HiFi is an opinion - nothing more


The audiophile community spends vast amounts of time and resources trying to claim truth about something that boils down to be no more than one persons opinion. I read where some proclaimed audiophile has created nirvana by rotating his loudspeaker 1 degree off axis when used with a certain type of interconnect cable. Phew... I might remind everyone that the human ear and the mechanics of hearing are highly individual, namely we don't all hear alike. Add to that the processing that goes on in the brain to add value to what we hear, we end up with nothing more than an opinion not fact. Case in point, a system set up to accurately reproduce sound in terms of phase, and frequency amplitude response would not be desirable by most audiophiles. It would sound bright, thin and certainly not have enough bass. Most audiophiles would prefer the sound of a Bose Wave Radio to a an accurately set up HiFi. Get some acoustical instrumentation sometime and try it for yourself. To all of you who savor the delicious warmth of your tuuuuby like transistors and transparent capacitors, I say get a life. If you find yourself basking in the latest techno tweek and thirteenth set of speakers, I suggest you go off line, visit a used car lot, find an old VW Beatle, turn on the radio and enjoy the music again. Re-invent yourself.
larryh
As observed by others Larry is attempting to evoke a reaction simply for sport. ...Why provide him with amunition? Let the thread die here.
Larry obviously has an axe to grind and his tone is somewhat extreme, but that said, I suspect some audiophile are obsessed with their equipment. Do these people need to get a life? Who am I to say, but I strongly support the right of Larry or anybody else to voice their opinion on this subject, if expressed with civility.
Larry writes; I would say "Kthomas" keyed in on the main points of my discussion, effectively re-stating them in softer terms. "Pls1" on the other hand, is clueless or in denial as is the case with most audiophiles. Warning: Don't let your signigicant other read this. I will now offer a few more insights to the problem. First of all, HiFi enthusiasts are trying to do something that is physically impossible. Namely, record a sound and play it back somewhere else so it sounds the same. "Pls1" would have us believe that his highly calibrated Dunlavy SC-V's are capable of re-creating the sound of a classical guitar or even an orchestra. Hello.... The last time I looked at a Dunlavy they used round loudspeakers, all lined up at attention in a column. The last time I looked at a classical guitar, it had strings running the length of the neck, a hole in the center and a wood body and back that radiate sound in a very precise manner in relation to the performer and room. Who can tell me how a series of round vibrating panels (speakers) linked with electronics and wire will present the same sound field as the real thing. It won't. Unfortunately the Dunlavy or any high quality transducer cannot mimic the complex sounds of real instruments, we only want them to. And here comes the problem and one of the reasons (another being money) audiophiles are so defensive about their quest. They tend to be proud people addicted to the notion they can somehow find truth at the end of the acoustic rainbow. The troubling thing is they often do not understand the physical process or what attributes are important and which are not. Not unlike gambling, the audiophile can never be satisfied because the goal is not attainable. It's like people who trade stocks on companies they know nothing about, usually it's others who get wealthy. Only when we understand the problem will we find happiness in the solution. My suggestion, take time to learn a little about physical and psychoacoustics before you board the high tech train and purchase base on knowledge not hype. For as they say, a rose of any other name ...........
How many "Larrys" can you get in a v-dub? --Cremated? 30 or so in the ash tray alone.There are many hobies I know nothing at all about.However,I know I know nothing, therefore I don't make an ass out of myself,with stupidity.Welcome to the sight Lar. babe.Maybe one day you'll get a hobby you're pasionate about and you can do the same thing we're doing/when somebody wanders in only to criticize something they don't understand.