Article: Why We Need Audiophiles
Reply #864 – 2009-05-02 22:16:38
Two words:sighted evaluation.... In fact this has to be one of the most bogus listening comparisons that I've ever heard of. It would be totally invalid even if it were hextuple-blind. ;-) Read the lines, not between them. They didn't compare the using same music! Yes, I agree, it wasn't at all, in any way objective or scientific; however, this isn't the same issue that I'm talking about. What interested me was the quality of this particular completely subjective experience. Did the listener experience what he claimed? It seems so, doesn't it? Now, I'm not claiming anything other than trying to point out that quality of his experience seemed to transcend far beyond what would have been heard through an ordinary, consumer grade audio system. To me it it seems as if some are claiming that his experience wasn't real and was nothing more than self-deception combined with hyperbole and or artistic license. Personally, I wonder as I've seemingly had similar experiences.Now, let's back off a step. We all know that in reproduction systems, transducers are everything. AFAIK, this comparison was between $65,000 Wilson MAXX3 speakers and what for all the world seems to be standard iPod earbuds. Plesae prove me wrong about this! In fact, I completely agree with your point that a comparison isn't meaningful or in anyway useful, however, I'm not interested in the comparison or in his earbuds at all. What interests me is in replicating the quality of his original experience, if at all possible.So, if the red badge of courage goes to people who know how to make standard iPod earbuds sound like they are "...completely lifeless, flat in every way...", it seems like you've two choices. You can spend $65,000 on Wilson MAXX3 speakers, $350,000 on the complete Fremer vinyl-analog trip, or you can sink a couple-three $hundred on some decent personal transducers for listening. ;-) Comparing different earbuds, headphones and speakers would be interesting, but once again it seems as if you're just beating around the bush, while I'm trying to grasp the nettle.