| High End, What's Different? [message #79409] |
Wed, 12 February 2014 04:44  |
Samuel
Messages: 45
Registered: January 2014
Location: USA
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Baron |
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High end equipment is supposed to give a better hi-fi sound. But I'm curious. What is it that they do differently to make this happen? Is it a matter of using better quality materials?
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| Re: High End, What's Different? [message #79416 is a reply to message #79409] |
Wed, 12 February 2014 12:32  |
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Wayne Parham
Messages: 18782
Registered: January 2001
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Illuminati (33rd Degree) |
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Some high-end is just what I call "audio jewelry." It sounds no better, and often times sounds worse that good commercial equipment. Other high-end gear is designed with less compromises, and it sounds much better.
One thing though, there is a ton of truly low-fidelity gear out there these days. So many MP3 players out there with nasty circuitry, fed with lossy, hacked-up digital copies of the source material. Most equipment out there is at an all-time low, worse than I've seen at any other time of my life. I think the reason is customers these days are looking for features and convenience, and they've settled on very low quality in the trade. It's weird to me.
So the reason I say all that is you will see a major improvement in sound just going from the little "home theater in a box" or phone/pod player up to a decent receiver and set of speakers. That is a night and day better improvement. This would be going from low-fidelity to what some of us call mid-fi. Then if you were to chose a really nice amplifier and speakers someday, with a good source, this would be another step up, to high-end hifi.
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| Re: High End, What's Different? [message #79468 is a reply to message #79467] |
Sun, 16 February 2014 21:20 |
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gofar99
Messages: 1947
Registered: May 2010
Location: Southern Arizona
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Illuminati (5th Degree) |
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Hi, Yes, The car manufacturers have been doing it for years.....more chrome = greater value. At least that is what they try to convince you of. Same is now rampant in audio. Lots of glitz, little of quality. So how to sort the good from the bad. Check out the forums. If you see something you like ask about it. DO NOT rely on the reviews on the site that has the item. Many are now faked. It is really best to listen to things before you buy. Hard to do sometimes as there are few brick and mortar stores that carry quality audio gear. Check about a return policy, if it is really good then the likelihood that the product is good increases. Pay with a credit card. You have more rights and are more likely to get resolution if the sale is a bummer. Something to watch out for in audio gear is what I call the horsepower race. More does not equate with better and much of it is inflated. Rampant in the consumer level goods. I have seen mini speakers rated at things like 1000 watts. It would become incandescent at that level. A sonic light bulb. Also in amplifiers. 1000watts of peak music power is a meaningless term. Continuous power is better but not really a measure of quality. Distortion and frequency response quoted at a single frequency at one watt is somewhat more useful, but really doesn't tell you how something sounds in your system. The best thing is use your ears to judge, but next best is someone you trust that either has or is familiar with the item.
Good Listening
Bruce
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