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How to "politely" criticize someone's system.
How do you tell someone their system sounds like crap because they have too much/little bass/treble and/or have over equalized?
You're being asked because they have heard and were impressed by your system.
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Tactfully.
Since it seems they did somewhat, even indirectly, ask for pointers, it's not like you're bludgeoning them over the head with unsolicited criticism.
Since they say they are impressed with your system, when discussing stereos or music and he again references your system, perhaps subtle suggestions like "have you tried turning down the treble a little", or some such might help. I would of course wait for the subject to come up naturally, though.
In either case, if they get defensive then I guess they weren't really that impressed with your system and were just being polite and I would just back off.
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It's his system and he has to live with it. If pushed, "To my ears, there's too much....and to little....What are your ears telling you?" If he's a stick in the mud, you have nowhere to go. If he's willing to listen, give him concrete evidence and let him evaluate on his own with a nudge and a wink.
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Maybe you don't have to tell them that their system sucks at all. You could just make suggestions on how they could make improvements. If they are willing to listen, you're good to go. If they don't want to listen, then, you're good to go.
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It's an old trick.
Rephrase their quetions back to them, and use their own statemtents.
Q. Hey, I was really impressed with your system (insert name), can you help me with my setup?
A. Well (insert name), what did you like most about my system? The sound, layout, etc?
They respond with what they like best, or simply say "all of it".
Then answer accordingly and again, base your answer on YOUR system. Something like:
A. Well (insert name) I achieve optimal bass levels by XXXXXX . This is non-threatening, as they have already said they like your system. By default, it is differnt than their system, but they can then use YOUR setup to affect theirs.
Its all about showing them how you did yours, so they can mimic it at home.
If they ask direct comments about their setup, start with positive:
Well (insert name), I really like how you set (something in their setup) up here. It gives the sound (something positive); another option would be to move (x) to here to really cause (x a better effect).
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BTW:
This was not a hypothetical question. Has this ever happened to any of you guys?
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Offer to adjust their system to sound more like yours. If they don't like it, you can always restore everything to where it was.
I've been given this opportunity a few times. Frequently one finds that you're dealing with a crap system and reasonable settings just make the system's weaknesses more apparent. Many of these home theater-in-a-box systems, for instance, are underpowered and have crap bass. Cranking the treble at least plays into their strengths.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeE SP9
BTW:
This was not a hypothetical question. Has this ever happened to any of you guys?
Yeah, but how can I make a $200 HTiB system sound good with a few tweeks? He asked me about how he could feel the explosions like at my house. I suggested a different sub. He replied with, "why would I spend more on the sub than I spent on my whole system?" I told him that there is just so much bass that you can get out of a 6" woofer. He said, "never mind." If he couldn't get that same sound for a couple hundred bucks, then it's not worth it to him.
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It helps obviously, if you are good friends.
Just this past two weeks a musician friend on mine got new monitor JBL LSR 4328 - we went listening together, and I really loved the Dynaudio BM6 (I believe that is them $1700MSRP) - we spent hours over beer going back and forth and this and that. He went with the JBL for his needs. Got them in his room, set up, I can't deal. Way too much mid range for me.
But seeing as that we've been friends since high-school it was pretty easy to just say what we thought in a tactful manner because we know that is the best way to come to understand what and why we like this or don't like that.
I suppose, the best answer though, would be to just be polite. Unless it is RnT - being rude seems to work best with him. :biggrin5:
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"Wow, that sibilance is just incredible! The way those cymbals zzing! I just can't stand it!"
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I like your approach
Quote:
Originally Posted by Groundbeef
Rephrase their quetions back to them, and use their own statemtents.
It can be very helpful in sales situations, too. :)
Another non-threatening question might be "What are you trying to achieve with {fill in the blank}?
rw
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Quote:
Originally Posted by E-Stat
It can be very helpful in sales situations, too. :)
Another non-threatening question might be "What are you trying to achieve with {fill in the blank}?
rw
OT,
Way way back, when I was still in school, I wrote a program that would do just that. It was supposed to be a psychologist program. If you said that you hated your mother, it would ask you why you hated your mother. Because she used to beat me. Why did she used to beat you? Because I was bad. Why were you bad. etc...
It was annoying as h'll.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMichael
OT,
Way way back, when I was still in school, I wrote a program that would do just that. It was supposed to be a psychologist program. If you said that you hated your mother, it would ask you why you hated your mother. Because she used to beat me. Why did she used to beat you? Because I was bad. Why were you bad. etc...
It was annoying as h'll.
I knew a girl who used to do that - I didn't know her for long though.
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"Resistance is futile...!"
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GMichael
Seven of 9.........
I'll take one. Am I first in line?
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I've spent much time educating myself, and doing trial and error, so I would suggest buying the exact same things I have if You like the sound of my system. It's all about match ups, and what You are willing to spend to acheive good sound. That is what I would tell someone. If they had a crappy home theatre in a box, I would explain to them how you get what you pay for, at least to a point.
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I just tell em that I cant make a decent hambuger from a turd, which means
that they sure can't.
I like to make sure a person is dedicated, this is an expensive hobby, you have to sell a kidney just for middlin results, spectecular takes your first born chilld(but daddy, I dont wanna go to eastern europe!)
For most a HTIB is fine, so I say get one that resembles a receiver at least, like the onkyo offering, or the Yammy.:1:
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelthis
I just tell em that I cant make a decent hambuger from a turd, which means
Blunt, It's the new tact !
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Quote:
Originally Posted by noddin0ff
Blunt, It's the new tact !
I think Pixel confused the OP's request for a polite way to help a friend with "How to be an asshat".
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelthis
I just tell em that I cant make a decent hambuger from a turd, which means
that they sure can't.
I like to make sure a person is dedicated, this is an expensive hobby, you have to sell a kidney just for middlin results, spectecular takes your first born chilld(but daddy, I dont wanna go to eastern europe!)
For most a HTIB is fine, so I say get one that resembles a receiver at least, like the onkyo offering, or the Yammy.:1:
I think that new leaf you turned over is fluttering.
Well, just a little.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeE SP9
I'll take one.
Me too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by JoeE SP9
Am I first in line?
I'll guess, no.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Auricauricle
"Seven of nine"?
Huh?
Just a taste.
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I just had quite the opposite thing happen. Someone I recently met from PE came over for an afternoon of music and entertainment. We had been to their place a few weeks ago and he has a very nice system of the top Cambridge Integrated and one of their better CDPs along with Polk LS-15s (2nd from their top). Nice laid back warm sound but I never got a chance to hear it cranked up that day.
So Monday, after they were over Sunday, I got an email from the guy....
" We had a great time. I loved the beer, and the food. The @@@@ was pretty potent but very good. Your stereo was possibly the best system I've ever heard in my lifetime. It was a real joy for me being the music fan that I am.
I played the Gov't Mule song and Yoke Shire tune as soon as I got home to compare. Now granted, I wasn't near as stoned, but I could tell a big difference in the mid-range as you noted, not that mine sounds bad. That's what made it shocking: that you could improve something measurably when that in itself sounds good. However, I was kind of encouraged when mine didn't suck too bad compared to yours (I was thinking that hearing your stereo would cost me serious cash). My bass was a little better but a definitely muddier."
So here is a guy that reacts opposite than what the OP encountered. I hate when you are asked for advice and then hear " "never mind." If I couldn't get that same sound for a couple hundred bucks, then it's not worth it to me."
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