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qirex
Feb 15, 2001

Combat Pretzel posted:

Why are audio related Kickstarters always wild successes?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/311770269/aqua-worlds-lightest-headphone-amplifier

Having a DAC away from the transceivers sounds like a nice idea, but as usual, this one is caked in audiophoolery.

It's not that bad at the $60 going rate, assuming they actually build and sell the thing and it's not crap.

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Combat Pretzel
Jun 23, 2004

No, seriously... what kurds?!
I don't know, the standard Qualcomm DAC is rather well regarded over at HeadFi (go figure), and the last time I heard interference on my headphones was back in the day of 2G GSM. It's more like 60$ of placebo.

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



quote:

Do you know that normally, however great the sound quality is, when it's played from a phone, it becomes 16bit/48kHz music. Hey that's lousy, right?

No? That sounds perfectly fine?

Flipperwaldt
Nov 11, 2011

Won't somebody think of the starving hamsters in China?



I saw some guy on these forums say he had his soundcard set to 32 bit / 192 kHz while assuring everybody he really did have rips in that quality. I didn't want to derail the (totally unrelated) thread at that time but jesus, what a waste of disk space.

Nintendo Kid
Aug 4, 2011

by Smythe

Flipperwaldt posted:

I saw some guy on these forums say he had his soundcard set to 32 bit / 192 kHz while assuring everybody he really did have rips in that quality. I didn't want to derail the (totally unrelated) thread at that time but jesus, what a waste of disk space.

Isn't that DVD-Audio? (though it can only be stereo in that mode, as the greater than 2 channels options all top at 96 khz sampling)

Flipperwaldt
Nov 11, 2011

Won't somebody think of the starving hamsters in China?



Wikipedia informs me dvd audio "only" goes up to 24 bit. I'm assuming homemade vinyl rips, if only because that makes it more retarded.

BANME.sh
Jan 23, 2008

What is this??
Are you some kind of hypnotist??
Grimey Drawer
HDTracks sells stuff at 192/24 I think

Panty Saluter
Jan 17, 2004

Making learning fun!

KozmoNaut posted:

Meridian is introducing a new audio format called MQA, which promises to deliver high-resolution sound at a CD quality-like filesize. It also supposedly retains CD quality backwards compatibility with devices that don't support this new format.

They also have this amazingly helpful graph to show us why we should care:



As you can see, reel-to-reel tape is the highest audio quality possible forever, but it is not very convenient. You can also see that streaming is extremely convenient, but has sound quality akin to punching yourself in the face.

You can also plainly see that LPs are better than both SACD and DVD-A in both convenience and sound quality! Because it's so inconvenient to plop in a disc and press play, right? It's so much more complicated than playing a CD!

They also have the most pretentious URL ever: http://www.musicischanging.com/

From reading their bullshit claims, it actually sounds a lot like HDCD. Which was also a rousing success, as you may remember.

Necroposting, but the only objectionable thing about this graph is how close they put vinyl LPs to reel-to-reel tape in quality :colbert:

Khablam
Mar 29, 2012
RIGHT OR WRONG, I CAN’T HELP BUT EXPRESS MYSELF LIKE A BRATTY CHILD. DON’T LISTEN TO ME.

Combat Pretzel posted:

Why are audio related Kickstarters always wild successes?

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/311770269/aqua-worlds-lightest-headphone-amplifier

Having a DAC away from the transceivers sounds like a nice idea, but as usual, this one is caked in audiophoolery.

As always, it's likely to make things worse unless you're well down the 24/96 rabbit delusion.

http://www.kenrockwell.com/apple/iphone-6-plus.htm#measurements

For better or worse, Steve was an audiophile and the iPhone DACs have always been very excellent.

fart simpson
Jul 2, 2005

DEATH TO AMERICA
:xickos:

BANME.sh posted:

HDTracks sells stuff at 192/24 I think

I'm nearly 100% certain that there is no music store that sells 32 bit music files.

taqueso
Mar 8, 2004


:911:
:wookie: :thermidor: :wookie:
:dehumanize:

:pirate::hf::tinfoil:

fart simpson posted:

I'm nearly 100% certain that there is no music store that sells 32 bit music files.


Increasing bit depth from 24 to 32 isn't destructive in any way and can be done perfectly. It's just tacking 8 zeroes onto the end of the binary number. It's the same idea as changing a 0-10 rating scale into a 0-100 rating scale by multiplying everything by 10.

Nintendo Kid
Aug 4, 2011

by Smythe

taqueso posted:

Increasing bit depth from 24 to 32 isn't destructive in any way and can be done perfectly. It's just tacking 8 zeroes onto the end of the binary number. It's the same idea as changing a 0-10 rating scale into a 0-100 rating scale by multiplying everything by 10.

You would not get correct sounds by merely adding 8 blank bits on the front or back of each sample. Everything would be too loud or too soft, and with inappropriate gradations in volume from sample to sample. You have to transform the relevant values from 24 bit range to 32 bit range.

You seem to be thinking instead of how a blank 8 bit alpha channel can be slapped onto 24 bit color images for a nondestructive transformation into 32 bit images.

fart simpson
Jul 2, 2005

DEATH TO AMERICA
:xickos:

taqueso posted:

Increasing bit depth from 24 to 32 isn't destructive in any way and can be done perfectly. It's just tacking 8 zeroes onto the end of the binary number. It's the same idea as changing a 0-10 rating scale into a 0-100 rating scale by multiplying everything by 10.

Yeah but that's pointless even in crazy audiophile theory.

Proteus Jones
Feb 28, 2013



fart simpson posted:

Yeah but that's pointless even in crazy audiophile theory.

You don't get that 32 is obviously better than 24. It's quantifiably 8 better. Those added zeros add a richness and depth not present in 24.

BANME.sh
Jan 23, 2008

What is this??
Are you some kind of hypnotist??
Grimey Drawer
I can imagine audiophiles justify it as something like added headroom even if there is no data in the extra bits.

coolskull
Nov 11, 2007

Bits=speed at which the music gets to you. More bits means faster travel and better odds of escaping the distortion that pursues all good-hearted flacs.

ssb
Feb 16, 2006

WOULD YOU ACCOMPANY ME ON A BRISK WALK? I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU!!


fart simpson posted:

Yeah but that's pointless even in crazy audiophile theory.

And cosmic ray absorbing rocks and audiophile ethernet cables are somehow more sensible than that?

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


But that way, you get a whole 8 bits of digital volume control without affecting the integrity of the signal!

ssb
Feb 16, 2006

WOULD YOU ACCOMPANY ME ON A BRISK WALK? I WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK WITH YOU!!


KillHour posted:

But that way, you get a whole 8 bits of digital volume control without affecting the integrity of the signal!

Just make sure you don't install the knob backwards

qirex
Feb 15, 2001

good news, there's a review of the usb error correcting device

conclusion? it's literally magic

quote:

You can see from the "Measurements" sidebar that I could find no significant effect that the JitterBug had on the analog signals output by three of the DACs I had to hand. Yet with those DACs and others, I heard an improvement in sound quality that I can attribute only to the JitterBug. I hate when that happens!

EL BROMANCE
Jun 10, 2006

COWABUNGA DUDES!
🥷🐢😬



I hate when that happens too, as it is a pretty conclusive test that shows I am a crazy person.

Khablam
Mar 29, 2012
RIGHT OR WRONG, I CAN’T HELP BUT EXPRESS MYSELF LIKE A BRATTY CHILD. DON’T LISTEN TO ME.

EL BROMANCE posted:

I hate when that happens too, as it is a pretty conclusive test that shows I am a crazy person.
You have it all wrong; when it's so good you can't even measure the difference, that's when you know you have golden ears.

grack
Jan 10, 2012

COACH TOTORO SAY REFEREE CAN BANISH WHISTLE TO LAND OF WIND AND GHOSTS!

Khablam posted:

You have it all wrong; when it's so good you can't even measure the difference, that's when you know you have golden ears.

Having golden ears isn't all it's cracked up to be. They're very heavy and junkies keep trying to rip them off my head.

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9tCRh41OM

That's an $80,000 turntable with a $10,000 cartridge.

/r/vinylgore is amazing.

fart simpson
Jul 2, 2005

DEATH TO AMERICA
:xickos:

KozmoNaut posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9tCRh41OM

That's an $80,000 turntable with a $10,000 cartridge.

/r/vinylgore is amazing.

:eyepop:

Panty Saluter
Jan 17, 2004

Making learning fun!

KozmoNaut posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9tCRh41OM

That's an $80,000 turntable with a $10,000 cartridge.

/r/vinylgore is amazing.

I'm the idiot trying to scratch on a belt driven turntable

Chill Callahan
Nov 14, 2012

KozmoNaut posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9tCRh41OM

That's an $80,000 turntable with a $10,000 cartridge.

/r/vinylgore is amazing.

lmao

3D Megadoodoo
Nov 25, 2010

Panty Saluter posted:

I'm the idiot trying to scratch on a belt driven turntable

:thejoke:

Panty Saluter
Jan 17, 2004

Making learning fun!

ACTUALLY,


the joke is your posting

Palladium
May 8, 2012

Very Good
✔️✔️✔️✔️

qirex posted:

good news, there's a review of the usb error correcting device

conclusion? it's literally magic

You see, bits of audio are fundamentally different from bits of other data.

I wonder how will audiophiles react when all their precious music and software player are stealth processed out-of-order in the CPU?

Theris
Oct 9, 2007

Palladium posted:

I wonder how will audiophiles react when all their precious music and software player are stealth processed out-of-order in the CPU?

I always wondered why old netbooks and first gen smartphones have such wider soundstages and tighter PRaT than current devices. It makes so much sense now!

Olympic Mathlete
Feb 25, 2011

:h:

So audiophiles right, a lot of them are old men. How do golden ears get around the fact that as you age your hearing degrades? Add to that, daily abuse from working in loud environments, concerts at absurd SPL levels and this and that and the other.

...how has Neil Young who's 69 and has been touring for some 45 years managed to fool people into thinking he's not probably half deaf from age and concerts and as such can hear music better than everyone else?

Josh Lyman
May 24, 2009


88h88 posted:

So audiophiles right, a lot of them are old men. How do golden ears get around the fact that as you age your hearing degrades? Add to that, daily abuse from working in loud environments, concerts at absurd SPL levels and this and that and the other.

...how has Neil Young who's 69 and has been touring for some 45 years managed to fool people into thinking he's not probably half deaf from age and concerts and as such can hear music better than everyone else?
:10bux: Lots and lots of :10bux:

KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


Audiophiles are not bothered by minor trifling details like facts or reality.

1000 Brown M and Ms
Oct 22, 2008

F:\DL>quickfli 4-clowns.fli

KozmoNaut posted:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJ9tCRh41OM

That's an $80,000 turntable with a $10,000 cartridge.

/r/vinylgore is amazing.

All that money and he plays loving Gangnam Style :ughh:

Well, at least that confirms that audiophiles don't listen to music, they listen to equipment.

Panty Saluter
Jan 17, 2004

Making learning fun!

1000 Brown M and Ms posted:

All that money and he plays loving Gangnam Style :ughh:

Well, at least that confirms that audiophiles don't listen to music, they listen to equipment.

I'd rather listen to "Gangnam Style" than 99% of "audiophile" recordings. Seriously, they are the most bland unlistenable bullshit ever.

Dicty Bojangles
Apr 14, 2001

True audiophile would only play a record from http://www.whitenoiseboutique.com

quote:

We use the very best in hardware and algorithmic generators to produce your white noise. Select from a variety of vintage and cutting-edge technologies and be ensured you will receive the best quality white noise possible.

Generators include:

Type 1390-B tube-powered noise generator
Hard-drive entropy
Crypographically-secure algorithmic generators such as Threefish and AES_OFB
Hardware generators such as TrueRNG
Atmospheric noise via an un-tuned FM radio
You will also be able to choose a seed, or we will create one randomly for you using computer algorithms or physical devices like casino-quality dice, bingo cage, or yarrow sticks.

Dicty Bojangles fucked around with this message at 02:33 on Sep 8, 2015

Mister Kingdom
Dec 14, 2005

And the tears that fall
On the city wall
Will fade away
With the rays of morning light

slomomofo posted:

True audiophile would only play a record from http://www.whitenoiseboutique.com

quote:

Crypographically-secure algorithmic generators

Didn't that cause the Enterprise to explode once?

KillHour
Oct 28, 2007


slomomofo posted:

True audiophile would only play a record from http://www.whitenoiseboutique.com

To be fair, this is kind of cool if you're a math/physics/cryptography geek. Their section on "what can I use this for" is pretty non-bullshitty (except for the one about actually listening to it as music, but I guess there's no accounting for taste).

They're pretty open about it just being a thing they're doing for the sake of doing it. Also, it costs 4 quid, so they're not exactly fleecing people.

KillHour fucked around with this message at 04:58 on Sep 8, 2015

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KozmoNaut
Apr 23, 2008

Happiness is a warm
Turbo Plasma Rifle


1000 Brown M and Ms posted:

All that money and he plays loving Gangnam Style :ughh:

Well, at least that confirms that audiophiles don't listen to music, they listen to equipment.

Considering how he's absolutely mangling that very expensive cartridge, the actual owner is probably unaware of the abuse that is happening.

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