10 Things I USED to BELIEVE about HiFi and Home Theater & what changed
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- Опубліковано 5 лип 2024
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► 10 THINGS I USED TO BELIEVE ABOUT HIFI AND HOME THEATER & what channged
00:00 INTRODUCTION
00:42 CABLES MATTER
02:19 EXPENSIVE GEAR IS AN INVESTMENT
03:56 THE “RIGHT GEAR” WOULD MAKE ME AN AUDIOPHILE
05:18 SPECS MATTER
06:55 CLASS D SUCKS
07:42 MORE SUBS EQUALS MORE BASS
09:02 PRO AUDIO ISN’T HIFI
09:50 ALL MUSICIANS ARE AUDIOPHILES
10:44 BREAK-IN IS REAL
12:15 VINYL SUCKS
13:38 BONUS CONVERSATION WITH KRISTI
Over the years the things I held true about hifi and home theater have changed. If you were like me, you might have obsessed over things like: are expensive hifi cables worth it; if class D is bad; do you need to worry about audio burn-in, digital audio is better than vinyl; what are the best high end audio investments; and do specs really matter? If this sounds like you, then maybe this video can help. I am in no way saying I am the only person with the right answer. If you happen to believe in some or all of these things that's okay too. Everyone's Hifi/Home Theater journey is different. This is mine!
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★ *QOTD: What Hifi/Home Theater Beliefs Do You No Longer Hold?*
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If you ever get the chance to visit the Harman store in Midtown Manhattan, I highly recommend it. They have something for everyone at every level. It was my gateway into audio.
QOTD: The one belief I had that I no longer hold onto is that one brand is "THE BEST." This belief has no nuance and closes the door to a lot of other experiences. I think it's fair to say that you prefer a brand and whatever aspect you like about that brand. But the one brand as "The Best" never really got me anywhere.
@@scottscottsdale7868 Thanks for the tip! Will have to check it out next time we're in NY.
The thing that I feel very strongly about is: If I have to squint real hard to notice a difference, it is not worth the extra money. But at the same time, speakers do matter because my speakers are not allowing me to hear a difference.
I was really hard line on the fact that digital information would never be as accurate as analog. Film, tape or whatever. This holds true in theory and always will but the evaluation in recent years in digital media has almost made it irrelevant. Now, to hold on to that argument I would need to be running 3 inch master tape in a home HiFi system to validate my point.
Normal people use their sound system to listen to their music. Audiophiles use their music to listen to their sound system.
I have read and heard this statement many times over the years but I have to disagree. In my humble opinion I would say an audiophile try’s to get the best out of their system and they do listen to the music.
Maybe audiophiles try to listen to recapture enjoying the music but their system is in the way.
Don’t spend to much time on bashing others just enjoy what you have
Audiophiles use their ears to listen to their music.
Normal people use their brains and heart
Nah
“Your gear shouldn’t need a trip around the sun to sound it’s best” - Well done, Mr. Robinson. Funny stuff
Appreciate you watching, Randy.
@@andrewrobinsonreviews that is 1 / 260million trip around the milky way
03m e
Love that you know cables are smoke in mirrors! Example: my dad purchased a decent set of Paradigm speakers and the hifi salesperson sold him mid grade Audioquest speaker cables (which were still hundreds of dollars a pair) and after a couple of years we were curious and rewired his system with12g regular copper speaker wire. No difference in sound at all! So disappointing. 🤷♂️
A man who admits when he is wrong is a man I respect. I'm subscribing.
So true...I was "that guy" who calibrated their system for hours... And still was not happy with the outcome.
But as I cook dinner on a Friday night and watch the video it makes me wonder...
It seems (unintentional or otherwise) it's mental health week in the UK...
I'd say this video works well to explain modern life, chasing the approval of others, not listening to the music and instead looking at the specs compares is an excellent metaphor for modern life in general.
Ultimately if you don't enjoy something make the change, the only one who needs to enjoy the sound of your system is you (or something that that effect)
Great video 👍
Good morning everyone! Appreciate you joining us for this fun video.
It's actually evening here. Zambia.
Really enjoy these discussions about the hobby and your message that enjoying your content is the ultimate goal and there’s no single right way to do that. Amen.
Thank you so much for this great video
My wife has memorized your closing statement and has embraced it as ammunition that I don’t need any more change or addition’s to my stereo…😳
We learn from our mistakes. Thanks, you might have help others from going down the rabbit hole.
I'm both a musician and a recovered audiophile. You would be stunned at what speakers are used to mix down most records. The Yamaha NS-10 (with its bass response sharply rolling off below 70hz. plus its grating, 7db response lift starting at 2K and running through 10k) and the 5"-only driver, Auratone (a.k.a. "the grot box") were adopted in the '70's & '80's and are still industry standards for mixing today (Tradition!!!). However, listening to both of these speakers would send most audiophiles down into the well of sheer madness. Yet some of the best albums in popular music, e.g. Roxy Music's "Avalon" and Michael Jackson's "Thriller" were mixed on these speakers. So enjoy your music on whatever playback system you have and remember, it's your ear, not the gear that matters.
The bonus conversations with Kristi are quickly becoming my favorite part of your videos! She brings in such an awesome perspective.
Love the channel, y’all have really helped me to let get over these audiophile mind blocks.
Thank you so much for watching, Samuel!
@@KristiWright could you put a little Pikachu on a chair and focus on that for your dialogue. I think it would be super cute. I love seeing visual cues, skits and stuff like that in videos. Also I think you actually expressed certain points way better than even Andrew did. Really hit home. As with the op, I really enjoy your comments.
I listened to a set of Magnepans close to 30 years ago in a high end shop in SoCal. HiFi wasn’t a hobby for me much back then. The sound was so enveloping and euphoric that it made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end. I’ve been chasing that feeling ever since. As I listen to more gear, and analyze it, critique it, that feeling becomes less and less, which makes chasing that experience, more and more difficult. Honestly, if I were to hear that system now, I probably wouldn’t be anywhere near as impressed by it. Being an Audiophile has been part of my life for decades now, but honestly, may have actually ruined my enjoyment of the experience as much as I had when I was “green“. I think it might be Time to step back from it for a little bit, relisten to my gear, reevaluate what’s important, which is enjoying the music, and starting over.
Grammaphone
I know the feeling
A superbly different video! And that's why you have all the good reasons to call yourself a recovering audiophile. I owe you great respect for this.
Thank you so much! Appreciate you watching!
Vinyl forces you to go back to the old-school method of listening - pick an album and play it through. With digital you have so many options and you can hop from track to track, you lose focus or it becomes background music as opposed to a listening session.
I used to put my receiver in pure direct mode and play music from Qobuz thinking I was getting something out of listening to high res music without any processing "coloring" it. BS. I've stopped chasing purity and admitted I like how it sounds better with the room correction EQ.
Pure direct on my Marantz
AVR sounds absolutely awful. Tinny and thin. Give me that sweet Audyssey EQ any day of the week!
I’ve always had integrated amps until just reverently when I switched to a Denon 3700 for HT and Music. My NAD sounds like trash compared to the Denon with room EQ. I moved into a new house and knew the room sounded like crap as soon as I got things set up. For me the room EQ overrides everything else in terms of importance now.
Direct mode may indeed be better for very expensive speakers, but for me at the low-med level, Audyssey on my Marantz receiver makes my speakers / sound SO much better. I’m not an audiophile, but the difference/improvement is very clear - plus I don’t have a lot money to go chasing the dream ;-)
@@PK-blue It’s shown me how much the room impacts things. If you don’t have proper treatment and room correction then you could be searching for gear for ever and ever to fix something that comes down to a room issue.
High priced HDMI cables… had an argument with an engineer and asked him can you explain to me how your ones and zeros are clearer than my ones and zeros?
Your point about breaking through is a good one.
Twenty five years ago as a young mx and road motorcycle racer I thought that I had to have the most expensive brand to be legitimate.
While visiting the high end dealer, the owner proceeded to talk down to me and was just generally snobby even though I probably had more riding experience than he did. He would have know if he’d had asked.
Fast forward about five years when I opened my first Yamaha dealership where I never forgot the attitude that owner showed me and subsequently effected how we would run our shops.
We were all inclusive no matter what or how well you ride and, it paid dividends.
People called us the Cheers of moto shops and we were consistently ranked in the top five in the country for customer service. First several times.
Although I sold the dealers a few years ago, I still implement the same inclusive style in the business I have now and low and behold, it still works.
Break-in is 95% your ears adapting to a new sound.
Thank you! What I’ve learned: The most important things for me are: enjoying the sound for long periods of time with out fatigue or headaches, being able to hear/feel the deep notes of a pipe organ, and the sound is believably realistic if listening to great acoustic music. My ears are pretty good from an “audiophile” perspective, ( I’ve been known to walk out of “high end rooms” because they weren’t set up well and sounded bad.) but I’m not an audiophile cause I can’t afford to be. I just want to enjoy the music and movies for a long time.
A music lover will use its sound equipment to listen to recordings
An Audiophile will use its recordings to listen to its sound equipment
Sounds catchy but untrue, the goal of an Audiophile...a true Audiophile is to get the best equipment possible to listen to the recording as accurate as possible.
@@sherloidbai7064 I agree. - it is like car driving - we like to drive for admiring the new outside views but from time to time we check oil and brakes and go to test road Audiophiles put test music. to check system The problem starts when somebody completely stops driving and concentrate on proud tuning. Some cars for so called normal people may look weird as some listening rooms and gear . All is ok. if it is really making sense and owner understands what an why he is doing. Unfortunately in many cases he do not but blindly believes in "scientific knowledge"
"How YOU doing, Kimber?" Oh crud! LMAO! Can't ... sputter ... stop ... sputter... sputter!
Yeah that bit got MY thumbs up, and a couple of rewinds.
I really enjoyed your take today! I was wondering if you would consider doing a Top Gear like episode where you set a budget and go out and buy a used system. Like you said Audiophiles love a deal and I think for people who are interested in experimenting with sound seeing what is available at what price point and from what marketplaces (Craigslist, eBay, Nextdoor, etc) could be helpful.
We have considered such an episode or episodes but when COVID hit those plans were put on hold. We may revisit it soon.
You are absolutely right Andrew and do you know why? There is also a life next to audio although music is beautiful of course, but without joy next to you it ain't worth anything!
So, enjoy music as well as life and peace inside your heart will catch a lot of laughter. 😊
I build speakers and amplifiers for over 30 years. It took me while, but I can appreciatie any system by it self now. I build very expensive things for others, but I am happy with very little. Over the years I gravitate to small amplifairs and high efficiency speakers, but I love small speakers. Funny.... I learn every day, and applicatie a sense of wonder, because it is truly amazing how we percieve the world thrue sound.
Amazing, thanks for sharing!
Men... I've searched specs in audio machines my whole life and I never realized the one simplest thing: whatever machine /speaker makes you connect with music, that's the best "spec" you'll ever need! Thank you for that, sincerely!
When I was younger, I basically didn't even consider the quality of the equipment I listened to music on unless it was horrifically bad (like an internal PC speaker for example). My interest in audio equipment only really started about a decade ago when I decided to see how much difference a set of £80 AKG headphones would make over the entry level gaming headset I used at the time. The difference was night and day. The natural progression of thought raised the question: How high is the ceiling?
I've taken a rather cautious approach when it comes to educating myself about the topic. I wanted to hear both sides of the various arguments one stumbles across, but ultimately experience and facts have been what have guided my journey. Life in general teaches us some important lessons. Companies lie, advertising misleads, people can convince themselves of anything and objectivity is a useful tool. I'm fortunate that my interest lead to my current job, which is selling hi-fi, TVs and other electronics, so I get to test gear that I cannot afford to purchase for myself.
I've quickly learned some important things. The law of diminishing returns kicks in more quickly than many people might imagine with many pieces of equipment. With certain pieces of equipment, you don't need to spend very much to reach a level where your ears and brain become the weakest link in the audio chain. Performance doesn't scale linearly with price and in fact, it is common for something that looks good on paper to be underwhelming and for something that's underwhelming on paper to wow you.
I haven't had the opportunity and don't own the equipment necessary to test everything I would like. I am also open to new information and future experiences changing my view, but here's my current take based upon either first hand experience, research or my own personal suspicions:
1) Expensive audio cables don't make an audible difference. My research of the topic lead me to Ethan Winer's null test. I will openly admit that my scientific knowledge is not sufficient to take this as fact, but I'm always trying to educate myself and regularly watch videos from channels that specialise in science (anything from the likes of Vsauce to content about quantum theory) and Ethan hasn't said anything to make me doubt him. What I haven't really done sufficient research on is headphone cables. It doesn't sound too far fetched that they could make a difference considering the massive variation in impedance and sensitivity of different headphones/IEMs, but I just don't have enough knowledge to form any conclusions.
2) A very modest amp (for speakers) will be indistinguishable from amps costing tens of thousands in a blind test in the vast majority of situations. Unless you are going out of your way to buy exotic speakers with crazy impedance curves and current requirements or you are running an underpowered amp for the desired output level (basically not allowing sufficient headroom and running it at/near its limit) as I stated earlier, the weak link in the audio chain will be you. Do you really think you can tell the difference between 0.05 THD and 0.005 THD or hear a 0.2 DB variation between 20Hz and 20 kHz? Based on the numerous blind studies that have been conducted on your behalf as members of the human race, you can't.
3) Based on my personal experience, headphone amps are a completely different beast than speaker amplifiers. Generally speaking, speakers and amps are much more standardised whereas the variation in impedance and sensitivity of even non-exotic headphones and IEMs is huge. Something that will drive a pair of HD600s beautifully may be completely inappropriate for a set of relatively sensitive IEMs and vice versa. Headphones in general is an incredibly deep rabbit hole to go down and perhaps more than any other area of hi-fi, subjectivity rules.
4) Generally speaking, once you are over the threshold of having "competent" source equipment, the difference between one source in a given price bracket to another will pale in comparison to the difference between two sets of speakers in the same price bracket. In my experience, a CD player, turntable or network streamer of a given price will perform very similarly and have a comparable feature set to one from another brand. With speakers however, the difference in performance between two pairs of speakers in the same price bracket can be enormous!
5) You can have the finest equipment in the world, but if you place them in the wrong environment, it will sound awful. We once had a customer bring back a pair of speakers and turntable. He was extremely rude and was "not at all happy" because the speakers sounded terrible and nothing like they did in the shop. To cut a long story short, he'd placed the speakers on a glass table, right next to the window, inside a conservatory he'd converted into a bar with tiled floors and he was playing old dusty records that were almost devoid of bass.
6) Human perception is extremely flawed. Never mistake yours or anyone else's impression of something as a reference point for absolute quality. My biggest frustration with this hobby is the lack of objective measurements and bench tests. I think it's wrong that the vast majority of consumer advice is from the subjective experience of reviewers (some of which seem completely unaware of how fallible their senses are). If a product isn't delivering the measurements claimed on the manufacturer's website, it should be known to the public. Look at the way PC tech reviews are done. Many different reviewers individually test the claims of the manufacturers and if the product doesn't deliver, everyone knows about it and the manufacturers basically get called out for false claims by the community as a whole. In the world of hi-fi, people can make the most fantastical claims they like and we have to take the word of a self proclaimed authority on the subject, based on having listened to a lot of stuff, that it's worth the money or not without a shred of evidence. Honestly, think about it. Someone can, with a straight face, make the claim that they could replace your £25,000 amp with something that cost £250 and you wouldn't be able to tell, and that could spark a debate where nothing gets definitively settled. It's crazy!
All of my gear belonged to my Dad and was given to me when he passed away a few years back. It's not high end by any means, but I wouldn't part with it for anything. It puts a huge smile on my face when I fire it up and put an album on and share the music with my daughters like it was shared with me growing up.
Hey Andrew. I am one of those audiophiles that spent a large amount of money over the years to reach my own personal "Nervana" for music reproduction. I have spent well over 20+years going through much (if not all) of what your previous beliefs about high end audio. I have had other audiophiles listen to my system and they have said that "they have never heard music sound like that before, ever". I am not trying to sound arrogant here. Just been through a lot of learning over the years (and still learning). Such as "music is physics". Or more over, "the flow of electron theory". I have to say that I need to express my opinion on your 10 so called "miss beliefs" you had in the past.
#1 Cables - Since we are dealing with voltages (the transmission of voltage), it is the material and the windings of the cable that are most important here. As voltage/amperage pushes current (electrons) from one component to another, this creates fields through the cable windings, thus reducing the flow of electrons (resistance) loosing transmission efficiency. So cables do matter, but $5000+ cables are BS. Good IC and speaker cables should have quality materials used in there construction. A bit more money to be sure but do help in a systems response current draw needs.
#2 Gear as an investment - Yep, it looses value as soon as you unbox it.
#3 The right GEAR can make you an audiophile - Your right. Absurd! If you love to listen to music and wish to spend money (hopefully not too much money) and time on it's reproductive value, your an audiophile.
#4 Specs Matter - Actually they do provide a basis from where to start (frequency response range, power requirements, ect.). But is comes down to how the components/speakers are made and what materials are used in their construction.
#5 Class D Sucks - Such a misconception. Class D amplification (IMO) is made for home theater systems (I have 2 systems. My sound system and my HTS). Class D MOSFET switching is perfect for movies scenes that ramp up the sound quickly (such as sudden explosions) and drop for quiet passages is excellent. Even good sound systems (music) performs well with class D amplification.
#6 More Subs = More Bass - You nailed it! In producing low frequencies, the driver needs to be able to push air (as fast as possible) for the lower end frequencies to be reproduced. 2 subs in an HTS is good if your using satellite (book shelf) speakers to supplement the lower response range. Beyond that, it will over drive the lower frequency response ranges.
#7 Pro Audio isn't HiFi - Well, when mixing and mastering music, you want a very neutral speaker for reference. Using the same type of speaker for home audio would thus be more towards neutral sounding. If that is what you like then sure.
#8 All Musicians are Audiophiles - I would tend to think they identify with certain sounds systems depending on their influences. I'm sure that musicians are a nich type of audiophile that might prefer a sound system that they are accustomed to hearing.
#9 Break in is Real - YES! It is! But it depends on the component and what is driving it. Remember, this is voltages we are discussing. I have a pure tube (NOS) built system. Tubes require at least 10 hours before their output sound starts to settle in (it only starts to settle in). Tube amps/pre require even more break in time with the advent of multiple tubes. Cables need to flow electrons for a sufficient time before they are most efficient with the current draw. I could go on, but YES, break in is a real thing, but it depends on what type of component your dealing with.
#10 Vinyl Sucks - You hit the bullseye on this one. While the response range and DB are much higher with digital sources, vinyl mid range reproduction is outstanding! You have to (re)master digital to even get close to the midrange of pure analog playback.
Just my personal take on this. The more you understand the "physics" of electron flow, the more you understand how the sound is reproduced. Higher end components/speakers should be designed with all of this in mind. This is why we now have more efficient speakers and better current (clean power) amps/pre's.
WOW! How much coffee do I have to spit out. This video was awesome. Love the new graphics and editing. The comic relief clips were out of this world. Really enjoyed it. Great topic. I hope you two survive the night from 'those' cable and class D people. HAHA That guy! HAHA
As someone relatively new to the “HiFi community”, I love Kristi’s take and the general idea of appreciating what you have and just enjoying the music. I love these videos discussing general HiFi topics. Vinyl sucks is my favorite and sums up exactly how if feel about LPs. Your channel is awesome, keep it up!
Also one belief I now know to be true (currently moving to new place) is that the room has the biggest impact on sound. Any videos on room layout and improving room acoustics?
@@Wreckords-MarcelCongrats on the new place. Ron of New Record Day (NRD) has a great series on room dynamics. Before he moved to his current home in AZ, he set up mics and easily measured reflection points and problem areas and addresses them. You can find many videos from him there on.
Whilst I don't want to take this into gender politics of fascinating to hear Kristi say that prior to knowing Andrew she had no real opinion on the kit but just listened to music. This is often the case and a conversion with my partner tonight mirrors this.
got rid of your Linn? LOL. Here's a quick Linn story. I bought my LP12 in the early 1980s in Brooklyn NY. Used it for many years. Eventually moved to CDs, didn't sell, was dumb enough to throw away all my albums, and my Linn was placed in my basement in a plastic bag. Decades later I took it out and it wouldn't turn on. It went back in the bag for another ten years or more.
Then I watched a youtube video of a guy repairing one. Knew I couldn't do it but he looked like he knew what he was doing. But he no longer took them in to fix and local high end place wanted a grand to look at it. However, there was a comment on that video by a guy who applauded his technique but also went into such detail I knew he was an expert. I replied. His comment was a year old. What's the chance he'd reply back? What's the chance he was in the same stratosphere? Well, reply he did, almost immediately, with his phone number. Lived less than an hour away from me, has been setting up turntables for high end stores for decades. Brought it to him and the rest is history. I'm listening to vinyl again.
I used to swear by Separates, now I’m perfectly happy with my Pioneer Elite SC-95.
I have a pioneer elite also!!! Double antennas 7.2 I think I don't remember the model number I'm beat up and it's packed as I'm getting ready to move. But it's an amazing piece of equipment!!! Self-check capabilities acoustic leveling capabilities it does the Dolby where two speakers go towards the ceiling. Unfortunately I bought four ceiling and forward Mount satellites. I plan on doing some research and seeing what I can do. Anyhow good stuff!!! Good luck Erik
I live in Chile. Right here there is a forum called HiFiChile, at some point, somebody asked if the at-lp120x was a good turntable, to which a lot of people said no that you needed to get a technics or it wasn't worth it. Then someone said "shouldn't we ask people to what they aim before sending them to buy 1000 dollars turntables?". The popular consensus was "if you don't have any money don't be an idiot and don't get into this hobbie". That really is just another example of audiophiles being the obstacle to wanting to get into this hobbie.
My brother owns the at- lp120x, a fine turntable.
@@igorb8268 i bought it too, its a really nice, user friendly and for the price has a really great sound.
After being turned off to hifi in the 70’s and 80’s by stereo magazines that seemed to be talking to someone else and not me, today there is so much affordable gear and do much information about it so anyone can have a great sounding system. I consider one an audiophile if they spend time thinking about the sound of their beyond the initial purchase; a non-audiophile decides that they want a system but aren’t interested in the building or the end result. I believe today’s message is not “You can’t be in the club” but more like “You haven”t spent enough to be in the club”.
One of your best UA-cams, Andrew.
For me it's really all about music appreciation. Getting a convincing true-to-life, 3D sound really enhances the music appreciation but ... many audio enthusiasts become more concerned with the minutia surrounding the activity.
Some enjoy listening to the sound of their equipment and some enjoy listening to the music. They're generally two separate activities but not necessarily mutually exclusive.
Here's some free advice: Don't buy into the audiophile snake oil, it's 99% marketing BS. (No, you NEVER, EVER, EVER need 1K cables, 5K DACs, 10K AMPs or 15K speakers to listen to good music)
If you're getting old, live your you mid-life "crisis" with dignity, spend your money on travel and going to live music shows and rather than attempting to find "your sound" and trying to quixotically emulate live music.
If you're a hipster, save your paycheck rather than running into debt trying to impress your friends, so you don't end up eventually having a mid-life crisis.
It's so funny how "right" we think we are but then we look back on life and ask ourselves "WTF was I thinking!?". Shows real growth when you can look back and laugh at your former self. I feel for those people who are unable to see the truth within their own lies.
This video needs more likes 🙂👍 The audiophile community is so murky. As a music producer and mixing engineer I've been mocked in the audiophile community for not being a "true" audiophile and I have been told that audiophiles have "higher standards" than what is essentially my life's work. What gives?
This is so spot-on !
I have tried expensive things that didn't make me more happy and got to learn what truly matters to ME.
I have always been more obsessed by audio than most of my friends. They would often ask for my advice when buying a new system and I tried to have them build a great system within their constraints. They were ready to make a big expense and listened carefully to the demos in the shops, consulted with their wife (the famous wife acceptance factor). They were almost going for my recommendations... but eventually ended up buying a Bose system. It used to drive me mad ! But I ended up understanding that this was in fact a very good living room system with very few trade-offs and most importantly, it makes THEM very happy, and we all want our friends to be happy 🙂
your friend is missing out. but it's okay. They didn't know.
As an audio design engineer ( design the electronics for them) I stand by everything you said. Its more a point of some very expensive equipment is only expensive because it can be.
There are quite a few audiophile channels that I like but Andrew Robinson‘s channel is my favorite. I love the down to earth, never snobby reviews which makes me feel respected as a beginner with meager means. I also enjoy Kristi‘s perspective, please engage her more often. Keep up the great work!
Thank you so much Andy! Truly, thank you!
The dude praised bose for the stuff they do well. That's exactly so.
Fun and educational video. Like your perspectives and agree with most. One thing I would say though is if someone is purchasing more expensive hifi media (vinyl mastering/pressings and/or SACD etc), then I think you need to have hifi gear that will help your hifi media shine. Otherwise purchasing hifi mastered vinyl records if not matched up with the right hifi gear you won't get the benefit of the hifi media. But agree 100% buy whichever media and gear that makes you happy, that's what really matters.
Your honesty is more than refreshing. This is an awesome video. Your experience and opinion is what and why I enjoy your channel. Admitting your mis-beliefs and changes of opinion on major audiophile issues is noble of you. I've been in audio for a while, and will concur with all of your points.
Hi, I bumped into this channel a few days ago and I'm so glad I did. It's the naked truth about musicians assumed being audiophiles but appear to be not and rather buy gear which is not that fancy or high-end, it's all about what the ears perceive and freedom in choices of gear as common as possible when it comes to mastering soundtracks... I know because I'm a musician :)
Also I love the convo between you and Kristi at the end of the video, she is so right about how she explains about believes and the funny part is that it is so recognizable in the way I'm having such convo's with my wife. But furthermore it was wonderful to hear you both had such an open mind to each other and to the market which was really refreshing.
Keep up the great work you both, it's a great pleasure to watch this channel where affection, knowledge and honesty comes together.
Break-in is real! The more I play my tube gear for thousands of hours the worse it starts to sound. It's called aging! Who said break-in is always a positive phenomena?
Also note how recommended break-in time always without exception exceeds the warranty or return period!
I love a good addiction prevention video every once in a while. Thanks very much!
Thanks for watching Arman!
Great video, Andrew and Kristi. Your honesty and openness are refreshing to see on UA-cam.
My past beliefs/habits are definitely break-in and striving for impossible perfection by over-analysing the market (before purchase) and my setup once home. I feel a lot better not worrying about those things anymore, instead simply tweaking the settings once or twice at the beginning and then USING the sound system for the intended purpose - enjoyment. 🙂
I appreciate your comment very much. Thank you for sharing!
I'm happy that you have gotten through your earlier stages of being an audiophile and are able to enjoy music/ audio products. Thanks for the honesty with your journey. As someone with far less experience but having fun learning about higher end sound, it's good to remember to enjoy what you have (and should afford).
Contentment is a good quality to not forget in this hobby, and, in the end, is needed to most fully enjoy it.
I really enjoy your channel.
Hope your mother is continuing to progress in a positive direction
These are my favorite kinds of videos Andrew! Love it when you do “columns” on audio advice and HiFi. Always so much in these!! 🖤🖤
Well, we appreciate you watching. We enjoy making these videos a lot so hopefully more viewers will like them as much as you!
I think one has to allow themselves to be happy with what they have by discovering all the minuscule and not-so-minuscule wonders of their chosen gear. It’s kinda like looking at a familiar painting or sculpture and seeing details you missed before, it’s suddenly new again, and that’s always a good thing.
Love this!
Excellent video as always: I would like bring the perspective of a 30 year veteran of retail HI FI sales:
Do cables matter? Too many people obsess about the price of the cable and do not consider about where the cable is going to be used. In a Mid FI system, no one is going to spend more on the cables than what the system is worth. On the other hand, in the luxury group, someone with means to afford, the MBL Extreme, Wilson, Chronosonic, The Sonus Faber Aida, The Infinity IRS V's, or Focal Grand Utopia just to name a few, is not going to use a monoprice cable because it measures well and is cheap. If there is a rule of thumb, 5 to 20% is a reasonable amount to spend at the Mid Fi level. So if a customer comes to me to purchase speakers for music enjoyment and is not an audiophile and they are purchasing a $1500.00 pair of speakers, I would recommend spending $ 100 to $200.00 on speaker cables. If he doesn't want to, I sell him lamp cord and tell him to enjoy the music & have a nice day. I, also, mention if he gets the itch, to purchase the better cable at a later date with a full refund policy of 2 weeks. Then the customer can decide for themself if it is worth it.
As far as break in is concerned, I can't remember any of the equipment manufactures recommending 100's of hours of break in. If they do, it is 25 to 100 hours: If it matters, I don't know, but its free and it is the buyers choice to do it or not. The more important break in is the listener getting used to the new purchase. If someone owns a piece of electronics for 10 or 30 years, a new piece of equipment is a radical change & it takes time to accurately evaluate the change.
As far specs go, they only matter in the design phase as a guide to the end result. As soon as the product is unboxed, the room rules the final result. I hammer this point with every customer. If you purchase the equipment with the best specs and measurements, then put it in a room lined with glass, a tile floor with no rug, its going to sound terrible! Also, specs do not determine harmonic differences which is what I tell a customer to listen for. Its the harmonics that matter most and what makes a particular brand have its sonic signature.
My rule for cables: 1%-4% of total speaker expense. If I am spending $5000 on speakers, my limit would be $200, and that too for the aesthetics and build quality. I have tried many different cables with my setups and I almost can't tell the difference between any of them on the same set of speakers. And these range from $50 to $600 in cables.
I am glad you and your better half have these videos they have helped me not being caught up in the tools of hi fi. You two along with Darko have helped so much in getting what makes ME happy in listening to music. Thanks
First time viewer and music lover. Wouldn't call myself an audiophile but I did want to just say you nailed something right on the head. I'm in a couple audiophile groups on Facebook and never in my life regarding one hobby seem such elitist self entitlement when newer guys start asking stuff lol
Good stuff brother!
Andrew. You nailed it here. I have owned everything from commercial recording studio gear to inexpensive Radio Shack PA amps. There is so much nonsense in the audiophile universe. I believe that audiophiles are chasing some obscure dream of perfection which is not only unobtainable, but pointless. Music is what makes me happy, and some of my happiest musical experiences were played on cheap, low performance gear. Things like AM radio, 45’s played on crappy record players etc. By comparison, all of the modern gear sounds really good to me, even streaming on cheap class D amps. This is the first video of yours I have seen, your plain spoken truth is refreshing.
It's astonishing the number of people who characterize the "transistor radios" of the 1960s as "tinny," even though they've never heard them. And at the same time, they swear by music on their transistor iPhones.
We had a transistor AM table radio that was fine -- not "tinny".
Well said.
Congratulations Andrew, this has been one of your best videos yet. I have a mix of DIY, custom made gear and vintage equipment in my system and love it. I haven’t been in bricks and mortar store for years as all they sell is what they advertise in hifi magazines not what you might find playing in an audiophile society meeting. The best equipment I have heard and owned is not massed produced unless it’s a upgraded or modded.
Thank you for this honesty. It's much needed. The last part with your partner was truly the best and illuminates the issues in the industry that needs to change. The good old boys clubs need to die out and open up to all with no barriers or judgements.
Andrew, this might be your best video since you been doing this. Really good!
I used to believe that “better” gear and file formats would more often provide that wonderful out-of-body audio experience. No. They DO raise the average level of a typical listening session, but the audio nirvana seems to depend on me (mood, chemicals, comfy chair) rather than the expense of the gear.
My wife felt the same way thinking a soundbar sounded amazing until we upgraded to a way better home theater ! Then she left me and took all my Hifi components lol
HA! That is where all that high-end gear in thrift stores comes from; divorced wives.
I have been there...😪💩
Hi Andrew, just wanted to say thanks for this video. The idea, that you keep pushing, about only the taste of the listener matters and not all the show off is a big inspiration to me.
As a 54 year old semi-pro musician I can attest to:
1) I'd rather spend dough on gear to make music and perform. So my home system(s) are stuff like Elac, Yamaha and Sony.
2) We aging rockers like class D. Try lugging around 2000+ watts of AB for the monitors and mains and then tell me how much better it is than class D. I'm still sporting a tube amp for my guitar so I gotta save weight where I can!
3) When Pink Floyd were cutting Dark Side at Abby Road they weren't running through cables that cost 100 bucks a foot. Why folks think they need such nonsense to play the record back in their homes has always boggled my mind. I have a few guitar leads that I spent 70 or 80 dollars on but that's because they will take serious abuse and not fail on stage not sound better.
Gatekeeping is a pathology. It says more about the person displaying it than the area/hobby/job.
Audiophile literally comes out to lover of sound/music, not lover of HiFi equipment. Love the message of follow the love, not the perfection. ✌🏻
Kristi really hit the nail on the head. When I first went in the military in the early 70s, building a good stereo system was important but mainly for volume. When I got a bit older I bought whatever was available. The audiophile angst didn’t bother me until a UA-cam channel “expert” told me I need a “real” system with a DAC between my pc and Sony Receiver, and tried to get me to buy one. Luckily, the store I went to had an owner who had the integrity NOT to sell me a DAC. He told me my system (an older Sony DE-975) already had all it needed since I was running optical from the pc to the receiver. You and Andrew have given good advice and sadly integrity like this seems rare in audiophile land.
This is what I have learned from being an audiophile for over 20 years. It doesnt matter what anyone else thinks or tells you what to think about gear. Buy what makes you happy.... If you like buying cables and it sounds better to you then it does. The only thing that all audiophiles should be on the same page about is the science/ techniques in following the correct placement of speakers, sound deadening, and not putting your gear in the middle of your main speakers. Spoken from Jim Smith from Get Better Sound, Jason Corey - Audio Production and Critical Listening Technical Ear Training, and Robert Harley - The Complete Guide to High-End Audio.
Good conversation. Bottom line, it has to be fun and make you happy. I am having a blast resurrecting some of my old electronics from the 90’s. The challenge of finding a good set of speakers to mate with the old electronics is exciting. In doing research I’m learning.
Thanks for videos and reviews, they really do help.
The Grass is Greener saying comes to mind. There's something liberating about coming full circle in hobbies that you love. I had the same realization with my retro gaming setup. The same can be applied to so many hobbies. That's why I love this channel. Your honesty goes a long way.
Thank you for another great no BS video! From my somewhat similar experience I would also add that over the years my paradigm shifted from investing more in the gear to investing more in the records. Way more enjoyable and rewarding, provided, of course, that you have built a reasonably good setup and you can keep that itch to buy more and more equipment at bay.
The comment about the “velvet rope” really hit home with me! As if “our club is open to anyone, but only if we invite you in!”
Great video! Really appreciate the work you guys put in for the community.
The notion of "not listening" because you're caught up in specs (specs of equipment, specs of music, etc.) is so relatable. I find myself with access to all the music in the world and great gear for my liking, still looking over the specs and obsessing about them more than getting lost in the music. Finally trying to break that cycle to just sit and LISTEN. Just enjoy it, as we once did on our little CD players, tinny PC speakers, iPods and MP3 players. I see very similar trends in the gaming world - everyone obsessed about resolutions and framerates and ray tracing instead of just playing the games and having fun.
👏 👏 👏 Valid points!
Late to the channel. Been watching non-stop. Really appreciate the perspective. You guys are great.
I needed this video today. I was getting a bit fanatical and neurotic I think. This grounded me again. Informative, educational, well shot and entertaining. You two are at the top of your game here.
Best video I've seen in your channel. You calling it for what it is. Awesome!!
This guy is my favorite audiophile host. Both he and his wife are really sweet.
I think the both of you hit the nail on the head. My system is based on a 7.1 Denon AVR with with 4 Bang & Olufsen vintage speakers, 2 Mitsubishi vintage speakers and a Polk Audio SW that make me happy! Thanks for your affirmation!🙂
Perfect! You've succinctly managed to accurately surmise the vast majority of issues, misconceptions and concerns of this (audiophile) and Indeed other worldly hobbies and 'status driven' endeavours.
Simply, it you're not enjoying the 'thing', then what's the point. As is a popular saying where I'm from.. "Belief kills and belief cures".
Excellent video guys, much enjoyed. Thanks & keep up the good work!
One of the best videos about audiophilia I've seen. Excellent job. Every audiophile should see this video.
I used to photograph real estate and even the best home theatre rooms basically just looked tacky and RE agents were never really a fan of them, and would often try to convince the customer to change it before selling.
One of the best audiophile observations discussions I’ve seen on UA-cam. This hobby should be more inclusive and promoting being happy with the system you have ✌🏼
As the old saw goes, "You learn from experience, and experience is expensive." It's always good when someone clues us in so we can avoid that "expensive" part. Thanks, guys. I had to learn most of this the expensive way, but that was long ago, before the internet and friends like you.
Disagree about cables making minimal difference. They can be used to 'tune' your system to some degree, using copper to 'warm' a sound or silver to 'brighten.' More expensive cables are better but laws of diminishing returns apply. The main thing is finding cables which combine with your system and room to best subjective effect. They don't have to be super expensive but if that high end cable does the job for you, just be happy with your purchase. Experimentation is the answer.
But I've found that the three most important factors to consider are the room resonances, control of vibrations in equipment and clean mains. Get those three things right and the environment is there to attain that elusive sense of musical connection, mainly because of the reduction of the chaotic factors which prevent the communication of the myriad of fine musical structures necessary to affect us psychologically and get to 'feel the music.' You can try out countless combinations of equipment and never find true satisfaction if you don't first control room resonances, vibration and mains accuracy / purity. Get those three environmental factors right and you will have the ability to pull something musical out of the great majority of assembled components. Spend time on the environment first and then worry about system synergy between source, amp and speakers. It saves a lot of time and money chasing your tail for a magical 'combination' of equipment that will never truly sing as a system because you never controlled the surrounding environment for optimal results. When you get those aspects right, it is obvious because you can feel not just the details of a performance but the overarching intent and emotion, even from a humble red book CD.
Agreed dude. Although I’d even say cables make all the difference if it comes to having a mid-fi or high-fi system in my experience.
Thank you both for the amazing audio therapy session, I loved it! Also, thank you Andrew for taking us through your audio journey. In 1 video you have saved me several thousand dollars in gear, cables, and time. Can’t thank you guys enough, cheers!
Appreciate you tuning in Nick. Thanks!
This video helped me. I started out as a wannabe audiophile and fell for the cables lie told to me by my wannabe audiophile friends years and years ago. After a break for having a family, I’m slowly upgrading my aged system and I STILL struggle with the cables lie.
I have a musician friend who’s been upper middle class type of successful both on and off the stage, for years. When he told me about the surround he was putting in with his new 70+ inch TV, then later told me his TV speakers sounded better than that, I KNEW what you were saying was TRUE. Thankfully, I’d seen this video so I was somewhat prepared for that revelation. Plus, in the back of my mind were the words, “The only person who has to like the sound……”. Those words actually had a tussle with “No highs, no lows….”, but in the end, your words won out. You should be proud of yourself.
That was the best 26 minutes and 20 seconds I invested in today! There are some reviewers that solicit the dream and there is one......wait "TWO" that sell REALITY.
Two refers to both you and Kristi. I appreciate her view with equal value. It is a delight.
Simply the BEST!
☺️
I would love to see a video showing how you make your cables!
You should do a video on making your own cables. Showing what wire and terminations you use.
You hit the nail on the head with this video. I recently updated my 30 year old system from a Kenwood to a Denon. I use Bose 301 (which are 30yr old) and added a center, rears and a sub. All of which I got from Craigslist for a fraction of the cost if it were new.
Your channel is real infinitive a helped me select the components I have now.
For this reason I subscribed to your channel, for your honesty and that you are coming back and the important thing in the end is that you enjoy your music as well as possible; greetings from Chile.
Thanks to you I decided to try a pair of Crown XLS1002 with my Magnepan .7. Yup, they're staying put! Also added a pair of SVS SB1000 Pro subs. Using SVS's upgrade program I traded in my SB1000 for the two SB1000 Pros, love that you can do all the adjustments from your listening position. Some people can't deal with people driving Maggies with the Crown, THEIR LOSS!
Such great advice, I use to have all the high end audio such as Sonus Faber, BBE(processor), REL (SUB), MIT(cables) and McIntosh (amp). I had a life altering situation that knocked me to the bottom. So I looked for the best for the buck, and you know what. Im happy with a much cheaper system and the sound to my ears is not much different. I went from a 40k system to a 5k system, and I love it. Thanks Andrew for all the entertainment and good advice.
What do you currently have? I have similarly looked for high quality, well measuring products that are a great bang for the buck. Seems to be the way to go right?!
@@mundie33 I currently have a Pioneer VSX-1018AH amp Polk Audio RTiA7 Speakers a Definitive super cube sub with room correction and a Audio Technica AT-LP120-USB Direct-Drive Professional Turntable with an upgraded cartridge and a weight. I also use Monster O2 free cables and speaker wire. My next purchase is to add a crown amplifier for th e2 channels for music. It will put out a Class A/B 350 watts, which will push the Polks to the level of power they need to sing. I heard that set up already. my buddy has the crown amp. After I can find a nice condition used crown amp for hopefully around 6oo buck, I will be done. Sounds great as is, but the Crown should make the speakers pop, They require a bit of power to sing. They apparently also do not like class D amps. A little research goes a long way. I got he pair of RTiA7's for 600, Pioneer was 150 (bought used, in perfect shape) Definitive audio sub was $500 on sale, Cables I had already, cant remember how much, probably say around 400 bucks n total, Use to use MIT which were 100 bucks a foot if not more. Bought the record player brand new in a box from a Dj close by that didn't need 2 of them. Paid 150 for that. upgraded Cartridge was $299. Record weight was $40.
I said 5k as that equipment new, would have been that price. I got it all on a budget and used, the Polks were brand new from Best Buy 4 years ago. I still also want the matching RTi series surrounds in Cherry. They look so good and sound great for the money.
You nailed it Andrew across the board. As someone in the hobby for over 30 years I have had almost every one of these discoveries myself. I have gotten to the point where I know anyone should be able to produce a great sounding $20k+ piece of equipment or speaker, but it is now more interesting to find that enjoyment without being so distracted by how something sounds critically. Just enjoy the music after all. Well done.
Excellent, honest narrative about audio equipment- use what makes you happy. Great video.
I’ve come full circle in my audiophilia. Since I was 5 year old and got my first record player 45 years ago to today when I just bought my first “entry level” audiophile gear, I’ve gone from vinyl only to vinyl sucks/CDs rule, to CDs suck, mp3/AACs rule, to streaming services RULE and now back to collecting vinyl. I’ve always been an “audiophile” in the sense that music has been an essential part of my life since I literally can remember but I never considered myself an “audiophile” because I didn’t have a $50,000 system. For the first time in my life I have a system that would qualify as “audiophile” gear, albeit entry level, and I love it. I have a turntable for the first time since 1988 and although I would never say vinyl is a better format to digital....I LOVE IT. I love the ritual of putting on a record and sitting down with the album art and liner notes and just listening to an entire album. I also set up my system so I can stream Apple Music through my system... and I love it too. It sounds as good and the convenience and selection of just puttin on one my hundreds of playlists is technological marvel. I have infinite “mix tapes” and can make them in minutes. What an incredible time in audio.
Break in is just about giving your ears time to adjust to the sound signature of a component. That's it.
a great video with great advice! I catch myself looking up the next upgrade, the next step, and have to hold myself back and remind myself that the system I have is amazing and fantastic and while I could upgrade like the amp, or the turntable, the preamp, I just don't need to and I shouldn't because it all just works and i'm happy with it.
Gday Andrew, congrats on a well thought out episode. You’ve collated exactly what my brain was telling my heart but just couldn’t connect the dots. I can now “listen and enjoy” sound rather than “evaluate and assess” for necessary improvement with “better” quality gear. Thanks mate.
Ya know, there's people out there that collect rare guitars, and don't play them. They might not even play guitar. I wonder if there's not some people that collect stereo gear as well.
I can't tell the difference between the the TechnicalPro Receiver and the Music Hall integrated amp. I'm gonna hide from the tomato throwing audiophiles now.
I loved this video guys! Thank you for sharing your experience. Puts a lot of things into perspective. It's so easy to fall into the trap of the next best thing, specially when you are new to this hobby. You continue to be my guide in rekindling my passion for just listening to music.
You guys had me at "The only person who has to like the way your system sounds is you " at that moment is when I realized that you, me, us are all in this together! Awesome sauce you guys!!
I thought having the same surround speakers as your front mattered. But no, they just have to produce loud sounds. Just use whatever suits you best. And they don't have to be placed or mounted exactly as Dolby or DTS etc. tell you. Be experimental! I once placed a surround speaker behind me on the floor straight next to the rear wall and it produced a wall of sound. It was amazing!
The biggest takeaway is to stop chasing gear and take the time to try and optimize what you have instead of trying to find solutions for a problem that might not even exist. If you're happy then you are closer to end game than someone who is constantly buying new things and chasing after a unicorn that doesn't exist. Maybe they're trying to justify why they're doing it somehow but at the end of the day it's needless mental gymnastics over little things that don't really matter in an effort to legitimize excess spending.
Great video Andrew. I had the same damascene moment maybe 10 years ago. Realised I hadn't been listening to music but listening to the gear. It became obvious that the law of diminishing returns was in operation and that constantly seeking the upgrade was ruining my enjoyment of my system.
£100 on an old Hitachi Receiver from 1978 cured me. Bought it for the meters, kept it for the music.
Keep up the great work man.