The Intellectual People Podcast - Ethan Winer (RealTraps)


Ethan Winer joins for an hour of explanation of room treatment and explains his views on many other audio related topics including his book The Audio Expert.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yUmt8knPs0M
128x128jtwrace
Anyone that tells you he is an expert is likely not; your best course of action in such cases is to turn around and run as hard as you can.


Ethan was adamant that power cords could not make a difference so I asked him (here on audiogon) if he had ever come up with any measurements to back that claim up. He had not -which I found odd for someone who lays all his faith in measurements! I found that it was quite easy to demonstrate how power cord affect things by measuring the voltage drop across the cord and the resulting loss of power/increase in distortion in a power amplifier. As you might expect, the power cord is governed by Ohm's Law.


In that conversation I discovered that he did not understand how the ear uses higher ordered harmonics to sense sound pressure and so is very sensitive to their presence and also that it assigns a tonality to all forms of distortion. So he was prone to making statements that certain types of distortion are inaudible when the opposite is the case. The brightness of solid state is an example: it arises out of distortion and is literally why tubes are still around 60 years after being declared 'obsolete'.


Ethan's 'reference' amplifier at the time was a $600 Pioneer which has good specs as far as spec sheets go, but is a good example of how such amps can have brightness due to low levels of higher ordered harmonic content.


I find he's pretty good with digital stuff. But I noticed that he's into room treatment, but I've not seen him working with Distributed Bass Arrays (please correct me if I am wrong on this; a google search to verify my impression in this regard produces no results). The bass is usually the most problematic issue in any room but room treatment is a relatively ineffective treatment for the problem, which is standing waves which cancel and reinforce bass notes depending on frequency and the room dimensions.


IMO/IME, actual experts usually don't refer to themselves in that manner.



Ethan Winer tells you like it is, and he has more real world experience to fall back upon than most of us here. 

I've now come to accept most of what he says as fact, despite being pissed off with some of his declarations in the past. 

No one likes being challenged, not me and certainly not the various snake oil peddlers he often gets in his sights.
NO Ethan Winer tells you the way he thinks it is.. 

What he knows, and what he thinks he knows. What he doesn't know DOSEN'T exist.. BIG difference..

Mr. mono tone 40, worst speaker on EARTH.

As far as thinking ahead or of a future.. 1960 prattle being spouted as gospel 60 PLUS years later.. 

In my field we call them PARTS CHANGERS.. in other areas of my profession LAZY.

Him, his side kick and fellow naysayer often put out how cable make no difference. Then in the same mumbo jumbo video refer to a certain product they are moving. Woven cable for one..

I would like to compare it to NASCAR vs Indy. But its more like a demolition derby vs Indy..

I know, 4 tires, one engine.. Must be close ay?

Regards. KINDA..
I believe humans are insensitive to distortion until it reaches high levels especially in lower frequencies where we seem to tolerate a lot.
Nothing makes you feel better than having an "expert" validate your
preconceived notions with his. 👍

All the best,
Nonoise
There are no universally acknowledged experts in audio.

Just different opinions.

Everyone has an angle.

Some are more altruistic.

Some are more monetary and profit based. Businessmen, shill merchants, peddlers, advocates, snake oil salesmen etc. Disparate views but all with one thing in common nonetheless.
 
All of them looking for free advertising.

Take your pick, but for me Ethan is in the former camp.
Where is the expert in electrical,mechanical,electronical (tubes and digital) ,and acoustical and psycho acoustical science all at the same time?


He is back on his meds Master M.. That’s where he’s at..

Watch he will reappear with a whole new Y’all or some slight change..

Persistent prick if nothing else.. He has to have appeared at least 8-10 different times..

Ya got the "Psycho" part right.. :-)

Different topic:

Mr Winters is like watching pain dry.. BUT listening instead. Zzzzzzzzzzz!!

Very consistent.. BORING and worthless old information..

Him and his kind have just WORE IT OUT..

He should be ashamed being so friggin hardheaded.

How do you measure SHAME or professed ignorance? Keep blabbing???

Two ears ONE MOUTH.. what a concept..

Take the cotton out of their ears and put it in their MOUTHS..

Regards
Ethan winer , didn't he challenge Paul mcgowan a year or so ago on this very power cable subject. 

He also has a video up doing a null test. 

Now, I don't think Ethan is a all knowing expert matter in fact nobody here is. But he does , usually have a very informed opinion about things like this. 

Take it was some if you wish, but I see nobody here defy him either with "facts" .. 
He continues to say the same thing over and over. 

He says there is no difference. Unless you can measure a difference..

That DOG don't hunt... There is an EXPERT opinion..

Mr Michel there are EXPERTS here, believe it or not..

I've worked on more cables in a day than Mr Winters has in a year.. OVER and OVER again for over 45 years..

NOT simple, Simple, SIMPLE stereo gear.. How simple can something be.. Stereo GEAR.. A door on a VW beetle is more complicated for God Sakes..

You have to BE informed to inform others.. SILLY!!

Here is another expert opinion.. Time to feed the chickens. :-)

Regards
I believe humans are insensitive to distortion until it reaches high levels especially in lower frequencies where we seem to tolerate a lot.
The brightness of traditional solid state is caused by distortion- and not very much of it if you believe the specs they publish. Yet we hear it easily - because our ears use the higher ordered harmonics to sense sound pressure and so have to be very keen about them- the ear has about a 125-130db range.