What HiFi Awards 2014

[Deleted member 2457]

Sadly Big Chris too.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I like my flac files, but I like my vinyl better, be open minded, enjoy the ride!

Try not to get to your conclusinos only by reading tech sheets, use your ears more...

http://www.audioholics.com/editorials/analog-vinyl-vs-digital-audio

I'm an audiophile since I was 12. I couldn't read and understand "tech sheets" and psychoacoustics untill few years ago. I owned turntables, vinyl, cassettes, CDs, DATs... Now I use my rational mind AND my hearing.

Don't worry. You'll get there. *biggrin*

As I did, and still do!

If my mind serves me well Audioholics is your favourit hi fi place...

If opinions had any value we all be rich people by now...

 

[BigH]

Technically smartphones with CD quality digital playback are more High Fidelity (Hi-Fi) transports than the best turntables out there.

If vinyl is hi-fi, then mp3 is hi-fi, youtube and spotify is hi-fi and BOSE, Naim Mu-So, Denon mini systems and 50W integrateds all are hi-fi. Everything is hi-fi. High fidelity sound for pennies!

Vinyl is the only true hi fi you will ever get. The rest is just trying catching up, like hi res files, trying to create the sound quality of vinyl.

hmmm

 

[chebby]

I dont see any tt article for exemple, teaching how to set up a tt...

http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/how-to-set-turntable

http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/how-to-set-your-turntable

Found here ...

http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/hi-fi/turntables

Not saying they are at all useful (very scanty) but they are there and - unusual since the site upgrade - findable.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

I dont see any tt article for exemple, teaching how to set up a tt...

http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/how-to-set-turntable

http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/how-to-set-your-turntable

Found here ...

http://www.whathifi.com/how-to/hi-fi/turntables

Not saying they are at all useful (very scanty) but they are there and - unusually since the upgrade - findable.

Not on paper!

 

[Vladimir]

I like my flac files, but I like my vinyl better, be open minded, enjoy the ride!

Try not to get to your conclusinos only by reading tech sheets, use your ears more...

http://www.audioholics.com/editorials/analog-vinyl-vs-digital-audio

I'm an audiophile since I was 12. I couldn't read and understand "tech sheets" and psychoacoustics untill few years ago. I owned turntables, vinyl, cassettes, CDs, DATs... Now I use my rational mind AND my hearing.

Don't worry. You'll get there. *biggrin*

As I did, and still do!

If my mind serves me well Audioholics is your favourit hi fi place...

If opinions had any value we all be rich people by now...

I'm not an active member of Audioholics forum or frequent reader.

If engineering was based on opinions, everyone would have a piece of airplane wreckage in their yard. What holds a several hundreds of tons of hollow tin can in the air is science, not opinions and religious gatherings with snacks. Therefore, end the googlage and just look at what the well spoken British man with the osciloscope has to say.

 

[CnoEvil]

The readers have become as tediously predictable as WHF it seems.

LS50s again... Really?

Yawn.

The LS50s were last year. Not mentioned this time.

Yes readers award again.

Cno must've had half a dozen goes then. *crazy*

*angel*

 

[chebby]

Which members have we lost this year? MajorFubar is one, RecordSpot, can't think of others you?

We lost a fictional London gangster's nightmare persecutor but gained the cast of a television series for pre-school children.

 

[Deleted member 2457]

Which members have we lost this year? MajorFubar is one, RecordSpot, can't think of others you?

We lost a fictional London gangster's nightmare persecutor but gained the cast of a television series for pre-school children.

*smile*

 

[Vladimir]

Which members have we lost this year? MajorFubar is one, RecordSpot, can't think of others you?

We lost a fictional London gangster's nightmare persecutor but gained the cast of a television series for pre-school children.

*biggrin*

 

[relocated]

Technically smartphones with CD quality digital playback are more High Fidelity (Hi-Fi) transports than the best turntables out there.

If vinyl is hi-fi, then mp3 is hi-fi, youtube and spotify is hi-fi and BOSE, Naim Mu-So, Denon mini systems and 50W integrateds all are hi-fi. Everything is hi-fi. High fidelity sound for pennies!

Vinyl is the only true hi fi you will ever get. The rest is just trying catching up, like hi res files, trying to create the sound quality of vinyl.

Oh really? Science would disagree. http://www.audioholics.com/editorials/analog-vinyl-vs-digital-audio

You see there is absolutely nothing wrong with what you said [emboldened], you enjoy vinyl more. Your likes, dislikes, preferences or whatever, do not make an inferior carrier of music better than a superior one, however much you believe in it and want it to be true. At the end of the day facts are facts irrespective of whether you, individually, believe them or not.

 

[Vladimir]

I know many WHF members here despise specs and tech talk but please knock your head a bit.

Manufacturers are required to publish accurate technical specification BY LAW. Guess why is that? To protect us from manipulation and abuse. Why ignore what is in our own interest? Would you ignore technical specification when you buy a car and just drive it?

 

[spiny norman]

Would you ignore technical specification when you buy a car and just drive it[/b]?

Frankly I think that's exactly what most car buyers do.

 

[Vladimir]

Would you ignore technical specification when you buy a car and just drive it?

Frankly I think that's exactly what most car buyers do.

They never look at fuel consumption, horsepower, suspension type (FWD, RWD, 4x4 etc.), top speed etc?

 

[lindsayt]

Well, I think it can be a badge of honour to have a system made up of components that have never received any What Hi-fi awards.

Bonus points if your system is made up of components that have never even been reviewed by What Hi-fi.

More bonus points if you don't even care that none of your components have ever been reviewed by What Hi-fi.

Not that there's anything wrong with the award winners within the context of the magazine. It's just that there's so much more to the world of hi-fi than what can ever appear in the mag.

Your hi-fi system is it what it is. It won't sound any better or worse for having received or not received any awards from What Hi-fi.

 

[bigboss]

Would you ignore technical specification when you buy a car and just drive it? 

Frankly I think that's exactly what most car buyers do.

They never look at fuel consumption, horsepower, suspension type (FWD, RWD, 4x4 etc.), top speed etc?

Surprising it may sound, but yes. A number of my friends cannot answer these questions when I ask them about their new car.

 

[Hi-FiOutlaw]

Well, I think it can be a badge of honour to have a system made up of components that have never received any What Hi-fi awards.

Bonus points if your system is made up of components that have never even been reviewed by What Hi-fi.

More bonus points if you don't even care that none of your components have ever been reviewed by What Hi-fi.

Not that there's anything wrong with the award winners within the context of the magazine. It's just that there's so much more to the world of hi-fi than what can ever appear in the mag.

Your hi-fi system is it what it is. It won't sound any better or worse for having received or not received any awards from What Hi-fi.

Perfect post!!!*drinks*

 

[spiny norman]

They never look at fuel consumption, horsepower, suspension type (FWD, RWD, 4x4 etc.), top speed etc?

They may look at fuel consumption, but that's probably about it.

I mean, some of them even think front wheel drive, rear wheel drive and four wheel drive are types of suspension ;-)

 

[Vladimir]

I have quite the oposite experience. Men especially will know lot more about their cars than just basic specs.

Regardless, consumer ignorance is how businesses like Bose remain successfull. I understand someone who doesn't care about technology to not bother, but someone who has hi-fi as his hobby and everyday preoccupation not caring what he burns money on, that is just terrible.

 

[spiny norman]

I have quite the oposite experience. Men especially will know lot more about their cars than just basic specs.

Regardless, consumer ignorance is how businesses like Bose remain successfull. I understand someone who doesn't care about technology to not bother, but someone who has hi-fi as his hobby and everyday preoccupation not caring what he burns money on, that is just terrible.

That post is a spoof, surely?

 

[Vladimir]

I have quite the oposite experience. Men especially will know lot more about their cars than just basic specs.

Regardless, consumer ignorance is how businesses like Bose remain successfull. I understand someone who doesn't care about technology to not bother, but someone who has hi-fi as his hobby and everyday preoccupation not caring what he burns money on, that is just terrible.

That post is a spoof, surely?

Not a spoof.

 

[relocated]

On cars, the most important thing for me is whether it is particularly comfortable [both for short and long journeys], then how safe it is and whether I can afford to run the thing. What would I care about suspension type, BHP, top speed, acceleration blah blah?

There are speed cameras everywhere and even if not there is always another line of numbties to get caught behind because they can't move their bottoms, or because there is yet another set of pointless permanent or temporary traffic lights.

I suppose certain people find tech specs and speed to be ultra important, they are usually troubled in the trouser department IME.

 

[spiny norman]

On cars, the most important thing for me is whether it is particularly comfortable [both for short and long journeys], then how safe it is and whether I can afford to run the thing. What would I care about suspension type, BHP, top speed, acceleration blah blah?

There are speed cameras everywhere and even if not there is always another line of numbties to get caught behind because they can't move their bottoms, or because there is yet another set of pointless permanent or temporary traffic lights.

I suppose certain people find tech specs and speed to be ultra important, they are usually troubled in the trouser department IME.

Agreed, which is why so many car reviews do little to serve the potential buyer, as they tend to be about 'on the limit' handling, driving excitement and all that stuff.

 

[ID.]

Speaking of the 2014 awards. Heard the 685s2 the other day. Impressive. Nicely judged, very natural sound. Wasn't an extensive audition, but it was enough to make me think about neatening up my system by replacing my PMC DB1i with a pair of B&W 684s2 because I've been feeling the call of a compact floorstander for a while. I'll wait and see how much the price comes down over time. The previous series came in for some serious discounting.

 

[John Duncan]

Pruned of unpleasantness, instigated by Vladimir. Any more and a ban will be forthcoming - polite warning.