Gizmodo Visit With Mikey

[MylesBAstor]

The problem is that lots of people don't see it that way, and lots of people who don't see it that way are digital lovers who have had their feelings hurt by the harsh things he has said against digital. So basically, MF is a polarizing figure in high-end audio. You have to remember that many people who love digital think it blows all analog in the weeds (even if their digital that blows analog in the weeds was sourced from analog). So they think people who proclaim that analog sounds better than digital are looney.

I was surprised at how quickly people jumped all over MF's room and pronounced it as a mess and saying it couldn't possibly sound good. And yet, and yet, not one of those people have been to MF's listening room and heard his setup. One guy on this forum who 'knows' his room nodes has declared that MF's room couldn't possibly sound good. Eyeball science is a wonderful thing.

My point to all of this is don't waste your breath and keystrokes trying to convince people on this forum that Fremer is "one of the good guys in this hobby." To many, he is the enemy. Even the fact that he wears his glasses while listening is under scrutiny now. And as if we couldn't possibly be anymore polarizing on this forum and in this hobby, some people are trying to start a movement to separate those who drink alcohol from those that don't because those that don't drink alcohol can hear better.

I thought I saw a hearing aid on the table!

 

[MylesBAstor]

You make great points.

Another thing to consider is that people have different realism triggers. Most people would take a +/ -7 db variation in the bass in their room, while having the rest of the musical spectrum within 3 or 4 db. Others prefer harmonic qualities of tubes. Others the jump factor. Other prefer vinyl/ digital. Others get off having a better musical experience thinking about the high tech drivers in their speakers, etc. People prefer whatever they prefer. The rest is just intellectual masturbation.

+1

 

[Peter Breuninger]

We need NSA analysis of these photos, Myles, good catch.

 

[MylesBAstor]

Joe,

That's what I would expect but for some reason we have members that seem to be all knowing of things related to audio based on a picture and a graph, which is a very sad state of affairs, IMO.

I'm been around the block too many times to allow myself to make sweeping statements of the sort. Within a very short distance of my home, I can put some of these guys down in several different rooms/systems at wildly varying price points that all sound remarkably good but different and I'm willing to guess the ones that are thought to not perform well based on a visual would surprise many of them.

All too often audiophiles music lovers get a bad rap. Myles puts up one post about a very rare complimentary report and instead of celebrating the article, we turn on and cannibalize our own...

It's sad.

Dre

Thanks for reminding me of the reason I initially posted the article

 

[mep]

Joe,

All too often audiophiles music lovers get a bad rap. Myles puts up one post about a very rare complimentary report and instead of celebrating the article, we turn on and cannibalize our own...

It's sad.

Dre

Yep. Poor Mikey got roasted, toasted, pilloried, gutted, filleted, and hung out to dry by people who have never been to his room. Reviewers seem to be easy and highly desirable targets for some audiophiles.

 

[Peter Breuninger]

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Not for the Wilsons.

Also did you take the time to read Atkinson's disclaimer on the difficulty of measuring BIG speakers like the XLFs?

My apologies. A 5db 60 cycle hump and a nearly straight drop off below that. Didn't see the disclaimer. Is it on the measurements page?

Tim

 

[mep]

View attachment 14285

So where's that 9" you were bragging about on the "What size is your room thread?" You been hanging out with Lorena Bobbitt?

 

[Dre_J]

My apologies. A 5db 60 cycle hump and a nearly straight drop off below that. Didn't see the disclaimer. Is it on the measurements page?

Tim

Bottom of a different Speaker measurement page. Here: http://www.stereophile.com/content/wilson-audio-specialties-alexandria-xlf-loudspeaker-measurements

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

Yep. Poor Mikey got roasted, toasted, pilloried, gutted, filleted, and hung out to dry by people who have never been to his room. Reviewers seem to be easy and highly desirable targets for some audiophiles.

Personally, I'm not roasting the guy at all. That room might sound good. I think a lot of cluttered rooms do, because they diffuse and absorb a lot. But "fill the room with a variety of random hard and soft stuff and see what you get" is not the methodology I would expect from one of the hobby's top reviewers. That I would expect from...me. And judging by the measurements Stereophile got, he isn't getting much bass out of those big Wilsons in there. Though I still haven't found Atkinson's measurement disclaimer, so who knows?

Tim

 

[microstrip]

Really? Maybe I'd better learn to read graphs, because it looks like a nearly 10 db 60 cycle hump followed by a precipitous drop-off. That's what I'd expect from unimpressive stand mounts trying to fake bass out of a 6" driver. What am I missing?

Tim

Tim,

Nothing you will consider of importance. BTW, no need to ask, it is all written in the JA comments provided in the link kindly provided by Caesar.

 

[jap]

I see Mikey and Ken are wearing glasses. I could never wear reading or any other glasses while listening to music, live or recorded. I keep them in my pocket or near my remotes or equipment stack if I need to make any adjustments. Wearing glasses while listening is a detraction for me! Of course YMMV on this.

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/any-audiophile-types-out-there-who-wear-glasses.36901/

 

[MylesBAstor]

My apologies. A 5db 60 cycle hump and a nearly straight drop off below that. Didn't see the disclaimer. Is it on the measurements page?

Tim

At the bottom of the measurements page.


If I'm reading the graph correctly, the -3 dB point is somewhere in the Mid-20s.

 

[microstrip]

I have. I can say without question that looks can be deceiving. The room sounds very good indeed.

Joe,

Nice to have a direct testimony in WBF. But I guess you will be asked to imagine how the room would sound if it was much larger ...

 

[mep]

http://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threads/any-audiophile-types-out-there-who-wear-glasses.36901/

Here we go. Now we can add glasses to the debate. If you normally wear glasses and don't take them off when you listen, your system will sound bad. If you take off your glasses while listening and you are having a scotch on the rocks, your system won't sound as bad but you won't realize it because you are drinking. If you reach for your glass of scotch without your glasses, you might misjudge the distance and fall out of your chair and cut yourself on the glass, but it won't matter because your system still won't sound good over the wail of the ambulance siren.

 

[microstrip]

My system is better than yours because:

My glasses are wireframes
(...)

Peter,

Sorry, but when listening to LPs you should wear 19th century silver reading glasses to read the liner notes. Other wise the ticks and clicks will resonate in your glasses, increasing their apparent loudness, and spoiling your listening pleasure.

 

[Peter Breuninger]

Peter,

Sorry, but when listening to LPs you should wear 19th century silver reading glasses to read the liner notes. Other wise the ticks and clicks will resonate in your glasses, increasing their apparent loudness, and spoiling your listening pleasure.

I also use a left handed smoke shifter to improve the soundstage. (boy scouts)

 

[GaryProtein]

Yep. Poor Mikey got roasted, toasted, pilloried, gutted, filleted, and hung out to dry by people who have never been to his room. Reviewers seem to be easy and highly desirable targets for some audiophiles.

For the record, all I did was make the observation (not a criticism) that he and Ken wore glasses while they were listening.

Peter,
Sorry, but when listening to LPs you should wear 19th century silver reading glasses to read the liner notes. Other wise the ticks and clicks will resonate in your glasses, increasing their apparent loudness, and spoiling your listening pleasure.

Noooooooo! don't wear any glasses OR read liner notes while the music is playing!

 

[Phelonious Ponk]

At the bottom of the measurements page.


If I'm reading the graph correctly, the -3 dB point is somewhere in the Mid-20s.

No, I think you're reading it right. I think I was reading it wrong.

Tim

 

[cjfrbw]

Maybe they need the glasses to focus the sound stage.