OK, I'll answer what I can, but please be aware that I don't know a hell of a lot of the technical stuff, so may get the odd bit wrong.
Where did you listen at? I'm wondering if there are any big studios like that nearby.
Other side of the planet to you. Literally. It was at a HI-FI store that happened to sell a wide price range of gear. Got talking to the owner on a slow day, so he gave me a good demo of his good gear.... with a glass of red
Well what's the point of spending $5K on a home theater vs. $2K? I mean if your $11K system sounded horrible after what you heard, I mean, you can't get much worse than a $30 transistor radio.
I should have been a bit clearer here. I meant relatively, my system vs a $30 radio, compared to my system vs a $100k system. Ultimately, if you're buying the system for your own pleasure, spend on what *you* can hear. If a $2k system sounds the same to you as a $5k, I agree, why spend 5k?
Then I would have to ask what you actually listened to?
Various music, primarily classical and opera (my main interests) but I do remember some Chris Isaak in there. Classical especially can have huge dynamic range, and so benefits from good gear that is able to accurately reproduce that dynamic range.
When I listen to music in any of our various listening rooms ranging from small to medium computer speakers all the way to our best listening area, our theater, I definitely notice a difference everywhere but in a way, each area has it's own qualities that I like.
You're getting into acoustics now, which is getting away from the discussion on systems, and is too hard to answer.
Plus, I often use the DSP studio to add effects or EQ for more or less bass. So if it had clean audible bass at low volume, why not just bump the bass way up for cheaper systems? I have a 2.1 system at work and have the bass turned to 100% because I usually listen at lower volumes and yes, there is not a whole lot of bass at low volumes. With the high bass setting, it sounds great! But I didn't have to spend thousands! I just made a small adjustment.
It's not the same. You're forcing your speakers to do something they dont want to, and altering the music at the same time. All you're really doing is adding bass, not hearing the bass in its true contextual form WRT the music, and your speakers will never be able to respond to the audio signal in the same way better ones can. It's a bit hard to explain really, it's just not the same sound.
It's hard to talk when I don't even know what I'm missing.
At least you realise that
It's almost like explaining red to a blind man. I wouldn't have known myself but for a visit to a particular store.
But then I've got to think that what I listen on is much better than a big percentage of other people! I mean the typical system has junk, cheap speakers with it.
True. Most people either don't care about, dont hear, or are unaware of the difference or can't afford the gear.
Starting with the low end, they sound horrible to okay. Then for an extra $50 - $200, the quality jumps many times over itself. Then at $1K, quality is even better and louder! At that point, I think jumping to $10K may help but honestly, how much? And TEN times that: $100K? How much better is it really?! Now I wish I had a source for listening to such quality.
It just keeps getting better in my experience. Again, red to a blind man. Having said that, I may not be able to tell the difference between a 60k and 100k system. It just so happened that I had an opportunity to listen to a $100k system.
Do you have any idea what add so much to the cost?
The system at the time was
roughly (it's been a looong time)... $40+k speakers, 3x$10+k power amps (monoblock), I think 1x$10+k poweramp, $10K CD player, expensive cabling, etc... remember this is Australian dollars, and at the time that would be about a US$70k system.
Perhaps the typical process will continue down the line and in 10 years, we'll all have $100K-quality systems of today...but then there will be better stuff?
Hopefully, and undoubtedly. They're already looking at things like frequency responses up to 100kHz, which we cant hear directly (only up to about 18kHz for most people I think), but which alters what we
can hear due to harmonics etc. Whether or not it's going to be judged worthwile though.....
Is the extra cost the research or special components?
Yes.
Why is the bass more audible at low levels?
Not an easy question. Lots of reasons, but my quick answers are... 1 power amplifier was dedicated to bass signals, meaning it could focus all its effort it delivering large amounts of power as required, without influencing the mid and upper signals (which each had their own amp). This really benefits the upper ranges more than the bass though. The speakers are able to respond more quickly and accurately to the bass they recieve, I guess due to their design and components. Their harmonics have been catered for in the cabinet design. All sorts of sound pressure stuff... lots of things I dont really know enough about.
At the end of the day, if you get a chance, just go to a high end store on a quiet day. Get chatting, and they're as like to help you out as not. Just remember to try and take some well recorded music
you know very well. There's less benefit if you dont know the music, or even dont know the particular recording of music you do know.
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