Branding

You know what? Audio related hearsays are flocking out from the bat caves. Half of them are partially correct, this is a repetition of blind men and the elephant. Everyone is selling their stories from their perspective which is somewhat inconclusive. Patient, time will work its magic, the story will reveal itself in due time.

Ironically, people are saying irresponsible things with no fear of repercussion. I have in the past engaged with these people, stand down was the best thing to do. They don't worth your time. Time is better spent listening to music than listening to their unsubstantiated bullshits. A highly respected audio veteran once advised me, the sound emitted from his system is his credential and the testimony of his ability. I couldn't agree more, hands down. So, go take a listen to his system before taking in his words.

Is high-end audio the only path to the highest fidelity? I was inspired by a cook today, the simple analogy; good ingredients and a bad cook against so-so ingredients and a good cook, who do you put your bet on? Bullseye! I guess your answer is similar to mine. We are the cook of our system, the question lies in our setup ability to realize the full potential of the system. And it is more than plug and play, powered up and you have guessed it right, a big mouth. You might get away with nonexperienced audio folks with your stories, but your lies remained forever because no way you could retract what you had said. The truth will one-day prevails, maybe not tomorrow, not next month, not next year but that day will eventually come.

Now, the things about brand affection particularly the high-end ones, they don't hold all the answers to good sound. High-end audio cures no bad acoustics or corrupted power. You got to hit the nail on the head and get to the bottom of it. Your right limb is wounded, the doctor amputates your left limb, what say you. You are screwed! On acoustics issue, there are more than absorption and diffusion than one might think, that's so elementary. I would rate room acoustics and power above audio hardware. Three together, they make out of the trinity of good sound. So, when a guy comes and tells you replacing your equipment with a high-end equipment, give him a silly grin. If the guy says that he will buy from you if the equipment does not sound good in your system. You should broom him out of your house. He is taking you for a ride, your loss is his gain, that's not a way to treat a friend but a fool. The hell they and their brand affection, go take them to somewhere else. I judge a product by its sound, not brand nor aesthetic. Look at the big picture, will you?

On the other hand, some are eager to prove themselves, wanting the attention by selling bullshits. People who regard themselves too highly, unfortunately, they aren't exposed enough to draw a conclusion. A learned scholar always gives the benefits of doubt that allows for the unknown. I must say that I'm amazed by their gutsy words and claims since their system is rather unaccomplished. Their arrogance knows no bound, may I ask if they know about sound? A sterile sound is not a good sound. A lifeless sound is not a good sound. A colored sound is not a good sound. A fuzzy sound is not a good sound. A congested sound is not a good sound. You got to be kidding me! The choice of their acoustic treatment alone is good enough to shed some light into the level of their sound quality, this is coming from my experience.

We are no saint, we make mistakes, we say the wrong things but we learn from our mistakes, repent and move on. The whole encounter humbles me, makes me guard my mouth, not to make any unsubstantiated claims. It's a terrible feeling that your words come haunting you one day. You will forever carry the name. My confidence comes from my continuous learning and experimentations. My system isn't perfect, whose is? Because I have my sound priority, the naturalness of sound that obliges to play a grand piano well. Why piano? Because piano covers the most octaves in a single instrument, seven octaves plus a minor third to be exact. It is that simple.

Well, don't take my word for it. Look around you and your audio buddies, they have lost their hearing to their sight. Their buying decision is heavily influenced by the brand legacy and maybe peer pressure. Never subscribe to the idea that high-end audio is the only key to good sound, never fall into symbolic audio. Never to be a prey of the media which works on your perception. You don't have to look far to see how the media influences the voters in an election. Media becomes the darling of politicians and celebrities. No, I don't deny high-end audio's sound merit but a well setup system taking care of room acoustics and power, thing can only get better thereon. It is a different story if you want to have a symbolic system to impress your guests and your friends. If that is the case with you, go buy the most aesthetic appealing and the most exorbitantly priced audio, they do enough to separate the masses, to attain an exclusivity satisfying your self-esteem. Sound quality is irrelevant.

Priority check

The lunar new year is now behind us, we have to pick up where we left and move forward. Laziness bugs hit me. Food doesn't drop from the sky, damn, I need to pay bills. The rain was over, the scorching sun caught up, the afternoon heat is unbearable. To my annoyance, the heat is here stay.

Have you ever been asked what is most matters to you in the sound reproduction? I can assure you will receive a poll of diverse views from different people. Some might give textbook like answers or a paraphrase of a long audio wishlist. Come on, you know it's unrealistic. We are not living in a perfect world, "give and take" is a compromise we have to make.

I had been giving some thoughts on this. A friend once said to me that I listen quite differently from the others, who isn't? I didn't read his cute underminer; it carries hidden meanings. Jeez, I smell a rotten egg. Accuracy had topped my audio priority and it goes without saying that my system was tuned in accordance with that in line, the best I know.

Posting makes me think deep; it helps me to maintain a clear mind. It is important to set a clear direction. A clear direction prevents costly wrong turns nor it avoids a wrong turn. If it is so, blame your inconclusive parameters. The more you listen to the real thing, the more you understand the righteous sound. Wisdom comes with age, unfortunately.

Young audiophiles expect too much in high fidelity, a simple recipe to lose focus. The reality and time have their way of humbling us; we can not have a cake and eat it too. It calls for prioritization. If super detail is your priority, focus there and go for it. If the sexist midrange is your priority, work there and go for it. If the bass definition is your priority, concentrate there and go all out for it. Be excel in your prioritized quest, you will be remembered for it per se.

Rhythmic drive is second to none in my opinion, of course. It's the beat of the music, the single most essential element that draws you into the music. Accuracy doesn't move emotions, we can accept some levels of inaccuracies to a certain extent. And for the most part, the audio folks wouldn't bother about accuracy, less is true with the musician turns audiophile. Their instinct on the accuracy of tone instantly in an overdrive mode, it hits me in a similar fashion too. All products exhibit a kaleidoscope of tonal colors, some are simply more colored than the others. Nonetheless, an overly rich sounding system is often too colored for its own good. However, coloration free is a desire mirage phenomenon, neither the mankind nor current technology is capable of "one to one" replication. Hence, it makes sense that our sound reproduction is measured by the least number of flaw.

Bass is a big part of the rhythm, the force that drives the music. No, I don't have a bass that pins you at the chest. That's a 12 inch or bigger bass driver bespoke grandiose and my room couldn't tame the turmoils of the bass siege. A conclusive bass is where it starts and ends smoothly. A rounded bass betters a jagged bass, a fast bass betters a muddy bass, a lesser bass betters a bloated bass. Get it? Well, you can say less is more here.

Rhythm or music flow is essentially what make music; music. An interruption to the flow is the last thing you ever want. You see, audiences are aware of the artist's anxiety that impedes the rhythm like you never own the song. A good musician displays a commanding and surefooted voice. More so with jazz, an edgy improvisation sends jitters. It kills the music. You recognize that picosecond delay or uncertainties, the flow is abruptly stalled and the magic is robbed. In classical music particularly, the half-hearted crescendo is a definite letdown, an unfinished ending.

Secondly, tonal contrast should not be undermined. A homogeneous sound is a boring sound. High tonal contrast depicts tonal insights enriching the sound. Put it simply, you get to hear more. This is important in high fidelity.

With rhythm and high tonal contrast, the music is at the helm. Last but not least, injection of liveliness. You will find yourself nodding head, foot-tapping and body moving rather than as background music. That's my friends, is the greatest pleasure I find in music listening, a window to a world of your own.