How to TestHiFi your own system at home?
Many people question why to test the own system at home. Most of them fully understand the value of TestHiFi when buying an audio system. TestHiFi helps to check the HiFi capability of an audio system to support a decision-making on what to buy.
Using TestHiFi to test your own system at home makes a lot of sense too. It helps to find out how your system currently operates with regards to its HiFi capability. TestHiFi further helps to understand how you can maximize the utilization of your systems HiFi capabilities. Detailed test results (in-app purchases) provide indication what to adjust in your system for optimizing the utilization of your audio system’s HiFi capabilities.
Take a photo before you start testing
First, we recommend to take a photo of your audio system to document all levels and controls before testing and adjusting. At the end you can compare before and after the adjustments.
You will see whether your system was tuned in the optimal manner or to what degree you have adjusted it. Also, no matter if the system will play more accurate after the adjustments, you might still like the previous more familiar setup. The photos will help you to reset.
Experience shows that over time people tend to adjust closer to the more accurate HiFi settings. Give your listening experience some time and see what you like the best.
How to test your own system with TestHiFi
Perform the first complete test with TestHiFi. Follow all instructions in the App while testing. Although TestHiFi provides options for wireless connection, please be aware, wired connection usually delivers better results. If you use your audio system wireless, we recommend to use TestHiFi wireless as well. This will allow to show you the results more in line with your normal usage of your system.
After finishing the test, store the test results in TestHiFi and enter some additional information to it. You will be able to easily access the information later, for analysis or comparison. Also, you may include your photos taken at the beginning into this first test result as a reference.
What does TestHiFi test and how you can optimize your audio system
TestHiFi measures seven key criteria. Some of which you can directly influence by adjusting controls at your audio system. Others you merely can influence, as they are system immanent.
All adjustment potentials depend on your audio system’s components and their adjustment options. If your system consists of only one component with no sound controls, you cannot influence anything. In case your system has some sound controls, you can adjust according to the frequency range and distortion related measurement results. The volume controls of the individual components merely influence the utilization of the HiFi capability. Third and rather as a check than impacting are the balance controls for left and right channel, if available at your system.
Adjusting your system’s output according to the results measured by TestHiFi
The measurement data received from any test with the second in-app purchase shows you detailed identified weaknesses of the tested system, if any. The frequency related criteria results indicate frequency ranges with identified drops and/or peaks. Distortion and stereo related results are important for understanding the HiFi capability of the tested system. A potential negative influence on the distortion related criteria from adjusting frequency related controls needs to be balanced against any frequency optimization.
Use the frequency range controls option of your system to boost or attenuate certain frequencies. Frequency range drops indicate the frequency ranges to be boosted. Frequency range peaks indicate those which need to be attenuated.
In case your system consists of several components with a volume control on each, make sure that none of the volume controls are too close to their maximum scale. Any component operating close to its maximum power output may potentially influence negatively any distortion output.
Testing again to observe the influence of your adjustments
Test as often as you adjust something in your system to see the individual influence of the adjustments. It might surprise you, some adjustments have less and some more influence than you expected. You may want to take a photo of the adjustments you have just measured and store it with the test results. This will help you later to recap what you’ve done and what it caused.
Conclusion
Depending on the adjustment options of your audio system, there might be several possibilities to improve the output towards HiFi. Keep in mind to perform tests with 0,5 meter distance to one speaker. All adjustments affect the audio system. Your listening experience is a combination of the audio systems HiFi capability and the room influences. Adjustments may improve the output of the audio system, but rather merely improve the influence of the room on the sound at your listening position. TestHiFi currently develops an additional measurement to support the experience of the listening position.
TestHiFi aims to help the audiophile community grow
To grow the audiophile family, to invite younger generations to participate, to invite more diversity into the audiophile family, you need to offer something that can be easily understood by the new members.
TestHiFi is easy to understand also for a non-audiophile.