Philosophy

Perplexities of search

Giving reins to their purchasing intention, the average listeners when searching among the commercially offered assortment, can hardly encounter anything else, but the so called closed and bass-reflex type sound boxes. Some “persistent” audiophile inquirers may even “run into” transmission-line constructions, however virtually only the “die-hards”come into closer contact, get acquainted with the sound of horn speakers. Not to mention how much the debates, views about the practical application of the one way – multiple way construction principle can ensnarl the otherwise confused music-lover. When, the mentioned constructions are only a fraction (!) of the many design principles

We avoid design principles downloadable from the Net, as well as “factory” constructions, box design principles promulgated as perfect, the shop drawings of renowned manufacturers “acquired” and publicised as common property, and instead strive to tread our own path we wish to move along on, which may help find the way out of the audio world ruled by profit oriented marketing.

Difficulties of choice

It’d be futile of us to dispute that the listener’s demands would meet the potentials offered by manufacturers without the active participation of commerce. However, the products manufactured in vast quantities “procreated” for the expectations of mass production must be sold, thus a significant segment of the trade – backing the case – throws in a marketing steamroll, wishing to draw the attention and force a purchase by business gimmickry (as there is nothing else it can offer!) concealed behind the deformed, imprecise information of a “best buy”. This approach has nothing to do with quality! It only sees a product and a consumer. It simply sells for the sake of selling. (There is a distinction in Hungarian between selling and selling value!)

Not many a trader ventures into territories whereby the building of a bridge between manufacturer and customer is called for. These few undertake to show customers the accomplishments of theory as well as practical experience, and give such guidelines that perhaps point to a more rugged path, but promise a sweeter success and a more secure achievement of the objective. Those who seek out this trader and by leaning on him undertake the trials of this journey, should be prudent in their choice, for they might equally get long lasting favourable as well as unfavourable preconceptions for forming their independent opinion.

The confines of principles

Some are stressing that in an audiophile chain, a sound box is appropriate for exacting music listening, if every kind of music plays equally well on it, and is never unpleasant, others claim that the said system would need silence-room testing in order to prove its quality. This always sets us thinking and the chewing over ends with a conclusion that neither is necessarily right but both assertions are nonetheless true.

On the one hand neither is right, because a loudspeaker cannot “decide” over the sound of music, it cannot make it prettier if it sounds distorted due to bad recording, and which does this after all, cannot be styled as having unstained sound. On the other hand it can be said that through appropriate design, the sound of the loudspeaker delineates a lofty, broad and deep stage, it is airy and clear, the music can be listened to for a long time, and it isn’t tiring.

Then, the other party, who wishes to pass judgement about a loudspeaker on grounds of charts obtained in silence-room testing and on shod data sheet frequency diagrams, is similar to a cheat, who insists on measuring love by tape measure. But, whereupon the engineering mind is required to design a construction, thus it follows that testing results are needed as something to go by along the way of development.

On our side we can only say, without trying to designate an obligate and mandatory way to an “errant” looking for a sound box, that we encourage everybody to listen to as many loudspeakers as possible and not to trust devil a one, but allow to be influenced only by the occurrence experienced during the listening to the music. A loudspeaker shouldn’t be bought for a friend, because it won’t be s/he living with it! It shouldn’t be bought, because of the tempting discounted price tag. A bad sound will remain bad no matter whether it’s cheap or not!