You can find many used Audiophile grade speakers, for dirt cheap. Speakers from the 70s, that blow the socks off of the local $3000 pair of speakers at the high end stereo shop. I picked up a pair of EPI 100v speakers, refoamed, for a mere $100 on craigslist. Ive never heard better... and Ive listened to, and owned a lot of different speakers. And if you dont mind refoaming speakers yourself... you might even find a pair even cheaper. That said... a nice pair or Sennheiser HD audiophile line of headphones, can be had for around $100.. and will sound 10x better than most of the "Affordable" speakers. They are what got me into Audiophile gear, in the first place.
It’s funny you say it that way, because when whenever anybody that rides a motorcycle speaks critically of their bike bc they want something “better,” the most common response will be “It’s a hell of a lot better than nothing.” Words to live by.. Be happy with what you have to be happy with! OR You have to be happy with what you have to be happy with (or you’ll make yourself miserable) . Maybe your humility will eventually reward you with an upgrade👍 Sometimes we can’t always get what we want, but, if we try, we can get eventually get what we need..😉
@@shipsahoy1793 Learning to be Content, is key to long lasting happiness. That said, a lot of people CAN get what they want... Its simply that they choose not to put in the needed extra efforts and sacrifices. Instead of wasting what little extra money you have on going out to eat... you can cook inexpensive meals, instead. Job not paying enough? Get a 2nd part-time job, or find some side-work opportunities. Maybe even find a cheaper place to live. It might not always work out... depending on how big of a goal you have.. or due to other circumstances... but, you would never know until you put in that kind of effort.
When I worked in the HiFi industry hundreds of years ago - I figured out that there were those that listened to the music and loved it, and those that that listened to the equipment and hated everything. The Hi-End aspect was immaterial to both.
I don't believe this is a binary ting. In my case most important is the music. In the end it's about enjoying music. However, I also can't stand listening on poor equipment. Some people can listen to music on the speakers of their phone or laptop. I just can't enjoy that.
I agree. I find that I need more than one system. One as revealing as I can afford, for those gloden recordings. One that smooths over the flaws of the bad ones 😊
@@MrWingman2009 I only have one system setup, and it really exposes all the flaws in bad recordings. My speakers are Dunlavy SC-V, which are incredibly accurate and neutral, but they expose every tiny recording flaw.
@@MrWingman2009For me, Wilson's in the listening room, Polk audio throughout the theater, Jbl's in the garage, Focal's in the car. It's all about where and what you're listening to.
I don't care about the intentions of the producer, I don't care if my system is called high end (though it is not cheap plastic junk), I don't care being called an audiophile or not. I care about just one thing and that is to be able to enjoy my music to the fullest with my equipment. And I do. Looking for the next fabulous album is more important to me then looking for the next "fabulous" cable or amp or .....
"As the artist intended" always makes me chuckle. I'm looking at this painting the way the artist intended. I'm tasting this food, like the chef intended.
@@adotopp1865Producers always say that they want their music to also sound good on cheap earbuds and car radios. So that argument of portraying the artist’s intention is purely on the salesperson’s side.
I was fortunate enough to listen to a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 801 Series. Truly an incredible experience. Excellence has a price, above my pay grade. I salute those who aspire and achieve the excellence. Yes, there most definitely is a difference !
Dear Paul, after all these years as a critical listener I settled for what I would call a satisfying system. I can only go so far, as my finances allow me to go, but I am pleased with my gear (Accuphase, Buchardt 300s speakers, Wharfedale Linton Heritage speakers, a good Chord-DAC and an old faithful Thorens TD 146) I would just love to visit PS Audio, take a tour, meet you in person and listen to your grand system. But I live in Europe, so not much chance, unfortunately. The thing is, I know darn well that IF I would listen to a system that is SOOO much better than mine and is set up perfectly in an acoustically treated room and I spend some time carefully listening, I would come home and might not be all that happy with my system any longer. ;-) You know when I was the happiest listening to music? When I was 14 in 1976 and my parents got me an Aiwa Music-System with Peerless speakers. I had absolutely no clue about the gear, it was only about the music. Some records sounded good and some didn't. So what, I never had more fun listening to music. Sometimes I wish I could press the "undo" button and put myself back into the "no clue" mode. Love all your videos and thanks for all the info and knowledge you provide us with.
Well of you sold your system , you could afford to go meet Paul and listen to his majestic systems , well , as long as we have our own grass , some wine ,cheese bread and a big breasted woman massaging our shoulders .😅
Paul I’ve been admiring Arnie Nudell’s creation there and for awhile their shape had reminded of something and I just couldn’t put my finger on what that shape was.. It just hit me and I don’t know if you remember that cartoon comic strip from forever ago call Shmoo? The character had an oddly shaped body form. Well you see those loudspeakers remind of a Shmoo because they encompass those similar contours of that cartoon character. I wonder if Arnie ever realized this… 😊😊
For example, if I want to hear a concert by a band that used Marshal speakers, why not get the same Marshal speakers they used? It will sound exactly as they intended. 🤷🏻♂️
Let me celebrate Paul's approach to visits to their place. I doubt I'll ever get there, but I'd consider it a destination should I travel in the US. And based on these videos, I'd be favorably inclined to buy PS Audio products. When I ventured out in Toronto, Canada to some high end retailer in search of hearing the high end sound, I felt shut out. The greeting was primarily to qualify my ability to buy the expensive products offered. I get it. But I didn't actually hear anything and certainly did not part with my cash. Later I developed DIY skills and built a system that exceeds what I hear at audio shows. Point is, Paul's attitude is smart. Open the experience to many, and who knows when or who might return to buy. It was actually pretty stupid the way the retailers treated me. My ability to spend far exceeds their ask, but they blew it by being so selective. I guess arriving in an ordinary car and not sporting flashy bling was their signal to slam the door. Little do they know.
never had that kind of experience with any audio retailer. To surmise it was because of your car or bling is a cheap shot. Every dealer has customers that drive old beaters but buy the priciest stuff. To survive a respectable dealer has to provide good products at a good price and great service. And that is what I have received as a customer.
Haven't looked up those JBL's yet but the description is very similar to my old JBL's that I unfortunately sold 3 - 4 years ago or so. God, I regret that choice SO MUCH now!!!!!
I just replaced my 40 year old Adcom GFA 555 with a used Simaudio moon W5.3 SE amp. After I pull the trigger, I was worrying and hoping it was going to sound better. I can’t get over the difference.
High end modulation cables, speaker cables, power cables, power strips etc are certainly mythical, and my condolences go to the questioner for having wasted all that money. Products described as high end are always high priced, but not necessarily high performance.
That's the whole point of studio monitors with DSP calibration and properly set up mixing rooms. That way we're not all just listening to a bunch of random-ass speakers.
Oversimplified. Many/most recordings are engineered to NOT sound like dog shlt on anything rather than offer the best possible experience on only the best rigs.
@@Roof_Pizza Obviously that is true now more than ever since the vast majority of consumers will just be listening in cars, on less than stellar headphones, over PA systems, etc. But as the saying goes, garbage in/garbage out. If the speakers are not even remotely neutral, then you are relying on the mixing engineer to be able to "listen through" the defects. Better to start with a known reference since its far easier to make judgement calls about what to put into the mix based on your expected target audience. These days there's virtually no excuse for it since the technology is quite mature, unlike the 70's and 80's where pretty much everything sounded like shit. As far as being a listener with a high-end system with neutral tonality, either you like what's in the mix, or you don't. That part is an artistic choice, just as the music itself. But mixing on bad equipment is a technical faux-pass since its defects will be imposed on whatever is mixed on it. Take Octave Records. From the available content, its very clear which albums were mixed on the FR30's as Paul states. Even more damning is those recordings only sound correct if you apply the inverse of the FR30's published frequency response. Without it, they are very dull and closed in. Apply the "corrections" and they magically come alive. Cleary good mixing was actually done, but on flawed speakers.
the Artists and Producers intended is irrelevant, and often not even what you want. some audiophiles want to replicate how real instruments sound like, others want a fun or engaging experience.
One day you're on cloud 9 with your system and the next day it sounds crap .. yes I've experienced that and I've put it down to the actual mood of the person listening. If you're not in a very receptive frame of mind and everything is getting on top of you then it's possible that everything around you is going to seem like crap, including your HiFi. If on the other hand you're feeling great and everything in the world is good then you're likely to be much more receptive to music and enjoy your HiFi a lot more. No amount of cable changing, tinkering with the system to get it to sound right is going to work if you're not in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Heck I can actually enjoy music from my radio if I'm in a receptive mood so the moral is don't rush in and start changing things if suddenly your HiFi sounds crap .. check yourself out first.
I do not much care for the term High End nor all the debates about the myths of power cords, conditioners, cable, risers, you name it. One there is no clear definition as to what exactly high end is, there are plenty of low-cost solutions that have wonderful performance so spending more on an esteemed prestige brand, does not mean you get more. As far as tweaks go. I say to those that get all bent out of shape on this sort of thing, crack open a cold one and chill. No one has the right to tell anybody how to spend their money. If someone claims they can hear the difference within their system between a $1200.00 interconnect over decent $120.00 one? Let them be and more power to them. If you cannot, do not waste your money. Our job in this hobby is to have fun assembling something to listen to. How we get there is no one's business but our own. If you can't sit back and enjoy your rig, it is no one's fault but your own. From what I seen and experienced, folks get too wrapped up in the pursuit of the Shangri-La of obtaining the absolute sound. I find that most that take this path are never happy with what they own and are always upgrading or tweaking. For me, the reality is that no system can truly recreate a live event, all we can do, is assemble something that is a approximation, which we hopefully enjoy listening to. You can drive yourself nuts trying to tweak it or find a way to take pleasure in it. It is up to us.
I look at hifi (high end) like I look at cars. How much performance is pretty much how much you want to spend. Miata is a fun little car with plenty of zip. Then you go up to a Mustang GT with enough muscle get you grinning. Then you go up to a Lambo that will make you wish you gone to the bathroom earlier. And then something like the Veyron that will make you want to just stay alive during the experience.
The mood that you are in can significantly affect how you perceive the sound of a loudspeaker. You need to live with a component for some time before you can really judge the sound. And, even then, if you haven't listened to other components in the same price range, your opinion is still subjective. Best advice is, if you like your system, don't change it. But, be open-minded.
Eh, the "what is high-end" discussion is tiring. Clean, clear, articulate, powerful, balanced, are things that I think folks should be looking for. Understand how the various aspects of the system can influence the overall sound, understand the science of room acoustics to some degree so you're armed with the right information when you start tuning your room. Leave the exotic tweaks and excessive cable hunting alone until you've really done as much as you can with your room and componentry. Vibration isolation is a thing, you can get great results with combinations of cheap materials, and then if you're hearing a positive change, then look at some of the more robust (and more expensive) designs, it can and most often does help. There is price to quality correlation for sure, but I think one can achieve truly fantastic results without having to spend a BMW on it. There is a jump with the right components going from say a $5k build to a >$15K build. You can have a lot of fun and enjoyment at under $3K. But make sure you're getting the most out of whatever you're buying before worrying about the next thing. Enjoy the music, take your time, and sometimes for shitz-n-gigglez rearrange things, remove or readjust and see if you notice a difference. Have fun with it. I've got a bit of PS Audio kit in my rig, and right now I don't think I'll be parting with it anytime soon. I got things setup, and tweaked to perfection (at least I can't think of anything else to do) in my room and now I just hit play in Roon for whatever we're going to listen to, home automation does the rest and the music just plays. We listen in/near the sweet spot, in the dining room, upstairs in the office, it fills the house and sounds fantastic from anywhere (got a nice layout and treatments to make that happen). Now, sit in the sweet spot and experience some magic, but above all we're just listening to music, and that's what really makes me happy and proud of it. We can just listen, turn it up and just listen, no fatigue, just hearing whatever the recording is supposed to present. Even at low volume the full scope of the system can be heard (those M700s really shine in that dept with my speakers).
The people that are never happy with their audio systems are never happy with ANYTHING in life. The system I have now (my home theater: Onkyo TX-RZ820, 7 Focal Chora 826's, Sony 55" 4k Bravia 4k TV, 200+ CD's loaded on my PC and also streaming Tidal) would have been pretty damn "high end" back in the '80's when I was a teen (I'm 59) just buying my first audio system. DEFINITELY a LOT better than anything anyone I knew had, even my father's "hi-fi" friends. Now, it's probably considered "mid-fi" at best in a world where you can literally spend $200-$1,000,000 just on a set of speakers. I have an Audio Quest power strip for the extra PROTECTION from surges it provides, lower-priced Audio Quest signal cables, 12ga finely stranded OFC speaker wire (I bought on a roll from Monoprice) with banana connectors from Crutchfield. In other words, nothing fancy or expensive on the wiring end. As long as you have good quality cables/wires (good connectors are crucial), you're fine. My dad was an extremely competent Electrical Engineer (microwave specialty, many patents, worked for Ball aerospace in Boulder for years before working for the Navy), and I learned from him that these ultra-expensive cables and wires are pure "snake oil". Once you reach a certain quality level (available for reasonable prices), you're not going to GET measurably any better. Period. And he would be the one to know. I'm EXTREMELY happy with my system (some of my neighbors considerably LESS happy, but I digress... LOL), and plan on my next upgrade being an NAD M28 amp because of it's completely flat response when driving low impedance speakers (the 826's drop to 2.6 ohm at one point if I remember). I haven't NOTICED the Onkyo struggling, even at high levels, but with nothing to compare it to, I can't say. So, while I want this upgrade (gotta pace myself after the recent purchase of the 826's on a killer sale), I'm still extremely happy with the system as is. It's all relative. Strive for better, but enjoy what you can afford. Nice video as always Paul, keep it up!
it's not a myth. BUT, it is very subjective. Everyone has a different sense of hearing. The differences someone like Paul is able to hear between speakers, pre-amps, amps, sources, cables, etc... not everyone can hear.
You can only recognize great home audio if you have spent time with live original music .. the reproductions of unamplified sounds if accurately represented does it.
There are certainly things that cost a lot for very little, if no, gain in hi-end audio. Then there are fine tuning things that also cost a lot, for minor, but noticeable change - but is it better? Not always. The biggest changes are imo speakers, room. Then, maybe your recording quality or source (as things like tape or vinyl have additions to the music which you may or may not like) Amps should generally be not noticeable in the signal chain with good clean power. However some like to use them for fine tuning as many high end amps add their own characteristics, which isn't always better than your run of the mill amp
I disagree with you. I have single driver speakers without crossovers. So the amp is directly plugged into the speakers. My run of the mill Continental Edison PA9109 40W AB amp powers the speakers fine but the highs have a bit of a grain and the mids/bass sound thin. I upgraded to a Creek 4240 and it’s a noticeable improvement.
@pt265 I’m wondering if the DAC and audio format would make a difference for me. My speakers are so transparent that hearing these micro-details is trivial to me. I have a Bluesound Node, Creek 4240 amp, Closer Acoustics OGY speakers and I stream Deezer.
I am wary of listening to anything superior to my gear (my Mojo is the star of my 'system', which should tell you all you need to know) , as I find it ruins the enjoyment of what I've got. There's no going back in hifi, what I thought great last year is unlistenable to now, but I suppose I did start at the very bottom. I concentrate on enjoying the music without becoming too analytical, but even my 'system' still has the wow factor for me, on some tracks. I could compare high end hifi to fine wines. My wealthy friends enjoy stocking a cellar with horrendously expensive bottles, but appear to get most of their enjoyment talking about (some would say boasting about) their wine, rather than drinking it. They can no longer enjoy more humble bottles with friends, without disparaging frowns etc. It's their loss, but they just can't see it.
For me it start at the source if the recording isn't good then the better the system the worse it sounds. I normally don't use any tone controls or EQ but when I hear lower quality recoding's it sounds like crap. then i may turn on my EQ. But sounds so must better on a good recording with out any filtering.
I’ve found the opposite to be true personally. The lower end systems I’ve had tend to sound good on one song and you are tweaking things on the next. Over the pandemic I built up my system to what consider pretty high middle of the road anyway, and when I hear a piece that I don’t love the sound of no amount of tweaking really makes it good. Better but not good. These are just bad recordings and a good system will reproduce exactly what’s there, including the bad. 98% of recordings sound great right where the system is set.
$680,000, in 2022 dollars for a loudspeaker system, from a certain company, that employs a 6 foot long, dipole, push pull, planar magnetic, for the midrange that used to be available, to the average consumer, retail, for 700 bucks a piece, isn't high end audio, just extortion. Same goes for a certain Danish manufacturer of transducers that used to sell their products to Us, but now only sells to, "Manufacturers", of extremely high-priced loudspeakers. Don't get me started on electronics, where active devices, capacitors, resistors, heat sinks, internal wiring, chassis that are not 1+ inch thick, CNC billet Aluminum, art forms, somehow add up to tens of thousands to 6 figure extravaganzas.
Pascal mentions his speakers and his cables but doesn't talk about any Source equipment pre or amplification. That makes no sense to me if he's going to send in a letter like this.
Most people have heard way better sound than they have at a good movie theatre. Just ask yourself, is your system the best reproduced sound you ever heard? No, if you're honest. In my mods I made another 12% improvement tonight. Is my sound real now? No, but it's 12% closer. I'm thrilled. No matter how many improvements you make, you never quite get there. But you do get better sound. Every recording you have is that much more enjoyable. It sure is a fun hobby.
Movie Theatre sound is awful. They use Pro-Audio speakers, designed for high power and long distances... but they are NOT outputting Audiophile grade sound.
It is just an estimate. If I make an improvement that is faiirly subtle but clearly audible I give it a 4 or 5%. If I make an improvement that is around 3 times that I rate it accordingly. Improvements that are big enough to result in a whole new listening experience can be 25 to 30%. As to the other guy that theatres have awful sound. It depends on the theatre. Each use something different, and the old theatres that have been around for near a century, often were built with acoustics in mind, and many have wonderful sound.
You don't have to have high end equipment to listen to a bad recording. It will sound bad on "low-end equipment too. Basically, shit is shit no matter the audio equipment.
Hmmm...Like everything humans create, make, produce or sell.....most are made for a variety of different reasons and motivations ... from personal interests of the maker, or for profit, or for fun or for customer pleasure etc, etc ... or even offer tailored one off things to suit the desires of certain people, customers or markets who can afford them! Which is why there is always such a wide diversity of products being made...ranging from dangerous, nasty, to cheap and cheerful things... through to extremely expensive OTT - money no object items - often made bespoke to order! But all subjectively aim to meet and fullfil the needs, desires, demands or expectations of those who produce or buy ....or just a means to an end to make money or keep oeople employed! So naturally products will vary greatly (from literally dangerous junk to completely impressive and sublime) depending on peoples motivations! But ironically, as things are all highly subjective... one humans beetle is another humans bugattii.😂 but sadly is often geared to make people feel either happy or sad, content or frusteated about what they have....to inspire or make people want something better or more special above 😂😂😂
No matter how much you spend on a high end audio system, garbage in = garbage out. If the recording wasn't good to start with, no system can make it better. It might mask the deficiencies but a system will never improve a bad recording.
There you are standing next to those beautiful IRS-V killers with no intention to sell them. At least put some high res photos and scans of them out for us all to dream over.
Regardless of how great a system is, I have never heard one on which all recordings sound great. Having said that, I'm a music lover first, and if I want to listen to Walter's 1935 Walküre with Melchior and Lehmann, I will. Only listening to audiophile recordings is for others, not me. So when I find a system sounds great, I'm taking into account this is true for 80-90% of the music out there, and if it manages to make the remainder at least palatable enough one can hear deep into the performance and enjoy it, that's fine.
If you want Dartzeel's top of the line cartridge you actually need 1.1 million dollars. It is installed by the company founder himself, so fully worth it of course.
Problems become over the past 15 years is this hobby due to buyers who can afford it with disposable income is now made for the upper 10% of earners, nowhere near like it was in the 70s and '80s and '90s. Nowadays $15K gear is called a bargain now. I have no issue with that but it is no longer for me and I make good money.
I saw a pair of speakers reviewed, the sound of which was described as "meh". And they were $6,000. In order to make them sound good, the reviewer said, they take to equalization very well. "Meh" for six grand is something you can apply to an audiophile myth. Nothing at that price should do anything else but knock your socks off right out of the box. If you want to make it better with equalization, fine. But they better be singing before you even take them out of the box. The whole field is rife with BS and nothing said by any reviewer can be trusted. Especially by someone who compulsively laughs out loud to himself for no particular reason. My whole system cost ~$3,000. at the top estimate. All but the speakers are 30 years old or more. It was considered mid-fi at best, even new, and I have heard it do amazing things.
My Onkyo M-5030 power amp and my Philips CD101 are (obviously) vintage. My KEF LS50 Meta, a pair of REL subs and Topping L70 (NFCA) as preamp are modern. My vintage gear produces less distortion than my speakers. So if modern speakers are still the weakest point in that regard, vintage gear can often contribute greatly to the overall sound of the system.
High end!!! You could go and purchase a Timex wristwatch for $45 or you could purchase a Rolex wristwatch for $45000. They both tell the time. The Timex may even be more accurate. They both look good, though I hope the Rolex would look better. Is the Rolex better than the Timex? Probably. Is the Rolex 1000 times better? No way! So is the Rolex ‘high end’? Well it’s a prestige brand. In my opinion, high end is subjective. A concept. An opinion. Maybe, a marketing tool. The manufacturer’s website described my speakers as ‘mid-range flag ships. Every every reviewer describes them as ‘high end’ with one influential magazine, describing them as ‘high end made easy’ whatever that means. Enjoy the music and remember, music was born analog. v
True: A few years ago I was given a Rolex Air King - Circa 1960. It gains about a minute a week. the balance wheel needs constant adjustment, it costs me £400 twice a year.
I couldn't have said it better. Paul is saying, "Come join the club." What he is TRULY saying, I believe, is to come join the club of enthusiasts who have been mesmerized by the tinkle and rumble of what thousands of dollars of electronic circuitry can fool you into thinking is better than what you have. If you want the tinkle and rumble to tantalize you into believing it is a "hi-fidelity" representation of what live sound is like, go for it. If you are someone like myself, who can see that mirrors, no matter how finely ground they are, are not an accurate representation of what is real, be satisfied with whatever works for you as a listener.
Well said. You’ve mirrored my thoughts precisely. Not that I’m dishing anyone who believe that spending copious quantities of hard earned cash will guarantee then superior performance to the likes of me who have endeavoured to strike a happy medium between price and performance. The ultimate test is a double blind test. I’ve not known anyone offer to take up that challenge. Enjoy the music.
Hi-end audio means that you need to have different type of speakers. Different strokes for different folks ! No one speaker could do justice to different genre of music
I've been preaching that for years , I have 27 different speaker systems that are all used depending on mood and the decade the recordings are from . I generally play music through speakers of the times the recordings was made. All different sound characters.
Hi fidelity does not necessarily equate high end. Fact is, a professional PA will have lower distortion, higher dynamic range than audiophile high end snake oil
I'm a skeptic, in some respects. Obviously, better speakers will be very noticeably better. I would expect a lot of diminishing returns near the very tippy-top, but obviously better speakers make a massive difference. I'm also to a lesser degree on board with better electronics making a difference, but honestly way less so. Because I believe even relative entry level stuff nowadays is very clean, and as long as there's enough clean power to drive said speakers, things will probably work. Exotic cables and power conditioners and all that stuff, I feel that shades heavily into magic, mumbo jumbo and snake oil, be it intentional or not. A nice thick copper cable, nicely terminated, is all you need for speaker cables. Just need sufficient girth; 2.5 mm should suffice for basically anything. Same with RCA cables, nice build quality and the appropriate cable type. Digital cable, well, as long as the signal gets there intact, you're good. And don't even go to stuff like stands elevating cables off the floor... where's the science in that? Makes no sense to me at all. Also, of course, the source material you're playing is hugely important, which is why it's so criminal that it gets compressed to death routinely these days. Even the best system in the world will sound like dogwater if it's fed overprocessed garbage, sadly.
You believe and think you understand about Hi- end but you cannot. We are far superior. You are, like many of your breed, just a common audio consumer.
YOU CAN BEAT ALL THIS SOLID STATE GARBAGE WITH A BASIC 50'S TUBE AMP. SOLID STATE WILL NEVER SOUND AS GOOD, TUBES PRODUCE MORE 2CD ORDER HARMONICS AND THATS WHAT OUR ORGANIC EARS LIKE. PERIOD.
When you can't afford Anything, Everything is high-end.
You can find many used Audiophile grade speakers, for dirt cheap. Speakers from the 70s, that blow the socks off of the local $3000 pair of speakers at the high end stereo shop. I picked up a pair of EPI 100v speakers, refoamed, for a mere $100 on craigslist. Ive never heard better... and Ive listened to, and owned a lot of different speakers. And if you dont mind refoaming speakers yourself... you might even find a pair even cheaper. That said... a nice pair or Sennheiser HD audiophile line of headphones, can be had for around $100.. and will sound 10x better than most of the "Affordable" speakers. They are what got me into Audiophile gear, in the first place.
It’s funny you
say it that way, because when whenever anybody that rides a motorcycle speaks critically of their bike bc they want something “better,” the most common response will be “It’s a hell of a lot better than nothing.” Words to live by.. Be happy with what you have to be happy with!
OR You have to be happy with what you have to be happy with (or you’ll make yourself miserable) . Maybe your humility will eventually reward you with an upgrade👍
Sometimes we can’t always get what we want, but, if we try,
we can get eventually get what we need..😉
@@shipsahoy1793 Learning to be Content, is key to long lasting happiness.
That said, a lot of people CAN get what they want... Its simply that they choose not to put in the needed extra efforts and sacrifices.
Instead of wasting what little extra money you have on going out to eat... you can cook inexpensive meals, instead.
Job not paying enough? Get a 2nd part-time job, or find some side-work opportunities.
Maybe even find a cheaper place to live.
It might not always work out... depending on how big of a goal you have.. or due to other circumstances... but, you would never know until you put in that kind of effort.
Haha!
@@johndough8115
👍Nice follow up.
Thanks for sharing! 👨🏻
When I worked in the HiFi industry hundreds of years ago - I figured out that there were those that listened to the music and loved it, and those that that listened to the equipment and hated everything. The Hi-End aspect was immaterial to both.
🤣
Well said!
That’s why I love listening to music in my car. There it’s just the music and me. With my HiFi system I‘m always listening a bit to critical
Never a truer word was spoken!
I don't believe this is a binary ting. In my case most important is the music. In the end it's about enjoying music. However, I also can't stand listening on poor equipment. Some people can listen to music on the speakers of their phone or laptop. I just can't enjoy that.
High-end audio gear exposes the good, along with the bad, in recordings, which is both a blessing, and a curse.
I agree. I find that I need more than one system. One as revealing as I can afford, for those gloden recordings. One that smooths over the flaws of the bad ones 😊
@@MrWingman2009 I only have one system setup, and it really exposes all the flaws in bad recordings. My speakers are Dunlavy SC-V, which are incredibly accurate and neutral, but they expose every tiny recording flaw.
And that's what I want, and love so much!
@@MrWingman2009For me, Wilson's in the listening room, Polk audio throughout the theater, Jbl's in the garage, Focal's in the car. It's all about where and what you're listening to.
I don't care about the intentions of the producer, I don't care if my system is called high end (though it is not cheap plastic junk), I don't care being called an audiophile or not. I care about just one thing and that is to be able to enjoy my music to the fullest with my equipment. And I do. Looking for the next fabulous album is more important to me then looking for the next "fabulous" cable or amp or .....
Well yes I try and tell myself this too!
finally, wisdom prevails!!
"As the artist intended" always makes me chuckle. I'm looking at this painting the way the artist intended. I'm tasting this food, like the chef intended.
It's rubbish. The artist/producer/engineer have their own interests in mind.
@@adotopp1865Producers always say that they want their music to also sound good on cheap earbuds and car radios. So that argument of portraying the artist’s intention is purely on the salesperson’s side.
Hey Paul, I will pick up those speakers asap. In the meantime, do not let anyone near them.
I was fortunate enough to listen to a pair of Bowers & Wilkins 801 Series. Truly an incredible experience. Excellence has a price, above my pay grade. I salute those who aspire and achieve the excellence. Yes, there most definitely is a difference !
Dear Paul, after all these years as a critical listener I settled for what I would call a satisfying system. I can only go so far, as my finances allow me to go, but I am pleased with my gear (Accuphase, Buchardt 300s speakers, Wharfedale Linton Heritage speakers, a good Chord-DAC and an old faithful Thorens TD 146) I would just love to visit PS Audio, take a tour, meet you in person and listen to your grand system. But I live in Europe, so not much chance, unfortunately. The thing is, I know darn well that IF I would listen to a system that is SOOO much better than mine and is set up perfectly in an acoustically treated room and I spend some time carefully listening, I would come home and might not be all that happy with my system any longer. ;-)
You know when I was the happiest listening to music? When I was 14 in 1976 and my parents got me an Aiwa Music-System with Peerless speakers.
I had absolutely no clue about the gear, it was only about the music. Some records sounded good and some didn't. So what, I never had more fun listening to music. Sometimes I wish I could press the "undo" button and put myself back into the "no clue" mode.
Love all your videos and thanks for all the info and knowledge you provide us with.
Well of you sold your system , you could afford to go meet Paul and listen to his majestic systems , well , as long as we have our own grass , some wine ,cheese bread and a big breasted woman massaging our shoulders .😅
As the saying goes.. ."Ignorance is bliss"
What are those speakers you are standing by? Thanks as always Paul
Paul I’ve been admiring Arnie Nudell’s creation there and for awhile their shape had reminded of something and I just couldn’t put my finger on what that shape was.. It just hit me and I don’t know if you remember that cartoon comic strip from forever ago call Shmoo? The character had an oddly shaped body form. Well you see those loudspeakers remind of a Shmoo because they encompass those similar contours of that cartoon character.
I wonder if Arnie ever realized this… 😊😊
Hey Paul. How can we send you questions ? I may have a good one. Or is it only for patrons ?
Paul, what are those 2 speakers next to you that look like boated upright basses?
How do you know what the sound engineer's 'true intentions' really were?
For example, if I want to hear a concert by a band that used Marshal speakers, why not get the same Marshal speakers they used? It will sound exactly as they intended. 🤷🏻♂️
@@Bassotronics In a half full 6,000 seat arena in the middle of winter.
What if the engineer is deaf ?
@@brankocernik8384 Then you press the mute button.
How do you know it's not the talent telling the recording engineer and mixing person what they want?
Once you hear it … you can’t go back.
Let me celebrate Paul's approach to visits to their place. I doubt I'll ever get there, but I'd consider it a destination should I travel in the US. And based on these videos, I'd be favorably inclined to buy PS Audio products.
When I ventured out in Toronto, Canada to some high end retailer in search of hearing the high end sound, I felt shut out. The greeting was primarily to qualify my ability to buy the expensive products offered. I get it. But I didn't actually hear anything and certainly did not part with my cash. Later I developed DIY skills and built a system that exceeds what I hear at audio shows. Point is, Paul's attitude is smart. Open the experience to many, and who knows when or who might return to buy. It was actually pretty stupid the way the retailers treated me. My ability to spend far exceeds their ask, but they blew it by being so selective. I guess arriving in an ordinary car and not sporting flashy bling was their signal to slam the door. Little do they know.
Little do they know indeed.
never had that kind of experience with any audio retailer. To surmise it was because of your car or bling is a cheap shot. Every dealer has customers that drive old beaters but buy the priciest stuff. To survive a respectable dealer has to provide good products at a good price and great service. And that is what I have received as a customer.
Haven't looked up those JBL's yet but the description is very similar to my old JBL's that I unfortunately sold 3 - 4 years ago or so.
God, I regret that choice SO MUCH now!!!!!
Hi-End in acoustics indicates the price range. It is mostly synonymous with *Premium* or *Luxury,* not of the actual performance.
I just replaced my 40 year old Adcom GFA 555 with a used Simaudio moon W5.3 SE amp. After I pull the trigger, I was worrying and hoping it was going to sound better. I can’t get over the difference.
I'm to far for a tour,I would love that
High end modulation cables, speaker cables, power cables, power strips etc are certainly mythical, and my condolences go to the questioner for having wasted all that money.
Products described as high end are always high priced, but not necessarily high performance.
I agree with every single letter in this comment
Dude bought the snake oil by the barrel 😂
Mythical wire?? 😂
You’ve never listened to power cords because you don’t believe they can possibly make a difference and then you come here defiant. But you are wrong.
For an excellent musical instrument high end audio tour I recommend Yamaha's Innovation Road in Hamamatsu, Japan.
How can you state that speakers can reproduce what the Artists and Producers intended if you weren't there ... Really 😮
That's the whole point of studio monitors with DSP calibration and properly set up mixing rooms. That way we're not all just listening to a bunch of random-ass speakers.
Oversimplified. Many/most recordings are engineered to NOT sound like dog shlt on anything rather than offer the best possible experience on only the best rigs.
@@Roof_Pizza Obviously that is true now more than ever since the vast majority of consumers will just be listening in cars, on less than stellar headphones, over PA systems, etc. But as the saying goes, garbage in/garbage out. If the speakers are not even remotely neutral, then you are relying on the mixing engineer to be able to "listen through" the defects. Better to start with a known reference since its far easier to make judgement calls about what to put into the mix based on your expected target audience. These days there's virtually no excuse for it since the technology is quite mature, unlike the 70's and 80's where pretty much everything sounded like shit. As far as being a listener with a high-end system with neutral tonality, either you like what's in the mix, or you don't. That part is an artistic choice, just as the music itself. But mixing on bad equipment is a technical faux-pass since its defects will be imposed on whatever is mixed on it. Take Octave Records. From the available content, its very clear which albums were mixed on the FR30's as Paul states. Even more damning is those recordings only sound correct if you apply the inverse of the FR30's published frequency response. Without it, they are very dull and closed in. Apply the "corrections" and they magically come alive. Cleary good mixing was actually done, but on flawed speakers.
the Artists and Producers intended is irrelevant, and often not even what you want.
some audiophiles want to replicate how real instruments sound like, others want a fun or engaging experience.
Octave Records?
"Don't forget to load up your wallet!"
Those speakerslook serious !!
Paul Jr hasn't hit me uo lately Paul !! I need some new octave cds !! Great reccordings !
Paul, what were the speakers next you. I think I know but not totally sure ??
They are Arnie Nudell's personal reference pair that he last used before his death.
One day you're on cloud 9 with your system and the next day it sounds crap .. yes I've experienced that and I've put it down to the actual mood of the person listening. If you're not in a very receptive frame of mind and everything is getting on top of you then it's possible that everything around you is going to seem like crap, including your HiFi. If on the other hand you're feeling great and everything in the world is good then you're likely to be much more receptive to music and enjoy your HiFi a lot more. No amount of cable changing, tinkering with the system to get it to sound right is going to work if you're not in the right frame of mind to enjoy it. Heck I can actually enjoy music from my radio if I'm in a receptive mood so the moral is don't rush in and start changing things if suddenly your HiFi sounds crap .. check yourself out first.
Paul I would like to know what speakers you are standing next to the name and make
Those were Arnie Nudells personal speakers that he designed.
One off I believe. They were up for auction months ago by his family.
He's been through all this before.
Paul thanks for the information ,,, love your videos
there's no magic to hi-fi, except when there is
The easy way to start is going to a live classic concert in a dedicated concert hall. Then you will have a perfect reference 😎
And hearing the subway running underneath.
Or a small band that used acoustic instruments, such as a Jazz combo.
How do you know what is the sound the artists wanted? Artists care about their music, no how faithful the reproduction is.
How good is the rotel 5085 amp
Talk about the elephant in the room what speakers are those?
I do not much care for the term High End nor all the debates about the myths of power cords, conditioners, cable, risers, you name it. One there is no clear definition as to what exactly high end is, there are plenty of low-cost solutions that have wonderful performance so spending more on an esteemed prestige brand, does not mean you get more. As far as tweaks go. I say to those that get all bent out of shape on this sort of thing, crack open a cold one and chill. No one has the right to tell anybody how to spend their money. If someone claims they can hear the difference within their system between a $1200.00 interconnect over decent $120.00 one? Let them be and more power to them. If you cannot, do not waste your money.
Our job in this hobby is to have fun assembling something to listen to. How we get there is no one's business but our own. If you can't sit back and enjoy your rig, it is no one's fault but your own.
From what I seen and experienced, folks get too wrapped up in the pursuit of the Shangri-La of obtaining the absolute sound. I find that most that take this path are never happy with what they own and are always upgrading or tweaking. For me, the reality is that no system can truly recreate a live event, all we can do, is assemble something that is a approximation, which we hopefully enjoy listening to. You can drive yourself nuts trying to tweak it or find a way to take pleasure in it. It is up to us.
Yes. I am in agreement with you on this.
The only goal I have is that I like it.
Ok Paul. What are those speakers you’re standing next to..they’re not FR 30s or 20s,..what are they?
Paul you need to update your outro group shot. 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
What are"High end modulation cables"?
I look at hifi (high end) like I look at cars. How much performance is pretty much how much you want to spend. Miata is a fun little car with plenty of zip. Then you go up to a Mustang GT with enough muscle get you grinning. Then you go up to a Lambo that will make you wish you gone to the bathroom earlier. And then something like the Veyron that will make you want to just stay alive during the experience.
The mood that you are in can significantly affect how you perceive the sound of a loudspeaker. You need to live with a component for some time before you can really judge the sound. And, even then, if you haven't listened to other components in the same price range, your opinion is still subjective. Best advice is, if you like your system, don't change it. But, be open-minded.
You've all drink the Kool-Aid to some extent...
Did you find out that the perception of audio is is received upon mental affect
@@jlm8699 the perception is is indeed received upon a mental affect!
Paul could convince a porn star to go celibate
Eh, the "what is high-end" discussion is tiring. Clean, clear, articulate, powerful, balanced, are things that I think folks should be looking for. Understand how the various aspects of the system can influence the overall sound, understand the science of room acoustics to some degree so you're armed with the right information when you start tuning your room. Leave the exotic tweaks and excessive cable hunting alone until you've really done as much as you can with your room and componentry. Vibration isolation is a thing, you can get great results with combinations of cheap materials, and then if you're hearing a positive change, then look at some of the more robust (and more expensive) designs, it can and most often does help. There is price to quality correlation for sure, but I think one can achieve truly fantastic results without having to spend a BMW on it. There is a jump with the right components going from say a $5k build to a >$15K build. You can have a lot of fun and enjoyment at under $3K. But make sure you're getting the most out of whatever you're buying before worrying about the next thing. Enjoy the music, take your time, and sometimes for shitz-n-gigglez rearrange things, remove or readjust and see if you notice a difference. Have fun with it. I've got a bit of PS Audio kit in my rig, and right now I don't think I'll be parting with it anytime soon.
I got things setup, and tweaked to perfection (at least I can't think of anything else to do) in my room and now I just hit play in Roon for whatever we're going to listen to, home automation does the rest and the music just plays. We listen in/near the sweet spot, in the dining room, upstairs in the office, it fills the house and sounds fantastic from anywhere (got a nice layout and treatments to make that happen). Now, sit in the sweet spot and experience some magic, but above all we're just listening to music, and that's what really makes me happy and proud of it. We can just listen, turn it up and just listen, no fatigue, just hearing whatever the recording is supposed to present. Even at low volume the full scope of the system can be heard (those M700s really shine in that dept with my speakers).
I bought second hand top equipment like Magnepan, Ayre, Spectral, Weiss, VandenHul, Kuzma. But dissapointed or confused: never.
The people that are never happy with their audio systems are never happy with ANYTHING in life. The system I have now (my home theater: Onkyo TX-RZ820, 7 Focal Chora 826's, Sony 55" 4k Bravia 4k TV, 200+ CD's loaded on my PC and also streaming Tidal) would have been pretty damn "high end" back in the '80's when I was a teen (I'm 59) just buying my first audio system. DEFINITELY a LOT better than anything anyone I knew had, even my father's "hi-fi" friends. Now, it's probably considered "mid-fi" at best in a world where you can literally spend $200-$1,000,000 just on a set of speakers. I have an Audio Quest power strip for the extra PROTECTION from surges it provides, lower-priced Audio Quest signal cables, 12ga finely stranded OFC speaker wire (I bought on a roll from Monoprice) with banana connectors from Crutchfield. In other words, nothing fancy or expensive on the wiring end. As long as you have good quality cables/wires (good connectors are crucial), you're fine. My dad was an extremely competent Electrical Engineer (microwave specialty, many patents, worked for Ball aerospace in Boulder for years before working for the Navy), and I learned from him that these ultra-expensive cables and wires are pure "snake oil". Once you reach a certain quality level (available for reasonable prices), you're not going to GET measurably any better. Period. And he would be the one to know. I'm EXTREMELY happy with my system (some of my neighbors considerably LESS happy, but I digress... LOL), and plan on my next upgrade being an NAD M28 amp because of it's completely flat response when driving low impedance speakers (the 826's drop to 2.6 ohm at one point if I remember). I haven't NOTICED the Onkyo struggling, even at high levels, but with nothing to compare it to, I can't say. So, while I want this upgrade (gotta pace myself after the recent purchase of the 826's on a killer sale), I'm still extremely happy with the system as is. It's all relative. Strive for better, but enjoy what you can afford. Nice video as always Paul, keep it up!
it's not a myth.
BUT, it is very subjective.
Everyone has a different sense of hearing.
The differences someone like Paul is able to hear between speakers, pre-amps, amps, sources, cables, etc... not everyone can hear.
Buyer’s remorse 😂😂😂😀
You can only recognize great home audio if you have spent time with live original music .. the reproductions of unamplified sounds if accurately represented does it.
This translates to acoustic instruments, like a symphony orchestra plays. No electronic amplified instruments.
There are certainly things that cost a lot for very little, if no, gain in hi-end audio.
Then there are fine tuning things that also cost a lot, for minor, but noticeable change - but is it better? Not always.
The biggest changes are imo speakers, room. Then, maybe your recording quality or source (as things like tape or vinyl have additions to the music which you may or may not like)
Amps should generally be not noticeable in the signal chain with good clean power. However some like to use them for fine tuning as many high end amps add their own characteristics, which isn't always better than your run of the mill amp
I disagree with you. I have single driver speakers without crossovers. So the amp is directly plugged into the speakers. My run of the mill Continental Edison PA9109 40W AB amp powers the speakers fine but the highs have a bit of a grain and the mids/bass sound thin. I upgraded to a Creek 4240 and it’s a noticeable improvement.
@pt265 I’m wondering if the DAC and audio format would make a difference for me. My speakers are so transparent that hearing these micro-details is trivial to me. I have a Bluesound Node, Creek 4240 amp, Closer Acoustics OGY speakers and I stream Deezer.
I am wary of listening to anything superior to my gear (my Mojo is the star of my 'system', which should tell you all you need to know) , as I find it ruins the enjoyment of what I've got.
There's no going back in hifi, what I thought great last year is unlistenable to now, but I suppose I did start at the very bottom.
I concentrate on enjoying the music without becoming too analytical, but even my 'system' still has the wow factor for me, on some tracks.
I could compare high end hifi to fine wines. My wealthy friends enjoy stocking a cellar with horrendously expensive bottles, but appear to get most of their enjoyment talking about (some would say boasting about) their wine, rather than drinking it. They can no longer enjoy more humble bottles with friends, without disparaging frowns etc. It's their loss, but they just can't see it.
To the questioner… Welcome to the club.
So nobody has purchased those speakers?
For me it start at the source if the recording isn't good then the better the system the worse it sounds. I normally don't use any tone controls or EQ but when I hear lower quality recoding's it sounds like crap. then i may turn on my EQ. But sounds so must better on a good recording with out any filtering.
Mr Paul how can i send you a question?
Email
@@ChiefExecutiveOrbiter thanks
www.psaudio.com/blogs/ask-paul
I’ve found the opposite to be true personally. The lower end systems I’ve had tend to sound good on one song and you are tweaking things on the next. Over the pandemic I built up my system to what consider pretty high middle of the road anyway, and when I hear a piece that I don’t love the sound of no amount of tweaking really makes it good. Better but not good. These are just bad recordings and a good system will reproduce exactly what’s there, including the bad. 98% of recordings sound great right where the system is set.
Not just dealers, but private systems. 😀
$680,000, in 2022 dollars for a loudspeaker system, from a certain company, that employs a 6 foot long, dipole, push pull, planar magnetic, for the midrange that used to be available, to the average consumer, retail, for 700 bucks a piece, isn't high end audio, just extortion. Same goes for a certain Danish manufacturer of transducers that used to sell their products to Us, but now only sells to, "Manufacturers", of extremely high-priced loudspeakers. Don't get me started on electronics, where active devices, capacitors, resistors, heat sinks, internal wiring, chassis that are not 1+ inch thick, CNC billet Aluminum, art forms, somehow add up to tens of thousands to 6 figure extravaganzas.
Yes there are bad recordings and there is great recordings but a world without music would be horrible , listen to the music and enjoy .
Pascal mentions his speakers and his cables but doesn't talk about any Source equipment pre or amplification. That makes no sense to me if he's going to send in a letter like this.
Hello
Yes I'm sorry about that. I have a Marantz PM--14 amplifier and a Marantz CD-14 player with XLR connections.
Those are prototype speakers. He most likely will not sell them.
I will buy them though because I can.
@@adotopp1865 You would have to know him personally.
Most people have heard way better sound than they have at a good movie theatre. Just ask yourself, is your system the best reproduced sound you ever heard? No, if you're honest. In my mods I made another 12% improvement tonight. Is my sound real now? No, but it's 12% closer. I'm thrilled. No matter how many improvements you make, you never quite get there. But you do get better sound. Every recording you have is that much more enjoyable. It sure is a fun hobby.
Interested to know how you quantify improvement and arrive at a figure of 12%. Please expand on this.
Movie Theatre sound is awful. They use Pro-Audio speakers, designed for high power and long distances... but they are NOT outputting Audiophile grade sound.
It is just an estimate. If I make an improvement that is faiirly subtle but clearly audible I give it a 4 or 5%. If I make an improvement that is around 3 times that I rate it accordingly. Improvements that are big enough to result in a whole new listening experience can be 25 to 30%. As to the other guy that theatres have awful sound. It depends on the theatre. Each use something different, and the old theatres that have been around for near a century, often were built with acoustics in mind, and many have wonderful sound.
@@johndough8115 Also, movie theaters operate on very tight margins, so they use the cheapest of pro audio.
@@sidesup8286 Thanks for the additional info.
🤙🏼
High end audio is WHY some recordings sound like garbage. It can reveal the warts, where less "resolving" systems will smooth things over.
You don't have to have high end equipment to listen to a bad recording. It will sound bad on "low-end equipment too. Basically, shit is shit no matter the audio equipment.
Hmmm...Like everything humans create, make, produce or sell.....most are made for a variety of different reasons and motivations ... from personal interests of the maker, or for profit, or for fun or for customer pleasure etc, etc ... or even offer tailored one off things to suit the desires of certain people, customers or markets who can afford them!
Which is why there is always such a wide diversity of products being made...ranging from dangerous, nasty, to cheap and cheerful things... through to extremely expensive OTT - money no object items - often made bespoke to order!
But all subjectively aim to meet and fullfil the needs, desires, demands or expectations of those who produce or buy ....or just a means to an end to make money or keep oeople employed!
So naturally products will vary greatly (from literally dangerous junk to completely impressive and sublime) depending on peoples motivations!
But ironically, as things are all highly subjective... one humans beetle is another humans bugattii.😂
but sadly is often geared to make people feel either happy or sad, content or frusteated about what they have....to inspire or make people want something better or more special above 😂😂😂
It's not how you stand by your speakers...
No matter how much you spend on a high end audio system, garbage in = garbage out. If the recording wasn't good to start with, no system can make it better. It might mask the deficiencies but a system will never improve a bad recording.
There you are standing next to those beautiful IRS-V killers with no intention to sell them.
At least put some high res photos and scans of them out for us all to dream over.
Regardless of how great a system is, I have never heard one on which all recordings sound great. Having said that, I'm a music lover first, and if I want to listen to Walter's 1935 Walküre with Melchior and Lehmann, I will. Only listening to audiophile recordings is for others, not me. So when I find a system sounds great, I'm taking into account this is true for 80-90% of the music out there, and if it manages to make the remainder at least palatable enough one can hear deep into the performance and enjoy it, that's fine.
Hey Poul you don’t need to spend 1 million dollars to get good sound
If you want Dartzeel's top of the line cartridge you actually need 1.1 million dollars. It is installed by the company founder himself, so fully worth it of course.
@@connorduke4619 sure it’s worth it 🤪
@@connorduke4619😊
Paul
No kidding! LOL!
Problems become over the past 15 years is this hobby due to buyers who can afford it with disposable income is now made for the upper 10% of earners, nowhere near like it was in the 70s and '80s and '90s. Nowadays $15K gear is called a bargain now. I have no issue with that but it is no longer for me and I make good money.
High end audio is a mugs game, for the consumer
It's for us hi end conosures
Listening to audio is an "elevated sport"???
This old codger has gone completely off the rails!
I have a Phone.😀
Enough said 🙄😀
Good luck with that..................
JBL S312 is neither neutral, nor it is faithful to the sound of the musical instruments, much less to the high quality recordings...
I saw a pair of speakers reviewed, the sound of which was described as "meh". And they were $6,000. In order to make them sound good, the reviewer said, they take to equalization very well.
"Meh" for six grand is something you can apply to an audiophile myth. Nothing at that price should do anything else but knock your socks off right out of the box. If you want to make it better with equalization, fine. But they better be singing before you even take them out of the box. The whole field is rife with BS and nothing said by any reviewer can be trusted. Especially by someone who compulsively laughs out loud to himself for no particular reason.
My whole system cost ~$3,000. at the top estimate. All but the speakers are 30 years old or more. It was considered mid-fi at best, even new, and I have heard it do amazing things.
My Onkyo M-5030 power amp and my Philips CD101 are (obviously) vintage. My KEF LS50 Meta, a pair of REL subs and Topping L70 (NFCA) as preamp are modern. My vintage gear produces less distortion than my speakers. So if modern speakers are still the weakest point in that regard, vintage gear can often contribute greatly to the overall sound of the system.
Not a Myth...clearly a Thing.
I use jbl its high end daddy
No, there are just many, many, many............... myths in hi end audio. And people get rich on them.
High end!!!
You could go and purchase a Timex wristwatch for $45 or you could purchase a Rolex wristwatch for $45000. They both tell the time. The Timex may even be more accurate. They both look good, though I hope the Rolex would look better. Is the Rolex better than the Timex? Probably. Is the Rolex 1000 times better? No way! So is the Rolex ‘high end’? Well it’s a prestige brand. In my opinion, high end is subjective. A concept. An opinion. Maybe, a marketing tool.
The manufacturer’s website described my speakers as ‘mid-range flag ships. Every every reviewer describes them as ‘high end’ with one influential magazine, describing them as ‘high end made easy’ whatever that means.
Enjoy the music and remember, music was born analog.
v
True: A few years ago I was given a Rolex Air King - Circa 1960. It gains about a minute a week. the balance wheel needs constant adjustment, it costs me £400 twice a year.
I couldn't have said it better. Paul is saying, "Come join the club." What he is TRULY saying, I believe, is to come join the club of enthusiasts who have been mesmerized by the tinkle and rumble of what thousands of dollars of electronic circuitry can fool you into thinking is better than what you have. If you want the tinkle and rumble to tantalize you into believing it is a "hi-fidelity" representation of what live sound is like, go for it. If you are someone like myself, who can see that mirrors, no matter how finely ground they are, are not an accurate representation of what is real, be satisfied with whatever works for you as a listener.
Music was born with a shitty horn making a stylus vibrate on a solid surface
@@ZeusTheTornado no, that was recorded music and it’s still, analog!
Well said. You’ve mirrored my thoughts precisely. Not that I’m dishing anyone who believe that spending copious quantities of hard earned cash will guarantee then superior performance to the likes of me who have endeavoured to strike a happy medium between price and performance. The ultimate test is a double blind test. I’ve not known anyone offer to take up that challenge.
Enjoy the music.
Not audiophile yet faithful ?
So, if reproduction is faithful to what the engineer recorded.
What the hell is audiophile ?
Physics free BS maybe.
Hi-end audio means that you need to have different type of speakers. Different strokes for different folks ! No one speaker could do justice to different genre of music
I've been preaching that for years , I have 27 different speaker systems that are all used depending on mood and the decade the recordings are from . I generally play music through speakers of the times the recordings was made. All different sound characters.
@@jasontimothywells9895 correct
Hi fidelity does not necessarily equate high end.
Fact is, a professional PA will have lower distortion, higher dynamic range than audiophile high end snake oil
I don't care what it's called, PA or HiFi. If I like it then I like it. If I don't, I don't.
When you sell the myth you promote the myth . I have a pair of Infinity Studio Monitor 125 . They please me.
Good luck getting a high-end sound with a JBL speaker, lol.
Are you a hi-fi snob?
@@adotopp1865 No, I just don't tend to like the sound of JBLs. Their product line ranges from total crap to quite good, though.
I'm a skeptic, in some respects. Obviously, better speakers will be very noticeably better. I would expect a lot of diminishing returns near the very tippy-top, but obviously better speakers make a massive difference. I'm also to a lesser degree on board with better electronics making a difference, but honestly way less so. Because I believe even relative entry level stuff nowadays is very clean, and as long as there's enough clean power to drive said speakers, things will probably work. Exotic cables and power conditioners and all that stuff, I feel that shades heavily into magic, mumbo jumbo and snake oil, be it intentional or not. A nice thick copper cable, nicely terminated, is all you need for speaker cables. Just need sufficient girth; 2.5 mm should suffice for basically anything. Same with RCA cables, nice build quality and the appropriate cable type. Digital cable, well, as long as the signal gets there intact, you're good. And don't even go to stuff like stands elevating cables off the floor... where's the science in that? Makes no sense to me at all. Also, of course, the source material you're playing is hugely important, which is why it's so criminal that it gets compressed to death routinely these days. Even the best system in the world will sound like dogwater if it's fed overprocessed garbage, sadly.
You believe and think you understand about Hi- end but you cannot. We are far superior.
You are, like many of your breed, just a common audio consumer.
A typical nonanswer accompanied with a promo.
high end HIFI is subjective. Period.
No it's not. It's elitist. We are true connoisseurs of the finer things.
@@adotopp1865 Bullshit.
True, like most things in life, but there is one thing that isn't subjective. How much money you have to spend. Period.
YOU CAN BEAT ALL THIS SOLID STATE GARBAGE WITH A BASIC 50'S TUBE AMP. SOLID STATE WILL NEVER SOUND AS GOOD, TUBES PRODUCE MORE 2CD ORDER HARMONICS AND THATS WHAT OUR ORGANIC EARS LIKE. PERIOD.
You should seek therapy.
Your caps lock appears to be on sir
@@mattjones7547 IM VISUALLY IMPAIRED, YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ASSUMING.....
@@Ineedtotakeabreak YOU SHOULD SEEK THESE NUTS...
Ooo period