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Here are some readers’ comments about the Audio Perfectionist Journal: ....... “I just read through Journal #1. Wow! I learned more about sound in that one document than in most of the audio magazines I've read in the past 10 years. The Journal is a breath of fresh air.”......... ....... “Neat stuff. You make people think. You push your readers to understand this stuff for themselves rather [than] just listen to and believe what an "expert" says. Sort of like giving a man a fish, he's fed for a day, versus teaching him how to fish, and he's fed for a lifetime.”..... ....... “I can honestly say that this is the first time that I have found a periodical to be a gripping "Page Turner". I was up late last night devouring every page of the first four issues. Your publication is insightful, informative and extremely educational. I finally understand how my hi-fi system is supposed to work.“ ....... “I have just finished reading through the first 5 issues of the AP Journal—the first of many readings, I'm sure. My expectations, shaped by what I saw on your web site, have been met and exceeded.” ......... “You really have a gift for making technical subjects comprehensible. In the first two issues of the Audio Perfectionist Journal I learned more about hi-fi than in hundreds of pages of audio magazines. Your Journal is excellent—honesty with real advice that I can use.“ (Scroll down for more) |
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| Mr. Hardesty,
My wife and I built a house and I had one room that was mine: a media room. As an attorney (and a certifiable obsessive compulsive) I pored over every magazine article, internet forum and talked to many dealers about audio and video gear in hopes of making wise purchases for my room. There is no shortage of information, but how (pardon the pun) sound is the advice? In my legal work, I consider the source of the information I receive. What are the qualifications of the person espousing this point of view? What data does he have to support his opinion? Are objective criteria available on something as subjective as sound reproduction? And if so, how does the uninitiated consumer interpret this gobble-di-gook? If magazine reviews are to be believed, there are no bad products. Negative product reviews were as rare as talking oysters. And is that a full page ad for the same product that the reviewer gushed over in this month’s edition? How did the company know the review would be so favorable? I quickly became skeptical of the popular, advertising funded press. At a recent convention, I met a very nice lady – the wife of the editor of one of the major audio information magazines. Only when I talked to her, I did not know the editor was her husband. When I said that I questioned the objectivity of reviewers of products that are advertised in the magazine, the editor’s wife insisted that her husband and those who work for him would never allow their reviews to be compromised by advertising. Call me a cynic, but I ain’t buying it. So what are we to do? To whom do we look for truth? To whom do we, the audiophile consuming public, look to for objectivity? Enter Richard Hardesty and the Audio Perfectionist Journal. I was immediately impressed with Richard’s qualifications to render opinions about audio products. He could easily qualify in court as an expert witness if speakers, amplifiers, CD or DVD players were the topic. His 30 years of practical experience are as impressive as are his detailed, thorough knowledge of the guts of various products. OK, so now I’ve read his stuff. Let’s listen. The products I have tested do exactly what Richard says they do. Unfortunately, I found Richard’s materials after spending lots of money on lots of inferior gear. Fortunately, there is a great resale market out there. I have literally sold everything I had purchased – amps, preamps, speakers, CD player, surround processor, surround speakers, center channel – and replaced them with APJ recommended products. The difference in the quality of similarly priced gear is not subtle. I wholeheartedly endorse the APJ. It’s not an easy read. There aren’t a lot of pictures. And there is a lot of technical jargon and detail. But the information is accurate and the products that Richard favors are palpably better than similarly priced gear I’ve heard. I’ve not met or spoken to Richard, and he is obviously opinionated and obstinate. But based on what I’ve seen and heard, he is correct about most things. I’ve tried tweaks he recommends and they have improved the quality of the sound of my room. I have purchased products he recommends and compared them to products other publications gush over and APJ’s recommended gear is vastly superior. I can unconditionally recommend the APJ. Read it. Absorb it. Read it again. Then armed with the information, listen. I feel certain that you will be amazed, or at the very least, well satisfied that APJ is steering you in the right direction. David R. Richard, Just wanted to send a note of thanks for APJ's 9-12 (and of course 1-8). I just finished reading #12 and continue to be impressed on how you are able to translate complex audio isues into sometning I can understand (although sometimes it does take more than one reading). I wish I had this information before I made any purchases but they will provide me essential info in the future as I slowly upgrade. Thanks for the great work, Chuck Clarke Dear Richard, I am an APJ subscriber and appreciate all you do. Most of all, I have to thank you for the best audio advice I’ve ever received – to get back into vinyl. I grew with records as a kid but came of age as a real consumer age in the digital era. I tossed my records in the early 1990s and quickly amassed over 1500 cds. I also invested $20,000+ in an audio system – vandy 3A sigs and 2WQ subs, Quicksilver V4 monoblocks, First Sound preamp, Wadia then Audio Aero cd players, plus room treatments and expensive cabling. Despite all this fine gear, the music rarely pulled me in emotionally. I found myself easily distracted even on the best redbook recordings. I was frustrated. I was also reluctant to get back into vinyl b/c of the cost and upkeep and because it seemed rather anachronistic. Only when I heard a great analogue set up did I realize what I had been missing – the music was so natural, so immediate and present and, for lack of a better word, “real.” The pops and ticks and rare speed and pitch variations were a small price to pay for this magic. I’ve now added a $2000 VPI Scout/Dynavector combination that makes me want to keep listening all night. It’s frankly amazing to me how the high-end industry – both retailers and press – fail to push analogue as THE principal source. How can they justify recommending $5000, $10000, even $30,000 cd players to people who don’t already own turntables?!? I understand that many folks have lots of music they can only hear on CD – I do, too -but most of those recordings have now been relegated to the car! In any case, I’m now spreading the vinyl gospel to my fellow audiophiles. Let’s hope for more converts. Best Regards, Ben Dear Richard, I just subscribed to Audio Perfectionist, and I really do like the publication so far. I haven't finished reading all three issues I was sent, but the fact that you tell 'em as you see 'em is already evident. This is a refreshing departure from most magazines (or e-zines) that obviously are trying to attract (and retain) advertising. Also, I appreciate the scope of your subject matter. I am involved in high end audio and am often asked for my opinion on equipment, and, although I have no intention of claiming first hand knowledge on everything, I can at least pass along your results (with attribution, of course) to my customers. Your evaluations of products with which I AM familiar jibe nicely with my own experience, so I probably will tend to trust your evaluations. By the way, you just finished a review of the VSE upgrade to the Sony V24 based SACD players. I should mention that I'm VSE's east coast agent and offer the same services as Warren Gregoire for folks that don't want to ship their expensive units clear across the country. Warren and I do not compete with each other. Our pricing and warranty policies are identical. We both simply represent VSE here in the states. If you could see your way clear to mention me in an upcoming edition, that would be greatly appreciated. One last thing I'll mention is that the upgrade also includes a precision clock module that replaces Sony's cheap crystal-based master clock. This noticeably reduces digital jitter and is actually evident even through Sony's output electronics as well as through the VSE module. Otherwise, great review of a great (ok, I'm biased) product! Keep up the good work and best regards, Bill Thalmann Mr. Hardesty, I've spent many hours pouring over issues #1-2 and #9-10 so far. Too bad I didn't have this knowledge 3 years ago. I would have gotten a lot more bang for the $30,000 I've laid out for audio gear during that time. I find your journals to be far and away the most useful guides I've ever seen. This includes both of Robert Harley's books (excellent!) and my subscription to UHF magazine (also excellent). Also, I subscribe to two Stereophile and two Absolute Sound magazines. I've read literally hundreds of audio hardware reviews on-line as well. Please keep up the good work. and thanks again, Keith Birdwell, a very long time jazz and classical music lover. Mr. Hardesty, I just finished reading Issue #9 of the Audio Perfectionist Journal, and this is the best issue so far. Thank you! This issue alone is worth the price of the entire subscription. The digital player reviews are very helpful. To my knowledge, the APJ is the only print journal to really compare and contrast products in comparable price ranges, and to indicate preferences. The APJ is also the only journal that I can ever recall that listed a "not recommended" list. Congratulations on another great issue. I can't wait for the next one to arrive. Sincerely, Alan B. Richard, Your articles have been the most enlightening of any I have ever read in the last 30 years. And I have been for the most part a regular subscriber to many of them, including of course the Absolute Sound and Sterophile. The one I used to really enjoy was the IAR, but I have not heard about this publication for years. Now I finally understand what those four graphs are about and why they are important. You did a great job of explaining it and it seems obvious that a speaker should be designed that way ... what goes in should come out, without changing anything (but amplitude) if possible, especially the timing and phase. So essentially, if a speaker performs well on those four tests, then what makes them sound different besides the small deviations from perfect response (as shown on the graphs) would be the quality of parts and materials, type of materials, size and shape of speaker, spacing between drivers, driver configurations, etc. You mentioned how quick switching of components may show differences, but that those differences may lead you to the wrong conclusion. Boy is that true. Long term listening will tell the real story. I find if something is a little amusical in the system, then the desire to listen to music is much less. Unfortunately, that is usually my story. Again, I want to say how much I appreciate your articles. I think what you say is logical and sensible and really attempts to get to the heart of good musical sound. I am interested in purchasing a new system, maybe similar to yours, one that may be spectacular from time to time on the right CD or record, but more importantly, draws you in and has the ability to take you from the analytical mode to the heartfelt mode, more than not. I would be very interested in listening to your system if you ever have the time or inclination. I'm curious what interconnect and speaker wire you are using in your system. I hope future articles will show which wires do the "least damage" to the signals. I was also wondering if the Dreadnaught II is an improvement over the I? I am considering this amp now. (I was considering a demo CAL that sounded very good, but you indicated it might be a risky purchase). When are you coming out with your next article or articles? Your are doing a great job! Gary W Mr. Hardesty I have just finished reading through the first 5 issues of the AP Journal—the first of many readings, I'm sure. My expectations, shaped by what I saw on your Web site, have been met and exceeded. As a devout music lover, I consider high fidelity audio equipment to be one of life's most urgent needs ranking just below water, food and sleep. (OK, above sleep.) I purchased my first "serious" system about 15 years ago, and have been getting more and more confused ever since. Trying to make sense of the conflicting opinions and "expert" advice found in print magazines and now in the online magazines added greatly to that confusion. After having read your solid, carefully supported positions, I have a new-found sense of hope! I was greatly intrigued, by the way, to read about the importance of component placement and room treatment. Although I knew that the room had an impact on sound, I didn't realize how critical it was or how easily significant improvements could be made. I always thought this was the realm of the ultra-fanatic who rips up his house to completely re-engineer a listening room for an exclusive purpose, and that placing components in a typical room meant putting up with lots of compromises. I have personally experienced some of the situations you describe. I bought a pair of Martin Logan Aerius speakers, convinced that I was hearing "detail". I discovered my error when I later purchased a system (my current one) with a pair of used Thiel CS2.2 speakers and heard what I had been missing. This system is also bi-amplified with a powered sub-woofer, the first time I had ever tried this set-up. In anticipation [of moving to a new home] I started once again to do research on components and encountered your web site. I wanted to step up to a really fine system, but I was deeply discouraged at the cost of (supposedly) fine components. I now realize that while the very best components would indeed be very costly, there are reasonably priced components that perform nearly as well as the bleeding-edge stuff. Toss in careful placement and some room tweaking, and I should have exactly what I wanted! I had also heard the line that home theater and high-end music reproduction were two completely different animals and that I would have to accept compromises unless I spent the money for two separate systems. I feel that I owe you a great deal for having debunked that one misconception. Thank you so much for taking up this most excellent enterprise. As long as you continue to produce the AP Journal, I'll be a subscriber. SF Wirehead Subject: A former Havens and Hardesty customer says hello Hi Richard, I was looking at the Vandersteen web site and found you. I bought my 1st pair of 2Cs at your store and recently upgraded them to 3a Signatures. I also have a pair of 2Ws. I use a TEAC VRDS-20 CD player as a transport, AQ AT&T optical out to a Wadia 12 DAC and an Audio Research LS-15 tube pre with PSE amplifiers. All cabling by AQ. This system has always satisfied me. I've gone out and listened to other speakers from B&W, Dunlavy, Linn, Wilson, and Thiel and have never heard anything that compares to the 3As. To tell you a little about myself... I am a professional keyboardist, composer, and arranger now living in New York currently attending NYU/Tisch School of the Arts Graduate Musical Theatre Writing Program. I am one the upcoming composers trying to see if my musical voice is worthy to be heard on Broadway. I also recently wrote, sequenced, arranged, and produced the score for the new show that opened this summer at Sea World San Diego called Cirque De La Mer. Not the pre-show stuff, but the score which is used for most of the show. So...if you're into Shamu, and in the San Diego area, try and catch the show I just moved into a house in Woodside from an apartment in Manhattan and had my big stereo shipped from California since there is more room. Your free Issues of Audio Perfectionist helped me a great deal. I had already set up the subs in the front corners, and the speakers as the 3A manual suggested. The stuff you wrote helped me fine tune the room and system even more. Thank you, I've learned a great deal from your writings. I am eager to read more of your issues and further my knowledge as a fellow audiophile. Bob Nafarrete Richard, I have received, and thoroughly enjoyed, the first 5 issues of the Journal. Outstanding, informative, engrossing. You have renewed my interest in audio which has been waning over the past year or so. I am not a WSR reader (not very interested in movies) so was not familiar with you or your work. I stumbled across your website one day and was immediately captivated by the first 2 issues. It's completely out of character for me to act on a sales pitch being peddled over the internet. But for an unexplainable reason (probably because so many of the views you espoused were in line with my own), I dug around a little, decided you were Bravo. Eagerly looking forward to the next issue. Nick Iovino Subject: I have already benefited greatly from first two issues Dear Mr. Hardesty, I would like to take a minute to tell you how I have already benefited from I have a pair of Lowther PM-6A's in large bass reflex cabinets, with two Velodyne 15 inch subwoofers. Although the benefits of a single driver speaker are many, the upper bass was lacking, and the highs aggressive and unpleasant. So I purchased a Behringer Ultracurve Pro 8024 equalizer and measuring microphone and proceeded to equalize my room by placing the mic at the LISTENING POSITION. I had the room response to + - 0.5 db from 20 hz to 20 kHz. Left and right channel correction curves were quite different. After reading your thoughts on room equalization I endeavored to just equalize the Lowthers and subs, and not the room, except at the subwoofer frequencies. I simply placed the mic two feet directly in front of the left speaker. Room colorations of the low frequencies would still be corrected for, but the mids and highs would be "heard" primarily from the Lowthers, and not the room. I then COPIED this correction curve to the right channel. Now I had the Lowthers equalized exactly the same, and sub frequencies corrected for room resonance's. The results were breathtaking. Imaging and soundstaging improved IMMENSELY. Imaging depth arrived on the scene. Sometimes I can hear room interactions that are not corrected, as they were before, but the imaging benefits and lifelike sound quality now present are a definite improvement. Sub frequencies really benefit from equalization. Before I had a bass boom from a 15 db room resonance at 40 Hz. Now I have BASS NOTES. So it is my assertion that some speaker systems, and especially Lowthers, can benefit from digital equalization. However one should equalize the SPEAKERS and not the room. Speakers with a truly flat response probably do not need equalization, except in the subwoofer frequencies. Unless of course one can tune out low frequency resonance's with bass traps, etc. Best regards, David B. Levinson Hey Richard, I really like your journal. I especially like the way you take pains to make no assumptions about the technical level of your readers. Many articles I read assume a certain level of technical expertise - which I don't have. So much of what I read I do not understand. When I read your stuff, although a lot I don't get the first pass through, at least the explanation and background is there. I was reading a review the other day, I don't remember the name of the writer, or even what product he was reviewing, but what I do remember was a technical statement he made which concluded with, "...which is obvious." Well, not to me. I like that you believe in simple fundamental truths, explain them in depth and then build on them. I work in computers, and daily I get into those technical conversations with people who do not understand the simple truths behind what they are talking about. So, thank you. I really love music, and I thank you for helping me to understand the issues and how to wind up with stuff that makes a sonic difference. Mike Malter Dear Richard - Thanks again for your efforts to publish the Audio Perfectionist Journal. After reading issues 1-5, I can really say that my knowledge about audio has taken a tremendous leap forward. You provide a solid intellectual base to ground what I have learned by many hours of listening. Certainly, I am a more sophisticated listener after reading the AP. I look forward to your future issues on design of components. I thought you might be interested in my experiences with adding a subwoofer. With a modest investment (about 1/6 the cost of my system) I added a small, sealed box subwoofer to two monitors that are rated with useful response down to 45hz. These monitors sounded great before, but by adding a subwoofer I was dramatically able to increase the dynamic range of the system. I use a Y-adapter from the pre-amp out and run a full range signal to the low-pass filter built-in to the sub. For the signal to the amp, I use two in-line filters with a crossover point of 65hz attenuating the signal at 12db/octave. The blend between the monitors and the sub is nearly perfect; the resolving power of the monitors has been substantially increased. Put simply...for a modest investment, the sound has been dramatically improved. I know that you advocate 1st order filters, full range speakers, and two subs, but I thought you might be interested to know a lot of benefit can be had with smaller speakers that have reasonable bass response, 2nd order filters, and a single sub. Thanks to your knowledge in the AP, I was able to make some well founded choices given budget, system and room. Keep up the good work! Bill O'Brien Richard, I apologize for not getting back to you sooner but I have been so engrossed in reading your Journal that I could think of little else until I finished and digested all of them. Richard I don't know how to thank enough for all your hard work, I think I've learned more from your Journal in the last couple of weeks than I have from all the years of reading all those mass market mags, including Stereophile. I'm now letting go my subscriptions to Home Theater and Sound&Vision as I no longer have any use for them, I do still like Widescreen Review however. I now feel I have a good understanding of what good loudspeakers should do (and not do). Thanks for the education, I will put it to good use as I am off to audition speakers. Thank you again, Jeff Mason. Richard, I want you to know that I absolutely love your Journal. I've read up through Issue #7. I think your writing "speaks the most truth" of any audio writing I've ever read. I have been reading Stereophile on and off since 1995 and of course the Audio Asylum recently (it is from a post on AudioAsylum.com that I found your Journal). None of these compare to your Journal. I wonder to myself if I like your writing for what it says or do I like your writing because I tend to like (and own) the components you recommend or is it a combination of both? Your whole philosophy really gels with my reality (and what I believe to be the greatest reality for most audio hobbyists): We've got plenty of money to spend (relatively) but will only spend it when we're convinced what we're buying will actually make us happy for a long period of time. I don't want this to sound like a confession or anything but your whole piece about how to evaluate the surround sound processor is so dead-on that I felt like it was a transcription of my brain waves. You have managed to capture the reasoning and logical analysis that escapes even the best intentioned internet postings and Stereophile-style "buyer's guides." Check this out: So about a week ago I went into a well known high-end audio store and asked to "play" in one of their super-duper-high-end rooms (while one of my components was being repaired). I brought some of my favorite CDs with me. Guess what...after an hour of listening, my ears bothered me, and I turned off the single "best and most expensive" stereo system I have ever heard. I walked out wholly unsatisfied. Basically, it sounded jaw-dropping for the first ten minutes, but I would never buy these components because I could never live with them long term. This was a system that truly "kicked ass" so much so that it kicked my ass out of the listening room. This recent experience mates perfectly with what you talk about in your Journal. Jay Richard, FINALLY someone is exposing the true nature of audio magazines and the audio industry! I wholeheartedly support you! I just stumbled upon a small article about this site in Widescreen Review, your former place of employment, (and one of the only readable sources of all things A/V these days)! Can't wait to check out the journals (I'm downloading issue 1 right now). THANK YOU SO MUCH! Colin Robertson, and the rest of the crew at Audio Ecstasy in San Luis Obispo, California. Richard, I had previously implemented all of your speaker location suggestions and was delighted with the improvement experienced. The next phase was to implement your suggestion regarding passive high pass filters. After much unsuccessful searching for a source of manufactured filters, I got a friend to manufacture me a set, based on your published instructions. What has followed is a fascinating journey of sustained improvement in both the performance of my system and my subsequent enjoyment of it. I have read your endorsement of SACD as being a significant advance in audio reproduction. I recently upgraded my trusty Sony S7000 DVD player to the S9000ES for my home theatre. The SACD capability was a bonus and I have enjoyed the significant improvement over traditional CDs (but not the frustration at the woefully limited selection of software) but I have to say, the implementation of your recommended passive high pass strategy, ranks at least equally with SACD technology in delivering improvement in audio performance. My friend, an engineer, confirmed that your theories and observations were feasible i.e. your writings appeared to be based in science and fact and, whilst you might be considered a heretic in some circles, you certainly were no lunatic. The first round of filters delivered a significant improvement in system sound. I must qualify this by saying that I was initially confused by what I heard. First up, there was significant attenuation of the unfiltered audio frequencies. I measured them against the response of the speakers without the filters and the same frequency response characteristics were evident but at a lower level. After re-balancing the set up (including the HT components of my system) I sat down for some critical listening. What at first seemed like a thinness in the new set-up revealed itself to be a lack of distortion in the medium frequencies, an added openness in high frequencies and tight authoritative bass (essentially from the subwoofers). My friend, who claimed not to have had so much fun since his teenage years of dismantling and rebuilding Hi Fi and other electronics, had designed the filter housings so that different capacitors could be easily installed and removed for experimentation. Whilst I was delighted with what I had initially heard, and as his only payment was in red wine, I humored him and allowed him to regularly replace the capacitors. The last, and I suspect final, experimentation occurred last week when he put in new polypropylene capacitors called an Auricaps. Previously all the capacitors used fitted into the shell of the filter assembly. The Auricaps were just too big and necessitated a major redesign of the filter casing. This may not come as any surprise to you, but not all capacitors are created equal. The installation of the Auricaps have revealed a "hidden" layer of detail in the mid range and add a little touch of sparkle in the upper frequencies, all with no penalty to smoothness. This capacitor represents the best performance of any capacitor tested. I don't know how many of your readers build their own filters but this information may prove useful. In closing, although my wife is probably in the process of putting a contract out on you due to constant upheaval in the lounge room that your writings have spawned, I have enjoyed the journey so far . Thanks for the valuable advice. Best regards, Gary |
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