After many years of DIY Audio looking for "ideal audio" ("audio Nirvana" like some said herebelow), I think to have condensed in only four laws the guideline for the best-in-class "audio-chain" (homemade or shop bought).
There is no optimum, and you will never reach this!
But you can continue to improve your audio chain and get a better compromise.
This can also justify any effort, time, research and dollar you may spend in it!
Herebelow the "Four Laws" , just published in my website:
To me the best-in-class audio chain is the one presenting the optimum compromise among:
1) the "lower listening fatigue" after an extended period of time covering different music genres.
2) a "clean flat response" at any loudness level: you should not get an unpleasant audio experience while you turn up the volume.
3) a “vivid and emotional soundstage”, never flat or boring: you should not lose interest by continuously listening to your system.
4) a “distinct difference" compared to ordinary products due to exclusive aesthetics and a peculiar design.
Of course "less is more" in term of words! Feel free to discuss!
Gianluca G. Italy
There is no optimum, and you will never reach this!
But you can continue to improve your audio chain and get a better compromise.
This can also justify any effort, time, research and dollar you may spend in it!
Herebelow the "Four Laws" , just published in my website:
To me the best-in-class audio chain is the one presenting the optimum compromise among:
1) the "lower listening fatigue" after an extended period of time covering different music genres.
2) a "clean flat response" at any loudness level: you should not get an unpleasant audio experience while you turn up the volume.
3) a “vivid and emotional soundstage”, never flat or boring: you should not lose interest by continuously listening to your system.
4) a “distinct difference" compared to ordinary products due to exclusive aesthetics and a peculiar design.
Of course "less is more" in term of words! Feel free to discuss!
Gianluca G. Italy
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I firmly believe that once we get #2 really correct, a lot of the other stuff takes care of itself, including #1 and #3.
Can't really relate to #4, unless by "peculiar design" you mean "looks like a bunch of junk." I don't much care how it looks; it all disappears as soon as I put some music on.
Can't really relate to #4, unless by "peculiar design" you mean "looks like a bunch of junk." I don't much care how it looks; it all disappears as soon as I put some music on.
2 is wrong, the ear find the sound high pitched when it is played softer, so many amps have bass boost at low volume to compensate the ear curve.
Such system will lack bass at lower volume. Some speaker manufacturers boost bass in the XO or equalizer to compensate all the time.
There is nothing wrong with an uneven response in some areas. In room responses are typically within +/- 10 db in a high quality system, unless you use those new mic equalizer dsps.
if you really want to make a 'law'
I would say 2 at least:
1. get the biggest room possible and the listener in the middle of speakers, with less boundaries of possible to reflect the sound.
2. Get the noise levels down, get a quiet space, any dishwasher , motor, cars outside, interferes, air conditioning, heating fans etc, it all degrade your listening environment.
Who cares if you have the best Wilson speakers and you listen to them near the highway?
, the best system would be on a windless day, in the middle of the desert, at night, sipping the best tea.
Such system will lack bass at lower volume. Some speaker manufacturers boost bass in the XO or equalizer to compensate all the time.
There is nothing wrong with an uneven response in some areas. In room responses are typically within +/- 10 db in a high quality system, unless you use those new mic equalizer dsps.
if you really want to make a 'law'
I would say 2 at least:
1. get the biggest room possible and the listener in the middle of speakers, with less boundaries of possible to reflect the sound.
2. Get the noise levels down, get a quiet space, any dishwasher , motor, cars outside, interferes, air conditioning, heating fans etc, it all degrade your listening environment.
Who cares if you have the best Wilson speakers and you listen to them near the highway?
, the best system would be on a windless day, in the middle of the desert, at night, sipping the best tea.
That was quite poetic, Kevin.
On topic, I agree completely on #1.
But #2 I don't know. Clean and flat-ish, but not completely flat IMO.
#3 varies on each and every recording I guess, but sure, if the idea is that you can hear lower level details than on other systems, sure. But this often implies high-ish spl/w designs.
#4, hmmm... You do get a different relationship to things you've made yourself, if that is what you're talking about. And it's nice to be able to design something from a specific set of goals, knowing the limits and how it works intimately.
On topic, I agree completely on #1.
But #2 I don't know. Clean and flat-ish, but not completely flat IMO.
#3 varies on each and every recording I guess, but sure, if the idea is that you can hear lower level details than on other systems, sure. But this often implies high-ish spl/w designs.
#4, hmmm... You do get a different relationship to things you've made yourself, if that is what you're talking about. And it's nice to be able to design something from a specific set of goals, knowing the limits and how it works intimately.
You're right of course. Instead of flat, better clean and smooth - with just the right tilt, sorta like Hedy's hat:
An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.
Attachments
To say that we will never reach the 'optimum', we should have tried very hard to reach things average people don't. For speakers, we have line arrays, transmission lines, horns, series crossovers, minimum phase and many more...
Why the two files above? It's related with amplifiers. A transparent amp will tell you that one of the two recordings is bad and the other one is very good. You don't hear it with ordinary amplifiers. Most amplifiers are just terrible.
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The speaker should have a good spinorama.
In double blind listening tests these speakers come out on top.
https://www.sausalitoaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Interpreting-Spinorama-Charts.pdf
In double blind listening tests these speakers come out on top.
https://www.sausalitoaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/Interpreting-Spinorama-Charts.pdf
Muxic is about aesthetic, individual tastes.
In order of magnitude,
First law may be: first more important thing is room efforts, size( in real life you always will have problems with a room less than 30 square meters or above 50 square meters), shape, placement of listener, speakers and all the furnitures, treatments, etc
Second may be: don't focuse on one device but setup all your devices hifi chain as a whole.
Third law may be : a subjective pleasment with what you get, flat curve means nothing
, it means it's subjective, your listening tastes are changing with time, experience, bias, evolution of tastes themselves as you can choose a trade off over another one that change with time.
Fourth law, focus on first law and don t forgett to listen to true live music i.e. unpluged , both for the pleasure and reset your ears from your own bias or method you consider good like for instance my osci knows better than me about aesthetic and own tastes and emprical habits....
In order of magnitude,
First law may be: first more important thing is room efforts, size( in real life you always will have problems with a room less than 30 square meters or above 50 square meters), shape, placement of listener, speakers and all the furnitures, treatments, etc
Second may be: don't focuse on one device but setup all your devices hifi chain as a whole.
Third law may be : a subjective pleasment with what you get, flat curve means nothing
, it means it's subjective, your listening tastes are changing with time, experience, bias, evolution of tastes themselves as you can choose a trade off over another one that change with time.Fourth law, focus on first law and don t forgett to listen to true live music i.e. unpluged , both for the pleasure and reset your ears from your own bias or method you consider good like for instance my osci knows better than me about aesthetic and own tastes and emprical habits....
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