Audiophile witch hunt or basic common sense?

[Jasonovich]

And, I have never listened to planar magnetics...

You simply must 🙂

 

[Jasonovich]

You're welcome 🙂

Ah it was you!!!

 

[JDl]

Juicy!
It's really based on the integrity of the design.
You can get bad sounding planars, as you can with badly designed dynamics.
Dynamics seem to hit a wall in terms of the ever diminishing returns, I wouldn't want to spend beyond £600 for a Dynamic. Planars on the other hand, the exotic designs in excess of £8k are absolutely nirvana according to the many reviews.
Not that I had the pleasure or been struck by insanity that I feel the need to waste my savings on a headphone.
Yeah dynamics peak at the low clouds, whereas planars can go beyond the stratosphere.
Have I stirred the pot or should I stir harder?😂

https://store.hifiman.com/index.php...ttention I think. I don't anyone called Amy.

[QUOTE="Al ears, post: 1350301, member: 2472"] What have you got about Amy??? [/QUOTE]

 

[JDl]

You simply must 🙂

No, not all. I don't like headphones much.
They give me a sense of claustrophobia.

 

[Jasonovich]

No, not all. I don't like headphones much.
They give me a sense of claustrophobia.

Open back headphones? 🙂
Seriously though, if they're not your thing, that's fair enough.

 

[spl84]

But you won't live forever and ever. It's just stuff, atoms. This materialistic obsession about owning things really puzzles me. It's a bit like hoarding. I have stuff I need, but if I could, I'd own next to nothing and live a simple life. Fixating over this tangible product, the tactility, the obsession about sleeve notes and caressing the LP record cover is baffling to me. It's paper and ink. Many people buy stuff because they think it fills a gap in their lives. I'm a minimalist and apart from being greener, it's less intrusive, not cluttering the place up. I had a friend who would take a photo of the food we were about to eat, at a curry house, every time and he kept them on a hard drive. I don't see him now.

I have no materialistic "obsession" whatsoever but if I do happen to spend my hard earned money on music, or anything else for that matter, I want something to show for it. I'm puzzled by people who piss money away renting a home for decades when they could have been working towards ownership. Most people have a natural inclination to work for things. I definitely will not live forever. However, even after I'm dead and gone someone else can continue to enjoy my records and CDs because I have taken care of them. After you decide to stop paying that monthly subscription to qobuz or tidal you're left with absolutely nothing. Anyway, that's really getting off into the weeds, but once again. Different strokes for different folks... I guess it depends on how you look at life.

 

[Jasonovich]

I have no materialistic "obsession" whatsoever but if I do happen to spend my hard earned money on music, or anything else for that matter, I want something to show for it. I'm puzzled by people who piss money away renting a home for decades when they could have been working towards ownership. Most people have a natural inclination to work for things. I definitely will not live forever. However, even after I'm dead and gone someone else can continue to enjoy my records and CDs because I have taken care of them. After you decide to stop paying that monthly subscription to qobuz or tidal you're left with absolutely nothing. Anyway, that's really getting off into the weeds, but once again. Different strokes for different folks... I guess it depends on how you look at life.

I see streaming as the cherry 🍒 on top of a nicely layered cake.
Depends much on your own personal preferences.
I casually stream my music, this is a good way to become familiar with upcoming and new artists before committing to purchasing their albums. I have a fair collection of CDs/SACDs but these days, I tend to download my music. I have many terabytes of stored music on my NAS and local storage.
At the end of day, it is your personal choice 🙂

 

[Friesiansam]

You simply must 🙂

You know what, I'm really happy with the way my Elegias perform, connected to my Pathos DAC/amp and, have other things I want to save for, before there is any chance I might start looking for a headphone upgrade.

Also, my suggestion for an argument, was never intended to be taken seriously...🙂

 

[Jasonovich]

You know what, I'm really happy with the way my Elegias perform, connected to my Pathos DAC/amp and, have other things I want to save for, before there is any chance I might start looking for a headphone upgrade.

Also, my suggestion for an argument, was never intended to be taken seriously...🙂

I can vouch for that, Focal Elegia's are excellent headphones. My tube head amp didn't work so well with them hence the sale. The person I sold them to is absolutely delighted with them.

 

[podknocker]

You're like a dog in a manger, or even a troll, I'm not sure which.
We can all see the benefits of streaming and we can all see the benefits of consuming music according to our individual tastes, it's called personal preference and choice. We are fully aware and appreciate your chosen method of playback...happy for you...but why do you find it so hard to accommodate others choice of playback format?
You seem like a decent bloke so I don't understand where this tunnel vision comes from.

I have no interest in people moving to streaming from their antique vinyl records, but I'm always going to rant when people start talking shite about vinyl sounding better than a newer format. It doesn't and it can't.

 

[abacus]

I have no interest in people moving to streaming from their antique vinyl records, but I'm always going to rant when people start talking shite about vinyl sounding better than a newer format. It doesn't and it can't.

Technically yes, in practice no, as how good anything is, is determined by the master. (I sometimes wonder if you read posts that prove the opposite to your views)

Bill

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

I think he means all things being equal.

 

[Al ears]

I think he means all things being equal.

All things can never be equal.....

 

[GSV Ethics Gradient]

All things can never be equal.....

True, but the same master could be used for vinyl, CD and streaming and therefore the merits of each be fairly-compared.

 

[twinkletoes]

True, but the same master could be used for vinyl, CD and streaming and therefore the merits of each be fairly-compared.

Highly doubt it all CDs / digital media contains a level compression these days, The record would have to be spread over 4 or 5 discs if not more. And that was my point 100s of posts back. Vinyl will often receive a very different master and thats all im saying. it might be better or it might not be it depends on the CD's master

 

[Al ears]

True, but the same master could be used for vinyl, CD and streaming and therefore the merits of each be fairly-compared.

The same masters often are used across different media.
Not sure why so many people otherwise.
Do you know how much it costs to get someone to sit down and remaster a complete album?
Not too sure why any record company would bother...

 

[manicm]

The same masters often are used across different media.
Not sure why so many people otherwise.
Do you know how much it costs to get someone to sit down and remaster a complete album?
Not too sure why any record company would bother...

On modern recordings the same master cannot be used on both CD and vinyl. Vinyl just doesn't have the headroom or space for raw headroom, especially if the master is digital, which will almost always be the case unless you're Jack White or Neil Young.

There is no need for compression/loudness on CD though - it's what the record companies assume consumers want.

What is interesting is that Spotify is actually lowering the volume on some tracks on their servers.

 

[twinkletoes]

The same masters often are used across different media.
Not sure why so many people otherwise.
Do you know how much it costs to get someone to sit down and remaster a complete album?
Not too sure why any record company would bother...

Because it physically impossible with the compression they use on the digital file, it’s very simple engineering it simply won’t fit. Even if they didn’t use compression it’s not same master as they would have to cut data one way or another

Heck they have to sum the bass to mono for starters instantly making different.

So by virtue of this they are very different files.

The problem comes with compression and how much they have used as compression removes data and replaces with noise, so once all said and done the different media will mostly likely sound roughly the same, to the point you couldn’t pick them out in a blind test.

 

[manicm]

Because it physically impossible with the compression they use on the digital file, it’s very simple engineering it simply won’t fit. Even if they didn’t use compression it’s not same master as they would have to cut data one way or another

Heck they have to sum the bass to mono for starters instantly making different.

So by virtue of this they are very different files.

The problem comes with compression and how much they have used as compression removes data and replaces with noise, so once all said and done the different media will mostly likely sound roughly the same, to the point you couldn’t pick them out in a blind test.

You're mistaking digital compression with audio compression. They're 2 different things. Generally, when a recording is 'compressed' it doesn't mean throwing away bits ala MP3 or whatever. Compression is about levelling the different audio tracks that comprise a song. So when all tracks on a song recording are levelled off it's going to sound 'loud' and lacking in any dynamics. Akin to a headache.

 

[Al ears]

Because it physically impossible with the compression they use on the digital file, it’s very simple engineering it simply won’t fit. Even if they didn’t use compression it’s not same master as they would have to cut data one way or another

Heck they have to sum the bass to mono for starters instantly making different.

So by virtue of this they are very different files.

The problem comes with compression and how much they have used as compression removes data and replaces with noise, so once all said and done the different media will mostly likely sound roughly the same, to the point you couldn’t pick them out in a blind test.

I assume you are not saying all streamed media is in mono?

 

[twinkletoes]

I assume you are not saying all streamed media is in mono?

No, just vinyl, the bass is summed to mono. Everything under a 150hz I believe. If they don’t it causes problems with tracking ,I believe the reasoning. Weather you notice that is up to the individual, I personally don’t notice.

I don’t think I mentioned anything about streaming. But the only platform to remove data is Spotify. Weather people can here the difference, well that’s well trodden ground that could also be applied to this vinyl debate of sound difference.

 

[Al ears]

No, just vinyl, the bass is summed to mono. Everything under a 150hz I believe. If they don’t it causes problems with tracking ,I believe the reasoning. Weather you notice that is up to the individual, I personally don’t notice.

I don’t think I mentioned anything about streaming. But the only platform to remove data is Spotify. Weather people can here the difference, well that’s well trodden ground that could also be applied to this vinyl debate of sound difference.

I think you'll find that is wrong then, 80Hz used to be used when bass-summing was employed years ago.
Not the case now.

 

[twinkletoes]

You're mistaking digital compression with audio compression. They're 2 different things. Generally, when a recording is 'compressed' it doesn't mean throwing away bits ala MP3 or whatever. Compression is about levelling the different audio tracks that comprise a song. So when all tracks on a song recording are levelled off it's going to sound 'loud' and lacking in any dynamics. Akin to a headache.

This is what I mean and what im trying to say (not very well mind you), google more eloquently says it better than me. but I can see where you think Im talking about file compression.

"if a CD has a lower dynamic range, it means there is less information captured in the audio, as the difference between the quietest and loudest sounds is smaller, potentially leading to a less detailed and nuanced listening experience; essentially, the recording has been compressed, reducing the range of volume levels present in the music."

 

[manicm]

This is what I mean and what im trying to say (not very well mind you), google more eloquently says it better than me. but I can see where you think Im talking about file compression.

"if a CD has a lower dynamic range, it means there is less information captured in the audio, as the difference between the quietest and loudest sounds is smaller, potentially leading to a less detailed and nuanced listening experience; essentially, the recording has been compressed, reducing the range of volume levels present in the music."

You lost me with this sentence in that comment:

'The problem comes with compression and how much they have used as compression removes data and replaces with noise'

 

[Al ears]

You lost me with this sentence in that comment:

'The problem comes with compression and how much they have used as compression removes data and replaces with noise'

lost a lot of people there I guess....