How do I educate myself?

[Muzykant]

Hello Audioholics,

I love music, but am a noob when it comes to audio. I feel I lack the knowledge, experience and point of reference to select and setup my audio equipment, although good sound always fascinated me. I bought a bunch of gear over the past few years, but noticed that I tend to jump the gun with my purchases only to find out later I could have made better decisions. Likewise, the equipment I currently own is not set up to make use of its full potential. The only adjustments I made to my systems were SPL calibrations, distance and crossover settings (all done manually). I feel I lack the knowledge to take things further, and mostly, just don't know what to listen to in making adjustments. I have no idea how the end result should sound.

So my question is how do I educate myself further? What articles would you recommend that might help me with my setup and to learn to listen more critically? What equipment will I need to further tweak my gear? Where can I hear properly adjusted reference quality systems? What are some of the essential steps I need to take to gain more knowledge and experience?

Thanks in advance!

 

[KenM10759]

Click on the tab above labeled "A/V Research" and start reading! Watch the Audioholics videos. Read though threads in this forum that interest you. Get out to local shops and listen, ask questions. Identify the shortcomings of your own systems and post here about possible solutions.

It's not a destination, learning this is a lifelong journey.

 

[lovinthehd]

Might get yourself a measurement mic like a miniDSP Umik-1 or a Dayton UMM-6, download RoomEQ Wizard (aka REW) and use these better "ears" to determine what's going on in the first place....

 

[Muzykant]

Thank you for all your advice. I have been reading articles and watching videos here and on other sites. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with information. I think there needs to be some fundamental knowledge first for me to make sense out of all of that.

If I go to a local shop, would it be possible to just listen without buying anything? Is that an acceptable practice? And also, can anyone recommend such shops in the SF bay area?

Regarding the Umik-1, I bought one about a year ago, but never used it. I wasn't sure I would interpret the measurements correctly. How difficult is it for a beginner?

Above all, I feel like I need to train my ears to recognize the shortcomings better. An experienced audio enthusiast would be able to tell if something was wrong from the first listen and glance at the system without taking any measurements. I would like to learn to be able to do that too.

 

[shadyJ]

As was said, the articles here under A/V research are a great resource, probably the best on the internet. There are other good sites out there, but I don't know any that has as comprehensive selection of articles that Audioholics does. It is a treasure, and it is free!

 

[shadyJ]

Thank you for all your advice. I have been reading articles and watching videos here and on other sites. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with information. I think there needs to be some fundamental knowledge first for me to make sense out of all of that.

If I go to a local shop, would it be possible to just listen without buying anything? Is that an acceptable practice? And also, can anyone recommend such shops in the SF bay area?

Regarding the Umik-1, I bought one about a year ago, but never used it. I wasn't sure I would interpret the measurements correctly. How difficult is it for a beginner?

Above all, I feel like I need to train my ears to recognize the shortcomings better. An experienced audio enthusiast would be able to tell if something was wrong from the first listen and glance at the system without taking any measurements. I would like to learn to be able to do that too.

An experienced audio enthusiast can get things wrong too. As for evaluating measurements, install Room EQ Wizard, hook up your mic to your PC, and run some sweeps. There are lots of good tutorials for setting up Room EQ Wizard. The guy in this thread is going through the same process.

A great resource for knowledge is this book: Loudspeakers and Rooms, one of the best resources out there for understanding hi-fi audio. Here is a great lecture by the author, well worth watching for anyone trying to understand hi-fi audio.

 

[BMXTRIX]

Beyond simply reading, make use of the forums to ask specific questions, and hit many of the different forums. Some are large and have a lot of garbage and politics of the industry thrown in to weed through, while others are often a bit smaller and may offer more direct advice, or perhaps may be over the heads of the members and deliver no advice at all.

I'm not as much a singular audio-head guy, but I'm a video guy, and more specifically a projector guy. So, within the forums, you may find that you want to go to specific sections and get the advice from the people that focus on more specific areas of expertise.

Big things are learning the acoustics of your room, and if you want improvements, understanding that the first step is not equipment, but the space itself. Committing to good audio in a room may mean pulling speakers away from walls, moving things around, and just generally making the room less 'livable', but more 'functional' for the purpose. This is often the great compromise with She Who Must Be Obeyed (SWMBO).

Much of audio then will still come down to what you personally like and how you personally want to listen to things. So, yes, go listen. Big retailers will have no issues typically. Smaller places typically won't either and they certainly are the ones you should shoot to purchase from if you can.

 

[Muzykant]

Thank you both for your insight. I will read that book by Floyd E. Toole. I really would like to know more about audio reproduction.

I will also install REW and take measurements. I am a bit nervous as I will have to deal with 6 subwoofers and 16 speakers in different configurations.

I have no problem asking questions on forums. In fact, I already got some answers here on Audioholics. I've been visiting this site on a daily basis for some time.

Changing room configuration is tricky because there usually isn't much choice. Smaller rooms are usually crowded and larger spaces need to be more presentable. Luckily my SWMBO is also my best friend and usually supports my decisions. She had no problem with me getting SVS PC-2000 sub .

I am going to look for audio shops in my area to visit. Perhaps the sales people could point out things I should be noticing about sound. Hopefully I will be able to hear what they are talking about .

I hope I will learn to discern the shortcomings in sound reproduction soon. I think I should be able to, as I actually made music my profession three decades ago and my ears are well trained. I have a lot of experience with acoustic instruments, just not with loudspeakers.

 

[PENG]

I would add that you should go to some live concerts, preferably classical music performance by symphony/philharmonic orchestras because then you will get familiar with how real (minimum electronics involved) live music should sound like.

 

[KenM10759]

I would think that if you visit local shops and make them aware at the outset what you're trying to do, the smarter ones will understand and afford you time when they can. Of course they're in business to sell and right up until around later today they've probably not had any time for non income-generating distractions. After the holidays they might be more open about wanting to help you, with the hope that you'll appreciate it and strongly consider them for a future purchase.

 

[vsound5150]

Muzykant, I'm a noob to this too having made hasty decisions in the past setting up different systems at home with much regret including an eyesore tower computer in the living room with a TV tuner card running Microsoft Media Center, 3-inch logitech speakers sticking out of the walls, etc..

One thing I do know is that I have a strong passion for music (good sounding) and a basic understanding of audio. But I never thought about the importance of what the guys here talk about like room acoustics, speaker placement, calibration, crossover selection, etc. it's all starting to make sense now. I didn't even know what Audyssey and YPAO meant, it's a whole different world here.

For me, it was a light bulb moment so I decided to splurge some cash on a quality system (i think) and have been tinkering with it the past couple months. YouTube videos are helpful too I've been learning about the REW (Room EQ Wizard) software application as lovinthehd mentioned above.

I guess we are noob audiophiles or high-fidelity enthusiast in search of the most possible quality sound like everyone else with the components and environment we have at our hands, good luck on your journey.

 

[jmalecki05]

I am new to Audioholics, but passionate about home theater for over 15 years. I found Audioholics on Youtube when considering my home theater upgrade. The best way to learn is to watch and rewatch the videos of Gene and Hugh (very technical, but amazing material). I would then purchase a system and play with all the options. Read the forums to hone in on the specific topics that interest you. You will know where to go from there

Dont trust reviews of specific products (especially from retail) unless you trust the source.

 

[Muzykant]

Thanks again

PENG, this is a great suggestion. Luckily, I am a classical musician and have been around acoustic instruments, orchestras and choirs for most of my life. I am an instrumentalist myself.

KenM10759, I will try to follow your advice and be clear about my purpose, while letting the shop know that I will most likely go to them when my selection is finalized. I wasn't planning to go shopping today

vsound5150, that sounds very familiar to me! My system back in the 90-s consisted of a pair of Technics 3-ways with foam surrounds (that rotted pretty soon), Pioneer stereo receiver (that's still alive and well today) and Pioneer CD and tape decks. Life was so simple! There wasn't much I could do the the sound aside from bass/treble dials. And do you remember the Loudness button? It muddied up the bass with a 80hz boost and took away the highs! Needless to say, it was used as often as possible

Now is a different story. I have Emotiva processors and they afford so many different adjustments that my head feels like it's going to explode! I never knew that simply choosing the right crossover frequency between the towers and subs can be a nightmare that lasts for the whole day!

jmalecki05, yes, I've been following articles and videos that Audioholics regularly post. I find them very interesting and entertaining.

 

[MrBoat]

Listen with your ears too, before getting overburdened with the technological aspects because those are the final audience. Ask yourself first if you really want to know that much about audio because it could possibly ruin it for you if you start heading down that tech-value-perfection road. I used to be able to troubleshoot and tune a car by ear and get it to pass emissions. "Audiophile" does not necessarily mean someone who does it correctly, as much as it means someone who really 'enjoys' audio.

We have a friend who plays guitar. He's always striving to do it the correct way, at least on paper. Doesn't want to get caught making a mistake that goes against the data. If he were to get called out, he could prove it that he is indeed right theoretically, but the rest of us hate what he plays, and he always has his guitar with him. He is always pointing out errors of others playing, even those who are famous and obviously gifted. A girl we know, her dad gets a few beers in him and he may break out the guitar and he taught himself by ear and he sounds awesome, mistakes and all, and he doesn't care. But he is always being asked to play a song when everyone is around.

I'm a "noob" too, at least with modern audio in the computer age, but I have music on all the time and I think it sounds amazing, and perhaps even perfect for me and it keeps me up listening way past my bedtime. I'm cautious with knowing too much because I don't want to get caught trying to endlessly fix something that is not necessarily broken. When people walk in my house, most will comment on how great it sounds. They'll even ask to look up an artist or song they like.

 

[Muzykant]

MrBoat, this is some good advice. I understand perfectly what you say about being theoretically right vs going for what sounds good to you. And your guitar playing example is great because as a part-time music teacher for many years I dealt with this attitude quite often. There really are no absolutes when it comes to music and it's all down to personal taste. At the end music should stir emotion, not pass the frequency response test. But in my case, I want to learn more technical aspects of audio to assist me with tweaking my systems. Because often times I hear that something is not right, but don't know what exactly it could be and how to fix it. If I knew the possible causes and remedies it would make my life a lot easier.

 

[MrBoat]

MrBoat, this is some good advice. I understand perfectly what you say about being theoretically right vs going for what sounds good to you. And your guitar playing example is great because as a part-time music teacher for many years I dealt with this attitude quite often. There really are no absolutes when it comes to music and it's all down to personal taste. At the end music should stir emotion, not pass the frequency response test. But in my case, I want to learn more technical aspects of audio to assist me with tweaking my systems. Because often times I hear that something is not right, but don't know what exactly it could be and how to fix it. If I knew the possible causes and remedies it would make my life a lot easier.

I can agree with that. Is also why I am here. I've certainly been helped to that end here by these folks. Some, who were able to explain other, more hands-on approaches that I am used to towards that same end. Great forum.

 

[jcriggs]

I've read a forum like this before and my answer still stand. Where all of this advice is very good advice in the end of this journey the outcome is always the same. Everybody has their own preference to how they want their home sound system to sound. Like me I prefer surround for movies and tv but for music I like to hear it coming straight from infront of me. The only thing u must pay attention to when considering a purchase is if the products u are buying are compatible with eachother. For instance if u buy urself a 1000 watt amp u need speakers rated for the same otherwise u risk blowing ur speakers or sever distortion. Once u have the variety of compatible devices watching the specification u want u must then think about what u are wanting to use the system for. If u want a well biuld system with surround capabilitys get a system with a surround option. Once all of this is desided keeping in mind the watt, ohm compatibility then u make ur purchase. Once at home setup is a specific self want choice. Of course u would want the surround speakers in their designated positions. But if u didn't take the surround option then speaker placement is completely dependent on where it sounds good to u. There is no need for buying a measurement mic and all that special crap that professionals deem necicary.

 

[Audioholic72]

Thank you for all your advice. I have been reading articles and watching videos here and on other sites. Sometimes I feel a little overwhelmed with information. I think there needs to be some fundamental knowledge first for me to make sense out of all of that.

If I go to a local shop, would it be possible to just listen without buying anything? Is that an acceptable practice? And also, can anyone recommend such shops in the SF bay area?

Regarding the Umik-1, I bought one about a year ago, but never used it. I wasn't sure I would interpret the measurements correctly. How difficult is it for a beginner?

Above all, I feel like I need to train my ears to recognize the shortcomings better. An experienced audio enthusiast would be able to tell if something was wrong from the first listen and glance at the system without taking any measurements. I would like to learn to be able to do that too.

I can give you a few fundamentals that I've learned the hard way which may help you.

1. Don't believe it when someone tells you all amplifiers, CD players, etc. sound and/or perform the same. Don't be intimidated when they say "You couldn't tell a difference in a blind test". It's not their money, their gear or their listening room they will have to live with.

2. Don't rush out and buy a cheap set of speakers because everyone is raving about how great they are for the money. You can get half-way decent new speakers at a low price, but really good ones always were and always will be expensive. That is a fact of life. Don't fall for the hype.

3. If you buy an amplifier, CD player, speakers, etc. and you really don't like they way they sound upon first listen and/or it is missing a key feature that you need, take them back. Don't wait around until your ears adjust to the crappy sound or because someone you don't know who isn't risking their own money and happiness is telling you they are good and you should keep them. You need to try to position speakers correctly, adjust tone controls etc. but if it just ain't helping then take them back! Don't wait any longer then one week before making a decision.

4. Don't allow yourself to be intimidated or pressured by salesman. Bring your own music and ask to be left alone to audition if possible. Don't let them switch between the units or turn the volumes up. Ask about their return or exchange policy. If they badger you or seem really snooty, walk away and look elsewhere.

Following these beginner steps, you will save yourself a lot of time, money, stress and anxiety. Then you can focus on pursuing all the other aspects of the hobby.

 

[Muzykant]

jcriggs, thanks for your advice. I always try to use amplifiers that fall within my speakers' power ratings. For example my mains, center and surround are rated at 250 watts RMS each, so I use a 200 watts/channel Emotiva amp for them. My stereo system's speakers can take 225 watts each, so I use a 150 watts/channel amp to drive them etc. In reality, though, I don't think I ever fed any of my speakers more than 40-50 watts with my listening habits. Also, when I decide to add a system I think ahead and try to purchase a multi-channel processor to allow for future expansion.

Audioholic72, these are some wise suggestions.

1. Back in the 90-s I could hear the difference between a cheap CD player and an expensive one. Today, with such an advancement in technology, I doubt I would be able to tell the two apart. Amps always sounded different to me.

2. I have to work on this one. In general, I want to buy quality gear even if it's a bit more expensive. But thus far I lack experience.

3. I agree, I need to like the sound of gear I buy or it doesn't make sense to keep it. I had one exception not too long ago when I bought SVS Prime Towers. When I first hooked them up I thought the tweeters sounded shrill and overpowered the weak and nasal mids, while the low bass was too powerful compared with upper bass and midrange. I left them playing for extended periods the next few days and these problems went away and everything became much smoother and better balanced. It was not the case of me getting accustomed to the sound because I was not there when the speakers were left playing. I think they just broke in. But this happened within one week.

4. I can't help being intimidated by sales people and feel a bit guilty taking their time. I know it sounds silly but I feel like they can see right through me and can tell I am not a serious customer. Because of this I prefer buying internet-direct.

 

[Audioholic72]

3. I agree, I need to like the sound of gear I buy or it doesn't make sense to keep it. I had one exception not too long ago when I bought SVS Prime Towers. When I first hooked them up I thought the tweeters sounded shrill and overpowered the weak and nasal mids, while the low bass was too powerful compared with upper bass and midrange. I left them playing for extended periods the next few days and these problems went away and everything became much smoother and better balanced. It was not the case of me getting accustomed to the sound because I was not there when the speakers were left playing. I think they just broke in. But this happened within one week.

It is possible that some gear will "open up" and improve after some playing time, especially with tube gear. Speakers have moving parts, voice coils, etc. that can smooth out after a brief break in period. But this should take only a few days at the most, not weeks or months. People make the mistake of hanging on and trying to like the unit(s), then their ears start to adjust to the crappy sound and they keep them, only to realize their mistake later when they hear something that is so much better.

If you get a new unit and you listen to it and it just sounds like crap to you for whatever reason, take it back. Likewise, if you hear something that just makes you go "Ahhhh... that's it!" then buy and keep those! Do not get rid of them or try to "upgrade" to something better unless your units are old and starting to wear out or the newer stuff has some feature that you absolutely must have. Trust me, you will regret doing so.

There is nothing wrong with upgrading if it is a serious upgrade, which usually involves a serious amount of money and should be done very sparingly, but the endless upgrade path can be a perilous one fraught with disappointments and regrets.