Why you can't trust Reviews (but you should listen to me). 

Yup, there is no best, all a question of taste. I have been preaching that for years.

Couldn’t agree anymore if I tried. It’s all a matter of taste; are you wanting ultra transparent detail, emotional connection, get out of your seat danceability, shock and awe? There’s something for everyone. Find your sound, set your sail, make your stand and simply acknowledge that everyone’s ears, taste and budget are different. Keep being you!

I managed a camera store for almost 3 decades and there are parallels to your story. I had a new customer come in to buy a camera and his friend, who was a pro photographer, had given him a list of what to buy. Looking at the list I was a little unsure if this was the best choice. It was a list of good gear though, maybe not what I would recommend. I sell him everything on the list and off he went. Two days later he’s back saying he didn’t know what his photographer friend was thinking, this was very different than what he was looking for, too big and heavy, not as many options for lenses. Anyway, I checked out everything, condition, any missing pieces, etc and everything was good. I then started asking him a few questions to get an idea of what would best fit his needs, now and for the future. He bought a camera and a couple of lenses with some money left over. He came back a few weeks later and told me how happy he was with his purchase. ( Which always made my day). Moral of the story is, people are different. Their preferences are different and what may be perfect for one person may not fit the needs, or tastes of another.

One thing no one can dispute, the BEST instant noodle at the show was in the Galion room.

I completely agree! The latter comment about diversity of opinion is so important. We must support each other following our path to our own individual "perfect sound". Glad you are here to give your path a voice.

Futile comment, but here we go. Music has been very important to me for the last 40+ years. I always thought one needs good enough equiptment, to separate the instruments, to really hear the music. For this you need any amplifier, good source and decent speakers. 500 will get you there, 1000 most certainly will. You may invest more, if you have the money, and you will get nicer sound. But the enjoyment of the music is the same. My strongest musical experiences were when I was 16, with my very lousy stereo system. Its nice to have good rig, but its not necessary.

Gm ☕️💊 Great point ..perception is actually reality in this hobby. In my system , in my room , headphones vs speakers vs streaming vs vinyl vs cd vs reel to reel vs tubes , vs solid state vs hybrid, vs class A vs class B …there’s so many combinations YOU can make the system appeal to YOU . If there’s one thing I know ..is that I don’t know what you’re hearing. Ever wonder why Hearing Life isn’t invited to have a room to provide hearing tests. Between my age ( over 60) with decades of clubbing, concerts, going to the range along with tinnitus..it’s a miracle that I can enjoy this hobby at all. Great video.

A japanese amp designer once said that measurements are like an x-ray in that they don't show you the person's personality

Just found your channel. I’m a new subscriber as well! I enjoyed your perspective and completely agree. I appreciate your being gobsmacked by commentary about the room you thought was terrible. I was at Axpona last year (large show outside of Chicago) and I was in a very expensive speaker room. I could not believe how harsh they were to my ears. They are priced over $30K US. I have 40 year old ADS speakers I love a whole lot more.

Couldn’t agree more! I’ve been an “audio enthusiast“ for more years than I care to share. What IS clearest is that the perception of any system or piece of gear is more so between one’s ears.

Just like people enjoy different types of music, they will have personal preference as to what type of sound they like. I was never a measurement first person. Measurements can be a small guide before buying, and measurements can help you when you are having problems in your room, that’s it. Building a relationship with a dealer, who will allow home trials is paramount. Your ears, your room and your personal preferences are your best guide and can’t be measured. We should all just respect each other ability to agree to disagree and enjoy the music.

After 30+ years within HiFi I found out that "what it works for me" is a) SE tube amps (pre + power), and b) high efficiency speakers (best as OB). I enjoy variations in this what I like (e.g. I recently visited OJAS in SoHo/NY), but I do not spend time convincing other that what I like is the best. Regards from Copenhagen

Hi just stumbled across your channel and appreciate your effort/insights into the audiophile world opinions. Your efforts are appreciated.

The truthfulness of "different people like different sound" only goes so far when unamplified acoustic music is involved. If you have experience listening to live classical music or jazz in smaller venues you are unlikely to somehow end up liking a reproduced sound that is way off your perception of live sound.

Wow, totally blown away by your post. Agree, Agree...... not an AC/DC fan and probably would have left the room. I have never suggested a best, in my 50 years in this hobby, I have always been surprised by the almost soul-ripping sounds people consider as "Great Sound". I have never believed in specs, I have only believed my ears. I'm no saying my gear is great, but I love the way it presents music. System: Aesthetix Mimas, PMC 25/23, Ariston RD 11 w. stax carbon arm, various cartridges.

Dave, I couldn’t agree with you more. Les gouts et Les couleurs like the French say. I am always taken aback by people who base their purchases on charts, oh look there’s no bump or roll off here so it must be good, that’s crazy to me. Most people who love the tube sound love it despite the measurement issues that might come with it. There is no replacement to listening to a product in your system. The best you can do as a RU-vidr is to create your lane and give a flavor of the sound signature of the products you review to people who share a similar sound signature as you. Definitely worth a follow.

This one’s going to be long so prepare or skip I don’t care but when I started my journey, I went to a Best Buy Magnolia. I listened to Kev, R 11 or seven the three bookshelves the Bowers and Wilkins 600 something towers at the time and the Bowers and Wilkins 700 something at the time all of this was played off of a Marantz, I think 8012 the only speaker I could actually hear a difference on the Bowers and Wilkins 600 something and at the levels they were playing. It sounded like the voice was straining to the note. Having said that I could not tell a difference between any of the other speakers and the way they sounded, I say this because I am completely blind. I do not have a placebo effect on the way any of the cure looks if anybody should be able to hear a difference on them it’s going to be me because I rely on my hearing on a daily basis in Waze, normal people do notknow that’s not to say that if I put every single one of these pieces in my own room, I may not hear a difference because they may react to my room differently. This is just my experience so far, but I guess it points out just how different we all are.

Hi I totally understand your point, whats good for one person can be a total disaster for others thats HiFi sound in general, subjectivity at its best. However, I disagree with you about measurements though, measurements done correctly is a valuable guid in determining how, for example, a speaker performs in room and partnering power amplifiers behave with speakers especially speakers with difficult, challenging or/and awkward loads. Accurate measurements, when done correctly give you an indication on how equipment behaves and can also tel you other things like amplifiers sound characteristics like 2nd/3rd harmonic distortion profiles which in general can make an amplifier sound warm or harsh (tube amps). Other measurements to consider (I haven't seen this done that much) speaker cabinet resonance measurements, I'll admit, I do like vintage speakers wit high cabinet resonance which make them sound nice and warm. The question worth asking is companies make products with vanishingly low distortion, would we like the accurate and sterile sound they produce. I too have attended HiFi shows and walked into top tier company rooms and yes I agree, I wouldn't own some of them.

You watch or read a dozen reviews on a hi-fi component or pair of speakers, likely you’ll get a dozen conflicting opinions. Even if all 12 reviewers are united in their opinion, it doesn’t mean that, that component is good for every application. I’ve found maybe 2 or 3 RU-vid reviewers who’ve reviewed equipment I own, or have owned, who have reached the same conclusion as me about this equipment, so I tend to trust/value their opinion. I still listen to opposing opinions, but know who to turn to first.

Good video and subject, I subscribed. This certainly is an interesting hobby to say the least. I am now of the mindset, that it takes years to figure out what really sounds good to your ear in regards to finding the gear that produces that pleasing sound, that is the trick. I have had gear through here that folks rave about, and I could not stand it. I found a HiFi buddy to assist me in this journey, he really changed the way I look at this hobby. His house looks like a high end HiFi shop, and he knows many big names in the industry. I met him through US AudioMart of all places, when I went to his house to pick up a pair of Zu DW Omen speakers I purchased from him. I spent hours in his house listening to gear, and now we are good friends. He has really helped me out when purchasing or considering a purchase in regards to audio gear, along with regular BS'ing on the phone, just a great stand up guy. My point, find someone you trust that has been in the hobby for awhile, with the same taste, and hopefully hearing, to help guide you along the way.

Love the title😂 congrats on 800 subs dave!

Good discussion. I've found reviewers who have similar taste to me. I spent the money to buy what they recommended and in some cases I didn't like the gear. A couple of them I did have the same positive experience they described and I continue to take their advice

There is no absolute truth, there is taste and opinion. This shouldn‘t come as a surprise. Good reviewers tell us about the sound and what the device is doing to it: warm, detailed, precise, wide, deep, strong on vocals etc.. You need to know what sound you like / what sound you are looking for and then find the recommendations to your preferences. It‘s that simple. It’s not „shocking“ or whatever.

Well said and great video Dave! I understand people obsessing over how well something measures. These are folks who are after the best and that's not necessarily wrong. Measurements can tell you how good something is without relying on your own subjective opinions. This can be good when starting out in Hifi but also has the potential to be very misleading. Perhaps the math side of my brain is a bit off. I get goosebumps listening to music but feel nothing looking at measurements.🍻

Hi Dave just watched your impressions & how you felt about this particular room & i am with you on this one, I have personally been chasing for the ultimate sound but i cant seem to find it from the reviews audiophiles have been giving & i feel that we all have different perceptions & listening experiences on what we think is a good sound. I am going to stop wasting my money because i feel that different equipment will sound different in different environments & that this is the truth. I felt like i was missing out on a great sounding system but i feel it does not exist.

You also can't go with a hotel room set up without a dedicated space that had the time for room treatment and a proper speaker set up with cleaner power.

3:15 did anybody measured the room? Just to see what people (doesn't) like?

You are a genuine sir, and that's admirable! I agree with you. It could also be that you simply hear different. The importratnt thing is you are being truthful about what if feels like when the music enters your soul. I do like a tilted up sound, but of course the trade off is it is likely to become fatiguing... Some of the best gear I ever heard, I sold because...you guessed it, it was fatiguing. Cheers friend!

Interesting thoughts. I would not give up on measurements. While there may not be a strong correlation between a given individual's preferences and measurements, good objective performance expands the potential audience. A system tuned only by ear will sound good with some music and bad with others, regardless of recording quality and depending on the ear of the tuner. A system tuned with the aid of measurements will sound good to more people with any well-recorded music. For example, if I attempt to integrate a subwoofer by ear, some music will sound right while other music will be too lean or boomy. Some listeners may prefer more or less bass. If I get things close by ear and then use a UMIK-2 to help me with phase alignment and levels, most music will sound right to most listeners. Measurements don't guarantee engaging listening experiences. But they are useful tools that, if employed with skill, improve our chances! Certainly, measurements would have caught the harshness issue you experienced and helped the exhibitor to address the problem.

I agree, It is definitely a matter of taste, but I do find it a bit hard to listen to reviews sometimes cause I listen to mostly metal, and the sound in such music varies in quality a lot, but good speakers and systems should bring out the best in all music styles, for me at least. I have tried many speakers and systems and noticed that while listening to them I can be amazed at how great the sound is at first, but then suddenly when I change artists/bands it can drastically go from great to terrible. Either it gets bright and harsh or gives off a boomy bass amongst other things. All in all, I have noticed that most audio files do not listen to my type of music, so it makes me extra cautious. The ACDC bit was a good example, but they do have albums with great sound. I do not consider myself a typical audiophile, I just came across this problem when I started having more money, and wanted to treat my music hobby to a better system, and went for something that people described as rock speakers. This could not be more wrong, and at that time I did not understand what was happening and tried to EQ the sh*t out of the stereo. After discovering why and what was happening I had du study many reviews closely and try to listen to what I could at the local stores carefully before buying anything. I had more money, but not enough to keep re-selling all the time. the goal was just to upgrade once. I am still baffled at this today, cause I don't understand why manufacturers have to enforce a stereo or speaker that has a built-in EQ that one can't change. It usually works like if something is missing in the sound you can't get it back, but you can reduce more with an optional EQ. Why is this? Why can't it be that we buy a product that is true to the recording and EQ our-self from there? I do get the thing about more dynamics, less distortion and open sound which I do accept and welcome, but the EQ part is still a mystery for me. I can understand though if you do not listen to the same music as me you might not even ever know or encounter this problem.

I know Chris Isaak is a singer, but didn't know he was an audiophile! How do you get 7 thousand view's and only 1k subscribers? Am i missing something. Lots of people shag over high end gears, even if they sound edgy and harsh, it's almost like the monetary value deafens them. Ps. subscribed

Well yes and no. There has been quite a bit of research on what people prefer in general and it is a more linear response. Does that mean everyone will like that ? No But there is a preference that most people like. Also a well engineered speaker which is linear is good to have since it will perform well in most rooms. Or will perform evenly over a bunch of rooms and will be easier to set up. So there are some very useful metrics. So things aren’t that much all over the place. But sure, to each their own on what they like.

There is indeed a technical and scientific understanding what is good sounding and what not. Frequency response, low distortions, symmetric filtering on the crossover points, which filter are in use, etc... room acoustics etc... this can be measured it can be categorized, yes there is indeed a common understanding what is good and what not from the mentioned view of science and technology. But and this is huge, we as people react different, have different experiences, prefere or dislike things. The reasons are endless, and especially with music we are kind of helpless to see it completely ibjective because our brain is not able to filter that information, it tells us straight if this is something you love or dislike. I think it was a evolutionary mechanism to preserve us from dangerous predators or situations. And seeing this with today's life that surrounds it makes the relationship with sound reproducing technology very special. It became and we feel it like that , a very subjective experience.

You don't say! 😂😂 I'm 50 years old now but I built my first system when I was 16 and I realized this way back then. lol

There is a best, really. It is best when you see a reviewer with your first name and the same Kenwood turntable on shelf. What could be better? I know - A thumbs up and subscribing. Thanks

Good and honest, but... some things aren't subjective, and residual energy in iron core inductors in loudspeakers is one of them. They do objectively distort the signal from the amp, so they are objectively worse than the same loudspeaker model with better components.

Hello Dave ... Here's the thing: What we want to listen to is the recording. I don't want to listen to my system. It really is all about the music. For the electronics, measurements do matter. To give you the most realistic reproduction of the source you want amplifiers, DACs, Streamers, etc. to be 100% linear and transparent. You do not want them adding their character to the mix. To ensure this we measure them in isolation, checking distortion, frequency response, output levels etc. to be sure the electronics is up to snuff. This much can be quantified because the electronics is not largely affected by it's environment. For Speakers, phono cartridges, etc, these devices react to their environment and it is far more difficult to measure them in isolation. So we use the testing to eliminate the "stinkers" and rely more on subjective listening. Which is fine. For our in-home setups some measuring is very helpful. For example taking frequency response scans of a system in use can give us very good clues about the best speaker placements, room treatments, etc. Of course, as you point out the final judgement is to simply sit down and listen to your music and see how much you enjoy it. That, we cannot measure. But I will also advise two simple "technician's rules"... 1) If it ain't broke, don't fix it. 2) If it is broke know when to stop fixing it. There is a time to simply sit back and let the music happen.

I agree with your opinion. Great video. Thx.

Hi Dave, I listen to Hifi too. I think you're correct in your thoughts here. I'm new to your channel. Great job.

Totally agreed. We are just cataloging our experiences. Nothing more. Those who think they get to know whats good or bad from reviewers, are the ones stuck in the neverending cycle of hifi. Cause its all a lie. Everything sounds good. Everything sounds bad. It’s all about taste and execution. Great video Dave.

I think part of the issue is fear. Very few of us will ever be in a position to have dozens, if not hundreds, of pieces in our rooms to really hear the differences. So you're left to hear stuff at a dealer or a show or just watch/read reviews. And since this hobby can be so expensive, there's this belief that I "have to nail it" when buying something. It has to be the best "bang for the buck" or it has to be "a giant killer." We're afraid that we'll buy something, get it home and hear little to no difference over our old gear. It really becomes too much of a black or white thing, when most gear in our price range is really just a shade of gray.

Hi Dave. You say you were expecting « real good music ». Utopia. But you have realized that we all have a different perception of that notion. I will read you and determine if I will follow you or not. Good luck.

They said it sounded good maybe they have Sansui speakers you know what I mean thanks the video have a great day I'm old but I can hear very excellent

No. In speakers listeners NEED experience.

What is the Bosch association?

Yes, expensive trial & errors 😮

❤

You left out the fact that some are paid to say it sounds good! But yes the sound is very subjective. Some systems sound good at first and then ear fatigue sets in etc..

You can make it a ‘serious quest’ but isn’t it all just…shopping?

It is very much a matter of personal taste, but also the ability to hear. unfortunately, that’s not an equitable phenomena,

Probably a tag-team setup!

Well said. Yet I still wonder what it actually was that sounded so bad. I've been to many shows with great gear. And not so great gear with big names. And its not just the variables of the show venue. Sometimes manufacturers get so stuck on an idea or something that once worked that they just cant let go. Like KEFs uni-q. I walked away from thay even when the room was full. And took my sanctuary in the next small conference room which was all glass... and the small electrostats that played there were like ointment for my aching ears. Unfortunately that brand didn't last long. And KEF still is. Just like Bose, right? Listening involves attention and training. Many people listen but they don't hear. They look but they don't see. For that you need some knowledge and wisdom. And that wisdom is also needed when you actually make stuff yourself. Then you learn what works and what doesn't. Measurements are a helpful tool, but useless without understanding physics. When you know physics but don't understand it you're set up for blunders. Engineering is about making compromises. Weighing one against the other. That's a matter of taste and vision for your goal. Often there is a better compromise or part, but then the marketing and financial department are starting to weigh in. Not to mention HR. I made my own speakers and modified a LOT of gear to change compromises for better ones, in my opinion. If i change some caps, thats 5x cheaper than when they get installed in the original. And often they are objectively better; ie more suited to the purpose.

Also your tastes change over time. I have some rather nice speakers that are technically great but i no longer find them emotionally engaging so im gonna change them. I may sacrifice some technical aspects but thats fine. Go with what you like, everyones ears are different.

Lets be honest, the days of audio journalists speaking in absolutes pretty much died with Harry Pearson. Amir of AV science might be the last of that breed. Nearly everyone else, from the guys who present measurements like Erin's Audio Corner and Audioholics, to guys just providing listening impressions like Darko Audio and The Audiophiliac all provide caveats and disclaimers that its just their opinions. Being just another dude giving his opinions about audio is awesome, as there aren't many, and will never be enough people publicly providing their opinions about such an underrated hobby to suffice. We all need stop pretending all the old audio battle lines still exist, because they don't. Hell, there just isnt enough Audiophiles left to fight.

Check out the science around the Nuraphone, which runs frequency sweeps using earbuds in your ears then analyses and plots the result, and loads this into a custom EQ, for you, into the headphone/earbud called the Nuraphone (in fact, a separate EQ profile for each ear). This is measuring YOU, your particular ears - left and right ears uniquely as they are. Each of us is organic and mechanically and electrically unique (mechanical ear drum, chemical/electrical nerves in the cochlea, converting pressure waves into electrical signals the brain "hears"). Decades ago I played with VLC's EQ (plugin?), setting it by reducing all bands to minimum, playing a favourite song, then raising each band in isolation to the point that is "best" for me. Write the number down, reset that band to minimum, then do the next band. This creates for me an interesting curve which I save as a preset. I need to slightly drop the lowest bands, raise the lows, drop the mids, boost the mid highs, to neutral on the high highs. That's what sounds good to me, but your ears are different to mine of course. Prior to the Nuraphone kickstarter (and even today) I have had a bucket list of "High end audiophile stereo system, with a super low noise many-band EQ after the pre-amp", with the intention of doing that "VLC per band EQ" setting. When the Nuraphone Kickstarter landed, I knew immediately that these plucky Aussies had nailed the EQ profile, but rather than "per system" it is "per-ear" AND automated scientifically with frequency sweep feedback analysis! Stunning! To my ears there is nothing quite like the Nuraphones (but I don't have a refined or high end stereo system to compare either) - but they do deliver fantastic sound to my ears. I consider them the reference. There is no reason that Nuraphone the company could not create a bluetooth shareable EQ profile for you (from their app) which you would take on your mobile phone to hi-fi listening rooms, and shoot into the system with bluetooth! This really should be done! I went searching just now and discovered that @denonuk bought Nuraphone.

I was confused as at the show, many setup with latest Tech, then stuff a turntable in there to ruin it all with cracks and pops. Emotiva and Artist Cloner Mekanica were my favorites, all mind blowing.

One part of the equation is that most people are not educated/experienced in listening and what should and should not be there in the sound. Example, AC line noise, simply -nobody- knows what that sounds like because it is above the hearing range, so there is no noise, right? Ah no, the only way to know what AC noise sounds like is to take it away and then the influence of AC line noise is understood and that person will forever be able to identify it. I've spent the last 5 years sorting out a speaker build and the system built up around it and the room acoustics, during this process my being (one does not listen to/interpret what they are hearing with just the ears, it's a whole body thing) has learned many many things, the sound of resonances in the room, in the speakers, from room features and furniture... There are many ways evil noise can influence sound. The other aspect of it is that quite often negative issues with the rig result in really fun and great moments of sound, so it gets confusing because a rig with loads of issues can actually, in certain moments, sound great. Until you build your own speakers from your own design (gives you a lot of mistakes to discover and figure out and design a fix for) and learn acoustics and undertake the treatment of a few rooms you just have no idea for all the issues you don't know, can't identify etc. Cheers.

Someone does not understand how to upload a 16 x 9 video. Why place it within a 4 x 3 frame?

I disagree. There are basic qualities to good sound that are and should be considered minimal to be considered High Fidelity. You cracked the code when you mentioned that you do not have sponsors.

This isnt actually true. In controlled double blind settings people agree to a very (surprisingly)high degree on what is better sound. This not only goes for sound in hifi, but also for things like wine tasting. But it is certainly true in a non-blind setting. So it seem to be that expectations are very important to the subjective experience. And as such it truly is the case that people have different tastes. Just dont expose yourself to a double blind listening test 😉

More than just taste-though that's a factor-most audiophiles are old (older than you, I think) and they probably have significant hearing loss in the higher registers.

I don't believe it's a matter of taste. Some people are simply not trained to recognize a good sound. You brain needs a lot of exercise to identify the bad stuff in the sound. Those people heard bad sound all their life, therefore they don't know how good sound should be. This is why when they hear loud music, they automatically think it equates with good sound.

Shows aren't the best places to audition equipment for one thing. Second, and more importantly, there is a huge misconception amongst the so called audiophile community. They're so focused on the tangible , the measurements, the "soundstage" the "imaging " the transparency , the speed and a million others terms they use to define what is the best system that they forget the most fundamental reason for any system to exist. To play music that the listener enjoys. When you go to a live concert whatever your taste in music may be, you're not talking about tight bass, transient imaging, deep soundstaging, crystal highs or sweet mids. You're only there to enjoy the music. And this has somehow gotten lost. So my suggestion is , forget the jargon, forget the measurements , forget the numbers , forget the sets or pure class A or switching bias or hybrid systems , forget all the brands and the equipment, and just listen to the music. In the end , that's all that matters.

"different people like different sound" no they DONT. make these claims in the pro audio world, where for example all proper studio speakers are flat and smooth off-axis etc. as usual audiophiles refuce to read anything. the evidence is clear that a speaker must work a certain way, taste do not matter. but if a listener has no reference at all he will think a terrible speaker is good, well atleast for some time. for example if a speaker has 3-4-5db more in a certain range he will think its "detailed and dynamic", but its not. its doing something that shouldnt be there in the first place..

🤣AC/DC isn’t good music🙈😢.

Hard to complain about Audio when this video quality in 2024 looks worse than any reviewer on RU-vid. And what’s with the alternate angle, where you don’t even square up to the camera?? You looked strained man!! And sorry, there is a better sounding source proven by “absolute” science. Digital Playback has more dynamic range, higher output and other “measurements” that are sonically noticeable with a decent set of ears. As far as particular gear, and ‘specs’…matching, placement and other factors come into play as well which you didn’t mention. You won’t find one musician who will tell you they want to record on “tape”, for one reason…it doesn’t sound better than digital recordings. As far A-AB, Tubes and Digital amplifiers that’s where preference really starts to play a role and I agree… it’s less subjective to any absolutes. But when it comes to wasting money and time in vinyl in 2024…. No way!!! Now get another camera or a new phone and shoot in HD.

I found the same thing on extremely revealing systems with very analytical, revealing speakers. My son and I visited a very well-known name, amplifier sales and distributor on their location with an extremely high-end speakers, driven by the best of everything in a set up room. When selecting properly recorded instruments and vocals, it was extremely outstanding to the point where my oldest son can rent this room to live in 🤣. We too played AC/DC, some old Led Zeppelin, and some rock and pop that was basically meant for playing on radios and high volumes, but was not recorded well. Recordings systems sound atrocious you don’t even wanna listen to them. The majority I could not bear to listen to on the system they were that bad I could get no beat. There was no enjoyment.. Simply do not listen to bad recordings on excellent high-end, revealing systems because you will be very disappointed .