Am I Deaf ?????

[PeterSt]

Haha, that's ok.

 

But, it's not clear ?

 

Whether it's understandable (can be comprehended) is another thing.

 

[wgscott]

Audio Woo Checklist

(attributed to Sean Adams, founder of SlimDevices)

 

You claim that an

 

( ) audible

( ) measurable

( ) hypothetical

 

improvement in sound quality can be attained by:

 

( ) upsampling

( ) increasing word size

( ) vibration dampening

( ) bi-wiring

( ) replacing the external power supply

( ) using a different lossless format

( ) decompressing on the server

( ) removing bits of metal from skull

( ) using ethernet instead of wireless

( ) inverting phase

( ) installing bigger connectors

( ) installing Black Gate caps

( ) installing ByBee filters

( ) installing hospital-grade AC jacks

( ) defragmenting the hard disk

( ) running older firmware

 

Your idea will not work. Specifically, it fails to account for:

 

( ) the placebo effect

( ) your ears honestly aren't that good

( ) your idea has already been thoroughly disproved

( ) modern DACs upsample anyway

( ) those products are pure snake oil

( ) lossless formats, by definition, are lossless

( ) those measurements are bogus

( ) sound travels much slower than you think

( ) electric signals travel much faster than you think

( ) that's not how binary arithmetic works

( ) that's not how TCP/IP works

( ) the Nyquist theorem

( ) the can't polish a turd theorem

( ) bits are bits

 

Your subsequent arguments will probably appeal in desperation to such esoterica as:

 

( ) jitter

( ) EMI

( ) thermal noise

( ) existentialism

( ) cosmic rays

 

And you will then change the subject to:

 

( ) theories are not the same as facts

( ) measurements don't tell everything

( ) not everyone is subject to the placebo effect

( ) blind testing is dumb

( ) you can't prove what I can't hear

( ) science isn't everything

 

Rather than engage in this tired discussion, I suggest exploring the following factors which are more likely to improve sound quality in your situation:

 

( ) room acoustics

( ) source material

( ) type of speakers

( ) speaker placement

( ) crossover points

( ) equalization

( ) Q-tips

 

 

 

[Miska]

This is fun!

 

I claim in my system:

(x) audible

(x) measurable

 

improvement with:

(x) upsampling

(x) increasing word size

 

And doesn't fail because

"( ) modern DACs upsample anyway"

upsampling in hardware is resource limited in most cases with worse quality and different chosen filtering properties. Just compare amount of available memory and GFLOPS between DAC chip and quad-core Core i7.

 

I'll also attribute to other measurables as well:

(x) jitter

(x) EMI

(x) thermal noise

 

And you will then change the subject to

 

I don't need to change subject to, because I can measure and hear it. Others measure as well as evaluate if they hear it or not and if they like it.

 

None of these apply in 75% of my listening since it happens using headphones:

( ) room acoustics

( ) type of speakers

( ) speaker placement

( ) crossover points

 

But with speakers I also apply all these in this rearranged order:

(x) type of speakers

(x) speaker placement

(x) room acoustics

(x) equalization

(x) source material

 

Equalization is also done in the player software.

 

 

[wgscott]

Unless you are prepared to address the role of Q-tips, it is impossible to take any of this seriously.

 

[Miska]

Unless you are prepared to address the role of Q-tips, it is impossible to take any of this seriously.

 

I left that out, since my limited knowledge of English language doesn't extend to what "Q-tips" mean...

 

[wgscott]

"Ear buds" is what they call them in British English. Cotton swabs. Sticks with cotton fibers at the end that people use to clean their ears (and doctors advise against this, since it actually pushes wax back into the canal and compacts it, but I digress)...

 

[elcorso]

Carbamide Peroxide is better than Q-tips (Auro®, Debrox®: Brand names):

 

"This medication is used to treat earwax buildup. It helps to soften, loosen, and remove the earwax. Too much earwax can block the ear canal and reduce hearing. This medication releases oxygen and starts to foam when it comes in contact with the skin. The foaming helps break up and remove the earwax.Consult your doctor before using this product in children younger than 12 years".

 

@wgscott, regarding: ( ) removing bits of metal from skull. I don't have any in my skull (I hope). But a lot in another body places, that can't be removed.

 

You must add ( ) tinnitus

 

@Miska: "Equalization is also done in the player software". That is for real, my "deep bass problem" is now some better, by placing an Isolation Transformer feeding the MAc Mini (SPSU noise), but I still have some problems, I feel there is some equalization in the player software, since increasing the deep bass you have the illusion of a bigger soundstage!

 

Happy listening!

 

Roch

 

[Miska]

I feel there is some equalization in the player software, since increasing the deep bass you have the illusion of a bigger soundstage!

 

I was speaking of intentional carefully tuned room equalization to tame remaining room modes. If the player clearly doesn't tell about having eq, it shouldn't have any.

 

Measuring the room response doesn't hurt, regardless how the possibly found problems are dealt with.

 

 

[elcorso]

I'm sorry Miska, but that is my feeling regarding there is some equalization in the player software, but you stated: "Equalization is also done in the player software".

 

I know room acoustics matter a lot.

 

The other thing is that it could be more deep bass coming from the Mac Mini ripped files, and I need to re-tone my room: A very hard work!

 

Happy listening,

 

Roch