I can only guess the amount of effort needed to make these videos. You deserve credit not the negative feedback you got. Carry on. The silent majority will appreciate what you do. For me, I enjoy your thoughts and skill on at the bench.
Listening to music is so subjective based on individual hearing loss due to age. I believe you are correct in that people hear what they expect to hear or not what they expect to hear. I believe that once your mind is made up based on expectations, reviews, amount of money spent and the tone you have in your head, you lose some ability to be objective. There is also the brand loyalty and fanboy aspect that enters into one’s perception of what a piece of gear should or shouldn’t sound like. How about cable capacitance and length? Or cable noise due to shielding and routing? Or the room and how it reacts acoustically, with or without treatment due to reflections and standing waves? Or that everyone’s ears are different? This all comes down to personal preference and expectations. Put up a signal thru a spectrum analyzer and you will have many different opinions on the same source sound from different listeners. Give a multitrack recording to any of these “experts” and have each mix it on the same setup and codify the results. I guarantee every mix will sound different and every participant will think their mix sounds better than other mixes based on eq, levels, panning and the overall soundscape of where everything sits in the mix. Also, go watch guitar amp and cab reviews that are A-B’d, and scroll through the comments and observe who heard what. EVERYONE hears differently and prefers one or the other based on personal preference and what sounds good to them. You can criticize all day long about what amp, preamp, speaker, cable and reference source is best or worse, but again, it’s personal preference. Not to mention you can have two pieces of gear, say an amp, that “the same” but can sound completely different based on components and construction. One sounds magical and has “IT” and the other “same” amp may sound brittle, harsh, boomy, too little or too much midrange, etc. People seem to forget about component tolerances and resonant frequencies. Once again, totally subjective. Ignore the negative comments and do what you do. In the end it’s all personal preference. Have a great day😊.
I respect your opinion and appreciate what you share with us very much. Although my experience doesn't match your's I respect your opinions. You new posts aways get my immediate click! I've learn so much from you.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 You know how it goes when you point out someone's delusions... All they ever do is rant and rave! It's your channel. Do You!!! Keep up the great work. I'm looking forward to your next project. 👍👍👍👍👍
I just stumbled upon your content today, researching my recent acquisition of a 1978 Toshiba SA-735 receiver that will be getting finessed back to perfection at a poor mans pace. Wanted to let you know a few things. I am impressed at your low sub count vs level of upload quality. Your Ambition is admirable. I am impressed with the clinic you offer here on handling the doubters and critics. Very healthy , and positive example how to do original content. I appreciate your outtakes & fresh ideas in the HiFi world. Unsure why the target-mark is always vapid, trite, formulaic, pretentious, elitist opinions on sound. But thanks for challenging it!!
Nice series, an IQ test that some are failing. A great follow up would be to ask viewers what is the best system they've ever heard, the one they would kill for, and WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MADE IT SO. Too many roll the dice again and again rather than aiming for a clearly defined sonic goal. And if they've never encountered such a system, they need to do a bunch of auditioning, e.g. in upscale movie theaters. The pros that design and install commercial cinema systems scoff at most "audiophile" nonsense; applied science trumps snake oil.
Excellent videos with very good details. The haters are probably the ones with an Extreme Wallet bias. They think this way because they don't want to believe they have wasted a lot of money. Would these haters be so brave as to submit to a double blind test of there favorite components.
I'm TOTALLY impressed with your videos! Strikes me as so peculiar that negativity would surface. I surely hope it doesn't deter you from keeping up the awesome service you are performing, enlightening and educating people. Keep it up brother. Ps- I'm 63, but when you get, did about 3 'century' rides!👍
Hey my new friend. Welcome to the club. The spec sheet readers will always be there so we just smile and ignore them. Amps do sound different BUT if you connected the same speakers to two different amps one costing $200 and the other $10,000 and you brought in 1000 people off the street you wouldn’t find one who could tell the difference. A microscopic number of people can hear subtle differences in amps. Most people can’t and it’s not worth the argument. You are just fine. Ignore the spec sheet readers. They are not a happy bunch. Best wishes.
Renauldo's comment reminded me of a Homer Simpson quote: "Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." The snake oil in hi-fi is all too real. Music generates emotion. Some people end up spending way too much money chasing that emotion, which is internally justified all too easily through bias. When you combine emotion and irresponsible amounts of money, you get very defensive and insecure individuals who have little except insults and ad hominem attacks to defend what is, according to overwhelming scientific evidence, a largely indefensible position in most cases. Which is why science is never allowed within 3 miles of most audiophile publications. If your cryogenically treated unidirectional connects generate more happiness than some other source at an equivalent price then have at it. If you have points to make I'm sure everyone would be interested in your arguments. If you're just angry and feeling emotionally threatened, maybe direct your insults to a mirror rather than attacking others.
People that have formal electronics training have a perspective from knowledge that allows them to see through a lot of nonsense. I don't know if you have formal training or you are self taught but I can relate as over the years I've seen the same silly claims that aren't supported by reality. I built a dynaco kit amp when I was in high school (1974) and recently bought a junker to restore. Your videos on the SCA80 are wonderfully entertaining and provide the fuel get me going. Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work. I like your video's very much. Very informative and fun. Your 2105 rebuild actually got me to finally rebuild mine. I can't thank you enough. People just get to bent out of shape.
Hey Flux! I only now noticed you're back. Hope everything is fine! You said: "Most modern amplifiers really sound exactly the same." Maybe some audiophiles thought you meant that there is no difference at all. Of course there is some but to a much lesser degree. Your advice is good for anyone wanting to see the big picture. I need to go and adjust my turntable azimuth now.
FWIW ... if you level match almost any 2 amplifiers then have a friend switch back and forth between them, so that you don't know for certain which one is playing (Blind Testing) the odds are that you won't reliably pick one over the other. It becomes guess work and your score would likely be close to 50/50.
Hey, late to your channel. But have to say you produce good videos and bring information for thinking people. I just subscribed. All these haters are just thin skinned closed minded ignoramuses that know less then nothing. Those people should make there own channel if they think they are so smart. But of course they will not due to lack of skill, knowledge, and any competence. Good grief!
Keep doing what you are doing!! Most people out there watching appreciate the work you put in. I like that you are willing to respond to legit questions, but reading comments it’s a slippery slope… I just hope to learn as much as possible to work on a few projects I have in the basement right now. I would love to meet up with people in my area(southern NH) and learn from others in the hobby! Thanks again and keep up the great channel you have.
Thank you, Richard. When I’m back in the states send me a message and we can meet up. It may be a while, but I hope to be back in Massachusetts again one day.
Yeah, toxicity on YT... Just start a controversial topic and see what happens. Sometimes it doesn't even require that - it's enough if you talk about something pretty popular (like my story about Fallout) and tens or hundreds of the commenters don't like something about you, for example if you're trans or have a foreign accent. Just be you and do what you think is the thing to do. Sure, you'll find lots of haters, but also supportive people (and I'll try as much as I can to be one of them). I love your channel. Oh by the way... psychoaccoustics. What we feel or think affects how we process the things we hear, and that's why people will still notice the difference even if the sound wave reaching their ears is the same between two different amps, players etc. Techmoan recently did a nice debunking video on CD de-magnetizers, recording audio from a CD before and after de-magnetization, then did some basic Audacity editing: he subtracted one audio track from another (ie inverted the phase on one and added them), then looked at the result. Nothing, zilch, nada. Perfectly flat, which means that these tracks were completely identical, and de-magnetization did nothing to the sound. That's how you can do an objective test! :) Fran shared an insight on that topic on yesterday's stream, that these devices were initially meant for erasing magneto-optical discs (the tech that never really gained traction outside Japan), then re-marketed for the audiophile crowd.
@@FluxCondenser just a bunch of negative reactions and comments, some of them toxic and transphobic. Nothing too special like some hater sending me email messages telling me to kill myself, which happened recently and got reported to YT, Hotmail's abuse box and the guy earned a ban on Fran's channel, at least as long as I'm a moderator.
Sorry you had to deal with that. Small minded people are plagued with irrational fears. I pity them having to go through life that way. A miserable existence. Keep up the good attitude.
You are definitely one of my favorite you-tubers. Funny and smart. Having said that, I do hear clear differences in gear. And if it is psychological I hope my mind tells me more that the cheaper stuff is better. Which it sometimes does already. 😊
I agree with you except I Think I hear the difference between Class A and Class AB - people are upset about you nullifing the money spent on expensive equipment- As a audio salesman from 1972 to 80 I helped create a lot of “information “ about equipment in order to make sales lol like a lot of sales people did- there is a lot of deeply held opinions in this hobby just like other hobbies ie wine, cars, in which certain quantifiable measures are hard to obtain. There is a good reason there are not College Courses on CONSUMER ELECTRONICS LOL
For what it’s worth, I greatly appreciate your channel and continually learn something new and useful in my hi-fi adventure and I agree with everything you said.
Okay ... I'm late to this party ... but lets unravel the whole subjectivity thing once and for all... Here's a simple experiment anyone can (and everyone should) do all by themselves with no test equipment involved.... Sit in a quiet room, no music, no TV, nobody talking... just a quiet room. Now relax as much as you can and hear the room, don't focus on anything, just get a feel for what it sounds like. Next, gently grab your ears with your thumb and forefinger and pull them back and up just a little bit. Ok... do you hear how the sound of the room changed? It became more open, dynamic, airy and even spatial didn't it? Now relax again, get back to that first state of just hearing the room. Now without touching your ears or shifting your sitting position, focus in on one sound in the room and listen closely to it... Did you hear how the sound of the room changed? Just like before... This is an actual biological reaction, "cocking ones ears" to hear a specific thing better. It also lets all the other sounds in with it. In fact, if you look closely you can see people's ears move just a little bit when they are paying proper attention... all perfectly normal. Now lets go to a demonstration of Widget brand high end cables... You go into the room, there's music playing at a medium "ambient" level as you settle into your chairs and wait for the salesmaker to come out and explain his new product. You get the typical spiel about how it's made of unobtanium, crystal aligned, directional oxygen free copper polished to a fine finish by the virgins in Valhalla... Then he plugs in his magical cable and says "Listen closely now, see how much better this sounds"... So everyone focuses in, the same music comes on, this time just a bit louder and Lo and Behold... everyone hears the difference. Suddenly the music is more dynamic, more airy and spatial sounding with a much better soundstage... So what just happened? You listened more closely, cocking your ears... Just like in that quiet room! Yeah... it's just that easy. B. T. Barnum was right!
People are so Manichean in their thought processes. If you tell them there's a, "huge psychological element to listening to hi-fi" what they hear you saying is, "it's 100% psychological ergo measurements don't matter" or some similar nonsense. Everything you said in your aforementioned video was in keeping with Cognitive science, it's just that boorish dullards have a terribly difficult time with any kind of nuanced argument. Carry on!
Now you've done it. I now must go through the trouble of unhooking my Pioneer and hooking up my Marantz and listening again. But then I'm faced with remembering what the Pioneer sounded like. Hey, why don't you not bring this up again. I think I'll just leave it alone..........for now.
You can certainly do that, but if your equipment is operating properly and due to the factors I pointed out, it would probably be an exercise in futility. You’ll never match the levels and your ears and brain aren’t adept enough to really remember the sound of one amp over the other. Further, you’ll know which amp is playing which, whether you acknowledge it or not, will introduce biases that will affect your decision as to which sounds best. Have fun with the comparison if you want, but don’t take the results too seriously.
Getting some flak from the Fremer Faction are you ? :-))) Cables only make a difference to audio if there's something wrong with them. And if you can't measure something then it very, very probably doesn't exist.
Keep your videos coming. I think you did an amazing job on the Mc2105 series. I would like you to do a series on the McIntosh C26. I wanted to update and clean the darn thing. All the knobs on my C26 are scratchy.
engaging and, god forbid, trying to educate, sunk cost fallacy victims/classic audiophiles is I think a surefire way to burn yourself out of audio as a hobby!
Pay no attention too these naysayers. There is science which is based on quantified data, then there is opinion based on nothing. I have a good friend who was the VP of engineering for Marantz in the 70's. He also agrees with you.
You were probably right (in a sense) on the bloody obvious. People tend to dislike other people to waken them up. Though you're probably missing the point that audio isn't a rational thing but a hobby for men. And hobby's are not rational. Most audio hobbyists like for instance power amplifiers graced with big VU meters that light up in the night or amplifiers with rosewood side panels. They all know that these things aren't making the amp sound any better, but they are willing to pay the price for it. It's a believe not a science.
Flux, I'm curious to know if you think that all preamps sound alike. I ask because my Yamaha R-n803 (even set on "Pure Direct") does sound "darker" than my NAD M10 - even when using identical streaming (digital, naturally) services. The former is class AB while the NAD is class D and pretty much all digital (all sources are converted to digital onboard). I didn't expect it as I share your beliefs. I was careful when doing A-B comparisons through my Buchardts to match levels. The NAD just seems to be...lets just say crisper. The lower frequencies from the Yamaha seem "woolier". *Disclaimer - I don't necessarily like the NAD's sound better. I bought it for the features. I certainly don't believe that it sounds $2000 better! It does, however, sound different. This is strictly academic, as I will be keeping the NAD and selling off the Yamaha. I'd just like to hear your opinion. I'm sorta leaning toward not being able to match levels fast enough or well enough. I'd like to add that I've been in "consumer HiFi" since 1972 or so and mostly agree with you. I believe that if you can afford really well engineered floor-standers, you can connect pretty much any decent 50-100w RMS amp to it and get amazing performance from them. I remember my KLH Model 35 (circa 1975) had a measly 20w per channel amp and it drove the Model 6 speakers that came with it to very satisfying levels. Heck, I'd take a Cary preamp and set of 300w McIntosh monoblocks if you gave them to me, but I think it would be mostly pride that might make it sound "better". What I find remarkable is how many reviewers say that a certain amp/speaker combo sounds awful while another sounds divine. How does that happen? Enjoy the music :)
I think there can be some small differences in the phono sections as that involves an EQ curve, but yeah, preamps are all very similar in sound. They should sound the same just as amps should as they should be as neutral as possible.
Well, it isn't the DAC as the same company makes the chip for both. What really stumps me is the the Yamaha is set for "flat" response where the NAD is set at +2 in the bass and -2 treble and still the latter sounds a bit brighter. It must be me. Thanks.
I don't think there was anything wrong with what you said in the previous video. I think you found another thing that should not be discussed at dinner besides, Religion, politics, and finance!!!
I can recommend that following Link to you. ruclips.net/video/wZrfU5lkzIs/видео.html There is a lot of nonsens in the high end industry, but there are definitly sound differences in amps. There are a lot of differences in the circuits, feedback loops, different decuppeling, different transistor saturation curves, etc.
Interesting, but I stated that most well engineered modern amps sound the same. Swapping cheap chip amps doesn’t fall under that category. But thank you for pointing out the video.
I saw the other video. Couldn't agree more with what you said. Also saw comments. They were almost all positive. What is this rant about?! Nothing like make fake victim from yourself and get some clicks right? Pathetic.
If you don't have the ears to hear the difference then you won't. If you don't hear the difference you shouldn't feel bad either. Good for you because you don't have to spend a lot of money on your stereo. I personally can hear the difference. Most people don't have money to throw away if they don't have to. Do you honestly believe that most of today's amplifiers sound exactly the same when there are a ton of them out there and new ones popping up every day? Class A doesn't sound the same as Class D or tube amps. I will tell you my secret to a great-sounding system. Matching a system is more important than say just top-of-the-line gear. Certain speakers sound better than others with one type of amplifier and or cable (both interconnect and speaker cable) and or CD player. Matching a system is the most important part of a great-sounding system. Sometimes a mediocre player sounds better than a top of the line with a certain amp and cable set up. Matching is the keyword. Try it and you might notice a big difference.
Flux, didn't your Daddy teach you not to walk around in mine fields? 😆 But anyway; chin up my friend, no one's ever erected a statue to honor a critic...
I'm just going to complain that the Variable Variac Transformer in your store is no longer available. Other than that, everyone is entitled to their opinion and a little civility goes a long way.
Stick to your guns. As I posted after that video, you were exactly right, and I'll repeat...the only one who can hear the difference, is the one who paid for it.
Very sorry to see trench warfare you unfortunately got into. I have observed myself to have believed in speakers to perform better over others - until - I did a direct A/B comparison just to proof myself wrong. And that is why measurements do matter. I assume that most of the fellows who so vehemently reject you are not in the least interested in a reality check (aka blind tests). Their choice, but that does not excuse the behavioral issues some are showing. Please keep on going and don't give a flying flock about those certain posts.
I have been in to high end audio for many, many years and the most important thing is firstly the source (whether it be digital, record deck or streaming) Secondly, the amp and final link in the chain is the speaker system. There is ABSOLUTELY a difference between amps and sources and the more upmarket and expensive the speaker the more revealing it is. Unfortunately, I am very sensitive to the differences and every upgrade I have made over the last 40yrs have cost me more and more money! It is the law of diminishing returns I am afraid and if you want high end performance be prepared to spend big. And I mean BIG!! My current system is in the region of $40,000 (ouch!) and consists of only streamer, amp and speakers. Flux Condenser, "most modern amplifiers sound exactly the same" is complete nonsense! I can't let you away with that one! Greetings for Scotland by the way ....
Nope, l can tell you for a fact that's there's a sound difference between my Exposure 2010 cd player and the Micromega stage 4, the latter being a little brighter, as for speakers l noticed only a small difference comparing Dynaudio to some Celestion dittons. You might well be right about amps, though l would be very surprised if a valve amp didn't have a more fuller sound stage than a solid state one, l hope it does as l plan on buying one later in the year.
There is an old saying, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". I think hearing is in the ears of the listener. I have what I call stereo ears. I can hear lows better in my left ear and highs better in my right ear. Of course my ears are nearly 70 years old and I have tinnitus, but I like what I like and don't care for what I don't care for. If we agree on everything in this world then we would be very bored.
Beauty is subjective. Whether two amps or cables sound the same is objective: They either do or they don’t. We certainly shouldn’t all “agree with on everything,” but there’s no crossover between the subjective and objective.
Wow everyone was a lot nicer when you where giving away the amp LoL. I have a quite a bit of gear that I service myself. If I got stuck you'd be the first one Id ask for advice. Really appreciate your Videos Flux hang in there man. 👍
You didn't PO the audiophiles, you PO'd the gear heads. Those of us who do this for the love of the reproduction of music, not the gear, understand the variables involved. Although amps do have their own basic sound, in a component setup it is largely a product of the preamplifier controlling them. The same amp with 10 different preamps will have 10 different sounds. The same amp/preamp combo with 10 different speakers will have 10 different sounds. The same setup in 10 different rooms will have 10 different sounds. Put 10 people in the room and you'll get 10 different opinions on what they heard. The variables affecting the sound signature of an audio system are almost unlimited, and since humans are in the mix, there will NEVER be an agreement on what is right or wrong. It really doesn't matter what you said or how you said it. Someone will always disagree with you, and in today's less kind world, more often than not they will get quite nasty about it. Keep doing what you're doing and ignore the haters. They will eventually burn themselves out, or find someone else to pick on. Their opinions truly are inconsequential.
I can only guess the amount of effort needed to make these videos. You deserve credit not the negative feedback you got. Carry on. The silent majority will appreciate what you do. For me, I enjoy your thoughts and skill on at the bench.
Thank you, kindly supporter! It's good to hear.
Listening to music is so subjective based on individual hearing loss due to age. I believe you are correct in that people hear what they expect to hear or not what they expect to hear. I believe that once your mind is made up based on expectations, reviews, amount of money spent and the tone you have in your head, you lose some ability to be objective. There is also the brand loyalty and fanboy aspect that enters into one’s perception of what a piece of gear should or shouldn’t sound like.
How about cable capacitance and length? Or cable noise due to shielding and routing? Or the room and how it reacts acoustically, with or without treatment due to reflections and standing waves? Or that everyone’s ears are different? This all comes down to personal preference and expectations. Put up a signal thru a spectrum analyzer and you will have many different opinions on the same source sound from different listeners.
Give a multitrack recording to any of these “experts” and have each mix it on the same setup and codify the results. I guarantee every mix will sound different and every participant will think their mix sounds better than other mixes based on eq, levels, panning and the overall soundscape of where everything sits in the mix. Also, go watch guitar amp and cab reviews that are A-B’d, and scroll through the comments and observe who heard what. EVERYONE hears differently and prefers one or the other based on personal preference and what sounds good to them. You can criticize all day long about what amp, preamp, speaker, cable and reference source is best or worse, but again, it’s personal preference.
Not to mention you can have two pieces of gear, say an amp, that “the same” but can sound completely different based on components and construction. One sounds magical and has “IT” and the other “same” amp may sound brittle, harsh, boomy, too little or too much midrange, etc. People seem to forget about component tolerances and resonant frequencies. Once again, totally subjective.
Ignore the negative comments and do what you do. In the end it’s all personal preference. Have a great day😊.
Thank you for your thoughts.
I respect your opinion and appreciate what you share with us very much. Although my experience doesn't match your's I respect your opinions.
You new posts aways get my immediate click! I've learn so much from you.
😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
You know how it goes when you point out someone's delusions... All they ever do is rant and rave!
It's your channel. Do You!!!
Keep up the great work. I'm looking forward to your next project.
👍👍👍👍👍
Love your work man. All of it ! You're part of why hope exist in audiophile world
I just stumbled upon your content today, researching my recent acquisition of a 1978 Toshiba SA-735 receiver that will be getting finessed back to perfection at a poor mans pace.
Wanted to let you know a few things.
I am impressed at your low sub count vs level of upload quality. Your Ambition is admirable.
I am impressed with the clinic you offer here on handling the doubters and critics. Very healthy , and positive example how to do original content.
I appreciate your outtakes & fresh ideas in the HiFi world.
Unsure why the target-mark is always vapid, trite, formulaic, pretentious, elitist opinions on sound.
But thanks for challenging it!!
Thank you.
Sounds like a lot of people are upset that they overpaid for their amplifier. :)
Indeed.
So much for thoughtful discourse and debate! Keep doing what you do. Love and admire the skill and passion.
Thanks!
Nice series, an IQ test that some are failing. A great follow up would be to ask viewers what is the best system they've ever heard, the one they would kill for, and WHAT CHARACTERISTICS MADE IT SO. Too many roll the dice again and again rather than aiming for a clearly defined sonic goal. And if they've never encountered such a system, they need to do a bunch of auditioning, e.g. in upscale movie theaters. The pros that design and install commercial cinema systems scoff at most "audiophile" nonsense; applied science trumps snake oil.
Excellent videos with very good details. The haters are probably the ones with an Extreme Wallet bias. They think this way because they don't want to believe they have wasted a lot of money. Would these haters be so brave as to submit to a double blind test of there favorite components.
Well said!
It's a bold charge, but interesting. Referencing the studies you mention might help diminish the haters.
I'm TOTALLY impressed with your videos! Strikes me as so peculiar that negativity would surface. I surely hope it doesn't deter you from keeping up the awesome service you are performing, enlightening and educating people. Keep it up brother. Ps- I'm 63, but when you get, did about 3 'century' rides!👍
Hey my new friend. Welcome to the club. The spec sheet readers will always be there so we just smile and ignore them. Amps do sound different BUT if you connected the same speakers to two different amps one costing $200 and the other $10,000 and you brought in 1000 people off the street you wouldn’t find one who could tell the difference. A microscopic number of people can hear subtle differences in amps. Most people can’t and it’s not worth the argument. You are just fine. Ignore the spec sheet readers. They are not a happy bunch. Best wishes.
I am an audio electronics technician with a 1st class fcc radio engineer license and I say your 99.9% correct, so....
Thanks for your efforts. Keep up the good work. We need advices and different viewpoints and impressions to help our own thought process.
Renauldo's comment reminded me of a Homer Simpson quote: "Facts are meaningless. You can use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true." The snake oil in hi-fi is all too real. Music generates emotion. Some people end up spending way too much money chasing that emotion, which is internally justified all too easily through bias. When you combine emotion and irresponsible amounts of money, you get very defensive and insecure individuals who have little except insults and ad hominem attacks to defend what is, according to overwhelming scientific evidence, a largely indefensible position in most cases. Which is why science is never allowed within 3 miles of most audiophile publications. If your cryogenically treated unidirectional connects generate more happiness than some other source at an equivalent price then have at it. If you have points to make I'm sure everyone would be interested in your arguments. If you're just angry and feeling emotionally threatened, maybe direct your insults to a mirror rather than attacking others.
Amen.
People that have formal electronics training have a perspective from knowledge that allows them to see through a lot of nonsense. I don't know if you have formal training or you are self taught but I can relate as over the years I've seen the same silly claims that aren't supported by reality. I built a dynaco kit amp when I was in high school (1974) and recently bought a junker to restore. Your videos on the SCA80 are wonderfully entertaining and provide the fuel get me going. Keep up the good work.
Keep up the good work. I like your video's very much. Very informative and fun. Your 2105 rebuild actually got me to finally rebuild mine. I can't thank you enough. People just get to bent out of shape.
I have a Realistic receiver from the late '70's and four Marantz 6-G speakers. Total investment - around $250. Couldn't be happier.
Sounds nice.
Hey Flux! I only now noticed you're back. Hope everything is fine!
You said: "Most modern amplifiers really sound exactly the same." Maybe some audiophiles thought you meant that there is no difference at all. Of course there is some but to a much lesser degree. Your advice is good for anyone wanting to see the big picture.
I need to go and adjust my turntable azimuth now.
Thank you, yes, things are well.
FWIW ... if you level match almost any 2 amplifiers then have a friend switch back and forth between them, so that you don't know for certain which one is playing (Blind Testing) the odds are that you won't reliably pick one over the other. It becomes guess work and your score would likely be close to 50/50.
Hey, late to your channel. But have to say you produce good videos and bring information for thinking people. I just subscribed. All these haters are just thin skinned closed minded ignoramuses that know less then nothing. Those people should make there own channel if they think they are so smart. But of course they will not due to lack of skill, knowledge, and any competence. Good grief!
You are right and funny. Thank you..!
You are so welcome
A good discussion causes great emotional reaction.
great job,you are real just keep it that way!
Thanks.
Absolutely precious! Keep it coming, please...
Thank you! Will do!
Keep doing what you are doing!! Most people out there watching appreciate the work you put in.
I like that you are willing to respond to legit questions, but reading comments it’s a slippery slope…
I just hope to learn as much as possible to work on a few projects I have in the basement right now. I would love to meet up with people in my area(southern NH) and learn from others in the hobby!
Thanks again and keep up the great channel you have.
Thank you, Richard. When I’m back in the states send me a message and we can meet up. It may be a while, but I hope to be back in Massachusetts again one day.
I’ll message you on your Facebook acct.
Totally agree. I'm happy with old Magnavox amps pulled from console stereos. I'm more into the music than the perfect replication of it.
I think alike.
Yeah, toxicity on YT... Just start a controversial topic and see what happens. Sometimes it doesn't even require that - it's enough if you talk about something pretty popular (like my story about Fallout) and tens or hundreds of the commenters don't like something about you, for example if you're trans or have a foreign accent.
Just be you and do what you think is the thing to do. Sure, you'll find lots of haters, but also supportive people (and I'll try as much as I can to be one of them). I love your channel.
Oh by the way... psychoaccoustics. What we feel or think affects how we process the things we hear, and that's why people will still notice the difference even if the sound wave reaching their ears is the same between two different amps, players etc.
Techmoan recently did a nice debunking video on CD de-magnetizers, recording audio from a CD before and after de-magnetization, then did some basic Audacity editing: he subtracted one audio track from another (ie inverted the phase on one and added them), then looked at the result. Nothing, zilch, nada. Perfectly flat, which means that these tracks were completely identical, and de-magnetization did nothing to the sound. That's how you can do an objective test! :)
Fran shared an insight on that topic on yesterday's stream, that these devices were initially meant for erasing magneto-optical discs (the tech that never really gained traction outside Japan), then re-marketed for the audiophile crowd.
Your story about Fallout? What happened?
@@FluxCondenser just a bunch of negative reactions and comments, some of them toxic and transphobic. Nothing too special like some hater sending me email messages telling me to kill myself, which happened recently and got reported to YT, Hotmail's abuse box and the guy earned a ban on Fran's channel, at least as long as I'm a moderator.
Sorry you had to deal with that. Small minded people are plagued with irrational fears. I pity them having to go through life that way. A miserable existence. Keep up the good attitude.
I am LOLing as you read some of these viewer comments. Do such people really exist?
All of those comments you made are 100% correct
Buy low, sell high
You are definitely one of my favorite you-tubers. Funny and smart. Having said that, I do hear clear differences in gear. And if it is psychological I hope my mind tells me more that the cheaper stuff is better. Which it sometimes does already. 😊
Hah ha, just keep going man and ask them to show us their "pro" videos if they have any....
I agree with you except I Think I hear the difference between Class A and Class AB - people are upset about you nullifing the money spent on expensive equipment-
As a audio salesman from 1972 to 80 I helped create a lot of “information “ about equipment in order to make sales lol like a lot of sales people did- there is a lot of deeply held opinions in this hobby just like other hobbies ie wine, cars, in which certain quantifiable measures are hard to obtain.
There is a good reason there are not College Courses on CONSUMER ELECTRONICS LOL
For what it’s worth, I greatly appreciate your channel and continually learn something new and useful in my hi-fi adventure and I agree with everything you said.
Right on the money,.
Stand by the truth! Don't give in to the audiofools :)
Okay ... I'm late to this party ... but lets unravel the whole subjectivity thing once and for all...
Here's a simple experiment anyone can (and everyone should) do all by themselves with no test equipment involved....
Sit in a quiet room, no music, no TV, nobody talking... just a quiet room.
Now relax as much as you can and hear the room, don't focus on anything, just get a feel for what it sounds like.
Next, gently grab your ears with your thumb and forefinger and pull them back and up just a little bit.
Ok... do you hear how the sound of the room changed? It became more open, dynamic, airy and even spatial didn't it?
Now relax again, get back to that first state of just hearing the room.
Now without touching your ears or shifting your sitting position, focus in on one sound in the room and listen closely to it...
Did you hear how the sound of the room changed? Just like before...
This is an actual biological reaction, "cocking ones ears" to hear a specific thing better. It also lets all the other sounds in with it. In fact, if you look closely you can see people's ears move just a little bit when they are paying proper attention... all perfectly normal.
Now lets go to a demonstration of Widget brand high end cables...
You go into the room, there's music playing at a medium "ambient" level as you settle into your chairs and wait for the salesmaker to come out and explain his new product.
You get the typical spiel about how it's made of unobtanium, crystal aligned, directional oxygen free copper polished to a fine finish by the virgins in Valhalla...
Then he plugs in his magical cable and says "Listen closely now, see how much better this sounds"...
So everyone focuses in, the same music comes on, this time just a bit louder and Lo and Behold... everyone hears the difference. Suddenly the music is more dynamic, more airy and spatial sounding with a much better soundstage...
So what just happened?
You listened more closely, cocking your ears... Just like in that quiet room!
Yeah... it's just that easy.
B. T. Barnum was right!
People are so Manichean in their thought processes. If you tell them there's a, "huge psychological element to listening to hi-fi" what they hear you saying is, "it's 100% psychological ergo measurements don't matter" or some similar nonsense. Everything you said in your aforementioned video was in keeping with Cognitive science, it's just that boorish dullards have a terribly difficult time with any kind of nuanced argument. Carry on!
I like your video's. I find them funny and informative. I'm here to stay.
Thanks for your ongoing support. So very much appreciated.
Now you've done it. I now must go through the trouble of unhooking my Pioneer and hooking up my Marantz and listening again. But then I'm faced with remembering what the Pioneer sounded like. Hey, why don't you not bring this up again. I think I'll just leave it alone..........for now.
You can certainly do that, but if your equipment is operating properly and due to the factors I pointed out, it would probably be an exercise in futility. You’ll never match the levels and your ears and brain aren’t adept enough to really remember the sound of one amp over the other. Further, you’ll know which amp is playing which, whether you acknowledge it or not, will introduce biases that will affect your decision as to which sounds best. Have fun with the comparison if you want, but don’t take the results too seriously.
Getting some flak from the Fremer Faction are you ? :-)))
Cables only make a difference to audio if there's something wrong with them.
And if you can't measure something then it very, very probably doesn't exist.
Amen! Always appreciate a sensible voice of support.
Keep your videos coming. I think you did an amazing job on the Mc2105 series.
I would like you to do a series on the McIntosh C26. I wanted to update and clean the
darn thing. All the knobs on my C26 are scratchy.
Now that was fun …😂😂😂😂 nice job
engaging and, god forbid, trying to educate, sunk cost fallacy victims/classic audiophiles is I think a surefire way to burn yourself out of audio as a hobby!
Has anyone seen the Techmoan videos on Hi-Fi improvers?
Keep Going, Bro.👍👍👍👍👍
There's a direct correlation between audiophoolery and low testosterone
Pay no attention too these naysayers. There is science which is based on quantified data, then there is opinion based on nothing. I have a good friend who was the VP of engineering for Marantz in the 70's. He also agrees with you.
You were probably right (in a sense) on the bloody obvious. People tend to dislike other people to waken them up. Though you're probably missing the point that audio isn't a rational thing but a hobby for men. And hobby's are not rational. Most audio hobbyists like for instance power amplifiers graced with big VU meters that light up in the night or amplifiers with rosewood side panels.
They all know that these things aren't making the amp sound any better, but they are willing to pay the price for it. It's a believe not a science.
I don’t miss the point that audiophiles are irrational. Quite the opposite. I point it out and underscore it.
Flux, I'm curious to know if you think that all preamps sound alike. I ask because my Yamaha R-n803 (even set on "Pure Direct") does sound "darker" than my NAD M10 - even when using identical streaming (digital, naturally) services. The former is class AB while the NAD is class D and pretty much all digital (all sources are converted to digital onboard). I didn't expect it as I share your beliefs. I was careful when doing A-B comparisons through my Buchardts to match levels. The NAD just seems to be...lets just say crisper. The lower frequencies from the Yamaha seem "woolier".
*Disclaimer - I don't necessarily like the NAD's sound better. I bought it for the features. I certainly don't believe that it sounds $2000 better! It does, however, sound different.
This is strictly academic, as I will be keeping the NAD and selling off the Yamaha. I'd just like to hear your opinion. I'm sorta leaning toward not being able to match levels fast enough or well enough.
I'd like to add that I've been in "consumer HiFi" since 1972 or so and mostly agree with you. I believe that if you can afford really well engineered floor-standers, you can connect pretty much any decent 50-100w RMS amp to it and get amazing performance from them. I remember my KLH Model 35 (circa 1975) had a measly 20w per channel amp and it drove the Model 6 speakers that came with it to very satisfying levels. Heck, I'd take a Cary preamp and set of 300w McIntosh monoblocks if you gave them to me, but I think it would be mostly pride that might make it sound "better".
What I find remarkable is how many reviewers say that a certain amp/speaker combo sounds awful while another sounds divine. How does that happen?
Enjoy the music :)
I think there can be some small differences in the phono sections as that involves an EQ curve, but yeah, preamps are all very similar in sound. They should sound the same just as amps should as they should be as neutral as possible.
Well, it isn't the DAC as the same company makes the chip for both.
What really stumps me is the the Yamaha is set for "flat" response where the NAD is set at +2 in the bass and -2 treble and still the latter sounds a bit brighter.
It must be me. Thanks.
I think your videos are great. Unfortunately the world seems to be filled with Karen's. Piss on them.
I enjoy your videos and find them informative.
Thank you!
Your best video against those snobs. Good job.
Audiophiles, lol.
I know, right?
That's it! I'm returning the Heathkit!
Oh, nevermind. It sounds exactly like my $2M Krell, so I'll keep it as backup.
$2 million Krell? You should be sending me equipment ;-)
@@FluxCondenser 😉
I don't think there was anything wrong with what you said in the previous video. I think you found another thing that should not be discussed at dinner besides, Religion, politics, and finance!!!
Amen!
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There is a lot of nonsens in the high end industry, but there are definitly sound differences in amps. There are a lot of differences in the circuits, feedback loops, different decuppeling, different transistor saturation curves, etc.
Interesting, but I stated that most well engineered modern amps sound the same. Swapping cheap chip amps doesn’t fall under that category. But thank you for pointing out the video.
“Speaker cables are already lifted unless you live on a slab.”
“But the nails!”
🙄
Haha! Audiophiles getting triggered🤣🤣
I saw the other video. Couldn't agree more with what you said. Also saw comments. They were almost all positive. What is this rant about?! Nothing like make fake victim from yourself and get some clicks right? Pathetic.
If you don't have the ears to hear the difference then you won't. If you don't hear the difference you shouldn't feel bad either. Good for you because you don't have to spend a lot of money on your stereo. I personally can hear the difference. Most people don't have money to throw away if they don't have to. Do you honestly believe that most of today's amplifiers sound exactly the same when there are a ton of them out there and new ones popping up every day? Class A doesn't sound the same as Class D or tube amps. I will tell you my secret to a great-sounding system. Matching a system is more important than say just top-of-the-line gear. Certain speakers sound better than others with one type of amplifier and or cable (both interconnect and speaker cable) and or CD player. Matching a system is the most important part of a great-sounding system. Sometimes a mediocre player sounds better than a top of the line with a certain amp and cable set up. Matching is the keyword. Try it and you might notice a big difference.
Flux, didn't your Daddy teach you not to walk around in mine fields? 😆 But anyway; chin up my friend, no one's ever erected a statue to honor a critic...
Thanks, Darth.
I'm just going to complain that the Variable Variac Transformer in your store is no longer available. Other than that, everyone is entitled to their opinion and a little civility goes a long way.
Stick to your guns. As I posted after that video, you were exactly right, and I'll repeat...the only one who can hear the difference, is the one who paid for it.
Thank you.
Very sorry to see trench warfare you unfortunately got into. I have observed myself to have believed in speakers to perform better over others - until - I did a direct A/B comparison just to proof myself wrong. And that is why measurements do matter. I assume that most of the fellows who so vehemently reject you are not in the least interested in a reality check (aka blind tests). Their choice, but that does not excuse the behavioral issues some are showing. Please keep on going and don't give a flying flock about those certain posts.
Will do. Thank you for the support and the voice of reason. Much needed. Much appreciated!
I have been in to high end audio for many, many years and the most important thing is firstly the source (whether it be digital, record deck or streaming) Secondly, the amp and final link in the chain is the speaker system. There is ABSOLUTELY a difference between amps and sources and the more upmarket and expensive the speaker the more revealing it is. Unfortunately, I am very sensitive to the differences and every upgrade I have made over the last 40yrs have cost me more and more money! It is the law of diminishing returns I am afraid and if you want high end performance be prepared to spend big. And I mean BIG!! My current system is in the region of $40,000 (ouch!) and consists of only streamer, amp and speakers. Flux Condenser, "most modern amplifiers sound exactly the same" is complete nonsense! I can't let you away with that one!
Greetings for Scotland by the way ....
Nope, l can tell you for a fact that's there's a sound difference between my Exposure 2010 cd player and the Micromega stage 4, the latter being a little brighter, as for speakers l noticed only a small difference comparing Dynaudio to some Celestion dittons. You might well be right about amps, though l would be very surprised if a valve amp didn't have a more fuller sound stage than a solid state one, l hope it does as l plan on buying one later in the year.
Paul Klipsch used to wear a pin. It said simply, “Bullshit.”
There is an old saying, "beauty is in the eyes of the beholder". I think hearing is in the ears of the listener. I have what I call stereo ears. I can hear lows better in my left ear and highs better in my right ear. Of course my ears are nearly 70 years old and I have tinnitus, but I like what I like and don't care for what I don't care for. If we agree on everything in this world then we would be very bored.
Beauty is subjective. Whether two amps or cables sound the same is objective: They either do or they don’t. We certainly shouldn’t all “agree with on everything,” but there’s no crossover between the subjective and objective.
Wow everyone was a lot nicer when you where giving away the amp LoL. I have a quite a bit of gear that I service myself. If I got stuck you'd be the first one Id ask for advice. Really appreciate your Videos Flux hang in there man. 👍
You didn't PO the audiophiles, you PO'd the gear heads. Those of us who do this for the love of the reproduction of music, not the gear, understand the variables involved. Although amps do have their own basic sound, in a component setup it is largely a product of the preamplifier controlling them. The same amp with 10 different preamps will have 10 different sounds. The same amp/preamp combo with 10 different speakers will have 10 different sounds. The same setup in 10 different rooms will have 10 different sounds. Put 10 people in the room and you'll get 10 different opinions on what they heard. The variables affecting the sound signature of an audio system are almost unlimited, and since humans are in the mix, there will NEVER be an agreement on what is right or wrong. It really doesn't matter what you said or how you said it. Someone will always disagree with you, and in today's less kind world, more often than not they will get quite nasty about it. Keep doing what you're doing and ignore the haters. They will eventually burn themselves out, or find someone else to pick on. Their opinions truly are inconsequential.