about it and enjoy it😀

[@DPSingh-px4xu]

My ears delighted to the lush presentation and warm tone of a gentleman clearly aged with wisdom...I've know a few friends operating ultra expensive equipment in rooms designed for everything except music and they can't hear it and I won't tell them...however I might share this video and wait for a call....nicely done

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks, very kind! 😀

[@laurieharper1526]

I think it's more a case of knowing or recognising what one is hearing than hearing things others can't. I'm a musician. I'm used to listening analytically and can, for example, tell you what the violas in an orchestral piece are playing. Someone else might be equally able to hear the viola part, but because they aren't used to listening analytically, they will hear a piece as a single entity, rather than a collection of strands or parts. What I can do isn't "superhuman". It's just something I've been taught. Most people are capable of learning it. I'm fortunate to have perfect pitch (I can tell you what a note is when I hear it). I can't claim any credit for it. I was born with it and didn't realise until a violin teacher pointed it out to me when I was young. I did used to have quite extended hearing, but now I'm 70, I have definitely lost a lot of higher frequencies. I can no longer hear bats squeaking when I see them flying round the house, whereas I could when I was younger. Interestingly, my partner, who was a few years older than me, could still hear them in her late 60s, but she hadn't spent 50 odd years playing in noisy bands.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing your experience here. Best wishes

[@soulfulfool]

always a pleasure to listen to a wise man, I personally use headphones because I dont have enough space for loudspeakers, sometimes open back headphones can surprise me with sound so real that I would turn my head and see if that sound didnt came from my room

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks 😀👍. Headphones can be very impressive indeed.

[@jongvyn]

This gem of a video made me happy! It is a confirmation of what I know to be true but I get the impression that the high-end business is mostly about having the most expensive cables (sorry interlinks) and the largest budget for the hardware. I suggest that people should spend more time in a concert hall to experience the music live and then realise that that will not fit into your room :-) and you can enjoy a reproduction through the ears of hopefully a competent recording engineer and mastering expert using the recording they made. Keep up the good work!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks very much for your kind appreciation. And for your contribution to the topic.

[@ricardoreid2991]

Thankyou Harley for this video what you have said has made me realise that not everyone can hear what i hear. They may not be listening or analysing what instruments are actually in the piece of music that are listening to. You have made me so happy that now i know that i am not going mad & i can focus in on different instruments that are being played in a particular recording. As to conversations where you are in a room with multiple conversations are being had i can focus into different conversations whilst having my own one thank you so much for this & god bless.

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome. Enjoy the music

[@KetogenicGuitars]

I'm so very glad there exist people as passionate about good audio than I am(with similar tinnitus). I had this little experiment while cutting firewood. I took my plain old two stroke chainsaw and outside house let it warm up untill smooth idle run. Then I walked with it idling inside my apartment having 6m x 6m room (having big traditional brick oven). The difference in clarity and difference in volume is so huge I was immediately converted to understand what the main factor to differencies between listening situations is. 90% of those things is about the room. It is to say that a room is not optional place to execute the speaker drivers. Nothing cannot be done to the fact of pressure bouncing around and one must adapt with some measures. But the good news is that the brain is very high end device to make the HIFI experience work even in that not so optimal condition. (in my experience)The rest 10% of the necessarry factors for excellent audio comes down to having proper power for bass(2x15"+SUB) and digital crossovers. And full range speaker covering 250-6700hz in addition to dedicated tweeters. This is if you need to work on budget system like I'm forced to.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience here.

[@WelshPlantsman]

Another excellent video. Such a clear explanation of how hearing works. I notice several other people have said they have tinnitus in the comments. Following a severe ear infection, I have suffered for more than 40 years with tonal tinnitus (@6kHz) in the right ear only. It was constant and getting worse, even preventing sleeping. I thought I would never be able to enjoy music again. After extensive searching, I was exceedingly fortunate in finding an audiologist that cared about tinnitus. Firstly properly prescribed hearing aids can help enormously, so if you have not had a hearing test do try this route. In my case the audiologist suggested "notch therapy". This is a relatively new treatment and not all audiologists know of it, it only works for tonal tinnitus and even then only seems to work for the lucky few. I was lucky, I now barely perceive the tinnitus. Stress makes tinnitus worse and relaxing with music is in itself a therapy! Keep up the good work Harley.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you. Much appreciated. And thank you too for your interesting addition to the thread

[@igo723]

Dear Harley, thanks a lot for such a fascinating journey into the world of our head. Just amazing.

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome. Thanks for sharing your appreciation

[@henryjimenez3227]

I am 23. Ever since I got into the audio world, my only wish has been to experience this magical sound audiophiles talk wonders about, with a proper stereo speaker set-up. Unfortunately, my room does not allow for this to happen. So, hopefully, one day, I will get to enjoy this experience. Excellent video, sir.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you for your kind appreciation. I hope you experience it too, I am sure you will one day. If you are ever near one of our listening rooms, I am sure we can make an appointment for you so you can hear for yourself.

[@CarlVanDoren61]

Join local audio club 😊

[@SpykerSpeed]

Please be careful with your ears. Always try to listen to music on lower volume if possible, because you don't want to end up with tinnitus!

[@henryjimenez3227]

​@PearlAcoustics You are welcome. I appreciate the invitation. A little far away from me here in the US. But if I am ever near, I will definitely stop by.

[@henryjimenez3227]

​@SpykerSpeed Thank you for your advice. I always do my best to keep things at a moderate volume.

[@riangarianga]

Interesting talk, delivered in a way that won't irk anyone. Thank you!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you! 🙏

[@louisavraamides9067]

Excellent video. It was very educational and filled quite a few gaps in my knowledge. Looking forward to the next one.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it! That’s very kind

[@wouterkolkman]

Thank you for your presentation - I have been suffering with tinnitus too over the last 10 years or so. After a lot of reading I concur with your explanation. Human hearing is a bit of a miracle - think of a flute playing one note, and you place it somewhere between the speakers. When the flute plays at a different pitch due to wave interference between left and right speakers, the flute should move unless placed right in the middle between the speakers. As for a low 40Hz note: your room on;y needs to accommodate half the wavelength in order to have a stab at reproducing.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing your kind appreciation

[@rotaks1]

Absolutely a fantastic episode! You understand deeply and explain simply!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you! I do my best

[@ianpickering4020]

What an excellent talk. Thanks Harley - you bring great insight into this mysterious and intriguing subject!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you Glad you enjoyed it!

[@mikeuk4130]

What an intriguing topic, Harley. Fyne Audio has recently launched a supertweeter which has a 360-degree horizontal dispersion pattern and which covers the frequency range of 20 kHz - 60kHz. Naturally, we can’t hear the sounds it produces, but we can hear the effects they have on the sounds produced by the other, lower-frequency drive units in their speaker systems.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your comment. I have never heard a super tweeter in my own system and have always been a bit sceptical! I will have to try one, one day!

[@mikeuk4130]

​@@PearlAcoustics I have "heard" them at some length in two different systems, both in a decent hi-fi shop's general shop area and its demonstration room. All those listening noticed the same effects, which were quite marked. I'm sure Fyne would send you a copy of the "Supertrax" brochure and White Paper on application. Best wishes.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ thanks for the update. I will reach out to them.

[@RobertChampion1]

Excellent, as always! Consider this: The phonograph--the first audio reproduction device--was invented in 1877 by Thomas Edison. Imagine in 1877 you walked into a house and could hear a string quartet playing on this new unknown device. You would look around for the string quartet because your brain, having never heard mechanically reproduced music, would 'fill in' the details and make you experience the sound of a live quartet. That is the real power of human psychoacoustics!!!

[@PearlAcoustics]

@@RobertChampion1 that’s an excellent analogy. Thanks 🙏

[@ConsecDesign]

I get your point, but if you've ever heard a phonograph, I don't think anyone is confusing the sound of a phonograph with an actual string quartet

[@RobertChampion1]

@@ConsecDesign with all due respect, my point is that in 1877 no human had ever heard recorded music, so your brain would fool you into believing that the sound you heard was coming from a live string quartet because in your experience, there was no other source for that sound. And that's the magic of psychoacoustics: your brain can fool you!!!!

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ indeed!

[@A_RosnerNZ]

Mechanics can have a similar ability, hearing when something is off with an engine. A long time ago, I had a dog that would recognise my approach by the cadence of my footfall. There's lots of information encoded into the sounds we hear, provided we develop the skills and aptitude to identify and understand it.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely! Thanks for this interesting example Adam! Best wishes from Belgium

[@silvershield2342]

Excellent discussion. First off, it is wonderful to see a young person sitting still and listening intently to audio equipment and music. When I listen to music i often enjoy focusing on the contribution of each instrument and then seeing how it all comes together. Oh, I too suffer from tinnitus. at about 8khz. Perhaps it would be interesting to have a future show discussing this issue - perhaps even introducing Prof Van Rompuy.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks very much indeed for your comment. A good idea about involving the professor… I will reach out to him, it might not be something for him, let’s see.

[@stuartraybould2574]

Personally, I think it's about concentration. Losing yourself in the music, listening for every sound, you don't always catch everything in one listen, sometimes it takes multiple listens to complete the full picture. A lot of people, most actually, don't have the patience to listen, really listen. They can't sit there just listening to an album, they have to do something else as well, don't concentrate, don't lose themselves to the music and nothing else, they just can't do it. Personally, I love nothing better than going into my listening room, putting an album on and just sit there listening to the music. Noticing where the instruments in the mix, what comes out of which speakers, the atmosphere of the music, just losing myself to it. Nothing gives me more joy. So many people who know me a little, tend to think I'm weird. Well I'd rather be weird than incapable of listening to music the way it deserves to be heard, especially classical, jazz, avant-garde, prog rock, electronic, experimental interesting music.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing. Enjoy the music!

[@milosbicanin2524]

You described it so well. Exactly what I enjoy about listening to music

[@webmarketing40]

Multitasking in our modern society is annoying. Especially when it comes to streaming music.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@webmarketing40 True enough ... people just don't know how to relax anymore.

[@chinmeysway]

yes it’s about that and not anatomy or gear!

[@Mrhifitunes]

Good one Harley. 👍. Funny that you couldnt remember the english word for eardrum but knew the Flemish word. I sometimes have it the other way around 😅 As an audiophile who gets older, I try to listen less to my hifi and more to the music. Its difficult to do but seems you can switch easily between both. Hope you do some video about room acoustics too, spealialy what we can do to improve a stardard living room.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you very much for your kind appreciation. It was strange how I couldn’t get the word to front of mind! I did do a video on room acoustics, here Room Acoustics for hifi systems and a pleasant atmosphere kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqqXm6yYf9CCsNE. And also one on building our listening room. I hope that helps for now?

[@cunawarit]

Interesting video! It does a great job of explaining how people train themselves to listen for detail. I've never thought of my hearing as anything special, nor have I ever considered myself an audiophile. However, I do seem to have a knack for picking up on conversations around me... maybe I'm just a bit nosy.

[@PearlAcoustics]

😉 - I think the word you were looking for is ‘curious’ - thanks for your kind appreciation

[@christianeggers5267]

Brilliant! Thanks again! What a pleasure to listen to you.

[@PearlAcoustics]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoy my talks

[@brucebarbour9583]

Good on you, Harley!… And we don’t say that frequently here in New Jersey :-)

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! Very kind

[@Hzim007]

Thanks! I learn so much from this talk and enjoy it.

[@PearlAcoustics]

I'm so glad! Best wishes to you!

[@webmarketing40]

This video is very educational as usual. Thanks.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Bassotronics]

I actually have super human hearing. I can hear down to about 15Hz and what annoys me is when people say that I can’t when I clearly can. It’s why I am what you call a “bass music producer” and they’re only a handful on this planet. - I can also hear very high frequencies because I remember a neighbor had a machine that produces high frequencies that are supposed to repel mosquitoes but every time I pass in front of the house it hurts my ears while my friends can’t hear it at all!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing your comment.

[@matytinman]

Jackson Browne - The Pretender (1976) Vinyl, Asylum Records, US DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR14 -1.06 dB -18.94 dB 5:50 01-The Fuse DR15 -0.70 dB -19.04 dB 6:06 02-Your Bright Baby Blues DR12 -3.67 dB -18.48 dB 4:08 03-Linda Paloma👈 DR14 -0.89 dB -17.11 dB 3:39 04-Here Come Those Tears Again DR13 -1.65 dB -18.55 dB 3:44 05-The Only Child DR13 -1.21 dB -17.20 dB 3:37 06-Daddy's Tune DR13 -2.02 dB -19.93 dB 2:38 07-Sleep's Dark and Silent Gate DR13 -0.93 dB -18.18 dB 5:54 08-The Pretender -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks: 8 Official DR value: DR13 Jackson Browne - The Pretender (1976) Vinyl, MFSL 1982, US DR Peak RMS Duration Track -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DR15 -0.04 dB -17.44 dB 5:47 01-The Fuse DR16 -0.85 dB -19.44 dB 6:02 02-Your Bright Baby Blues DR12 -4.82 dB -19.16 dB 4:04 03-Linda Paloma 👈 DR14 -0.72 dB -17.61 dB 3:35 04-Here Come Those Tears Again DR13 -1.00 dB -17.32 dB 3:41 05-The Only Child DR13 -0.05 dB -15.92 dB 3:34 06-Daddy's Tune DR13 -0.10 dB -17.54 dB 2:36 07-Sleep's Dark And Silent Gate DR13 -0.23 dB -16.75 dB 5:09 08-The Pretender -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Number of tracks: 8 Official DR value: DR14

[@jozefserf2024]

It's almost tragic how vinyl can often have a superior dynamic range than CD due to the ridiculous amounts of compression they can apply to digital.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

One last point .... I often wonder how many people realize that the classic 20hz to 20khz we banter around has almost nothing to do with our hearing. Way back in the 1940s, a group of engineers got together to analyse music and figure out how much "bandwidth" was necessary to reasonably reproduce it. They studied performances, instruments, harmonics and so on and arrived at 10hz to 10khz. Later studies modified that to the modern 20hz to 20khz based on the lowest piano note at 23hz and the fourth harmonic of the highest note (4,186hz) at 16,744hz. This is not about human hearing. It is about the amount of bandwidth necessary to reproduce music and today it exists as a reserved band allocation on the EM spectrum, just like FM Broadcast Radio and Cellphone channels. Most people actually hear from about 40hz to 15khz with any degree of reliability.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you for your interesting contribution. I do remember in my youth as 16Hz being considered a very adequate upper level.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@PearlAcoustics And it still is.

[@24bellers20]

I know for a fact that I have a dip in my hearing at 13khz.I paid for a hearing test at the audiologists. I just dialled up the active treble cards 2db. Seems to improve it just enough for me. In addition my listening room is not ideal being only 4m square. However, I do enjoy headphones when I want to close out the surrounding background noise. I too have left ear tinnitus at 8khz that remained after an inner ear infection. I love your explanation of it. 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your kind words and for sharing your story

[@ignicioperez4647]

Dear Harley, I watched this video about a week ago and found it very educational. You do a great job in explaining complex technical issues in an accessible way and jargon free. I learnt a lot! One question on another topic: do you use and/or recommend power conditioners? I ask because views seem to diverge on their utility and I'm not sure whether it is an added value to a system or simply a gimmick (or "snake oil" to use a more "rough" term) . In my case, I use a Supra power strip but was thinking of moving up to a power conditioner. Many thanks in advance and best wishes, Ignacio

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi Ignacio. Thank you for sharing your appreciation. The topic of power conditioners is complex. A lot of modern equipment have built in power conditioners, and do not need anything additional. Of course the quality of supply can vary. The only time I heard a positive difference was when using one in my home cinema system in front of my very simply designed tube monoblocks. I know this doesn’t help much but one needs to be careful with adding conditioners if they cannot supply enough current. I hope that helps? My system is an Isolate. But as I say, we don’t have one in out listening rooms

[@ignicioperez4647]

@ Thanks so much for your reply and the advice, Harley. Much appreciated! Regards, Ignacio

[@roblilley3669]

Great video. I also have tinnitus in my left ear around the same frequency as yours. I am interested on how you have learned to live with it or adjust to it.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks! it’s a bit too complicated to explain here, it’s largely down to training yourself not to react to it. To relax and not let it bother you. In this way, gradually your brain suppresses the sound in the same way it ignores background conversation. Indeed, when we are tired and it’s quiet or when we are thinking about it (like I am now 😟) it comes back. But when we are concentrating on things ‘more important’ it’s still there but we don’t hear it. I hope that helps a little. Professor Van Rompuy runs special classes on this topic in his clinic in Antwerp, Belgium. You could try reaching out to him. I hope that helps?

[@rogerschofield3324]

Excellent , really enjoyed your lecture.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Glad to hear that! Thanks!🙏

[@anowosielski]

Lately I started listening to Dolby Atmos on headphones and I love it,it’s sounds different,better,most of the issues with headphones are fixed. I have my iPod set on always on,for Atmos and even tracks not recorded in Atmos sounds better

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing

[@RomiPetrut]

The Fabulous Mr Harley ! Thank you again

[@PearlAcoustics]

😀🙏

[@howardskeivys4184]

I would agree in the main with the content of this video. Where I would tend to pull away slightly from your explanation is with room acoustics and how your auditory system differentiates between direct sound and indirect or reflected sound. Over the last 40 years plus, I have assembled a premium hi-fi system, which reproduces music the way I like to hear it. It’s cost me much time, money, trial and error, but I’ve achieved my goal, or, come as close as I’m likely to get under the restraints of physics and disposable income. The nature of my job is that I have to frequently move. So I’ve lived with my hi-fi in a multitude of listening environments. In every environment it was the sonic characteristics of my hi-fi which dominated the listening experience, not the sonic characteristics of the room. I have also recently invested stupid money in a set of ultra premium headphones. Noteworthy by all reviewers for their neutrality, linearity, clarity and ability to effortlessly retrieve detail. I was astonished as to how close their musical reproduction was to that produced in room by my substantial floor standers. Much like your scenario of the 2 concentric conversations, I believe our auditory system ha has evolved/developed sufficiently to hear what it wants, extract the wheat from the chaff. scenario

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your comment, it seems you have acquired an amazing system. Thanks for sharing

[@OigresAviap]

Love listen to you and your knowledge.

[@PearlAcoustics]

I appreciate that. Thank you

[@jakobgooijer]

can a professional photographer see more than an amateur? No, he just knows better what to look for.

[@PearlAcoustics]

That’s a good analogy. Thanks for sharing

[@r423sdex]

Few can, most definitely not. You only have to look at most photography that’s done on KZbin. Reviewers are usually the worst.

[@julzm7067]

@@r423sdex Without Photoshop most of them would be lost.

[@pimvanvliet2812]

That’s an interesting one. My old employer told me a story about that. He had the exact same camera as a professional photographer customer. One day they decided to take some pictures of a beautiful landscape. The photographer’s pictures came out much better looking than his. It’s all about knowing what to look for and then, of course, knowing what to adjust to get the best outcome. I have learned a lot about speaker setup over the years, but I still seem to keep learning.

[@webmarketing40]

There were people who told me that musicians or people who play the piano know better how to appreciate and comment on a hi-fi system.

[@metatron-007]

It is probably down to awareness. This is certainly true within the world of the recording studio, one learns awareness and then it becomes second nature a bit like when learning how to ride a bicycle or drive a motor vehicle etc etc.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed! I remember one one if my recordings we discovered ima tiny bit of distortion on one very loud note the soprano was singing, I was mortified that I had not balanced my microphones correctly, only to discover that it had nothing to do with them but was down to the singers voice rattling the bar doors if an overhead light on the stage! (The sound was on all microphones, even those well away from her). The mixing engineer discovered it!

[@fredthefatboy]

Only one thing to say - BRAVO!

[@PearlAcoustics]

🙏👍

[@dagjohnsen]

Great post, thank you!

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re welcome!

[@gaborozorai3714]

That was a great talk, thanks. I always wonder why a room system is called 2-channel hi-fi to differentiate it from headphones which are as 2-channel as it gets.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your very kind appreciation. To be honest, I think the term ‘2 Channel’ applies just as much to headphones as it does listening rooms with two loudspeakers… whatever term, the thing is to simply enjoy the music as best one can.

[@G4rmonbozia]

Amazing video. Thank you so much!

[@PearlAcoustics]

You're very welcome!

[@MichaelBeeny]

The thing that worries me about single drive unit speakers, is power handling, IMD, dynamic range. I can imagine that on some music they could sound quite nice. However, music with lots of low end and loud, these must be lacking somewhat. Distortion IMD must also play its part. The cone is too small to move lots of air and too big to respond to 15Khz+. I can only think what the IMD is when playing say below 100hz and HF content at 10khz at the same time! I can see music played at lowish levels with mostly midrange content these speakers could truly sound very clean and natural.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi Michael thank you for your comment. I can understand your scepticism, however I can assure you that we have solved these issues with our Sibelius loudspeakers. I would love to demonstrate them to you. 😉. I am sure you would be very surprised! Best wishes from Belgium

[@baaltroth1957]

This video was quite the journey.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you, I take it you meant your comment in a positive way? 😉

[@baaltroth1957]

@PearlAcoustics absolutely

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ thanks! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@revelry1969]

It is definitely a training of the ears. If you haven’t heard good speaker sound you don’t know what you are missing….until you do

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed! Ignorance is bliss! 😉

[@revelry1969]

@@PearlAcoustics I surely like headphone listening but I much more enjoy speakers. Your explanation of this is spot on. I try to show friends how things sound so much different and better with speakers. They just don’t get it. In headphones there is no sound stage. It’s all just within your head. It is great for hearing little details but doesn’t reproduce a true soundstage and as you have noted…you don’t feel bass drums. It should rock you in the chest when one hits. In cans it is just well…ok. Good talk and well articulated. This is a major hurdle for our industry. This is part of the reason we are getting crap streaming these days. It sounds ok in cans…but in a true listening setup….nope. Terrible in some cases.

[@martinmullen71]

Very interesting, and I get where you’re coming from.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks. 🙏

[@earlfenwick]

I believe audiophilia can be learned. I have learned to hear more, largely through editing video and audio. Besides listening to music of course. 😊

[@PearlAcoustics]

Very true!

[@louiesipes2257]

And thus why there are many different ways to skin a cat. Not everyone hears the same or has the same preferences. Thank you Sir for another chat😊

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome. Thanks!

[@_andreas_]

The longer the distance the more explosive and compressed the initial dispersion point has to be. Otherwise, the leading edge won't have enough phase velocity to produce a textured pre-echo. Ultrasonics, with sufficient directional density, create this wake of silence which effortlessly pulls you in.

[@flash4973]

Hearing is like sight, some people have better hearing than others genetically, just like some people see better than others or smell. There are differences in the way each individual experiences the environment based on the strength and sensitivity of his senses.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing

[@deanokay666]

All very interesting and beneficial, thank you, but I sense a little dig (and rightly so) at the new industry of living room audio equipment reviewers. The reviewers make out they hear night and day differences, but I suspect they’re using audio monitoring equipment, only detecting subtle differences. I’ve made some purchases based on KZbin audio equipment reviews, but I won’t be any longer.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

Oh man you wouldn't believe the crap that gets A+ ratings from most reviewers. Recently a very economical DAC got rave reviews from literally all the usual gang... But, when I hooked one up on my Windows computer it completely crashed the onscreen volume control and keyboard volume buttons. I also took the leap on a pair of desktop speakers that got very good reviews and sitting on my desk they sound like crap. And it goes on and on ... Now I build systems for friends and their friends, I've had to take to testing and even modifying things for them, to make sure they're getting their money's worth.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your kind words. I was not aware I was making any digs at anyone. I do try my best to be neutral and speak to the things I notice empirically, while observing the science and understanding my own possible psychoacoustic bias. It’s a complex balancing act!

[@deanokay666]

@ good to know I’m not alone. 😊 There’s a British guy that never/rarely reviews anything available from the main retailers, but rather, he raves about stuff from an obscure brand or small distributor..,.. hmmmm, I wonder why 🤔

[@deanokay666]

@@PearlAcoustics thank you for your reply. Much appreciated from the channel owner.

[@simonmarsden66]

I rarely heard my children when they were babies when they cried in the night, my wife would go nuts with me. It's in my ears!!

[@PearlAcoustics]

😀. But I bet if she were away for the night, you would have heard every tiny murmur they made?

[@MichaelBeeny]

Another great way to not be disturbed at night is to not have kids in the first place. Works well for me! lol

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ 😉

[@koblongata]

it's not about hearing the ultrasonic frequencies, but how the ultrasonic frequencies can keep the frequencies we hear intact

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for that.

[@TheRoby1kenobi]

That's why when I test a new piece of equipment I have my first impression and I take note of it. Then I listen to it for a week or so and when I switch back to the old one I can check if the first impression was right. I never do continuously switch test. It's no use. I have a nice pair of Grado headphones but they'll never recreate reality the way I like in my stereo system.

[@PearlAcoustics]

👍

[@Rob-rg4oe]

Although the reasoning is sound and explains how certain people can distinguish certain differences in sound that other people can’t, it still does not explain the fact that many audiophiles claim to be able to hear things that are not humanly possible. Things like interference or noise way below the human hearing threshold, or certain frequencies well above the human limit. So yes, one can ‘train’ ones hearing to pick up certain nuances, changes or specific oddities. But one can’t train ones hearing beyond what’s physically possible. HiFi manufacturers have capitalized on the confirmation bias of many audiophiles and a certain kind of peer pressure has sealed that deal. If you’d bought something very expensive and exotic, it must sound better, and thus, it will sound better. Because that is the other side of the coin: The brain has the amazing ability to focus on certain sounds, but it also has the ability to make you believe you hear things that are not here. And there lies the difference that distinguishes a true audiophile from the very large group of pseudo-audiophiles. The audiophile which acknowledges the fact that his/her hearing is a very flawed measuring instrument and is content with the fact that a lot of their enjoyment not also comes from the equipment playing the music, but also from their own cognitive biases. Those are the ones that actually listen to music and are enjoying it, instead of fighting hand over fist over which cable, amplifier, dac, etc. is better and why their hearing and equipment is better than those of the people not agreeing with their often very foolish statements.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

Look up the "Dunning-Kruger" syndrome ... it's a very interesting read.

[@hansemannluchter643]

If you play Led Zeppelins "Stairway to Heaven" backwards, you'll here this: "Here's to my sweet Satan The one whose little path would make me sad whose power is Satan, He'll give you, he'll give you 666 There was a little tool shed where he made us suffer, sad Satan." Especially now that I've told you what to listen for. The Audio Engineering Society has a video were you can read the text on screen, while the piece is played backwards, and indeed, that is what you hear. Of course, if you play your records backwards - You probably ARE Satan...

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your comment. Indeed the brain can be very easily tricked snd psychoacoustics is a big factor in our hobby. At the end of the day, for me it’s about enjoying the music, no matter what system you listen to it on. When I was very young, I used to love listening to music in bed on my tiny transistor radio tucked under my pillow.

[@ianmckay1780]

@@PearlAcoustics Me too, especially Radio Luxemburg. That shows my age somewhat!

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ and my age too!

[@ImHavingaCoronary]

Just going to guess that most audiophiles just listen far closer and so notice more. It’s a learned skill for most.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely

[@budgetaudiophilelife-long5461]

👋 HARLEY, I HOPE YOU’RE DOING GOOD 🤗 AND THANKS FOR EXPLAINING THIS BRILLIANTLY 🧐💚💚💚

[@r423sdex]

But enjoy the music less. I find the less I listen to, the more I hear.

[@carminedesanto6746]

The biggest difference is between those who have music on in the background…as opposed to someone who sits down and actually concentrates or gives attention to what being played for them.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed, I get your point, but I think we can have the ability for both depending on the circumstance? Thanks for your comment

[@carminedesanto6746]

@ true

[@macschomo]

It's about consciousness. If you never were in contact with the ideas of acoustics and harmonics, like overtones, you never have a chance to hear it. So you have to train it. That's what musicians do all the time. Train your ears and brain. And your knowledge of technology...

[@PearlAcoustics]

True. And doesn’t this apply to do many aspects in life? Food, art, science and literature? Best wishes, H

[@GordonPyzik]

Im 60 and lost a little hearing but in a way i still hear better than someone who has perfect hearing. A trained ear is why. I can hear things in music most others cant

[@PearlAcoustics]

That’s great!

[@chinmeysway]

nah it’s more common than you think for ppl to pay attention. lots of normal ppl do sorry you’re not super special and realize all the ppl that are mix and mastering engineers, musicians, acousticians etc; we listen for hrs n hrs on end to very very specific things.

[@johnmcdevitt9797]

A blind man named Daniel Kish can echolocate by clicking his tongue, the sound signatures of the reflecting clicks allow Daniel to distinguish the difference between objects say a car or bicycle! I subscribe to the idea that "superhuman" hearing is a thing. Certainly the way auditory information is perceived by the mind is nuanced between individuals. Headphones are the pinnacle of high fidelity reproduction however binaural recording are not standard format yet. Speaker reproduction remains superior for visceral and natural sound reproduction that can rival the best headphones for fidelity when lots of money and acoustic expertise is dedicated to the effort. A sound isolation booth and a pair of high end electrostatic earphones and yeah you're not going to best this level of fidelity with a speaker system without spending a ton of cash! When I compare the bass information on tracks via headphone playback vs. in room speaker playback the fidelity is not even close! It is true that the room acoustics dominate the listening experience via speaker playback.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing this interesting contribution to the discussion

[@mswdesign9164]

I have occasional tinnitus- I'm having it now. It is indicative of the ratio of salt to water in my diet. The tinnitus is eliminated by proper hydration and control of salt intake. Theorize that one.

[@PearlAcoustics]

The human body is way more complex than hifi! If that is a phenomenon you have experienced then it’s true for you. Thanks for sharing

[@martinbishop2966]

Good question: I think if you listen to a good system at say 80 dB or so with music that is calm and enjoyable then I think your hearing will be ok. Whether you hear more than other people, I don't really know. However, if you listen to classical music your hearing may be tuned in such a way that it may be wise to avoid processed pop stuff. 👍

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for the comment. I hope you enjoyed the video? I like a bit of everything, from classical to pop, to be honest. My expectations tend to change depending on the genre!

[@hansemannluchter643]

These days, the vast majority of classical recordings are also heavily processed. They are also digital recordings btw..

[@shreddherring]

I heard a talk given by rob watts, where he was saying that while we can only hear up to around 20khz steady tones, we can in fact hear up to 80khz, but specifically transients, which aids our ability to locate sounds: I wonder whether this would be why superteeeters are useful. Also, with regards to feeling bass in the chest, I do have one pair of headphones that does it (HD800) but I dont know how they manage it, and its not something I see other people discussing about them... Cool but spooky

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your comment

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

In reality most people are stone deaf at anything over 15khz.

[@hansemannluchter643]

Have you ever studied the frequency-response curves for the microphones used to record music? Or of the instruments recorded??

[@brugj03]

I have the 800`s too. And i know what you`re talking about. Never heard it on any other headphone, that`s why i bought them. Best headphone i ever heard.

[@shreddherring]

@@hansemannluchter643 Yeah, absolutely fair point there. Maybe this will all be more relevant when microphones evolve a bit, and hi res recording practices improve

[@carlosquijano2827]

Thanks, very nice video. And the young man finally bought your loudspeakers? 😂

[@PearlAcoustics]

😂 I think our budget is a bit beyond him right now. He was very open about the purpose of his visit and he was a pleasure to spend time with.

[@evillalta9490]

Mr. Harley, how do you manage tinitus? I have suffered from tinitus on and off at varous times, Thank you. Ernesto

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi, It’s a bit too complicated to explain here, it’s largely down to training yourself not to react to it. To relax and not let it bother you. In this way, gradually your brain suppresses the sound in the same way it ignores background conversation. Indeed, when we are tired and it’s quiet or when we are thinking about it (like I am now 😟) it comes back. But when we are concentrating on things ‘more important’ it’s still there but we don’t hear it. I hope that helps a little? Professor Van Rompuy runs special classes on this topic in his clinic in Antwerp, Belgium. You could try reaching out to him. I hope that helps?

[@AL-57]

Hi Harley, I too have tinnitus (20+ years) and would appreciate any advice you have on managing it please. Lack of sleep and high stress levels always make it worse.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi. Indeed… it’s a bit too complicated to explain here, it’s largely down to training yourself not to react to it. To relax and not let it bother you. In this way, gradually your brain n suppresses the sound in the way it ignores background conversation. Indeed, when we are tired and it’s quiet or when we are thinking about it (like I am now 😟) it comes back. But when we are concentrating on things ‘more important’ it’s still there but we don’t hear it. I hope that helps a little. Professor Van Rompuy runs special classes on this topic in his clinic in Antwerp, Belgium

[@AL-57]

Many thanks for sharing Harley, yes just the very mention of it notches the volume up! I will look into the professor's work ❤

[@milosbicanin2524]

​@@PearlAcousticsare these classes open for general public?

[@gemmakaru9685]

It's a little bit like ignoring the sensation of clothing touching your entire body. After we dress we sort of forget or ignore all the clothing generated touch sensations. If we didn't we'd be sent crazy.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ nice analogy!

[@goodsound4756]

You can train your muscles and you get stronger. And so you can train your hearing to be a better audiophile.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

1) I seriously doubt audiophiles have super powers. 2) The thesis here is very well presented but flawed by one simple point... We don't hear "sound waves". We hear fluctuations in air pressure. Wavelength has little to do with it since we are actually measuring the rate of change... the frequency... and the amount of change... the volume.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your contribution to the topic. Indeed you are obviously completely correct, it’s the fluctuation in pressure. It was the confusion about wavelengths that I set out to cover. Thanks for your contribution to the topic.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@PearlAcoustics You're welcome ... always happy to help.

[@tremot7143]

Knowing how things should sound is how you can tell something is off. You don't even need A/B testing. On headphones I can tell if something is downsampled from 24/96 to 24/48, which Android OS does as standard. Much more difficult but still perceptible are changes in reconstruction filters, where transients and harmonics (distortion profile) seem to be affecting timbre, imaging (focus) weight and PRaT. It would practically be impossible to tell these minute differences on even a well set up speaker system.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Interesting, thanks for sharing

[@tremot7143]

@PearlAcoustics You're welcome Harley. I do believe we shouldn't get lost in technicalities, though that is perhaps a lot of what being an audiophile is about. Having heard what is achievable it is kind of hard to go back. I prefer to have a few systems with their own unique character and qualities because you don't always want to be on the edge of your seat or being bombarded with low level detail. I have a video uploaded of a crudely set up and rather modest vintage system using KEF speakers powered by a Sugden amplifier, sounds fantastic.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ I am totally with you on this.

[@namegoeshere2903]

Loudspeakers are more true to the real life listening experience...for anything. Headphones are for those that need sound discretion.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for sharing

[@hvxcolors396]

I have a question then. When we still had CRT tv's I could hear from meters distance when someone had their TV switched on, I heared the alarm systems in shops, or the systems to keep cats on a distance. The people that joined me for that walk where never bothered by it, couldn't hear what I was hearing. I'm not an audiophile at all and got here by accident but I get disturbed by bad sound so I make sure I get decent studio monitors, headphones and DAC's. I really get sick when I hear unclear sound. Luckily decent hifi equipment costs nothing anymore these days. So I'm wondering if more people get a bit into hifi out of necessity rather than as a hobby.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for your interesting comment

[@johndough8115]

Im half way though.. and already hearing a LOT of false information. For one thing... headphones CAN in fact, sound Holographic...far beyond your "Head". My first experience with this, was from a pair of Sennheiser HD 500 headphones. I had bought them earlier... but had not tried them until like 1 am. I had a Stereo Receiver with Four Techniques 12" 3-way speakers.. one in each corner of the room (for surround sound movies). I hooked my PC audio, directly up to my Amp... and my PC had a DVD player built into it. I popped in a DVD, and hit play. Suddenly, that music was BLASTING mega loud, in the entire room... and I realized that I must have forgotten to press the Speaker Toggles OFF somehow. I didnt want to wake anyone in the house... so I ripped off my headphones, and DOVE for the Amp's toggles... but then realized... that NONE of my Tower Speakers were playing !!! This particular headphone, was able to completely fool me... and thats no easy task... because I have fantastic hearing (especially in the high frequency spectrum.. such as being able to hear the high pitched whine of a CRT TV, from like +25 feet away from it). In fact... I had one other crazy experience with the same headphone. I have an MP3 rip of a song, that starts out with the sounds of Thunder, and then gradually, Rain... and after a few seconds of this, the music portion starts up. Whenever this track would pop up on my MP3 Player... I would instantly look out the Nearest Window.. as I thought there was an actual Storm outside... and I wanted to see how bad it was. I also handed my player and headphones to my father... and I told him to "listen to this".. while I pretended to fiddle with the Player. Sure enough... once the track started... he instantly look out of the nearest window. Those were specifically Open-Back headphones. They had a fantastic sound quality, that utterly destroyed all of the offerings at the big name department/electronics stores. It wasnt even close. That said... they were also Sennheiser's lowest tier offering, in their Audiophile lineup. Their high frequency range capabilities, was definitely limited, compared to their other higher end headphones. I would eventually get a pair of HD 650's.. but I have to say, that I was very disappointed, because they lack the depth of the 3d Soundstage.. that the 500's had. This was of course, by design... as certain Audiophiles Prefer more accurate "Imaging" (the space between the speakers), rather than a wider soundstage (full 3d image, that expands into the whole room). They also offer other headphones, that have different characteristic... and at different pricing levels. Also... about the mention of High Frequency Losses... You are not really thinking about SCALE. You see... the drivers in your headphones, are much smaller... and so, their output is also scaled differently. And being so close to your ear canal... also changes things. It does not take that much treble, or even midrange, to become very HOSTILE / Harsh to your ears, on a pair of Headphones... as such frequencies are very powerful, and travel quite far. As far as bass goes... again, you are seeing how everything Scales, quite similarly.. between a Large Tower speaker with 12" woofers , compared to small headphone drivers, that sound just like the bass produced from those 12" woofers. As far as the DIRECTIONALITY argument... you are only Partially Correct. Yes... when you listen to music with 2 speakers, in the open air... both of your ears are hearing sounds from both speakers at the same time. HOWEVER... most music recordings, factor this in.. when they are creating their own Artificial 3D soundstages. Listen to almost any piece of music on a headphone... and you will hear, for example... the sound of a Guitar being played in both the left and right sides of your headphones. While the majority of the sound may be towards the left side of your ear... you will still hear some of that sound, in your right ear. This is 100% Intentional, so that it creates a more Natural sounding soundstage (on any and all equipment). There are very few rare cases, where an instrument is ONLY played on one side of the speaker. Some of Van Halen's music, was made like this. Why did they do this? To expand the Dynamic range and Clarity, for the entire song. You see... if a speaker is only being tasked with reproducing a single instruments sounds.. its very easy for the Drivers to be able to replicate it, without any potentials for Distortions. HOWEVER... if you play something like "Earth Wind and Fire" (Disco)... where there may be like 15 instruments, 1 lead singer, and 5 backup singers... all doing their thing at the same time... the Drivers may experience micro-distortions, as they are not able to fully keep up with the demands of the Music Signal. This is especially true, with weaker magnet speakers... that dont has as much Cone-Control (less acceleration, and less accuracy in total). So... when Van Halen's guitar was only playing on the left side... it made the guitar reproduction much cleaner overall (and also prevented distortions to the other instruments, making them cleaner too). They added other instrumentation, and vocals, SHARED between both left and right sides... to keep you from really experiencing a much greater level of unrealistic + unbalanced imaging. But as Ive said... this is a rarity. Most recordings, have at least a small percentage of the sounds, being replicated on both the left and right drivers. Part 2... to follow...

[@johndough8115]

Part 2: As far as high frequencies goes... This largely depends on the Drivers themselves. Ive owned like 30 different pairs of speakers... (and have heard many others outside of my home), and I can easily tell you... that many of these tweeters, for example... dont sound nor react, exactly the same as each other. My former Techniques speakers.. had pretty Poor quality tweeters... and as such, they were fairly diffuse.. and could even become Harsh to the ears. They barely produce what you would consider to be a 3D Image / Soundstage. They were also very Directional... and so, you would notice a drop off in the sound, when standing in different places in the room. Placement, was important.. as was where you chose to stand / sit. HOWEVER... I eventually picked up a pair of 70s era " EPI 100v " Speakers. These were the very first Audiophile grade "Speakers" (not headphones), that Ive ever owned. They are VASTLY different in every single way. The EPI's inverted tweeters, produce one of the Widest and most 3D Holographic soundstages, that Ive ever experienced. The speakers basically vanish... and it sounds as if the music / instruments / vocals... are simply floating in 3D space, without you being able to tell that they are being projected from the source speaker. Its as if the band is playing live, in the room with you... and you could point where each instrument was virtually playing. Not only that.. BUT... it barely matters where you stand in the room. In my 15 foot squared room.. with the speakers placed about 8 feet apart... I was getting a perfect sweet-spot, within a 7ft squared area... AND.. even when standing directly in line with the Left speaker... I was still getting like +90% of the right sides image / sound levels... with barely any notable "Drop-Off". I could also place these speakers at any height.. and you would never know it... because they sound even better on the floor (nearest a wall)... even though they are small bookshelf speakers.. and the tweeters wouldnt be anywhere near "Ear Level". Even when fully standing up... and the small speakers on the floor, I was still getting a Flawless high frequency image. Heck, when I first got them... I had to place one of them, partially behind my desk. But again, nobody would have ever have known this... as it didnt seem to effect the sound / image at all. I have made assumptions, that its due to the 1" cone shape, that these Tweeters are able to push out much farther, and with much more energy... than a Dome shaped tweeter. But other than that... I believe the Main difference, is the utterly MASSIVE, and very strong, Magnet that they use to drive them (and possibly, a stronger voice coil too). I used to have negative assumptions about 2-way speakers. But the EPIs, destroyed all of my previous assumptions, and experiences. The mids, are just as fantastic, as the highs. And the lows... are also extremely Full, Deep, Fast and Punchy... despite such a small cabinet size, and not having a Port. In fact, after hearing how much more NATURAL the bass sounds on a sealed speaker... I almost Cried. I instantly became ANGERED at how bad my other ported speakers sounded... as I felt Robbed of such a superior musical listening experience... for my entire Life, up until that point. Those former Techs, ended up on the Curbside, for trash pickup, within less than a weeks time. Now... I have heard other tweeters, that have had Decent imaging, and very good detail... but.. they never could never project such a wide 3d soundstage. Not even close too it. Nor were they as detailed as the EPIs tweeter... as I was able to hear new things in music, that Id never heard before. For example... on a certain track.. there is a part where I could never understand the Lyrics that the singer was singing... as his vocals at that point, were slightly muddied... mixed with the background instrumentation. However, with the EPIs.. I could make out every single word, EASILY... without any strain at all. Additionally, the background instrumentation, was also much more clean, clear, and "Separated". After hearing this... I had to Re-Listen to every single one of my CDs, just to hear the differences. But as said... Not all tweeters / driver, are made equally. Many have higher efficiency.. via using much less powerful magnets. They often suffer micro-distortions, as a result... especially when playing complex musical pieces, and most especially.. at higher volume levels. Some also use inferior materials, and or have much lower tier assembly + quality control standards... which can also cause micro-distortions. The very shapes of things, can also have a dramatic effect. For example.. Horn based tweeters, make the tweeters overall louder.. but at the cost of distorting the intended 3D Image. Music through horns, sounds much "Flatter" ..than good drivers that dont use Horns. Ive also noticed that a lot of audiophiles love Planer drivers. I had gotten my hands on a low spec, mini planer speaker pair at one time... but I have to say, that I wasnt impressed. The highs were a bit too "non-natural", mids were a bit anemic. They had no real Bass... and even when paired with bass speakers... the sound was still not "Full" sounding. It was as if a band of frequencies were not being produced. Now... better planers likely produce a much better result that the cheap ones I had picked up. But that said... Every audiophile that Ive watched and listed to... they all share the same issue: That you have to sit perfectly in the center of the speakers.. and at the perfect height. Even a mere 2 inches in any direction... and you are noticing a huge "Drop off" effect... losing that perfect "sweet spot" image effect. To me.. Its not worth the likely 5 to 10% difference in clarity... if you have to be that Strict, in where you sit / stand. As such, I will always prefer the EPIs much wider soundstage.

[@johndough8115]

Part 3: Room Treatment and Headphone / Driver Physics: The room isnt actually the main issue.. unless you are way out of scale, such as the Airport example. A very empty room (echos). And or a room that has extremely high ceilings. Standard apartment / house rooms... with standard furnishings, should never really be an issue for your speakers sounds. The reason why it can effect certain speakers... is due to those speakers having various Issues. People often always assume, that if something costs an arm and a leg... that it will be the very BEST. But that really isnt always true. A large number of Speakers, are EXTREMELY over-priced, for the relative component and assembly costs. And even then... they are often still making various "Compromises" in their speaker designs. For example... A sealed speaker cabinet, can produce far more accurate and natural sounding Bass... HOWEVER, that comes at a cost. The speakers are less Efficient, requiring much greater power requirements... and they dont produce the best bass levels, at lower volume levels. Once you raise the volume to Medium or High levels of output... the Bass is utterly Fantastic / Unbeatable. The problem is... that not all consumers are Knowledgeable about this fact... and if they dont turn their music up loud enough... they may instantly assume that the speakers are a little Anemic on the bass balance. And even further of an issue... is that Many Audiophiles refuse to use Bass tone controls... to boost the bass levels a bit... which would instantly Solve this issue. The main reason why the highest Tier Headphones, will almost always sound better than a Speaker... isnt because of differences in high frequencies, nor open air. Its because of the Physics involved. An 8 inch woofer cone, has a certain amount of Mass/Weight. It takes a certain amount of energy to get that mass Accelerating to maximum speed... and then, a certain amount of energy to stop the cone, and reverse it in the Opposite direction. The heavier the Cone... the more Time and Energy it will take, for Acceleration / Deceleration. This is where Micro-Distortions happen.... When the Cone isnt able to accelerate at fast as the intended musical signal. A headphones Cone, is virtually mass-less. It weighs so little... that even with average level magnet strengths... the drivers have no issue accelerating, and keeping up with the music. However, still.. the stronger the magnetics, and the better the cone materials... the better the overall sound quality of the Headphones. Unfortunately, a lot of companies merely use the bottom of the barrel materials.. Low quality control, poor assembly, etc.. to try to make maximum profit levels. They also often are spending tons of cash on advertisements... which would cut into profit margins, if they didnt over-charge. Anyway... The only way that a large woofer can compete with a near massless headphone driver... is if you greatly increase the magnetic strength. The more powerful the magnetics... the faster you can accelerate / decelerate the cone. You can reach a level of strength... in which, there is no micro-distortions at all... because the cone is Flawless in its Movements, down to the millisecond + micrometer. Unfortunately.. the ECO-Radicals infected the speaker and music industry, long long ago. This is why, the speakers changed to Ported designs... and started using less powerful "Eco-Drivers" ...in the 80s, and beyond. Its also why the Music industry, started highly compressing all of the music going out on brand new CDs. Despite the promise of an all Digital process being "Superior", we got CDs that sounded 10x worse, than AAD, or ADD (the Analog, to Digital conversion process.. on CDs). The analog recordings, always sounded MUCH better, than the All Digital recordings.. hands down... And you dont have to be an Audiophile to notice it, either. As far as hearing goes... While its true that many of us Audiophiles have exceptional hearing.. Its not simply that we are listening "harder", that makes up Audiophiles. We started to Listen harder (or simply, being more Conscious)... when we got Equipment that was able to FULLY REVEAL, all of these fine Details. As before that point... these detailed were extremely muddied, flattened, and had micro-distortions. Now.. I used to work in a place that had installed an Incorrect type of Compressor, for climate control in its "Clean-Room". It made a high pitched ringing noise that Drove me Mad. Yet.. none of the other people that worked in that room, could hear it. When I took a much younger man into the room to help me... he was also extremely unhappy about the sound... So much so... that I believe it was the reason why he eventually Quit (despite only helping me for a very limited amount of time). The thing is... that most music isnt playing such frequencies. But even if you are missing some of your high frequency hearing... you can often solve it to a certain degree... by increasing the volume levels. Its one thing to try to hear a certain frequency, when its played at a low volume level... and quite another, when its played at 5 times the normal volume. This is Basically the principle of Hearing Aids. They greatly amplify certain frequencies, so that the person can better hear them.

[@johndough8115]

Part 4: Limitations: Despite my given advice, of increasing your play volume, to be able to hear more details in music (and or using some EQ boosts), if you have some hearing damages / issues... This wont fully work, for everyone. Everyone's ear shapes, are different. If you have a deep Cup shape, your ears may be picking up and amplifying sounds, much better and louder than people whom have flatter ear shapes. Place your hands around your ears like Cups... and you will get a little idea of how different that could be... if your ears were shaped like that. Then there are other issues... such as being Tone Deaf. A lot of people whom are Tone Deaf... might be partially or fully tone deaf.. and they might never know it... because, its likely never been Tested / Discovered. Certain people may have hearing damages, to the point where... they are never going to hear a certain frequency band... no matter how loud its played. Ive met people like this... and they tend to play their music at levels that even hurt my ears (and I love loud music)... and they cant tell the difference between Audiophile speakers / headphones... and mid tier junk... at all. They may chase after what is reviewed as Positive / Popular... but they, themselves, cant really tell the differences. Some of them merely pick up expensive gear, as a means to show off to others. And going back to Ear shapes... If your ears were cupped, and MUCH more sensitive to Midrange frequencies, for example... certain speakers might sound overbearingly HARSH. At the same time... if someone had a little trouble hearing higher frequencies... they might find a subdued tweeter... to be, way too Tame / Quiet. As such... In the World of Audio... There is rarely such a thing as "One Size Fits All".

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you for your contribution to the topic.

[@burhanbudak6041]

The casual user can only see, feel and hear price, battery, range, design and branding. Majority either lost good hearing aa they grew or have over sensor sensitivity to sound.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for commenting

[@baduljen382]

What is your thoughts on blind testing? In my "audiophile group" i'm in the very minority of not hearing difference in most gear (primarily amplifiers for now). My friends can hear a clear difference when a/b testing, both in the old fashioned method where cables needs to be switched - it takes 30-60 seconds and also with a "switch box" where shifting between amps happens instantly. All this when seeing and knowing what's playing. When placing a book in front of the displays hiding what's playing, suddenly they can't hear any differences. My conclusion is that there wasn't any audible differences to begin with. Their conclusion is that there must be something about blind testing that somewhat "distort" what's being interpret. Everything we have tested by now goes by the same way. Huge, big, clear difference when the gear can be seen. No differences when the gear can't be seen. What do you think about that? Have you yourself tried taking out the visuals and confirm what you're hearing when you don't know what's playing? Good video btw

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks very much for your comment. Absolutely, I have made blind comparisons on many occasions. And have even set up tests discussed in my videos, with sound clips to download. I agree there is a lot of psychoacoustics at work in normal comparisons but with revealing loudspeakers, switching between different types of amplifier (such as Class A, AB and D) and radically different architectures, should be rather easy to detect. I hope that helps?

[@baduljen382]

@PearlAcoustics and you're guessing right everytime in every test? I don't recall seeing a video from you where the full blindtesting process is filmed. Maybe you can link? Me and my friend have pretty good acoustically treated rooms and what we consider great speakers. JBL S4700, Martin Logan f200 and Jamo r909 (have not blind tested with the latter though). The crazy part is that we aimed to start out with amplifiers in very different price points. Mcintosh mc452 against a rather cheap IMG Stage line 1000d and a Michi S5 against the same. My friend claims a HUGE difference when he can see what's playing and the results in blindtest is pretty much 50/50 (out of 20 rounds with unlimited time pr round and unlimited switches back and forth). And my results are all over the place too. But I can't hear a difference when seeing the gear either That's why I have built up a big skepticism when people claim they can hear clear differences between gear. At least amps. My friend has banned blindtesting now because the results destroy his beliefs..

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ hi, I am not saying I guess right every time and I agree, psycho acoustics plays a part. But the professionals I surround myself with, who (like I) listen to lots and lots of systems are skilled at detecting differences. That’s our job! How can one develop loudspeakers (or make classical music recordings) if one has not acquired trained hearing? Even my visitors have no difficulty detecting differences (admittedly with them it’s not always blind). I have no problem with you being sceptical Please understand that we/I am not lying, why would I? The video where I discuss blind testing is my part 2 cd video. Enjoy

[@baduljen382]

@@PearlAcoustics And that's why your opinions and explanations matter a little more to me than other people who claim to hear differences. Because you have experience in recording professional audio👌 Well, you do not have to hear differences between two modern well engineered amplifiers to record/produce music (or develop speakers). But I agree in the well trained ear part. There are certain specific things to listen for and "none-audiophile" people don't have a clue what to listen for without some experience or explanation like you explain in this video. My problem with it all is that my friend (and others) claim that they hear huge and clear differences beforehand and ultimately fail when a book is covering the displays. Wouldn't you call bullshit on that? Or do you have some kind of explanation I haven't thought about? My friend claims that he is getting stressed out and I guess that's a real factor to take in consideration. But not a factor that should make the huge differences completely disappear IMO I'm not claiming that everyone is lying on purpose (that makes no sense, at least if you have no money involved. And I'm not saying that you are lying either). I guess I'm just sceptical until I hear things for my self or someone can prove it in front of me 🤠 Me and my friend are still listening to different gear and continue the hunt for audible differences! Or at least I am hunting I appreciate your time and your willingness to take psychoacoustics in consideration also.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ hi, thanks for your reply. Indeed, I don’t think anyone is necessarily lying here. People who see ghosts, believe they see them. If they were actually there, that’s another story! 😉 I would be very happy to invite to my listening room to demonstrate a few changes. But hey, it’s about enjoying music. And if one can’t hear the difference between systems, then that’s great, one need not invest much in a system! Enjoy the music. Best wishes from Belgium.

[@hansemannluchter643]

Do you hear those differences in a blind-test?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed I do. And in fact I often switch Dac’s (for example) for my listeners without them knowing which is which and they clearly hear them too. But I can be tricked, psychoacoustics can play a part at times.

[@gaborozorai3714]

Another audiophile hearing conundrum I would really like to solve is this: if there are 2 audiophiles, both classical concert-goers, both seeking to reproduce a realistic "live" sound in their homes, they may end up with systems of very different character, yet they will both believe their choice of sound to be closer to their experience of the real thing. What psycho-acoustical or physiological phenomenon is this? Is it possible that we hear live enveloping sound differently to reproduced point-source sound?

[@PearlAcoustics]

An interesting point. Of course there is always conformational bias. However, although live classical concerts always have something a recording doesn’t, too often, concert halls have very substandard acoustics, there’s often no sense of real soundstage because the sound of instruments bounce off in all unpredictable directions, and then there’s the conductor who balances the sound of the orchestra from his, or her, ideal position, so that the audience often hears a very substandard balance, depending on where they are sitting. Just my thoughts on a rainy, Wednesday evening.

[@gaborozorai3714]

@ That's one of the things that make hi-fi an expensive hobby: you must always get the best seats at a concert, otherwise it can be underwhelming compared to listening at home.

[@r423sdex]

When you listen to a new piece of gear, you will go from listening to analysing. That’s why it’s very difficult to do reviews. The more expensive, the better it will sound. There has been a test done and audiophile and reviewers came down the list.

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

"The better [they will say] it sounds." Don't forget, reviews are just advertising.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed, reviews are so difficult because do much is dependent on mood and expectations and also psychoacoustics. But just because it’s hard, doesn’t mean it doesn’t have a place. Food and art and movie critics have exactly the same challenges.

[@hansemannluchter643]

​​@@PearlAcousticsThe difference is that food- art- and movie reviewers are aware of the importance of the visuals, and that all three are things you actually can see. You can't see soundwaves. Hi-Fi-reviewers will insist that gold-"cables" sound "warmer" than silver-"cables". That is obviously "listening with your eyes".

[@RogierYou]

Didn't you solve this problem with headphones with the SPL Phonitor 3 dac/preamp?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely, it does make a small difference but it does not ‘solve’ it completely because for the reasons given in the video, it’s still a very different experience

[@webmarketing40]

Some people also use "Equalizer APO" or other software on their computer to create crossfeed in headphones, especially if they are open-back, but unfortunately some effects, in our body can note be replicate.

[@rcpdox11]

Yet another video of elegant and erudite explanations. Bravo!. I have a symmetric deafness due to a degenerative auditory nerve issue that has no remedy. This has led to quite bad tinnititus. I could detect differences before this began. Now, I am not so sure - whether they exist in reality, or just my auditory system playing tricks. Anyway, I have learnt Kubrick's advice too well - how I learnt to stop worrying and love the music!!! Thanks once again for this wonderful video.

[@PearlAcoustics]

You’re very welcome. So glad you enjoy my presentations. Thanks too for sharing your story

[@1998mchp]

interesting. But we live in a post-loudness wars music landscape. Anyone born after 1994 - and say 10 years before - have been conditioned for increasingly crushed dynamic range. The new digital versions of the Cure album has a dynamic range score of DR05. Only 5db range between quiet to loudest. In 1989 the Cure's Disintegration had a DR12. Its 'deluxe' remaster lost 4db of information: DR08. Do you need $00000 hi-fidelity music systems for an acoustic landscape with a dynamic range of DR06 - or below? What exactly can you perceive when eveything is LOUD ALL THE TIME. And not only contemporary releases - but all remasters of pop and rock have applied the 'loudness wars meatgrinder' to the entire back catalogue (with singlar exceptions) - and its these LOUD ALL THE TIME versions that the vast majority of streaming services deliver. I'm not vinyl fan - I don't like pink noise added to the sound wave ("the smooth warmth") of needle scratching against record. But vinyls minor revival is surely (apart from being on point wall decoration options for owners with no record players) has to do with its dynamic range limitations - which prevent crushing dynamics below DR 09 - or the needle will be more out of the groove than in. Its an exceptional technological failure - that for so many years technology produced fidelity improvements - but then effectively created its own version of MAD - mutually asssured destruction. The war happened. Except for orchestral - there were no musical survivors.

[@hansemannluchter643]

True.. I have some classical recordings on vinyl from the 1950's and 60', the dynamic range is unbelievable. I've heard a couple of them "remastered" and transferred to digital, and guess what's gone? I wouldn't be surprised if they also start pitch-correcting and auto-tuning Maria Callas..

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

Exactly ... it is deeply ironic that the medium (PCM) with the highest dynamic range as consistently been used to deliver the least.

[@1998mchp]

@@hansemannluchter643 well in the new remaster of Queen's first album - they have pitched corrected Freddy Mercury's voice. Yep. And crushed the dynamics. And that's what will go forward. Authorised by the remaining members of the band. Why don't they make improvements to Sunflowers, or the Mona Lisa, or have a new go at Michelangelo's David or the Sistine. It's a complete historical travesty. They crushed the dynamics with recent latest remaster of Solti's Ring cycle

[@hansemannluchter643]

@@1998mchp There's always been something wrong with David's nose, hasn't there?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed, the lack of dynamic range on so many recordings makes a mockery of our wonderfully capable systems.

[@Rowuk2024]

The worst part about wannabee audiophiles is that they find far more reasons NOT to enjoy great performances (perhaps at a lower recording quality)! Many of my highest fidelity playbacks were with the stereo off when I was only reading a score! Better sensitivity to highs and lows or distortion or noise should never get in the way of music appreciation! There are crosstalk schemes for headphones but none create a true image. I believe that this is because the crosstalk varies dramatically due to the individual geometry of the face and ear. Bass in real life is tactile, so headphones can not recreate this. We need headphones AND a subwoofer! Now, purposeful listening creates experience that in fact augments what we notice. We should NEVER underestimate experience! The frequency where our perception changes from normal listening to "pressure chamber effects", is the Schröder frequency. Pressure chamber is the reason that cars can have bass!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thank you for your contribution to the topic

[@scottbernard8824]

Yes they can. They can tell if speaker cables are elevated on expensive golden trestles or cheap wooden ones.

[@turokforever007]

It is a curse having good hearing, I can hear a car turning into my street that is over 40 houses away. Also when pile driving is going on miles away I say to people can you hear that, and they say no.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for the comment! I had a cat that could hear my wife’s car, coming into the street, long before I could! He would run to the front door, and even way before she was insight, a few seconds later her car would come into view!

[@AmazonasBiotop]

A interesting topic. ❤ There is more than just the delay in time and lower amplitud that goes to the other ear. It is also that the other ear is in the "shadow" from the head. They makes that the sound has a slightly different frequency content. That is a THIRD qlue for the brain to where the sound source is coming from. There is ACTUALLY solutions for this ISSUE when listening to two channel stereo trough loud speakers. And not "magic" at all! With advanced computer aided algorithms we can cancel out the sound that is coming from the right speaker speaker to your left ear. When we know what we send to the right speaker so we just phase invert that for the left speaker and make sure that the left speaker cancel out that sound that coming from the right speaker to your left ear.🎉😅 (Like noice cancelling technology) With research of knowing as you said that it is lower in amplitud and time delayed plus with a slightly different frequency content when it is in the shadow of your head. Now you also have a web camera pointed at you in front of you. That has head tracking. By tracking your head in real time we know all the time where the ears are located and the computer is adjusting the output so it is taking that into account all the time. (You dont need to sit with your head in a "vice" to get the optimal experience!) More over you calibrate the system with earbuds that is actually microphones. In three positions normal and leaning left and right. With a frequency sweep at each position. What that does is that we all have slightly different head shapes and distances between ears and different shapes of outer ears (it is like finger prints, unique..) The best thing is that this system is reality and already exists commercial! This is next level and 2ch stereo reproduction and the biggest leap since we started with stereo phonoic in the 50 ties.❤ The placement of performers is holographic and you are transported to the recording location due to all the new information or more precise the lack of "over hearing" leaking sound that is not ment for the opposite ear (x-talk).😅❤ It is a must experience for all audiophiles!😅

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

The little matter that the sound was recorded with none of that in mind, notwithstanding.

[@AmazonasBiotop]

@Douglas_Blake_579 what this is solving for speaker listening is one of the advantages that we have for headphones! That the sound for the left is just going to the left ear and not "leak" to the right ear and vice versa. So we can not say: "The little matter that the sound was recorded with none of that in mind" When most of mixing engineers like we here hear is using also headphones.😅 So it is like saying that nobody is using headphones for sound reproduction.😅 What we get is a suppression with something of 50 dB of the level of the sound that is going to the "wrong" ear (as said a issue that headphones dont have and the video is also highlights.). Removing one shortcoming of speaker listening . But you have a valid Point that some ~1% of the tracks is not benefiting of this when the mixing engineers has done strange (or very creative) mixing. And on the other end there is other recordings that benefits extra like binaural recordings. But the vast majority of tracks is in short turned into magic.❤

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@AmazonasBiotop This is where we differ ... I don't see isolating the ears as an advantage. We don't experience the real world that way, nor do we experience a nicely setup pair of speakers that way. Headphone listening is not what happens in day to day experience. I hesitate to use the term "unnatural" but I don't have a better synonym for it. Now don't get me wrong. I have a nice pair of headphone and I do use them late at night or when I'm trying to focus in on a particular problem in a system. I do enjoy listening to some music that way. But by and large the best experience has always been from speakers. I will agree with you on the mixing and mastering issue. A lot of today's music is very poorly mixed. And don't even get me started on Autotune, Quantization, Compression and Limiting! Lets just say that if you want to hear really well mixed recordings you need to go back to the 70s and 80s. I will leave you with one thing to mull over... When I position speakers, I will often work in increments of a centimetre or less. When that perfect setup, creating the very best "sweet spot" is achieved, the playback results with properly mastered music are almost magical... The speakers vanish, leaving you with just the music playing out in front of you.... something I suspect very few people ever experience.

[@AmazonasBiotop]

​@@Douglas_Blake_579I dont think that we really understand what I try to communicate here. Lets step back a step.. Forget about stereo systems. If we have someone doing some kind of sound coming slightly from the left. In between where you would have had your speakers. That someone is a SINGLE point of sound source. By begin a single point source of sound you will at your listening sweet spot easier locate and well define where that sound come from. Now image that you also recorded this sound at your sweet spot with a stereo microphone setup. And now your stereo system is in front of you and you still are at the sweet spot. And now your stereo system is reproduce the recording of someone "doing some kind of sound coming slightly from the left" That you just heard live. You can seamless hear the difference. But the big difference between the live performance and your speakers reproduce the same event that it is not any longer coming from one source as the live performance were! Now you have two points that are your speakers that is trying hard to reproduce the live event. It would be a MUCH better reproduction and a more live like reproduction if 100% of the left speaker sound just got to the left ear and vice versa for the right ear and speaker. The stereo illusion that someone "doing some kind of sound coming slightly from the left" is compromised by the x-talk issue. Its name is "interaural crosstalk interference" (see Keele, 1986 for a technical exposition). It is not up for debate and is several decades old research that are established. And when that issue is solved and implemented .Then we are as I wrote in the NEXT level of reproduction with 2ch stereo setup! And FAR beyond what we could achieve by adjusting meticulous our speakers. To understand its beneficial effects it is needed to be experienced and it is far beyond of ANY 2ch stereo experience you got today. 👍

[@Douglas_Blake_579]

@@AmazonasBiotop Trust me, I get what you're selling. I'm just not buying it. I have done similar tests among friends. In one case we did the recording of a singer at the half-right position. Then asked her to sing it again... except she just lipsynced while we played the recording. Nobody really noticed until she walked away with the recording still going. In another case a well known stereo company was putting on a show at a convention. They had a jazz quartet on stage for the first set (4 songs IIRC) then the salesmaker came out and made his pitch. The second set started up with the same 4 songs... midway through the second song the musicians just walked off the stage... everyone's jaw was on the floor! Again... if you've never heard a setup where the speakers acoustically vanish you just don't know what good stereo setup can do.

[@justlovelyaintit]

Would love to hear the Carla Bley album " Life goes on" on these. First track.That bass can go all over the place . Can the Sibelius handle it?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Thanks for the tip! Listening to it now (the bass is very deep and clean) 😉And yes the Sibelius can handle a lot of bass. Reggae is no problem at all, for example!

[@PearlAcoustics]

Just to add…. What a fabulously recorded and executed album. Thanks for sharing!

[@justlovelyaintit]

Yep .Heard it on the Sibelius speakers this weekend .They handled those deep bass lines beautifully.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@@justlovelyaintit 😄!

[@PearlAcoustics]

@@justlovelyaintit and people say such a small driver can’t produce bass!

[@sandwaves5642]

Yes - very good explanation. The hearing, sadly, degrades with age - very audibly 🤢🤢 So if there's a sense in investing in an expensive system at young ( as soon as financially possible ) age, there is pretty little sense in doing so after ~ 50. I could hear around 18000Hz ( tested ) by my 40s, and around 15000Hz ( also tested ) when I hit 53 🤷‍♂ And it's not only the top freq. that we loose with age. Rest of the audio spectrum does not get any better either.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi, thanks for your comment. Although I get your point to start young, I am not sure I fully agree with you. The most critical frequencies that we are most sensitive to are often still well within the range of our aging hearing. It’s usually only the very upper frequencies that disappear. But I can live with that.

[@sandwaves5642]

@@PearlAcoustics Well, on the other hand, you may be right - since our selective hearing also degrages, maybe, especially because of that, we do need BETTER systems, as we age 🤔🤔🤔 - A good selling point ☝️😀

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ 😉👍

[@carminedesanto6746]

13:57 yup ..I consider myself a music enthusiast/ audiophile..with tinnitus.. Many theories ..no real cure unfortunately infuriatingly so.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Indeed no cure but one can train one’s brain to pay less attention to it. It worked for me.

[@MarkThomas-hm3ju]

Do some transmission line speakers develop a full bass wave as it leaves the speaker ! I don't know, is it possible?

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi, thanks for your question. I see on the surface that the question is straight forward, but unfortunately it is rather complex to answer! 1. On one level the answer is ‘yes’ if you mean can some designs reproduce the full ten octaves. 2. Many are ‘quarter wave’ designs which are perfectly able to produce very low frequencies for example down to 30Hz. 3. By coupling certain designs with the room characteristics, very low frequencies can be produced ‘in the room’ (we once measured 15hz at 3db down from our median in a trade show room). 4. None of this magic, it’s pure acoustics as per an acoustic double bass or bassoon. 5. The trick is to make the enclosures rigid and without adding coloration. I hope this, in parts anders your question?

[@MarkThomas-hm3ju]

I once sat between two 8 to 12 ft horn speakers ( compression not transmission, I guess) . They were driven by a 2 to 3 watt triode amplifier. They sounded unbelievable but would probably break up a lot of marriages. A hole in the wall was knocked out if I remember correctly. They were built by Jeffrey Jackson who now lives in New York somewhere. Thanks for your clarity in presentation.

[@PearlAcoustics]

@ 😀👍🙏

[@kevincorr2985]

They listen more closely, and pay attention.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely

[@carminedesanto6746]

Unfortunately,can’t really do a speaker system to my preferences ( domestic tranquility taken into consideration) ..so headphones…LCDX (2021 Creators Edition) …and enjoy.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely

[@papabear1417]

Audiophiles are still human. Maybe very picky. It's not what you hear, it's how it moves you on any device, in any place.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Absolutely

[@okay1904]

Sorry the waveform issue is a non issue, it has nothing to do with the size of the room. Nothing, unless on thinks of reflections. No matter how long the waveform, the wave is still hitting the ear. It is a wave formed by the speaker (in room speaker or headphones). It is the ear that hears the waveform, i.e vibrates to the wave formed by the transducer in the air. So all that is needed is a transducer and air, an this requirement is met, by speakers in air, or headphones or IEM's producing audio movements of air that reach the eardrum. I was, with all due respect, rather shocked that someone so seemingly erudite, would posit that the room has anything to do with the formation of a wave. Please think again.

[@PearlAcoustics]

Hi thank you for your comment. Maybe I did not explain clearly enough but that is exactly the point I was making that waves are just fluctuations in pressure. That’s why I placed the question because it seems so mysterious to many.