Thanks for your insights as well. I enjoyed reading your post and hope others will take advantage of Jim's book. I am keeping mine in my library. In case someone asks me about which piece of equipment they should buy, I will give them the book to read instead!
Review: Get Better Sound By Jim Smith Tweak
Category: Accessories
This is a review of the book by Jim Smith, “Get Better Sound”. My motivation for writing this review is simple. There are many questions asked repeatedly on this and other forums. Some questions and answers are straightforward, some are controversial. This book attempts to pull together information from many sources, filtered through the eyes and mind of someone in the audio field all of his adult life. When he has a unique opinion he states that clearly. When a topic is controversial he makes that clear. It is an easy read and covers all the basics as well as more esoteric topics. In general, I agree with the author that most audio systems never achieve their potential and the owner searches in vain for the next piece of equipment in the hopes of reaching audio Nirvana, only to be disappointed.
Content: A broad range of topics including equipment placement, speaker placement, room treatments, analyses of how speakers and electronics work, how our hearing works, how analog and digital recordings work, equipment break-in and burn-in, definitions of terms, and the author’s biography and biases.
Strengths: The language is clear and plain. Diagrams are clear and easy to understand. The author prefaces his opinions with explanations of his own biases and experiences. It is a very complete compendium of subjects related to audio. If the reader has not tried or become aware of the points in his book, it is a valuable resource in making your audio set-up sound its best. I particularly liked his discussion of contested topics such as tubes vs solid state, floorstanders vs monitors, analog vs digital, and speaker placement, tweaks, and some historical perspectives.
Weaknesses: Although the range of topics is quite complete I would have added a few more comments on the choice of systems, especially as it pertains to a beginner’s system. I would discuss cost-effective purchases. There is more bias here but in this field there is bias anyway. It is not a book for the die-hard audio hobbyist who has extensively researched and experimented. It is expensive for a book about audio but not expensive compared to the purchase of new hardware.
I recommend this book for the average audio hobbyist. It puts together information from many sources into one easy to read book. It is ideal for the beginning audio nut because it builds a foundation for every system he or she will have in the future. It will definitely assist anyone who values great reproduction of sound in their homes. It will likely not benefit the audio perfectionist who has years of experience and regularly reads forums and magazines. They have probably already sorted through the information and have chosen their path already. Even though I am guilty of reading about audio on a daily basis, and found only a few new pieces of information, I still enjoyed the read and especially his list of favorite CDs. If you know of someone who is starting down this path, this book would make a good gift. As Frank Zappa once said, “Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST.”
I invite any else’s comments of this book.
Disclaimer: I purchased the book myself and have no connection to the author or the publisher. I received no incentives to write this review, other than for the enjoyment of the reader.
This is a review of the book by Jim Smith, “Get Better Sound”. My motivation for writing this review is simple. There are many questions asked repeatedly on this and other forums. Some questions and answers are straightforward, some are controversial. This book attempts to pull together information from many sources, filtered through the eyes and mind of someone in the audio field all of his adult life. When he has a unique opinion he states that clearly. When a topic is controversial he makes that clear. It is an easy read and covers all the basics as well as more esoteric topics. In general, I agree with the author that most audio systems never achieve their potential and the owner searches in vain for the next piece of equipment in the hopes of reaching audio Nirvana, only to be disappointed.
Content: A broad range of topics including equipment placement, speaker placement, room treatments, analyses of how speakers and electronics work, how our hearing works, how analog and digital recordings work, equipment break-in and burn-in, definitions of terms, and the author’s biography and biases.
Strengths: The language is clear and plain. Diagrams are clear and easy to understand. The author prefaces his opinions with explanations of his own biases and experiences. It is a very complete compendium of subjects related to audio. If the reader has not tried or become aware of the points in his book, it is a valuable resource in making your audio set-up sound its best. I particularly liked his discussion of contested topics such as tubes vs solid state, floorstanders vs monitors, analog vs digital, and speaker placement, tweaks, and some historical perspectives.
Weaknesses: Although the range of topics is quite complete I would have added a few more comments on the choice of systems, especially as it pertains to a beginner’s system. I would discuss cost-effective purchases. There is more bias here but in this field there is bias anyway. It is not a book for the die-hard audio hobbyist who has extensively researched and experimented. It is expensive for a book about audio but not expensive compared to the purchase of new hardware.
I recommend this book for the average audio hobbyist. It puts together information from many sources into one easy to read book. It is ideal for the beginning audio nut because it builds a foundation for every system he or she will have in the future. It will definitely assist anyone who values great reproduction of sound in their homes. It will likely not benefit the audio perfectionist who has years of experience and regularly reads forums and magazines. They have probably already sorted through the information and have chosen their path already. Even though I am guilty of reading about audio on a daily basis, and found only a few new pieces of information, I still enjoyed the read and especially his list of favorite CDs. If you know of someone who is starting down this path, this book would make a good gift. As Frank Zappa once said, “Information is not knowledge. Knowledge is not wisdom. Wisdom is not truth. Truth is not beauty. Beauty is not love. Love is not music. Music is THE BEST.”
I invite any else’s comments of this book.
Disclaimer: I purchased the book myself and have no connection to the author or the publisher. I received no incentives to write this review, other than for the enjoyment of the reader.