Typical path audio allegory

Audio Allegory (or how do I perceive audio progression after 25+ years in the hobby and careful observation)

August 2019

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The Beginning:

I bought all my audio from big box retailers.
Amazon reviews were great with newbies like me, sharing their objective opinions.
Bose sponsored the Super Bowl. Therefore, Bose must be good, coaches are using them.
My father told me that records sound better than CD's.
Moving from integrated to separates made a big difference.
Salesman were my friends and would never lie to me.
Sometimes I noticed MP3 and FLAC formats sounded different, not sure why.

Small steps:

I spent more money on audio, because as they say, "You get what you pay for."
Stereophile and other audio periodicals enlightened me and taught me what audio could be.
Professional audio reviewers could be trusted. They never lie or embellish.
Seven coats of black lacquer guaranteed a great sounding product because of the company's "attention to detail."
Size matters! Floor standing speakers were better than bookshelf speakers.
Room acoustics don't matter, but components do.
Cables all sound different. I'm not sure why.
Better cables cost more. It's just basic logic and technology. Some even have patents!
Three-way speakers outperform two-way speakers… but not always. Thank god we have "pro" reviewers to sort out the audio-pecking-order. I can't do it all myself!

First Mistakes: (or learning what’s sexy, but just doesn't work)

Electrostatic speakers have big design advantages, like no crossover to mess with the signal.
Un-affordable top dog electrostatic speakers address the shortfall of smaller models! I need more money to buy them to reach the Holy Grail!
A single full range driver is all one needs! They’re also very efficient.
Exotic magnet full range drivers sound better than cheaper drivers.
I had a glimpse of this with the "XYZ" driver at an Audio show.
A more complex enclosure will address the bass shortfalls of a full range driver.
A white paper (propaganda) by the manufacturer, cleared things up for me.
Maybe a filed coil driver is the way to go? They only cost one of my kidneys! It's fine; I have two!
Audio purity from a single cone is important!

I want the best! I focus on the goal, not the journey.

Technology keep advancing

Turntable... Vintage Stuff... passive crossover... Tubes... broken dreams.

Sad "I know it all" mentality:

Room acoustics? Of course, I care about them. I have a 5 mm carpet on the floor. We got it covered...
I had no bass, so I put a sub-woofer in the corner. I didn't measure it with a microphone because I had my ears tested a few years ago, and they’re golden!
Besides, that 10-inch sub garnered great reviews on Stereophile. I couldn't help myself. I bought a $900 interconnect for it, that’s a match made in heaven!
You should buy one! A 10-inch driver is faster than a 12-inch driver. I read it in a magazine.

LMFAO!

"The reviewers said": Choosing to live in daily rainy misery.

Those single ended triodes are the best! They use 1927 technology, but people knew a thing or two back then...
They'll sound even better if you use tubes from the 1930's. The have a metal called 'unobtanium' fused to their filament!
This push pull tube amp with no negative feedback is the best! All the designer had to do was get rid of all that negativity!
And now that we have diminished all that negativity, Stereophile recommends it as the “amp of the century” WOW, I need one!
The best speakers are 80 dB. They only problem is that they sound their best with 800 watts of high current power. Once you have your new 400-pound amp, it’ll drive those tiny 12-inch bass drivers down to 20 Hz flat, providing orgasmic bliss and bloat…
Those 80dB speaker are defying The Law of Physics! (spoiler, they aren't)

True EVOLVING phase:

I bought a microphone so I could measure and optimize my system.
The symmetry of loudspeaker placement is critical to good sound.
The sound of an audio system is greatly influenced by room acoustics.
A stereo pair of sub-woofers greatly diminishes room interactions.
It’s a "stereo" signal after all, so two subs are enough...
An analog active crossover is superior to a passive crossover.
A DSP will ruin the "artist sonic intention" of the artist.
An active crossover with no signal equalization is the way to go, preserving "signal purity".
A super tweeter is as important as a subwoofer for sound accuracy.

Question: Are reviewers on the take?

Most salesmen are just that… salesmen. They just want to up-sell you.
Marketing in audio just misleads people and, in the end, bling wins out, even when a company uses outdated circuits and technology.
Most manufacture's specifications are just meaningless gimmicks and the specs that truly matter are hidden from those in the know.
My measurement microphone tells me more than Stereophile ever will.
Online reviews are just a crap shoot, I don't care for them too much.
Stereophile's recommended component lists, are not reliable and are just advertising payback.
The only way to proceed, is with a DIY approach with my room acoustics, my budget, and my priorities.

Law of Physics always prevails:

If you understand basic sound reproduction physics and its requirements, you comprehend much more than most, and some claims will become laughable to you.

laughable example: https://www.devialet.com/en-ca/phantom-reactor-speaker/

Even reputed loudspeaker designers can't predict what will happen in your room (speaker and room interaction) Only I can measure my room and correct those specific room "issues".

Physics of reproducing bass frequency means that significant air displacement is required. No small driver can cheat its way to reproduce what a 27' pipe organ does.

It's sad but true: Physics require intelligence, while selling products require "hope"...

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Look at these ancient "suckers"

DSP is my friend

All of the sudden, you start to surpass your competition, while the high-end audio industry keeps falling apart all around you:

My system uses different kinds of measurements to attain an optimized state.
While DSP doesn’t solve all the problems of audio, it’s impossible to go without it, and DSP helps greatly with room acoustics.
I have to repeatedly measure my room to get room acoustics right.
Who cares about an amp's specific damping factor? You have to take a whole-system approach.

Big sound system in untreated room with beryllium or diamond tweeter "sounds the best", while bass management is not considered.

Stereophile Class A recommended loudspeaker without multiple sub woofers to assist with room acoustics. A DSP is not used because the signal should be "pure."

The Home Stretch...

I use my microphone to learn about room acoustics, and it’s fun!
My microphone tells me what I need. The "clap hands test" doesn't cut it.
I don't need recommendations from salesmen!
I use a DSP to fine-tune my speaker/room interaction, AFTER the room has had acoustic treatment. A DSP is a complementary component that is very powerful. In the wrong hands, it can worsen the sound, as some people don’t t know how to use it and give it bad press.
I use a multi-driver and multi-enclosure system with an active DSP crossover on every driver.
I EQ left and right channels differently to attain perfect acoustic balance.
Multiple subwoofers help to address room acoustic problems. I use four or more sub-woofers and add them as a mono-signals with independent EQ on each. (only below 70 Hertz)
I time align all my drivers at the listening position.

Could I be nearing the finish?

The best immersive sound requires more than two channels. 5.1 or 7.1 is the only way forward.
A FIR filter is better than IIR.
Computer based processing is mandatory for using FIR filters.
Asymmetric crossovers have a great advantage. Acoustic results matter more than the electrical order used.
Proper implementation is everything!
Overall phase optimization is crucial and is considered during system calibration.
A lot of headroom is needed for effortless sound. (driver SPL ability and power amplifier are considered)
10dB is the bare minimal headroom I would consider.

Never Forget our "Circle of Confusion"

Credit: Dr Toole