Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Jvc Xrcd
Gomez;288110 Wrote: You should give Doug Mcloed / You Can't take my Blues ( a few others) a spin on Jvc xrcd the sound is simply stunning Through my Tag McLaren power Amps Bw Speakers Amazing just shows what the cd format is capable of given a little effort. Sounds a lot better to me than the so called super audio cds. I agree. Also, Doug McLeod's Come to Find is excellent. Others I highly recommend (purely based on sound quality improvements over original CD releases) are: Eagles - Hell Freezes Over Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms Sonny Rollins - Saxophone Collosus Sonny Rollins - Way Out West Wes Montgomery - Full House Jazz at the Pawn Shop (also far supperior than the SACD version) I don't know if their technical claims hold merit, but the sound quality on all of these versions are superb. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=45659 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Interesting SlimServer experience...
I'm not sure if I'm going crazy here, but I just made some changes to my computer and network, and I swear that the sound of my system has taken a big leap Previously, I was running Slimserver on a 5-year-old eMac G4 (educational version of an iMac) which was connected to my network via a wireless connection (signal strength was about 60%). Over the weekend, my father gave me his 2 year old iMac G5. Instead of using wireless, I set it up close to my router which allowed me to connect via Ethernet. My music was stored on an external Firewire hard drive, so it was easy to just move that drive to the new computer and set up Slimserver with my whole music library. I made sure everything was working yesterday using my SB in my office system, but didn't really listen very carefully. This morning, I sat down at my reference system and started playing some music on the Transporter. Whoa. I wasn't expecting it at all, but the sound quality took a MAJOR step up...more nuance and detail, better dynamics, better noise-floor. I hadn't listened to the reference system all weekend, but I spent a good couple of hours listening to it on Friday, and the difference was very obvious. I don't know if I'm imagining the improvements, but if I am, I will say that I have a pretty darn good imagination...! So the things that changed in the system are: - Slimserver running on a much faster computer - Slimserver running on a computer attached via Ethernet instead of by a wireless connection. Does this make sense to anyone? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=38674 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Interesting SlimServer experience...
JJZolx;229848 Wrote: Many audiphiles in other forums have claimed that wifi adversely affects the sound of a system. More than a few even claim that just having a wifi network in the home can have a negative effect, so having a wireless radio sitting unshielded in the very guts of an audio device has to be the worst of all possible worlds. That may be true, but my Transporter is still connected to the network via wireless, so the presence of a wireless device sitting unshielded in the very guts of an audio device hasn't really changed in my setup. The iMac running Slimserver is in a different room on a different floor of my house (my audio system is in my basement, and my computer is in my home office on the first floor...it was previously in the kitchen). -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=38674 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] itunes v SB3
If you go direct out of your Mac G5 into your stereo, don't you get all of your computer sounds going through your stereo, too? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=38372 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
NewBuyer;216448 Wrote: I have seen most sources/amps falling in those actual spec ranges too. However the usual advice (pretty sure about this) to someone assembling their audio sytem, is to aim for load input impedance to be at least 10 times the source output impedance, for line level signals. But I like your rule more - to be precise, exactly 10 times more! :) um...100x... ;-) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
haunyack;216236 Wrote: Hi Phil, Not to hijack this thread, but can you (or somebody else) please elaborate on this? My BK amp balanced input sensitivity is listed at 2.8v with input impedance listed at 33.2 k ohms. Is this a good match for the Transporter direct using XLR? There was a thread a while back concerning component matching but for the life of me, I cannot find it. . The Transporter's max output level via balanced is 3vrms, so that is a relatively good match to your Bryston. The ouput impedance of the TP is 100ohms...the general rule is that you want your amp's input impedance to be in the ballpark of 100x+ the output impedance of whatever is feeding it, so again, it's a decent match. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
cliveb;216278 Wrote: I presume this was a typo and you meant to say that that a *low* input sensitivity amplifier will need a high output voltage from the source? I know it's counter-intuitive, but I meant high (not low). The input sensitivity spec is listed as the voltage required to make the amp produce it's maximum output...which means that the higher the input sensitivity, the more power is needed to drive the amp. So an amp that has a 2.8vrms input sensitivity being driven by a 2vrms-max source will not be an efficient match. In principle I agree. But in practice provided the input impedance is high, the source impedance is low, and the voltage is not so high that it overdrives the input (or so low that the amp's noise floor impinges on the signal), then the signal transfer will be fine. Nearly all modern amps and sources work well together. It depends on what you call a modern amp, but in principle, I also agree. But in my personal experience with my reference amp (Blue Circle hybrid), it has a relatively high input sensitivity, and I've not found it very satisfying to run without a preamp using my TP (the sound lacks soundstage depth and body). In my secondary system, using Bel Canto class D amp, I find driving it withtout a preamp with my SB works fine. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
cliveb;216357 Wrote: I guess this must be another case of the Americans and British being divided by a common language. In my book, high input sensitivity means that a low voltage is required (eg. an input sensitivity of 100mV is higher than one of 500mV). Presumably you'd say it was the other way round. I'll file that away for future avoidance of misunderstanding. I'm just going by what manufacturers use when they list an amp's input sensitivity in the technical specifications. The higher the number they list, the higher the voltage they like at the input... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
Phil Leigh;216386 Wrote: I guess this is rather tedious semantics, but if something is highly sensitive that means it takes little to send it over the edge... So high sensitivity means it takes LESS volts to drive it...low sensitivity means it takes it takes a lot - exactly the same as low effeciency speakers... Again, I'm not making any kind of new statement here. On the technical specifications found on most amplifiers, they list input sensitivity...and the number that is listed with this number represents the voltage required to drive the amp to maximum. So the higher the number, the higher voltage is required to drive the amp to its maximum. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
NewBuyer;216436 Wrote: Phil, you mean 10X+, not 100X+, right? That's the rule of thumb as I've always seen it... I've always known it to be 100x. Most amps that I've seen have an input impedance between 10K-200Kohms, and most preamps I've seen have output impedance between 100ohms-200ohms. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
opaqueice;216167 Wrote: That was not a level matched comparison. I could also tell the difference - one was louder. I remember not even having to do the A/B switch to identify the Dodson...that just a few seconds of hearing whichever was playing was good enough. And you were pretty good at mixing up the selector switch and volume, so it wasn't predictable at all as to which you were playing first (for those reading, the volume control on my preamp is a stepped attenuator, so it's easy to go back and forth precisely on volume settings). So the level-matching was not so critical... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Source quality in context
cliveb;216193 Wrote: And then I realised that it was possible to feed the SB2's output direct into the active speakers, so I tried it. And you know what? It sounded *better* than the CD player+preamp combo. Less is more. This is HIGHLY dependent on the technical specs of the components involved...specifically, the input sensitivity of the amplifier and the output voltage of the source. A high input sensitivity amplifier will need a high output voltage from the source. If these are not matched correctly, then you'll get sub-optimal performance. So it's not a generalization you can make without knowing the specifics of the components. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36994 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Audiophile wanna-be
The Complete Guide To High End Audio by Robert Harley is considered by many to be the best book on high end audio http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Guide-High-End-Audio/dp/0964084953/ref=sr_1_1/104-7016275-9578350?ie=UTF8s=booksqid=1184763958sr=1-1 -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36907 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] budget system help
flatface;213701 Wrote: Arcam solo: This is a good option. The arcam solo movie is way to expensive though. Also if it mostly acting as an amp to the SB is it not a waste? Can you plug DVD players in too? The Solo has a built-in DVD player. It has additional inputs if you want to plug in an additional DVD player... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36696 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter vs. Resolution Audio Opus 21 CD Player
I am a former Resolution Audio owner and dealer, and the Opus 21 is still one of my favorite CD players; it is one of the most natural-sounding players I've heard, with very refined high frequency, smooth midrange, and full-bodied presentation. In contrast to the SonicFlare review, my only complaint about it was that I didn't feel it had the bass speed to really make it sound impactful relative to other CD players in the price range. Compared to the Transporter, I will admit to preferring the sound of the Opus 21 (and at nearly twice the price, you would expect the Opus 21 to sound better). I thnk the Transporter is likely a bit more precise, but does not have the organic sound quality that has made the Opus 21 famous. That said, I think the differences between high end digital sources like the Transporter and the Opus 21 are incremental, as compared to the dramatic differences you'd find between different speakers, amps, and preamps. So for the $1500 price difference between the Transporter and Opus 21, you could probably find an external DAC that would close the gap even further, maybe even surpassing it. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36681 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] D/A Input on Transporter from TV?
GoCubs;212602 Wrote: I've thought about doing this as well, but wouldn't doing so lose any 5.1 channel info beyond just the left and right speakers? -Greg This will only work if your TV/cablebox allows you to set the digital out to PCM output. Feeding a Dolby Digital signal into the Transporter won't work (you'll just get a clicking noise)... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36570 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Design miss in SB3 digital output? or Slimserver problem ?
I tried this and couldn't hear any difference with either my Transporter, SB2, or SB3. My music collection is stored in Apple Lossless, but I convert to WAV in Slimserver before sending to the TP/SB. In all cases, I'm using a wireless connection. Using a Dodson DA-218 DAC with the Transporter, a Bel Canto DAC3 with the SB3, and a Zhaolu DAC2.0 with the SB2. Speakers being used are the Focus Audio FS-888, FS-688, and Acoustic Zen Adagios. Preamps include a Blue Circle BC3000mkII w/GZpz power supply, Bel Canto Pre3, and no preamp (SB2 is hooked directly to the amp). Amps include a Blue Circle BC206 hybrid stereo amp, a pair of Bel Canto ref1000 monoblocks, and a Bel Canto S300 stereo amp. For some context regarding what I do hear, I hear differences when using an Elpac power supply with my SB2; I hear differences between various interconnects, speaker cables, and power cords; and in certain systems I can hear differences in vibration control devices et al. But I couldn't hear a difference in this particular case. My two cents... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36503 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Newbie looking for some advice
kphinney;210810 Wrote: Actually, this is the first time I heard about iTunes not perfectly reproducing the original tracks in Lossless rips. Can anyone cite any studies to determine the validity of this one way or another? I don't have any studies to cite, but I've heard anecdotally from numerous sources that if your CD is in excellent condition, iTunes with error correction on a Mac delivers bit-perfect rips (one story I heard had someone ripping 100 CDs and finding only 4 wrong bytes total). Note that this is not true for iTunes on PC. I used iTunes to rip to Apple Lossless, but I make sure that the ALAC files are converted to WAV in Slimserver before transmitting to my Transporter/SB2/SB3... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36362 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Using the Word Clock function on Transporter
It's for using the Transporter as a transport, receiving a clock signal from an external DAC... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36279 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Favorite 6922 tube?
I've been happy using regular ElectroHarmonix 6922 tubes in my preamp and hybrid amp. Definitely smoother and more refined than the Sovteks, and still only about $12/each. You can spend a little more and get the gold-pin version for a slightly warmer and richer tone... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=36303 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Bolder modded SB3 sounds too digital
Marley3;206373 Wrote: The only boxes that are checked are the ones below... FLAC FLAC (built-in) FLAC WAV flac Try unchecking the first one, so that Slimserver does the FLAC-WAV decoding -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35803 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power conditioning -- Shunyata vs PsPower
I've tried the PS Audio Duet, and was very impressed with the performance at that price point. Assuming the Quintet uses the same design, I think you'll get better price/performance over the Shunyata unit... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35533 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter listening test
SoftwireEngineer;202987 Wrote: Surprising thing is PhilNYC says differences in digital components is not that much, when the Dodson he sells costs thousands of dollars. Just to be clear, when we compared the SB3 analog out to the Dodson, I was able to identify the Dodson every time within the first few seconds of listening. But yes, I do generally think that digital sources have the least differences compared to every other component in the audio system chain. IMHO, differences in speakers are the greatest, followed by preamps, then amps, and finally digital sources. This particular listening test notwithstanding, my opinion of digital sources is that the differences tend to be in the level of grain and harshness in the sound. And to me, those are aspects of sound reproduction that make/break the listenability of a system to me. Despite the audiophile in me, I could be very happy with a wide range of systems as long as those systems weren't harsh or fatiguing. I do have some additional theories as to why this particular listening test came out with the results it did, but I'm not going to get into them because they are just theories and I don't want to come off as trying to make excuses. As I've mentioned before, I've done blind tests like this before in my system with digital components and have been able to reliably detect differences. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35068 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Help: speakers and kid's safety
How about something like this? +---+ |Filename: 3087.jpg | |Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2819| +---+ -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35325 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Stello DA220 (MkII) availability
Get in touch with Dave: http://www.hirezaudiovideo.com/ -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35339 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Stello DA220 (MkII) availability
No, but he's a nice guy and will likely work with you (he's tvyankee over at Audiocircle.com). You can also look here for a full list of US April Music dealers: http://www.aprilmusic.com/distributors.htm -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35339 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] HT Bypass
I'm a little confused by your setup. You have a HT receiver, but you only want to use the amp section with the Transporter, correct? What HT receiver do you have? And do you have multiple sources being plugged into the Transporter's digital-ins? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35293 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Importing Bel Canto to th UK
Rangdo;201523 Wrote: AFAIA, the voltage on the integrated is auto-sensing so I can just plug it into 230V UK mains, does anyone know if that's the same for the monos as well? Yes, the Ref1000's will work just by plugging into 230V -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35221 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter listening test
Here's the system that was used: Preamp: Blue Circle BC3000mkII w/GZPZ power supply Power Amp: Blue Circle BC206 hybrid stereo amp Speakers: Focus Audio FS-888 Speaker cables: Acoustic Zen Hologram II Interconnects: Acoustic Zen Absolute and Silver Reference II Digital cables: Acoustic Zen Silver Byte and MC^2 Power Conditioning: Audience adeptResponse Admittedly, I was really surprised with the results, as this was not the first listening test I had performed between these and many other digital sources, and historically I've been able to identify differences blindfolded pretty easily between SB and Transporter. Thinking about it, I realized that three things have changed in my system since I last did a SB vs. TP listening test, so perhaps these also had some effect: 1 - Speaker positioning (better positioning now, achieving better sound). 2 - Power conditioner on amp (used to be direct to the wall). 3 - Changed Slimserver filetype conversion settings. Previously was set on ALAC-FLAC. Now set on ALAC-WAV. Changes #1 and #2 allowed my system to achieve better resolution and detail, so you would expect those to expose more differences, not hide them. Change #3, however, is a significant change...one that I found sounded better to me on the Transporter, and I had not done a direct comparison on the SB prior to this. So perhaps there is some performance difference in how the SB/Transporter handle FLAC versus WAV? Anyways, it was a fun afternoon...! -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35068 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter listening test
Clive, I do happen to agree with you that preamps have the most personality in a system... My BC3000 is single-ended, and we used single-ended outputs from the Transporter (and SB3, obviously!). Also, Blue Circle tubed preamps are actually very neutral-sounding when compared to the likes of tubed preamps from BAT, Modwright and TAD (these are ones that I've actually compared it to). As I mentioned above, I've done blind listening tests before in this same setup minus the changes stated, and differences were heard quite easily...so I'm scratching my head a little bit here as well. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35068 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter listening test
Btw - if there's anyone else here in the NYC area who is interested in coming over to do a listening test, give me a shout... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35068 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter listening test
Another thought...below is a picture of my setup (prior to getting a Transporter, but basically you get the idea...equipment racks sit between the speakers). During our listening test, there was someone sitting in front of the left rack managing the input switching. It's a possibility that having a person/body at that location was affecting the acoustics which impacted things like imaging, soundstaging, etc. +---+ |Filename: SystemMain.JPG.jpg | |Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2773| +---+ -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35068 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Transporter listening test
Anne;200271 Wrote: And, one guy sitting in front of the rack is not going to ruin anything, come on ! Did he move out of the way when the SB3 was playing then... Actually, given the amount of change I hear in my system when moving the speakers even just a couple of inches, to me, this is one of the more likely scenarios. It wouldn't turn a huge difference into an inperceiveable one, but it could possible turn a subtle change into a hard to perceive one. And no, he/I did not move out of the way when the SB3 was playing...moving out of the way would have exposed to the listener which input was selected. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=35068 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] sb3 to a spare receiver
You can use either the coax or toslink digital out from the SB3 into the corresponding coax or toslink digital in on the Yamaha receiver. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34933 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] I don't think it gets loud enough
ModelCitizen;198017 Wrote: Does seem odd doesn't it. I've just been looking at the Bryston 4B ST specs and the balanced output is 6db higher than the unbalanced... however the input sensitivity varies between the two types too... if I guess right (which I probably haven't) this negates the gain. The figures can be seen in this post: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showpost.php?p=198014postcount=38 MC My understanding of the Bryston amps is that they have a gain selector, and that the specs listed in that thread are listed incorrectly (the different input sensitivities are for the different gain selections, not balanced vs. unbalanced). I could be wrong, however... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34811 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: System Balancing � - your thoughts please
My pre and speakers are about the same, and my source and amp are roughly about 20% more. There wasn't any method behind it...it's just what ended up working well. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34849 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] I don't think it gets loud enough
seanadams;197813 Wrote: 2 Vrms is all she does. If you want more you need a preamp, or you might pop the cover on your amp and see if its gain can be adjusted. The input sensitivity on the Krell amp is 2.33Vrms (and gain of 25db), so it does appear that the 2 Vrms isn't quite enough... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34811 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Tried the Mac Mini directly to the DAC
creativepart;196273 Wrote: I see that this is not the place to discuss this. Sorry. As I said, I think the SB3 is a really good product. It is elegantly designed. I'm not trying to criticize the SB3. I don't think anyone thought you were trying to be unduly critical of the SB3...rather, I think people were just trying to get a full picture of what was being heard. From my perspective, for example, I hear significant differences between running ALAC-FLAC and ALAC-WAV (with me liking the latter better) using an outboard DAC...and I was intrigued that you didn't hear differences between the two. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34592 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Upgrade Bug
What do you like about the sound of your system, and what do you think could be improved sound-wise...? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34455 ___ audiophiles mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Speaker recommendations
disclaimer that I've become a dealer for these...but they've been talked about elsewhere on the forum, and IMHO are a great value at $349 for a powered pair of speakers to be used with a Squeezebox: www.audioengineusa.com -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34423 ___ audiophiles mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] So what are the 'audiophile camps' anyway?
I have different priorities for different types of music, so my audiophile goal is to strive to have my system capable of delivering it all. If I had to rank their importance to me, I'd probably rank them the way they are listed in the first post in this thread... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34379 ___ audiophiles mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Experiments with bi-wire speaker cable
Ben, any chance you can give this a go with some different music? I'd recommend trying it with something that is studio-recorded (not live) and perhaps with more rhythm/drive. Hotel California is a great test track for some things, but not for others... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34318 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Experiments with bi-wire speaker cable
Ben Diss;193666 Wrote: What would suggest to use as a test? Something simple? Maybe just a female vocalist or perhaps a guitar solo? -Ben Relative to Hotel California, I'd go the other way...something with more drive/rhythm which requires more bass speed. I think Hotel California does a nice job at exposing changes in things like tonal balance, but it doesn't have much that you can judge things like pace and other timing/coherence-related characteristics. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34318 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Experiments with bi-wire speaker cable
azinck3;193725 Wrote: I'm in complete agreement that biwiring provides no improvement that thicker cables can't provide (which is to say, effectively no improvement unless we're talking extremely long distances or high amperages). Well, I agree that bi-wiring provides no improvement, but I do think that bi-wiring makes a difference...I just think single-wiring with a like-wire jumper sounds much better... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34318 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Apple Lossless a compromise?
opaqueice;192974 Wrote: That's an extraordinary claim - my understanding is that SS converts apple lossless files into WAV *at the server side* before streaming it to the SB3, and therefore the packets the SB3 receives, and the processing it has to perform, are *identical* whether your music is stored as apples lossless or as WAV/AIFF. It depends on how you have the File Types set up in Slimserver. You can have it convert Apple Lossless files to either FLAC, MP3, or WAV, and I believe the default converts it to FLAC. I do perceive a slight but noticeable improvement in sound quality when using ALAC-to-WAV over ALAC-to-FLAC -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34122 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Do you have Bi-Wiring speaker terminals? Try this out!
Ben Diss;192997 Wrote: That's an interesting thought. Since I'm biwired I should be able to connect a bridge between the high and low side at the speaker and listen for a difference in sound. If biwiring makes a difference I should hear it, right? -Ben One interesting thing to try when you are bi-wiring is to just put on one jumper (the negative)...when I tried bi-wiring, I found doing this made a good improvement in coherence... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34163 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Apple Lossless a compromise?
opaqueice;193002 Wrote: The issue here was different - it was whether you hear a difference between ALAC-WAV and WAV-WAV, or between ALAC-FLAC and WAV-FLAC. The comment being discussed was an assertion that but I found that reproduction of Apple Lossless files through the SB3 was noticeably poorer than WAV or AIFF, even after checking that Slimserver was not transcoding ALAC to MP3 etc. So the question I had was which File Type was being used when making this comment...ALAC-FLAC or ALAC-WAV? He just said that he wasn't using ALAC-MP3, but didn't specify whether he was using FLAC or WAV. If he was using ALAC-FLAC (the default setting), then the comment I posted was appropriate, because he was then comparing ALAC-FLAC to WAV-WAV (instead of ALAC-WAV to WAV-WAV)... :-)-:-D -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34122 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Do you have Bi-Wiring speaker terminals? Try this out!
chill;192687 Wrote: Not to labour the point, but doesn't that suppose that the speaker manufacturer made the wrong choice for the jumper specification, and that you know better than they do? Why on earth would you buy speakers from people who can't design an adequate jumper? What else have they messed up inside the cabinets? I've found that using a jumper that matches my speaker cables to give the best results. So it's not a question of the speaker designer designing an adaquate jumper, but moreso them not wanting to take the time to design one that probably won't be used. In some cases, they just include the jumpers that came with the binding posts they use on the speakers -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34163 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Do you have Bi-Wiring speaker terminals? Try this out!
empty99;192364 Wrote: imagination ;^)! Actually, I bi wired because I got 2 stereo amps, each L/R powers HI/LOW on speaker terminals. SB3MF A3.24Alps pot2 Nak PA7sBW 802NNice! This is bi-amping, not bi-wiring... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34163 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Do you have Bi-Wiring speaker terminals? Try this out!
Ben Diss;192373 Wrote: I run my speakers bi-wired too. When I went shopping for my Carol power cable to make my speaker cables, I found a deal on 4 wire 12 gauge at the local Lowes. I have long runs to my speakers so exotics where out and sharing the load between two wires made sense. I tried a bunch of bi-wiring configurations with my speakers, but in the end, decided that I enjoyed the results of single-wiring with a jumper... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34163 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Do you have Bi-Wiring speaker terminals? Try this out!
This article is the one I believe regarding bi-wiring: http://www.sonicdesign.se/biwire.html -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34163 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] New Transporter - Volume Problems With Amps
Quick questions...what integrated amps are you using, and at what volume level do you have the volume knob set to? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34148 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Ripping CD's
How much impact do things like the amount of buffer memory on your CD-R drive have on ripping speed and accuracy? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34156 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Ripping CD's
creativepart;192264 Wrote: I know others decry iTunes and ALAC as not bit perfect, but I'm with CF... I use iTunes to rip to ALAC with error correction turned on. I do this too. Most of my CDs are in excellent condition anyways, and I do find iTunes on my Mac to be very simple. One question for those of you using Apple Lossless; in the File Types section of SlimServer, do you use Apple Lossless-FLAC? Or do you use Apple Lossless-WAV? If you've compared the two, any perceived differences? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34156 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] bybee discussion on ac
nicketynick;192326 Wrote: So what's wrong with stating that you believe Bybee is a fraud? I think the point is that The Lab Circle on AC is for discussion and analysis based on science, engineering, and testing. If, based on those discussions and analysis, something is proven to likely be a false claim, then great...but the comments like I think it's a scam without specific testing, data, and analysis takes this point off course. The primary discussion of that thread in particular had someone taking measurements of a device and someone else opening one up and looking at the materials used. The secondary discussion that was split off was based on discussion of the theory (eg. I think it's a scam). Think of it as, say, a lab...not a roundtable for theoretical debate. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=34154 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Cheap tweaks that really work
Pat Farrell;190565 Wrote: My favorite tweak, which is free, is to move your speakers. Specifically, move them away from the walls and into the room. At least it is free to try. Is proper speaker setup/placement really something to be considered a tweak? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33956 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Cheap tweaks that really work
Pat Farrell;191123 Wrote: It probably depends as much on the definition of proper placement as anything else. To me, proper placement is 5 feet from all walls, but even in fairly hi end audio shops, far too many speakers are pushed up against the wall. So clearly some people have not gotten the memo I think that's far too simple of a definition for proper placement, particularly when there are many different types of speakers (some of which are designed to be placed tightly in corners to achieve bass performance through room reinforcement), different size rooms (if the room is 10ft wide, 5 feet from all walls doesn't work), different room boundary interactions depending on the volume at which you play music, etc. Every speaker is different, and every room is different...and barring aesthetic and practical concerns, how speakers get placed in a room starts with some methodology and can be optimized for that situation. I don't see this as a tweak...I see it as proper setup... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33956 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Cheap tweaks that really work
Pat Farrell;191179 Wrote: I don't understand what you are arguing about. I'm saying that I don't consider proper speaker placement a tweak. And I don't think that 5ft from every wall constitutes proper speaker placement. Proper setup is a fine name, but a huge number of people have no clue what that means. Agreed. Even ancient bookshelf speakers such as AR3a and Large Advents, which defined the term bookshelf speakers, sound better away from the wall. Sure you trade off bass boost, but the rest of the sound improves. I don't understand what your point is here. You stick a speaker on a bookshelf, and it's not properly placed. I just don't understand what you are arguing about. Proper placement, tweak, whatever, its all the same. And its cheap. IMHO, Tweak implies a minor adjustment. IMHO, Proper speaker placement implies a major factor in setting up a stereo system. That's all I'm saying. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33956 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Cheap tweaks that really work
Pat Farrell;191200 Wrote: You seem to be trying to pick a fight. I have no fight with you. So this is my last response. Nope, not trying to pick a fight. Simply asserting my opinion that speaker placement is more important than tweak implies. Because it defeats the purpose of the spikes. They are designed to solidly couple the speakers in one place. In theory, the speaker cabinet can move with music causing the imaging to smear. Many floors are not perfectly level, and using spikes (even with cups underneath them) allow for the speaker cabinet to be solidly placed on an uneven surface. Without them, you have an inconsistent surface-to-surface contact, which can cause resonances in the cabinet and the floor that are detrimental to the performance of the speaker. There is also benefit to raising the speaker off the floor. Since you don't like my tweak, where are yours? I love your suggestion...I just don't think it's as minor as a tweak. I'm not big on tweaks. I do believe in vibration control devices and power conditioning, and of course room acoustic treatments, so I guess I could talk about those...but I don't believe you can tweak room acoustic treatments or power conditioning, and I've already seen the carnage caused in another thread when discussing vibration control, so I chose not to jump there. If I had to mention one, I'd say make sure your seat doesn't have a headrest on it to cause reflections right behind your head. Probably would say the same thing about cupping your hands around your ears... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33956 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Cheap tweaks that really work
mlsstl;191253 Wrote: If we're at this point it becomes useful to see what the dictionary says. Webster has the following as one definition for tweak: to make small adjustments (as in tweak the controls); especially fine tune. Other definitions have little to with audio (to pinch or pull, annoy/bother or injure slightly.) Obviously, I'm irritating some people here, so I won't say much more on the subject. But I guess what I'm getting at is that the perception that speaker placement is a tweak of the controls and a fine tune is what is bothering me. It's like saying that laying the foundation for a new house is a fine tune. It's far more than that...it is arguably the most important part of setting up your system. Anyways, that's all from me on this topic... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33956 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Some advice - two different pairs of speakers
LikeButtah;190133 Wrote: I can get him a deal on either a pair of BW CM1s, or Paradigm Studio 20s (v4). I'm not overly familiar with Arcam, but have heard both pairs of speakers and like them both for different reasons. . What did you like/dislike about each? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33902 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] What is connected to your Transporter?
TP-Dodson DA-218 DAC-Blue Circle BC3000mkII+GZpz preamp-Blue Circle BC206 amp-Focus Audio FS-888 speakers -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33868 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
Bob Bressler;189162 Wrote: I agree on the main system and kitchen system, but I have the luxury of having my office in my home. So for my 'office' system, it is important to me that the music be somewhat engaging and definitely not fatiguing. Sort of a junior main system. This sums it up well for me, too. If it was an office from my corporate days, we'd probably be talking about an iPod and a set of headphones -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
325xi...I think your impression pretty much matches mine... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
Kyle;189004 Wrote: Phil, I'm curious to hear your opinion of the AE5's. Have you had a chance to evaluate? IMHO, they are very good for what they are...an inexpensive and convenient way to get decent sound from your iPod. Compared to other comparably-priced iPod- or computer-oriented powered speakers, they are terrific. From an audiophile perspective, they aren't rushing me to sell my rig. They offer a nice tonal balance and very good extension for a speaker its size. Most importantly, it's not harsh or bright, and it's very listenable. Hard to evaluate it's imaging/soundstaging/etc, just because I haven't spent a lot of time dealing with things like placement and such ( I do notice that they do produce a stereo image with some depth, but am not going to comment on whether it's pinpoint or anything silly like that)I don't think most people will be using them on stands and tweaking their placement much, so I've just been listening to them with them sitting on a bookcase (although admittedly I've put some cones under them to raise them off the surface). Keep in mind that my reference system is in the ball-park of $50K, and even my small office system is around $5K, so my listening is accustomed to that kind of sound quality. I'm certainly not being blown away by the AE5, but for casual listening, I'm impressed with what they are doing at their price. Hope this helps... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] BEST sounding noise cancelling headphones
FWIW, I have a pair of Sennheiser PXC 300 noise-cancelling headphones...and while the noise-cancelling part isn't bad, the sound quality of the headphones is below average IMHO. They almost sound like they have a bad reverb DSP in them... I also have a pair of Shure e3c in-ear monitors ($179) which don't have any noise-cancelling processing, but they essentially plug your ears and are very effective at blocking outside sound. And they sound terrific! (for reference, I also have a pair of Grado SR80 ($95) and Beyerdynamic DT880 ($300), and both are WAY better sound-quality-wise than the PXC 300 and slightly better than the e3C...but both are open/semi-open design.)... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33748 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
325xi;189054 Wrote: The only thing left is to find whether what they are doing at their price is good enough for background listening while working, or I'm better to add up a bit and get some NAD with something like Monitor Audio... For true background listening in an office, I think they are perfect. You do need to get a 3rd party remote control to handle volume and such if you don't want to get up and do it manually, but at least there are some 3rd party remotes available. If you're just listening in the background in an office, with no alone moments to sit and really listen to music (the way you might do with an audiophile system at home), I don't see the need to spend the extra to get a seperate amp and monitors. It's even good enough IMHO if you're at home and want something in the living room to have music around when guests or over or something like that, if you're not really trying to drive the speakers to loud levels. Of course, everyone's thresholds and values are different... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
There are a few small-footprint Class D integrateds like the Bel Canto S300i which are pretty good. In my small office system, I use a Squeezebox to drive a Zhaolu D2.0 DAC (from Hong Kong), then the Bel Canto Pre3/S300 to drive a pair of Focus Audio FS-68SE. (disclaimer: I'm a dealer for both Bel Canto and Focus Audio) +---+ |Filename: Den.JPG | |Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2543| +---+ -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
khedspeth;187802 Wrote: PhilNYC, Are you running a sub in the system shown in the picture? No, I'm just running the two speakers... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
325xi;187814 Wrote: Phil, thanks for advise. My major investments into audio are all in my major system, so for the secondary one I'm afraid $2K just for an amp is way beyond my budget. I also think that for $2K there are plenty of class A/B integrated amps... I agree that there are plenty of class A/B integrated amps out there for $2K, but I haven't seen one that is also a small footprint as you specified as a requirement. One small-footprint integrated amp I have seen that I like very much is the Dussun DS99. Bonus is that it's only $500... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
I'm of the opinion that the Zhaolu and Citipulse DACs are a significant improvement over the SB3's analog output, and are a bargain at their price points... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
pablolie;187871 Wrote: For exactly the same objective (small system for bedroom) I have ordered the Audioengine 5 speakers that were repeatedly recommended in another thread. I am very curious about the sound one can achieve with active speakers these days, and beyond that I want to research an audiophile system setup with monitors and a subwoofer for the remote residence I'll be setting up (courtesy of my employer :). I recently received a pair of these for eval (to decide whether I want to become a dealer for them). Haven't had a chance to hook them up yet, but I am eval'ing them on recommendation from an audiophile friend of mine who bought a pair for his brother and really liked them...will get to them in the next few days... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Little office/bedroom system
Check out the Dussun DS99... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33584 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] transporter using external word clock
Walter, Is the pop occuring randomly? Or is it consistently in the same place (eg. always when the track starts, etc)? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33190 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] transporter using external word clock
wshields;184791 Wrote: Sean, If I set transporter to use external clock and then also tell dcc2 to use external clock, no sound comes out. Aren't you supposed to set dcc2 to not use external clock? (ie. the light on ext clock should be off) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33190 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] revealing music
Here are a few of mine off the top of my head... Gladiator Original Motion Picture Soundtrack - Track 3 The Battle. This is one of the more challenging tracks I've heard in terms of simply having tons and tons of instrumentation layered on top of each other. Have heard it on a mega-system, so I know what levels of instrument clarity/separation are possible. The better a system is at handling congestion, the better it sounds. On most mid-fi systems, this piece sounds like a muddy mess. Uberjam (by John Scofield) - Track 8 Uberjam. A good test of PRaT. Up-temp fusion piece, featuring lots of percussion work. Root Down (by Jimmy Smith) - Track 1 Sagg Shootin' His Arrow. Also a good test of PRaT, although in a different way. It's a live jam with a surprising amount of sound being produced by a 5-piece band, but the way the bass is recorded, it can sound a little plodding if your system bass isn't tight. I'll Be Your Baby Tonight (by Bernadette Peters) - Track 8 Blackbird. A mellow female vocal performance. Tells me whether I think the vocal sounds open or closed-in, balanced, and natural. Greatest Hits of the 20th Century (by Bela Fleck) - Tracks 2 Stomping Grounds and 3 Flight of the Cosmic Hippo. Track 2 is a speed track...very fast banjo and bass guitar playing that will sound best on a system than can handle speed very well. Track 3 has some very very very deep bass -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33246 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] revealing music
regalma1;185061 Wrote: Piano is one of the best for testing. If it can handle a dynamic piano recording it can handle almost anything. Check out some recordings by Randy Weston...King of the bottom octave... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=33246 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Gain problems?
Do you have to turn the volume up on the Rogue to get the same dynamics as on the NAD? Or simply just to get to the same overall volume? First thing I'd check is to make sure the SB volume is set to maximum... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32742 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] time for a DBT-free zone??
opaqueice;180442 Wrote: With the help of one other person it's really not hard to conduct single blind testing, which, if done with some care and in good faith, is usually good enough for these purposes. Actually, almost every time I've posted on an audio forum that I participated/conducted a single-blind test that resulted in people hearing obvious differences in things such as interconnects, I've received responses that the test was invalid because it wasn't a double-blind test... :-) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32352 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Gain problems?
It's entirely possible that the overall gain of the NAD is simply higher than that of the Rogue. Which model NAD do you have? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32742 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] time for a DBT-free zone??
Eric Carroll;180342 Wrote: I have been personally subjected to salespeople who promolgate unproven claims of better audio quality in order to extract money. The audio shop I bought my recent power amp stated that everything has a colour, meaning even piece of equipment influences tonality, etc. This is provably false for certain equipment of a certain class. I actually believe the statement that everything has a color, and have told people that not for the purpose of extracting money, but for the purpose of telling people they should not buy a piece of gear without hearing it first. In fact, by making that statement, it makes it harder for me to sell gear, because it makes people want to demo gear in their own homes in their own systems. What class of equipment do you believe that this statement is false? For the record, you would be hard-pressed to convince me that a Halco DM68 and a Vitus Audio SM-101 do not have their own distinct sound/color... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32352 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
opaqueice;178993 Wrote: But if you guys are going to claim that there are some people that have some sort of magic golden ear ability to hear the effects of a linear supply or ebony hockey pucks, while the rest of us mere mortals can't do it, I'm going to have to call BS. Go try a blind test; if you succeed I'll be impressed and we can look for an explanation (which would be more likely to do with the system than your ears anyway). Until then, sorry - no dice. Never claimed anything with regards to golden ears. But there is a wide range between golden ears and tin ears, and with the exception of some truly poor ears, I am confident that a majority of people could hear the difference between the stock power supply and a linear power supply on a SB3 in my system (thus, the open invitation for anyone on this forum to come to my place and spend some time listening). To my ears, upgrades in power supplies do one very specific thing...they reduce the sibilence I hear in the sound. Most noticeably, the sss sound on male and female vocals becomes less harsh and fatiguing. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
totoro;179007 Wrote: Occam's was civil and respectful. Your (and philnyc's) response seems childish in comparison. Are you referring to my question about whether the listener listened to a lot of music? If so, why is that childish? I was trying to learn more about the test subject, and made no implications or assertions about the results of the test. I don't see how my response could be considered disrespectful or uncivil... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
totoro;179092 Wrote: But seriously, the if you did a (somewhat) controlled experiment and your paticipant(s) didn't hear the results of (lambda x. tweak x), then they must have cloth ears is so tired as to be a cliche. Occam seemed to make a point of _not_ resorting to that. I was merely applauding him for that, while callng bullshit on PFloding and PhilNYC. As I've said before, I wish that people who want rigor applied to testing methodologies would also want rigor applied to understanding the characteristics of the test subjects. It's a pretty universally-accepted idea that individuals hear differently from one-another. I don't see how asking about someone's listening habits on a report of a blind test is bullshit. And one more note about civility, I have yet to call anyone a bullshitter... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
totoro;179204 Wrote: So it's just a coincidence that this line of argument gets brought up so commonly when tests don't show a difference? It wasn't an argument. It was a question. Just like people ask was it a double-blind test? when someone reports hearing a difference. Do you think opaqueice would have bothered if he thought his gf had poor perceptual abilities? That seems to be the implication of what you're saying. I was asking for more detail on the test subject. As to the incivility: yep, I said it, I meant it, and I think you deserved it. Ok. Please accept my apology...I did not intend to be uncivil. Oh well, I guess we'll all survive somehow. This thin-skinned stuff is pretty silly: everyone makes bullshit arguments at times. Getting called on it certainly isn't the end of the world. Not the end of the world. But I do pride myself on being civil, so I wanted to understand what made my response uncivil so I could avoid doing it in the future. Admittedly, I'm still trying to figure out how I could have asked the question with less controversy... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
totoro;179208 Wrote: I was actually thinking of _my own_ incivility in that last post, not yours! :) Bullshit. ;-) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
Does the listener listen to a lot of music in general? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
P Floding;178896 Wrote: One never questions the abilities of the one who must be obeyed! ;-) Oh please...people question me all the time... ;-) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
opaqueice;178902 Wrote: Who is the one that must be obeyed? As for the subject of my little experiment, she listens to music all the time. I don't think she would describe herself as an audiophile, but she cares about music, often comments when something sounds good, and there's nothing wrong with her hearing. I don't think that's the issue here - I've been an amateur musician since the age of 4, I have abnormally acute high-frequency hearing (which is sometimes a handicap), and I don't hear a difference either. I'm not sure amateur musician always equates to good listening ability. When I was in college, I was in a rock band. My guitarist (amateur, but still very good...much better than my keyboard playing) and I were listening to U2's live recording of Bad from the Wide Awake in America EP...the live performance starts off with a bell-like-sounding synthesizer riff; my guitarist commented I wish they didn't add that synth riff, because it isn't in the original on Unfortgettable Fire. I looked at him somewhat in disbelief, and said it's clear as day in the original version. So of course, we pull out a copy of Unforgettable Fire and put on the track...there was the synth track, admittedly far more in the background than the live version, but to me it was really easy to hear. He couldn't hear it at all. (this was done on a boom box using a cassette tape) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Best reasonably priced DAC
I don't know the techincal details of the Citipulse, although I'm guessing Gary knows. I strongly prefer it to the Benchmark (which I really don't like much), but don't have an opinion of how it compares to the Lavry (which I do like) since I have not heard them head to head... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32336 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
sfraser;178204 Wrote: I quickly read through this thread. Question. When the test subject's said they heard the tweak did they mention that the sound continued to sound different after the tweak (i.e. as in turning up the treble would continure to sound different)? Or did they notice just a brief sound variance, (i.e. like someone quickly walking by in front of the speakers).? Thanks People didn't address this specifically, but the comments made about the differences in sound were such that I assume they thought the sound continued to sound different as long as the tweak was engaged. FWIW, when the test was done to me a week earlier, my impression was that the sound continued to sound different as long as the tweak was engaged. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
opaqueice;178235 Wrote: Occam, could you say that again - in English this time? Just to add my own observations to the mix, I've had the supply for about a week now and haven't noticed any difference. I keep it plugged in anyway for superstitious reasons. I live in Manhattan in a large apartment building, so my power is probably not the cleanest... as for EMI, it's not impossible it could be the culprit, although as we discussed earlier in this thread it's odd that it would affect music playback from the SB but not the noise floor. One thing that never got straightened out - there was some indication there might be (at least) two different stock PS for the SB? That might also be relevant here. Hey opa...I had no idea you were in NYC. Any chance you'd care to come over to my place one of these days, and I'll do some listening tests with you in my system? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] time for a DBT-free zone??
opaqueice;177741 Wrote: There is simply no way to discuss audio quality seriously without blind testing coming up. I so completely disagree with this. If I do a cable swap and find that the frequency response of my system changes, why should I need to discuss blind testing? -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32352 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] time for a DBT-free zone??
opaqueice;177833 Wrote: Well, it doesn't have to come up in every comment or thread. Blind testing is a tool, like a voltmeter. If someone suggested we never mention voltmeters, wouldn't you find that a bit odd? Odd, but I wouldn't object.. ;-) But blind testing is actually a lot more useful than a voltmeter, because it tells us what we really want to know - whether we can hear a difference. In your rather perfect example, blind testing would be a very natural thing to discuss - one would want to ask, is that change in the frequency response audible? If I can hear a change and confirm that it measures different, I see no need to discuss double-blind testing. In the cases where the magnitude of change is great enough, I also see no need to discuss double-blind testing. For example, the difference in sound between the analog outs from the Squeezebox and Transporter are quite obvious to me, and I would see no reason to need to discuss double-blind testing. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32352 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
Btw - with all the discussion about testing methods for listening, I thought I'd post something here that I posted on AudioAsylum.com a few months ago. Would love to get thoughts from folks here as to whether a test as described below would be enough to convince you that a real difference was being heard: I had a dozen audiophiles listen to my system this weekend. It is a highly resolving system in a well-treated listening room. I played the first 45 seconds a track of music to this group of people a couple of times so they could become familiar with the track. I then had everyone close their eyes, and asked them to raise their hands if they heard something change in the system. I did not tell anyone what tweak I was going to employ, nor did I mention anything about what kinds of changes (if any) they would be hearing. The tweak could be employed on the fly (no need to stop the music or reconnect anything). At the moment I employed the tweak (about 20 seconds into the track), 6 people immediately raised their hands...and 3-4 additional people slowly raised their hands in the 4-5 seconds following the implementation of the tweak. This test was repeated 3 times (at different times into the track), and the results were pretty similar each time. I know this doesn't qualify as a double-blind test because the participants knew something was being done...but they didn't know what was being done or when it was being done, nor did they have any visual indication of what other participants were responding (unless they were peaking!)... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
P Floding;177856 Wrote: Out of curiosity, what kind of change was it that you could apply without interrupting anything? I'm not going to mention what the tweak was, because I don't want that to influence the discussion about testing methods. A couple of other points about this specific test: - In no instance did anyone raise their hand *before* I implemented the tweak. This includes the time I waited 40 seconds before implementing the tweak. - This is a group of audiophiles that I have done eyes-closed tests before, and in some instances have done a test where I didn't actually change anything; so this group knows that I have a history of trying to catch them hearing a change that doesn't exist. - What prompted me to do this particular test was after someone did a SBT with me, and I heard a difference. The explanation of how the tweak worked made no sense whatsover to me, so I wanted to see if others were hearing what I was hearing (and no, I did not discuss with them what to expect). - The track we played was a relatively quiet and intimate track; acoustic folk quartet (guitar, piano, drums, vocal). When the SBT was given to me, I could not detect the differences in more busy music (eg. up-tempo rock) -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
P Floding;177865 Wrote: In what manner were the hands raised? Could the noise from clothing have been picked up? Could the act of people moving their hands have altered the acoustics? My opinion is that noise from clothing or other audible clues were not probable. The music was playing at about 86db measured at the primary listening position, and I'm pretty sure most were intent on listening to the music (and not focused on listening for other peoples' physical movements). The listening room is 19ft x 42ft, so I don't think that a half-dozen arms being raised simultaneously is going to affect the room acoustics so noticeably). Did anyone express afterwards what they actually perceived to be the difference? Yes. The comments were fairly consistent, too. The comments were mostly about noise-floor and nuance. However, there were a couple of people who simply said they didn't hear any differences. P.S: You could try having one or two being in on a test by raising their hands without any change happening, just to see what will happen. That's a cool idea. I will try it next time I have the opportunity! P.P.S: Did you run a test where no change happened at all? No, but I did vary the point in which the tweak was implemented. The first time was about 20 seconds into the track, and another time was about 40 seconds into the track. I don't remember the specifics of the other 2 trials because this was done a couple of months ago. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
opaqueice;177893 Wrote: Did applying the tweak make any noise? In a quiet room even something like pressing a button or you moving around slightly is clearly audible, which can be a problem in blind tests where you switch on the fly. The tweak is almost silent, and with the music playing at 85-86db, I am 99% sure no one heard the actual tweak being implemented. -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
P Floding;177917 Wrote: Even if 86dB sounds like a highish volume I suspect the music didn't pump out that level continously? The song used was Willie Nelson's Georgia On My Mind from his Stardust album. While it is a somewhat quiet/intimate track, there are no parts where things are absolutely silent. Arms raised might be in the level where it may well influence the sound. Especially when the sound is a phantom image created by two distinct sound sources. (Not comparable to the sound coming from an actual musical instrument.) But 6 people raised their arms pretty much simultaneously... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] A/B Testing method question
P Floding;177982 Wrote: It may convince you, but it wouldn't convince a sceptic. So the effort is only meaningful to you. I'm acting the sceptic here to point out all things that may invalidate the test. Certainly I understand that this was not a scientific test. I guess part of my reason for bringing it up is to see to what extent people feel scientific tests are a must. When I hear comments such as people might have heard others raising their hand (making them feel compelled to do so themselves), I kind of think that's just as reasonable as the idea that people actually hear a difference of a tweak in an A/B comparison. Which is more probable? (and btw - I was a HUGE skeptic of this particular tweak...it was produced by a company that I was a dealer for, and the claims were so foreign and outlandish to me that I dropped them from my product lineup. The tweak we used in this particular test was an updated version of that tweak, and the explanation offered as to how it works is still something I don't believe) First thing I would do is make the sign that a change has occurred much more subtle. Good suggestion... -- PhilNYC Sonic Spirits Inc. http://www.sonicspirits.com PhilNYC's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=837 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32466 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
