tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post7308645886338678713..comments2024-03-28T20:21:36.177-07:00Comments on <em>Archimago's Musings</em>: BLIND TEST Results Part 4: "Do digital audio players sound different playing 16/44.1 music?" - Subjective Comments. Final thoughts on blind testing and critiques.Archimagohttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-10561712632625122162019-06-22T23:04:56.065-07:002019-06-22T23:04:56.065-07:00I mean original 16/44.1 90-120 second clips used i...I mean original 16/44.1 90-120 second clips used in the "Do digital audio players sound different playing 16/44.1 music?" blind test.Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11363459016012024341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-34466326218155294762019-06-22T23:02:41.663-07:002019-06-22T23:02:41.663-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Longhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11363459016012024341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-88372297923082336922019-06-17T15:03:48.387-07:002019-06-17T15:03:48.387-07:00http://musictester.com/demo/ tells me that the va...http://musictester.com/demo/ tells me that the various versions of Crowd Chant have a True Peak in the range -2 to -3 dB , which accords with what Adobe Audition reports. StevenShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08457350132948312910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-29695487857572302502019-06-01T01:18:56.366-07:002019-06-01T01:18:56.366-07:00Hi Archimago! (Sorry for my English, I am not nati...Hi Archimago! (Sorry for my English, I am not native speaker) I am following your blog many years, but this will be my first post here. I have some ideas about this particular test. First of all used music material. There is track Crowd Chant which has True peak level +0.2 dB according to Jriver and +0.5 dB according to musictester.com. True peak levels above 0 dB are causing intersample overloadLonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11363459016012024341noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-12115616160718805822019-05-31T19:19:07.127-07:002019-05-31T19:19:07.127-07:00Hi Pierre,
Yup the same Mitch.
Good speakers are ...Hi Pierre,<br />Yup the same Mitch.<br /><br />Good speakers are essential and fine tuning the sound with DSP makes a big difference!<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-38467915965602375512019-05-31T19:17:42.208-07:002019-05-31T19:17:42.208-07:00Don't remind me of GOT :-(.
Still disappointe...Don't remind me of GOT :-(.<br /><br />Still disappointed about that last season...<br /><br />Of course, when it comes to neurosis, at least I'm not as severe as some audiophiles. At least "bits are essentially bits" and "not everything matter" IMO :-).<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-30610152024814176172019-05-31T15:40:50.244-07:002019-05-31T15:40:50.244-07:00Hi dhruvfire,
Thanks for the comment. As the techn...Hi <em>dhruvfire</em>,<br />Thanks for the comment. As the technology gets better and better, I think the only way to tease these things out realistically is with tests like this where one needs those numbers of people all listening and contributing to statistically demonstrate differences...<br /><br />I agree. The days of simple "n<3" types of anecdotes (or n=1 - ie. the lone Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-18683845990045676862019-05-31T15:32:27.413-07:002019-05-31T15:32:27.413-07:00LOL. Yeah...
Value shopper. And maybe with prefer...LOL. Yeah...<br /><br />Value shopper. And maybe with preference for linear phase filter setting!<br /><br />Thanks for the feedback!<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-42381668693610299912019-05-29T15:14:12.754-07:002019-05-29T15:14:12.754-07:00Thanks a lot for this great test. Fun tidbit: I sp...Thanks a lot for this great test. Fun tidbit: I spent a few evenings in intensive (and tiring) listening sessions, taking notes on paper and then tallied and summarized them, again on paper. I kept my final selection on a flashcard, waiting for the disclosure. When it finally came, you guessed it, the flashcard was nowhere to be found (lesson: never, ever, clean your office) and I could not PierreVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09531480162210944298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-58336067304715833962019-05-28T08:14:24.514-07:002019-05-28T08:14:24.514-07:00Woops...
Fixed the spelling. Somehow had an Easte...Woops...<br /><br />Fixed the spelling. Somehow had an Eastern European spelling in mind :-).Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-88922264353379089522019-05-28T06:49:38.551-07:002019-05-28T06:49:38.551-07:00Thanks Archimago, I really enjoyed reading the con...Thanks Archimago, I really enjoyed reading the conclusions to this test! It's remarkable that you were able to get enough resolving power to show significant results re: the motherboard with N=101; I'd have thought that with audio, even that might have been too slight. <br /><br />I'm also very pleased with your application of experimental design & statistics. All too often, I dhruvfirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02131340932182830372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-25361451221841210642019-05-28T04:53:10.097-07:002019-05-28T04:53:10.097-07:00Indeed so - don’t forget to enjoy the music.
Also...Indeed so - don’t forget to enjoy the music.<br /><br />Also, just in case you didn’t realise, the correct spelling is Linkwitz.Giraffehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04391613140895834062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-33949843973539204462019-05-28T00:17:55.883-07:002019-05-28T00:17:55.883-07:00*pushes Bran out of tower**pushes Bran out of tower*verifonixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09818077622318912165noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-4081461517223075392019-05-27T12:36:52.794-07:002019-05-27T12:36:52.794-07:00Again, thanks for this test - very interesting.
I...Again, thanks for this test - very interesting.<br /><br />I was reading through the comments and saw one set that looked very insightful and well-written - then realized it must be mine ;) I clearly heard the inferiority of the motherboard (as did almost everyone else) but also preferred the Sony to the Oppo. <br /><br />I'm a value shopper ;) but would certainly pay to upgrade over that jhwalkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14734724684407804183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-80788470275387296092019-05-27T10:19:38.478-07:002019-05-27T10:19:38.478-07:00LOL. The things we do for passion / love / neurosi...LOL. The things we do for passion / love / neurosis...<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-22003282757806489682019-05-27T10:18:53.628-07:002019-05-27T10:18:53.628-07:00Thanks Mitch! Amen bro, testify.
Nice to have inp...Thanks Mitch! Amen bro, <em>testify</em>.<br /><br />Nice to have input from a guy who worked behind the console for years and experience with those pesky eye diagrams :-).<br /><br />Great comment about guitar transcriptions and right on the money with the discussion about "money" as in the cost of luxury DACs these days.<br /><br />Cheers!Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-16344613219951710272019-05-27T10:12:03.464-07:002019-05-27T10:12:03.464-07:00Thanks Bennet for all the work!
That's an awe...Thanks Bennet for all the work!<br /><br />That's an awesome post on the importance of keeping in mind the internal data conversion between integer and floating point conversions. I think you've got a great point also about the clipping characteristics of the different DACs and how that as well is another variable to consider as adding to the audibility.<br />Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-71769708805110286682019-05-27T10:03:23.302-07:002019-05-27T10:03:23.302-07:00Hey BMN,
Yes. You need that $250k amplifier :-).
...Hey BMN,<br />Yes. You <em>need</em> that $250k amplifier :-).<br /><br />But seriously, congrats on that Yamaha amp upgrade and confirming with the SPL meter that indeed there was a clear difference (which you heard already of course).<br /><br />DAC's were the obvious choice for a widely distributed blind test like this on account of them being relatively easy to measure and capture. As we Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-82794096308612336432019-05-27T09:57:16.661-07:002019-05-27T09:57:16.661-07:00Nice Giraffe!
There is certainly more to percepti...Nice <em>Giraffe</em>!<br /><br />There is certainly more to perception than what we perhaps might consciously realize. I have on occasion run into a situation where I thought my ABX testing was "surely" going to be negative but the result in fact suggests there was some perceptible difference after all.<br /><br />Only with repeated runs and data like this can we then put it together Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-34233708045456674072019-05-27T09:51:02.015-07:002019-05-27T09:51:02.015-07:00LOL, thanks Gilles for the "extended" te...LOL, thanks Gilles for the "extended" testing! Time to take out the karaoke machine for "Wild World" :-).<br /><br />Yeah, there's something to be said about the nature of the music used. I know a guy who normally doesn't like hard rock at all but prefers to use AC/DC and Metallica when doing A/B testing.<br /><br />There are certainly many differences between the Archimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-37659297114251172892019-05-27T08:41:10.017-07:002019-05-27T08:41:10.017-07:00Yeah, I suppose that is the fear of the salesman w...Yeah, I suppose that is the fear of the salesman who prides himself on being specially attuned believing that non-technical "experience" is able to build credibility for the sales job.<br /><br />Unlike say jewelry or maybe handbags where the materials and workmanship *is* the thing one tries to sell, for audiophiles, as much as these factors are important, it is the "sound qualityArchimagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08642574001287787545noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-80459784763254392132019-05-26T21:09:08.133-07:002019-05-26T21:09:08.133-07:00Respect. Archimago is the hardest workin' audi...Respect. Archimago is the hardest workin' audiophile on the internets.Allan Folzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06762674627739423845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-57993752045805612019-05-26T10:49:25.220-07:002019-05-26T10:49:25.220-07:00Pretty epic Arch! Interesting results and comments...Pretty epic Arch! Interesting results and comments to be sure. Thanks for including my ABX results and comments. For a 60 year old with years in the recording studio and live sound engineering, it seems I can still hear reasonably well :-) Mind you, I did protect my hearing as best as possible by being the hand controlling the volume (with an SPL meter) or using ear plugs or simply walking out ofMitchcohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15383836822706500840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-6481291453167276192019-05-26T04:29:17.484-07:002019-05-26T04:29:17.484-07:00I read quite a number of people said noise isn'...I read quite a number of people said noise isn't the main problem of the ASRock board. I keep an archive of some of my old measurements and found a 1999 Sound Blaster Live (CT4830 with 18-bit AC97 codec) recorded by a 2005 X-Fi XtremeMusic (SB0460, ADC:WM8775), with a GPU card installed (GeForce FX5500) and a Pentium 4 system.<br /><br />https://forums.dearhoney.idv.tw/viewtopic.php?f=1&tAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4781727111866727703.post-24412728102782425822019-05-26T01:27:42.323-07:002019-05-26T01:27:42.323-07:00Good point :)Good point :)verifonixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17810067885236622427noreply@blogger.com