JBL M2 Master Reference Monitor Review
JBL has been manufacturing speaker systems for over half a century. Some, like the 4412 monitor, have become professional industry standards. Audiophiles, on the other hand, have had a love-hate relationship with JBL. It’s an unfortunate situation because many of JBL’s speaker systems are far superior to those marketed as “high-end” in consumer magazines. Pretty much anyone in the industry has a pair of 4412’s lying around somewhere, but over … Continue Reading…
Emotiva XSP-1 Gen 2 Review
In the age of multi-channel preamp/processors it’s difficult to get excited about a stereo preamplifier. The last truly exciting preamplifer was Apt Corporation’s Holman Preamp, designed by Tomlinson Holman, the engineer also responsible for the THX standard and many other excellent audio and film technologies. Just when you thought two channel preamplifiers were following the path of the dinosaurs, Emotiva introduces the XSP-1 Gen 2 Differential Reference Preamp. Most articles … Continue Reading…
Audiophile System Accuracy: Why you don’t want it
There is so much misinformation in the world of audiophiles that it’s virtually impossible to debunk all of it. Most engineers gave up trying long ago because “a lie told often enough becomes the truth,” and in this case the lies have been repeated for decades. 99% of all audio reproduction issues cannot be fixed with magic cables, new amplifier designs or more accurate speakers. Every manufacture wants to sell … Continue Reading…
Sound Reproduction by Floyd Toole
Sound Reproduction: The Acoustics and Psychoacoustics of Loudspeakers and Rooms is a book by renowned acoustic scientist Dr. Floyd Toole that reveals the science behind modern consumer audio systems. Toole served as Corporate Vice President – Acoustical Engineering at Harman International from 1991 until he retired in 2007. He also served as the Senior Research Officer in the Acoustics and Signal Processing Group at the National Research Council of Canada. … Continue Reading…
Fletcher-Munson and Hearing Damage
This is one of the most important articles that any audiophile could read, because it can help prevent hearing damage and tinnitus. Here at Audiophile Nirvana we want you to enjoy your music for a lifetime, and not become a victim of the technology that provides it. Loudspeaker specs almost always include a graph illustrating the device’s frequency response from 20 Hz to 20 kHz. This appears to indicate that … Continue Reading…
Audiophile: Warm-up & Break-in
Audiophiles often inquire about proper warm-up times for equipment, and whether or not speakers require a break-in period. These are reasonable questions. Does an amplifier sound better after being powered on for an hour, six hours, a week? Does the sound of new speakers improve after a lengthy break-in period? If you believe many of the things published on the internet and in audiophile magazines, then apparently both or true. … Continue Reading…
Audiophile 101, Part 2: Rooms and Positioning
In the first part of this series we didn’t include speaker stands. In this part it will become evident why we made this request. The room in which you place your sound reproduction system, and the way it is setup will have a major impact on overall sound quality. As a matter of fact it is of equal importance to choosing the right components. This factor is more often than … Continue Reading…
Audiophile 101, Part 1: Your First Audio System
Most new audiophiles look to the Internet for advice about how to build their first system. Unfortunately, they are quickly overwhelmed by the, oftentimes, conflicting opinions and pieces of advice offered by audiophiles. This series of articles offers yet another perspective on how to create a good sound reproduction system. It differs from most others in that it combines elements from the world of Pro Audio with consumer grade components. … Continue Reading…
Better sound, or merely different?
Oftentimes reading an audiophile review of a component or speaker is more akin to Romantic literature than factual analysis. In technical terms, how do you define a “warm sweet elegance”? The problem with subjective testing goes beyond mere personal preference and is directly affected by room related audio issues. Whatever it sounded like in the reviewer’s room is not an indication of how it will sound in yours, or any … Continue Reading…