"How to create a Negative Audio Review"

[Billy Shears]

Distinct undertones of Sarcasm....

http://audiophilereview.com/audioph...iew-or-merely-make-your-system-sound-bad.html

 

[amirm]

Hmmm. Pretty odd suggestions in there like this one: "If the volume on your system is turned up enough there is a point at which either your loudspeakers or your room will begin to distort."

How do you get a *room* to distort?

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

Hmmm. Pretty odd suggestions in there like this one: "If the volume on your system is turned up enough there is a point at which either your loudspeakers or your room will begin to distort."

How do you get a *room* to distort?

You're reading that too literally. He means (I think) you'll hear distortions due to an improperly damped room environment.

 

[Billy Shears]

lsd

Yes that would do it ......

 

[Johnny Vinyl]

I know "Orange Sunshine" was quite the visual distortion during JH's Star Spangled banner.

 

[RayDunzl]

Hmmm. Pretty odd suggestions in there like this one: "If the volume on your system is turned up enough there is a point at which either your loudspeakers or your room will begin to distort."

How do you get a *room* to distort?

Uh, rattle the windows?

 

[amirm]

Uh, rattle the windows?

Hard to write a negative review due to windows rattling .

 

[NorthStar]

Windows 10?

 

[amirm]

Windows 10?

Man that cracked me up.

 

[thedudeabides]

How do you get a *room* to distort?

Amir,

My room is a bit on the "live" side. Lots of windows, wood floors, etc.

A volume that is too high makes the room "ring" with excessive reflections. Not a big fan of excessive room treatment and absorption. Kills the dimensionality and emotional connect with my MBL's.

That's the reason I record the volume level on each CD. Each bump on the numeric scale impacts the volume by 0.7 db on my CJ ET5.

The correct number is pretty easy to find once you get familiar with the room acoustic.

 

[bwaslo]

...Not a big fan of excessive room treatment and absorption. Kills the dimensionality and emotional connect with my MBL's.

If you haven't already, you might consider room treatment that isn't just the usual (and easier) absorption. Diffusors don't kill dimensionality or liveness and can make the room sound much more spacious and smoother.

I did a writeup on DIYAudio about a particularly easy and inexpensive to make 1D diffusor that can be made usually without even needing a saw at home. For those interested and willing to put in a little sweat (and can convince their SOs that something big would look great in the room..), here's a link: http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/everything-else/269366-making-easy-diy-depot-sound-diffuser-panels-step-step.html

Best change I ever made to a system.

 

[Atmasphere]

A missing factor: have an unspoken agenda unrelated to the piece under review. IOW: politics.

 

[Folsom]

I think a reviewer should do their best to make constructive criticism. They should do their best to make it work. And if they can't they should discuss that. Maybe the reviewer screwed something up, doesn't have any well matching components, or maybe the designer needs to address something they need to know about.

Politics... That part sucks.

I will say I had a fellow who owns a company founder (big) review something of mine. He said he wouldn't post it publicly, but he did literally sabotage the review and probably gave it 5 minutes of time. That felt political, given his opinion on the piece of equipment before listening.