Room acoustics

Room acoustics


  • Where did my music go? Signal loss, Pt 1

    Signal loss is causing your system to sound 30-40% less good than it could. Thatโ€™s my estimate, and I think itโ€™s conservative. The loss begins at the source and continues through a bog of electronic parts, EMI, connectors, and cables, a long process of loss that doesnโ€™t end with your speakers, but your room. Everything…

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  • Interview with an audio trailblazer: Norman Varney, on room acoustics, Pt 2

    โ€œLet’s talk about common things like modal resonances, early reflections, reverberation times, ambient noise, and signal-to-noise ratio […]โ€ โ€œLet’s talk about common things like modal resonances, early reflections, reverberation times, ambient noise, and signal-to-noise ratio,โ€ said Norman. “These are important issues because they greatly affect the listening experience.

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  • “No, I have the best system in the world!” #9: A Bucharest Audiophile’s Quest for Perfect Sound

    “Then, five years ago, I visited a store to buy cheap speaker cables for my home cinema, and, out of curiosity, I listened to a modest hi-fi setup thereโ€”I don’t think it cost more than $5000. I was blown away. From there, I spiralled into the high-end.”

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  • The Bison epitomizes Strength, Stability and Consistency, three words that accurately describe Totem Acousticโ€™s 35-year journey of continual global success as a loudspeaker manufacturer in the high-performance audio spectrum. Being the largest and most powerful terrestrial mammal in North America, the Bison is symbolically sacred to many indigenous tribes; a culture that has been a…

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  • Interview with an audio trailblazer: Norman Varney, on room acoustics, Pt 1

    โ€œ90% of audiophiles are not experiencing 50% of their equipmentโ€™s potential.โ€ At High End Munich 2022, I had the opportunity to interview industry veteran Norman Varney of A/V RoomService, Ltd., who debunked many of my theories on how room acoustics influence the sound in our listening rooms. He has modeled, installed, and improved hundreds of…

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  • In Search of audio at CEDIA Expo 2022

    Long ago are the days when CEDIA could be considered, among other things, a high-end audio industry show. Now itโ€™s mostly for designers, sellers, and installers of various home and commercial electronics products that revolve around home automationโ€”the Smart Home segment.

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  • “No, I have the best system in the world!” #7: Transforming Digital Streaming into an Analog Symphony

    Paulโ€™s system is one of those rare audiophile systems; its composed entirely of gear of the same brand, in this case, made by venerable Scottish company Linn. Paulโ€™s system is Linnโ€™s 5.0 Katalyst Surround System. Did you think that Linn was mostly about turntables and analogue? Only in a nostalgic sense. Before I get into…

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  • “No, I have the best system in the world!” #4: The Intersection of Science and Sound in an Audiophileโ€™s World

    After PMA Magazine posted its inaugural โ€œNo, I have the best system in the world!โ€, a few willing participants answered our call to talk about their own audio journeys and โ€œBestโ€ system,ย i.e. a system they felt had reached a certain level of performance they could live with for the long term. To do the series,…

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  • “I have the best system in the world!” A 50-year Journey in Audiophilia

    Itโ€™s often been said that we should avoid discussing politics or religion in polite company. These are touchy subjects on which people have strong ideas and beliefs that may conflict.ย These conversations can, on a dime, turn into trench wars, polite company notwithstanding. Among audiophiles, one could easily replace politics or religion with best audio brand,…

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  • T.H.E Show 2021

    First impressions All prices listed in USD My wife is not an audiophile. But as a classically trained pianist and a professional musician, she has ears for sound quality. Itโ€™s why I sometimes seek her opinion after changing something in my audio system. This yearโ€™s T.H.E. Show, held in Long Beach, was her first audio…

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