Here are some audio and video trends for 2019:
The global Hi-Fi Systems market was valued at million US$ in 2018 and is expected to grow. EISA Awards has selected Hi-Fi product category winners, but I did not see anything really fancy new innovations that would excite me there. The Hi-Fi speaker market has seen considerable consolidation over the years but is expected to grow. The global Hi-Fi speaker system market is highly competitive. Various established international brands, domestic brands and as well as new entrants form a competitive landscape. The market is expected to have higher growth rate as compared to the previous years due to the booming electronic industry globally. It is due to the rising income of individuals globally and increasing affordability of technology products globally. Due to technological adoption and smart gadgets, North America region is showing steady growth in the Hi-Fi speaker system market. On technology standpoint the Hi-Fi market is mainly based on pretty much stabilized technology as class D amplifiers have been on mainstream for many years.
Smart TVs are everywhere. The vast majority of televisions available today are “smart” TVs, with internet connections, ad placement, and streaming services built in. Despite the added functionality, TV prices are lower than ever. Your new smart TV was so affordable because it is collecting and selling your data. It is clear that TV companies are in a cutthroat business, and that companies like Vizio would have to charge higher prices for hardware if they didn’t run content, advertising, and data businesses. Google wants sensors and cameras in every room of your home to watch, analyze, you, patents show.
Streaming services competition stays high. Apple’s embracing the TV industry for the first time: Vizio and LG TVs will support AirPlay 2 and HomeKit, while Samsung TVs will get an iTunes Movies & TV app, as well as AirPlay 2 support. Google and Amazon are playing are important players on smart speaker markets.
4K video resolution is still as hot as in 2019 – it us becoming mainstream and getting cheaper. Peraso showcases 4K wireless video at CES 2019. LG has produced a market-ready rollable OLED TV. The new 75-inch 4K Micro LED TV announced at CES 2019 proves Samsung is serious about scaling the technology to do battle with OLED. But it seems that even in 1029 “4K” trend remains woefully deficient from a compelling-content-availability standpoint. CES 2019 is already full of weird and wonderful monitors.
But new higher 8K resolution is being pushed to market. The “8K” (resolution) tagline was apparently everywhere at CES this year. Samsung announced a 98-inch 8K TV because why not. LG has come strong to CES 2019 with an 88-inch 8K OLED TV, a 75-inch 8K LED/LCD TV, HDMI 2.1, new auto calibration features, Alexa built in, and many more features. It seems that this ongoing evolution is occurring out of necessity: as a given-size (and -pixel-dense) display becomes a low profit margin commodity, manufacturers need to continually “up-rev” one or both key consumer-attention-grabbing parameters (along with less quantifiable attributes like image quality) in order to remain profitable … assuming they can continue to stimulate sufficient-sized consumer demand in the process. I am not sure if they can stimulate 8K to mass market in next few years.
Wall size TVs are coming. Samsung announced a modular TV at CES. Samsung first showcased this MicroLED TV technology at CES 2018, showcasing how the screens were composed of millions of individual LEDs. Individuals screens could be combined to create massive displays, which the company calls The Wall TV. The wall-sized displays shown in recent years at CES are, in my opinion, quite ridiculous, at least for the masses.
HDMI updates are coming. At present, the HDMI equipment uses the 2.0 standard (adopted in 2013) tht provides support for example for 4K video. HDMI Forum announced a new 2.1 standard already in November 2017, but it just starter showing in CES in January 2019. 8K fiber-optic HDMI cables seen at CES 2019. The 2.1 standard is a big change in technology at the bus bandwidth increases from 18 gigabit to 48 gigabits per second. This enables up to 10K video transmission and up to 120 frames per second.
Bendable displays are really coming to PCs and smart phones. LG’s “rollable” display shown this year neatly showcased the technology’s inherent flexibility while also addressing the question of how to hide a gargantuan display when it’s not in use. Several foldable smart phones have been shown. Chinese company Royole was showing off the FlexPai at CES in Las Vegas.
Micro displays for VR and AR glasses have developed. MicroLED is better looking, more efficient and more versatile than any previous display tech. Now all Samsung, Sony, LG and others have to do is figure out how to manufacture it affordably.Nanoco Technologies and Plessey Semiconductors have partnered to shrink the pixel size of monolithic microLED displays using Nanoco’s cadmium-free quantum-dot (CFQD quantum dots) semiconductor nanoparticle technology. Microchips and organic LEDs that deliver 4K-like high resolution displays a quarter of the size and half the weight of existing virtual reality (VR) headsets have been developed under a European Union project. Marc Andreessen says VR will be “1,000” times bigger than AR even though VR seems to be the popular whipping boy amongst the tech community.
There seems to be no shortage of angst with the current (and unfortunately burgeoning) popularity of usage of the term artificial intelligence (AI). Intelligence has been defined in many ways which makes it hard to get good picture on what is going on. I am still waiting for sensible intelligent AI to do something useful. But the ability for a sufficiently trained deep learning system to pattern-match images, sound samples, computer viruses, network hacking attempts, and the like is both impressive and effective.
Potential problems related to the coming of self-driving car technologies and cameras are expected. A man at CES in Las Vegas says that a car-mounted lidar permanently damaged the sensor in his new $1,998 Sony a7R II mirrorless camera. Man says CES lidar’s laser was so powerful it wrecked his $1,998 camera because the LIDAR laser power rules ensure lasers are safe for human eyes—but not necessarily for cameras. Is this something that camera and car manufacturers need to figure out together?
2019 Will Be the Year of Open Source from software and even hardware. Open source video player app VLC has now reached 3 billions downloads.
When almost all AV products are pushing more and more features, it seems that almost Everything is too complicated for an average Joe.
1,491 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Part 1 Hear Sound Loss in Speaker Cable – Part 1 of 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KKooWhMGT-k
Part 1 of 4. Dave Rat has come up with a simple method to hear the loss in speaker cables. In this video he compares (and you can hear) the cable loss difference between a 25ft 12 gauge to a 100 ft 12 gauge speaker cable with 4 Ohm load.
Part 2 Hear Sound Loss in Speaker Cable – Part 2 of 4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xzUUuhHAXrA
Part 2 of 4. Dave Rat has come up with a simple method to hear the loss in speaker cables.
In this video he compares (and you can hear) the differences between:
1) 100′ 12 gauge pro audio cable vs 50′ 16 gauge install grade cable
2) Coiled 50′ 16 gauge vs uncoiled 50′ 16 gauge
3) Coiled 100′ 12 gauge vs uncoiled 100′ 12 gauge
4) 50′ 12 gauge pro audio cable vs separately coiled 50′ THHN stranded electric wire
5) Separately coiled 50′ THHN vs twisted pair THHN 50′ coiled
6) Coiled twisted THHN 50′ vs uncoiled twisted THHN 50′
In part 3 Dave Rat will test and you can hear the difference between twisted THHN vs install grade coiled vs uncoiled vs Romex coiled vs uncoiled vs twisted THHN vs flat wire coiled vs uncoiled
Tomi Engdahl says:
Epic’s Unreal Engine Teases ‘MetaHuman’: A Revolutionary Tool To Generate CGI People
https://www.boarsart.com/epics-unreal-engine-teases-metahuman-a-revolutionary-tool-to-generate-cgi-people/
MetaHuman is an interactive, cloud-based tool to generate CGI people. The people are highly-customizable, come fully rigged for animations, are compatible with most industry-standard software (such as Autodesk Maya).
Tomi Engdahl says:
This is a great example of how drastically slight angles and distance changes affect the perceived “sound quality”. Some still claim that audiophooliac speaker cables, “directional” ac power cables, paper-in-snakeoil caps and 50kg power conditioners make all the difference in the world. But they won’t do such tests and measurements like this one, or any double-blind testing. Their sole argument is that they have golden ears and everyone else has ones made of tin.
Indeed. It’s hilarious how the cable junkies obsess about non-existent differences, when moving your speakers a couple of inches or varying toe-in by a few degrees will make immediately obvious differences to the sound. But ya cain’t fix stoopid!
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=PwwA15lma7w
Tomi Engdahl says:
“recap” = replace electrolytics. Literally anything else (Film, tantalum, ceramic etc) stays and in many cases are critical for the sound of the unit if they’re in the audio path.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://forum.audacityteam.org/viewtopic.php?t=54088
Elliptical Equalizer (mono crossfeed filter)
Post Fri Mar 04, 2011 4:16 pm
This is a spectral processing filter doing basically a frequency selective crossfeed, mixing signals from a stereo channel below the selected frequency to mono.
This is useful to bring the bass drum (or beat in electronic music) to the center.
Or to remove unwanted rumble from vinyl turntable recordings, these are typically low frequency signals of mutual polarity.
The plug-in is a close adaption to the Elliptic EQ function on a vinyl mastering console, especially the Neumann ones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
You Can Now Buy Speakers For Your Vagina
https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/you-can-buy-intervaginal-speakers-so-your-baby-can-listen-to-tunes/
It’s like the ultimate lovechild of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop and Apple AirPods: an inter-vaginal speaker designed to blast your unborn child with music.
For $150, you can purchase your very own “Babypod”, a small speaker that can be plugged into any music-playing device of your choice and inserted into the vagina to gently play your favorite tunes into the womb.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scan and See Your Old View-Master Reels with This Smart Scanner
See how Jason Atlice was able to build this automated View-Master reel scanner to transform his slides into videos.
https://www.hackster.io/news/scan-and-see-your-old-view-master-reels-with-this-smart-scanner-895ed89a0cfa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Do Smart TVs Have Touch Screens? Here Are The Facts
https://techpenny.com/do-smart-tvs-have-touch-screens/
Touch screens have become a widely accepted feature in almost all everyday gadgets that we use. They are present in our Smartphones, Tablets, Laptops, and even home appliances have them.
It seems like almost all gadgets with a digital interface are now operable with a touch screen, you may wonder if Smart TVs would have a touch screen as well.
Do Smart TVs Have Touch Screens?
Tomi Engdahl says:
How do speakers get blown? Why do they sound distorted?
http://rftech.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/63/~/how-do-speakers-get-blown%3F-why-do-they-sound-distorted%3F#:~:text=Contrary%20to%20popular%20belief%2C%20distortion,detection%20of%20signal%20%22clipping%22.&text=Electrically%20overpowering%20a%20speaker%20is,than%20it's%20%22rated%22%20specifications.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Can I damage speakers playing music too loud?
https://www.avforums.com/threads/can-i-damage-speakers-playing-music-too-loud.2236389/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.shure.com/en-US/performance-production/louder/how-the-sm58-survives-the-worlds-toughest-tests
Tomi Engdahl says:
Zero feedback and class A,which is better?
https://forum.audiogon.com/discussions/zero-feedback-and-class-a-which-is-better
Is there anybody built a non feedback amplifier??
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/solid-state/28448-built-feedback-amplifier.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
The End Millennium
http://www.octave-electronics.com/lcaudio/temil.shtml
Ultra Linear Core Non Feedback circuitry improves homogenity in the soundstage.
Included Polypropylene Capacitors ensures crystal clear treble reproduction.
All Audio Related traces on the Printed Circuit Board is made in a special soft-curve technique that reduces standing waves, compared to traces with sharp edges. This significantly improves resolution in the mid and high regions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Playing It By Ear
This discreet hands- and eyes-free input device may just be for you — if you can rumble your ears, that is.
https://www.hackster.io/news/playing-it-by-ear-d73aba685cb6
Tomi Engdahl says:
Frame Theory 3D’s SongBird Is a 3D-Printed Vinyl Turntable You Can Build at Home
Designed to be both functional and educational, the SongBird kit is available with 3D-printed plastic parts or STL files for home printing
https://www.hackster.io/news/frame-theory-3d-s-songbird-is-a-3d-printed-vinyl-turntable-you-can-build-at-home-a083d0f0faae
Tomi Engdahl says:
Introducing TRACBench, a New AI-Powered Transcoding Benchmark
https://www.extremetech.com/computing/322415-introducing-tracbench-new-ai-powered-transcoding-benchmark-lenovo-p620-threadripper-pro?utm_campaign=trueAnthem%3A+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=facebook
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.virtuaalitapahtumat.fi/virtuaalitapahtuman-suunnittelijan-10-askelta/?utm_source=facebook_paid&utm_medium=blogi&utm_campaign=Blogi+%7C+Mit%C3%A4+jokaisen+virtuaalitapahtumaa+suunnittelevan+tulee+tiet%C3%A4%C3%A4%3F&utm_content=ad2&fbclid=IwAR0Vb_T8u2cUuzbKXXr2DBLXB_z1zhQYxqQf5M9cYTFmweuRdMZJkLJ4tH0
Tomi Engdahl says:
Field coil speakers: obsolete or the future?
https://www.edn.com/field-coil-speakers-obsolete-or-the-future/
As a youngster, I saw some really old radios; the kind that occupied highly-polished wooden cabinets the size of a refrigerator. When those old radios were made, permanent magnets were not all that powerful, at least by today’s standards, and they were quite costly. Ergo, the loudspeakers in those radios derived their magnetic fields for their voice coils from electromagnets, which were called “field coils.”
The DC excitation of a field coil would come from using that coil as an inductor in an LC filter from which power supply voltage was derived
Since the field coil doubled in service as a power supply filter choke, current passing through that coil carried a ripple current, 120 Hz in the case of a 60 Hz power line, and that ripple current would produce a low but discernible level of hum in the audio output.
The hum was low enough to be pretty much acceptable to most listeners but as permanent magnet technology matured so that such magnets became stronger and less costly, field coils were pretty much done away with in consumer products in favor of using permanent magnets.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AWS adds local webcam passthrough to both of its remote desktop tools
NICE DCV also gets support for Apple’s M1 silicon
https://www.theregister.com/2021/04/13/aws_nice_dv_workspaces_webcam_passthrough/
Tomi Engdahl says:
TV to touch screen
https://youtu.be/AANmnoXlRCQ
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.audioadvice.com/videos-reviews/speaker-bi-wiring-bi-amping-explained/
Tomi Engdahl says:
“MUS-IC” to an Audiophile’s Ears? Lessons on Hi-Fi Electronics From a New DAC
April 19, 2021 by Adrian Gibbons
MUS-IC, ROHM Semiconductor’s specialized family of audio electronics has a new member: a 32-bit DAC designed for high-res playback. What does this DAC teach us about the tenants of Hi-Fi electronics?
https://www.allaboutcircuits.com/news/mus-ic-to-audiophiles-ears-lessons-hi-fi-electronics-from-new-dac/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Build Your Own Professional-Grade Audio Amp on the Sort of Cheap
https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/build-your-own-professionalgrade-audio-amp-on-the-sort-of-cheap
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hack an Analog TV Into a Geek TV
https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/hack-an-analog-tv-into-a-geek-tv
Tomi Engdahl says:
More Than What’s Obvious
April 26, 2021
by Paul McGowan
In yesterday’s post, I made the point that regardless of the delivery method—transport or streaming—identical digital audio bits received at the DAC should sound the same.
They do not.
Why?
https://www.psaudio.com/pauls-posts/more-than-whats-obvious/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digipalvelulaki velvoittaa tekstittämään videot, viranomaiset kokevat sen työlääksi – ”Kun kyse on koronasta, niin tekstityksellä varustettu informaatio tulisi saada mahdollisimman pian”
Helsingin yliopistossa saavutettavuusvaatimukset ovat herättäneet paljon kysymyksiä ja teettäneet ”ihan järkyttävän määrän työtä”, sanoo tietohallintojohtaja Ilkka Siissalo.
https://www.hs.fi/politiikka/art-2000007936021.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Test Methods of Measurement for Audio Amplifiers (CTA-490-A R-2018)
https://shop.cta.tech/products/test-methods-of-measurement-for-audio-amplifiers
Tomi Engdahl says:
Digital Needle – A Virtual Gramophone
https://www.cs.huji.ac.il/~springer/DigitalNeedle/index.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Conspiracy theorists mistake guitar pedal diagram for “5G Chip”, alleging it’s in COVID-19 vaccine
Conspiracists say the imaginary chip might track citizen movements… while offering a flexible EQ section.
https://www.musictech.net/news/covid-19-vaccine-5g-chip-boss-metal-zone-guitar-pedal/?amp=1
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mic Mute Pedal – Phantom Power and LED
https://www.diyaudio.com/forums/pa-systems/339250-mic-mute-pedal-phantom-power-led.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.behringermods.com/deq2496.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
We really are living in a simulation, aren’t we.
Russia Pulls Ahead In Race To Shoot Movie In Space Just Weeks Before Tom Cruise
https://www.iflscience.com/space/russia-pulls-ahead-in-race-to-shoot-movie-in-space-just-weeks-before-tom-cruise/
The brand new “space race” is heating up – and while you may think its mission is to get to the Moon or even Mars, this race has slightly less lofty but nonetheless exciting goals: to be the first to shoot a commercial movie in space.
Back in May last year, NASA confirmed it would be working with Hollywood superstar Tom Cruise to film a movie on the ISS after the Internet was aflutter with rumors. Cruise, who famously does all his own stunts, was to be the first actor to kick ass in space.
Not to be outdone, Russia piped up that it too was planning to film a movie on the ISS and was on the hunt for its leading lady, someone who could not only act but fulfill the physically challenging requirements necessary for real cosmonauts and astronauts navigating the space station.
Now, it looks like it has found its star and plans are going ahead, with the announcement actor Yulia Peresild and director Klim Shipenko have been chosen to fly to the ISS to start work on the movie with the working title Challenge, said to be a space drama focusing on a female surgeon’s mission to the ISS to perform surgery on a cosmonaut too ill to return to Earth, according to Russia’s RIA news agency
Tomi Engdahl says:
Hang on to those cheap 3D glasses, you’re going to Mars.
You Can Now Watch Ingenuity Fly On Mars In Glorious 3D As If You Were Right There
https://www.iflscience.com/space/you-can-now-watch-ingenuity-fly-on-mars-in-glorious-3d-as-if-you-were-right-there/
If you’ve got a pair of 3D or red/blue glasses leftover from a trip to the movies, you are in for a treat. You can now watch NASA’s Mars helicopter, Ingenuity, soaring across the landscape of the Red Planet in glorious 3D. You can watch it rise up and fly 50 meters (164 feet) from the Wright Brothers airfield on its third flight as if you were standing on the surface of Mars itself and watching.
The video was recorded from Perseverance’s Mastcam-Z instrument, a zoomable dual-camera located on the rover’s mast. The camera is capable of stereo-imaging, which allowed scientists here on Earth to turn the slightly different perspective into an immersive view of Mars.
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hifimaailma.fi/tuoteesittely/stirling-ls35-kaiutin-paljon-puhetta-6.108.3423.8c7cbdd129
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.hifimaailma.fi/tuoteesittely/lempea-jattilainen-genelec-1236a-sam-6.108.94346.baf812a3e1
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.audiovideo.fi/uutinen/genelecilta-maalaamattomat-raw-versiot-alumiinimunista/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.audiovideo.fi/opas/kaiutinrakennusohje-boom-ja-bigbadaboom-ghettoblasterit/
https://www.audiovideo.fi/opas/kaiutinrakennusohje-pikkuveikka-sica-elementeilla/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://www.audiovideo.fi/opas/kaiutinrakennusohje-quutio/
https://www.audiovideo.fi/opas/kaiutinrakennusohje-ref1-audiovideo-fin-referenssikaiutin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Scanner Captures View-Master Discs As Glorious 3D Videos
https://hackaday.com/2021/05/12/scanner-captures-view-master-discs-as-glorious-3d-videos/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Using Ikea Guts To Add Sonos Compatibility To A Vintage Speaker
https://hackaday.com/2021/05/15/using-ikea-guts-to-add-sonos-compatibility-to-a-vintage-speaker/
We’re in a fortunate position when it comes to audio gear, because advances in amplifier and signal processing technology have delivered us budget devices that produce a sound that’s excellent in comparison to those of a few years ago. That said, a decent quality device is good whichever decade it was manufactured in, and a speaker from the 1960s can be coaxed into life and sound excellent with a modern amplifier. It’s something [Sebastius] has explored, as he picked up an attractive-looking set of Swedish speakers from the 1960s. Wanting to bring them into the 21st century, he’s upgraded them for Sonos compatibility by hacking in the guts of an IKEA Symfonisk bookshelf speaker.
https://revspace.nl/Symfonos_Mini
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wood Enclosure Lends Warmth To This DIY Ribbon Microphone
https://hackaday.com/2021/05/14/wood-enclosure-lends-warmth-to-this-diy-ribbon-microphone/
We love it when someone takes an idea they’ve seen on Hackaday and runs with it, taking it in a new and different direction. That’s pretty much what we’re here for, after all, and it’s pretty gratifying to see projects like this wooden ribbon microphone come to life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqp26iLJQWU&feature=emb_logo
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://hackaday.com/2021/05/12/otters-deliver-a-high-power-stationary-audio-experience/
Our favorite raft of otters is back at it again with another display of open source audio prowess as they bring us the OtterCastAmp, the newest member of the OtterCast family of open source audio multitools. If you looked at the previous entry in the series – the OtterCastAudio – and thought it was nice but lacking in the pixel count or output power departments then this is the device for you.
https://hackaday.com/2021/04/06/you-otter-be-able-to-stream-that-audio-open-hardware-eclipses-chromecast-audio/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Space race 2: Russian actor bound for ISS in same month as Tom Cruise
Hollywood star is aiming to be first to shoot a feature film in space, but Russia has launched rival bid
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/may/13/russia-send-actor-director-iss-shoot-first-movie-space
The space race appears set for a relaunch following the news that Russia is to send an actor and director to the International Space Station in October, with the ambition of making the first feature film in space.
The crew are scheduled to begin their expedition on 5 October 2021. While on the space station they could encounter some fellow film-makers: Tom Cruise and the director Doug Liman, who are also due to travel there in October to make a movie.
The exact date of Cruise’s blastoff has not yet been revealed, but the departure of the Russians in the first few days of the month suggests an intention to beat the Americans.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Japanese fashion magnate Maezawa to visit International Space Station -TV Tokyo
https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/japanese-fashion-magnate-maezawa-visit-international-space-station-tv-tokyo-2021-05-13/
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://etn.fi/index.php/13-news/12134-htc-n-uudet-vr-lasit-5k-kuvaa-peleihin
Tomi Engdahl says:
USB Turntables
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=No2icPZDBNE
How many times do USB turntables process the audio signal through their electronics? Is it a pure path with only one conversion to digital or mucked up with many?
Tomi Engdahl says:
About damping factor
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Damping_factor
https://benchmarkmedia.com/blogs/application_notes/audio-myth-damping-factor-isnt-much-of-a-factor
Tomi Engdahl says:
Android TV OS reaches 80M monthly active devices, adds new features
https://techcrunch.com/2021/05/18/android-tv-os-reaches-80m-monthly-active-devices-adds-new-features/?tpcc=ECFB2021
Google offered an update on its TV platform, Android OS, at its Google I/O developer event on Tuesday. The company said its Android TV OS now reaches over 80 million monthly active devices, including through its new experience Google TV for Chromecast, as well as other platforms like smart TVs. The company also previewed a series of upcoming features for Android TV OS, including a remote control feature for consumers and several developer updates around casting, emulators, and more.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why speakers are made from MDF
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTkwIiPU7Es
The outer finish of a fine loudspeaker is either beautifully painted or layered in gorgeous hardwoods, yet beneath the outer veneer is plain old MDF. Why?
Tomi Engdahl says:
https://spectrum.ieee.org/consumer-electronics/audiovideo/build-your-own-professionalgrade-audio-amp-on-the-sort-of-cheap