CPU Load and Sound Quality

[sandyk]

9 minutes ago, esldude said:

What about sarcastic and closed minded members with excellent ears and even more excellent gear?

 Members with excellent ears shouldn't need to use sarcasm in their replies, as you of all people should be well aware, but you still manage to do this yourself quite frequently .

[marce]

7 hours ago, sandyk said:

but not just spouting what they were taught many years earlier, or have read in a textbook.

Yawn, one of your regular Mantra's...

[sandyk]

9 minutes ago, marce said:

Yawn, one of your regular Mantra's...

 

 It's a shame that you aren't capable of working with Audiophiles to investigate what they report, instead of automatically dismissing them.

The achieved results may be quite surprising, and very worthwhile .

[marce]

Just now, sandyk said:

 

And one of your typical replies .

 It's a shame that you aren't capable of working with Audiophiles to investigate what they report, instead of automatically dismissing them.

The achieved results may be quite surprising, and very worthwhile .

I and many others have spent hours trying to find some mechanism that may be responsible...

[sandyk]

7 minutes ago, marce said:

I and many others have spent hours trying to find some mechanism that may be responsible...

 

 Well I am currently working closely with 2 qualified E.Es, one local,  and one from the USA, and in the case of the local E.E. we have both been able to further contribute to Walt Jung's new and yet to be released version of his famous low noise regulator,  with some unexpected findings  resulting in the noise level being further markedly improved .

[Blackmorec]

9 hours ago, Racerxnet said:

 

 

Not going to buy it today. A half way decent set-up should be enough to discern any glaring or subtle differences from the computer itself. Someone suggested that they can hear differences in cable swaps, and should be able to do the same with changing computers as the output source. Just swap out the PC itself. Many are stand alone such as mine. Same rules would apply as above. That would be a good start.

 

MAK

With respect, if you are listening to a poorly matched, sub-optimum system with set-up flaws, you will not hear differences, which will be lost in the smearing, blurring and loss of resolution. Cables only make a difference when the system is reasonably transparent. The better and more highly resolving a system becomes, the greater the differences that can be heard. Its why some people can hear the differences and others can’t. Nothing much to do with hearing, mostly to do with matching and set-up

[STC]

Name the cables that can make the difference. Did they publish the specs?

[sandyk]

10 minutes ago, STC said:

Name the cables that can make the difference. Did they publish the specs?

 

 Quite often all you will need to do to verify this, is use the cheap throwaway,( usually much thinner type) ,that often come with the device, and then replace them with not too expensive cables as those made by reputable manufacturers such as Belden.

[STC]

10 minutes ago, sandyk said:

 

 Quite often all you will need to do to verify this, is use the cheap throwaway,( usually much thinner type) ,that often come with the device, and then replace them with not too expensive cables as those made by reputable manufacturers such as Belden.

I have Belden and XLO reference. my Sound Lab speakers are powered by the standard thin cables that came with them. The only modification I made to them were to cut off the US plugs and replaced with UK plugs. 
 

Now I can do the demo. Can you tell the difference if I were to capture the sound in 24/96 format?

[Blackmorec]

3 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

 

use your own initiative a do a search on here - as per above your claims have been debunked ad nauseum

 

if you have trouble using a search engine just post back and someone will lead you by the hand

So, no good answer huh? 

Ralf, don’t you realise that this type of puerile reply says far more about you and your lack of ability to debate, argue and use scientific facts to support your arguments than it says about the person you’re attempting to insult?  Adults using childish style insults never really works that well, generally speaking. It just demonstrates a level of immaturity, highlights the lack of substance and adds no value to the discussion. 

[sandyk]

3 minutes ago, STC said:

I have Belden and XLO reference. my Sound Lab speakers are powered by the standard thin cables that came with them. The only modification I made to them were to cut off the US plugs and replaced with UK plugs. 
 

Now I can do the demo. Can you tell the difference if I were to capture the sound in 24/96 format?

 Where have I ever claimed to hear differences between well constructed interconnect cables of a similar length and type of construction , or I presume mains cables with more than adequate current capabilities to power mains powered speakers ? 

 In any event I have no interest in comparing recordings of different speaker systems captured by typical microphones with their usual dips and peaks in response, and I am by far from being the only member who believes that this exercise is a waste of time and proves very little, if anything.

[Teresa]

10 hours ago, kumakuma said:

Are you saying we should accept all the findings that are reported in that thread, even the ones that contradict each other?

 

If not, what criteria should we use?

 

Or you can do what I do, accept nothing. I don't believe anything I have not heard with my ear / brain system. However, I never tell anyone I don't believe them as I would consider that rude. Just saying. 😊

 

8 hours ago, fas42 said:

This is where I have a big problem with what John says ... he claims that we are suffering from "distortion", because of Dolby A...

 

Or to put that in what I think might be easier to understand language than @John Dyson did:  The original LPs from pre-digital times were Dolby A encoded when recorded and then Dolby A decoded when the LPs were pressed which lowered signal-to-noise ratio by 10dB, increasing to a possible 15 dB at 15 kHz. This is what the original artists and engineers approved.

 

Fast forward to the CD era many of these Dolby A encoded analog master tapes were NOT given the required Dolby A decoding, and instead EQ’ed to try to make undecided Dolby A masters sound decent to them.

 

In short Dolby A encoded analog masters require Dolby A decoding, @John Dyson has discovered many Dolby A mastered analog tapes were NOT decoded when making CDs thus it is NOT what the original artists and engineers wanted or approved. 

 

IMHO Dolby A encoding with no decoding  should never be used for effect as it is an end-to-end noise reduction system.

 

8 hours ago, kumakuma said:

Isn't your constant harping about how bad audio equipment sounds out-of-the-box equally insulting to the people who have spent their careers designing and manufacturing them?

 

Yes!! Insulting great audio manufacturer's and the engineer's of realistic naturally made recordings is just a few of the insults of @fas42 that I find unacceptable.

 

2 hours ago, sandyk said:

Only by sarcastic and closed minded members like yourself with cloth ears and mediocre gear.

 

I doubt @Ralf11 has cloth ears and he most definitely doesn't have mediocre gear. I could never afford his audio system. And I personally love the sonic realism of his chosen speakers. Here is his main audio system

 

• Magneplanar 3.7i
• NuForce
• Audio Research LS-25 Mk II
• couple of different DACs
• Oppo BDP-205 - SACDs & fed from Apple TV3 over WiFi via Airplay from an iMac for ripped CDs
• Luxman T-11 Tuner

[Blackmorec]

48 minutes ago, STC said:

Name the cables that can make the difference. Did they publish the specs?

On a really well set up, transparent and highly resolving system just about every cable will make a difference. The question is; is the difference for the better or the worse?   Typically cable companies will manufacture and sell a range of cables. Take Nordost for example....their cable pricing correlates very closely with sound quality, so if you look at the specs of their cheapest and most expensive cables, the difference in specs is strongly reflected in the sound quality. I assume that’s what you’re looking for....correlation between specifications and sound quality? 

If so, compare Leifstyle 14.2 and ODIN 2 specifications and you’ll see the changes required to go from good to exceptional SQ. 

[sandyk]

18 minutes ago, Teresa said:

Oppo BDP-205 - SACDs & fed from Apple TV3 over WiFi via Airplay from an iMac for ripped CDs

 Many members ,especially those that post in the Music Server area would agree that this is far from optimum,

 It takes a lot of work and additional  expense to get even close to optimum using Wi Fi, which is why many members are now using Ethernet. Neither do I agree that CDs ripped using his present set up will sound as good as those ripped on a decent computer with a Linear PSU, despite what the checksums may insist,  which IS an area that you have had previous experience in.

[STC]

1 hour ago, sandyk said:

Where have I ever claimed to hear differences between well constructed interconnect cables of a similar length and type of construction , or I presume mains cables with more than adequate current capabilities to power mains powered speakers ? 

So what are you disagreeing to?  Except for a few, all are already using proper cables. 
 

Unless the cables characteristics were modified than I have not any well designed cables could make a difference. 

 

[STC]

1 hour ago, Blackmorec said:

On a really well set up, transparent and highly resolving system just about every cable will make a difference.

By me saying that no well designed cables made a difference to my system, I imply my system is not transparent enough according to your argument. 
 

I am still waiting for someone around here who could show a more transparent system for me to hear the difference. 

[STC]

@sandyk I forgot to mention that I actually liked your preamp design. Thanks for sharing.  Couldn’t find the post to make direct reference. 

[STC]

1 hour ago, Teresa said:

• Magneplanar 3.7i
• NuForce

You use NuForce to drive the Maggies?  

[Blackmorec]

27 minutes ago, STC said:

By me saying that no well designed cables made a difference to my system, I imply my system is not transparent enough according to your argument. 
 

I am still waiting for someone around here who could show a more transparent system for me to hear the difference. 

Actually, if I’m not mistaken this is what you said:

 

2 hours ago, STC said:

I have Belden and XLO reference. my Sound Lab speakers are powered by the standard thin cables that came with them. The only modification I made to them were to cut off the US plugs and replaced with UK plugs. 
 

Now I can do the demo. Can you tell the difference if I were to capture the sound in 24/96 format?

So, a couple of things spring immediately to mind. If you can’t hear the difference between Belden and XLO Reference cable it means one of 2 things

1. The 2 cables sound very similar to one another. That would be unlikely but certainly not impossible. I don’t know XLO cables or 

2. Your system isn’t revealing the differences 

 

Let me relate a little experience I had. 

 

Back many years ago I ran a Linn Naim system which I wanted to make active. I was running 250 amps and wanted to switch to 135 monoblocks. I was living in Germany at the time and Naim gear was way more expensive than the same stuff in the UK, so I simply waited until my next UK trip and bought the amps there. On getting them back to Germany I simply needed to cut off the plugs and replace them with some Schuko mains plugs. Easy-peasy. I installed everything, waited a few days for it to settle in then sat down for a serious listen. 😧  Why did it sound quite a bit worse than my 250s? Can’t be fully run-in....but a week later I’m still looking for reasons for poor performance and because I’d imported the units I couldn’t call a dealer. The units were functioning correctly, there was no extraneous noise, the channels and frequencies were properly balanced....it just didn't sound very good....bass wasn’t really deep and solid, treble was slightly hard and mechanical....not at all nice. 

The only thing that came up in logical trouble shooting was the power cable changes.   

Given that was only thing I could identify I purchased some original Naim Schuko power cords and hey-presto....sunshine and light.  

So, bit off topic, but when it comes to hi-fi this may be all it takes to turn a top class system into something altogether more average. Its also when I started to realise that power cables can make a difference. 

[STC]

4 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

Actually, if I’m not mistaken this is what you said:

 

So, a couple of things spring immediately to mind. If you can’t hear the difference between Belden and XLO Reference cable it means one of 2 things

1. The 2 cables sound very similar to one another. That would be unlikely but certainly not impossible. I don’t know XLO cables or 

2. Your system isn’t revealing the differences 

 

There...you said it. My system is not transparent enough? If Theta, Classe, Supratek weren’t transparent enough than this hobby is meant for Bill Gates and the Saudi tycoons only. 

 

4 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

 

Let me relate a little experience I had. 

 

Back many years ago I ran a Linn Naim system which I wanted to make active. I was running 250 amps and wanted to switch to 135 monoblocks. I was living in Germany at the time and Naim gear was way more expensive than the same stuff in the UK, so I simply waited until my next UK trip and bought the amps there. On getting them back to Germany I simply needed to cut off the plugs and replace them with some Schuko mains plugs. Easy-peasy. I installed everything, waited a few days for it to settle in then sat down for a serious listen. 😧  Why did it sound quite a bit worse than my 250s? Can’t be fully run-in....but a week later I’m still looking for reasons for poor performance and because I’d imported the units I couldn’t call a dealer. The units were functioning correctly, there was no extraneous noise, the channels and frequencies were properly balanced....it just didn't sound very good....bass wasn’t really deep and solid, treble was slightly hard and mechanical....not at all nice. 

The only thing that came up in logical trouble shooting was the power cable changes.   

Given that was only thing I could identify I purchased some original Naim Schuko power cords and hey-presto....sunshine and light.  

So, bit off topic, but when it comes to hi-fi this may be all it takes to turn a top class system into something altogether more average. Its also when I started to realise that power cables can make a difference. 

Just two things. Isn’t 250 I bigger than 135 ( even in Germany). 
 

Maybe this is not relevant but I have seen many people make the mistake when the replace the US to UK plugs. The live wire should go to the neutral. Take a volt meter and measure the voltage from the chassis to ground to check whether you have properly wired them. 

[sandyk]

30 minutes ago, STC said:

@sandyk I forgot to mention that I actually liked your preamp design. Thanks for sharing.  Couldn’t find the post to make direct reference. 

 

 There were quite a few of my Preamp/HA design constructed by members of a U.K. based forum. I can't take credit for the PCB design  though as it was designed by a couple of the forum members to accommodate my schematic and layout specifications.  They also designed matching PCBs for my 15W Class A design , but I continued to use my original modified PCBs after verifying that the new PCBs worked OK and gave the new PCBs to a friend.

 You will also see separate power input terminals for both the front end and the output end of the 15W/Ch Class A. The front end was powered by a very low noise JLH PSU add-on.

[Blackmorec]

3 minutes ago, STC said:

 

There...you said it. My system is not transparent enough? If Theta, Classe, Supratek weren’t transparent enough than this hobby is meant for Bill Gates and the Saudi tycoons only. 

 

Just two things. Isn’t 250 I bigger than 135 ( even in Germany). 
 

Maybe this is not relevant but I have seen many people make the mistake when the replace the US to UK plugs. The live wire should go to the neutral. Take a volt meter and measure the voltage from the chassis to ground to check whether you have properly wired them. 

No, not at all.  Your kit is more than adequate. What I was illustrating is that all it takes is a very minor set-up error to upset a system’s ability to portray fine detail and its fine detail that we’re talking about when it comes to cable differences. When audiophiles say things like ‘it made a huge difference to the soundstage” what they are observing maybe a huge difference in perception but what caused that difference doesn’t need to be huge in terms of the actual physics ....it can be really quite minor. Bear in mind that what you actually hear is created by the brain, so sometimes very small inaccuracies between the 2 speakers can have a major impact on what you hear. The brain is detecting phase and level differences between the 2 ears created by the head’s circumference.....so small differences indeed. 

 

The Naim 250 is a stereo amplifier with ca. 70W per channel and a single power supply. The 135 is a monoblock amplifier with 70W and a power supply per channel. 

[mansr]

15 minutes ago, STC said:

Maybe this is not relevant but I have seen many people make the mistake when the replace the US to UK plugs. The live wire should go to the neutral. Take a volt meter and measure the voltage from the chassis to ground to check whether you have properly wired them.

The Schuko plug is symmetrical, and equipment is expected to work whichever way it happens to get plugged in. Nevertheless, a hum problem can occasionally be resolved by flipping one or more plugs around.

[STC]

3 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

The brain is detecting phase and level differences between the 2 ears created by the head’s circumference.....so small differences indeed.

 

Some boutique designers can be using slight phase difference to differentiate the soundstage and I am not disputing that such difference can exist. 
 

My setup depends on microseconds accuracy between the channels and ‘we’ are aware that there appears to be deliberate attempt to play with phase for making the stage bigger than what it should be. 

 

 

3 minutes ago, Blackmorec said:

 

The Naim 250 is a stereo amplifier with ca. 70W per channel and a single power supply. The 135 is a monoblock amplifier with 70W and a power supply per channel. 

Power amp cannot be just read by the specs alone. With easy driving Harbeth most amps can be almost indistinguishable but try that with electrostatic speakers and you can hear the difference pretty obvious. 
 

You didn’t answer about the plugs orientation. That could also make a difference you know. Don’t believe me?  Try reversing the live and neutral in your system and if your system is transparent enough you would hear the difference. BTW, don’t be too sure the original plugs were oriented correctly in the first place. 

[STC]

9 minutes ago, mansr said:

The Schuko plug is symmetrical, and equipment is expected to work whichever way it happens to get plugged in. Nevertheless, a hum problem can occasionally be resolved by flipping one or more plugs around.

Thanks. So that will be a non issue.  Sometimes when they use adapter it gets reversed. And the US plugs standard is always confusing because sometimes the earth is at the bottom and at times on top. I have always checked the wiring inside before deciding which should be the live wire.