Dull Dull Dull. Headphones and DACs

[fas42]

This is good enough to hear what you are mentioning, I think,

 

 

Yes, the harmonics in the time frame you mention could be a problem - of course, this has nothing to to do with the recording, and everything to do with the playback quality - it goes to the heart of the area where digital reproduction makes it obvious that the replay chain is not on its best behaviour. It's also the reason that pipe organ recordings frequently are below par when you try for a bit of volume ...

 

The easy way out is to 'dumb down' the system; do all sorts of tweaks which don't get rid of the problem, but just make it less obvious when listening - the 'hard' way is to do a careful evaluation of the chain, and work out where the issue is; and resolve it.

[fas42]

13 hours ago, Citrus said:

i also ended up with an Audiolab dac that was slated but sounds to me way beyond some of the others that are supposed to be ‘better’

moan moan moan.

A strange journey this is!

C. 

 

It's a strange journey, because there is poor understanding of what the problems are, when the SQ is subjectively not right. An extreme reluctance to 'blame' one's own rig, because so much money and energy has been expended on setting it up - and ego is involved, 😉. Much easier to blame the recording, the room, one's mood, etc, etc ...

 

So, a typical workaround is, yes, to "dull it down" - the treble not working right is the great offender; and a thousand excuses are trotted out to give oneself permission to wind this part of the spectrum back ... equipment that one way or another does the latter is given a thumbs up; and people who just want to hear the whole shebang go, Huhh??!, when they hear one of the anointed components.

 

What this means is that a hifi system normally just sounds like, a hifi system - and not something that can convince one of being "real" music playing happening.

[fas42]

Okay ...

 

C'est un voyage étrange, car on comprend mal quels sont les problèmes, alors que la SQ n'est pas juste subjectivement. Une réticence extrême à `` blâmer '' sa propre plate-forme, car tant d'argent et d'énergie ont été dépensés pour la mettre en place - et l'ego est impliqué, 😉. Beaucoup plus facile de blâmer l'enregistrement, la salle, l'humeur, etc, etc ...

 

Donc, une solution de contournement typique est, oui, de «ternir les choses» - les aigus qui ne fonctionnent pas correctement sont le grand contrevenant; et mille excuses sont lancées pour se donner la permission de remonter cette partie du spectre ... l'équipement que d'une manière ou d'une autre fait ce dernier reçoit un coup de pouce; et les gens qui veulent juste entendre tout le shebang partir, Huhh ??!, quand ils entendent l'un des composants oints.

 

Ce que cela signifie, c'est qu'un système hifi sonne normalement comme un système hifi - et non quelque chose qui peut convaincre quelqu'un d'être de la «vraie» musique en cours de lecture.

[fas42]

Vielleicht ...