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The problem with subjective impressions


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56 minutes ago, Richard Dale said:

I’m assuming the bi-peds screwed up and therefore don’t really deserve a reprise. In the grand scheme of things I don’t think nature cares about who ate who. Octopus intelligence has evolved along completely different lines from humans and it seems only fair they should be given a shot to evolve their equivalent of language and writing systems (squid ink based?) and whatnot. 

Who need ink when your body is a monitor...

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4 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

Octopi might have a shot.

 

you are never going to get an advanced civilization going without the ability to manipulate objects - ask a dolphin if you don't believe me.

Yes, with eight arms with suction cups and each with its own distributed intelligence, it beats dolphin fins.

 

 

System (i): Stack Audio Link > 2Qute+MCRU psu; Gyrodec/SME V/Hana SL/EAT E-Glo Petit/Magnum Dynalab FT101A) > PrimaLuna Evo 100 amp > Klipsch RP-600M/REL T5x subs

System (ii): Allo USB Signature > Bel Canto uLink+AQVOX psu > Chord Hugo > APPJ EL34 > Tandy LX5/REL Tzero v3 subs

System (iii) KEF LS50W/KEF R400b subs

 

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11 minutes ago, marce said:

Who need ink when your body is a monitor...

Indeed octopi haz pixels, good point!

System (i): Stack Audio Link > 2Qute+MCRU psu; Gyrodec/SME V/Hana SL/EAT E-Glo Petit/Magnum Dynalab FT101A) > PrimaLuna Evo 100 amp > Klipsch RP-600M/REL T5x subs

System (ii): Allo USB Signature > Bel Canto uLink+AQVOX psu > Chord Hugo > APPJ EL34 > Tandy LX5/REL Tzero v3 subs

System (iii) KEF LS50W/KEF R400b subs

 

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16 minutes ago, Ralf11 said:

Octopi might have a shot.

 

you are never going to get an advanced civilization going without the ability to manipulate objects - ask a dolphin if you don't believe me.

Maybe with a few more crisper experiments we could give dolphins arms.  Wonder if China would jail someone for doing that?

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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2 minutes ago, esldude said:

Maybe with a few more crisper experiments we could give dolphins arms.  Wonder if China would jail someone for doing that?

They need their fins to swim.

System (i): Stack Audio Link > 2Qute+MCRU psu; Gyrodec/SME V/Hana SL/EAT E-Glo Petit/Magnum Dynalab FT101A) > PrimaLuna Evo 100 amp > Klipsch RP-600M/REL T5x subs

System (ii): Allo USB Signature > Bel Canto uLink+AQVOX psu > Chord Hugo > APPJ EL34 > Tandy LX5/REL Tzero v3 subs

System (iii) KEF LS50W/KEF R400b subs

 

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Just now, pkane2001 said:


May as well give them legs, too. 

OK, lets not start with dolphins then.

System (i): Stack Audio Link > 2Qute+MCRU psu; Gyrodec/SME V/Hana SL/EAT E-Glo Petit/Magnum Dynalab FT101A) > PrimaLuna Evo 100 amp > Klipsch RP-600M/REL T5x subs

System (ii): Allo USB Signature > Bel Canto uLink+AQVOX psu > Chord Hugo > APPJ EL34 > Tandy LX5/REL Tzero v3 subs

System (iii) KEF LS50W/KEF R400b subs

 

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dolphins have limited manipulation ability using their beak (so do parrots)

 

but dolphins would make great audiophiles - not only the HF hearing but they can also emit sound loud enough to stun fish

 

now, imagine a fish-y audiophool sales person, and a dolphin walks into the store...

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4 hours ago, semente said:

I've wasted too much money in this hobby, partly thanks to subjective magazine reviews, hype and shilling.

And I'm not a flavour-of-the-month kind of guy who swaps gear because he has an itch, nor have an interest for cables.

I genuinely try to identify the problems and the causes, and to upgrade.

I was happy with my homeland system but a move abroad forced me to sell my speakers and rip my CDs. I am a wanderer now, 3 different homes in 5 years. I've since bought three pairs of used speakers, two used DACs and two new Pi DACs. I've had to downsize the speakers but have been struggling to live with that.

 

Now the time as come to stop buying stuff...

 

The only things that matters to me are the CDs ... they are the treasures in all this, because they hold what makes the magic. The fancy TV is a throwaway ... what counts is the quality of what the programs "are saying" ; the TV "just disappears" if it's doing its job well enough.

 

The first half dozen CDs I bought decades are just as significant now, as the last half dozen I acquired - like all things that are truly meaningful, they can only shine more strongly if what is used to experience them improves ...

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2 hours ago, Richard Dale said:

They need their fins to swim.

They could have both.  Fins and arms/hands. 

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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14 hours ago, Samuel T Cogley said:

As long as we're getting all philosophical, the universe doesn't have a particular need for humanity.

 

Let us not forget the words of Peanuts character Linus Van Pelt who observed, "I love mankind...It's people I can't stand".

"Relax, it's only hi-fi. There's never been a hi-fi emergency." - Roy Hall

"Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." - William Bruce Cameron

 

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4 hours ago, Ralf11 said:

best thing is to just mind meld with a monkey and get it to act like your robot butler

 

- this has worked well for Golden Retrievers

And more so for cats. 

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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12 hours ago, semente said:

 

 

May end up buying a pair of all-in-ones like the D&Ds or something similar.

Yes, would seem to be a very good solution for someone like you. Move, and take your system with you, without too much hassle. 

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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10 hours ago, Solstice380 said:

 

Who actually believes that they can decide the perfect component to purchase form reviews??? OK, if a lot of negatives then you may have something to "not" go for.  There is no way that another person's impression, whose tastes you really don't know, should influence you.  I'm not that easily lead.  Problem is that there is no way short of a long car / plane trip to audition equipment.  Not to mention if it is only sold on the web.  That's a conundrum. 

I think reviews can be helpful. I prefer reviews where they compare components and describe how they differ (or don't).

But, many reviewers don't agree with making comparisons in reviews.

If I have read the reviewer enough to know his/her taste, or if I know one of the components in question, the review can help me build a list of components I am or am not interested in. 

I also wouldn't buy stuff just on the basis of reviews - unless the cost is something I don't think is significant, or unless I'm looking more for a set of features and less about "perfect sound". Sometimes certain features mean more to me than some very small difference in SQ that I probably won't notice in everyday listening. 

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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10 hours ago, esldude said:

Which is why good reviews tend to avoid that.  You would need to touch upon it at some point in regards to cost vs performance although one can do a good review leaving even that out.

There are $500 DACs which measure extremely well- basically state of the art -  and $12000 DACs which measure slightly better, although marginally so.

Some people will conclude that this means there is no reason to buy any DAC other than the $500 dollar one. Ohters will want to get that last bit of extreme performance. 

I'd bet for both camps the amount of disposable income plays a large part in that decision. 
 

I'm not convinced all DACs that measure above a certain threshold sound the same, but clearly there is a curve of diminishing returns in audio - and  a steep one. But where along that curve of diminishing returns I want to get off the curve is a very different question. 

Main listening (small home office):

Main setup: Surge protector +>Isol-8 Mini sub Axis Power Strip/Isolation>QuietPC Low Noise Server>Roon (Audiolense DRC)>Stack Audio Link II>Kii Control>Kii Three (on their own electric circuit) >GIK Room Treatments.

Secondary Path: Server with Audiolense RC>RPi4 or analog>Cayin iDAC6 MKII (tube mode) (XLR)>Kii Three .

Bedroom: SBTouch to Cambridge Soundworks Desktop Setup.
Living Room/Kitchen: Ropieee (RPi3b+ with touchscreen) + Schiit Modi3E to a pair of Morel Hogtalare. 

All absolute statements about audio are false :)

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5 hours ago, firedog said:

There are $500 DACs which measure extremely well- basically state of the art -  and $12000 DACs which measure slightly better, although marginally so.

Some people will conclude that this means there is no reason to buy any DAC other than the $500 dollar one. Ohters will want to get that last bit of extreme performance. 

I'd bet for both camps the amount of disposable income plays a large part in that decision. 
 

I'm not convinced all DACs that measure above a certain threshold sound the same, but clearly there is a curve of diminishing returns in audio - and  a steep one. But where along that curve of diminishing returns I want to get off the curve is a very different question. 

Pretty much at some threshold of fidelity all DACs that measure above the threshold will sound the same.  Where the threshold is might need work or not.  I think this is a problem for many audiophiles.  They just can't believe there becomes a point where everything sounds the same as everything else meeting some given performance spec.  But it will.......or it has.

 

There are many reasons to buy this DAC vs another beyond sound quality.  Just don't get confused about why you are choosing one. 

And always keep in mind: Cognitive biases, like seeing optical illusions are a sign of a normally functioning brain. We all have them, it’s nothing to be ashamed about, but it is something that affects our objective evaluation of reality. 

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