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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


128x128michaelgreenaudio

Showing 3 responses by lilmsmaggie

lilmsmaggie
273 posts
 
Michael, I think this is a great way of passing and exchanging experience and knowledge to those who already know or those people who want to know more of the subject.    Learning, what we read, we learn, for good or bad, that's up to us, but this forum is for us to impart, exchange and learn.

Well said.  Methinks too often people get stuck in the weeds and forget the true purpose of a forum such as this.  Tuneland may be the exception but in general, HEA forums are no different from other online places where the exchange of ideas and learning e.g. astrophotography, photography, etc. the participants generally loose focus and go off the deep end.   No one started out in this hobby an expert.  They had to learn from those that came before.  
lilmsmaggie
273 posts
 
I can't even explain why some people respond with anger or animosity or disinformation to everything these days.  If they get something out of that I can't fathom it.
@vinylfan62 It's called trolling -- and I agree, doesn't make sense except they get their rocks off by doing it and everyone else has to endure their deliberate deception and rudeness.  
lilmsmaggie
273 posts
 
"No, the fact is there is a sameness that a stock car audio system impacts on all recordings so they all sound decent. "

Hmm, could it be because when listening to music in our automobiles, we are "near field" listening.    Sound is being directed directly at the left and right sides of our heads, not so much reflected.  In your car, you're physically sitting between the speakers, which is gonna make up for poor acoustics. 

At home in our listening rooms, we don't sit between the speakers the same way we sit between our car's speaker but between and in front of the speakers within the room and the sound is being reflected.
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