Why should you take these books seriously? Because they’re about the stuff we all assume that we already know. The key word in that sentence is “assume.” Most high-end audiophiles pretty much believe they know most of what they need to – and most of us don’t. The value in these books is in the way they cover all of the basic issues. In doing that, they offer the challenge of a different perspective (and the questions that go with it) and fill in a whole host of blanks that we’re barely aware of (at best). If the first step on the road to wisdom is recognising what you don’t know, here’s a ready-made set of checks and balances. Time for another example.
In my experience there’s plenty of audiophiles happy to bandy about terms like synchronous and asynchronous or I2S, S/PDIF and AES/EBU, possibly appreciating the sonic differences, at least in a limited context, without truly understanding the distinctions between them and their implications. Paul McGowen offers clear technical explanations as to what these terms actually mean and how the different standards impact audio design – and he does it concisely and all in one place. Terms like R2R and ‘Ladder DAC’ have gained common currency. Those using them assume that the rest of us understand what they mean: if you are not sure or don’t know, The Guide will explain. The technical explanations are clear without being simplistic, which makes them ideal for filling in gaps in or simply checking your understanding. PS Audio are publishing extracts from the books in their in-house magazine Copper, so you can get a taste here:
Read through these books and it makes it all too obvious how much we take for granted, islands of specific knowledge floating in a sea of assumption and hearsay.
The second major area of advice and information lies in the realm of set-up. As already discussed, this varies between the basic but essential (yes, turntables need to be level, without discussing just how level is acceptable) and more in-depth discussion based around the issue of loudspeaker set up and acoustics. Once again, the set-up advice follows what might be described as conventional wisdom. It also covers a lot more ground that a lot of listeners take for granted – which makes it the perfect opportunity to question your assumptions. Paul McGowen also has the ability to crystalize basic tenets into pithy one liners. “A product that does everything generally does nothing well.” I couldn’t have put it better myself.
Unfortunately, the editing and repurposing of material has led to a few anomalies and omissions: Volume 2 The Loudspeaker refers to diagrams that are only to be found in Volume 1 or Volume 6 The Listening Room. It’s also missing its index, which given that it’s the foundation stone on which this model of system set up rests, is less than ideal. I reviewed an earlier version of this publication – same name, paper-back and half the pages – that came with an accompanying SACD, loaded with illustrative tracks to aid the set-up process.
