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Reccomended Reading...
#17496 08/15/03 06:04 AM
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Haoleb Offline OP
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So ya know... i spend alot of time on different audio forums and there are soo many discussions about this and that and yada yada yada.. But some people just dont have a clue about audio. Even though they might THINK they do. (not me i hope!) and well, i got the book called, The complete guide to high end audio by Robert Harley and this is the best book for anyone in audio. It costs around 30 bucks and is WELL!!! worth it. It contains information covering nearly everything audio from properly setting up your speakers to how to listen (yes you would be surprised)and so on. And when i was reading the thread about hearing differences in amps etc i cant help but think that some people Dont know how to listen! And dont have good audio "values" Anyway, id reccomend that each and every one of you out there who is into 2 channel or HT also (but theres a seperate book for that) to pick up this book. I promise you wont regret it. i hope that theres a copy around the axiom factory because if there isint there should be! Its like going into a library that doesnt have a dictionary!

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17497 08/15/03 07:35 PM
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I'm curious. What are Robert Harley's credentials? If we're going ot be doing things his way, it's good to know such things.

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17498 08/15/03 07:45 PM
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Spoken like a scientist!

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17499 08/15/03 08:26 PM
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Haoleb Offline OP
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Its not doing things his way, its just someone sharing the knowledge they have gained over years of experience. You might be thinking. yeah another book about audiophile junk. no. this is a book for the beginners and experiences listeners

" Robert Harley is Editor in cheif of the absolute sound and the perfect vision magazines. and author of home theater for everyone and a practical guide to todays home entertainment systems his more than 500 published product reviews and articles on high-quality music reproduction have helped thousands of music lovers improve their hi-fi systems"

And.
"These are just a few of the secrets you will learn

High end sound at low prices how to do it cheap and still do it right.

How to find the one loudspeaker in 50 worth owning.

How to make your speakers sound up to 50% better at no cost to you.

Why all 100 watt amplifiers dont sound the same

Five system setup mistakes and how to avoid them

How to avoid buying yesterdays technology"

Im just sayin, go to your local bookstore and try and find it, i bet after flipping through it your gonna walk out of the store with it. It goes into detail on everything imaginable from how amps turntables and speakers work to how to explain the things you hear when listening to equipment.

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17500 08/15/03 10:12 PM
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OK, How does one make ones speaker sound 50% better, with no cost to ones self ?? And have you done so yet ? And most important, did it work ?


LFE ! The rest is just details..
Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17501 08/15/03 10:34 PM
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Haoleb Offline OP
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Its UP TO 50% better. I havent read through the whole book. its a rather large book and i just havent had the time yet. But i think thats the section on setting up the speakers in your room. but im not going to re type 20 pages of stuff so if you wanna know you'll just have to go read the book. Im not here to argue with people about stuff. im just simply saying that this is a good book for anyone interested in audio and its intersting reading and you would probbly learn something new thats all. If nobody goes out and buys it. hey not my loss but just as people reccomend music because they enjoy it, im reccomending this book because I enjoy it.

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17502 08/15/03 10:49 PM
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First, you have to have crappy speakers that you keep in a closet. Next, take the crappy speakers out of the closet and set them up in your best room (acoustically speaking), making sure that the woofer is a different distance from the 3 nearest room boundaries.

Ta da! 50% improvement at no cost to you!

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17503 08/15/03 11:04 PM
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Haoleb Offline OP
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actually..... i remember seeing somewhere. someone did infact have junk speakers stuffed in a closet lol.

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17504 08/15/03 11:06 PM
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In reply to:

OK, How does one make ones speaker sound 50% better, with no cost to ones self ?? And have you done so yet ? And most important, did it work ?




There's a lot of basic speaker setup ideas that most of us probably figured out on our own or learned fairly quickly but I see screwed up on a regular basis. Things like sticking a speaker against the wall, right down in a corner, not pointed at your ears, etc.

It's probably just basic setup stuff though quantifying it to specifically 50% is just marketing.

Re: Reccomended Reading...
#17505 08/15/03 11:35 PM
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Brandon, I suspect that you may not have studied too much highly technical audio material because if you had, you wouldn't be very impressed with much of Bob Harley's book. The basic stuff about setting up a system is okay, but you probably knew most of that already. Then he gets out of his depth in attempting to explain technical information he's copied from other sources but either doesn't understand or deliberately twists in an attempt to justify the high-end myths which make up much of the book. I borrowed it from the library a few years ago and haven't felt the need to refer to it since.

Some of his colleagues in high-end writing greeted the book warmly, but more knowledgeable readers greeted it with derision. There's a mildly unfavorable review here and I'm familiar with the Audio Critic review it mentions, but unfortunately apparently it isn't available online. Dr. David Rich, a professor of electrical engineering in NYC, after describing a few of the numerous errors he found, concludes as follows: "The conclusion is simple. If you do not understand chemistry and physics, you may think you can turn lead into gold. If you do not understand electronics, you may think amps and preamps sound different and color the sound more than loudspeakers. The Complete Guide to High End Audio is an important document because it makes it clear that the "experts" in high-end audio are not experts at anything but B.S. and charlatanism". Following Dr. Rich's review the editor commented in part: "Would you have considered it possible that a 450-page book, potentially a sourcebook for future practitioners, would be lovingly prepared and published with nothing but the most egregious technical misinformation in it?"

It's no more likely that Ian or others(note Alan's dismissive comment of Harley a few weeks ago) at Axiom would use this as a source of information than a surgeon preparing for a delicate operation would seek to consult with a witch doctor. Do yourself a favor and use a more reliable source of information.

Last edited by JohnK; 08/15/03 11:38 PM.

-----------------------------------

Enjoy the music, not the equipment.


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