How do you judge audio components and speakers?

@mahgister 

Whose your Daddy now??

I think it's @pingstonsmile 

I would suggest cleaning up your desk, getting speaker stands, an acoustic pad for your speakers, and getting rid of all the stuff on your ceiling. 

And to further my point, you cannot transform a system to have better sound quality with your "acoustical treatments" it is impossible.

You just need the speakers to be close to you - away from anything that might cause sound waves to bounce all over the place. 

RFI is everywhere (WiFi, electronics etc.) But with your methods you are likely to cause cables to act as an antenna, further changing the sound and you believe all of this is an improvement.

@mahgister

Dude, are you for real?

I had a look at your system. Your room looks like a mess. Do you actually believe that you are improving sound quality? Given how much stuff is on the ceiling and everywhere else, you are likely creating a reverbation effect in your room due to the sheer number of possible reflections from sound waves...directed by your speakers. And you must be perceiving the total sum of reflections as an improvement in sound quality...

I find your methods peculiar. Maybe someone who has heard his system can chime in.

@mahgister 

If i am deluded why all my 8  headphones sound like unnatural and bad compared t o my 2 listening positions in my  mechanically controlled room ?

Maybe those headphones are not so good. Afterall, we know that speakers and headphones will sound different. If you were hired for acoustic treatments in a studio, is this the kind of acoustic treatment you would provide?

Okay, but you’re talking about saying a 20k amplifier is not worth it, without having the experience yourself. That’s like me saying lobster must taste bad, but never having tried it my opinion is automatically invalidated.

Well, more power and reflections to you, your walls, and the sound that emits from your speakers. I tried to help, and as usual am met with scorn.

Also Maghister, you should start a consulting service to do these treatments for professional studios like AIR studios, and for audiophiles.

Let's see what happens. I'm not trying to be rude, just giving you some common sense advice.

Also, I never said anything disrespectful to you @mahgister

you said "who is the fool" therefore inferring that I am a fool because you have advanced knowledge of acoustic treatments that no other person on the planet is aware of. Certainly your approach to conditioning your room is colorful like a coloring book with scribbles everywhere and stains.

No need to be upset with me...i’m just letting you know what I think. It’s called freedom of speech!

@mahgister

You said:

My speakers are modified by the way by heavy concrete load yes but also by some Helmholtz devices attached to them and on top of them (psycho-acoustic method here)...

Concrete as a damping material?

Let’s assume your speakers are already well damped. A good design by the manufacturer. You say I’m simplistic, but you have made a complex mess.

You also have 2 floor fans in your room alongside kitchen pans. Does this also improve the sound? And what does the aluminum foil in the corner of the ceiling do? That all could have been used in a nice toaster oven to warm up pizza...or create a wifi range extender.

@dave_b 

I am also deeply concerned. 

@mahgister 

I never tried to insult you or ridicule you. It was you who lashed out at me. I'm simply making suggestings that would benefit your listening experience.

it is common knowledge that placing objects on the ceiling are not beneficial unless you buy an acoustic panel for the ceiling. This kind of treatment is used on many audiophile systems and within studios.

Your overall style of conditioning the room is unorthodox at the extreme.  

I'd like to hear your system...maybe you can upload a video of it playing to YouTube? Surely, the sound quality won't be equal to actually being there, but it can be an effective way to audition systems without seeing them in person. 

If you have a link to a video, feel free to share it.

Also I don't understand why you keep comparing your system to others that cost more...stating that for peanuts you revamped your room and significantly improvrdbsound quality without ever having to spend lots of money. That sounds like bragging to me. It's like you're mocking other audiophiles that have expensive audio systems...

@mahgister

Alright. So if you do have a recent system, then why not upload new pictures?

Maybe you should start working for studios.

Teach the experts something they don’t know... since you are the master of unorthodox acoustic tweaking...

Ummm

@mahgister 

I never insulted you. I'm serious. If your acoustic treatments make a lot of difference, then take it to people who deal with audio for a living. I bet they could learn something from you.

No audiophile cares about how inexpensive or costly a fellow audiophiles system is or tweaks. I was attacked by you, simply because I consider your approach very unique compared to others.

@thecarpathian

seriously?

have you see his "system?"

looks like it was put together by a bunch of farm animals building a lair of their own with household objects or anything they could find....

Yeah, well it’s ludicrous.

You know that what I’m saying is true. Trying to build a progressive society and make folks who are unique special snowflakes does not improve anything.

@mahgister

I wish you could explain how it all works. But what you’re saying doesn’t make any sense. And besides, a room that cluttered with various objects will act as an obstacle for the propagation of sound waves; hence your different experience after the tweaks.

At best, you are doing a disservice to Sansui, since they are no longer in business. You have a nice system, but there is no need for your tweaks to improve sound quality.

Do you really think your room as equal to an anechoic chamber?

You are probably creating dozens, if not hundreds of unique reflection points. It is impossible for your tweaks to improve sound quality in any meaningful way.

@pingstonsmile

you said:

I’ve heard more BAD room than good by a long shot. Everyone was pretty too. Cost the people 100k and still sound like crap.. Do you think they would listen. NO to busy LOOKING rather than listening. It looks pretty so it has to sound good.

80% of the time it’s not the case..

Oh really? Well you must have a subjective-only view to sound.

In that case, I suppose you can’t tell the difference between a costly system and a cheap one, or a .mp3 file and CD quality or high res.

You might as well get a bluetooth speaker and be done with it.

@thecarpathian

I speak the truth. Got attacked because some of you disagree with me and that’s fine on the surface...but you all take it way too personally. Reminds me of the fellow students I used to outlass in gym class back in high school. The good old days. I got labelled a bully even though I never picked on anyone or tried to make enemies. And online, all the losers get together and attack the big wolf.

Audiophiles are non-technical kooks. And you are the king of the audiophile kooks. Congrats. And you know what? I’m quoting Ken Rockwell. He was right all along.

Goes to show that most audiophiles have no idea what good sound actually is - especially here on audiogon and other forum sites. So many of you have no real conceptual understanding of what makes 1 system better than another, except for purely subjective viewpoints. May as well have the opinions of children and high school students to guide me.

Well, you can take the horse to water. But you can't make the horse drink the water.

Check out my latest post! 

In it, I provide irrefutable facts. Try to disprove me if you dare.

@mahgister 

You know what? I'm only joking around with you.

But you took it too seriously.

And you know what else? Your system has tons of relection points that like I wrote on your profile, probably lead to a pseudo-surround effect when you are listening to music. Hence, what you perceive as an "improvement" is actually just nonsense.

Sorry if I'm being mean, but that's just the way I am. I call out something if it doesn't look right.