Gizmodo Visit With Mikey

cjfrbw said:

Maybe they need the glasses to focus the sound stage.

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I won't discount that, but I find anything on my head or face to be a distraction, and my ears tell me where the soundstage is.

mep said:

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.

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After reading GaryProtein's post about the negative effects of wearing glasses while listening, I've decided to get Lasik surgery, it cost less than Stillpoint Ultra 5s.;-)

You guys are definitely taking my observation about the two reviewers in question wearing glasses much farther than I meant to convey. I simply meant to express that for me, wearing anything on my face was a distraction when I'm listening to music.

However, for some, it may make it easier for them to read the manufacturer's name on the equipment so they don't feel like they have lost control and are doing a blind test!

There was a time an idiotic comment like your would bother me….

dallasjustice said:

I've never seen that many photos of his room. It's pretty interesting.

Reviewing a $350,000 system in that room is like having the opportunity is kiss a super model on the lips and opt for a hug and peck on the cheek instead. What a mess!

Might as well do the review in a hotel room. It wouldn't sound any worse.

Michael.

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You've never been here, you have no idea what you are talking about, but you're willing to make a truly dumb and uninformed comment. That is why you are not an experienced audio reviewer and I am. My room has been measured by an acoustician, I've reviewed many of the world's best speakers in my 15x21x8 room and I've gotten excellent measured in-room response measurements. And the Wilson XLFs sound incredible here. Many of the industry's top people have visited and they can back that up. I have a friend with XLFs in a huge room and the sound there is spectacular as well. It's just different. Mine is more of a near field experience. In some ways I prefer his room but in other ways I prefer mine. Yes, my room is cluttered but it's not a show room. It's a working space with gear coming in and going out on a regular basis. And I have a lot of records, which by the way, produce "nearly ideal decay time" according to the acoustician.

I'm a man and I can take it especially since at this point I've won.

Maybe you'd better listen with your ears instead of your eyes.

This is the last thing I'll post here about this thread: I was approached at an event at Stereo Exchange in New York by two young Russian engineers. i was doing a turntable set-up seminar and neither of them owned a turntable. They were there to complain about my room, which of course they'd never heard. "We see bass bump, boom, boom, boom! How do you live with that boomy sound?"

I said to them "Do you really think I would live with boomy bass given what I do for a living? You think I would sit there day after day listening to boomy bass? I HATE boomy bass. I'd rather have NO BASS than boomy bass."

"But the measurements show……"

I cut the guy off and said "Why don't you come over and listen for yourself?"

"You would allow that?

"Of course? What do I have to hide? Come over."

So they did, bringing along a test CD. They looked, they walked around, they played their test CD and they concluded "No boomy bass! It sounds incredible! How can that be?"

I said to them "Because drawing sonic conclusions from measurement is a tricky business".

Then I said "Let me play you some records."

They said "No, we don't like that pops and clicks and hisses."

I said "You're here and you are going to be good guests and listen to some vinyl."

I pulled out the UK DECCA "Porgy and Bess" recorded by Kenneth Wilkinson and when the side was over they were done.

"How can we get that sound? How can that be vinyls? Is that on a CD?"

I said, "yes it is but don't' expect it to sound like that."

A half hour later, they understood what vinyl was all about with no snaps crackles and pops. Those are cereal.

Thanks for posting MF. If you are ever up my way, you are always welcome to stop in for a listen. Cheers !

Great to read from you here MF. We can only hope you will come more often.

BTW, when you listen to the Trinity DAC, please do not forget to tell us in WBF - most of us really appreciate your experience and writings.

Gary, do have the same issue with your glasses when you are at a live music event? I wear glasses myself and find that when I remove them there is a difference in comfort level only. Perhaps new glasses that have lighter frames and lenses may help. I have two pairs, one for distance and the second (much lighter in weight) pair as I read a lot when listening.
Though I do recommend you wear glasses with anti reflective coating. It'll help with nasty room reflections and you'll save a bundle on room treatment.