Features of hi end equipment. What is Hi-Fi and High-End. What do people who have Hi-End systems get?

People have been striving for perfect sound for a long time - from the first phonograph by Thomas Edison to today's lowless recordings - and they got their way. Great sounding of your favorite songs without distortion and extraneous noise can be heard at home for at least several decades. The technique of reproduction, amplification, the media and acoustics themselves have reached incredible heights of quality, and manufacturers are trying to find at least something else that can positively affect the sound.

Hi-fi

Hi-Fi systems (short for High Fidelity) have become synonymous with the highest sound quality for most. And this is not surprising at all: all equipment complies with DIN 45500 and IEC 60581 standards - a wide range of amplitude-frequency characteristics, noise level and low total harmonic distortion. Such a rigid framework allowed manufacturers to conduct fair competition, however, in pursuit of customers, many are trying to reduce the cost of production using inexpensive materials: chipboard is used instead of natural wood, and sound processors in receivers are used from models of previous years.

It should be understood that the Hi-Fi segment is designed for the mass consumer who is used to the sound of a car radio on the way to work and the muttering of an old radio in the kitchen, but wants something more. On Hi-Fi-level equipment, sounds take shape, open up, and the purity of the recording is shocking at first - all this creates an indescribable effect. You no longer want to return to the world of wheezing radio, a person becomes addicted to high-quality sound.

Installation rules for Hi-Fi components

All elements are usually made in a modern style and will perfectly fit into almost any interior, except for the very pretentious and colorful baroque. Traditionally, they are rectangular in shape and fit together, even if produced by different vendors. Neutral tones, minimum of jewelry - one appearance is already able to tell everyone about the owner's musical preferences. Best of all, this technique reveals itself on classical works, jazz, rock.

The abundance of furniture and interior elements can significantly degrade the sound quality - the sound will be reflected from many surfaces and lose its integrity.

The ideal accommodation option is a living room or office. Hi-Fi components can be used to create a great home theater system that will outshine any movie theater.

Hi-End

With Hi-End technology, everything is much more complicated. Here the question of price is probably in the last place. These are more works of art than components for listening to music. All Hi-End technology is beautiful both inside and out. Standards and objective measurements do not apply here - such a sound is evaluated from the point of view of its pleasantness, "lamp-like", "warmth" and a million other factors that are sometimes understandable only to audiophiles themselves.

To join the world of perfect sound, it is not enough to have a good ear, you also need to have a good income - the prices for components are measured in tens of thousands of dollars. It is difficult to say how much better a triple-shielded gold cable transmits a digital signal of zeros and ones, but experts and audiophiles are inclined to agree: Hi-End is the only way to listen to music for those who have not stepped on a bear.

It is worth agreeing: in terms of frequency characteristics or other parameters in tests, this equipment may prove to be worse than the budget Hi-Fi segment, but when listening to you, you will discover the incredible depth of music and sounds that you have never heard, although you know the composition by heart - it's really worth it your money.

Installation rules for Hi-End components

In search of harmony and balance of sound, manufacturers often create acoustics in unique shapes. By the way, most of the Hi-End equipment is made to order in a single copy or in a very limited batch. This tactic helps not to create consumer goods. An example of the balance between style and quality is the acclaimed acoustics from B&W Nautilus. She has won several awards for sound quality and distinctive shell style.

This style of components calls for a modern interior design, the best option would be hi-tech. Hardcore fans of perfect sound even create dedicated listening rooms with good sound insulation and no unnecessary furnishings to prevent sound reflections. Here, just the design is somewhere near the price, at the very bottom.

To fully disclose the sound of the entire system, you need to follow many rules: for example, use a filter for power supply, and the acoustics should stand on special paws or podiums - the floor under it should not resonate. But you can beautifully place the entire Hi-End system without disturbing the harmony of the sound, and charming amplifiers with upright tubes will help give the interior a steampunk note.

Custom design of some loudspeakers created for the sake of more better sound, sometimes it helps to determine the style of the room itself - in the case of audiophiles, it is the interior that adjusts to the style of technology, and not vice versa.

We can say that Hi-End is a truly no-compromise option for an audio system. Price, appearance, manufacturer - everything pales before the pursuit of perfect sound.

What does the term High End mean?

High End (Hi-End - English) is a marketing term. It denotes the highest class belonging to the elite. As a rule, we are talking about sound amplification equipment and software... As we know, Hi-Fi in the nomenclature of modern radio electronics has its own GOSTs, as well as other technical characteristics that qualify Hi-Fi in one way or another. There are no such concepts for High End. Why? Since the products of the Hi-End class declared by manufacturers contain only high-quality components, there is simply no need for this.

What is High End Audio Equipment?

Hi-End equipment is an exclusive and often extremely expensive sound reproducing equipment. For the manufacture of such elite equipment, unconventional, non-standard technical solutions are often used. As an example, you can cite a tube or hybrid (tube-transistor) equipment, as well as electrostatic, counter-aperture or horn acoustic systems.

We emphasize once again: the term Hi-End does not refer to any standard.

Hi-End equipment is considered Hi-Fi, which is made with the use of such components, the use of which is not economically justified for the production of serial equipment. In addition, this term includes equipment manufactured by hand... At the same time, it should be borne in mind that this also includes products that may not meet industrial standards and even the declared technical characteristics in general.

What is indicated in the description of the High End equipment?

This is actually a very interesting question. Because both users and manufacturers of Hi-End equipment, in the description and comparison of their technology, they use non-numerical measurements of parameters. Numerical measurements of parameters are easily checked, as we understand, in any specialized laboratory.

Here the description is absolutely subjective! And consists of the opinions of several listeners. The listeners describe the different features of the sound they have experienced with the same non-technical term. For example: emotionally, softly, sandy, warm, cold, transparent, holographic accuracy, the sound canvas is sunny, etc. True. Very unusual? That is why High End equipment is a world of subjectivity and taste preferences of musical “gourmets”. It is clear that the circle of such people cannot be large. But such a small group of clients is ready to shell out a lot of money for their addiction.

How is High End equipment chosen?

As we have already figured out, Hi-End equipment cannot be selected for technical characteristics. Here the emphasis is on the radio components used and, often, archaic technologies. It is interesting that if such equipment is subjected to painstaking analysis in terms of technical characteristics, it will show far from "advanced" results. But subjective sensations, if you listen in certain conditions and on a certain musical material, will show simply a colossal advantage of High End over conventional budget Hi-Fi equipment.

Let's talk about the cost

Hi-End is a single piece of equipment, in contrast to mass Hi-Fi, so cost doesn't matter here. It is clear that the priority economic feasibility is clearly indicated for Hi-Fi equipment. Buyers are guided by something completely different. Therefore, the owners of Hi-End equipment are audiophile fans who are ready to pay any exorbitant price for pleasure. Or are they just very wealthy people for whom having such a thing is a matter of prestige. In any case, Hi-End is a post-not unique solution that can fully satisfy the needs of a particular "audiophile".

But it must be emphasized that due to the very high price category Hi-End and an almost complete ideological absence of requirements for technical characteristics, a huge number of other types of equipment are often offered along with recognized devices. This is a technique that has an unreasonably high cost. It may be incredibly luxurious in design, but it doesn't really have the uniquely sounding components and interconnect cables that cost so much money to pay for. It is clear that such equipment is purchased by a certain category of very wealthy citizens for the purpose of prestige. But, in fairness, it should be noted that for many buyers Hi-End is, above all, a luxurious and exclusive design. And, to be honest, not every listener is able to adequately assess the sound of music and its individual components by ear.

About High End Hardware Software

Such software is used when it comes to application software. Software is created to order for one person or for a limited group of people. It is able to provide a solution to a full range of tasks set by a specific consumer. It is clear that the cost of such programs is very high. But, in fairness, I must say that they fully justify their considerable price and status, and convenience, and the complete absence of failures, as well as simply excellent technical support... After all, such software is a specialized project that is developed and implemented for a specific consumer.

Instead of an afterword

Many do not understand the choice of true music lovers. It is believed that everything is too exaggerated. Is it so? Let's think about it.

A simple experiment. If we listen to music on Hi-End equipment and do not see the sound source, then we will never be able to distinguish a copy from a box from an original live sound from the world.

A professional will distinguish between numerous shades of sound, its beauty, life, breath. A non-professional will listen without tension to all sorts of creaks, noises, rustles, crackling ... Such a listener, in principle, does not care. The creative individuality of the performer can never be felt on ordinary equipment. This is the prerogative of the true music lover.

Today is the time when everything can be decomposed into mathematical formulas. So is the sound. But is it possible to describe sensations with some number? The device will sort everything out “on the shelves” - it will evaluate the fidelity curve of the pure tone reproduction, the introduced harmonics. But what device, soulless and dead, will distinguish the soul put into music?

Today we will look at common problems associated with creating a Hi-Fi / Hi-End system on a PC using studio equipment.

Development of Hi-Fi / Hi-End cards of mass production

Hi-End means high quality. In each area, Hi-End products fall under different parameters. For some Hi-End products, this is the maximum number of parrots in the test (for example, video cards, processors), for others - prohibitive cost and exclusivity, for others - an assembly without compromise from high-quality components.

Every audiophile wants the "best sound card", with the best DAC, the best operational amplifier, the best power filtering, and so on. It is not a problem to develop and make such a card - the problem is to assign such a price to the card so that it can be bought later. Today the cost serial A hi-end sound card for a home system should be within $ 150-300. With a rigid framework, the manufacturer cannot take an uncompromising path, and the presence of test programs such as RMAA does not allow cheating buyers. Therefore, the manufacturer has to look for compromise solutions.

The stereotypes of dividing household audio equipment into Hi-Fi and Hi-End, first of all, in terms of cost, partly refer to sound cards. Thus, inexpensive serial Hi-End cards conditionally become simply "high quality", and exclusive and expensive ones become Hi-End. The real quality can be on the same level.

A couple of years ago, there was a demand in the Asian market for high quality sound cards. The bulk of the afflicted are audiophiles with good headphones... Cards with standard operational amplifiers did not provide acceptable quality, forcing them to buy additional headphone amplifiers. Auzentech offered cards with a fancy harness. One problem - the cards were based on C-Media, nevertheless, the beautiful appearance of capacitors and op amps attracted the attention of many.

In response, Onkyo and Audiotrak released - and. Excellent straps, screens, beautiful advertising technologies (which is only a vector signal construction a la "polyhedral sine" from Wavio), etc., but the use of average quality DACs makes you wonder if there is any point in buying such cards for expensive complex? The cards may be "cool", but the level is only Hi-Fi with a bottleneck in the form of a DAC. The calculation was made for the owners of headphones ($ 100-300) and owners of a Hi-Fi amplifier with acoustics (with a similar cost for system components), where a top-end DAC is not needed.

The next stage of development in the sound card market was the release of a specialized high-quality card ProdigyHD2 Gold from Audiotrak, which used a high-quality top-end DAC from AKM with high-quality binding. Prior to that, top-end DACs remained in expensive custom-made studio boards, such as, etc. costing over $ 1000. Today Audiotrak offers an equally interesting device on PCM 1798.

It is worth considering a large number of home-made and modified devices. At the same time, the pursuit of uncompromising quality does not always lead to adequate results for homemade and "Hi-End manufacturers". Here you can draw an analogy with the Hi-End stationary turntables, where a heavy marble (or other stone / metal) chassis is "uncompromisingly" made to reduce vibrations and accurately read data from the disc. Paradoxically, for some reason such stationary drives hardly read stamped discs and cannot cope with CD-R / RW, and in contrast there are portable CD-players with asynchronous disc reading at a penny cost. This makes you wonder if solving a particular problem should be expensive? Does using a higher quality component result in real quality improvements? A figurative example - would a calendar poster hang more securely on a stainless steel nail than on a pushpin? These are the questions that face engineers who develop mass-produced products, and as a result, a relatively inexpensive device can "make" the quality of a more expensive exclusive model.

At the same time, in case of piece production, it is easier to put into a device a part with excess quality than to investigate the dependence of the quality of the device as a whole on this component, because "time \u003d money". And it's easy to throw dust in your eyes - "our device uses the most advanced X component, which will provide the coolest quality." The main thing is that ingenious ideas and theories should be consistent with practice. The lack of measurements, accurate characteristics and tons of water about the "golden rumor of the developer and the magical sound of the device" usually cause fair suspicion.

The user's task is to choose a device that really meets his requirements without deception from anyone.

Due to the demand in the Asian market, the companies still manage to further improve the quality of cards (use better components) for the "standard" price, but there are very few high-end home models on the world market.

On Russian market the undisputed leader is Creative with a $ 300 consumer card and a $ 200 professional one using the top-end CS4398. Alternative manufacturer - Razer with AKM4396 card. ASUS should come to our market with the XonarD2 card, which uses one of the top-end DACs from Burr-Brown PCM1796. The rest of the cards are available only in the Asian market, among which there are the top-end WM8740, AKM4396 and high-quality binding.

Many manufacturers are gradually realizing that it makes no sense to save on DACs, and it is better to put something of high quality. After all, the product cannot demonstrate anything else. But the use of the top DAC is more of a marketing nature, since both the design of the board and the competent use of other components are important, otherwise the situation will be the same as with the first revision of E-MU0404, where the card with the "pre-top" AKM4395 lost [email protected] with a "less top-end" DAC AKM AK4358.

Only the younger X-Fi cards with powerful DSPs for games stand apart, which in games have an advantage due to high-quality hardware processing of sound, where the DAC plays a much smaller role.

Making a card with a top-end DAC for "cheap" is not difficult, a striking example is Club3D Theatron DTS, with a cost below $ 100, using four top-end AKMs. A big problem is debugging drivers, introducing specific functions and explaining to the buyer why he should buy such a card, where the obvious advantage in sounding will probably be on the path from $ 1000. As a result, the paradox is that the card itself is not very expensive, but it requires an expensive path to unleash its potential.

CMI8788 cards are now actually replacing consumer cards on ENVY24XX (, / XT / HD2, etc.). The reason for the crowding out is simple - the CMI8788 supports Live DTS, unlike ENVY. Moreover, C-Media gives manufacturers a reference scheme for top-end AKMs. Manufacturers can only repeat the scheme without investing in development, while for ENVY24XX everything needs to be developed from scratch. The most cunning Razer and ASUS re-labeled CMI8788 in RZR35192 and AZ200, only ASUS went further and decided to use a different DAC, not from AKM and CS, but ADI - which none of its competitors have. The decision is sound, with an eye on the exclusive. Nevertheless, only rare cards have top op amps, or the ability to replace them without a soldering iron. The XonarD2 and Barracuda use the standard JRC4580, slightly higher than the opamp class of the X-Fi EP. The ProdigyHD2 Gold offers high-quality op-amps on the stereo line output with "Triple OPAMP" technology: two OPA2134 from Burr-Brown + JRC5532. (The European version of the Prodigy HD2 uses three NE5532s that can be replaced with other op amps without soldering.) The competition for the "Hi-End" -nost of this card is only new cards on the CMI8788 and planned this year.

Studio vs Hi-Fi / Hi-End

The conference often raises the question of the differences between professional and consumer equipment. There is an opinion that professional equipment gives "honest" sound, and household equipment - "pleasant", and that it is unpleasant to listen to something on professional equipment, as it deliberately sticks out jambs and "unnecessary sounds".

Let's take a look at the main differences that you should be aware of when building a high-quality system. Ignorance of basic things often leads users to great frustration.

There are many sources in the studio - these are synthesizers, various instruments, microphones, in addition to them, there are many additional signal processing devices. All this is connected to a mixer, which can have several dozen input channels. After the mixer, the signal is sent to the ADC converters (to the PC), monitors. From the PC through the DAC converters the signal is sent to the mixer, and then to the monitors. In fact, the mixer is a separate switching device that links all the components in the studio. Due to the wide variety of studio configurations, the layout of the devices resembles a very flexible designer.

There are very few sources at home, and the amplifier is often the switch. The small number of components and their location in one place place other requirements on the components.

Sound cards

If in a home system all the components are nearby, and there are no special requirements for the interconnect cable (we do not touch on cases of excellent audibility of the cable direction only in sighted tests :). In a studio, there can be ten or more meters between devices. And the longer the wire, the more pickups it can catch. To solve this problem, balanced wires with a higher signal level are used. Accordingly, professional equipment has balanced inputs and outputs, TRS or XLR. To connect household appliances to a professional one, adapters and support for an increased signal level are often needed.

The main differences between prof. cards from "multimedia / household" - this is prof. TRS or XLR connectors, mandatory ASIO support, specific functions in drivers or connectors in the form of a microphone input with phantom power at +12 or +48 V, lack of DirectSound3D and OpenAL support. As an exception among budget prof. cards, you can find cards without a balanced signal level, such as, etc., designed specifically for home budget studios.

The main task of prof. cards - to ensure ease of use. Sound quality professional cards miscellaneous and not always superior to "multimedia / consumer" cards.

A figurative example is a universal jeep against a roller, crane, bulldozer, Formula 1 car.

Learn more about ASIO and flexible signal routing capabilities.

Cards with flexible signal routing (DirectWire for ESI / Audiotrak, PatchMixDSP for E-MU, CreationMode for X-Fi, KX DSP + Router for KX Driver, FREE Mixer for Infrasonic Quartet) have the ability with the help of prof. software to do almost any signal processing in real-time of any channel during playback from any program. What does it give, apart from using "uluchshayzers", in terms of building Hi-End systems?

• you can use filters with a large cutoff slope - this allows you not only to narrow the transition zone, but also significantly relieve the speakers. So, for the tweeter, you can choose a lower crossover frequency, without the risk of distortion
• phase-linear filters can be used
• you can adjust the delays between speakers to compensate for speaker positions
• additionally, you can do equalization, with the suppression of resonant frequencies

With an inexpensive Midi controller, you can very quickly and efficiently make adjustments, arrange blind tests between different filter settings.

Blind tests are always important in making better / worse verdicts, but, unfortunately, this is neglected (and sometimes panicked) by Hi-End fans and developers, relying on their "absolute" hearing and keen eyes. There are many opportunities in this approach, but you need to have the proper qualifications in working with prof. software.

The cost of a compact PC with the appropriate software is comparable to the cost of hardware studio DSPs, and at the same time gives more possibilities. An example of such solutions is the $ 53,000 Helix Legacy Audio system using $ 5,000.

For low-cost studios and live speakers, there are many active, tunable analog crossovers. If someone has free time or specific requests for the speaker, then you can easily make "boxes", insert speakers, connect to amplifiers, set up a crossover.

It is better to forget about the future use of "uluchshayzers" in a high quality path right away. The main goal of popular plugins such as Ozone, the built-in processor in the X-fi Cristallizer, is to bypass the downstream flaws, similar to the flavoring found in low-quality food. This processing best left for studio use when making music. An exception can only arise with low-quality recorded tracks.

Are there any cooler cards than the E-MU1212m, Prodigy HD2, X-Fi Elite Pro, Razer Barracuda, Asus Xonar D2, etc.?

Among professional cards, one step higher is complex solutions - digital card + external converter, like LynxAES16 + Aurora16. The cost of such solutions differs by orders of magnitude than that of the cards under consideration. The high cost is dictated by the piece production of devices and specific functions, such as:

• the ability to operate several cards as one (for multichannel systems), where you need not 5.1 channels for DVD, but 16 or more, it is rather difficult to place them all on a PCI board
• the ability to synchronize with external equipment

For home use, these functions are not needed. Moreover, the implementation of some functions can go to the detriment of the "audiophile", for example, the ability to fine-tune the reference frequency led to more jitter of the device, while the absence of this function would allow to squeeze out "more quality".

Among the household cards "one step higher" are also complex solutions - a digital card + external DAC. Any card with an SPDIF-output can act as a digital card, which provides digital data transfer with the proper degree of correctness.

The main advantages of this solution

• organization of external power supply
• galvanic isolation from PC
• wide range of external DACs

In some cases, the cost of an external device for custom production may be lower for an external device. Make a device on a multilayer board, successfully circumvent a number of problems for internal device at home is not so easy.

Amplifiers

Studio amplifiers are rack-mountable. Since volume control and source switching are done in the mixer, amplifiers often lack volume controls and an input selector (not to mention the remote control). This "disadvantage" applies to active monitors as well. In most cases, there is only a channel-by-channel input gain control, and not necessarily in front. Another important feature is that most studio amplifiers have active cooling, similar to a computer's power supply. And the last argument "against" the use of such an amplifier at home is an unsightly look, close to "homemade" :)

This amplifier from Yamaha is not the scariest in appearance, but outwardly the difference with the Hi-Fi models from Yamaha is big.

The development of sound cards and software gives rise to a large number of Home / Project studios, where the mixer is not used. HTPC systems are also developing, where Hi-Fi speakers are the final path. Since the source selector (radio, TV, DVD) is located in the computer, an input selector is not required from the amplifier. Low prices for prof. cards + slogans "a professional amplifier is needed for a professional card", forcing manufacturers to produce products "prettier" and "more convenient", close to Hi-Fi. Among the inexpensive studio amplifiers ($ 350 ~ 450), we can mention the Alesis RA300 and (the models are similar in appearance and characteristics).

Two large per-channel volume controls and power button... There is only one stereo input behind, but made in different form factors: RCA, TRS and XLR, with support for both balanced and consumer signal levels.

At the same time, there are less attractive amplifiers like ART SLA-1/2, with formal active cooling, where the fan turns on only when it overheats. According to the owners, overheating is extremely rare.

"home" studio amplifier Behringer A500 from the inside

It's funny, in audiophile circles the most respect is caused by top-end transformers in studio amplifiers with passive cooling, without taking into account the "other parts" used :). And of course, the lack of tone controls.

Just like in the Hi-Fi / Hi-End world, the cost of studio components can reach sky-high heights.

Acoustics

First of all, the sound quality is determined by the quality of the speakers used and the optimal design of the case with the crossover + amplifier. Competent speaker design is never cheap, as it requires a lot of development resources. Resources include: time, parts park and qualified engineers. All this costs money and is included in the cost of the final product.

In the sector of budget acoustics, they are trying to save on everything, up to checking the build quality and operability of the speakers. It is not uncommon for the filters to be calculated for one speaker, and as a result, other speakers are installed without any adjustment of filters or acoustic design of the case. Not only manufacturers of low-cost active acoustics, but also well-known brands sin this. With regards to studio monitors sold individually, not in pairs, it must be borne in mind that the speakers of different parties may differ in sound, due to the use of speakers of different parties.

There is no perfect acoustics. Any system, of any cost and design, is always a compromise solution. The success of the system depends only on the developer's ability to squeeze out more pluses than minuses. For different purposes, the trade-offs in creating a speaker are different. This is where the difference between hi-fi and studio equipment lies.

Monitors, as you might guess, are designed for studio use.

Respectively:

• The dimensions of the speakers will be such that there will be no problems with placing the speakers on the console or against the wall in the studio. Floor-standing systems in a studio are rare.

Deep Recording Studios, England, London

• Active acoustics connectors will be professional, not household.
• It is assumed that the studio will have several pairs of monitors. This allows you to make monitors, sharpened for specific tasks. For example, only in the line with monitors (ADAM, Dynaudio, etc.) you can see two-way models with 8 "woofers, but in the Hi-Fi line there are no such models, and this is no coincidence. Does the 8" woofer play better than 6 "? Not at all, its advantage is only in a lower cutoff frequency with degraded transmission in the upper range of the reproduced woofer bandwidth with a low crossover frequency for the tweeter.But this is not a problem for the sound engineer, since there are several pairs of speakers in the studio, matched so that each has advantages not found in other models.A sound engineer, working simultaneously with several speakers, carefully listens to the necessary parameters of the track on the corresponding monitors.At home you need "universal" speakers.

black speakers are for the studio, silver ones are for home or "home" studio. There is no analogue S2.5 for home.

• The directivity of the monitors is narrower. This allows you to get a clearer panorama, but you can listen to the speakers only in the "right triangle". Whereas on Hi-Fi / Hi-End speakers, directivity can be almost circular, providing less accurate, but surround sound, and which can be listened to from different points.

Does it really matter if there is an inscription "monitor" on the speaker? In the Abbey Road studio you can find high-class acoustics, including "household" ones.

High-end speaker systems can be found both at home and in the studio, as long as they meet the needs of the owner.

What disappointments can there be for an audiophile who has bought a "studio Hi-End"?

Remember, ten years ago, when watching the movie "The Diamond Arm", did you have any complaints about the color, clarity or contrast of the film recording? Did not have. But now, when watching this film on a monitor or modern large plasma, even from a licensed DVD, the question immediately arises - is it not a "screen" copy? Many people prefer to watch such films through a projector, where such a drop in quality contrast is not very noticeable.

Time goes by, the quality of converters grows, and old recordings do not get better. Usually, when switching from embedded audio to X-Fi, Revolution5.1, Prodigy7.1 and buying entry-level speakers, users notice that mp3s don't sound as good as original CDs. When switching to a higher quality technique, it turns out that not all CDs are recorded with high quality. And in the future - that only a few were recorded with high quality, and the sound engineers, in the bulk, are deaf in both ears, and they bring everything under "boomboxes", spitting on the owners of high-quality equipment (just a joke, but with a grain of truth) :)

This feature must be taken into account and be ready for this, setting your priorities correctly. If in your library most of the records of old years, or your favorite bands are recorded in not the best studios (or in the best, but "as fast as possible"), then you will hear a lot of flaws when listening. As practice shows, not everyone likes this result. Discussions about the "analyticity" of prof. cards and the "musicality" of the rest, including Aureal Vortex2 on an old sigmatel. Therefore, before buying the next component of the system "for a lot of money" or "with the right ideology" listen to it in advance or take it under the money back. Perhaps what someone considers "correct and high quality" will not suit you.

Development of top-end sound cards, be it prof. a card like the E-MU1212m or a top-end multimedia card like the Prodigy HD2 follows the "studio" path, where the goal is to get a signal as close as possible to the original.

Objective tests and quality

Manufacturers in the development process additionally focus on synthetic tests.

There is an opinion in the audiophile community that objective parameters mean nothing and do not show anything. By the way, the RMAA report shows the results of several tests, but in addition to them, if necessary, you can carry out additional tests at other frequencies and signal amplitudes. More meticulous users can generate their test signals in audio editors, as long as the results are correlated with subjective perception.

Inability to use prof. software, ignorance of many elementary things from psychoacoustics often makes audiophiles look like fools, who call things by their proper names, confusing concepts and definitions, and sometimes they cannot prove that what they hear is not a figment of imagination or autosuggestion.

A card with high characteristics will play qualitatively a priori, while a card with low characteristics can play "whatever you want." Another point is that you need to look not at one characteristic or figure, but consider many parameters in a complex, understanding which parameter affects what, and to what extent.

Unfortunately, not always in objective tests all parameters are given, and some measurements require special equipment or significant time expenditures. Therefore, one cannot do without the subjective opinion of an expert, and not always his opinion should coincide with the objective one.

Outcome

It is possible to create a high-quality system using studio components, but this approach can suffer "appearance", deteriorate usability. With regards to monitors, the sound can be less universal and go against the idea of \u200b\u200b"surround", "live", etc. sound.

Does it make sense to build a home Hi-End system with studio equipment? Everyone should decide this for himself, based on his tasks and priorities. If the main source is a PC, with debugged programs and a remote control, convenience and functionality can be on high level (even outperform conventional component systems). At the same time, do not forget that the PC does not yet support SACD, and there are a number of problems with DVD-Audio.

High-end-audio is a passion for the music itself and its reproduction with the best quality, this is the recreation at home of the listener of the musical idea of \u200b\u200ba composer or performer with maximum naturalness, emotionality and strength. Since the music itself is important, you need to ensure that it is reproduced as accurately as possible.

High-end audio components are unique pieces of sound reproduction equipment that bear only a very distant resemblance to all "stereos" sold in department stores. Sound reproduction systems are not household appliances like washing machines or toasters, it is a means of expressing the boundless emotional and intellectual potential of the music encoded on our cassettes and CDs. The higher the playback quality, the deeper our immersion in music.

The main idea of \u200b\u200bhigh-end "a", expressed in high-end-annapatype: music and quality of its reproduction above all. Enthusiasts put technical skill and musical sensibility into creating components that bring us step by step closer to the original music event. High-end equipment designed by ear, designed by hand, and used to deepen the music experience.

A common misconception among consumers of hi-fi products is that high-end audio is necessarily something expensive, and in essence is nothing more than advanced stereo equipment with fancy features and price tags designed for millionaires. Undoubtedly, its performance may be much better than hi-fi equipment sold at a local radio store, but who can afford it? .. High-end audio equipment seems to be something created only for the trained, discerning listener. - snobs or gadgets, but not for the average person on the street.

No, high-end audio is something else entirely.

First, the term “high-end” refers to product specifications, not price. Many true high-end systems are no more expensive, and often less expensive, than store-bought, all-in-one stereo systems. one ". I have listened to a variety of low-cost, easy-to-budget systems that embody the very essence of high-quality music playback. While many components in high-end systems can be expensive, this does not mean that you have to borrow from a bank to purchase high-quality hardware. Great sounding systems are sometimes significantly cheaper than you might imagine.

Secondly, high-end audio equipment serves to convey the musical experience, and does not need additional complications that make it difficult to use. In fact, high-end systems are significantly easier to operate than average home systems. The ethics of high-end hardware design is to ditch useless features and invest the savings in sound quality. This equipment is for music lovers, not for electronic effects lovers.

Third, anyone with a passion for music can immediately appreciate the value of high quality sound reproduction. You don't need to have perfect pitch to determine which sounds better. The difference between good and mediocre music reproduction is immediately apparent. A common reaction from anyone listening to true high-end audio for the first time is joy and surprise, proving that high-end audio can be appreciated by everyone. If you love music, you can enjoy it even more with a high-end system. It is so simple!..

In conclusion, it should be noted that the goal of high-end audio is to "disappear" the hardware. highest degree understanding between musician and listener. By and large, high-end audio is more about music than hardware.

The high-end credo is that the less the signal is processed, the better. Any electronic circuit, wire, tone control or switch distorts the signal, and therefore the musical perception. That is why you will not find graphics in high-end equipment. equalizers, “stereo effect expanders”, “subharmonic synthesizers” and other ingenious devices. These devices not only distract from the musical reality, they add unnecessary circuitry to the signal path. By minimizing the amount of electronics between you and the musicians, high-end equipment can maximize to enhance the immediacy of musical perception. Here "less" means "more".

Imagine standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, overwhelmed by its magnificence. You experience not only the bottomlessness of this gigantic gorge, which goes deep underground, but you also see all the smallest details of the relief, bright and vivid. You can discern subtle gradations of hues in rock layers - the nuances of red are clearly visible. The subtle details of huge formations become more distinct, as soon as you look at them, and this deepens your sensations. The contrast of light and shadow sets off the endless labyrinth of cracks and crevices. The longer and more closely you look, the more you notice. An abundance of sensations keeps you on the edge of a cliff in awe of the unfathomable beauty of nature.

Now imagine yourself looking at the Grand Canyon through a window made of laminated glass, each layer of which reduces the definition of the image. The first layer is a little smoky, it mutes bright colors and eliminates subtle differences between shades of colors. The fine granular structure of the next layer reduces your ability to contemplate the details of the stone relief. Another layer reduces the contrast of light and shadow, transforming the vastness of the Canyon's depth and breadth into a flat painting. To top it off, the window frame restricts your field of vision and completely destroys the image of the Canyon. Instead of the immediate and direct feeling that you are standing on the edge of the Grand Canyon, you are presented with a gray, unnatural and, in fact, dead landscape. This can be seen on television, especially if the "picture" is not important ...

Listening to music on mediocre audio equipment is like viewing the Grand Canyon through laminated glass. Every device in the playback path — a CD player, preamp, power amplifier, speakers, and the cables that connect them — distort the signal that passes through them in some way. One component can impart a coarse, grainy character to the textures of instruments, while another can reduce the dynamic contrasts between loud and quiet passages, distorting the composer's intention or the performer's expression. Such a system "casts a dense, dark veil" over the music, destroying its subtle tonal nuances and making the timbres of all instruments indistinguishable. To top it all, the "window frame", which is played by the electronic and mechanical components of the playback system, compresses the space created by the artistic intention musicians.

High-end audio strives to remove as many "layers of glass" from the system as possible, and to make those that remain as transparent as possible. The fewer "layers" and the weaker each of them affects the information passing through it, the closer we come to direct perception, the closer our contact with the piece of music.

Why are high-end components more transparent "windows" to the world of music than mainstream "stereos"? They are designed to sound good - ideally like live music, not to achieve "good" ratings according to some arbitrary technical criteria. A true high-end hardware designer "listens" to a component as it is designed, tweaking details and trying different methods to get the most natural sound possible. He uses both his technical skills and musical sensibility to create a product that best enhances the music experience. dedication often becomes an obsession, forcing many hundreds of hours of listening and painstaking analysis of every factor that affects sound. Often more expensive parts are used in the device to improve the sound, keeping the retail price of the product unchanged. Why? Because the true designer is high-end- equipment is primarily passionate about music and the problems of its reproduction.

In contrast, mainstream audio components are often designed to look good "on paper" - in a datasheet - sometimes sacrificing sound quality. A good example of this is the "THD Wars" of the 19 "70s and 80s THD stands for Total Harmonic Distortion, a technical parameter widely used by uneducated consumers as a criterion for amplifier performance. If you've done that too, don't worry. Before I could learn more about sound, so did I. took THD values \u200b\u200binto account. It was believed that the lower they are, the better the amplifier. This prompted the giants of the electronics industry to produce equipment with extremely low THD values. Competition unfolded for whose equipment has the most zeroes after the decimal point in the harmonic distortion (for example, 0.001 %).

Many people buy receivers or amplifiers focusing solely on this technical parameter. While low THD is a worthy design goal, the crux of the matter is why such extremely low distortion values \u200b\u200bare obtained. To reduce distortion, amplifiers use "feedback" - this means that part of the output signal is fed back to the input of the amplifier. feedback reduce THD, but create various other problems that adversely affect the sound quality of the amplifier. Did the electronics giants care that increasing negative feedback depth to lower THD degrades the sound of their equipment? Not in the least! The only thing that worried them was the production of a commodity that could be sold in large quantities. They sacrificed musical quality for the sake of insignificant technical parameters presented to the public as very important. Buyers who select components based on a datasheet rather than listening to them end up with mediocre sound systems. Interestingly, amplifiers with the lowest THD values \u200b\u200btend to have the lowest sound quality.

This example illustrates a significant difference between the views of mass-production companies and high-end companies about what audio components should be. High-end hardware companies care more about how their products sound than about the parameters that it shows on a test bench. They know that their audiences of musically receptive listeners will shop with sound quality and technical considerations in mind.

High-end hardware is not only designed with hearing, but is often handcrafted by highly skilled craftsmen who take pride in their work. Collectors are often audiophiles themselves. They make the equipment with such care, as if they were making it for themselves. This meticulous attention to detail results in higher quality design and workmanship. Special care of the design contributes not only to improving the sound of the product, but also increases the reliability of the equipment. What's more, beautiful, handcrafted components can inspire pride in their wearers that mass-produced manufacturers have nothing to do with.

High-end systems often provide better service than mid-fi products. Because high-end hardware manufacturers care more about their products and customers, they generally offer longer warranty periods, more liberal replacement policies, and better service. It is not unusual for manufacturers to have their product repaired free of charge after the warranty period. This does not mean that you should count on this attitude, but this sometimes only happens with high-end equipment and is completely unthinkable with mass production. High-end companies really care about their customers.

These qualities are inherent in those who are engaged in retail trade. The high-end hardware dealer shares a passion for high quality music reproduction and a commitment to customer service. If you have ever purchased sound equipment in a conventional trading networkthen you will be pleasantly surprised to visit the high-end store. Rather than encouraging you to buy the first piece of hardware at any cost, a conscientious high-end dealer will strive to put together a system that will keep you enjoying your music for a long time. Such a dealer will put your musical satisfaction above your monthly revenue.

Finally, most of the high-end hardware is designed and manufactured in the United States by American companies. In fact, American-made audio components are highly regarded around the world. More than 40% of American high-end products are exported to other countries, especially to the Far East. And this despite the fact that the price of high-end equipment abroad is almost twice as high as in the United States - due to transportation costs, import duties and importers' markups. The interest in American high-end products abroad is surprising also because of the popular American misconception that the best audio equipment is Japanese.

High-end hardware is very different from mass-produced products. In concept, purpose, design, design, marketing, and how they are used, high-end hardware components are very different from their mid-fi cousins.

What most distinguishes high-end hardware from mass production is the developer's caring attitude to music. He does not create consumer goods, but instruments, the highest quality of which will allow his clients to perceive music deeper. The components of a high-end system are tangible evidence of a deeply felt interest in how well music plays and, moreover, how pleasant it is to listeners.

A high-end hardware designer creates products that he himself would like to listen to. Because he cares about music, it is essential to him whether an unknown listener enjoys music. The more the listener is involved in the music, the better the developer has done his job.

An acquaintance of mine, a designer of digital processors, is a living embodiment of these qualities. In one of the nodes of his new processor, he used an extra-class resistor that costs $ 1, and not a few cents like most other resistors. At that moment, when it was necessary to transfer the development to production, he once again carefully checked whether there were any other improvements that would contribute to improving the sound quality. Just for fun, the designer used a very exotic $ 10 resistor instead of a $ 1 one in the circuit. He was surprised at how much better the product sounded after this replacement, and did not want to start shipping the processor with a $ 1 resistor. The company released the unit with a part for $ 10, although the retail price has already been set with the use of one-dollar resistors. Designers of high-end equipment try to improve quality in every way, instead of subordinating technology to a single goal - to reduce cost.

For a high-end developer, designing electronics or mechanics is not just a technical endeavor; it is an expression of love and dedication. Every aspect of the product's performance, both technical and musical, is tested in a way that would surprise those unfamiliar with this approach. The ethics of music reproduction is at the core of being a high-end hardware designer; it is the work in which he expresses himself every day. As a result, the listener's involvement in the music is much more powerful and intimate than when development is done without this dedication.

What is high-end hardware? What is high-end audio? This is when you forget about the playback system, when in the listening room it is as if the performer takes its place. This is when you feel that a composer or performer is talking to you through the years and distances. It is a feeling of extraordinary uplift during musical climaxes. This is an indescribable rollercoaster of emotions, which the composer somehow magically managed to encode in a combination of sounds. This is the disappearance of the material world, when only your consciousness and - music remain ...

That's what high-end audio is.

Based on the book "High-End Audio Encyclopedia"
Written by Robert Harley