13 Common Audiophile Myths by Super* Review!!

Mark Ryan, also known as MRS is a prominent name in the audiophile community. He is the creator of the famous YouTube channel Super* Review and also the mind behind the famous graph website Squig Link. Mark has been a well-recognized name in the hobby for a long time now with a huge following. He is a regular creator on his channel where he makes Videos related to HiFi audio gear mainly including new product reviews featuring IEMs, DAC/AMPs, Headphones, etc. In recent times, MRS has been making some really solid content for audiophiles, this content we can say is full of knowledge and is solid for both beginner as well as experienced audiophiles. We have planned to make a summary of these informative videos by Mark on the Super* Review channel. For today’s blog, we are beginning with one of his recent videos where he talked about 13 myths that are creating the air and buzz around in the audiophile world. From the discussions about DAC/AMPs to Equalizers ruining the sound, MRS has covered all these random myths from the hobby in this single video. Let’s get started!!

Disclaimer:-

All these impressions and opinions are shared by MRS in his Video. We are simply summarizing his points in this blog. We might adjust the language a bit for better understanding, but we have not changed any opinions from his video.

Myth 1: Cables Improve Sound Quality?

The biggest concern that some audiophiles have is whether these pricey upgrade cables bring a noticeable improvement or not. As per the video, after an extensive blind test between the stock cable and a premium aftermarket cable, both cables sound the same. In our experience, changing the ear tips on the IEMs or ear pads on the headphones brings more noticeable changes. You can try different eartips from Divinus, DUNU, etc., and experience the change for yourself.

Myth 2: Balanced Cables Are Better?

Second, the myth of whether the Balanced cables are better or not. Balanced plugs don't bring better output directly. However, the sources with both single-ended and balanced output options tend to have more power output thrust through the balanced plug, which as a result makes the output louder. Also, For sensitive IEMs, it gets a little harder to control the output volume as we have an equal number of steps on both the plugs and with more output thrust, we have double the amount of noise floor or hiss in those cases. With balanced outputs, we also have higher output impedance, which might also affect pairing for sensitive IEMs. For balanced cables, you can check out our collection of high-quality cables from Effect Audio.

Myth 3: DAC & AMPs have a *BIG* Impact on Sound!!

Do DAC/AMPs have a "Big" impact on the output? This one to be Busted but Plausible myth. Consider an analogy, “If you are going to cook a dish, would you focus on which salt to add or would you focus on the other major ingredients.”, if someone is using a good quality DAC&AMP, if he climbs up the ladder and buys another DAC&Amp with a similar tuning profile, he or she might not hear a lot of improvement. Audiophiles should focus on what features their DAC and Amplifier should have, like connection type, output power, etc. Another key factor to consider while making a DAC/AMP purchase is the output impedance of the device as that can actually bring a lot of changes in the sound response. Tanchjim Luna in featured in the video, which is a pretty solid portable DAC with a neutral sound profile and low output impedance, a pefect source for everyday use.

Myth 4: Audiophiles only like Neutral!!

Before we explain the MRS analogy of this myth to you, let us tell you that this is a BUST. Yes, audiophiles prefer all kinds of sound profiles, in fact, everybody has a unique preference. Back to the video now, This Myth to be busted with a simple explanation, If audiophiles prefer only neutral sound, then how could an IEM like, the FatFreq x HBB Deuce come into existence? True right? Deuce has a lot of bass, and it is still loved by audiophiles all around the globe. A lot of consumer-oriented models feature a lot of bass but that also tend to introduce muddiness in the output, Audiophiles like bass but they want it to be cleverly done so that no muddiness is introduced. For a good bass-focused warm sounding set, we suggest you have a look at the Binary Audio DynaQuattro. This IEM packs a 4DD configuration that brings a very clean and defined bass response.

Myth 5: “As the Artist Intended”

BUSTED, there are a lot of sayings that go on in the audiophile world, “As the Artist Intended” being one of them. It means that audiophiles want to listen to the music as the artist intended it to be. First and foremost, from the previous myth, Audiophiles do not always prefer a neutral tuning which we have just explained. Secondly, there are a lot of things that go from how the artist played the music in real life to the way an audiophile listens to it. Moreover, an artist makes music that has to sound good for everyone, from audiophiles to regular consumers. They can’t make an album just for Beyerdynamic headphones, knowing that people will use all kinds of headphones to listen to the music.

Myth 6: Equalizer Ruins the Sound?

A Super Duper BUSTED Myth here!!  EQ is being used during the production phase as well, how can it ruin it when you use it afterwards as well? “Of all the things that you can purchase to improve your music experience including headphones, In-ears, DACs, etc., EQ is simply the easily the most impactful one out there”. There is a steep learning curve for Equalizers, but once you understand the know-how, you are going to have an amazing time. Equalizer ruining the sound is absolutely wrong, in fact, it is the exact opposite of the truth. Now a days there are devices with built-in multi-band PEQ function such as FiiO BTR17, Tanchjim Stargate II, etc.

Myth 7: Digital Audio needs to be bit-perfect?

Imagine having an Android phone where you are listening to a 44.1kHz bitrate file and Android upscales it to 48kHz, some people claim this upscaling to be ruining the output and they seek Bit-Perfect playback on their Androids, This myth is a big Bust!! “Unless you are listening to a five-second excerpt from a song on repeat on loop at volume levels louder than what you normally listen to, I don’t think anyone here can actually hear a difference between resamples, upscaled, or bit-perfect audio files.” claims the video creator. Well, we also agree on this here, you definitely have to listen to all these different files on repeat for particular sections to actually notice any difference.

Myth 8: Lossy Compression Ruins the Sound Quality?

You can actually notice lossy compressions ruining the sound output, however, this Myth is Busted as well. Basically, modern compression techniques used by famous brands like Spotify and Apple reduce the file size while maintaining quality for normal human listening range, and this has been scientifically verified as well. If you do a blind test with Apple Lossless and its normal files, you won’t notice any difference between their lossless and standard files. We are pretty surprised by this finding by MRS.

Myth 9: Hi-Res Audio Sounds Better?

This is the Myth that brought many people into the hobby. If you are seeking improvements like 1080P video to Hi-Def 4K video, you won’t get that with Hi-Res Audio. We have done extensive listening to many Hi-Res files but all the things that are extra available here are in the range that a normal human being can’t listen to. For pure hi-res audio processing, we suggest you try portable DAC/AMP like HiBy FC5 or desktop DAC/AMP like the RoseTechnics RT5000.

Myth 10: You Need to Burn-in New Audio Products?

Straightaway Bust!! There is nothing like Burn-In bringing in any improvements. We have noticed many products to have mentioned a recommended burn-in period, although there is no measurable change after the burn-in. However, Brain Burn-in plays a major role and can bring in significant changes. Once you spend some time with a gear, your brain starts to like it and it is being referred to as Brain Burn In. Along with Brain Burn-in, Pad Wear can also bring a noticeable change for any product. After using the headphones for some time, the ear pads wear down, this affects the shape of the pad and brings a noticeable change. What is your take about Burn-in for new audio gear??

Myth 11: More Expensive=Better Sound?

This Myth is Plausible, more expensive means brands have more money to explore better materials, better/newer technologies, better quality of drivers, crossovers, etc. Since a brand is going to charge you more money, they are definitely going to provide better sound quality. It is quite plausible that more money can bring better sound performance, but it’s also not a requirement. As per the video, there are IEMs under $50 which sounds better than many sets that cost north of $1000. One such IEM recommendation from our side would be the Kefine Klean, have you tried this beautiful sounding set??

Myth 12: Various Driver Myths(Driver Memes)!!

There are several things related to Different types of drivers on the internet, although they are a bit overstated, but also quite plausible. First of all, BA Timbre. BA Timbre is usually mentioned in several places. From multi-driver hybrids to Multi-BA sets, we all have read BA Timbre here and there. BA drivers have more third-order harmonics which can contribute to BA Timbre, Secondly, BA drivers can be fine-tuned and they sound different to a DD set, this factor brings a different and unique tonality compared to DD-based IEMs. This difference in tonality can also be mentioned as BA Timbre. Another common driver myth is that DD Bass is better than BA Bass. This is quite plausible, one IEM with DD driver and the other with BA driver for bass measuring the same could result in better bass with DD based set. However, the new measurements through the newer 5128-based measuring rigs actually show the same BA-based sets to have lower bass graphs than DD ones.

Another common Driver Myth is again related to Dynamic Drivers. It is about the Coating of the Diaphragm. Like different drivers have different coatings for the diaphragm, DLC, Titanium, Beryllium, etc. This makes sense for an IEM builder, we as an audio listener should not care much about this and focus more on the end result. Lastly, let's talk about Driver Quality. For example, two IEMs with the same driver setup measuring the same but using different quality drivers will bring a noticeable difference. This is plausible as well that better quality drivers may bring in better durability, etc., however, As a listener this doesn’t matter for us as a user we care more about the resulting sound.

Myth 13: You Should Buy Headphones That Match Your Favorite Music Genres!!

This myth is again a Bust, as per our understanding and extensive experience, we suggest buying an IEM or headphones for a given genre doesn’t make any sense. It is a very broad way to choose a pair based on the genres that you listen to majorly. A good headphone or IEM will sound good for all genres. A particular artist might have differences between two different albums, like two albums from the same artist sounding entirely different. You can’t buy a pair for a single album let alone based on a single genre. First, understand what you like about the music, for example, “I like the hit of the Bass”, try to get an IEM or Headphones that deliver a good, punchy bass response and then choose your IEM or headphones accordingly. One such IEM would be the DUNU DaVinci, have you heard this set??

Final Words:-

Super* Review's "Wave Guide," supported by HiFiGo, is a curated collection of videos designed to assist audiophiles in optimizing their listening experience. This series offers practical tips, tutorials, and how-to guides on topics such as parametric equalization (PEQ), app recommendations, and proper in-ear monitor (IEM) usage. By providing clear and concise information, the Wave Guide aims to help both newcomers and seasoned enthusiasts get the most out of their audio equipment. 

Additionally, HiFiGo will continue to update these articles to help more audio newcomers and enthusiasts gain deeper product knowledge. If you're interested, feel free to explore more guide articles and product news.