Here I talk about the different sound differences found in America Britain and European stereo systems both Amps and speakers. And the possible reasons.
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@SeanSisco3 жыл бұрын
This is one of the most entertaining videos I've watched in weeks, thank you!
@gjnbouwmeester58603 жыл бұрын
Besides the square footage of the living spaces in the homes, european and english homes tend to be built with brick&mortar, as most houses in the US are built with woodframe and plywood. That vastly defines the sound character of stereo replay!
@guyfromsac13 жыл бұрын
As a Californian, we (and almost all our friends) live in homes between 2000 and 3000 sq. ft. In my main listening room, I sit about 15 feet away from the speakers, so if you want lifelike sound levels (even for acoustic music), you need decent power (or very efficient speakers). That being said, I don't necessarily use American electronics. I have mostly Japanese (Rotel, Sony, Pioneer, Nakamichi), Danish speakers (Dynaudio), and I believe my sole US product is an Acurus preamp. I never really thought about the country of origin for my choices ... Love your channel Kelvin!
@greg61622 жыл бұрын
I agree that if you want the best (or anything in general) sound system you have to leave patriotism out of it. I remember back in the 80’s-90’s growing up Americans were always knocking (especially cars) Japanese products. Like my aunt Nancy had a Honda car she took in for repair because she didn’t know what was wrong with it. I used to travel across the country with her because she sold books and other educational programs to schools across the USA. Anyway, we drove everywhere and we were somewhere in the Midwest. I remember the mechanic… before he even popped the hood saying “Well, I can tell you what’s wrong… it’s made in Japan! Hahahaha” The funny thing about that statement is back then Japanese cars had excellent build quality, especially those made in the 80’s and early 90’s were literally the best economic automobile you could buy. If you want build quality, superior design and craftsmanship it’s still no different today IMO. Anything Japanese and German made are generally the best engineered products in the world. I don’t think there’s a finer automobile manufacturer than Germany. Even though America often invents these life changing products that we use in our everyday life (telephone, automobile, cellular phones, electricity, light bulbs etc.) our extreme capitalism mindset is more about engineering something specifically to break or wear out in an oddly specific given time so you have to buy another sooner rather than later. Now when it comes to “military might” there is no greater war machine and weapon designer’s than the United States of America, specifically our aircraft technology and our pension for inventing cutting-edge materials that are far beyond what the rest of the world has known. That’s why the phrase “military grade” has a unique meaning, more so in the US. When it comes to sound, or anything manufactured really… other countries (specifically Germany and Japan) will always design a product to function at high levels and look better doing it compared to what’s generally on the market… of course they’re exceptions. There are other countries that produce phenomenal products that I left out as they all have their niche with certain areas in manufacturing. Specifically England, should be certainly in the same category with Japan and Germany when it comes superior design and manufacturing in high end products. They make arguably one of the best engines for luxury automobiles with the Rolls Royce. Also, you can often gauge a countries manufacturing quality by the quality of steel they produce. The three best steel sources are German, Japanese and specifically steel sourced from Sheffield, England. Unfortunately, designing and manufacturing quality products is often not as profitable as slapping your name on a basically engineered product with little innovation because the lack of the R&D invested. With majority of these being Chinese built with the cheapest materials possible to allow it to retain basic functionality. It’s interesting how music (specifically Blue’s and Rock ‘n Roll) progressed from the 40’s-50’s in American culture and then the English came along and dominated the classic rock genre and many of those English artists were influenced by American musicians. They took something new from a culture that was essentially foreign to them and evolved it giving us the greatest (IMHO of course) Rock ‘N Roll band in history with the Beatles! This is interesting how sound before my time had such a broad spectrum. I remember my dad having a crazy looking metal box like that with all these buttons and do-jiggers (as some Americans say) that were *begging to be flipped and switched* but we knew better so left them alone Lol. This was a very cool video and I enjoy the perspective of an English audiophile from that era. I’m gonna show my dad this video… think he’s going to love it and if I’m correct he’s going to dust off his old gear and break out his Beatles and Led Zeppelin albums! 🤘
@corneliusantonius3108 Жыл бұрын
Suprise, Marantz pre Philips Cadsworth and during Philips were alsoo made in Japan. Designed in California I know or later in Eindhoven The Netherlands. But still made in Japan. Later even designed in Japan but production shifted to Indonesia. And than Philips sold the worn out empty shell in 2001.
@PETees093 жыл бұрын
My memories of my dads hi-fi setup, vinyl + rock +Marantz + JBL, was split in to 2 different uses. The afternoon listening to new records for the first time or listening while doing some other mundane tasks. The 2nd mode, was during parties. The 70's had a lot of get togethers at peoples houses. Maybe some elicit substances? But loud music that could be heard throughout the house. If you wanted you could go outside and still listen to the music.
@nicksundby3 жыл бұрын
As a Brit I confirm that we are always polite, and never drink excessively, fart or swear. In fact Downton Abbey is an accurate portrayal of normal life here.
@manuelmartos84643 жыл бұрын
(An ironic and funny remark which confirms you are!)
@artistsometimes27293 жыл бұрын
indubitably good sir
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay Looking at your comments on here, I don't think you're in a position to lecture anyone on politeness.
@markandrew5523 жыл бұрын
Brilliant lol
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay Curious trolling tactics, number 1: calling anyone who calls them out a troll. As for hi-fi wisdom: "I don't think you're in a position to lecture anybody on Hi-Fi," said the guy who can't tell Amstrad from Quad.
@reinhartfrais85493 жыл бұрын
Kelvin the sherlok holmes of british hifi with a twist of benjamin britten and the kinks. My MAN! THANKS reinhart
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay I'm fascinated to hear what your music is. Synth drone, maybe.
@hugobloemers44253 жыл бұрын
I like the approach you had with this video. Culture, customs and traditions definitely play a part in how HiFi was made back in the heyday of Audio.
@greg61622 жыл бұрын
Absolutely agree
@stevezeidman72243 жыл бұрын
Living in the US in the 70s, we were buying Pioneer, Sansui, Technics, Kenwood for electronics. You had to have money for Marantz. Some were US designed like Marantz but mostly all Japanese built. Big living rooms in houses is correct. Always looking for the next iteration of MORE power! There were great American speakers called A/D/S with soft dome tweeters that had great open sound and sealed big bass. Klipsch were there but not affordable. More US speaker brands that sold big were Advent, KLH, AR designed by Henry Kloss in Massachusetts from the ‘50s through ‘80s. Advent were full range great sounding for low price. Sold like hot cakes.
@noorthdakootaland52613 жыл бұрын
Love my original large Advents and still use them. Hooked up to a Sansui receiver producing a wonderful sound.
@stevezeidman72243 жыл бұрын
Haha me too. I’ve got my large Advents from 1974 attached to a Sansui 5000.
@budgetaudiophilelife-long54613 жыл бұрын
🤗 THANKS FOR SHARING YOUR INSIGHTS …..started out my journey with Fisher XP7Ss …then ALTEC-LANSING 411s …because they were at a salvage freight store …since then I discovered B&W 😍. I have had 4 Yamaha’s …. which I have shared with the family 😊……and that’s been my journey so far 😍😍😍
@AndyBHome3 жыл бұрын
Being in America in the 70s, we didn't really have much opportunity to get anything but American and Japanese equipment. We did get a little bit of British equipment, but it was pretty rare. I don't think most Americans had any opportunity to buy, hear or even see any European equipment throughout most of the 70s. I always imagined Scandinavian, Swiss, German and Italian HiFi was from another dimension.
@richardsinger013 жыл бұрын
My first amp was an Amstrad. Great big silver thing. It sounded great to me as a 16 year old, apart from when it picked up the sound from the Crystal Palace BBC TV transmitter! No idea how that happened, I didn’t have a tuner attached. Mind you, the bbc transmitter was very powerful and quite close by. We used to get about 3 ghost images on the tv from reflected waves.
@robmills5373 жыл бұрын
Hi Kelvin the BBC one step down from God is the funniest thing I've ever heard mate but they do believe that lol. A very good video though many thanks. 👍
@meshplates3 жыл бұрын
In the United States there used to be a difference or there was thought to be a difference between the East Coast sound which was acoustic research speakers and the West Coast sound which was J BL and altec speakers. That was roughly the difference between forward and brash and polite and accurate.
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay You seem to be obsessed with Google. I wonder why...
@bigmaluk3 жыл бұрын
Kevin’s right the houses in the uk are a lot smaller averaging well under 1000sq ft total, many with only one living/lounge room. That has meant hifi if married has had to be inline with what the wife likes😁
@ppeaster3 жыл бұрын
Love your reviews. Unbiased and honest appraisals. Very interested in your views on more recent kit, post 2000, if you run out of vintage gear to talk about.
@quantum56523 жыл бұрын
Great video as usual sir, and interesting subject. I live in mainland Europe and the hifi people I’ve met here hold the English sound in the highest regard. However, in this video you had a representative of American sound, British sound and European sound - but no Japanese representative! I’m a big fan of Japanese amps, I have some Yamahas, a Luxman and a few Sansuis. To be honest I wouldn’t like to ever part with any of them, wonderful old things and not overly expensive any of them. Where do you think the Japanese sound fits in as compared to EU / GB / USA?
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Yes well if you watch my videos you know I’m a big fan of sansui in particular I mean I like that sound but say pioneer doesn’t sound much like Sansui so I like Japanese things but I can’t define it sound so obviously K
@terryilett94373 жыл бұрын
I feel the Japanese are masters at evolving sound to suit the times,i.e early Sansui say 1970ish to early eighties.Fair bit of sound evolution right their. Warm and detailed to a crispy nice. Perfection
@greg61622 жыл бұрын
@@terryilett9437 As an American I’d have to say Japan in general has always put a lot of R&D into technology and craftsmanship. It’s part of their culture in whatever product they’re making to be perfect in their eyes. They’ll sacrifice profit for ingenuity, workmanship and a product superiority back then. Worker’s in Japan would often work longer hours and sometimes for free at their company as a sign of loyalty, honor and pride. Most of all Japan valued honor in their culture back then.
@jesseballard47533 жыл бұрын
I have always been a fan of the British sound and I imagine that I am not alone. It seems to me in fact that the British audio industry has continued to do well while other things British ( cars) have faded away
@markcarrington85653 жыл бұрын
Brilliantly done Kelvin. Quite a tightrope you walked there! Just a quick thanks for reminding me about Sansui amps in a previous video. I've just fixed and seriously upgraded a Sansui AU217 MkII and I'm thrilled with the result. For supposedly 40watts per channel it has some serious waft and it's certainly far more entertaining than its old British competitor, the A&R A60. Now there's a perfect example of the British sound if ever there was one!
@boris9943 жыл бұрын
Cough in the 1st sec will become legendary! I love this guy, comment is not to make fun of him. His thoughts are wonderful.
@robertyoung17772 жыл бұрын
Americans talk about east coast sound (polite and restrained - Advents) and west coast sound (bold and groovy - JBL). Nice to have options. I play 40 year old JBL 100a speakers with a 40 year old Luxman L5 integrated amplifier. Guess I lean toward groovy! This was a great talk on your part. Thanks
@deputy36903 жыл бұрын
Very interesting take and would love to enjoy a few pints discussing gear with ya!
@artyfhartie22692 жыл бұрын
It makes me feel good watching your channel. Educational, relaxing and therapeutic away from all the noises in the world.
@Zaphandyman3 жыл бұрын
Love the lava lamp, I own a few myself. It was an interesting video and please keep up the good work.
@robertyoung17772 жыл бұрын
Lava lamps and spin paintings = JBL speakers and McIntosh amplifiers to me.
@Zaphandyman2 жыл бұрын
JBL before Samsung bought them out?
@marlonkikkert17983 жыл бұрын
Great video. Loved the Norwegian visualization :)
@paulopereira69963 жыл бұрын
In that time, the idea that I have is that the "European continental" speakers lacked bass, so probably it's why the bass was tweaked a little bit.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Interesting
@sdemosi3 жыл бұрын
You're definitely on to something here. Japanese houses are quite different to US ones but the big Japanese manufacturers were designing and tuning for a US market. I've always loved the very sensitive Klipsch style speakers that I can drive with a modest power tube amp.
@SuperMikael673 жыл бұрын
Haha...I am from Sweden funny i like the idea about the Scandinavian sound it´is maybe true....What about the Japanese Sound?
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Yes strangely it didn’t immediately occur to me to do the Japanese sound I think it’s not Sasha obviously cohesive identifiable thing but it’s not not a thing either I think I have my work cut out thinking about three sounds I couldn’t do anymore K
@honeychurchgipsy63 жыл бұрын
One of your best videos yet Mr X . Very much enjoyed it.
@RobWhittlestone3 жыл бұрын
Don't you think it also could have to do with the regularly perceived sound of the language in those countries? There are some languages where the information of the language is contained in the percussive sounds (of the language) p, s, t, d, etc. Like English, German. And there are other languages where the information is contained and conveyed by the vowel sounds - French/Spanish/Italian are examples. So the ear of the inhabitants of those countries are trained from birth to listen out for those cues. And this bleeds over into what they wish for in a system that conveys (for them) the most information? Just an idea. Maybe it's a mix of several factors. I liked your analysis, I'm sure that's definitely a factor. All the best, Rob in Switzerland (KEF & Exposure but Primare CD!)
@shifterboot1382 Жыл бұрын
this is exactly my thought as well. as a brit in germany i've found german designed speakers to be a bit too etched and bright (just tuned to a different sound "profile" if you would) and i have suspected for a long time this boils down to how people who built the speakers perceive speech.
@RobWhittlestone Жыл бұрын
@@shifterboot1382 Nice to find someone else that thinks this! I'm a Brit in Switzerland.
@paulgee61113 жыл бұрын
I'm no hifi expert but I've been a guitarist for 30 odd yrs and it seems the general opinion in music circles is that the "British guitar sound" is derived from the use of Marshall style amps using EL34 output tubes with a more pronounced midrange and the "American guitar sound" comes from using Fender amps with 6L6 tubes that emphacise the top and bottom more. I realise this is a simplification as there's plenty Of other amps n tubes used but those two are/were the commonest. It's interesting that it seems to be the other way round with hifi gear!
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Yes interesting I mean the influences are different I guess
@paulgee61113 жыл бұрын
@@stereoreviewxThe British sound swept the states so maybe that preference for more mids carried over into their hifi taste when they were buying amps.
@xcvbxcvb2179 Жыл бұрын
Angus Young still uses the same Marshall type of amp with EL34 tubes. Burning a bunch of tubes every consert.
@martyjewell56833 жыл бұрын
Great topic. We've (you and me) touched on the subject of musical taste differences between American and Euro listening habits in a previous video of yours. In the states during the mid 1970's two factions were at odds. The west coast vs. east coast sound. JBL, Cerwin Vega, Altec and most Japanese brands had a prominent midrange, i.e. west coast. EPI, AR, Allison, Genesis and KLH had a more subdued midrange, i.e. east coast. By late 70's most all were focusing more on accuracy in loudspeakers and amps. As for room size, it depends on where you are in America. New England homes built prior to 1940 had smaller rooms. Homes in the 2,000 sq/ft and under range are common. Ours is 1500-ish sq/ft. My largest rooms are living room 1700+ cu/ft and dining room 1600+ cu/ft. Houses built more recently are well over 2500 sq/ft. How do they afford to heat them????? I would prefer not to have frequency aberrations built into my components but rather as flat a response as possible. My amp is a Hitachi and can be described as a clinical sound. Not soft, comfy or warm and I like it that way, but that's my bag. I did get rid of a Marantz 2252B because I didn't like the "warm" sound. Apologies for being a longwinded Yank.
@richardoliverii54072 жыл бұрын
Nice Conversation Kevin...
@mircobalzano24553 жыл бұрын
It makes sense! Good points.
@curtevans8383 жыл бұрын
Thanks for making these videos. In the U.S. we love the Kenwood's, Pioneers, and Sony's. Those were the big three. I love my Sansui but I'm in a minority. We do love us some big speakers though!
@elyserva79033 жыл бұрын
Isn’t those Japanese made?
@curtevans8383 жыл бұрын
@@elyserva7903 most Americans couldn't afford American Amps and speakers. The Japanese gear was cheaper and sounded almost as good. Have a great day!
@TallGermanBoy3 ай бұрын
Some background on the German way of designing/thinking. I have also observed that my Grundig R1000 comes with loudness engaged as standard because it was considered as "more correct" by the company. You can switch it off with the tiny button hidden underneath the volume dial labeled "lin." as in "linear". Grundig called the standard loudness "gehörrichtige Lautstärkeregelung" which translates to something like "volume control correct to hearing" because humans are less sensitive to bass and treble at low volumes. So the company kinda wanted to decide for you to engage loudness because the stereo was thought to be playing at low levels not to annoy neighbors or just in the background I guess
@stereoreviewx3 ай бұрын
gret thanks
@m.92433 жыл бұрын
The British sound? Refined, detailed and accurate to the source. That is both, amplifiers and speakers. I use a Meridian amplifier and the richness of the sound is superb. Scandinavian products come close but not exactly to the same level. American and Canadian equipment offer a lot of excitement and fireworks, but lack in terms of fine detail, with a few exceptions of course. Perhaps, because many American homes are equipped with home theatre systems, this has an impact on the sound preferred by consumers there. A fascinating subject Kelvin!
@daniel89ph3 жыл бұрын
Interesting thinking! I would be sooo curious what you would say to some excellent amp from former Soviet Bloc....let's say Czechoslovak Tesla or Polish Unitra. They did make two or three leading gears that would surprise you very much and would be interesting to hear your views and comparisons.
@sheerenergy86023 жыл бұрын
Daniel Tóth Nah, Polish Unitra- Diora isnt anything special.Most value was gear wich was cheap and sounded good at cheap/low price.Nothing high class. Accountnts made briliant projects only decent because savings, like to small transformer and so on. Better was Radmor and closer to modern, Amplifikator. Now we got a few really hi-end manufacturers like Ancient Audio or Wille and many more.I personally dont know even the names, cause it's small brands. Big manufacturer of speakers was Tonsil, but also never build really hi-end speakers.They were focused on quntity units sold.But Candian Totem was(maybe still is) using Tonsil mid-bas speakers and build hi-end speakers. Now we got Harpia Acoustics, Studio16 Hertz , Audio Academy, RLS, ESA, BNM, Zeta Zero and more.
@quantum56523 жыл бұрын
I heard that Tesla made some good stuff in the communist era. Never heard any myself though.
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
While I haven't heard any Eastern Bloc gear, I do have a Tungsram/3F T3535 receiver which was made in Denmark (at the former Rank/Arena factory) in the late 70s for the Hungarian market. Looks like a cross between B&O and Braun and very full-sounding.
@quantum56523 жыл бұрын
If it came out of Denmark, I am sure it was a great product.
@daniel89ph3 жыл бұрын
Not quite, not quite so....there was one Unitra,now I don't know whether it was a receiver or an amp, but it sounded very well....but you are right, I mentioned Unitraas an example. I better know Tesla and about that I can say that they made 2 - 3 very good amps. Tesla AZS220 and a receiver TESLA 814A. There was also a reel to reel tape recorder which could also be used as an amp. It wasTESLA B73. These were the best from.Czechoslovakia in my view. Then Hungary had some very good models of Videoton speakers.
@andreaslundell78073 жыл бұрын
As far as I know UK , 66 million residents, is part of Europe 750 million residents, and I doubt there is any major diffrence in sound preference between any Hifi manufacturer European, American or Asian. My own jHifi rig is a mix of american, Canadian and European (Scandinavian and German) komponents, suprisingly no Asian.
@billd96673 жыл бұрын
Until recently, we Yanks had carpeting and needed good midrange. The recent switch to hardwood and tile flooring changed all of that. We basically liked the either the warm tube (Marantz, Harman/Kardon, McIntosh, Fisher, H.H. Scott) sound for lively speakers or the Japanese sound for less brassy ones. Honestly though, pretty much everyone bought the Japanese sound (which Marantz, Fisher and H/K moved toward with their solid state stuff later) because it was powerful and affordable. We weren’t that choosy, honestly. Speakers were everything. In regards to speakers, there once were the West Coast and East Coast sound signatures. West Coast (JBL, Altec Lansing, Cerwin Vega and to a lesser extent, Infinity) was big and brassy with more efficient ported designs. The East Coast (Acoustic Research, Advent, Boston Acoustics, Rectilinear) sound was more subdued or “warm” with extended bass with more power mad acoustic suspension cabinets. There were outliers like Klipsch (more West Coast) and Theil (East). Magnepan and Martin Logan are the outlier’s outlier! Kudos to McIntosh for staying the course with their signature sound. Still, they have always been high end and most Americans have never even heard of them because they never sold at Best Buy and the like. Postscript: We liked lots of buttons, switches and flashy lights! We still love analog meters 😁
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Great info thanks a lot K
@PlaybackMansion3 жыл бұрын
Good morning from Illinois. Really interesting video. I think you're on to something with "temperament." I think these amps are a proxy for how the engineers wanted to be perceived. Like with art it is has something to do with their values and personas which are influenced by where they grew up
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay "Sugden isn't really 'British', it's Yorkshire". it's the way you tell 'em.
@robertkeefer15523 жыл бұрын
Interesting comparison of sonic philosophy from different perspectives. I think you should also include the Japanese and Canadian perspectives as well.
@raymcnamara78433 жыл бұрын
What, you missed off Alchemist and Leak off of your List. Also No 4th representative from Japan?? P.S. I have owned Leak Valve Amps. I have a British Alchemist 'Kracken' "Class A" Amplifier on the dressing table in the bedroom driving a pair of French Sathus 108 Triangle Bookshelf Speakers. And more British, with my main system in the "Noise Room".
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Sounds good
@cueboyd86662 жыл бұрын
Here are my thoughts on the sound types: British: Quite reserved, Mid range focused and an emphasis on human voice European: Balanced and smooth, common characteristic in Scandinavian designs American: Nice rounded low end, warm sounding
@phetmoz Жыл бұрын
What about Chinese & Japanese sound?
@biketech603 жыл бұрын
American men, particularly batchelors , want bigger speakers . A tough sell to wives, though . Even in smaller rooms for deeper bass , larger woofers definitely are desirable , and more power . My first real hi-fi was a Dual 1219 TT , Dynaco pas 3x and stereo 120 driving a pair of A-25 Dynaco bookshelf speakers ( kit amps) in an Air Force barracks , later a house off base .
@sosonic120003 жыл бұрын
Cool. Thanks for reply dude.. I remember getting my first stereo with my mum as a little boy going up to the local LEB showroom and picking up ....wait for it, yes we went with the state of the art Fidelity radio /record/cassette player complete with speakers. And our next door neighbours lovely people west indian had a valve set and speakers that would eclipse our whole house!! You know when sound clashes was big in those London days i recall. We used build our own mdf boxes with huge Bass speakers ... displacing a lot of O2 you coulfd feel in your rib cage...Gosh..WE WERE PART OF MELODY MAKERS. They also had a little studio in North London Stoke Newington.... Anyway enough of my rambling. Just to say keep it up people life is awesome and so much more so with good music in it. Try to enjoy the music itself as well as the complexities and effort of trying to perfect the beat. As probable, if you're here then you're in that club.:-)
@glennjones65743 жыл бұрын
Ok. Now when viewing all the spec sheets (remember those!!!,). Frequency responses were ruler flat! How were these adultered profiles so slyly introduced?
@AllboroLCD3 жыл бұрын
Speakerwise, USA can be split into a west/east coast sound but thats splitting hairs, it be more appropriate to break it down to a North America, Europe, & Asia sound. NIce point though!
@GrahamAtDesk3 жыл бұрын
I once read that the main reason US speakers sound different to UK speakers was that most US houses were made of wood, while most UK houses were made of brick or stone. And sound doesn't just behave differently in different size rooms, the materials in the walls affect how bass comes across. Or so the theory went. I think the general feeling was that US speakers in UK homes would sound bass-heavy, and the other way round UK speakers would seem bass-light. I don't know if "most" is accurate regarding US houses having wooden walls, but I when I lived in the US for a year I was in an area where all the houses were wooden, and the rooms were pretty large. I remember sound traveled through the exterior walls far more easily than in a typical UK house, so I imagine energy would dissipate faster in a wooden building. So it all seems to make sense to me.
@burkholdst.rudderberg35743 жыл бұрын
I got through college by selling high end gear.The sounds we talked about were the Japanese sound (heavy on the low end) the American sound (clear mids) and the European sound (quite bright). We related the different sounds to the speakers and not the amps. The Japanese speakers ( Panasonic, Sony, etc. ) appealed to a certain listener - usually people with an "untrained" ear. The American speakers ( Polk Audio, Boston Acoustics, Martin Logan, etc. ) appealed to people who were a little more serious about their music; and, in the case of Martin Logan, had a larger budget! The European speakers ( B&W, Wharfedale, etc. ) appealed to people who had to have a speaker with a certain heritage, regardless of the sound or cost! One could get a "Japanese sound" by connecting a pair of Technics speakers to an NAD ( New Acoustic Dimension - pronounced IN AY DEE ) receiver ( Why anyone would do that is beyond me! ). The sound I enjoyed was produced by a Krell system powering a pair of Martin Logans!
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
thanks for the info you picked yourself the best system K
@duroxkilo3 жыл бұрын
in US 'go big or go home' applies to everything. *an under-stressed power stage plus a powerful final stage sound a certain way.. amps can be brutal but still accurate. some international companies used to make 'special editions' for the US market, mainly more power because that sells..
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Interesting thanks
@golfjunkymusicjunky83703 жыл бұрын
It all comes to what you like....I live in Holland...Japanese amplifier sansui.... British turntable rega.... American phono preamp schitt mani......jbl l 100.....cd American marantz 6006......and Canadian bluesound e node 2 I streamer..... for me it works together living on this planet and enjoy music the way I like in a small living room ......keep going on with your channel this was a very nice topic..I really enjoyed it......robert
@dj_paultuk70523 жыл бұрын
I have a house in American as well as here in the UK, and they are built vastly different. In the US everything is cheap frame construction with plasterboard inner walls with an air gap in between them. Where as our inner walls are solid brick.. To me it makes the sound more crisp, and precise. In the US it gets a bit wooley and boomy due to the inner walls vibrating.
@dj_paultuk70523 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay Wow, Touchy !. Ive lived in GA for 8yrs.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Would you mind talking sense please
@dj_paultuk70523 жыл бұрын
@@stereoreviewx Hes a Troll. Block them is the easy way.
@xprcloud2 жыл бұрын
Perhaps its the acoustics (size, furniture building materials UK vs US), properly designed amplifiers should sound identical with negligible differences, I have encountered badly designed or executed amps with class-AB notch crossover distortion, don't even need a scope, just feed it a 1Khz at the lowest volume you can still hear when you stick your ear on the woofer, then stick your ear on the tweeter, if you hear 2Khz, or a buzz, then that amp is rubbish or under biased.
@jorgemtds3 жыл бұрын
I still have a "Grundig R 2000-2" and I agree with your BASS comment.
@witchmonkey87453 жыл бұрын
One of my favourite amplifiers in my collection of mostly British equipment, is the Revox A78. A real smooth and easy to listen to sound, that would do the job all day long, so yes, i reckon you're onto something, Kelvin. American hifi if you're going to make a sweeping statement could be labelled brash (e.g. Cerwin Vega), by comparison to the British sound, which can be very polite and a slight warmth in nature. Japanese i'd call clinical.. everything in place, and a sound you could eat your dinner off of. As you say though during review, Kelvin, these are all small details, and small increments, that also differ across countries and the sellers ears, homes etc, that pleases to greater public.
@Risandi_Pradipto Жыл бұрын
Well said, Kelvin. Moreover the altitude and humidity will affect the physics of how sound travels through the air. They will lower the high frequency and sort of slowing down the sound a bit (in Bali, the gamelan is found to be tuned higher in frequency whilst used in higher ground area than , let's say, in near-to-sea-level area), hence, maybe it's thought more suitable to have a bit boost on high frequency in a component that is intended to be used in particular country. Britain has a bit higher humidity and lower temperature throughout the year.
@stereoreviewx Жыл бұрын
Oh no that’s another metric to consider This is getting really hard😂
@simonhenstock62443 жыл бұрын
NAD is an interesting one. The company may be British in origin but they built their reputation for affordable, high quality amplifiers by being one of the first companies to outsource manufacturing to Asia and the lead designer for the 3020 was Norwegian. Don't get me wrong, I love these guys (my TT, phono stage and amplifier are all NAD) but they're not exactly a British Jobs for British Workers kind of company. Their current line of TTs are actually made by Pro-Ject (an Austrian company). The C558 I have is basically the chassis and motor from a Debut Carbon combined with a straightened version of the tonearm from an RPM1 with a glass platter thrown in for good measure. The parts are from Pro-Ject but the design is unique to NAD. The C558 can be bought from Sevenoaks for £399 and sometimes gets knocked down to £299 so it might be another bargain for you to look out for.
@Ricky-cl5bu3 жыл бұрын
What about NAIM
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Naim yes
@D1N023 жыл бұрын
I like the look of that Grundig, but is it any good? The fact you still have probably means yes. It is just about 100 euro on ebay though (In Germany).
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Brandon is okay it’s not really great though I wouldn’t particularly recommend you buy one
@D1N023 жыл бұрын
@@stereoreviewx Thanks some German already sent me an offer on the 2000 version within half an our after had followed on ebay, so I guess there are plenty in Germany. Anyway there was a Sansui 331 on Catawiki and I won that just an hour ago.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
331 really hits the mark in my opinion tell me what you think when you get it cheers K
@D1N023 жыл бұрын
@@stereoreviewx I'm praying all the way until I have it playing ;)
@jorgbornefeld16893 жыл бұрын
Grundig was good in the 80th. I owned the amp SV 2000. That was my first amp. Its really well engineered. Slim line design. Not the biggest power, two times 50 W rms at 4 ohms, but very current stable anyway. One of the best amps, Grundig ever built. If you can shoot one, try to get it. The speakers of that time from Grundig also are very good. Closed Cabinets, 3 way systems in different sizes, mid and tweeters are domes. Tight, well defined bass quality. I can only recommand that Grundig devices from the early 80th.
@ssgeek45153 жыл бұрын
So many other factors come into play here.I would say though expensive hifi tends not to have any loudness switches(boosts low freq at lower volume level)
@AmbientWanderer Жыл бұрын
The harman curve springs to mind when i think of a the European sound.
@knutarneaakra60133 жыл бұрын
Yeh do agree We beeing a bit olderly in Norway do like real good hifi. Prefer a clean crisp in the room sound. Many of us do like spending a whole lot of time and money getting it right. Building / desighning our own speakers using many small drivers . I got for myself a music room only for playing enjoying music . Great hobby in cold wintertimes . All the best from Wintercold Norway.
@adap2it3 жыл бұрын
Kelvin is always entertaining...however, it's all about ears! sound is subjective regardless of your location.
@philip65022 жыл бұрын
YES! I agree. So many variables between the sound source and the ears. Especially now, 2021, LPs, CDs, mp3s, cabled, Bluetooth, streaming. However, in the end, I choose to listen to the music rather than the equipment.
@jacovanlith50823 жыл бұрын
Kelvin, do you read any Audio Bible? I bought mine in 1972: HI-Fi in the home, by John Crabbe, Chief editor of Hi-F- News, Tape Recorder and Audio Annual, Blandford Press Ltd., London. A 275 pages on amp, tuner, speaker and record player. What has happened to the wooden Pritchard tonearm? I have seen just once a Pritchard, near Rotterdam in 1972, where I had to install an FM antenna with booster and electric motor.The customer wanted to listen to FM radio of WDR, BRT, NOS and BBC Classic; so he needed to rotate his aerial. The guy was a real audio nut. But you are the Primus Inter Pares, the Nut of Audio. Keep on going, please !
@socksumi Жыл бұрын
I enjoy your commitment to quality gear from the golden age of audio rather than the cheap plastic junk from the 80s that seems to fascinate guys like Techmoan.
@mikepxg6406 Жыл бұрын
Love this.
@ossianhaufe46712 жыл бұрын
Why you don’t record all described devices to make the difference clearly? I would figure it out with the speakers of my iPad😁
@spvlinn90093 жыл бұрын
Even British sounds are very different among themself. I had owned Linn active Kabers, passive and active Naim SBL which I loved. Also a pair of Harbeth M30.1 (sort of like BBC sound). At one time I had to decide which one to keep SBL or Harbeth. Just one song made final call. Harbeth completely lost bass line flow (and pace and rhythm you call?) against SBL. American sound you can call it bold, less subtle and bass without caring much about pitch accuracy. Older JBLs are special. You can call them American sound with soul.
@MrRichymil3 жыл бұрын
How did you find the Linn speakers?
@spvlinn90093 жыл бұрын
@@MrRichymil they used to sale in us a lot.
@MrRichymil3 жыл бұрын
@@spvlinn9009 Hi I mean how did the linn speakers compare with the other ones you have had, did you like the sound especially if they're active?
@spvlinn90093 жыл бұрын
@@MrRichymil very very good especially with vocals. But big drums sound less real.
@gordthor5351 Жыл бұрын
British speakers and American amps are a great match. My Kef R900s and Parasound JC1 mono blocks are a match made in heaven. I have a few sets of lesser Kef speakers and a handful of lesser Parasound amps and the sound is still really good, because the synergy is still there. I like neutral sound. If the song has strong tight bass, neutral gear will deliver strong tight bass. If the song has sweet and airy vocals, that is what you will hear, without any roll off (warm gear) cutting the beautiful delicate nuances out. If the recording has serious flaws (too bright, too harsh, too boomy bass.......) then neutral gear will not help to fix anything. Only warm or bright gear can help to tone things down, of jack things up. Kelvin, I think your assessment is pretty accurate.
@johnwheat51993 жыл бұрын
Actually, Grundig from 1972 was Philips by proxy. Whilst Grundig had freedom in the design department, all the electrical components were manufactured by Philips, as was B&O. So the sound is pure 70s Philips. Grundig relinquished total control to Philips in 1984, where it lived until it's acquisition by the Turkish white goods giant, Beko group.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Thanks John
@matt.pma.kresnaputra54583 жыл бұрын
how about Canada? Some nice makers up here too, less known though. I think PSB speakers are most popular.
@alexandervaneijken77413 жыл бұрын
Hello There : I do not quite understand this ,,European,,thing I think of countries like the Netherlands, Denmark, Germany France Italy . I do not think therefore there is ONE European sound
@notagunfreak81463 жыл бұрын
Italian speakers and French speakers sound very different!
@tavi18143 жыл бұрын
@@notagunfreak8146 Better! In my opinion anyway! And I’m not french or italian, so it’s not a subjective opinion!
@notagunfreak81463 жыл бұрын
@@tavi1814 I really like French amplifiers like Rotel and Italian speakers like Chario! This video is not right, because most British speakers have quite a warm sound, however Italian speakers have a very good top end (tweeters) while typical Dutch/ Danish speakers have more mids/ vocal.
@eelcosterringa13743 жыл бұрын
@@notagunfreak8146 Rotel is not French but truely Japanese
@tavi18143 жыл бұрын
@@eelcosterringa1374 The confusion is probably due to the name! Or maybe because of some sort of alliance they made at some point with Classé (canadians)!
@fabriziodidomenico31493 жыл бұрын
Hi Kelvin from Rome, Italy. Nice video... You put the first brick, that's a lot more to say I guess. European sound is very different from country like French, Germany, Denmark, also Italy... US sound has differences from East Coast (more european-like) to West Coast (what you described). And you forgot japan, even if Marantz are japanese now, former european (Philips) and former americans 🙂
@26Jorgeb3 жыл бұрын
Hi, That makes sense Kelvin.
@johnnybgoode19503 жыл бұрын
British electronics may be really accurate. I have a Quad amp and preamp here in the U.S. However, British speakers like the early Spendors had a reputation for somewhat bloated loose bass. The LS3/5a's have a +6 db upper bass boost so that the little boxes can have more bass that would be otherwise possible. Still, they sound really good.
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay Hilarious that you rank Quad in with Amstrad and Binatone.
@thisisnev3 жыл бұрын
@GeneralCurtis3LeMay Keep going. I'm crying with laughter.
@monkeypunker3 жыл бұрын
Great, entertaining observations. I would add that there is also a notable difference in what kind of music people listen most. And what is important to them in the music. For example, British love great rhythm, hooks, forward sounding drums with punch, and nice guitars, while in France people put a lot of attention to lyrics and vocal stuff that needs more defined mid and high frequencies to cut through and shine. Germans used to like neutral sounding gear, especially speakers, and they listen to a lot of classical stuff as well. In one german hi-fi store, they advised me to listen to a few speakers in my budget range and then buy the ones that impress me the least, because those are most neutral and most likely the best.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Yes interesting stuff it did cross my mind that the European sound was about classical music though I didn’t mention it K
@CDBC3 жыл бұрын
Kelvin, please fix those lights in your Marantz receiver.
@philipslighting8240 Жыл бұрын
British Hifi is refined and clear, very neutral sounding. American sound is bloaty heavy and brash. A bit like the people actualy.
@MrRichymil3 жыл бұрын
I've just bought a British CD player, Cyrus 6s, it hasn't arrived yet they stopped making them in 2008.
@rabit8183 жыл бұрын
Why are there no Brit made television? Because it would leak oil.
@muziekvoorfeest2 жыл бұрын
My expierence as a guitarist is that the american sound of guitar amps and simulators in the studio is that its very mid and bass boosted (mesa boogie type style) than the brittisch sound of lets say marshall .
@MrPhilinggood3 жыл бұрын
While being a european, i always had the feeling that british audio was somehow, decent. So after owning mostly european stuff i got a NAD 304. Many things have changed in my life. The love for this amp remains the same ever since i got it - 16 years that is. Last summer left channel suddenly went off and i immediately got a few weeks of from work just to service it my self.. thank you Kevin.
@WeeWeeJumbo2 жыл бұрын
Why was this so funny and informative
@stereoreviewx2 жыл бұрын
I don’t know
@arisg98573 жыл бұрын
Hi Kelvin, have you ever had any amp like "Naim NAP 250" if so, it would be interesting to see your review about it. Thanks for all great videos
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
I do have a naim nap 100 I review it somewhere on my channel K
@MrRourk8 ай бұрын
When you talk about American Sound do you mean the East Coast or West Coast?
@stevemumford69833 жыл бұрын
Kelvin Have you ever listened to any Fisher amps or receivers. They are a brand that seems to duck under the radar. They always look well built but could sound terrible. Just wondered. Cheers Steve
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Not enough experience to say much
@stevemumford69833 жыл бұрын
@@stereoreviewx Thanks for getting back. I see you have gotten into that hi end cd player. Great review. Like someone else commented we all want one now. What's your tip for a budget vintage cd player ?
@davidsharp3675 Жыл бұрын
Great video. I like the way you mentioned imagination. Thats what good hifi does to me. Stimulates my imagination
@ricasacasari18833 жыл бұрын
Missed HH Scott brand...
@johnnytoobad77853 жыл бұрын
wow..Interesting survey. I've always been told there was an audible difference. You can say the "American sound" is actually an "Asian sound". Back in another lifetime... I had a pair of Tandberg speakers, A Revox A77 Tape Deck, SME tonearm and Wharfdale speakers. I loved the Tandbergs (teakwood cabinets) and I still have the Revox and the SME Arm, but I blew out the Wharfdale's...multiple times. I'm still a fan of vintage Sony & Kenwood. The "American" brands (non-speakers) I have owned are ADCOM and Dynaco. I hear the vintage AR & McIntosh stuff is hard to beat. I love the fact that there are "re-build" sites for the old Dynaco gear. Should have held on to that Dyna120 Power amp.
@z900123 жыл бұрын
Great stuff Kelvin
@Yiannis21123 жыл бұрын
First of all, I think there's a big generalization here, when saying European hifi sound. Is it Danish, French, German, Italian? I think these 4 or 5 countries of origin cannot be in the same basket. Also a Marantz as representative of American sound? Isn't Marantz a Japanese brand? I'm really quite confused. However, I'll have to agree with the overal assessment.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Yes I mean there is finer detail to go into K
@lamaludwig14702 жыл бұрын
Most of the brands you mention are bankrupted for decades. But nice topic nevertheless. Cheers from Switzerland
@emilct3 жыл бұрын
Isn't Britain part of Europe? I am from Scandinavia(Norway) but still I am European. I love your videos though.
@milojenikolovski75223 жыл бұрын
Japan sound? I have Grundig, Dual, Telefunken, Nordmende receivers and speakers, yes they all have a bass boost, smooth sound but without life in air, when I switch to JVC music come back to life, I have many of small JVC full range speakers in micro HiFi systems, they all have a very musical live sound, with germans HiFi when you have bass there is music when came to midrange-vocals system was death.
@Zickcermacity Жыл бұрын
It shouldn't sound all that different. Are you playing the exact same files/CDs/records over the different gear, in approximately the same layout in the same listeing room?
@bromyardcoachouse48763 жыл бұрын
My first component HiFi was bought from an American military audio store at Naples NATO HQ. Sounds were either - American, Japanese, European and UK. American has a Bass bias, Japanese, Treble bias, European flat base. British is more technical but has a balanced spread. But the real issue is the way we live the size of rooms and the coverings. When I lived in Italy I had a large room with hard ceramics and hardly any soft furnishings, hardly any power needed for sublime sound. In the UK the rooms are too small, and full of sofas, wall paper and curtains - no chance of hearing sound. In the US walls and floor are plaster and wood and larger room sizes, sound gets swallowed up.
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Interesting feedback thanks K
@mad-beerc38183 жыл бұрын
Great vid and some very smart stuff smart kit indeed! I have a question related to Celestion speakers...l have a pair of home made speakers l bought recently almost more like PA speakers they have big solid sealed cabinets with 4 × celestion G5D-25(Type 3639) drivers in each box! Do you know anything about these drivers?? I bought these speakers to sell on but love them so much l am keeping them now! their sound is big wide and tight with good midrange just very enjoyable but do have obviously flaws! But for £24 a bloody bargain!
@stereoreviewx3 жыл бұрын
Well they sound like guitar or PA speakers speakers
@robertbailey8003 Жыл бұрын
Britain: Sir John Barbarolli. Europe: Burt Kamphert. USA: Nelson Riddle
@Ricky-cl5bu3 жыл бұрын
Your exactly right
@joeytruelove Жыл бұрын
Yes, the way I heard it american rooms are quite hard to drive and with softer surfaces, which is why their speakers have more impact and immediacy.