STOP Worrying About These 5 Things in Audio!
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- čas přidán 23. 07. 2024
- In this video I discuss the top 5 things audiophiles NEED to stop worrying about. These topics come up often from our viewers on CZcams and forum members as well as direct emails to us from readers of the Audioholics website.
0:00 Introduction
0:58 AV Receiver Impedance Selector Switch
2:30 Cables and Audio Tweaks
5:05 CZcams Listening Demos
7:10 Purchase Validation from Others
9:03 Dress it up!
9:23 Waiting for New Models
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Recommended Subwoofers:
SVS SB-1000 Pro: audioadvice.io/36Pea3a
SVS PB-1000 Pro: audioadvice.io/3sreeyk
SVS SB-3000: bit.ly/SVSSB3000Sub
Paradigm Defiance X12: bit.ly/ParadigmX12
Perlisten D15s: bit.ly/PerlistenD15s
Perlisten R212s: bit.ly/PerlistenR212s
Perlisten R210s: bit.ly/PerlistenR210s
👉 Perlisten R18s: bit.ly/PerlistenR18s
Arendal 1723 1S Sub: bit.ly/Arendal17231Ssub
Recommended AV Separates
Trinnov Altitude 32: bit.ly/TrinnovAltitude32
Trinnov Altitude 16: bit.ly/TrinnovAltitude16
Trinnov Amplitude 16: bit.ly/TrinnovAmplitude16
Trinnov Amplitude 8: bit.ly/TrinnovAmplitude8
Anthem AVM 70: bit.ly/AnthemAVM70pre
Anthem AVM 90: bit.ly/AnthemAVM90
Anthem MCA 323 Gen 2: bit.ly/AnthemMCA325
Anthem MCA 525 Gen 2: bit.ly/AnthemMCA525
Recommended AV Receivers:
Denon AVR-A1H: bit.ly/DenonAH1
👉 Denon AVR-X6800H: bit.ly/DenonAVR6800h
Denon AVR-X3800H 9.2CH AV Receiver: bit.ly/DenonX3800h
Marantz Cinema 50: bit.ly/MarantzCinema50
Onkyo TX-RZ50 ($1,599): bit.ly/OnkyoTXZ50
Yamaha RX-A2A: audioadvice.io/3ppWFg9
Sony STR-AZ5000ES: bit.ly/SonySTRAZ5000ES
Sony STR-AZ7000ES: bit.ly/SonySTRAZ7000ES
Anthem MRX1140: bit.ly/AnthemMRX1140
Anthem AVM 90 15.4CH Processor: bit.ly/AnthemAVM90
Monolith M8250x 8CH Amp: bit.ly/8CHamp
NAD M23: bit.ly/NADm23amp
Recommended Powered Speakers:
Kanto YU6: bit.ly/KantoYU6speakers
Kanto TUK: bit.ly/KantoTUK
Kanto Sub8: bit.ly/KantoSub8
Recommended Center Channels:
SVS Prime Center: bit.ly/SVSPrimecenter
Paradigm Premier 500C: bit.ly/Paradigm500C
Revel C208: bit.ly/RevelC208
Recommended Speakers:
👉 SVS Ultra Evolution Pinnacle Tower: bit.ly/SVSUltraEvolutionPinnacle
SVS Prime 5.1 Speaker / Sub System: audioadvice.io/3JZJOt5
JBL HDI-3800: bit.ly/JBLHDI3800sale
Polk R700 Tower Speakers: audioadvice.io/3C0TK2B
Heco Aurora 1000 Tower Speakers: bit.ly/Aurora1000
Monolith Encore T6: bit.ly/EncoreT6
Klipsch RP-8000F II Tower Speakers: audioadvice.io/3445l4A
Arendal 1723S Tower Speakers: bit.ly/Arendal1723s
Focal Aria K2 936: bit.ly/3zVAxi5
Focal Kanta No2: bit.ly/Focalkantano2
👉 SVS Ultra Evolution Bookshelf: bit.ly/SVSUltraEvolutionbooks...
SVS Prime Elevation Surround: audioadvice.io/35aZCdR
MartinLogan Motion XT F100: bit.ly/MartinLoganF100
MartinLogan Motion XT F200: bit.ly/MartinLoganF200
MartinLogan Motion F10: bit.ly/MartinLoganF10
MartinLogan Motion XT B100: bit.ly/MartinLoganB100
Perlisten S7t Limited Edition: bit.ly/PerlistenS7tLE
Perlisten S7t: bit.ly/PerlistenS7towers
Perlisten R7t: bit.ly/PerlistenR7t
Perlisten R5t: bit.ly/PerlistenR5t
Perlisten S3ic: bit.ly/PerlistenS3ic
Perlisten R3ic: bit.ly/PerlistenR3ic
Recommended Headphones:
JBL Tour One M2: bit.ly/JBLTourOneM2-headphones
👉 Focal Bathys: bit.ly/FocalBathyswireless
Focal Celestee: bit.ly/Focalcelestee
Mark Levinson 5909: bit.ly/MarkLevinson5909
Sony WF-1000XM3: bit.ly/SonyIEMs
Audioholics Recommended Cables:
250ft CL2 12AWG Speaker Cable: amzn.to/2vwS9QH
50ft 10AWG Speaker Cable: amzn.to/3DeMTT5
Locking Banana Plugs: amzn.to/2ZQt15x
9ft 4K HDR HDMI Cables: amzn.to/2WiIXeD
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#audiophile #advice #hometheater - Věda a technologie
I think my truck always runs and handles better after I wash it...I think once you purchase your products and are happy with the sound and performance, you should immediately stop watching reviews on new and upcoming products. All they do is leave you second guessing your decisions.
Yeah, I had to quit watching reviews of new speakers because I'm happy with my JBL Stage A180 floorstanding speakers. Plus, I'm glad I did some research regarding the impedance switching in my Denon AVR-X3400H receiver. I purchased a discontinued model because I do not want to pay $300 for eARC at the time and honestly, if I do want HDMI 2.1 for 4K at 120Hz, I can just get an audio extractor and pass audio to my AVR and video to my TV. Plus, I'm not too much of an audiophile probably due to my hearing impairment since the day I was born. So yeah, at the end of the day, I do have to control CZcams's algorithms so that it does not recommend speakers to buy. I have to do lots of research and spend responsibly.
Washing my car instantly adds at least 25 bhp.
I bought a Arendal 1723 THX LCR as my first setup and boy when I tell you. I had my days of thinking about returning it
@@gww730 Adding pin stripes adds 10 to 15 HP as well.
Wisdom
"I need to hear how your speakers sound through my speakers" XD
It is like the old TV commercials that show you how awesome another TV looks on your TV.
The only thing every audiofile should concentrate on is working on room treatments not so much on equipment. 😊
Even though I disagree with Dennis Foley on some details, his youtube videos and shop is a great place to start: Acoustic Fields
@@Munakas-wq3gp Curious what details you disagree with. I have been watching his videos for a few years now.
Agree 💯 % on room treatment. It is about 50% of the sound. I wish everyone could hear a great system in a properly treated room. I think most people would be astonished at what is possible. Aside from room treatment is speaker placement. Looking at photos across the internet, most people don't even have their speakers properly set up.
@@vinylrules4838 Mainly about speaker size vs room size and subwoofers. Dampening is not the only way to treat room modes, it can be achieved by using multiple subs in calculated positions. A well designed speaker will work in any room regardless of ithe speakers size. Aside these minor details I fully agree on everthing else and I have recommended Acoustic Fields to numerous poeple who fight with their rooms.....
@@vinylrules4838 I know my speakers are not properly set up. Thats the space I have and it is good enough.
I personally found out my system sounds better at 3:00 AM while holding a seance during a blood moon whilst reading the Necronomicon out loud.
Everyone's system sound better at 3AM, why...That is one of the lowest electric consumption hour of any given day. Less usage means less noise in the raw electricity we draw from the wall. Industrial businesses (major noise producer's) are down for the night. etc. etc. You accidentally said something smart.
@@lexicon612 I said something smart?!
That's too bad, I wanted to do 100% stupid but alas...
Lol
@@Mizar-XED
Can't win them all 😅
SR Denali 6000s v2 20amp
You’ll get more top end if you read the Delomelanicon - everyone knows the Necronomicon is just a little too bassy.
I built a decent home theater and didn’t use it for like 3 months because I was busy working all the time. When I finally sat down to watch a movie it sounded so much better than I remembered.
I find the type of wine I'm drinking when listening to music makes more difference than almost anything else. A fine Bordeaux sounds best.
💯
Single malt scotch sounds best
@raygarza6231 Oh yes that's good too.
Cabernet Franc with a sunset sounds the best.
I appear to have started something.
I have 70 year old ears and eyes. I can't hear frequencies above 13 Khz and I wear glasses. I could throw all the money in the world at a system that costs me $150K but getting old has reminded me that I'm very happy with my current setup.
13khz hearing is amazing at 70 years old. Be proud of that. My hearing doesn't extend much beyond that and I'm 50.
@@Audioholics
This is interesting.
73 and ~14k.
@@Douglas_Blake_579 occupational hazard
@@Audioholics
👍
But, there's an amazing feature hidden behind every Volume Control... Amazingly they can actually be used to turn things down! Who knew?
Ahh your still young
"you don't need validation from others, even from us" is very honest and revealing, thanks for that! 👋
If you truly believe that cables (or other associated tweaks) will improve sound quality, then you will absolutely hear differences. I firmly believe that music sounds better between 6pm - 8pm in the evening, and even better when the weather is nice outside. Perception is everything.
Also your mood has a huge affect on sound perception. My best listening occurs late night when everyone is asleep and I'm in the solitude of my theater room.
And even better with your favorite adult beverage in your hand.
@@peterowings7233gene has an episode about using a little MJ to elevate your experience.
to me believing or not does not matter - what matter is the consumer hears a difference or not. if he / she does or does not shouldnt matter to anyone else.
Beer helps too!
Especially the part about seeking validation from others. Well said. Everybody has their own biases and preferences.
Came over from the 2 channel community, love the channel and approach. Building into a home theater now, your vids are really helpful.
I feel everyone, whether beginner or a veteran, in our hobby and passion, needs to watch this video. No-nonense, logical advice from a man who also understands the science of audio.
Well done, Gene!
I am in charge of decent size development and engineering department in a company that designs telecom equipment. I spend staggering $$$ for compliance and safety. When I see audiophile fuses that do not have a UL certification I truly freak out. I keep preaching this type of scrutiny to younger audiophiles continuously….the fundamentals of engineering will never change.
I didn't even realize that "audiophile fuses" were even a thing. To me, power cables are the worst offenders - I've seen dozens of Hospital Grade power cords dressed up in custom housings and techflex selling for hundreds, and even thousands of dollars.
@@gww730 the closest legitimate, “possibly” better fuses that have UL are produced by “littelfuse”, a legitimate surge protection manufacturer and are available from Mouser, Digikey, etc.
If one sees how quickly an item goes up in flames with incorrect or bad fuse during a compliance test, these fly by night fuse supplier would go out of business. Unfortunately, we support these weak products.
I agree with everything you said. The only person who needs to love your system is you. Don't overspend on things. Most of the audio products depreciate. There are a few products that hold their value.
Almost no electronic device including speakers and AVR's retain anywhere near their value. Not even close.
Simple, plain words of great erudition!
Delivered almost as plea to a multitude of slack jawed, gullible consumers.
I do hope someone is listening.
Respect.
A friend of mine couldn't quite fit his new receiver into his cabinet.
I went over there with a rasp and widened the slot. He said that, that was the best audio file he ever saw.
Love it! Thank you for these tips. Even a seasoned audiophile sometimes forgets these basics. 🙏
The cable comments are the best. I only use the Blue Jeans cables because they aren' that much more expensive than plain zip cord when you figure in the connectors you'll need too. I like to spend that little bit more to also make sure the bananas are really REALLY well connected to the cabel. No way you are going to do that yourself the way that guy at Blue Jeans does with his equipment.
It's pretty easy to solder and/or crimp the plugs by yourself, but you do you..
I recall many years ago the well-known engineer for National Semiconductor, Bob Pease, had a standing offer of (I believe) $10,000 to anyone who could tell the difference between some expensive speaker cables, and pieces of random hookup wire he soldered together in an A-B test. No one ever took the challenge!
You're right. The bet is still up, and it's $1million..
I took the test he paid me the 10k that autism paid off😂
Hi, It's refreshing to see someone speak the truth. I believe the only benefit of fancy, expensive cable and parts is that it allows the owner to say " I've got ,i spent."
Its been said before " fashion magazines only make you feel ugly "
The most blinged audiophile systems remind me of religious altars. Everything is perfectly spaced and tiered. The holy speaker cables must not be allowed to touch the floor. The vinyl comes out like the most holy book, cleaned to laboratory perfection and zapped with an anti-static gun. But seriously, belief plays such a large role in the industry. 'Can you hear the divine soundstage, brothers and sisters?' 'You must have faith.' 'The double-blind listening test is Satan trying to test your faith.' "Believe, believe!"
BJC is the only place to get cables IMHO , great prices , great customer service, and quick delivery. Great work Gene
Yep. Good cable/terminals at a fair price.
Yeah, they are such an easy company to recommend. I've been buying from them for 17+ years.
I co-sign for BJC!
I'm going to bookmark the video and listen to it every time I want to buy something. Great advice man. Ons of your best.
I think the Crutchfield "online audition" is good at hearing the sound signature difference (warm/neutral/bright), and you can verify that with the frequency response measurement, but that's about it.
All of your points are (adjective) sage and sane advice! Dedicated senior-aged two (2) channel-er here. My upper range hearing dissolves into my tinnitus at about 8.7-9K, depending upon SPL. Before suspending my hifi habit almost 30 years ago, Monster speaker cable was about as far as I had ever gone into 'boutique' wiring (giant zip cord). I was a journeyman broadcast engineer (AM/FM radio) 'techie' back in those days, always with a focus on 'value' (...money has ALWAYS "...been an object"). The well established, secondary market for 'pre-owned' components is a rich landscape if you're nerdy and have the time to investigate, compare and shop on line. After starting back up a few years ago, I now have a couple of beautiful, premium pieces in my system (Hegel, McIntosh) that were WAY out of reach when they were the "...newest, latest and greatest". And again, this video offers great advice and value, too! Thank you.
This couldn't have come at a better time. I just purchased a pair of Polk R700 speakers. I am moving up from Klipsch RF82-2's and even though I read not to switch the impedance setting on the Marantz SR7009, it was cool to hear Gene verify that...
Great breakdown Gene, always love your honest and transparent view. Greetings from Australia.
The information was extremely helpful, especially the beginning about impedance. I am mixing brands of speakers, and 4 ohm and 5 ohm and 8 ohm in an 11 channel system. I just keep the receiver cooler by running a fan cooler on the top that also helps with ventilation
Every one of these tips are spot on. Thanks for another great video Gene. As always, I learned a few things. It was great meeting you at Maximum Audio Video a few months ago.
I can be critical of Gene on some topics. I’m 100% in alignment with him on this one.
very well said....and remember those who argue against blind level matched A/B/X testing are doing so, because they know that their equipment will make zero audible difference.
Excellent and very truthful common sense (as usual from you) video. Here's an old one for you harkening back to the arrival of the CD. Putting green magic marker on the edges to increase fidelity.
Agreed. I actually tried this on some of my CD's in the 90's. Yeah, yeah the power of persuasion is high. That said it cost next to nothing and did not damage the CD's. It did give the placebo effect though. So for the while I messed around doing such it felt good.
It's like people who buy and use esoteric car polish/wax on their cars. They feel they get a better polish/wax job than using lower cost choices.
I have tried the fancier polish/wax on my cars and honestly have found using the good ole orange bottle of Nu Finish gives me excellent results and is easy to use as well as less costly.🤔
Great topics Gene! We always appreciate your honesty and efforts to inform consumers. Thanks for sharing and keep up the great work! 😁
So why do you sell cable risers? Do you not think it is dishonest to sell them and claim they "reduce
distortion and noise, coupling capacitance in cables, effects due to electric interference fields from floors and walls." I was really disappointed to see you advocating for snake oil.
I have found out that the whole music experience sounds a lot better when you are with friends drinking wine! That alone enhances everything much more than you can imagine 😀😀😀
@1:58 🤔🧐 SO FUNNY YOU BRING THIS UP.. ..I FIRST SET UP MY RECEIVER AND SETTLED ON 4 OHMS AFTER GOING BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN 4 AND 8 OHMS BECAUSE IT SEEMINGLY SOUNDED LOUDER AT THE TIME.. ..ABOUT 6 MOS LATER, ON A BORED DAY, I REVISITED THAT SELECTION AND WAS ASTONISHED AT HOW I COULD HAVE MISSED THE ABSENCE OF DYNAMIC RANGE (AND FIDELITY)..
Most amps can handle reactive load, so VSWR isn't going to be an issue. Not that your amp would even notice unless the speaker cable was over 2km long.
FINALLY, I have found 2 audio channels that I can enjoy the content.
Your channel and Erin's are my chosen ones.
There are too many reasons that I like Erin's and your channel much more than any others, but here is one.
It appears that you both recognize that in the end, choices of what sounds good is purely subjective.
Measurements, analogous terms to describe sound (warm, bright, etc) , mean little to me. In my room, how do I like it, is everything.
Thank you. I look forward to watching your past and future videos.
Excellent summary of many of the points you’ve made over the years. The one I connected with is seeking validation after purchase. At some point I realized that I just needed to stop watching reviews and just spend the time enjoying content and getting know my gear. I took six months off CZcams and it made a big difference. Now I can watch reviews just for entertainment while I enjoy the gear I have, a lot based on Audioholics recommendations.
Appreciate your knowledge and recommendations, thanks!
Spot on everything you said. Thank God for honest folks like Gene
This is outstanding.
And this is why I have been subscribed for years...
All of your content & reviews are absolutely Great. Thank you for sharing your knowledge with us.
Good video. As an Electronic Technologist and life long audiophile I agree with your comments. 👍
Happy I found your channel. Going to dig in and figure out the best way to setup my Cinema 60 AVR to my LCR Martin Logan XT line. Thx man!
I love the point you touched upon in regards to the look of equipment or your space!
If your happy with how your system looks and sounds then be happy with what you have! Your system only needs to make you happy and no one else!
Yes, and listen to some music. That is what it is for.
“The technology is already mature “. Yeh, since 1970! Great video, you speak the truth!
Very true about speaker placement and acoustic treatment...That helps A LOT
I'm guilty of listening to youtube video demos before I bought my Klipsch RF-8000 II speakers. There's an influencer from South African who demoed those speakers by comparing them with Polks and other brands. In the end though, I'm very pleased with my Klipsch. They do sound awesome! But I do have to agree with Gene on those four other mistakes. Thanks Gene!
Great lecture, and very thorough in a shorter span of time than other reviewers on CZcams. Another thumbs up, as always. I recently bought a pair of Paradigm SE Monitor Atoms, designed, engineered in Canada. And I prefer those SE Atom bookshelf speakers, on speaker stands, more to a previous pair of Klipsch R-51Ms. Atoms SE speakers are now connected to a used Cambridge Audio AXR100 Receiver, in very good condition; I thought I'd say so for any confirmation, ha.
More seriously, I believe that when interconnect cables, and speaker wire are logically considered, you are no less than 97% correct! There are audiophiles out there who may think you are 79%; however, it has more to do with a perceived Placebo Effect. If anything other than physical measurement, in terms of sound, it may not be actual subjective determination, either.The most expensive cables I have, that are actually of moderate price compared to most other brand hi fi cables, are Blue Jeans Cable, mostly made in the USA. Excellent transfer of musical signals.🔉🎵🎶
"Thats what we will be talking about in this video"............ famous words ..... Thank you for the insight Gene .
In the distant future when archeologists dig up Gene’s tomb full of RBH, they’ll make a new Mummy movie, and that’ll be his tagline spoken in the ancient dialect of Italian Floridian.
I was concerned about the impedance switch issue. Thank you for mentioning this. My speakers are 4 ohms and my receiver was left at 8 ohms. Nothing complained or blew up in my system.
Hi... thank you for your sincere advice. Coming from you, it is certainly creditble and I do hope many of those so called "audiophiles" out there and newbies to this hobby, do take heed of this valuable advise from Gene, someone who is certainly qualified, unlike many other "experts" who make nonsensical claims that's beyond common sense.
Thank you, Gene.
in my experience, there are a few tweaks that work:
- acousticaly treating your room
- decoupling the speakers from the floor/ the shelves while firmly rooting them in place ( heavy cushioned feet)
- making sure your room has fresh air ( for enjoyment and mental presence)
- making sure your room is clean ( for enjoyment and no bodily stress)
- make sure your room is aesthetic to just be in for you. better mood baseline.
- make sure your listening spot is confortable and feels safe & controlable.
- have interesting and pleasent interactive things in the room you enjoy. so its a good general place, not just an audio place.
- care for your general health, fitness, well being, good direction and hearing health.
- have things organized in general.
- get enough sleep, extra if possible.
- have a stocked pantry, gas in the tank, water in the fridge and some cash on the side. knowing you have time in case makes for a chill life.
- get something nice to drink or other measured treat to enjoy while listening.
a depressing room, living on edge more than necessary, being in artificialy worse health and bad air can ruin any listening experience.
Always wise words from you Gene, thanks! The thing that pisses me off the most are really expensive cables. I always try to reason with cable lovers, trying to explain that their ears cannot be more sensitive than lab equipment and that they can't hear any difference but it's a lost cause
There are a few brands that have very reasonably priced cables that are just as nice looking as the expensive ones, I'll spend a few bucks for something that visually looks nicer just because it makes my system look more expensive than it is and makes me happy.
@@pnichols6500 of course... I have no argument against someone choosing more expensive cables for aesthetics, that's a perfectly valid reason (if you don't go crazy with the price) especially if you already have a nice looking and expensive setup. My issue is with people that say they can hear a difference over quality but reasonably priced cables like mogami or monoprice
@@pnichols6500 I like nice cables, too. Not esoteric overpriced ones. Just nice looking well made cables with good terminating hardware. Years ago, I bought a huge bulk roll of very high quality speaker cable and bought some nice connectors to make my own cables the perfect length for my room. I didn't do it for sound as much as I did it because I enjoy making my own stuff. They look nice and sound almost as good as zipcord.
Great video. For me it is largely aesthetics once you get to a certain price point. I love looking at my Mcintosh system as much as I love listening to it. Fell in love with the look of LS-100 Classics before I ever heard them.
THANK YOU GENE!
All 5 points are right on the money...
The best audio advice I ever got was: *Do all the free stuff first*
Move speakers, in small increments, until you find their sweet spots.
Move your listening position, in small increments to find the best sound.
Clean and maintain all the connectors in your system.
Learn to do dust removal and control cleaning on your gear.
Listen to the music ... not your system... You'll enjoy it more.
For what Gene calls Audio Jewelry ...
Treat it as such. Do not expect any improvements in sound quality from cables, weights, crystals or gadgets. Without hesitation I will tell you the whole "high end" accessories industry is borne of nothing better than ripping off gullible people. All those big displays and fancy show tricks exist for one reason an one reason only ... to part you from as much of your money as they can!
Ask yourself why you put your system together, Was it for you and your family to enjoy... or was it to impress your friends? It is far more likely that you are the only person who is impressed by your system. All the regular folks in your life simply don't care and are entirely unimpressed by it. Also consider the sheer folly of building an amazing system then locking it away in a private listening room that only you go to. It is likely you would make a much better impression on others by cleverly integrating a mid-fi system into your living room so that everyone can enjoy it.
There is considerable value in not dumping cash on the "next greatest thing". We are at a point in engineering and design where changes are incremental and often very small. Most often you can skip 3 or even 4 generations of a product before there's any good reason to upgrade.
Again... the best audio advice I ever got ... Do all the free stuff first!
This one kind of go on hands with approval. And that is the Cultists that even without research think 1 brand is the best for all scenarios and nothing else come close.
BJC... Approved, and great service to boot.
My favorite that drives me nuts is indeed sound clips on CZcams. There are audiophile channels where the CZcamsr has spent thousands of $ in microphones and dummy heads.😂
I’m a retired electrical engineer, yet The one area where I diverge a bit from you is cables. You put so much focus on the measurements, whereas I focus on how they sound in my system. Mind you, I bought a pair of somewhat inexpensive Nordost flatlines 20 years ago and never looked back.
Thanks for your videos, Gene. You do a great job.
Thank you for this excellent video! - Thirty years ago I suddenly had enough money to buy a decent audio system. The first weeks of listening were very disappointing. I thought: Okay, let‘s get these suckers to work! A nice preoccupation on the horizon. I did what could be done: cared for good electricity, bought good speaker cabels and rca cabels (yes, I did!), used vibration absorbers for all the components etc. And you know what?: Every step increased the sound quality ( I swear!). And these very components are playing for me up to now, every single day. I don‘t have any interest in new stuff, I LOVE these fellas. Perhaps there may be some psychology mixing in the listening experience, but many people said the sound was not recognizable to what it was before. So: I strongly believe you CAN achieve some good results with cables and other stuff, but you have to try and try, some fit, others don’t. And it‘s much fun and doesn’t have to be expensive. I‘ve never had the money for high end things, it‘s just decent hifi. - Thanks again for the video and greetings from Berlin, Harry
I've said it before, cables do make a difference... a negative difference to the pocketbooks of the people that buy them and a positive difference to the pocketbooks of the people that sell them. That's pretty much the only measurable difference.
Great video, you are very much correct on all items mentioned.
If you have low impedance speakers and long cables, you will get treble attenuation with small diameter cables. But that can be very cheaply fixed by getting 4-6mm2 speaker cables, no need for exotic things. Of course some people have OCD and their brain would melt if they didn't have fancy gold connectors and wrist thick cables sitting on 'dampening blocks' lol. But that has nothing to do with actual sound.
Supreme words of wisdom by great audio engineers and NOT youtube influencers and so called reviewers who dont measure...
Super super awesome adwises!! 💪🏼👍🏼 The thing i had most problem with is thinking about the ”next” product. 😊 Since three years i have a Trinnov Altitude and don’t have that problem anymore. 😁 Greetings from Sweden!
I agree 100%. I attended CES shows in the 90’s seeing items such as $3000.00 a foot Oxygen free cables, $50.000 turntables and not hearing very much difference in the lower cost systems.
I stumbled over you while surfing YT. Thanks for the video. It confirmed what I thought was basically true about audio equipment and made me feel all chocolatey. 🍩 I look forward to watching more of your presentations because common sense is hard to find on YT.
I have the Home Depot speaker zip cord cables and I get tons of detail from my setup. I recently improved vta and got even more impressive sound and I’ve heard fancy cables at shows. I’m good
Great video Gene! I cannot believe people who watch you would think they can listen to sound quality on speakers through the CZcams feed...LMAO
It depends, if you wanna make a comparison between products. You can try to mimic the sound you hear in the speaker through CZcams the best you can and then adjust the other as well so you have a good idea of the difference. However, if it’s fine details being presented that can only be experienced by the speaker that’ll be hard to do.
@user-zh5lj1ec4k no matter what I do, and I have tried tons of things, my system on CZcams never sounds like my system in the room. Not even close
Excellent topic, thanks for your suggestions as always.
Top job Gene, I’m glad I found this channel a few years ago, it’s saved me hundreds of ££ and worry concerning cables. I just wish the rest of the audiophile online community would see sense but then I guess that’s marketing for you 🤷🏼
Besides the visual factor that you have mentioned, when you feel a bit chilly in the room, you might feel that your system does not sound as warm as when your body feels somewhat warm. There are psychological and physiological factors that often affect our perception of a sound systems.
Another nice video. You're on a roll. Huh? yep yep yep yep. No idea about impendence switch, learned something [I'm a 2 channel separates guy], O-oh. Cable company lawsuit around the corner! Room is SO important. I may add Robinson's dictum "The only person who needs to like your system is you", and the flip side of "waiting for new model": don't wait getting rid of gear you don't like.
Definitely hung up on the last one, "waiting for the next best thing". I am happy I waited for the manual supra though...😁
Great video with great points. All the above I tried and all ring true.
Gene thanks for the video. I don’t have an AVR with a switch. Agree on the cables. I do like a well made cable with banana plugs but not for crazy money. I heard the Crutchfield demos a few years ago and it wasn’t helpful. Home demo works best for me. I don’t bash other buyers choices or need validation online. Finally I like buying older equipment at about a 50% discount when the new model comes out. The only thing that does bother me is not having a price guarantee. I Don’t want to buy and then find it on sale a month later. The most controversial topic is cables based on what I hear and see online. It’s a great hobby and I love reading and hearing about the latest and greatest equipment and music (I’m not big on video anymore after years with all of the different types and sizes of TVs and projectors etc.) and all the opinions online. Rock on!
Gene - good video - I would love to hear more on addressing issues in the digital domain in regards to time, phase and channel matching - tools like REW, rephase, convolution etc. you have covered treatment extensively but would love to hear more about the finishing touch in making adjustments in the digital domain to get the most out of a system.
Don't worry about the digital domain .... We use digital signalling to send information to the furthest points on Earth and beyond... with bit perfect accuracy. Audio in that domain is just data, like any other, and is delivered just as flawlessly as any other.
The listening room is the single biggest cause of distortion when listening to a reasonable quality replay system.
I use a miniDSP Flex with REW to EQ away [or in reality reduce] those pesky room nodes and reflections that are at the root of this problem.
To be able to easily generate a 'house curve' response [without introducing phase anomolies] is only possible in the digital domain.
Recommended.
@@philipkershaw7918 100% agree, room has a huge impact. I had a big improvement after adding some treatment. I have been playing with convolution using REW, rephase and a convolver in Audirvana to adjust FR and “flatten” phase - very much a novice and would like to learn more.
Great review, particularly the point regarding to cable. My experience, the best option to uplifting sound experience is to add super woofer. European brand Piega launched a very expense SPEAKER - it contains two tower-speakers - one is base, one is mid-hi.
Should I still leave it on the 8 homes setting if I'm using nothing but power amps and I have my denon 4700h receiver set to all power amps off?
Literally does not matter at all in that case.
Great job and I agree with every point you made. Thank you. I would like to add; Be careful where you buy your gear if you are buying used. I found a pair of speakers that I wanted the full range drivers for another project from Canuck Audio Mart, since I live in Canada and thought I could trust the site. I paid the guy $600 and we had a number of phone conversations. Then nothing for months. I even contacted the folks in charge of the site and they tried to help but, he finally claimed he sold the speakers to someone else. Lesson learned. I am retired due to a terrible auto accident so my wife supports me and I was planning on building a great set of speakers to save money. $600 is not much for audio equipment but, it is a lot for me. This incident happened a number of years ago and I still don't have a set of good speakers. Be careful.
Sorry to hear this.
@Audioholics Gene, does your testing result and advice regarding the low impedance selector switch also apply to 4-ohm and other low impedance taps on tube amps?
“ There are only 2 tragedies in life, one is not getting what one wants, the other is getting it. “
Great Vid!!!! I totally agree with you on all of your points, but most especially cables. I've seen wars break out over cables with the audiophiles trashing anyone who dares to disagree with them about their $1000.00 cables making a huge difference. So long as you replace the wire that comes in the box with something decent from say Amazon, you are good to go!
LOL... Spot on.
I gave up worrying about these 5 sins long ago. Some people can blow a lot of money
..and good point - Mess with stuff in the digital realm, preferably.
What I do like to focus thought on is; seeking high dynamic range output, headroom (starting with power supply rating) and driver efficiency.
High quality measuring instruments is also a must, after all, how ya supposed to do good work with crappy tools? I always like to do a good job.
Ummm.. with respect to the 'visual' queues - subjective perception beyond audio reproduction technology - I take it you are not shooting this video in your Proper listening room, given the family room clutter. 😂 ... and on that point... one of the most difficult things I've encountered is the Manager of Home Decor's resistance - veto - to making room arrangement and equipment mods. In the interests of domestic harmony perception it's better to do nothing sometimes. 😉
Hey Gene! I have always taken your advice on the impedance selector switch, and set my Yamaha A-S501 to 8ohm accordingly. The question I have is on the other end - do I plug the speaker cables into the 4ohm or 8ohm slot on the back of my speakers? I have been using the 4ohm binding posts as opposed to the 8ohm (again 8ohm on the receiver) hoping for the best sound. See any issues with that? Or am I better off in any way by plugging into the 8ohm binding posts instead. Doubt it matters, but I have the Arendal 1723S Towers (also in large part per yours and James Larson's recommendation haha).
I never heard of 4 ohm or 8 ohm binding post on a speaker. You must be confusing it with biamp/biwiring. Keep the jumpers in place and do a single wire connection. If the jumpers are in place, your amp sees the entire speaker which in this case should be around 4 ohms nominal.
@@Audioholics In this case, does it matter what posts you connect to, meaning the top or bottom ones..?
@@perrysmiles60 not if they are jumpered.
Good stuff Gene! The old PC buying advice rings true for any tech: Buy the best that you can afford when you need it. No matter how long you wait, there will always be the next big thing right around the corner.
THANK YOU! So true! This video is great for new comers in vinyl. There is so much snake oil that it hurts the new people trying to get into the hobby. Like my Sister or my nephew who is 17.
Lot of good points. As an audio salesman of 20 years now, I can attest people are always waiting on new technology. I tell them, if you're waiting on technology, you'll be waiting forever. Whenever anything new is coming, the previous version is now junk, and the new one is the answer to all their hopes and dreams. This is just not true. Purchase validation is a very real thing too. What annoys me on forums is the people who immediately try to tear down their choices. "You could have got TWICE the performance for HALF the money!" ect. I see comments like that all the time. It's so beyond rude.
Once you get a great calibration be happy with it and be wise enough to leave well enough alone. When that feeling creeps in telling you that you might be able to make it just a bit better, ignore it. In the end you'll be kicking yourself because you can never get it to sound quite as good again.
if you don't need something right-away, sometimes waiting for the next model can be a good way of getting the previous model that fit your needs for a lower price. (if it still fit your needs)
The "worst" point is when people try to use ANY online virtual video to "evaluate" the "sound quality" of ANY component or speaker, because that is literally physically impossible to actually do accurately or effectively, simply because there are SO MANY variables in the long "chain" between the actual sound being produced in the actual room that the speaker, (or whatever component), is playing in, all the way to the sound that actually reaches your own ears when/if you're NOT in that exact same room with whatever is being tested, and whether that end result is played through headphones OR any OTHER speaker, it is a TOTALLY different sound, each and every time! (AND it's also NEVER exactly the same in every way as the sound that's actually in the same room with the speakers or equipment being supposedly evaluated!)
If you use ANY online video to "evaluate" the "sound quality" of ANYTHING, then you're basically just comparing "apples to oranges", and pretending that they're both exactly the same because they're both "fruits", LOL!
Something that some people totally miss. Many people with vintage receivers never heard them serviced. Its a real shame. I've done a few Marantz (recap, new transistors)...its a huge difference
Timeless wisdom. Excellent video!
My comments after 50 years as a music lover. 1. If you can't hear the difference it does not matter! Exception to rule 1: some speakers sound good but will cause ear fatigue, but you cannot tell that from a short audition at a store. 2. If you have to CONVINCE yourself you can tell a difference you can't. 3. 40 years ago, a wise man told me to spend the bulk of your money on the source and the speakers once you have an amp that meets reasonable standards. 4. Once you have a reasonably good system, you can change the sound more by modifying your listening room than you can by spending more money on your system. 5. Enjoy the MUSIC; not the flashy specifications in your owner's guide.
I absolutely agree with you
In my eyes after 54 years in the hifi world the source is number one then speakers then amp just my opinion
Great advice, well said Gene, thank you!
You remind me of something i did years ago that i only recently figured out and am ashamed of. My buddy bought my Yamaha receiver and two 15", 400-watt cerwin vega speakers. He asked if the receiver has the ohm switch for the 4ohm speakers, and i showed him and switched it to 4ohm as he wanted it to be. Once getting it all hooked up i could not for the life of me figure out why the windows were not being blown out of his house like i told him this setup was capable of doing. Lol. I never thought of it until many years later and long after i had not seen him, that the reason was that switch being moved to "4 ohm ".
Love these videos, thank you Gene 💯
Question about the OHM settings.
I have an older amp that can support real 4&6ohm settings.
The speakers I have appear to be lower ohms that the advertised 8ohms.
I have always left it at 8 ohms since I saw your old video years ago. Now I am curious since these speakers seem to test at 6ohm, should I change it down to 6ohms ?
No
Hi Gene, great video thanks. I am looking for a 100’ of 10 gauge CL2 or CL3speaker wire. Can you please make a recommendation or point me in the right direction? Thank you!
Just wondering about your thoughts on isolation feet? I am putting down a new floor and want to remove the spikes from my towers...isoaccoustic feet will run 500$ or so. Should I spend the $ on these feet or just buy more records?
I like and use them in my systems. For the Perlisten in particular, they bring the tweeter height up a little which I needed. I've heard ABX demos with and without the Iso feet. Definitely a subtle but noticeable difference that you may or may not prefer.
100% - Thanks for this post!
If I'm using pre amplifier mode is it okay to turn it to 4 ohms so my amplifiers won't be running idle at a higher power?
This is a absolutely great question. Can some one answer it for me please?
Will not make a difference. But some AVRs let you disable the power amps if you're not using them, if you can do that do that. But the ohm switch will have zero affect except, as gene explains, limiting the amps maximum output - which you're not running into at all.