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Thread: Mythbustering

  1. #1
    Suspended superpanavision70mm's Avatar
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    Mythbustering

    Isn't it a strange world that we live in? I am not just talking about the world as in Earth, but the audio world as well....think about it like this....

    Where else can you go and have so many opinions about so many things. The world of audio and home theater seems to harvest so many opinions and facts about stuff that it's mind blowing. Debates over speakers, speaker types, cables, cable types, components, amps and preamps vs. receivers, various debates on tweaks that work and things that don't work. This person swears that vinyl sounds better than CD, while another person thinks that the SACD sounds better than the CD, but doesn't like multichannel and feels that HDCD's are better, but then another person feels that it's really a matter of the mastering that makes the difference, but the debate is that maybe person A can't hear as well as person B. Argggggggh When does the madness end?

    It's amazing to me that so many intellectual people can collectively share a hobby like this, yet the debates are just endless. In most hobbies people might have debates, but usually there is more evidence to prove which is which. For example...let's say your hobby is autoracing. Fine. Well, motor oil A is more expensive than motor oil B and is suppose to perform better. There might not be an exact way to prove that, but if the car using oil A does better than the one using oil B than maybe that's the case, but maybe it's the skill of the driver? Sure, so what if the same driver does a few laps using both types of oil and his car performs better with A...then it must be true. The same could be said about various gases, tires, tweaks to the engine, body etc.

    In home theater we are only going by our ears instead and it's hard to find a true winner. We see which car finishes the victory lap, but how do we know the winner when it comes to sound?

  2. #2
    Forum Regular Rock&Roll Ninja's Avatar
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    If there were obvious "bests" for audio that everyone agreed on, there would be nobody into high-end audio.

  3. #3
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    Sound and our use of it is pretty important for our lingual ability which is in turn responsible for the development of language. I mean your thoughts, if you think about thinking are always in speech. It's just a very basic part of consciousness, and easily affecting or being affected by 'emotional' or 'instinctual' responses. When someone sits down and really tries to hear a difference that isn't there; one WILL sound better than the other because of the totality of the experience.

  4. #4
    Phila combat zone JoeE SP9's Avatar
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    Your own ears determine the winner in the best sound contest. Nothing else matters.
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  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by JoeE SP9
    Your own ears determine the winner in the best sound contest. Nothing else matters.
    If that's the approach then you will hear differences that aren't there.

  6. #6
    Phila combat zone JoeE SP9's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by teledynepost
    If that's the approach then you will hear differences that aren't there.
    So! What's your point? Is it not your ears that you have to please. If you bought gear solely on specifications you and I would have nothing to say and this site wouldn't exist.
    ARC SP9 MKIII, VPI HW19, Rega RB300
    Marcof PPA1, Shure, Sumiko, Ortofon carts, Yamaha DVD-S1800
    Behringer UCA222, Emotiva XDA-2, HiFimeDIY
    Accuphase T101, Teac V-7010, Nak ZX-7. LX-5, Behringer DSP1124P
    Front: Magnepan 1.7, DBX 223SX, 2 modified Dynaco MK3's, 2, 12" DIY TL subs (Pass El-Pipe-O) 2 bridged Crown XLS-402
    Rear/HT: Emotiva UMC200, Acoustat Model 1/SPW-1, Behringer CX2310, 2 Adcom GFA-545

  7. #7
    Forum Regular Florian's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by teledynepost
    If that's the approach then you will hear differences that aren't there.
    My last visitor heard emotions, details and layers of music that he didnt even know existed. And that after listening to the record for 4 years. Differences do exist, and they are large. But in my opinion wont be found in a 1K HT System vs. a 2K HT system. But will a Lexicon and Proceed HT System show many more details then a regular off the shelf HT system. Yes, very well so.

    But then again, real music means so much more to me then sitting 2 hrs and watching some moving pictures.

    -Flo
    Lots of music but not enough time for it all

  8. #8
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    We all need to understand that it is not a contest and there is no winner.It is all about the music,period.It is not about the most expensive or the most powerful.Each of us should stick within his budget and musical appreciation level.If there was no music,all this expensive gear would be fancy paperweights.

    bill

  9. #9
    Forum Regular hermanv's Avatar
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    I've said this before, but it's worth a refresh. Before electronics there was hardly a need to discuss failure to accurately reproduce sound or music. Many of the electronic mechansims in our equipment that cause problems with reproduction simply don't exisit in nature.

    So a whole language of electronic reproduction shortcommings had to be made up, mostly in the last 75 years. Old words were used in new ways, not everyone agrees with each definition. Boomy, etched, glass like, warm, analytical, blacker background etc. it goes on and on because there are so many ways to get it wrong.

    A number of people do not have good accoustic memory so subtle differnces between one piece of gear and another go unheard. My experience is that anyone can learn to differentiate good from bad fairly easily, but I warn you of the danger to your wallet.

    In my opinion, the electronics for high end that we all love has improved quite markedly in the last 20 to 30 years, especially digital in the last 15 years. If we agree it's getting better, then we must basically agree on what better is. So most people can hear a better sound over a poorer one. Many can not vocalize why its better (that new language).

    Based on magazine reviews and personal friends that are into audio, there is a great deal of agreement on what is good. The problem is the poor soul who is isolated from the audio community. He has little frame of reference so it becomes very hard to move forward. If this is you, find a local club, ask at work if there are any audio nuts. Go listen to other systems and if truly desperate visit some decent audio showrooms (not just one). and let your ears learn what it's all about.

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