What is Real World Audio?

1. I am an audiophile and a music enthusiast, I have no $$ riding on ANY of my statements / observations / recommendations. I have no contracts / agreements involving money with ANY audio company. I do not do ANY paid reviews, and in the UNLIKELY case I receive a component I always make the fact public, and it is ALWAYS UNSOLICITED. So far (dated Dec 17 2024)  I have received as a THANK YOU this items: the UBER Light Flex and the Cube Audio Fc8 driver. Previously, Jim Hargeman has gifted me the prototype Violin when my mentor (Stu) passed away, but that was well before starting my channel, and he did not intend it for review or any obligation on my part, as he stopped production of the Violin phono stage. I also reeived Sonido drivers (SFR200A and now - Dec 2024 -  the SWR300A) from Gerald, as a friendly gift to see what kind of cabinets can be made with these drivers. (Was planning to build the SFR200A cabinet this Fall 2024, but could not due to my accident, and want to build the SWR300A loudspeaker this winter!)  I was not asked nor compelled by any means to review any of these, and was not asked to state ANY public opinion regarding them. I have mentioned them on my channel because I found them truly worthwhile to mention, and here I want to thank Jim, Robert, Grzegorz, and Gerald for being compassionate, generous and kind human beings and amazing friends.  

2. I have left the mainstream audio 25 years ago, and am an (initially) self-taught audio systems builder. I have met my audio friends and my mentors after I already built a DIY system that I found as enjoyable as a high level commercial audiophile system - not as revealing as the top of the flock, but certainly many times more musical (=better tonality and overall balance, and less skewed presentation) than the vast majority of high-end gear. It has been enjoyable by music lovers, musicians, and most importantly, my audio systems get highest praise from female listeners. (Who have good hearing while most men tend to be near-deaf in comparison.)

3. I had the pleasure to learn from my audio friends: Pointdexter, Kyle Kuroda, Wesley Nanamori, Charlie Chan, Greg Hee, Leonard Young, and  be apprentice to Stu Ono (of Audio Directions, Honolulu), and learn tips and tricks about audio gear at a level that few gets to know. Stu's knowledge of the internal workings of audio gear was truly extraordinary, and he was a trained classical musician as well (clarinet). Without a doubt he was the most extreme golden ear in audio I know of (by a very, very long shot). He was one of the very few who had audio WISDOM, which goes well beyond  mere KNOWLEDGE.  

4. I listen to a wide range of music, of all genres, on both analogue and digital. Yet, my favorites are Baroque music and classical Indian music, and I use unamplified classical music (both Western and Eastern, live and recorded) and natural sounds, voices, as a reference/tool for my systems voicing. My goal is not to give an exact carbon copy replica of a singular very special recording done in a very specific way to mimic exactly what soemone heard in a studio when sitting in a special chair listening on a highly customized playback monitoring system. My goal is to reach the experience of CONNECTING TO THE MUSIC ON THE DEEPEST AND HIGHEST LEVELS, whether live or recorded, it SHOULD NOT MATTER. We get at an instinctive level what makes sound transcend mere objective auditory impressions and becomes a fully immersive life changing experience. That's what I'm after, and that's what I want to share through this blog and my YouTube channel.

5. To connect to music, to savor its offerings: I strongly maintain that YOU NEED TO GO THROUGH A STEEP CURVE OF SELF-DEVELOPMENT. While everyone can have fun listening to sounds and music - to have a deep connection to music you need to KNOW YOURSELF FIRST, and have to develop your skills to be able to NOTICE THE BEAUTY AND INTRICACY ON A CONSCIOUS LEVEL. Just like watching a pair of dancers - anyone can ENJOY a pleasurable SIGHT, but only a dancer WILL UNDERSTAND THE LEVEL OF ACCOMPLISHMENT and notice how and why it is different than another dance. And, to be able to improve my own skills after such an experience. This is my road. Observation + Knowledge + Deduction + Intuition  => Innovation. This process is applied wisdom. 

6. On my hearing: I have very extended hearing, which has improved during the past 20 years due to the continuous attention and work I place in maintaining and improving my hearing ability. My recommendations are fit for people with intact hearing. I am keenly aware of the music material in the 17-20kHz region, and when that region has issues, I can't stand listening to it.  Also, I am very sensitive to the QUALITY of the bass region. I am not cheated by high levels to make up for compromised quality. In fact, I find that solution extremely unfavorable and unpalatable for extended listening. I much prefer a system that renders 60Hz-16kHz well, than trying too hard to extend and messing bass up. (Extending and messing describes 99.99% of mainstream commercial systems today. While I applaud the industry for extending the frequency range - in general the quantity is there, but quality is sadly lacking - it can be fun though, but not up to my expectations.) Hint: when you perceive LISTENING FATIGUE, that's the result of DISTORTION in your system, whether the manufacturer disclosed it or tried to hide it with phenomenal anechoic measurements of primitive signals which have little bearing on the amplifiers / loudspeakers / sources behavior with complex sound in YOUR ROOM. 

7. Everyone defines "High End Audio" in a different way. It used to be the term to call an audio system that can reproduce sound with HIGH LEVEL OF PERCEIVED SOUND QUALITY. Nowdays (2020s) for some, it's near-entry level Schiit gear, for others it's the 1million $ plus category, and for others again it is sound that will transport you to a specific recording studio, or the ability to play at very loud SPL. I pursue NON-MECHANICAL SOUND, and I call it Real World Audio. I want the violin, the singer to receive 100% of my attention. I want to be PRESENT IN THE ERA THE PERFORMANCE WAS RECORDED. When it was recorded in 1940, I want to be transported to the world as it was in 1940. I want to time-travel. I want my body to react to the different energy, vibration in the air that was present at that time.  I want to feel the density of the air! To touch the souls who are no longer with us. Recorded music is the ONLY way to DIRECTLY touch the past in an AUTHENTIC WAY. I want authenticity! And I do not want the audio gear to get in the way of the music. When listening and my thoughts linger on the audio gear to praise the wonders it's doing - then there's something wrong because it prevents the exploration of the MUSIC, of the ERA, of MY SELF reflected in the mirror of the performance.   

Sound Samples

As I get periodic emails requesting for sound samples of my system(s) / approach, I thought it's a good idea to have them collected in one spot. As frankly, it's quite a chore to go digging for them each time the question is asked. So, here's a (non-comprehensive) list of the videos I posted, that I recorded with my system(s) (there's more of these videos on my YT channel than listed here). Also, I have added below some extra information about each recording, although usually you will find more details under the videos themselves.   

If you are looking for what to start with, look for bolded items. The links were generated by YouTube. If you do not trust the links YouTube generated, then please browse my YouTube channel to find sound recording videos. Thank you!

• My Voigt pipe with the Cube Audio Fc8 driver at 20h break in, in the upstairs room: (2W DIY SET amp, computer with GeekOUT 720 DAC): https://youtu.be/PupYXgX6sh4

• This is one of my favorites (and my oldest sound recording). This is using the Voice of Lancelot (in it's early stage of development), with the 807 SET amplifier (about 0.6WPC!), my AVC volume control, and my friends' SOTA Sapphire turntable and his Hagerman Cornet phono stage (the new version with the SMPS power supply). I had his TT and the Cornet because I rewired his SOTA's tonearm with AWG34 magnet wire. Stock SOTA arm. Cartridge: Grado Prestige black. This is testing out the freshly rewired tonearm, with the almost brand new Cornet phono stage. So, the sound is far from settled / reaching full potential,  yet the piano rendering is so lifelike that it puts just about ANY setups I heard to shame (or to a very tough call, with some (but not certainly most) 100+K$ vinyl rigs). I'm filming this with iPhone 5S, directly in front of the compression driver. (Kintaro was chasing the sound on the stairs, above the driver). Being there it was so spookily realistic.... I have grown up with grand pianos, so I think I'm a decent judge on making a coll on recognizing when a piano is experiences as real, and not just a shadow. If you'd like to, enter into the comments on YT what you think of the sound, and whether that realistic aspect comes through for you or not:  https://youtu.be/uP9KFvIo1S0

• Another early video, this shows my AO speakers (tiny floorstanders - more like bookshelf size), driven by my friends original Quicksilver monos (yes, with the 8147 tubes, the very first incarnation!) Well, they have been modified quite a bit... first a range of tweaks by Stu (my mentor, mostly involving capacitors) that date back to a long time ago, then by myself, just before shooting this video.  (Complete recap, added extra stage to power supply, and changed operation from fixed bias to self bias.) You are seeing an OMD concert shown as a live stream on YouTube, at the time of recording. Since then, YT took off the live concert stream, so I cannot link to it... (sad). What stunned me with the sound (and what prompted this recording) was that I was listening to it at a modest volume, YET I had the feeling that I was attending the LIVE concert... that I was there with the audience, and felt the ENERGY and the presence that you feel in live concerts, but it's mostly gone on recordings. That expanding large space was conveyed at this comfortable medium volume - which is the incredible strength of AO. (Alnico 16R single driver speaker, about 91-92dB/Wm reaching down to 30Hz with energy and authority). If you prefer listening quietly, and you have a small to large room, and you don't want  to overcomplicate your system or take up a second mortgage, these are endgame: https://youtu.be/yE3xXTrVTNk

•  Treat!!!! Comparing AO, Mirage 760 and Ryan 610!!! 17min long marathon with CD source. Shot/recorded with iPhone 5S. One of my first recording attempts. Recording level is super low, you really HAVE TO CRANK THE VOLUME UP TO 11:  https://youtu.be/HZOkQBChDlc

• Voice of Lancelot, in the early stage of development. Source - CD. Recording level VERY LOW, TURN VOLUME TO 11: https://youtu.be/0rVRh3tTsIg

• Voice of Lancelot, very shortly after its inception (2020), with the Ampex 6516 right after their change to triode mode operation. (So, early days of evolution for both.) CHURCH ORGAN music (Helmut Walcha - Bach). Turn the volume UP. (I suspect HIGHLY that YT punishes small channel by forcing the playback volume to MUCH lower than what the big channels get. (Or is everyone just compressing the last bit of pudding out of their sound? .. well, that's not the case here' you are getting dynamic range.) https://youtu.be/BCCzD0G7quM

• Voice of Lancelot, the Ampex 6516, AT-ATF7 cartridge... detailed description of setup in video. Showcasing large scale classical. Reiner Scheherazade / LSC white dog. Lots of info on the pressing as well. I think my iPhony 5S really keeled over in recording the dynamic peaks.... the dynamics peaks are distorted to fudge and beyond. Would need to have another go with a good recorder that's not making "smart" adjustments to the recording (and just have the ability to record past 100dB without distortion - yeah, I went live orchestra volume with this session).  https://youtu.be/UkIM96vArBQ

• Something highly unusual: me imitating playing on the Arturia keyboard, source fed to my main system with the Voice of Lancelot speakers. Welcome to space-age music form yours truly. It sounded F@@KYN-A-MAAZING, the bass literally coming to LIFE, one of the most exhilarating concert experiences I ever had... I had a glimpse into why musicians go on concerts.... and you get to experience the shadow of this amazing "jam session":  https://youtu.be/xByeuJHkyVk

• Want to test the limits of your system, as far as natural (AKA REAL) sound reproduction goes? Then go for human vocal & harpsichord... yes, this most difficult instrument to render from recorded music. Plus, add flute to the mix... does it make the most beautiful sound to die for or is it just another instrument?!  Let's find it out, and shockers.. from a CD! Enter Vivaldi's La Pastorella, Hyperion:  https://youtu.be/uBjJG4RbvhA

• Classical Indian music, Ustad Imrat Khan Lalita (Water Lilly Records, CD): https://youtu.be/dv3zOUy-kb4

• This is one of the most amazing recordings I ever had a chance to listen to, with the most REAL female singing. Not just technique, whatnots, but the HUMAN HEART AND SOUL just shines through... not so much from the YT recording, but you still get a glimpse at it: https://youtu.be/NNVpbmQGPhg (Hint: if you use a mainstream error-correcting system for playback then it will be quite likely a very disappointing experience - try a direct path system with ultra efficient speakers and you will need gorilla tape to hold your jaws closed LOL.)

• This is not my video.... posted by Memno deVries, using Kult 1 loudspeaker that looks quite similar to like my Voice of Lancelot (almost like a twin brother on the outside; ), using Jadis amplifiation. This is another taste of the Altec flavor....  Both use Altec drivers - my VOL uses 515C and 288G/H, and the Kult 1 uses 604 - the 604 has the 515 as its bass woofer with a smaller format coax compression driver for the highs. This is a nice video to showcase the difference of tone between the 515/604 A lot of people are wondering about that, so here it goes:. https://youtu.be/oerZfiMcUp0

• This might be one of the best "recordings" for my Voice of Lancelot (certainly one of my favorites), with Emma Kirkby, the queen of Baroque sopranos: https://youtu.be/tL72GkI5lvw (For those who do not know Emma Kirkby: she is literally the mother of present day Baroque singing. She has pioneered the technical details on Baroque singing, as the Baroque soprano singing technique has been forgotten by our modern days across the centuries! - yes, Baroque singing is MUCH harder and WAY more technical than the lavish and grand bravure singing of modern operas and operettas.)

• And music that is the very hardest to reproduce: harpsichord!! Most systems fail this test utterly miseraby, and I think that's why it has fallen out of popularity so badly (amongst audiophiles?) Slight flaws in reproduction, and it turns into an unlistenable mush. I think this recording here is one of the best (or perhaps THE best harpsichord recording I found so far on YT - being sooo humble, hmm?)  https://youtu.be/fuGluTjyXi4