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In Reply to: RE: Comments I get on speaker size are ALWAYS about 'You must play music really LOUD" sort. never quality. nt posted by Elizabeth on July 31, 2012 at 14:18:56
an entirely new subject and certainly one foreign to non audiophile type people. I'm not saying that's bad but most people simply listen to the music that is being played, tap their feet and hum along. The casual listener either likes the music or they don't. The myriad of qualities that comprise critical listening are simply not a factor to the general public.
When I used to search for lps during the Golden era of record collecting garage sale folks immediately assumed that I was looking for Beatle albums or some other once popular artists.
For some reason I felt compelled to give a mini lecture on why I was looking more for such labels RCA Shaded Dogs labels, Columbia 6 eyes or Mercury Living Presence editions and the special sound qualities found in those records. I would stop when I saw their eyes start to glaze over.
Follow Ups:
They may not understand equipment can sound realistic but they still want it to sound good. When I sold mini-systems and boom boxes at the Good Guys, even people spending $200 for equipment want the best sound they can get.
They want to know "does it pop" - that means does it have good Impact. That one was pretty universal, I can't remember others but all wanted good bass, high percussion that zings and clear vocals. Not being audiophiles they didn't know the audiophile terms they just wanted the best sound they could afford with their limited funds.
What some people here don't get is most working people make just pennies over minimum wage especially if they are in the service industry where most the new jobs are. Both parents work and with rent, food, clothes, health insurance, etc. not much money is left over for goodies especially if they have kids.
Come up with a $200 high-end system and I can guarantee most of the masses would buy it.
"Happy Listening,
Teresa."
the general public wants "quality/good" sound but my basic premise is that quality sound to the non-enthusiast is worlds apart from what we as critical listeners seek in a sound system.
Sure, Joe Public wants bass with lots of slam and a frequency range is reasonably articulated and cost wise does not require a second mortgage. Best Buy, Costco and other large chain stores can readily fill the need for very descent mid-fi systems. I have absolutely no argument for that preference including Bose Systems. The bottom line for me has always been does the listener derive satisfaction from their music system...period.
Keep in mind that only a tiny segment of the population cares about, imaging, depth, 3 dimensionality, transparency, staging, frequency response and a host of sound qualities audio enthusiasts strive for in our quest to move closer to audio nirvana. True, it's an elusive goal as Paul McGowan of PS Audio has recently written about in his daily blog.
My point is our listening habits and goals and those of the general public are very different.
I think that even when a total novice is first exposed to great sound he/she will not readily
be able to identify the special sound characteristics that a high-end system present.
It takes time and training.
"Keep in mind that only a tiny segment of the population cares about, imaging, depth, 3 dimensionality, transparency, staging, frequency response and a host of sound qualities audio enthusiasts strive for in our quest to move closer to audio nirvana."
True and that is why I said "They may not understand equipment can sound realistic but they still want it to sound good."
It is better that the general public cannot discern the finer points of sound reproduction, as it would lead to disappointment in their audio purchases. Can you imagine listening to the stereo you had when you were 16 years old with the audio knowledge you have now?
However if one were able to market (in the future) true high resolution audio that one could buy for a couple of hundred dollars at a department store that was very lifelike with all the audiophile sonic details, people who purchased such would soon get an appreation of such. And would spend many, many hours just saying "WOW", "WOW" , I never knew recorded music could sound this real.
Most people have no clue that recorded music can even approach the realism of live music. They just try to buy the best sound they can with the money they have to spend.
I'm all for technological advancements which will lower the entry point of realistic sounding audio to everyone. Maybe I will live long enough to see that day. Mid-fi prices are getting lower and adopting technology from the high-end. Some day mid-fi will be so competitive that junk-fi and low-fi will be a thing of the past.
I think BluRay players, some less than $100, which play movies and music at 24/96 and 24/48 are a step closer to getting sonic realism to the general public. I think the future looks bright.
"Happy Listening,
Teresa."
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