The Traditional Approach to Audio
Pine Tree Audio B2SE Balanced to Single-Ended Device
As many of us began to learn from the high-end stereo magazines and the internet, there is proper audio equipment and a proper way to evaluate and listen to such systems. We would anticipate that the current monthly audio magazines that would tell us which audio component was good, and how to listen to it.
We learned that treble should be detailed and non-fatiguing. We learned that the midrange produces much of range in music so it should be as ruler flat as possible. The bass should be tight and extended.
The high-end audio industry even has advice to follow when evaluating the sound stage. The sound should never appear to come from the speakers. The center image should be focused. Sounds shouldexceed the width of the speakers. There should be some dimensionality to the sound.
Audio magazines and the audio industry taught us that the more money you spend on the equipment the more you will attain sonic bliss. After all, money buys quality and quality is what matters. Not exactly.
There is another way to enjoy and evaluate audio equipment.
• Throw out audio “shoulds”. If you like a component and you are happy with the money you spent-that is what to focus on.
• Focus on what matters to you. If you like a laid-back sound, then direct your attention to your sound preferences and not the audiophile requirements listed in the magazines.
• Focus on equipment that compliments each other and matches your tastes. You will discover a tonal perspective that you find most musically right.
For instance, if you like a laid-back sound and two pieces of audio equipment do not work together to give you the sound signature you like, then simply do not add that equipment to your system. A good purchase price and rave reviews in magazines are not the most important criteria. What you like is.
A lot of reviewers claim that good equipment strives to provide musical truth. Let me let you in on a secret that any musician will tell you. No matter how expensive your audio system is, it is a stereo. Notan orchestra. A good stereo might provide a good resemblance of a performance, but a stereo would rarely fool a listener as to what he/she was listening too.
What a good listener can do is build a stereo system that brings him/her musical enjoyment. And that enjoyment can be affordable and very enjoyable.
• A high purchase price does not mean it is worth the money, or that you will reach sonic bliss.
• You CAN reach sonic bliss without spending a lot of money. Spend what you can afford and what makes sense to your listening preferences.
• Cables and interconnects do not replace the sonic qualities of your system. Cables, however, can enhance the sonic qualities of your system.
Audio magazine and the internet reviews provide information and entertainment. You make the audio decisions that are important to you. Whatever sonic signature you like is the most important criteria to consider. Focus on audio gear you can afford and brings you enjoyment. Add cables and equipment that enhance the sonic characteristics that you like.
You will know that you are making good audio choices for you when you feel most comfortable when you return to your system after time away. You will seek out the comfort and familiarity of your system even after listening to more ambitious and expensive audio systems. You crave the comfort of your system-because your system was put together to highlight the musical qualities you enjoy. Your music system was not built around what others like, the magazines say or an enviable high price tag.