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Thread: Top 10 Audio Lies

  1. #1
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    Default Top 10 Audio Lies

    Saw this on another forum, thought I would post it here too.

    http://www.theaudiocritic.com/downloads/article_1.pdf

  2. #2
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    Default

    It's nice to see that Peter Aczel is still around. I subscribed to The Audio Critic back in 1976 or '77 when it was introduced, with great fanfare, as a more rigorous, scientifically-valid "underground" alternative to Stereophile and The Absolute Sound, which at that time were solidly in the "golden-ear" camp. Aczel was very feisty and combative and, to his credit, was one of the first to stress the importance of proper phono cartridge alignment. One of his pet peeves at the time was the "S-shaped" tonearm.

    He also, in contrast to what he now believes, was vehemently opposed to the proposed digital standards for CDs (which started to become "mainstream" around 1980), almost hysterically condemning the standards as not good enough.

    Unfortunately, despite a promise to publish quarterly, subsequent issues arrived less and less frequently, and stopped altogether after about 3 years, when I still had several left in my paid subscription. I heard he had suffered a "nervous breakdown", and then had started a small speaker company of his own.

    His feisty and literate writing style has obviously survived the years, and this article should be required reading for all audio newbies.

    Thanks for the trip down "memory lane", Johnny!

  3. #3
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    Default audiophoolery

    Thanks for the great article, Johnnycasaba. For more reading on "electronic pseudoscience" members can check out an article in the new issue of Skeptic magazine, Vol.11 No.3 (www.skeptic.com) titled "Audiophoolery".
    It is written by professional audio engineer Ethan Winer, who also casts a jaundiced eye on some of the snake oil that's being scammed out there to consumers of high end audio.
    Last edited by mokemo; 04-01-2005 at 07:07 PM. Reason: bad spelling

  4. #4
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    "It is written by professional audio engineer Ethan Winer,"

    I enjoy reading Ethan. He's not one sugar coat an issue. I'll check out the article at work.
    Here's Ethan's website:

    http://www.ethanwiner.com/index.htm

    Perceptual psychology is an area that has made great strides in the last two decades. It explains a lot about our senses and why we see, hear, taste and feel the way we do. We do in fact see and hear differences that don't exist. Experiments have shown this over and over again. Now, we're beginning to understand some of the reasons behind this. My last Psych course was six years ago so I'm not up on the lastest .
    My next door neighbor has a PHD in Audiology. He's always fun to talk to about these things.
    This hobby would be less interesting if it were all science but the bottom line to me will remain the science. I don't dispute what people hear or see. I can dispute if there is anything of substance behind it. Great topic. Thanks for posting it.

    David
    Last edited by bikeman; 03-31-2005 at 05:56 AM.

  5. #5
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    My next door neighbor has a PHD in Audiology.
    Hahahaha! I've never even heard of that before? I want a PhD in moviewatchinology.

    I got hired today. Now I can get back to building my flight hours for my PPL.

  6. #6
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    Thumbs up

    Congrats on the new job!!

    Audiology is a real field. I have a good friend that has a masters degree in the field, and she used to work with hearing aids and the hearing impaired. It is cool talking to her about sound because she understands all the concepts, perceptions, and downfalls. She recently wanted to buy some small speakers for her new projection setup...I sent her to Hsu for the Ventriliquist system...she loved it and said Dr. Hsu must have been surprised that a chick understood everything he was talking about.
    -curtis

  7. #7
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    is she single?

  8. #8
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    "I got hired today."

    Way to go, Nicholas. I hope the new job dosen't interfere with your posting to the Forum. We have to maintain some priorities.

    David

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by metalaaron
    is she single?
    Yes she is...and very good looking. I know her well enough to know she has a couple of guys on the "string" right now.

    Yeah Nicholas....can you post from your new job? Your contributions have been great these past couple of weeks!
    -curtis

  10. #10
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    I have a really weird work schedule, but I took this schedule in favor of a 7-3 M-F offer (I hate days). I want to pick up a couple languages, and can't take the higher level coursework I need working days. Last spring I spent four months traveling around the country and driving to Alaska. I'm hoping to save up for a few years again and do something similar in Europe. I'm also itching to try myself at hiking the Appalachian Trail. I've hiked the better portion of it up here in Mass and Vermont, but want to try the 5 month struggle to do it all at once. My goals for the next few years are to get my private pilots license (I have 6hrs right now), become reasonably fluent in Spanish (which supposedly makes Italian & Portugueese easier to pick up), be able to get around with French & German, get a home theater display, and save money for adventuring (AT and Europe). I figure I'll get atleast a couple of those things accomplished if I keep my aim high...

    I'm a wastewater operator, so mainly I'm either in a lab running tests or out fixing machinery, so I can't post from work.

    My hours are 11p-7a M & T, and 3p-11p W, Sa, and Su. So my "weekend" will be 11pm Wednesday to 3pm Saturday. Anyhoo, I'll still be around...

    BFD just arrived...

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