2. digital
  3. 176780-171875

How do you judge audio components and speakers?

I would say - listening to music you're familiar with, and comparing. We can talk about tight/bloomy bass, midrange clarity, treble extension and things of that nature. We can also be very specific with regards to how a particular track is supposed to sound; based on high-performance gear that we were able to experience - but only if it purports to be accurate without sonic colorations. Therefore, I guess you could say we have a reference point. This part is what I would consider "objective performance." 

Along with this, measurements go hand-in-hand.

On the other side of the coin - subjective performance is how we "want our systems to sound." If the vocals are too bright or sharp, if snares or unpleasant sounding instrumentals ruin an otherwise good song, it's usually because the system is too accurate. So high-end audio is about chasing an ideal that doesn't exist in reality - but in the minds of audiophiles who are seeking a very particular kind of sonic presentation that bodes well with their music library as a whole....giving you just enough detail to keep you interested, while at the same time having a sense of realism, presence, and imaging that makes the speakers dissapear. We are seeking the illusion of a live performance.

 

The above are just my points. Feel free to share what you think. If you think I'm wrong, I don't mind. 

 

Cheers.

 

Jack

 

jackhifiguy

Showing 4 responses by ghdprentice

ghdprentice
6,492 posts
 

@asadkhan890 

 

🤪🤣

ghdprentice
6,492 posts
 

@skyscraper

 

Yes my comments on the primary correlation with weight and secondarily with cost was primarily tongue and cheek. But it is also a real correlation. I have noticed over the decades. I brought this up with my dealer friend that has been selling high systems for thirty years. He agreed and could only think of one exception. I don’t remember what the exception was… I had never heard of it. He sells Mac, Boulder, Luxman, Audio Research, Magico… etc. so has had plenty of exposure.

ghdprentice
6,492 posts
 

I typically start with weight. I have found a very close correlation between increased weight and higher sound quality. Then I generally look at cost. I find that the cost of heavy audio components correlate highly with the sound quality. After that, I just have to read reviews and listen to them to make sure they correspond to my personal taste… which has been honed by attending symphonic concerts monthly for the last ten years.

ghdprentice
6,492 posts
 

@onhwy61

😊👍… +1.  By the way the absolutely best component I have received by this criteria was my Silent Running Audio isolation platform. Heavy duty, all wood crate… multiple layers of insulation all screwed together. Best packaging ever!

 

@edcyn

By the way, we were joking about weight / number of parts… However, personally after fifty years of pursuing the high end… reading professional reviews, auditioning and owning ever increasingly better sounding gear there is a very strong correlation between weight and cost with sound quality. Although I have never led these variables I bet you could use my proposed methodology and reduce the time to identify great components and assemble a system. I’ve never had enough money to leave anything to chance.

More to discover