Audio Myths workshop video re: upgraded cables etc.

[bigboss]

Check this youtube video of the Audio Myths workshop held by the Audio Engineering Society. It may be of interest re subjective listening and the power of suggestion. It's almost an hour long, but quite useful for the myths surrounding upgraded cables.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BYTlN6wjcvQ&feature=player_embedded

 

[Anonymous]

an hour long ? , on a saturday night ? too much like hard work ..

can you give us the juicy bits bb ?

 

[bigboss]

I'm going through it in parts myself. There's something known as Fletcher-Munson effect. I think it explains why volume matching is critical in listening tests, and accounts for many of the quality differences people perceive. Different frequencies are perceived as being more equal in loudness at higher volume and as being of different relative loudness at a lower volume. Increasing the volume usually increases the perceived clarity and quality of the music, as long as it is not already too loud.

There's a very interesting ABX blind test (You listen to product "A", then to product "B", then you are presented with "X", which is either "A" or "B" and you indicate which product you think it is) which was done for power cords in Oakland, California, & the results were no better than flipping a coin. Details of the study can be googled.

 

[bigboss]

The brain does some impressive things when interpreting sounds. Tinnitus occurs because parts of your hearing have been damaged and the brain 'fills in' those parts of the frequency range which your ears no longer detect very well. Only when it's quiet do you actively notice it. It's very good at adjusting your hearing so only relevant things are heard.

It does make you realise how subjective reviews of audio equipment can be too. Each reviewer will be listening for different things in the sound and have their own bias as to which products should sound better.

Explains pretty well why many people 'upgrading' an element of their kit will most of the time say it sounds better than what they had before. Especially with things like cables.

 

[Anonymous]

hmm , the second point you mentioned is interesting , indicating that even if there was a difference between the said powerkords , it was so small that it could not be recognised ,.or at least remembered ...

this kind of testing of cables is what has me so convinced that people are not seeing or hearing the differences they think they are , i mean , if you have 2 tvs set up side by side , and different cables being switched between them , with the same source being shown on both , and no difference can be seen ,as is often the scenario with tests,

how could somebody that only has one tv (their own tv at home) , see a difference ?? even if there was a small difference between two cables tested on one tv ,after switching cables , the brain probably couldnt discern it , does anyone have a photographic memory that enables them to remember the complexity of one hd picture , and compare to another ??

 

[michael hoy]

Very interesting, I will have to digest this at a more convenient time.

Can I get my cables on fleabay before anyone else watches this

Edit:One thing to add, after changing some of my cables without my wife knowing, she walked in the room and commented on how good the picture looked. My wife did not know I had bought any cables or that i had changed anything.

 

[bigboss]

The video helps sow the importance of room acoustics & how irrelevant other factors actually are in comparison, eg jitter. 1 hour is quite long, but I think it really demystifies the audio myths well.

 

[Anonymous]

Here is an interesting youtube link to check your hearing .... it will enable you to test your hearing from both the low frequencies to the high frequencies

perhaps it would be good to do this test before spending hundreds of pounds on cables for hifi?

 

[Anonymous]

michael hoy:
Edit:One thing to add, after changing some of my cables without my wife knowing, she walked in the room and commented on how good the picture looked. My wife did not know I had bought any cables or that i had changed anything.

Did you upgrade from Scart to HDMI ?

 

[visionary]

how can that work through the speakers of your computer? Or do you watch You tube with the sound output via a DAC to your Hifi?

 

[Anonymous]

visionary:how can that work through the speakers of your computer? Or do you watch You tube with the sound output via a DAC to your Hifi?

suppose there are different ways to test ... through your pc speakers, or headphones etc .... it's just an indication

and here is a picture to check if you can see in 3d .... stare at the pic for approx 2 minutes

 

[Anonymous]

Always keep this in mind when listening to any reports.

If I paid two group of scientists/engineers £100,000 to research any subject but from different sides of the coin, so to speak. Speaker cables differences, Cornflakes being good for you, almost anything.

Guess what, each group will find compelling arguments AND facts to show their side of the coin.

So while certain reports for instance tell us that diferences in cables are utter tosh, there will be as many reports advocating the better quality cables (ask the staff at WHF).

Me? I use my eyes and ears to make my decisions, no doubts, when I have the time the video will make interesting points.

For now though I'm of to put the kettle on, 'Coffee anyone?'.

 

[hammill]

leahandanna:

For now though I'm of to put the kettle on, 'Coffee anyone?'.

No thanks, not if you are making with a kettle.

 

[Anonymous]

Fair point hammill, please keep in mind I am from Barnsley though. The nearest I get to a coffee maker is when reading the latest Argos brochure.

 

[Anonymous]

dim_span:

Here is an interesting youtube link to check your hearing .... it will enable you to test your hearing from both the low frequencies to the high frequencies

perhaps it would be good to do this test before spending hundreds of pounds on cables for hifi?

on my pc with pc speakers, I hear from 20Hz to 12 kHz .... so, I suppose my ears are not so good

 

[fayeanddavid]

dim_span:dim_span:

Here is an interesting youtube link to check your hearing .... it will enable you to test your hearing from both the low frequencies to the high frequencies

perhaps it would be good to do this test before spending hundreds of pounds on cables for hifi?

on my pc with pc speakers, I hear from 20Hz to 12 kHz .... so, I suppose my ears are not so good

That hearing range would count as good to very good I believe.

12kHz is well into the top of the human hearing range as an adult, remebering that unfortunately as the years pass the top end (high frequencies) tend to go first

Children can hear upto 18kHz but as they move into adulthood the threshhold decreases, top end frequencies almost disappear in hearing for most people when hard of hearing sets in

 

[JoelSim]

leahandanna:Fair point hammill, please keep in mind I am from Barnsley though. The nearest I get to a coffee maker is when reading the latest Argos brochure.

Blimey, must be posh in Barnsley, we only get an Argos catalogue where we are.

 

[aliEnRIK]

wow

im...................converted

 

[hammill]

leahandanna:Fair point hammill, please keep in mind I am from Barnsley though. The nearest I get to a coffee maker is when reading the latest Argos brochure.You have my sympathy. I went to stay with a friend who lived in Otley and ordered a vodka and orange for my partner and was presented with vodka and orange squash. Mind you, it was 2/3 of the price we were charged in the south.

 

[michael hoy]

THE_FORCE:michael hoy:
Edit:One thing to add, after changing some of my cables without my wife knowing, she walked in the room and commented on how good the picture looked. My wife did not know I had bought any cables or that i had changed anything.

Did you upgrade from Scart to HDMI ?

Hi,

No, using Qed Reference HDMI and Chord Silver screen HDMI, I changed the Power Leads to RA Classic Powerkords DCT treated.