The Absolute Sound finds religion! Acoustics are important, they say.

[Flint]

http://www.theabsolutesound.com/art...-package/?mc_eid=bd796e74ae&mc_cid=9203392714

A new audiophile friend sent me a link to this article (above) because he thought of me and my sermons on acoustics when he saw it. Yes, a writer at The Absolute Sound has found salvation in a rather expensive acoustics treatment of his listening room. He even used some good descriptions of the difference the treatments made. However, he also relied on some of the hyperbole which permeates the journalism in this hobby.

For example, this paragraph uses language I find over the top:

This wasn’t a subtle change. Often, adding a bass absorber in the corner behind the loudspeaker (always a good thing, by the way) results in an improvement, but one that doesn’t quite go far enough. That is, the absorber nudges the sound in the right direction, but not to the degree one wants. The CornerSorbers don’t suffer from that limitation, taking iron-fisted control over the low end rather than tinkering at the margins.​

​

But, I give it an "A" for effort and general accuracy.

While I love this trend (and I hope it continues), my fear is that this newfound understanding of acoustics will result in me being barraged with lectures from audiophiles about how smart they are about acoustics. I am even more frightened at the prospect of a legion of hucksters pushing stupid acoustic products which are stupid and offer no benefit while costing a small fortune. Wait for the acoustic treatment industry to be filled with shitty overpriced products like we saw with cables and power conditioners 20 years ago. Best Buy will have a wall of acoustic treatments which cost 10x what they should and are worse performing than the commercial stuff sold to studios.

Get ready folk - I think we are about to hop onto a crazy ride.

 

[Dentman]

Acoustics isn't a new science. I find it tough to understand why these folks spending massive amounts of cash on gear refuse to embrace treating their rooms. At a certain point the gaines they all strive for on crazy upgrades probably couldn't be heard anyway in the echo chambers that are their rooms.

The average dude with 3-6k invested in a system that is placed in his family room I can understand. But not these audiophiles with dedicated rooms or even rooms with 25,50, or 100k worth of gear in them. I cant understand the resistance, is it a vanity thing?

 

[Flint]

I cant understand the resistance, is it a vanity thing?

I blame the incredibly ignorant and lazy audio journalists. Back when real engineers were writing for magazines, they often discussed acoustics, placement, and room size/shape. Those people are gone and pragmatic magazines failed.

 

[Randy]

I tried to hire Bob Heil to come do an assessment and help me plan the treatment of my room and he barely even acknowledged that I was talking to him.

Blew me off completely and just flat out said no that he wouldn't do it. I guess things are going well for him.

If he were simply too busy, or the job was simply too small, even though he didn't even ask what I would be willing to pay, I could understand it, but he was a complete jerk. I know a couple of people that have met him and they basically had the same opinion of him.

 

[Zing]

A dozen years ago or so, when I was learning the importance of acoustic treatments from this forum (probably S+V back then), I sent Geoff Morrison a text asking him his opinion on the matter because, at that time, I had never seen him mention the topic in anything he had publicly written. I was somewhat shocked by his reply "If you don't know what you're doing, you'll make things worse. I don't recommend."

If you know enough to be looking into the topic, you likely know enough NOT to make things worse. Dollars to doughnuts, you know enough not to use a piece of glass as an absorber. Even if you put an effective absorber in the wrong place, it may not accomplish your goal but you're not likely to make anything worse.

Anyway, I've always been surprised by his cavalier attitude regarding DIY acoustics and his rather arrogant suggesting hire-a-professional-or-don't-bother attitude.

 

[Dentman]

Wow. These remarks are shocking.

 

[Flint]

Those stories anger me.

 

[Deerhunter]

That's why I ask here, I will always get a straight answer, and not blown off.

When I do talk about this place, I mention we have a guy who knows way more about audio then anyone should ever know. With that said he can dumb it down so even I can understand it.

 

[Flint]

I joined S&V specifically to share my knowledge in hope of demystifying the basics of the hobby. I had friends who joined other online group where they fared far worse than I did. I chose to openly be controversial where my friends chose to be buddies.

Nothing I discuss is unique to me. It is all well documented and robustly written about in research papers and industry journals. Nothing I do is mysterious, just not commonly discussed in the consumer industry.

I wish more of my ilk, of which there are thousands in the USA, would speak up. But most have no interest in dealing with fools.

I wish everyone could enjoy what I hear every single day. So, I try to help. Along the way I admit I enjoy stroking my ego, but I admit it and own it- at least I try.