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Talk but not walk?

Hi Guys

This isn't meant to start a fight, but it is important to on lookers. As a qualifier, I have my own audio forum where we report on audio issues as we empirically test them. It helps us short cut on theories and developing methods of listening. We have a wide range of systems and they are all over the world adding their experiences to the mix. Some are engineers, some are artist and others are audiophiles both new and old. One question I am almost always asked while I am visiting other forums, from some of my members and also members of the forum I am visiting is, why do so many HEA hobbyist talk theory without any, or very limited, empirical testing or experience?

I have been around empirical testing labs since I was a kid, and one thing that is certain is, you can always tell if someone is talking without walking. Right now on this forum there are easily 20 threads going on where folks are talking theory and there is absolutely no doubt to any of us who have actually done the testing needed, that the guy talking has never done the actual empirical testing themselves. I've seen this happen with HEA reviewers and designers and a ton of hobbyist. My question is this, why?

You would think that this hobby would be about listening and experience, so why are there so many myths created and why, in this hobby in particular, do people claim they know something without ever experimenting or being part of a team of empirical science folks. It's not that hard to setup a real empirical testing ground, so why don't we see this happen?

I'm not asking for peoples credentials, and I'm not asking to be trolled, I'm simply asking why talk and not walk? In many ways HEA is on pause while the rest of audio innovation is moving forward. I'm also not asking you guys to defend HEA, we've all heard it been there done it. What I'm asking is a very simple question in a hobby that is suppose to be based on "doing", why fake it?

thanks, be polite

Michael Green

www.michaelgreenaudio.net


michaelgreenaudio

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oblgny
848 posts
 
Even myself, a self-described audiot who doesn’t know a mosfet from a misfit recognizes the validity of tuning a room, as well as many of the other tweaks and suggestions that I’ve read about over the last five years since I’ve joined.  

Why do musicians express appreciation for the acoustics of certain studios?  That answer is obvious.  Does toe-ing speakers qualify as tuning?  Unscientifically speaking I’d have to offer, yes. 

If I fail to preface my opinions with the ubiquitous “ IMHO “ it should be taken for granted that everything I offer in the various threads I follow is tendered as such. And yes, Virginia, I’ve known that drums are tuned since I was...younger.  

Real world “in my house” applications of improving stuff may not always be practical given time, financial constraints, etc., but I read virtually everything with an open mind toward doing so.  

Some of the attempts at bettering my system were immediately tangible, others not so much.  Most of these, cables, conditioning, moving speakers to and fro were employed after reading posts throughout the site.  I’ve kept everything modest in comparison to some of the enviable systems I’ve read about here,  but I’ll be damned if I begin ignoring informative posts intended to share knowledge.  

When I joined here five years ago I was still using speaker wire from Radio Shack for pete’s sake!



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