Advice for Beginners - consider this test from an audio club

[MEH Synergy]

1 minute ago, dwilawyer said:

Which is how every audio consumer should make their purchasing decision,.look at the spec sheet.  Listening is a waste of time when we have all of these knowledgeable people reviewing them for us.

 

 

Listening is Def a waste of time.   

[Travis In Austin]

2 minutes ago, Deang said:

Not. The. Same. 

 

This just shows that some don’t understand the difference between production of sound and reproduction of sound. 

 

I can’t tell the difference between a Strat made in Mexico or a hand fitted USA model. They sound the same to me. Playability? That might be in my head. But I can definitely hear the difference between a Strat and a Telecaster. 

That's what the violinists are saying, they can tell the difference and that they have a preference. Not so much on a double blind study

 

This begs the ultimate question, if you can tell the difference (whatever the choice maybe), do you have a preference?  Does one sound "better" than the other?

 

 

[Deang]

16 minutes ago, ODS123 said:

As for Klipsch Pro Gear I said it was engineered for considerably larger listening environments (like Transportation Centers, Theme Parks, and, yes, A/V applications like houses of worship, etc..).  Yes, I don't recall ever hearing their Pro Speakers.  Though I might have the last time I was at Hershey Park, or Philly's 30th St. Train.  Nonetheless, my comments are supported by Klipsch's own spec sheets.  Am I wrong about them having less bass extension?  

So, you’ve never heard any of it, so why are you commenting on it?

 

It’s about pattern control. Most of the big pro stuff will do a better job in a small room than the Heritage stuff. 

 

As for LF extension, what are you doing -

comparing stage monitors to Klipschorns?

[ODS123]

23 minutes ago, Westcoastdrums said:

Listening is Def a waste of time.   

 

Listening matters a great deal.  ..And even more when you don't know which amp your hearing.  ..Otherwise, seeing the Tube amp with it's alluring glow is apt to sound warm; and the black S/S amp with it's hard metal faceplate and it's thin white lettering (think Bryston) is apt to sound "clinical and sterile."..  ..Or maybe recalling a review about a particular amp, or it's reputation from a web forum.  

 

Yep, listening is everything - particularly when you take steps to control biases.

[Deang]

Bryston does not sound “clinical and sterile”. 

 

It’s okay to know what you’re listening to.

[TubeHiFiNut]

25 minutes ago, ODS123 said:

 

Listening matters a great deal.  ..And even more when you don't know which amp your hearing.  ..Otherwise, seeing the Tube amp with it's alluring glow is apt to sound warm; and the black S/S amp with it's hard metal faceplate and it's thin white lettering (think Bryston) is apt to sound "clinical and sterile."..  ..Or maybe recalling a review about a particular amp, or it's reputation from a web forum.  

 

Yep, listening is everything - particularly when you take steps to control biases.

Once again, you are stating your opinion and representing it as fact.

[Marvel]

47 minutes ago, Deang said:

But I can definitely hear the difference between a Strat and a Telecaster.  

 

You would jabe to be deaf to not hear the difference. The problem starts when the overseas/south of the border guitars start sounding better and the setup is better.

[wvu80]

On 12/23/2018 at 4:40 PM, YK Thom said:

My wife can’t really hear much difference between anything other than tweeters that are too hot. Shreiky to use her term.

My wife can't hear any difference between an AM radio and my RF-83's.

 

[Deang]

She can hear the difference, she just doesn’t care - she’s listening to the music. 

[Marvel]

1 minute ago, Deang said:

She can hear the difference, she just doesn’t care - she’s listening to the music. 

 

Pretty much the same here. My wife also can't sit and listen to music. Just not what she likes to do.

[jimjimbo]

25 minutes ago, TubeHiFiNut said:

Once again, you are stating your opinion and representing it as fact.

And that's been the same from the very beginning.

[wvu80]

1 hour ago, dwilawyer said:

That's what the violinists are saying, they can tell the difference and that they have a preference. Not so much on a double blind study

 

I wonder if the violins would sound better if they were timbre matched?  😎  (wvu80 ducks and runs)

[wvu80]

2 hours ago, dwilawyer said:

Italian or Japanese made instruments?  Because you know that makes such a huge difference. 

Sorry, I couldn't get through 5 minutes of intense solo fiddle playing. 

 

Still, I'm sure the expensive ones sounded better.

[Marvel]

3 hours ago, dwilawyer said:

Italian or Japanese made instruments?  Because you know that makes such a hugh difference.  (Being facetious of course). 

 

Of course... because there are top tier violins being made... right here in the US, too

[Travis In Austin]

"I think it's really helpful to everybody to cut through the folklore and b.s. and focus on what we're hearing."

 

Now there's a thought.

 

https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/05/million-dollar-strads-fall-modern-violins-blind-sound-check

[Travis In Austin]

3 minutes ago, Marvel said:

 

Of course... because there are top tier violins being made... right here in the US, too

Of course there are.

 

My point Bruce, was that these guys appeared to me to be spinning around in circles about what can be heard, not heard,  and when I saw the analogy to a string ensemble it reminded me of the great Strad debate

 

I don't know of anyone who says I am going to see this concent because a Stradivarius will be played, or a Herman Hauser, or a '59 this, or a pre-XX that.  Is is almost always "I'm going to go see this guy."

 

 

 

 

[Tizman]

Speaking of concerts, I subscribed to a concert series this past summer and attended 15 classical music concerts, performed by a full orchestra, all sitting in different seats in the first three rows.  The imaging was terrible.  It is much better at home on the hifi.  They should have used a tube amp and Klipsch speakers...

[Tizman]

...or maybe a $34 T-amp and Klipsch speakers.

[Tizman]

We should do a double blind test!  We can get an actual live orchestra behind a curtain (terrible imaging in my experience), a tube amp and Klipsch speakers with a few hundred pipe cleaners twisted together for speaker wires, and a $34 T-amp with $3500 speaker cables and Klipsch speakers, and do a double blind test (triple blind?).   

[Thaddeus Smith]