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Jago posted:You should link him this thread, LT loves legal threats. I dunno. He lives in the same city as me, and due to my name it's very easy to look up my address. He's unhinged enough that he might just do something really stupid if provoked, which is why I'm going to ignore him.
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Feb 18, 2014 20:33
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At first I was enjoying this thread, but then a few people linked some Head-Fi threads where groups of people were talking about the differences power cords make in their systems without a hint of irony and it stopped being humorous. Guys like Markl (who apparently is a reviewer/writer?!?) make me especially sad. As someone that doesn't know a whole lot about audio engineering, I know that its married in many ways to electrical engineering. Does anyone have any reading they would recommend for someone that is trying to form a basis of understanding for the subject matter?
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Feb 18, 2014 21:33
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Wrath of the Bitch King posted:At first I was enjoying this thread, but then a few people linked some Head-Fi threads where groups of people were talking about the differences power cords make in their systems without a hint of irony and it stopped being humorous. Maybe it was a typo because power chords sure as hell make a difference in audio!
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Feb 18, 2014 21:36
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Hell yeah power chords  Wrath of the Bitch King posted:As someone that doesn't know a whole lot about audio engineering, I know that its married in many ways to electrical engineering. Does anyone have any reading they would recommend for someone that is trying to form a basis of understanding for the subject matter? I'll do you one better, and offer up the basics of digital audio (and a bit of video format talk) in video form! http://xiph.org/video/vid1.shtml http://xiph.org/video/vid2.shtml Of course, that's just the digital side of things, I presume you want the basics of analog sound as well? For the nitty-gritty electronics stuff, there's the EEVBlog on Youtube. Dave Jones really knows his poo poo when it comes to electronics. There's not a lot of audio-specific content, but he does tear down an amplifier or similar stuff once in a while to explain how it works. But there are tons and tons of sites with decent resources (and a lot with misinformation, too). There are some courses that popped up on a Google search, such as https://www.coursera.org/course/audiomusicengpart1, which is a 6 week course covering the basics. I have no idea how good it is, though. But it really is a huge subject and there's kind of a split down the middle between pro audio and home audio. Generally you've got active speakers, XLR connectors, Speakon connectors, balanced line signals, AES/EBU digital signals, mixers, processing, DSPs in the pro world. In the home audio world, you're talking separate amplifiers and passive speakers, RCA connectors, bare wire speaker cable (or banana plugs or spade lugs), unbalanced line signals, SPDIF/TOSLINK digital signals and perhaps a bit of room correction, but nowhere near the level of pro audio. On the active speakers thing in particular, there seems to be some crossover, there are certainly a lot more active speakers on the market for home use, these days. High-end stuff too. And then you get into the poo poo like line level signals, which are +4dBu for pro audio, but -10dBV for home audio and what does that even mean and can you even connect pro and home gear together? Lots of people have deep-seated misunderstandings about these things, for obvious reasons. Staying on SA, the quick audio questions thread is a great place to start asking questions once you start having them. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 22:01 on Feb 18, 2014 |
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Feb 18, 2014 21:48
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Sorry for the derail, but thanks. I appreciate the links. There's something about sheer ignorance and placebo writ large that makes me feel inclined to be more informed. I can't even find that Head-Fi stuff humorous anymore, its at the mental level of "an angel totally pushed my car off the railroad tracks." Its like I'm reading about faith healing and homeopathic remedies in another universe.
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Feb 18, 2014 22:02
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Wrath of the Bitch King posted:Its like I'm reading about faith healing and homeopathic remedies That's pretty much the correct reaction for any sane person when confronted with audiophilia. Unfortunately, a lot of people are (sometimes willfully) ignorant about the absolute basics of how the world around them functions, and a lot of them even appear to have some sort of aversion to actually learning stuff.
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Feb 18, 2014 22:06
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KozmoNaut posted:That's pretty much the correct reaction for any sane person when confronted with audiophilia. It is, however, fun to go and read a few of the more insane threads every one in a while just to see how deep that rabbit hole goes.
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Feb 18, 2014 22:10
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Wrath of the Bitch King posted:At first I was enjoying this thread, but then a few people linked some Head-Fi threads where groups of people were talking about the differences power cords make in their systems without a hint of irony and it stopped being humorous. Combat Pretzel fucked around with this message at 22:16 on Feb 18, 2014 |
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Feb 18, 2014 22:12
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Could you elaborate on it some more?
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Feb 18, 2014 22:13
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grack posted:It is, however, fun to go and read a few of the more insane threads every one in a while just to see how deep that rabbit hole goes. Lately, I've been finding it more sad than amusing. Remember, these are grown men with families and responsibilities, and they piss about with all this audiophile nonsense, throwing enormous amounts of cash at snake oil vendors for bullshit products.
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Feb 18, 2014 22:15
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Terminal Entropy posted:Could you elaborate on it some more? --edit: Also, the copper drawing in the department next door's more concerned about maximum throughput instead of grain size, for regular electrical applications. Audiophiles care about grainz. Combat Pretzel fucked around with this message at 22:28 on Feb 18, 2014 |
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Feb 18, 2014 22:24
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Combat Pretzel posted:most of the raw materials for the insulation is China poo poo. Of course it is, no one really cares about insulation as long as it insulates and isn't too horribly toxic. Distributing a maximum of ~2500W at 50/60hertz for the distances needed in a normal home is basically pre-stone age tech compared to reliably producing integrated circuits on a nanometer scale. We all know this, pretty much everyone knows this. That is, everyone but audiophiles, who are somehow special unique snowflakes with Superman hearing. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 22:54 on Feb 18, 2014 |
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Feb 18, 2014 22:33
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KozmoNaut posted:Of course it is, no one really cares about insulation as long as it insulates and isn't too horribly toxic.
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Feb 18, 2014 23:01
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The audiophile community isn't concerned about quality, only price. If something's not expensive it's not good, period. Even when someone cooks up a 'tweak' using stuff like bits of copper wire, blue tack, or Lego blocks, it'll take less than six months for expensive versions to come on the market and then it's bye-bye bit of copper wire, hello bespoke bit of copper wire CUT IN THE DARK IN A SECRET CAVE (69$ for the inch), bye-bye blue tack, hello bespoke lump of blue tack INFUSED WITH COSMIC ENERGY (500$ per gram), etc. e: Lego, of course, are always expensive. 3D Megadoodoo fucked around with this message at 21:01 on Feb 22, 2014 |
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Feb 22, 2014 18:43
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brb, gonna mix up some blue tack with crushed up quartz and sell it for $500/gram. why quartz? it blocks ultrasonic vibrations duh, haven't you been paying attention?
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Feb 22, 2014 19:53
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Do you have a kickstarter yet?
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Feb 22, 2014 20:58
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BANME.sh posted:brb, gonna mix up some blue tack with crushed up quartz and sell it for $500/gram. why quartz? it blocks ultrasonic vibrations duh, haven't you been paying attention? "You applied it on a Monday? Well there's your problem!"
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Feb 22, 2014 21:02
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Jerry Cotton posted:"You applied it on a Monday? Well there's your problem!" Pretty sure only specific Mondays are the problem, as indicated by this precision calendar matrix developed to pinpoint the moments of ideal confluence between pure acoustic factors. Sure you can buy a copy, that will be $2599, also you can't share it because it's keyed to your specific coordinates in the Earth's magnetic field, and also the molecular structure of your specific cable (in case you try inviting people to your house to use it on their equipment). Just take a cellphone pic of your cable when you order, my advanced equipment can resolve the details necessary to determine the molecular variations e- here is an example custom tuning calendar  NOTE THIS IS A PRECISION DIAGRAM ATTUNED TO A SPECIFIC CASE, DO NOT ATTEMPT TO ATTUNE YOUR EQUIPMENT WITH THIS COPY AS IT WILL SHOCK IT OUT OF ALIGNMENT AND IS LIKELY TO DAMAGE IT IRREPARABLY baka kaba fucked around with this message at 01:38 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 01:34
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We really should take up a collection and start a business.
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Feb 23, 2014 01:42
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Jerry Cotton posted:We really should take up a collection and start a business. This but unironically.
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Feb 23, 2014 01:43
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Then again, how much start-up money will a company selling electrical cord inside garden hose need?
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Feb 23, 2014 01:49
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Jerry Cotton posted:Then again, how much start-up money will a company selling electrical cord inside garden hose need? As much as you possibly could wring from crowdfunding.
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Feb 23, 2014 01:51
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So uh, I may actually have bought something that could be described as audiophile-targeted and a bit silly. It's a preamplifier. More precisely, it's an NAD C165BEE, which costs almost $1000 new (I paid ~$500 used) and weighs more than my old C320BEE integrated amp. Apparently, it's got fully class A gain modules instead of opamps, including a fully-separate headphone amp board. It's also got a big beefy power supply to handle the massive 20W power consumption. They've actually put a drat relay on every switch instead of electronic switches, so you get a nice "click-clack" whenever you switch inputs. It really is hilariously overbuilt, it's a tank of an appliance. On the other hand, I hope that means it will last forever. It certainly seems to send a much "tighter" signal to my sub, but I think the Audioengine A5+s I was using before applied the internal EQ to the RCA outputs as well, which led to some boominess at some frequencies. Everything certainly sounds very good indeed with the new preamp and the Adam A5Xs, like seriously amazingly good. As it drat well should, considering I'm rocking a ~$1600 system now, and that's with a used preamp and sub! This hobby is too expensive  I'm just happy I'm not one of those "magic power cable"-buying suckers.
KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 20:24 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 20:16
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KozmoNaut posted:So uh, I may actually have bought something that could be described as audiophile-targeted and a bit silly. Nah, you're not that bad until you have a separate DAC, preamp, DSP, active crossover, and power amp... for a 2.1 system... for your computer. 
KillHour fucked around with this message at 20:38 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 20:35
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KillHour posted:Nah, you're not that bad until you have a separate DAC, preamp, DSP, active crossover, and power amp... for a 2.1 system... for your computer. Uh, I am actually using a separate DAC, and the only reason I'm not using my active crossover right now is because I'm waiting for the cables To be fair, my PC sound system is my main system. The bedroom system is just the Audioengine A5+s and an MP3 player, because it's just so drat convenient (I'm still waiting for my UPNP/Airplay device). KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 21:06 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 20:45
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Feb 23, 2014 20:45
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Feb 23, 2014 20:48
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KozmoNaut posted:Uh, I am actually using a separate DAC, and the only reason I'm not using my active crossover right now it because I'm waiting for the cables   I'm considering replacing my DSP and power amp with more capable ones, and moving the existing ones into the basement... I just have to find some cheap used speakers for down there, since I don't think the wife will let me get ANOTHER set of Aperions (I have 5Ts in the living room and 4Ts in the office). Edit: gently caress, this is tempting. http://buffalo.craigslist.org/ele/4297516349.html KillHour fucked around with this message at 21:10 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 20:56
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It's us. We're the ridiculous audiophiles.
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Feb 23, 2014 21:06
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KozmoNaut posted:It's us. Can I interest you in a bag of quartz pebbles, or some acoustically inert caulking? Perhaps some silicone
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Feb 23, 2014 21:07
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grack posted:Can I interest you in a bag of quartz pebbles, or some acoustically inert caulking? Perhaps some silicone Is that caulking cryogenically treated?
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Feb 23, 2014 21:29
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KozmoNaut posted:Is that caulking cryogenically treated? Uhh sure but you understand it takes a while to acclimatize you can't just take it straight out of the... cryogenicalistic chamber. Lemme just go and start the thawing process. *sound of freezer door*
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Feb 23, 2014 21:30
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Jerry Cotton posted:Uhh sure but you understand it takes a while to acclimatize you can't just take it straight out of the... cryogenicalistic chamber. Lemme just go and start the thawing process. Excuse me, but I keep all my cables permanently encased in high-powered freezer units for optimum transfer of sound effervescence and sonic holisticness. I think I know a thing or two about cryogenic treatments. Anything less than a 72-hour thawing cycle is unacceptable 
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Feb 23, 2014 21:42
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KozmoNaut posted:Excuse me, but I keep all my cables permanently encased in high-powered freezer units for optimum transfer of sound effervescence and sonic holisticness. I think I know a thing or two about cryogenic treatments. One weird trick the government doesn't want you to know about : for best results, also freeze yourself.
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Feb 23, 2014 21:43
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KozmoNaut posted:Excuse me, but I keep all my cables permanently encased in high-powered freezer units for optimum transfer of sound effervescence and sonic holisticness. I think I know a thing or two about cryogenic treatments You just know if they came out with a room temperature superconductor, we'd be using that poo poo in speaker wire. Actually, I'm surprised I haven't seen superconducting speaker wire yet. Sure, keeping all that LN2 around is expensive, but the resistance, man! Fake edit: Real audiophiles use LHe4.
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Feb 23, 2014 21:45
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KillHour posted:You just know if they came out with a room temperature superconductor, we'd be using that poo poo in speaker wire. Half of all audiophiles would proclaim it as the greatest innovation ever in speaker cables, while the other half would decry the loss of the "warmth" and "glow" that good old copper gives the sound. Actually, we'd be using it for everything, unless the cost was prohibitive. Zero-resistance wires would be pretty awesome. It doesn't amount to much in a single power cord or speaker cable, but the energy savings on a large scale would be tremendous. And it would be amazing for high-senstivity test equipment, where even nano-ohms matter.
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Feb 23, 2014 22:03
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I have a job selling electronics on eBay. A lot of it's stereo equipment. Apparently the unidentified box with I2S and "Royal Bloodline" inputs is a jitter reducer/resolution enhancer. I'm gonna be rich atomicthumbs fucked around with this message at 23:37 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 23:31
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MSRP: $1795  That thing costs more than my entire DAC + preamp + active crossover + active speakers + active subwoofer setup. And it does absolutely nothing of any value whatsoever. Amazing. E: Reading online reviews for anti-jitter boxes is hilarious. KozmoNaut fucked around with this message at 23:49 on Feb 23, 2014 |
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Feb 23, 2014 23:42
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KozmoNaut posted:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibmETcjcWdg KozmoNaut posted:It's us.   
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Feb 24, 2014 00:21
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Cmon man, it virtually "doubles the sound quality" Like, makes twice as much goodness come out of the sound because things move much faster!! If you can't hear it you must be dumb.
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Feb 24, 2014 00:26
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