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

Showing 1 response by fpeel

Just tuned in after a few days away and this is the first thread I read. Nice welcome back. My first impression was that Larryh was just trolling. His first message, though surprisingly containing a few tidbits of truth, was a classic bit of bait. I was surprised so many "bit".

Larryh's next post was more pertinent and far less insulting. While I would never respond to the first message, the second, being more revalent and less "biting", elicited this response. Funny how a change in tone does that...(hint, hint)

All that is my usual long way around to a point. My system is intended to do certain things among which is entertain by providing a quality music experience that cheaper gear never delivered (that's a long winded version of "it's about the music").

I have not fooled myself into believing that reproduced music in my living room will ever be exactly like that of Carnegie Hall nor that I will ever see Stevie Ray Vaughn live (sorry, his CH release is on right now). So, I shoot for the next best thing which is a quality setup on which to play what appeals to me at a specific point in time.

Oh, one more thing. While I disagree with Larryh about whether "a system set up to accurately reproduce sound in terms of phase, and frequency amplitude response would not be desirable by most audiophiles", creating a "live" sound environment *is* undesireable. Not only would the loudness get old quickly, it's also get me evicted. Seems I want some things a live venue doesn't provide: selection on a whim and volume control. Well, I've got both of those AND good sound. Yes, life is good.

Happy Holidays, guys!