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Graham Slee View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Graham Slee Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Mar 2008 at 5:37pm
The reason for the brightness exhibited by so many raved about products is because many a reviewers hearing is shot, requiring something like 20dB treble boost for it to sound right. Therefore anything that's not bright will score less than full marks with them. But unfortunately you end up buying their recommendations without knowing if their hearing is any good!

Either that or they write their reviews without actually hearing the product.

Worse than that, they edit someone else's review without actually hearing the product.

How do I know that? You may well ask, but I won't answer because they have rich publishers with plenty of time on their hands to fight a courtroom battle, whereas I'm not that millionaire you may think I am, but a 24/7 guy who works hard for is living.

Edited by Graham Slee - 19 Mar 2008 at 5:42pm
That none should be able to buy or sell without a smartphone and the knowledge in how to use apps
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dvv View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote dvv Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Mar 2008 at 8:44am
There was a time when audio was agentleman's hobby. In those days, manufacturers were really trying hard to make advances in sound quality beside extrenal design. Then, with the advent of video, and later on the PC, audio fell from favor. This caused the industry to abandon true, in-depth research and move on to the its gadget phase. Many who could not adapt, went under: JVC, Akai, Sansui and even some venerable names, such as Studer/ReVox, Ferrograph, Uher, Telefunken, etc. These are simple facts.
 
We can argune no end about the sonic signatures of this or that item, this or that technology, this or that company even. For example, I would take issue (but not here and now) with Graham's view that class A trannies add specific distortion due to non-linear characteristics of transistors insofar that while the basic argument stands as far as it goes, it doesn't go far enough. Transistors will add that punch or oomph no valve ever had, they will control the speaker as no valve amp ever had, even in rather basic designs. Point being, what the take away on one side, they more than make up for on another.
 
There's a whole movement in US to finally, after 20+ years, make the basic Red Book CD finally sound as good as it has potential for. I don't have the link, but they show 10 best and 10 worst, and I remember that the No.1 worst is actually clipped 260,000 times on the CD - in other words, it is virtually 100% of the time in clipping.
 
And I have seen this CD listed as test material for assessing CD players and amps.
 
Incidentally, the No.1 Best, Greatest Hits by Abba (ID number quoted) has zero clipping. Not once on the whole CD!
 
If your source is trash, how do you check for audio quality downstream?
 
This becomes actually worse with headphone amps such as Graham's and in conjuction with even budget cans, such as Grado SR-60, or Sony 480, not to even mention quality gear like Sennheiser's 590, etc. Headphones, especially closed types, can be merciless in revealing all sorts of faults.
 
We who develop things need to find various ways around this problem. Personally, I use a Philips N4520 open reel deck, at 19 ips, IEC (rather than NAB because there's no bass boost) equalization, and record classic LPs on them. Not perfect, but typically much better than a standard CD. Even better, some master tape material, either from a studio, or home-made.
 
Under such circustances, Graham's argument that many a reviewer's hearing is shot is far more true than most could even imagine. In addition, they don't really bother (most of them), they weasel out for the manufacturers what they regard as reference gear, then they stick some music in and off they go. Sound treated rooms? Off hand, I'd guess less than 10% of them have any.
 
Lastly, what Graham did not explicitly mention, but I certainly will - gentlemen, it's a business all around. Mags and reviewers think like this - I write/publish that product X from company Y is a great product, they sell lorryloads of them, make a pile of money, but what's in it for me?
 
So, now you have reviewers who own audio systems worth well over 100,000 quid. How did they come by them? On author proceeds? Hardly, not on what mags pay for texts, you'd be surprised how little they pay. On the other hand, prices of some reviers and comments are not unknown, and range from 5,000 to 2,000 quid for a favorable review. With mags, it's a bit different, they look at your advertising bill. I have personal experience on this. A well known British mag tested one of my products and gave it a lukewarm cheerio; I have zero adverstising in that mag. A British manufacturer, against whose products I'll compete aeny day and come out better, has a full colour page every issue - so what are they going to say, this small kid from Serbia makes better products than our own well known manufacturer? And risk losing his advertising? No way!
 
It's a very complex picture out there, and it has everything to do with economy, unfortunately more so than with sound.
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