I’ve been thinking a lot about what “high-end audio” actually means, especially in today’s landscape, where yesterday’s super sacred spaghetti sauce recipes, or audio designs get reworked with slightly different garlic and oregano ratios, only to command ever higher price points.
First off, High-end audio isn’t solely about specs or sky-high price tags. It’s about pushing boundaries, much like a master watchmaker crafting a Swiss timepiece. We’re not just building gear; we’re creating experiences that transcend the ordinary while delivering a whole you can’t easily find elsewhere, if at all
Now, I know some audiophiles love measurements and specs. But let’s be real - they don’t tell the whole story. There’s no magic number that proves one speaker is definitively better than another. We’ve all been in heated debates about this, right? That’s why at Synergistic Research, we look beyond conventional wisdom. Take our PowerCell SRX itself a 15 year evolution from my original electromagnetic cell patent or at the other end of the spectrum, the PowerCell 8 SX, like all PowerCells that came before them they are non-current limiting and yet, eclipse the performance of the PowerCells that preceded them. It also stretches the boundaries of what we can fabricate and manufacture in our factory, this is something you can see, but it’s also something you can hear. And the only way to appreciate their performance is to plug your system in and hit play. Or if you’ve played with our HFT‘s, or Black Box low frequency acoustic resonators, you understand, they bare no resemblance to traditional room treatments, yet once you become accustomed to them, it’s hard to listen to your system without their presence.
These aren’t just tweaks; they’re complete reimaginings of how we interact with sound. We’re delving into psychoacoustics, sympathetic resonance and electromagnetic energy fields - areas that traditional audio engineering often overlooks with performance metrics not easily quantified with traditional measurement suites.
But here’s the thing: high-end isn’t just about the tech. It’s about aspiration leading to novel design. It’s about crafting a unique sonic signature that speaks to you at an emotional level. Like a finely tuned Italian sports car, you can’t entirely quantify it by simply looking at a spreadsheet, you first need to see the car, sit in it, and drive the car. High-end audio is the same and should be compelling, not only from a sonic but also a visual standpoint. To this end the market plays a huge role in defining high-end. We’ve got different companies, each with their own vision of audio nirvana. The winners? Those who nail that sweet spot between performance, looks, and letting folks actually experience the gear which is why we’ve stressed in-home auditions going back to day one— August 1992 when we promoted the listener experience over measurements. This is why we go to the expense of making our products available to qualified customers through our dealer network. So you can make an informed decision.
At the end of the day, high-end audio has that special something that goes beyond the spec sheet. It’s about the pursuit of perfection, craftsmanship, the pride of ownership, and connecting with music on a deeper level. You can’t always put it into words, but you know it when you hear it and see it.
Theodore W Denney III
Lead Designer Synergistic Research Inc
First off, High-end audio isn’t solely about specs or sky-high price tags. It’s about pushing boundaries, much like a master watchmaker crafting a Swiss timepiece. We’re not just building gear; we’re creating experiences that transcend the ordinary while delivering a whole you can’t easily find elsewhere, if at all
Now, I know some audiophiles love measurements and specs. But let’s be real - they don’t tell the whole story. There’s no magic number that proves one speaker is definitively better than another. We’ve all been in heated debates about this, right? That’s why at Synergistic Research, we look beyond conventional wisdom. Take our PowerCell SRX itself a 15 year evolution from my original electromagnetic cell patent or at the other end of the spectrum, the PowerCell 8 SX, like all PowerCells that came before them they are non-current limiting and yet, eclipse the performance of the PowerCells that preceded them. It also stretches the boundaries of what we can fabricate and manufacture in our factory, this is something you can see, but it’s also something you can hear. And the only way to appreciate their performance is to plug your system in and hit play. Or if you’ve played with our HFT‘s, or Black Box low frequency acoustic resonators, you understand, they bare no resemblance to traditional room treatments, yet once you become accustomed to them, it’s hard to listen to your system without their presence.
These aren’t just tweaks; they’re complete reimaginings of how we interact with sound. We’re delving into psychoacoustics, sympathetic resonance and electromagnetic energy fields - areas that traditional audio engineering often overlooks with performance metrics not easily quantified with traditional measurement suites.
But here’s the thing: high-end isn’t just about the tech. It’s about aspiration leading to novel design. It’s about crafting a unique sonic signature that speaks to you at an emotional level. Like a finely tuned Italian sports car, you can’t entirely quantify it by simply looking at a spreadsheet, you first need to see the car, sit in it, and drive the car. High-end audio is the same and should be compelling, not only from a sonic but also a visual standpoint. To this end the market plays a huge role in defining high-end. We’ve got different companies, each with their own vision of audio nirvana. The winners? Those who nail that sweet spot between performance, looks, and letting folks actually experience the gear which is why we’ve stressed in-home auditions going back to day one— August 1992 when we promoted the listener experience over measurements. This is why we go to the expense of making our products available to qualified customers through our dealer network. So you can make an informed decision.
At the end of the day, high-end audio has that special something that goes beyond the spec sheet. It’s about the pursuit of perfection, craftsmanship, the pride of ownership, and connecting with music on a deeper level. You can’t always put it into words, but you know it when you hear it and see it.
Theodore W Denney III
Lead Designer Synergistic Research Inc
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