Hifi words to remember

[mhardy6647]

There's a current thread at the Polk forums discussing a video review of the (more or less) venerable Polk LSi9

https://forum.polkaudio.com/discussion/198948/danny-at-gr-beats-up-on-the-ole-lsi9

The following comment appeared in that thread. I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to share it.
Rather than burying it in another thread, I thought I'd start one. Feel free to contribute your own pithy tidbits from hifi sages (ironic or otherwise), be they well-known or just rando internet keyboard warriors!

I'm not sure I want ruler flat. I rarely use the tone controls on my Yamaha. When inserting an EQ into the mix in general I don't like a smiley face but a little smirk isn't bad.

[emphasis added]
source: Danny at GR beats up on the ole Lsi9!

Words to live by! 😎

 

[adaug]

"Burn-in is the time taken for buyers to reconcile what they have just paid out for the small improvement they have gained."

 

[mhardy6647]

for completeness, I feel compelled to add this as a coda to my OP.

 

[Mortsnets]

Musical engagement may sound frustratingly subjective, but in practice it's straightforward: If I find myself focusing on what the musicians are doing, engagement is happening; if I find myself thinking about the soundstage or the transient response, it isn't.
Alex Halberstadt

 

[Audionut]

“Mass loading with garden grade pavers is the only way.”
Former member

 

[JohnVF]

I'm not against measurements but the only one that really matters to me is whether or not I want to keep listening to it.
-me

 

[Olson_jr]

“Mass loading with garden grade pavers is the only way.”
Former member

"Too much weight, and you lose the highs. EASY to hear on a 100 dB well-done system."

 

[J. Frum]

"Too much weight, and you lose the highs. EASY to hear on a 100 dB well-done system."

I’m thinking we could fill a couple of pages with choice quotes from that particular font of profundity.

 

[Olson_jr]

I’m thinking we could fill a couple of pages with choice quotes from that particular font of profundity.

I was just looking at that thread again and you are correct.

Mass Loading components, THE missing link !!

The FINAL system tweak? MASS-LOAD every component.

The pictures of all the bricks on his components causing the plywood rack to bend are so sweet.

Mass Loading High Efficiency Audio Systems

Mass Loading components, THE missing link !! 10-23-2017 I found out this weekend, only after I got the re-lubed turntable and had the preamp correctly installed, and the SET amplifier correct ( two-stage triode, direct coupled, 6 Ohm Ls, multiple film cap bundles ) ...

hifihaven.org

 

[JoeThePop]

I was just looking at that thread again and you are correct.

Mass Loading components, THE missing link !!

The FINAL system tweak? MASS-LOAD every component.

The pictures of all the bricks on his components causing the plywood rack to bend are so sweet.

Mass Loading High Efficiency Audio Systems

Mass Loading components, THE missing link !! 10-23-2017 I found out this weekend, only after I got the re-lubed turntable and had the preamp correctly installed, and the SET amplifier correct ( two-stage triode, direct coupled, 6 Ohm Ls, multiple film cap bundles ) ...

hifihaven.org

That certainly was an interesting read. I have a bunch of pavers from my extend-the-patio project available right now. Perhaps I should drop a few on my piano-black finished speakers to experiment.

 

[Olson_jr]

That certainly was an interesting read. I have a bunch of pavers from my extend-the-patio project available right now. Perhaps I should drop a few on my piano-black finished speakers to experiment.

Be careful, you know what they say, "Too much weight, and you lose the highs. EASY to hear on a 100 dB well-done system."

I cannot imagine what 100 dB sounds like in any room, outside of a big band concert in a concert hall.

 

[Audionut]

What is more eye opening is that almost everyone let @mhardy6647 get away with such saucy, grown up language in post #4! I believe only @DC came close to catching on in post #12….I need a shower!

 

[JoeThePop]

What is more eye opening is that almost everyone let @mhardy6647 get away with such saucy, grown up language in post #4! I believe only @DC came close to catching on in post #12….I need a shower!

Bonus points for @mhardy6647's use of "syntactically" in a sentence.

 

[Olson_jr]

"It sounds like I am listening to Ken and Barbie's little jazz band playing on the top of that dresser."

A comment that was made by @Wntrmute2 in the Audio-Note room at an early Axpona. It seems he was sitting in the unsweet spot. (which other than second-row center, was about every other spot in the room)

 

[adaug]

I'm not against measurements but the only one that really matters to me is whether or not I want to keep listening to it.
-me

yeah! this is one of the best audio truths ever

 

[mhardy6647]

I was just looking at that thread again and you are correct.

Mass Loading components, THE missing link !!

The FINAL system tweak? MASS-LOAD every component.

The pictures of all the bricks on his components causing the plywood rack to bend are so sweet.

Mass Loading High Efficiency Audio Systems

Mass Loading components, THE missing link !! 10-23-2017 I found out this weekend, only after I got the re-lubed turntable and had the preamp correctly installed, and the SET amplifier correct ( two-stage triode, direct coupled, 6 Ohm Ls, multiple film cap bundles ) ...

hifihaven.org

That thread was definitely worth disinterring for a wee bit. 😎

 

[mhardy6647]

"It sounds like I am listening to Ken and Barbie's little jazz band playing on the top of that dresser."

A comment that was made by @Wntrmute2 in the Audio-Note room at an early Axpona. It seems he was sitting in the unsweet spot. (which other than second-row center, was about every other spot in the room)

Speaking of sweet spots...
and, please, bear in mind that I remain a card-carrying Polk fanboi since my first hearing of a pair of Monitor 10s in 1976...
The SDA "effect" does present some challenges for auditions involving more than a single listener.
Not insurmountable -- but something to bear in mind when decorating a domestic listening room meant to contain a pair of the current L800s.



(and I still think that Polk's corporate owner missed their opportunity to retain the Jamaican bobsled team as sponsors for the L800. What a great ad campaign they could've had!)

 

[JohnVF]

Not to shame anybody but I do remember somebody on AK who had the theory that tone controls were out of circuit when turned all the way up and that you've not really heard something properly until you turned all of them all the way to the right...

I mean whatever floats your ears.

 

[jblnut]

I'm gonna file the "unsweet spot" away for future use :-)

 

[Ski]

Speaking of sweet spots...
and, please, bear in mind that I remain a card-carrying Polk fanboi since my first hearing of a pair of Monitor 10s in 1976...
The SDA "effect" does present some challenges for auditions involving more than a single listener.
Not insurmountable -- but something to bear in mind when decorating a domestic listening room meant to contain a pair of the current L800s.

View attachment 65460

(and I still think that Polk's corporate owner missed their opportunity to retain the Jamaican bobsled team as sponsors for the L800. What a great ad campaign they could've had!)

The next Human Centipede movie is looking even weirder.