By Juan C. Ayllon In audio, there are all sorts of marketing claims made -- some bordering on the incredible. And in evaluating such claims, audiophiles fall somewhere along a continuum that, at one end, has scientific objectivity as king (i.e., an allegiance to measurability, blind A/B testing, etc.) and a very subjective viewpoint on the other (i.e., if you hear -- or think you hear -- a difference, it's valid). My audio approach is like shopping for a car: you research, review the specs, visit the car lot, look under the hood, take it for a spin, and pay close attention to your experience -- and your gut. Now when it comes to used cars, some people will have a mechanic look it over, but when it's new, not so much.
As such, I' feel I fall somewhere in the middle of the two extremes; I don't buy into cable lifters, for example, but I do believe that cable construction can make a difference in the audio experience. And, as a side note, in an upcoming piece at Positive Feedback, with the aid of friend and industry veteran Steven Hill of Straight Wire, Inc., I am going to strive to take some of the "Voodoo" out of cables. Summed up, i give great credence to my aural impressions, but although I'm no engineer or scientist and lack measuring equipment (save an RTA audio app on my iPhone), I pay attention to specs and take input from engineers and others with more technical backgrounds into consideration. Now take a glance at what passes as high end audio, with all of its sculptural, designer considerations, and you'll agree that form doesn't always fit function; sometimes it's more art for art's sake. Or show. Taken to extremes, it conjures oiled-down contestants flexing huge, hypertrophied muscles -- or bouncing cars on the boulevard, flashing hydraulics, custom paint jobs, chrome and neon lighting on weekends. But, maybe that's too crass. Perhaps it's more like owning a Rolls Royce or Bugatti, while others go for Porsches, Mercedes Benzes and BMWs; meanwhile, most commoners (like me) settle for the likes of Toyotas or Chevrolets. Either way, for most of us, aesthetics are a factor; we not only want our gear to play well, but look good, too! We want our systems to make a statement. What's wrong with maximizing our utility of our toys? At the end of the day, that's all right. It's our hobby, after all, and we might as well enjoy it.
0 Comments
Your comment will be posted after it is approved.
Leave a Reply. |
Juan C. AyllonA writer, artist, educator and owner of Prairie Audio Man Cave, he lives with his wife, Isabel (AKA Belle), and their Goldendoodle, Liam, enjoys listening to high fidelity music and all things hi-fi at their home in the greater Chicagoland area.. Archives
March 2024
Categories |