By Juan C. Ayllon I've heard it repeatedly: more important than loudspeakers, DACs, and other audio gear, the most important factor in getting optimum sound from your system is your ROOM! And nine pages into his tome, Get Better Sound, audio veteran Jim Smith nails down that point. However, he also adds, "Most of us don't have the luxury of selecting from several good rooms. We only have one, and it may not be wonderful. So the question becomes, how can I make my system play its very best with the room that I have?" And then in the balance of the book, he goes about addressing exactly that with the grace and aplomb of a wise and seasoned audio industry professional. About Jim Smith Jim Smith began his audio career tinkering with his stereo in the 1960s. Frustrated with repeated repairs, he began researching how to maximize audio performance. Then in 1970, he worked part time in an audio shop while attending college in Virginia. A few years later, he became assistant manager, then a manager at a nearby store, where he and another staffer turned it into one of Audio Research, Dahlquist, Magnepan and Advent's top sellers in the US. (gettingbettersound.com) Early successes led to a meteoric career rise. In 1975, he accepted an offer to work with Audio Research Corporation in Minneapolis as their customer service manager and sales and marketing, where he wrote the installation manual for the Tympani 1D Magneplanar loudspeakers. In 1977, he moved to Magnepan, where he became their national sales manager. There, he created a dealer training and installation program to empower high end dealers with greater knowledge, and also wrote installation manuals for a variety of Magneplanar speakers such as the MG-1s and MG-2s. Then, in 1979, Smith became an entrepreneur, moving his family to Birmingham, Alabama, where he opened Audition, a high end audio retailer, which went on to become one of the top 10 stores offering top offerings like Mark Levinson, Goldmund, Quad, Linn, Thiel and Magnepan. Moreover, his client base grew with his superb home installations (ibid). Simultaneously, he threw himself into freelancing music concerts, recording special events and artists for public radio and producing recordings for various organizations. Momentarily disillusioned with trends and events in high end audio retail, Smith left the audio industry in 1993, but returned in 1999 as distributor of Avantgarde Acoustic horn loudspeakers. Then in 2000, he created a free 16 page booklet, 31 Secrets to Better Sound. Well-received, this led to his publishing Get Better Sound, where he was able to better convey his vast knowledge acquired from over 35 years installation, voicing, and setup experience at homes, hi-fi shops, and large industry shows. It has become an influential industry best-seller that is backed with a money back guarantee! (ibid) Best Practices by the Pros Available for You in Your Living Room One thing that struck home with his advice is that it resonates with those used by top-flight pros in the industry. For example, like PS Audio's Paul McGowan, Smith advises placing your electronics about halfway back along a sidewall, rather than upfront, in between your loudspeakers. The reason? (1) Your components won't interfere with the soundstage as much. (2) There will be less visual distraction. Therefore, it's easier to suspend your disbelief" that there's a musical event happening over there between the speakers. (3) Most importantly, the point in the room where the bass is lease strong is probably in this area. So sound waves will impinge less on the sound of your components, especially if they are vacuum tube, or if you have a turntable to play LPs." (Get Better Sound, p. 78). Jam Somasundram, the designer of the outstanding Pass Labs HPA-1 headphone amplifier and President of Quadratic Audio, uses this technique to great effect in his home listening room and laboratory, where he tests prototypes in his excellent reference system. In fact, while I was reviewing the HPA-1 amplifier, we struck up a friendship, and he encouraged me to relocate my electronics along the sidewall for these very reasons. However, having invested a great deal in custom cabling for its current configuration, that would be cost-prohibitive -- and problematic on the home front, as my wife and best friend absolutely loves our expensive media cabinet there, and to relocate it would create undue stress. Smith addresses that with Tip #71: What if you have no choice but to place your component rack between your speakers? "Try to have the rack as close to the wall and the speakers as far out from the wall as possible," he says. "Reflections off the rack will still occur, but they'll usually be minimized in amplitude."
I have put that into practice, as well as numerous other recommendations, such as using a mirror to locate first reflection points to place acoustic treatments for best results, while taking care to not over-dampen the room. Get Better Sound is a deep dive into best practices, addressing a myriad of topics, including:
Sage Advice Well-written and illustrated with a wealth of information, I found that I especially resonated with that last point, Tip#51: Should you have your own dedicated music listening room? He gets straight to the point when he says, "Even if you want and can afford a dedicated room, there's something to consider if you don't live alone." On the plus side, having such an isolated space can make for optimal, distraction-free listening. However, it can also be problematic if you live with others, as he duly notes: "I learned that being home, but being relatively unavailable to family members, almost may have been worse than if I had been out at a bar somewhere...if you already have a dedicated room, or if you plan to have one, I suggest that you include your family members in the use of it from time to time. Failing that option, make sure that you provide sufficient time outside of the room in order to let your family know that you have your priorities in order." The hi-fi hobby is often one that can become an obsession -- one that may not be shared by others close to us, and left unchecked, it can drive a wedge between significant and meaningful relationships. All too often, its pursuit has resulted in alienation and, sometimes, divorce. That's a crying shame. I have a wealthy friend who built an expensive, dedicated listening and A/V room that now sits largely unused, as he spends more time with family and other pursuits. Others weren't so fortunate. Smith's brilliant technical observations and advice aside, I appreciate his conciliatory words of wisdom. Like him, having learned from the sins of over-indulgence, I have cultivated a closer marriage as I've worked on the art of compromise while enjoying this hobby that I love. Hence, I highly recommend this treatise, an outstanding reference, a true user's bible on all things home audio. If you or someone you care about wants to maximize their listening pleasure, this would make for an excellent stocking stuffer! Get Better Sound by Jim Smith $37.70 paperback and $47.70, hardbound, via Get Better Sound website. Get Better Sound https://www.getbettersound.com/
4 Comments
Juan C. Ayllon
11/25/2023 10:40:31 pm
Thanks, Jim. That's duly noted and corrected. Cheers!
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Dan Starr
11/30/2023 03:51:18 pm
Jim has been my go-to reference for more than a decade. In fact, other volumes from Paul McGowan and Robert Harley are measured against Mr. Smith as my “reference” source. Very good review, Juan.
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Juan C Ayllon
12/1/2023 04:08:33 pm
Thanks, Dan! I appreciate it. It truly is an amazing resource!
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