Audiophile
Encyclopedia
An audiophile is a person who enjoys listening to recorded music, usually in a home. Some audiophiles are more interested in collecting and listening to music, while others are more interested in collecting and listening to audio components, whose "sound quality" they consider as important as the recorded musical performance, or even more important. The ratio of an audiophile's spending on software (music) versus hardware (audio components) is a rough guide to where they stand in the audiophile spectrum.
While audiophiles would prefer to listen to music at home whose sound quality matches an original live performance, they realize achieving that goal is very rare in a typical relatively small home listening room. An additional problem is that few recordings are actually of live music -- they are usually recordings of individual instruments subjectively blended together by a recording engineer.
.
While specialized electronic components and speakers can create "good sounding" music in a home listening room, the goal of creating the illusion of live musicians at home is very difficult to achieve with two-channel audio, and difficult with five or more channel "surround sound" audio.
.
An audiophile who has heard an unusually high quality recording in a high quality listening room, reproduced with high quality audio components, may spend a lifetime trying to duplicate that experience. However, few recordings are good enough to sound like live music at home, under any circumstances, so a challenge for some audiophiles is determining what sounds "best" to his (or her) ears in a room at home, while listening to his recorded music collection. This challenge, plus the audible effects that different listening room acoustics have on sound, make "sound quality" very subjective among audiophiles, except for the general agreement that what they are hearing doesn't really sound like live musicians playing in the room.
These specialized audio components include turntables, digital-to-analog converter
s, equalization
devices, preamplifier
s and amplifiers. Both high quality solid-state and vacuum tube
amplifiers are used. The quest for audio perfection can also include horn loudspeakers or electrostatic speakers, power conditioner
s, subwoofer
s and acoustic room treatment
.
Audiophile values may be applied at all stages of music reproduction: the initial audio recording, the production process, and the playback, which is usually in a home setting. High-end audio
refers to expensive, high-quality, or esoteric products and practices used in the reproduction of music. Electronic gear used by audiophiles can be bought at specialist shops and websites. Audiophiles can purchase special recordings made with extra attention to sound quality, some being special audiophile-oriented reissues, as well as recordings in high-resolution formats such as Super Audio CD
or DVD-Audio
. Many modern audiophiles also take advantage of lossless file formats such as WAV
, FLAC
, WMA Lossless, and Apple Lossless
.
), two or more loudspeaker
s.
In addition, different signal cables (analog audio, speaker, digital audio etc.) can be used to link these components. There are also a variety of accessories. These include specialized equipment racks, power conditioner
s, devices to reduce or control vibration
, peripheral devices such as record cleaners, anti-static devices, and phonograph needle cleaners, and reverberation
reducing devices such as speaker pads and stands, sound absorbent foam and soundproofing
.
The interaction between the loudspeakers and the room plays an important part in sound quality. Sound vibrations are reflected from walls, floor and ceiling, and are affected by the contents of the room. Room dimensions can create standing wave
s. There are devices for room treatment that affect sound quality. Soft materials, such as draperies and carpets, can absorb higher frequencies, whereas hard walls and floors can cause excess reverberation.
s (CDs), and digital audio file format
s that are uncompressed as well as ones that are compressed using lossless data compression
like FLAC
, Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless
and Apple Lossless
. Since the early 1990s, CDs have become the most common source of high-quality music. Nevertheless, turntables, tonearms, and magnetic cartridge
s are still used, despite the difficulties of keeping records free from dust and the delicate set-up associated with turntables.
The 44.1 kHz sampling rate
of the CD format, in theory, restricts CD information losses to above the theoretical upper-frequency limit of human hearing – 20 kHz, see Nyquist limit. Newer formats such as DVD-Audio
and Super Audio Compact Disc
(SACD), with sampling rates of 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz or even higher, have been developed in an attempt to address this criticism.
CDs are made utilizing 16-bit technology. Some higher-definition consumer formats such as HDCD-encoded CDs contain 20-bit and even 24-bit audio streams. With more bits more dynamic range
is possible; 20 bit dynamic range is theoretically 120 dB—the limit of most consumer electronic playback equipment. In order to get closer to the sound of the live performance these higher bit rates can be desirable.
In MP3 encoding, as well as with other lossy compression formats, musical information is lost in proportion to the degree of compression.
s; typically the only control on a power amplifier, if one exists at all, is a gain (level) control.
Audiophile amplifiers are available based on solid-state (semiconductor
) technology, vacuum-tube
(valve) technology, or hybrid technology—semiconductors and vacuum tubes.
Dedicated amplifiers are also commonly used by audiophiles to drive headphones, especially those with high impedance and/or low sensitivity, or electrostatic headphones.
. There is a wide variety of loudspeaker enclosure designs, including sealed (acoustic suspension
), ported (bass-reflex), transmission line, infinite baffle, horn loaded, and aperiodic. The enclosure plays a major role in the sound of the loudspeaker.
The drivers are the actual sound-producing elements, referred to as tweeter
s, midrange
s, woofer
s, and subwoofer
s. Driver designs include dynamic, electrostatic, plasma, ribbon, planar, ionic, and servo-actuated. Drivers are made from various materials, including paper pulp, polypropylene, kevlar, aluminum, magnesium, beryllium, and vapor-deposited diamond.
The direction and intensity of the output of a loudspeaker, called dispersion or polar response, has a large effect on its sound. Various methods are employed to control the dispersion. These methods include monopolar, bipolar, dipolar, 360 degree, horn, waveguide, and line source. These terms refer to the configuration and arrangement of the various drivers in the enclosure.
The positioning of loudspeakers in the room and of the optimum listening position (referred to as the "sweet spot") is of great importance in producing optimum sound. Loudspeaker output is influenced by interaction with room boundaries, particularly bass response, and high frequency transducers are directional, or "beaming."
Room treatments consist of several types. One type is sound-absorbing materials which are placed strategically within a listening room to reduce the amplitude of early reflections, and to deal with resonance modes. Another type is called diffusion which is designed to reflect the sound in a scattered fashion. Room treatments can be expensive and difficult to optimize—as acoustics is considered to be both an art and a science.
Audiophile-standard headphones retail in the region of $60–$1,700, although it is possible to spend upwards of $14,000 (e.g. the Sennheiser HE-90). Headphones marketed to audiophiles are a tiny fraction of the cost of comparable speaker systems and do not require any room adjustment for music enjoyment.
Running afoul of community noise regulation
s or even disturbing roommates can be avoided.
Newer canalphones, while as expensive as their larger counterparts, can be driven by less powerful outputs like portable devices.
Headphones are also often used by audiophiles in environments that wouldn't accommodate a full audio system, such as the workplace or an unsuitable room at home. Some audiophiles claim that there are headphones that can surpass the quality of any entry level Hi-Fi speaker set.
and double blind testing is of the greatest importance. Subjectivists believe that measured performance can not account for all discernible differences in sound quality and thus they rely on extended listening tests to form an opinion. Audiophiles in the third group choose to combine both approaches by performing objective technical tests in combination with extended subjective listening tests.
and electronic noise
, many audiophiles agree that the fewer and simpler the stages, the better. Many audiophile components, for example, lack tone control circuits
, since it is felt that these may degrade the audio quality while moving the sound away from the ideal.
The minimalist subjectivist assertion is that music contains elements which cannot be measured by electronic instruments, so the less one alters the original signal, the more likely it is that this unmeasurable quality is preserved. Conversely, corrections for imperfections in the equipment cannot be adjusted, nor can effects of the specific room that is in use.
Objectivists, however, want to reasonably quantify and specify the effects of input source, amplifier set-up, system power, speaker configuration, etc. on the listening experience. This desire is complementary to purely subjective preferences in quantifying the perceptible effects of different equipment set-ups.
and analog
media. Pro-digital audiophiles believe that digital technology's absence of clicks, pops, wow
, flutter, acoustic feedback, and rumble
make it superior to records. They also assert that digital technology has a higher signal-to-noise ratio
, has a wider dynamic range
, has less total harmonic distortion
, and has a flatter and more extended frequency response
. Pro-analog audiophiles believe that analog sound lacks the deleterious effects caused by the analog to digital conversion necessary to produce CDs and therefore analog music reproduction from records
played on a properly configured turntable/tonearm setup is superior to digital music reproduction from CDs played on CD players. Additionally, pro-analog audiophiles often find the coloration of the music in analog formats to be desirable.
debate, some prefer vacuum-tube
electronics over solid-state electronics, because despite inferior measured performance, some claim a warmer or more musical sound. Vacuum-tube amplifiers are often attacked as inferior because, in addition to their substantially higher total harmonic distortion
, they require rebiasing, are less reliable, generate more heat, are less powerful, and are often more expensive.
Some have long believed that sound quality was degraded by large levels of negative feedback
in amplifiers. Poorly-designed feedback systems can produce poor sound quality. Thus the association of feedback with poor sound quality is likely a reflection of poorly-designed power amplifiers that use feedback incorrectly.
Feedback impacts the harmonic balance of the distortion spectra.
Roger Russell – a former engineer and speaker designer for McIntosh Labs – describes the introduction of expensive speaker wire brands, and critiques their performance in his online essay called Speaker Wire - A History. He writes, "The industry has now reached the point where [wire] resistance and listening quality are not the issues any more, although listening claims may still be made....The strategy in selling these products is, in part, to appeal to those who are looking to impress others with something unique and expensive."
Skeptic James Randi
, through his foundation, has offered a prize of $1 million to anyone who can demonstrate that $7,250 audio cables "are any better than ordinary audio cables". In 2008, audio reviewer Michael Fremer attempted to claim the prize, and said that Randi declined the challenge. Randi said that the cable manufacturer Pear was the one who withdrew.
Audiophile publications
Audio societies
While audiophiles would prefer to listen to music at home whose sound quality matches an original live performance, they realize achieving that goal is very rare in a typical relatively small home listening room. An additional problem is that few recordings are actually of live music -- they are usually recordings of individual instruments subjectively blended together by a recording engineer.
.
While specialized electronic components and speakers can create "good sounding" music in a home listening room, the goal of creating the illusion of live musicians at home is very difficult to achieve with two-channel audio, and difficult with five or more channel "surround sound" audio.
.
An audiophile who has heard an unusually high quality recording in a high quality listening room, reproduced with high quality audio components, may spend a lifetime trying to duplicate that experience. However, few recordings are good enough to sound like live music at home, under any circumstances, so a challenge for some audiophiles is determining what sounds "best" to his (or her) ears in a room at home, while listening to his recorded music collection. This challenge, plus the audible effects that different listening room acoustics have on sound, make "sound quality" very subjective among audiophiles, except for the general agreement that what they are hearing doesn't really sound like live musicians playing in the room.
These specialized audio components include turntables, digital-to-analog converter
Digital-to-analog converter
In electronics, a digital-to-analog converter is a device that converts a digital code to an analog signal . An analog-to-digital converter performs the reverse operation...
s, equalization
Equalization (audio)
Equalization is the process commonly used in sound recording and reproduction to alter the frequency response of an audio system using linear filters. Most hi-fi equipment uses relatively simple filters to make bass and treble adjustments. Graphic and parametric equalizers have much more...
devices, preamplifier
Preamplifier
A preamplifier is an electronic amplifier that prepares a small electrical signal for further amplification or processing. A preamplifier is often placed close to the sensor to reduce the effects of noise and interference. It is used to boost the signal strength to drive the cable to the main...
s and amplifiers. Both high quality solid-state and vacuum tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
amplifiers are used. The quest for audio perfection can also include horn loudspeakers or electrostatic speakers, power conditioner
Power conditioner
A power conditioner is a device intended to improve the quality of the power that is delivered to electrical load equipment...
s, subwoofer
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
s and acoustic room treatment
Soundproofing
Soundproofing is any means of reducing the sound pressure with respect to a specified sound source and receptor. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using...
.
Audiophile values may be applied at all stages of music reproduction: the initial audio recording, the production process, and the playback, which is usually in a home setting. High-end audio
High-end audio
High-end audio is a term used to describe a class of consumer home audio equipment marketed to audio enthusiasts on the basis of high price or quality, and esoteric or novel sound reproduction technologies. High-end audio can refer simply to the price, to the build quality of the components, or to...
refers to expensive, high-quality, or esoteric products and practices used in the reproduction of music. Electronic gear used by audiophiles can be bought at specialist shops and websites. Audiophiles can purchase special recordings made with extra attention to sound quality, some being special audiophile-oriented reissues, as well as recordings in high-resolution formats such as Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
or DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio is not intended to be a video delivery format and is not the same as video DVDs containing concert films or music videos....
. Many modern audiophiles also take advantage of lossless file formats such as WAV
WAV
Waveform Audio File Format , is a Microsoft and IBM audio file format standard for storing an audio bitstream on PCs...
, FLAC
FLAC
FLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
, WMA Lossless, and Apple Lossless
Apple Lossless
Apple Lossless Apple Lossless Apple Lossless (also known as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec), or ALE (Apple Lossless Encoder) is an audio codec developed by Apple Inc. for lossless data compression of digital music. After initially being proprietary for many years, in late 2011 Apple open sourced...
.
Audio system components
An audio system typically consists of a number of components. These include one or more source components, one or more amplification components, and (for stereoStereophonic sound
The term Stereophonic, commonly called stereo, sound refers to any method of sound reproduction in which an attempt is made to create an illusion of directionality and audible perspective...
), two or more loudspeaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s.
In addition, different signal cables (analog audio, speaker, digital audio etc.) can be used to link these components. There are also a variety of accessories. These include specialized equipment racks, power conditioner
Power conditioner
A power conditioner is a device intended to improve the quality of the power that is delivered to electrical load equipment...
s, devices to reduce or control vibration
Vibration
Vibration refers to mechanical oscillations about an equilibrium point. The oscillations may be periodic such as the motion of a pendulum or random such as the movement of a tire on a gravel road.Vibration is occasionally "desirable"...
, peripheral devices such as record cleaners, anti-static devices, and phonograph needle cleaners, and reverberation
Reverberation
Reverberation is the persistence of sound in a particular space after the original sound is removed. A reverberation, or reverb, is created when a sound is produced in an enclosed space causing a large number of echoes to build up and then slowly decay as the sound is absorbed by the walls and air...
reducing devices such as speaker pads and stands, sound absorbent foam and soundproofing
Soundproofing
Soundproofing is any means of reducing the sound pressure with respect to a specified sound source and receptor. There are several basic approaches to reducing sound: increasing the distance between source and receiver, using noise barriers to reflect or absorb the energy of the sound waves, using...
.
The interaction between the loudspeakers and the room plays an important part in sound quality. Sound vibrations are reflected from walls, floor and ceiling, and are affected by the contents of the room. Room dimensions can create standing wave
Standing wave
In physics, a standing wave – also known as a stationary wave – is a wave that remains in a constant position.This phenomenon can occur because the medium is moving in the opposite direction to the wave, or it can arise in a stationary medium as a result of interference between two waves traveling...
s. There are devices for room treatment that affect sound quality. Soft materials, such as draperies and carpets, can absorb higher frequencies, whereas hard walls and floors can cause excess reverberation.
Sound sources
Audiophiles play music from a wide variety of sources such as phonograph records, compact discCompact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
s (CDs), and digital audio file format
Audio file format
An audio file format is a file format for storing digital audio data on a computer system. This data can be stored uncompressed, or compressed to reduce the file size. It can be a raw bitstream, but it is usually a container format or an audio data format with defined storage layer.-Types of...
s that are uncompressed as well as ones that are compressed using lossless data compression
Lossless data compression
Lossless data compression is a class of data compression algorithms that allows the exact original data to be reconstructed from the compressed data. The term lossless is in contrast to lossy data compression, which only allows an approximation of the original data to be reconstructed, in exchange...
like FLAC
FLAC
FLAC is a codec which allows digital audio to be losslessly compressed such that file size is reduced without any information being lost...
, Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless
Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless
Windows Media Audio 9 Lossless is a lossless audio codec by Microsoft, released in early 2003.It compresses an audio CD to a range of 206 to 411MB, at bit rates of 470 to 940 kbit/s. The result is a bit-for-bit duplicate of the original audio file; in other words, the audio quality on the CD will...
and Apple Lossless
Apple Lossless
Apple Lossless Apple Lossless Apple Lossless (also known as ALAC (Apple Lossless Audio Codec), or ALE (Apple Lossless Encoder) is an audio codec developed by Apple Inc. for lossless data compression of digital music. After initially being proprietary for many years, in late 2011 Apple open sourced...
. Since the early 1990s, CDs have become the most common source of high-quality music. Nevertheless, turntables, tonearms, and magnetic cartridge
Magnetic cartridge
A magnetic cartridge is a transducer used for the playback of gramophone records on a turntable or phonograph. It converts mechanical vibrational energy from a stylus riding in a spiral record groove into an electrical signal that is subsequently amplified and then converted back to sound by a...
s are still used, despite the difficulties of keeping records free from dust and the delicate set-up associated with turntables.
The 44.1 kHz sampling rate
Sampling rate
The sampling rate, sample rate, or sampling frequency defines the number of samples per unit of time taken from a continuous signal to make a discrete signal. For time-domain signals, the unit for sampling rate is hertz , sometimes noted as Sa/s...
of the CD format, in theory, restricts CD information losses to above the theoretical upper-frequency limit of human hearing – 20 kHz, see Nyquist limit. Newer formats such as DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio
DVD-Audio is a digital format for delivering high-fidelity audio content on a DVD. DVD-Audio is not intended to be a video delivery format and is not the same as video DVDs containing concert films or music videos....
and Super Audio Compact Disc
Super Audio CD
Super Audio CD is a high-resolution, read-only optical disc for audio storage. Sony and Philips Electronics jointly developed the technology, and publicized it in 1999. It is designated as the Scarlet Book standard. Sony and Philips previously collaborated to define the Compact Disc standard...
(SACD), with sampling rates of 88.2 kHz or 96 kHz or even higher, have been developed in an attempt to address this criticism.
CDs are made utilizing 16-bit technology. Some higher-definition consumer formats such as HDCD-encoded CDs contain 20-bit and even 24-bit audio streams. With more bits more dynamic range
Dynamic range
Dynamic range, abbreviated DR or DNR, is the ratio between the largest and smallest possible values of a changeable quantity, such as in sound and light. It is measured as a ratio, or as a base-10 or base-2 logarithmic value.-Dynamic range and human perception:The human senses of sight and...
is possible; 20 bit dynamic range is theoretically 120 dB—the limit of most consumer electronic playback equipment. In order to get closer to the sound of the live performance these higher bit rates can be desirable.
In MP3 encoding, as well as with other lossy compression formats, musical information is lost in proportion to the degree of compression.
Amplifiers
A preamplifier selects among several audio inputs, amplifies source-level signals (such as those from a turntable), and allows the listener to adjust the sound with volume and tone controls, switchable filters, etc. A power amplifier takes the "line-level" audio signal from the preamplifier and drives the loudspeakerLoudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
s; typically the only control on a power amplifier, if one exists at all, is a gain (level) control.
Audiophile amplifiers are available based on solid-state (semiconductor
Semiconductor
A semiconductor is a material with electrical conductivity due to electron flow intermediate in magnitude between that of a conductor and an insulator. This means a conductivity roughly in the range of 103 to 10−8 siemens per centimeter...
) technology, vacuum-tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
(valve) technology, or hybrid technology—semiconductors and vacuum tubes.
Dedicated amplifiers are also commonly used by audiophiles to drive headphones, especially those with high impedance and/or low sensitivity, or electrostatic headphones.
Loudspeakers
The cabinet of the loudspeaker is known as the enclosureLoudspeaker enclosure
A loudspeaker enclosure is a purpose-engineered cabinet in which speaker drivers and associated electronic hardware, such as crossover circuits and amplifiers, are mounted...
. There is a wide variety of loudspeaker enclosure designs, including sealed (acoustic suspension
Acoustic suspension
The acoustic suspension woofer is a type of loudspeaker that reduces bass distortion caused by non-linear, stiff mechanical suspensions in conventional loudspeakers...
), ported (bass-reflex), transmission line, infinite baffle, horn loaded, and aperiodic. The enclosure plays a major role in the sound of the loudspeaker.
The drivers are the actual sound-producing elements, referred to as tweeter
Tweeter
A tweeter is a loudspeaker designed to produce high audio frequencies, typically from around 2,000 Hz to 20,000 Hz . Some tweeters can manage response up to 65 kHz...
s, midrange
Mid-range speaker
A loudspeaker driver that produces the frequency range from approximately 300–5000 hertz is known as a mid-range.Midrange drivers are usually cone types or, less commonly, dome types, or compression horn drivers...
s, woofer
Woofer
Woofer is the term commonly used for a loudspeaker driver designed to produce low frequency sounds, typically from around 40 hertz up to about a kilohertz or higher. The name is from the onomatopoeic English word for a dog's bark, "woof"...
s, and subwoofer
Subwoofer
A subwoofer is a woofer, or a complete loudspeaker, which is dedicated to the reproduction of low-pitched audio frequencies known as the "bass". The typical frequency range for a subwoofer is about 20–200 Hz for consumer products, below 100 Hz for professional live sound, and below...
s. Driver designs include dynamic, electrostatic, plasma, ribbon, planar, ionic, and servo-actuated. Drivers are made from various materials, including paper pulp, polypropylene, kevlar, aluminum, magnesium, beryllium, and vapor-deposited diamond.
The direction and intensity of the output of a loudspeaker, called dispersion or polar response, has a large effect on its sound. Various methods are employed to control the dispersion. These methods include monopolar, bipolar, dipolar, 360 degree, horn, waveguide, and line source. These terms refer to the configuration and arrangement of the various drivers in the enclosure.
The positioning of loudspeakers in the room and of the optimum listening position (referred to as the "sweet spot") is of great importance in producing optimum sound. Loudspeaker output is influenced by interaction with room boundaries, particularly bass response, and high frequency transducers are directional, or "beaming."
Accessories
Audiophiles use a wide variety of accessories and fine-tuning techniques, otherwise known as "tweaks," to improve the sound of their systems. These tweaks include: filters to clean the electricity; equipment racks to isolate components from floor vibrations; specialty power cables, interconnect cables (e.g., between preamplifier and power amplifier), and loudspeaker cables; loudspeaker stands (and footers to isolate them from the stands); and room treatments – to name but a few.Room treatments consist of several types. One type is sound-absorbing materials which are placed strategically within a listening room to reduce the amplitude of early reflections, and to deal with resonance modes. Another type is called diffusion which is designed to reflect the sound in a scattered fashion. Room treatments can be expensive and difficult to optimize—as acoustics is considered to be both an art and a science.
Headphones
Audiophiles may use headphones as a high quality output for their music.Audiophile-standard headphones retail in the region of $60–$1,700, although it is possible to spend upwards of $14,000 (e.g. the Sennheiser HE-90). Headphones marketed to audiophiles are a tiny fraction of the cost of comparable speaker systems and do not require any room adjustment for music enjoyment.
Running afoul of community noise regulation
Noise regulation
Noise regulation includes statutes or guidelines relating to sound transmission established by national, state or provincial and municipal levels of government. After the watershed passage of the United States Noise Control Act of 1972, other local and state governments passed further regulations...
s or even disturbing roommates can be avoided.
Newer canalphones, while as expensive as their larger counterparts, can be driven by less powerful outputs like portable devices.
Headphones are also often used by audiophiles in environments that wouldn't accommodate a full audio system, such as the workplace or an unsuitable room at home. Some audiophiles claim that there are headphones that can surpass the quality of any entry level Hi-Fi speaker set.
Testing
Audiophiles are split into three schools of thought regarding testing. Objectivists believe that audio system measurementsAudio system measurements
Audio system measurements are made for several purposes. Designers take measurements so that they can specify the performance of a piece of equipment. Maintenance engineers make them to ensure equipment is still working to specification, or to ensure that the cumulative defects of an audio path are...
and double blind testing is of the greatest importance. Subjectivists believe that measured performance can not account for all discernible differences in sound quality and thus they rely on extended listening tests to form an opinion. Audiophiles in the third group choose to combine both approaches by performing objective technical tests in combination with extended subjective listening tests.
Minimalism
Given that each step in capturing, storing, and playing back music may degrade it, especially due to the fact that circuitry is prone to electromagnetic interferenceElectromagnetic interference
Electromagnetic interference is disturbance that affects an electrical circuit due to either electromagnetic induction or electromagnetic radiation emitted from an external source. The disturbance may interrupt, obstruct, or otherwise degrade or limit the effective performance of the circuit...
and electronic noise
Electronic noise
Electronic noise is a random fluctuation in an electrical signal, a characteristic of all electronic circuits. Noise generated by electronic devices varies greatly, as it can be produced by several different effects...
, many audiophiles agree that the fewer and simpler the stages, the better. Many audiophile components, for example, lack tone control circuits
Tone control circuits
Tone control is a type of equalization used to make specific pitches or "frequencies" in an audio signal softer or louder. A tone control circuit is an electronic circuit that consists of a network of filters which modify the signal before it is fed to speakers, headphones or recording devices by...
, since it is felt that these may degrade the audio quality while moving the sound away from the ideal.
The minimalist subjectivist assertion is that music contains elements which cannot be measured by electronic instruments, so the less one alters the original signal, the more likely it is that this unmeasurable quality is preserved. Conversely, corrections for imperfections in the equipment cannot be adjusted, nor can effects of the specific room that is in use.
Objectivists, however, want to reasonably quantify and specify the effects of input source, amplifier set-up, system power, speaker configuration, etc. on the listening experience. This desire is complementary to purely subjective preferences in quantifying the perceptible effects of different equipment set-ups.
Analog sound vs. digital sound reproduction
Audiophiles differ in opinion over the relative value and performance of digitalDigital audio
Digital audio is sound reproduction using pulse-code modulation and digital signals. Digital audio systems include analog-to-digital conversion , digital-to-analog conversion , digital storage, processing and transmission components...
and analog
Analog signal
An analog or analogue signal is any continuous signal for which the time varying feature of the signal is a representation of some other time varying quantity, i.e., analogous to another time varying signal. It differs from a digital signal in terms of small fluctuations in the signal which are...
media. Pro-digital audiophiles believe that digital technology's absence of clicks, pops, wow
Wow (recording)
Wow is a relatively slow form of flutter which can affect both gramophone records and tape recorders. In the latter, the collective expression wow and flutter is commonly used.-Gramophone records:...
, flutter, acoustic feedback, and rumble
Rumble (noise)
A rumble is a form of low-frequency noise created by a random sound wave existing between certain limitation points. In audio rumble refers to a low frequency sound from the bearings inside a turntable. This is most noticeable in low quality turntables with ball bearings...
make it superior to records. They also assert that digital technology has a higher signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio
Signal-to-noise ratio is a measure used in science and engineering that compares the level of a desired signal to the level of background noise. It is defined as the ratio of signal power to the noise power. A ratio higher than 1:1 indicates more signal than noise...
, has a wider dynamic range
Dynamic range
Dynamic range, abbreviated DR or DNR, is the ratio between the largest and smallest possible values of a changeable quantity, such as in sound and light. It is measured as a ratio, or as a base-10 or base-2 logarithmic value.-Dynamic range and human perception:The human senses of sight and...
, has less total harmonic distortion
Total harmonic distortion
The total harmonic distortion, or THD, of a signal is a measurement of the harmonic distortion present and is defined as the ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental frequency...
, and has a flatter and more extended frequency response
Frequency response
Frequency response is the quantitative measure of the output spectrum of a system or device in response to a stimulus, and is used to characterize the dynamics of the system. It is a measure of magnitude and phase of the output as a function of frequency, in comparison to the input...
. Pro-analog audiophiles believe that analog sound lacks the deleterious effects caused by the analog to digital conversion necessary to produce CDs and therefore analog music reproduction from records
Gramophone record
A gramophone record, commonly known as a phonograph record , vinyl record , or colloquially, a record, is an analog sound storage medium consisting of a flat disc with an inscribed, modulated spiral groove...
played on a properly configured turntable/tonearm setup is superior to digital music reproduction from CDs played on CD players. Additionally, pro-analog audiophiles often find the coloration of the music in analog formats to be desirable.
Equipment concerns
In the high-fidelityHigh fidelity
High fidelity—or hi-fi—reproduction is a term used by home stereo listeners and home audio enthusiasts to refer to high-quality reproduction of sound or images, to distinguish it from the poorer quality sound produced by inexpensive audio equipment...
debate, some prefer vacuum-tube
Vacuum tube
In electronics, a vacuum tube, electron tube , or thermionic valve , reduced to simply "tube" or "valve" in everyday parlance, is a device that relies on the flow of electric current through a vacuum...
electronics over solid-state electronics, because despite inferior measured performance, some claim a warmer or more musical sound. Vacuum-tube amplifiers are often attacked as inferior because, in addition to their substantially higher total harmonic distortion
Total harmonic distortion
The total harmonic distortion, or THD, of a signal is a measurement of the harmonic distortion present and is defined as the ratio of the sum of the powers of all harmonic components to the power of the fundamental frequency...
, they require rebiasing, are less reliable, generate more heat, are less powerful, and are often more expensive.
Some have long believed that sound quality was degraded by large levels of negative feedback
Negative feedback
Negative feedback occurs when the output of a system acts to oppose changes to the input of the system, with the result that the changes are attenuated. If the overall feedback of the system is negative, then the system will tend to be stable.- Overview :...
in amplifiers. Poorly-designed feedback systems can produce poor sound quality. Thus the association of feedback with poor sound quality is likely a reflection of poorly-designed power amplifiers that use feedback incorrectly.
Feedback impacts the harmonic balance of the distortion spectra.
Criticism
Criticisms usually focus on claims around so-called "tweaks" and accessories beyond the core source, amplification, and speaker products. Examples of these accessories include speaker cables, component interconnects, stones, cones, CD markers, and power cables or conditioners. Manufacturers of these products often make strong claims of actual improvement in sound but do not offer any measurements or testable claims. This absence of measurable (rather than subjective) improvement, coupled with sometimes high prices, raises questions about the truthfulness of the marketing.Roger Russell – a former engineer and speaker designer for McIntosh Labs – describes the introduction of expensive speaker wire brands, and critiques their performance in his online essay called Speaker Wire - A History. He writes, "The industry has now reached the point where [wire] resistance and listening quality are not the issues any more, although listening claims may still be made....The strategy in selling these products is, in part, to appeal to those who are looking to impress others with something unique and expensive."
Skeptic James Randi
James Randi
James Randi is a Canadian-American stage magician and scientific skeptic best known as a challenger of paranormal claims and pseudoscience. Randi is the founder of the James Randi Educational Foundation...
, through his foundation, has offered a prize of $1 million to anyone who can demonstrate that $7,250 audio cables "are any better than ordinary audio cables". In 2008, audio reviewer Michael Fremer attempted to claim the prize, and said that Randi declined the challenge. Randi said that the cable manufacturer Pear was the one who withdrew.
See also
- Broadcast qualityBroadcast qualityBroadcast Quality is an term stemming from quad videotape to denote the quality achieved by professional video cameras and time base correctors used for broadcast television, usually in standard definition...
- Professional audioProfessional audioProfessional audio, also 'pro audio', refers to both an activity and a type of audio equipment. Typically it encompasses the production or reproduction of sound for an audience, by individuals who do such work as an occupation like live event support, using sound reinforcement systems designed for...
- VideophileVideophileA videophile is one who is concerned with achieving high-quality results in the recording and playback of movies, TV programs, etc....
Audiophile publications
- The Absolute SoundThe Absolute SoundThe Absolute Sound is an American monthly magazine which reviews audiophile-oriented sound-reproduction and recording equipment and recordings, and comments on various music-related subjects. It was founded in 1973 by Harry Pearson, who was the Editor in Chief...
- StereophileStereophileStereophile is a monthly magazine that focuses on high end audio equipment, such as loudspeakers and amplifiers, and audio-related news, such as online audio streaming. It was founded in 1962 by J. Gordon Holt....
- What Hi-Fi? Sound and VisionWhat Hi-Fi? Sound and VisionWhat Hi-Fi? Sound and Vision is a monthly magazine and published by Haymarket Consumer Media. It features articles on hi-fi, home cinema, television, video games, sound, computers and gadgets...
External links
Audio societies