…Or What I Wish I’d Known about What Does Make a Difference in Home Audio

A year ago I wrote a blog post detailing what I wish I’d understood about audio when first becoming obsessed with this stuff. This article has been shared vastly more times than anything else I’ve written, and I admit it gives me satisfaction to see that on certain days there has been tens of thousands of views. On Facebook and Reddit there has been page after page of vitriolic debate concerning my article, which I generally find amusing to read.

When digesting some of the online discussion of my blog, there is one criticism that does sting a little: The accusation that people like me think that nothing in audio makes a difference. They suppose that since we generally don’t believe in sonic differences in speaker wire or modern amplifiers then we must just think everything sounds the same. They presume this is because we can’t hear sufficiently or we don’t really love music or we haven’t yet spent X dollars on our stereo systems.

I’ve personally found the exact opposite to be true, and when I started following the advice of legitimate audio experts, I found there are many upgrades or tweaks that have brought about massive sonic improvements in my own system. What’s more, these upgrades don’t involve purchasing expensive boutique speakers or retro tube amps, and without exception they are affordable to most any sufficiently motivated working-class person. I am forever grateful to these individuals for setting me on the right path, as there are few things in my life that provide me with more pleasure than listening to music in my own home. The 21st century is an amazing time to be a music lover, and as with phones or vacuum cleaners or any other electronic product, audio gear is getting cheaper and more effective all the time. I can think of few “come to Jesus” moments more significant in my life than first dialing in a subwoofer or putting up acoustic panels.

When I was wasting my family’s money on upgrading to “audiophile” interconnects and amplifiers, some part of me knew what I was doing was pointless. But then I thought, how could these editors of Stereophile be so wrong about everything? These guys are the experts, right? And Miles is sounding pretty effing good tonight, maybe bi-wiring does make a difference…. If I hadn’t found another path I can only imagine that I’d have either lost interest in audio, or worse, bought something on the Class A list of Stereophile recommended components.

The following list is roughly in the order of what I’ve personally found makes the most difference in sound quality. Though I believe that everything on this list is a rough reflection of best practices promoted by legitimate experts, as they say on audio discussion forums, YMMV:

1. A subwoofer is the cornerstone of a modern stereo system. Compared to even top-of-the-line full range speakers, decent subwoofers can reproduce the lowest frequencies found in both music and film more accurately, louder with less distortion, and for a whole lot less money. Since stereo imaging is not important for the lowest frequencies, the subwoofer can be placed where the bass is most accurate given the acoustics of a particular room. And because a subwoofer relieves the mains from having to reproduce the most difficult lowest frequencies, even the midrange can improve when a subwoofer is used.

It would not be unreasonable to spend 50% of more of one’s audio budget on subwoofers. These lowest frequencies might seem to be a relatively small part of music, but they are the most difficult to reproduce properly, and a big subwoofer with a powerful amplifier is the right tool for the job. For most users best results are achieved using a receiver with bass management features. Proper calibration is essential.

2. Acoustic treatments can vastly improve sound quality. While this area can quickly become quite complicated (and controversial), for most users these treatments take the form of absorption panels. To improve stereo imaging these panels are placed at reflection points on the walls and ceiling between listener and speakers. Somewhat more difficult is to significantly improve bass response with bass traps, which are typically larger absorption panels placed in corners.

3. Speaker positioning should be a prime consideration for all critical listeners. While few enthusiasts are lucky enough to have dedicated listening rooms of ideal dimensions, substantial improvement to sound quality can be achieved by placing speakers as closely as possible to what is recommended by experts.

4. All speakers possess their own unique sonic characteristics, which interact with a room to define what a listener hears from a given recording. A few of the issues to consider when deciding which speaker to buy:

Science indicates that most listeners prefer on and off accuracy, so look for these frequency response measurements. (Watch Dr. Floyd Toole’s essential talk about sound reproduction.)

In-room listening is highly desirable when evaluating a given loudspeaker.

In-room listening may in fact be easier with internet direct manufacturers, as many provide excellent (often free) return policies. These ID manufacturers may provide a greater value compared to what is available at brick and mortar stores at large mark ups.

Another valid perspective is that some larger companies may offer a better value since they have larger engineering budgets and can hit lower prices due to their products being mass produced using cheap labor.

Never, ever assume that because a speaker is more expensive that there is a corresponding increase in sound quality. Most speakers marketed as audiophile luxury items may look prettier, but oftentimes this is all one is paying for. Many are even quantifiably less accurate that cheaper speakers.

Most users should consider a bookshelf + subwoofer over so-called full-range loudspeakers.

There are sound quality advantages to self-powered monitor speakers, though many users will find these less convenient since each speaker needs a power supply and to be turned on individually.

5. It should never be assumed that audiophile amplifiers, whether integrated or monoblock, improve sound quality over modern AVRs available for a fraction of the price. Conversely, these AVRs can actually improve sound quality, not only because they are the correct tool for integrating a subwoofer but because the digital room correction software can create improvements in less-than-perfect rooms (i.e. all non-dedicated listening rooms). This software uses a measurement microphone to gain information about a room/speaker response at multiple locations. While this digital signal processing should never be seen as substitute for room treatments, improvement to sound quality can nevertheless be had (if more on the level of fine tuning). These programs are becoming more sophisticated and affordable with each passing year.

6. Room EQ Wizard is a free program used with a < $100 calibration microphone connected via USB cable to a laptop. The enthusiast (or engineer) can then create graphs of the frequency response and bass decay amongst other sophisticated measurements. These measurements are highly useful for determining subwoofer placement as well as the effectiveness of acoustic panels.

7. Multiple subwoofers can be used to achieve flatter frequency response (more accuracy), especially across multiple listening positions. Two subwoofers will typically offer a substantial improvement over one in most spaces, but going beyond four is generally unnecessary.

8. Dynamic equalization is a feature found on most modern receivers that adjusts volume of higher and lower frequencies to account for how we perceive sound. It functions somewhat like a more sophisticated “loudness” button found on older receivers. As volume is turned down from the reference volume film/music is mixed at (usually quite loud), the highest and lowest frequencies are dynamically turned up to account for the way our ears/brains perceive sound.

SEE ALSO:

A Brief Guide to Audio for the Skeptical Consumer: Part I

A Brief Guide to Audio for the Skeptical Consumer, Part III