Things you should Know about Speakers

Loud & Clear

pearsall001 wrote: »

Brock, this is an audio forum after all so my comments are about audio gear even though it holds true with all industries. The point I was trying to make about audiophiles being a mark for manuf still holds true. Now when I say mark that is a broad term & doesn't necessarily apply to all manuf. or buyers. Most manuf. offer solid gear at fair prices to keep them in business. What gets my goat is when I see & read about a particular piece of gear (let's take an amplifier as an example).

Said amp sells for 50K or more...yikes. Now please, please explain to me that that piece isn't targeted for a particular mark (customer), someone with lots of money & who likes to spend it. That amp manuf. along with the dealer, salesperson, mag articles, advertisements are all geared to convince said mark (customer) that he simply can't be without the best amp for his setup. If you popped the hood on the amp what do you think you'll find in regards to parts cost? Not a whole lot I'll bet you. As far as I can tell there haven't been any ground shaking advancements in amp design, parts, etc over the last 10-15yrs that would warrant that price tag yet the manuf does everything in their power to convince you other wise. It's a niche market but boy oh boy do they ever expolit it. And if it didn't work then you wouldn't see those prices. At the end of the day if the customer is happy with his 50k purchase that's all that counts & the manuf., dealer, salesperson are laughing all the way to the bank. We'll talk about those 25k speaker cables another day!

lol. Couldn't agree more. But as you say, in the end everyone seems to be happy. No harm, no foul. Probably very few out there who are forgoing their children's opportunities at an education, because they needed top-of-the-line cable risers and magic strips of interconnect wire. People tend to buy as much as they can practically afford. Unless drugs and sex are involved.

BlueFox

mhardy6647 wrote: »

1) Becoming conversant with "the laws of physics" (and, for most hifi purposes, you can stick to the pre-relativistic, Newtonian model) will help protect one from becoming easy prey for the snake oil conglomerate.

In audio, Newtonian physics applies to dropping an amp on your foot. It will hurt your foot, and maybe the amp. The audio portion is taking place at the atomic level, and is audible. There is still a lot to be discovered and understood at this level, and will help explain the audible differences between similar items

mhardy6647 wrote: »

2) Trust your ears. Listen, a lot, to as many different things as you can.

This is good advice. Our ears are still more sensitive to detecting audible changes than existing electrical measurement tools.

mhardy6647

I was referring to the electrical properties of amplifier topologies, crossover networks, the interaction of sound (longitudinal) waves with surfaces and boundaries... stuff like that.

zingo

What Can We Tell and Not Tell Looking Inside the Box?

This list tells us nothing as there are great speakers and designs that violate almost every item on that list. I see this article as a way to appease people who want to, or already do agree with the theories expressed, and not a learning opportunity for someone asking questions.

ZLTFUL

zingo wrote: »

What Can We Tell and Not Tell Looking Inside the Box?

This list tells us nothing as there are great speakers and designs that violate almost every item on that list. I see this article as a way to appease people who want to, or already do agree with the theories expressed, and not a learning opportunity for someone asking questions.

QFT.

Too often, people just accept the status quo without trying to advance their own knowledge and understanding. In this instance, the basics are covered but they are not law. Just some suggestions to get the feet point in the right direction so to speak.