Do you consider yourself an audiophile?

[ViolentPanda]

sorry about the grave digging but i just came across this page and couldn't resist, i especially liked the "The GSIC-10 Intelligent Chip "

Scary that people actually buy this science-untouched weirdness, isn't it?

 

[Belushi]

I have absolutely zero interest in hi-fi's but I loved this thread. It will be a contender for pwnage of the year come christmas.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Yay it's back!

I miss this thread.

 

[ska invita]

sorry about the grave digging but i just came across this page and couldn't resist, i especially liked the "The GSIC-10 Intelligent Chip "

great find
i liked:

"Dear high-end friends..."
http://www.audiodesksysteme.de/index.php?kat=10

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Oh my godddd!

Audiophile adages persist with the tenacity of folklore. One declares that speakers are your most important investment - the key determinant of ultimate satisfaction. An opposing philosophy postulates that since it all starts with the source, front-end quality is most essential.

http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_3/marigo-labs-signature-3d-mat-7-2005.html

 

[kyser_soze]

I've had a revelation.

Audiophilia is the electrical component equivalent of homeopathy.

Just had a look at the ILikeJam page, and it's fucking homeopathy:

Have a look. Nice, isn't it? Not just for decorating the tops of your CDs though, no sir - those wee triangles "...get the least significant bits that get lost and never get off the disc" we're told. An amazing feat under any circumstances, but especially so when performed from the label side of the CD.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Well I guess it dramatically increases smugness and self importance levels if nothing else 'scientifically' *spits* audible.

 

[wemakeyousoundb]

Scary that people actually buy this science-untouched weirdness, isn't it?

well, I'm not much one for science
/me lights karma improving incense and juggles aura optimising crystal pouch
but still i find it confusing

Oh my godddd!
http://www.hometheaterhifi.com/volume_12_3/marigo-labs-signature-3d-mat-7-2005.html

wow, I'd missed that, I'm sold!
I mean, how could you possibly argue with this

The mat works its magic on multiple domains. On one level, it adds dither (otherwise known as noise or additional energy) to bring out low-level information that’s on the recording but is ordinarily lost in the retrieval process.

"The cut-outs and other mechanical structures of the mat create a very specific energy spectra that mechanically dithers the laser to recognize and retrieve additional low level information that is otherwise lost, truncated or unseen,” says Hedrich. “The cut-outs get the least significant bits that get lost and never get off the disc.

"This phenomenon of information loss has not been previously addressed because it’s just not understood. A laser is a transducer system that changes one form of energy to another. Any transducer has limited capabilities. In the case of digital, we’re trying to convert digitally encoded pits and lands into electrical signals using a laser and optical sensor. Unfortunately, this involves both loss and corruption of information."

Ron’s goal was to ameliorate loss of information at the level of least significant bits (LSB). Such loss is responsible for the premature and totally artificial truncation of information that distinguishes digital from analogue.

Now that's what I call science, I've been blind deaf for so long, how could I have not seen the light before?

 

[kyser_soze]

I'm actually floored by that science, like it reached off the screen and punched me in the face.

 

[Apathy]

stood up, sat back down, ruffled some papers, adjusted the computer screen... i'm going outside to take a breather and let the science sink in

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I'm sad that this thread is over.

 

[gavman]

Does anyone else find the term 'audiophile' a load of old wank? And people who claim to be one smug, self important tossers? Now there's obviously vast differences between a £15 system from Tesco and one that costs a few grand from a stereo shop, but most of the stuff that audiophiles claim is just bollocks and the scope for bullshit is enormous, bullshit such as this $2700 for 3 feet of cable .

I was doing some googling about different bitrates for MP3s and I was amused to see that double blind test after double blind test confirms that the difference between a 192 MP3 and a CD are either so minuscule that it takes several listens of intense concentration to hear them, or they're not heard at all. I also don't doubt there are people who have really finely tuned ears, the sort of people that can name the key you just farted in, but I reckon most people who claim to be audiophiles are deluded bullshitters. The amount of times i've read statements such as "if you're an audiophile, like me you can hear the difference" i'd love to see these people double blind tested and taken down a peg or two.

I think as long as you have a decent set of speakers backed up by loads of independent reviews, I don't think a great deal of difference is going to be heard, if any at all.

what a load of old bollocks. trust your own ears over a (probably) biased reviewer flapping his mouth about the latest flavour of the month piece of white goods

and, fyi it is generally accepted that there is little or no difference between mp3 and cd, and has been for a while now.
mpc3 or cd and vinyl, now that's a different matter
and what people like about speakers is so subjective you should always make your own mind up, especially as everyone has different systems driving them. what sounds bright and forward in one setting might sound natural and lifelike in another

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

there is little or no difference between mp3 and cd

Errrrrrrrr

 

[gavman]

So no, not an audiophile really, but I can't abide shitty rips or shitty sound systems and get annoyed by those who think that "bass" is the be-all and end-all of a audio system.

it is the hardest thing to get right, though. if you build a system optimised for accurate, extended bass the chances are you will have most other things right as well.
good bass is inherently expensive, even if you build it yourself

http://ibsubwoofers.proboards.com/index.cgi?

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

The main problem with bass is that everyone looks at the sub design, rather than the room it's in. You'll get far better results by installing some bass traps and other acoustic treatment than you will be spending ££££s on a bigger/better/whatever sub.

 

[gavman]

Errrrrrrrr

if you've ripped something without loss you can't tell the difference. if you can, something's wrong with your connections

even audiophiles use squeezeboxes now, while the cd player gathers dust. vinyl is where it's at for sq

 

[gavman]

The main problem with bass is that everyone looks at the sub design, rather than the room it's in. You'll get far better results by installing some bass traps and other acoustic treatment than you will be spending ££££s on a bigger/better/whatever sub.

i suggest you have a look at the link. some people take a less conventional approach, and turn the house into a bass speaker. i'm in the middle of it; i've designed the house around the system

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

if you've ripped something without loss you can't tell the difference

Indeed. Which means not using mp3.

vinyl is where it's at

A well recorded/mastered CD is far superior to vinyl.

 

[gavman]

A well recorded/mastered CD is far superior to vinyl.

rubbish. vinyl creates the illusion better, and is far superior in the bass department.
if you are building the ultimate bass system, the source has to be vinyl, otherwise you are handicapping yourself

 

[killer b]

i have a friend who's just constructed his own speaker wire with solid silver, covered in linseed oil infused silk. he claims it makes a significant difference to the sound, which anyone should be able to hear... i plan to go over there with some mains cable to test out his theory.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

rubbish. vinyl creates the illusion better

Nice use of audiophile-esque terminology, shame it means nothing.

and is far superior in the bass department.

I'll await for some figures to back this up

 

[gavman]

Indeed. Which means not using mp3.

splitting hairs, i apologise for my technical misuse of the term mp3 when i meant 'ripped files'

 

[gavman]

Nice use of audiophile-esque terminology, shame it means nothing.



I await some figures to back this up

ahem
listening to music is all about creating an illusion., the illusion that there are musicians in the room with you. and vinyl is able to do a more convincing job than cd.
it doesn't matter that cd gives a better measured response if the result is less convincing than vinyl, which it is.
this has long been the prevailing view in high end audio, which is why high end turntables continue to be developed and released, and remain the choice of the serious audiophile across the world

 

[gavman]

i'll await for some figures to back this up

is that how you choose equipment then, read the brochure?
i trust my ears

 

[gavman]

i have a friend who's just constructed his own speaker wire with solid silver, covered in linseed oil infused silk. he claims it makes a significant difference to the sound, which anyone should be able to hear... i plan to go over there with some mains cable to test out his theory.

take some bellwire as well. the differences between mains cable and bellwire, when used as speaker cable, might be quite illuminating

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

the serious audiophile

"Serious audiophiles" buy all sorts of crap, from cable that costs a thousand pounds per metre, to bits of plastic to raise their cables off the floor, to wooden volume knobs.

It doesn't mean any of it works as described.

A good turntable is expensive, and will sound great. But it can't get past the inherent flaws of vinyl.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

take some bellwire as well. the differences between mains cable and bellwire, when used as speaker cable, might be quite illuminating

That would depend on the size of the amp/speakers really. For something small you wouldn't hear any difference.

 

[gavman]

all current mediums have inherent flaws. why is it a good idea to convert a wave into a pulse?
analog just sounds more natural

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

all current mediums have inherent flaws. why is it a good idea to convert a wave into a pulse?
analog just sounds more natural

Ah, the "a sampled signal is just an approximation of the original" argument eh?

 

[gavman]

That would depend on the size of the amp/speakers really. For something small you wouldn't hear any difference.

in any half decent domestic system you should hear a clear difference