Excuse my stupidity

[bonzo101]

Hi.

I'm new to the forum and perhaps somebody can put me right.

What is all the foo fah about music and phones other than the fact that I nearly ran a guy over who stepped out in front of me the other day. Headphones plugged into a phone or something. I'm quite old at 56. I use my phone to make phone calls and my Hifi to listen to music. The two in my home will not meet any time soon. Ok. I'm a bit stuffy I know but it all confuses me. I've listened to my sons Iphone and, to my ears anyway, it's god awful. Is this the future of our hobby?. I hope not.

Jeff.

 

[Vladimir]

Hi Jeff and welcome to the forum. :wave:

Keeping sanity from the extreme bombardment of senses with information (signs, guidelines, marketing, people, architecture etc.) in urban life is achieved with greater isolation and alienation of the individual from its environment. George Siemmel in the early age of Sociology noticed that urban people are more prone to mental illnesses than those living in the country and concluded the reason for this is the constant stimulation of the brain with information, driving it eventually into overload.

When I grew up you heard a car before you saw it, unlike today with quiet small engines, one needs to visually look for cars or follow traffic lights where available. So using your ears is secondary these days.

 

[chebby]

Hi.

I'm new to the forum and perhaps somebody can put me right.

What is all the foo fah about music and phones other than the fact that I nearly ran a guy over who stepped out in front of me the other day. Headphones plugged into a phone or something. I'm quite old at 56. I use my phone to make phone calls and my Hifi to listen to music. The two in my home will not meet any time soon. Ok. I'm a bit stuffy I know but it all confuses me. I've listened to my sons Iphone and, to my ears anyway, it's god awful. Is this the future of our hobby?. I hope not.

Jeff.

I am almost 51 and I use my iPhone and iPad Mini and iMac as means of sourcing and controlling excellent quality radio and music through my hi-fi (up to and including full CD quality lossless files).

Companies like Naim and Cyrus facilitate the same on some very expensive kit and have done for years now. (Including proprietary apps for use with smartphones and tablets.)

You problems with your own age (56 is hardly 'old') and prejudices about modern means of enjoying music on (or via) computers, smartphone and tablets are your own. A lot of us don't share them.

I've met people far older than me using computers, iPhones and tablets and Sonos as sources for systems far better than mine.

 

[bonzo101]

Hello Vladimir and thank you for the welcome.

I wouldn't mind so much but it was the string of verbal I got when I papped my horn. I think I must have interrupted him sending a text with his music turned up to "stun". I'm 6 foot 4 tall and a bodybuilder and it wasn't until I uncoiled myself from the car that he shut his mouth rather sharpish.

I might be wrong but if he'd done that in the USA he would or could've been done for jaywalking but enough about that idiot, it's the so called marriage of the so called phone and the Hifi system that bemuses me more than a little.

After listening to my sons iPhone plugged into my Hifi via a dock that I realised just how awful it was. Both the sound of the phone and the quality of the recording. Had to be an mp3.

 

[MajorFubar]

I use my phone to make phone calls and my Hifi to listen to music. The two in my home will not meet any time soon. Ok. I'm a bit stuffy I know but it all confuses me. I've listened to my sons Iphone and, to my ears anyway, it's god awful.

Perhaps all you've heard are low-quality quality MP3s through the supplied ear buds. 'Mastered For iTunes' downloads and 256AAC rips from CDs will give excellent results played from an iPhone/iPod, particularly if combined with a good external DAC and high-quality headphones. In fact just starting with the high quality headphones will make a massive improvement. So don't write-off the technology based on what you've heard. It's the tip of the iceberg. What's more profoundly sad is that for many people, an iPod/iPhone and its standard ear buds give the highest sound quality they have ever been exposed to on a device they own.

Oh and to be fair to the guy you nearly ran over, people have been listening to personal stereos for well over 30 years so this is nothing new. Just the technology has changed.

 

[Jota180]

I've nearly run over a few of these idiots. Head down, straight onto the road. Why should I waste my brakes?

 

[MajorFubar]

this is going to be a very long thread, I feel it coming on :doh:

 

[The_Lhc]

I might be wrong but if he'd done that in the USA he would or could've been done for jaywalking

They have different laws in different countries around the world, strange but true... anyway what the hell's that got to do with portable music device sound quality?

 

[bonzo101]

Yes sir, you are correct unfortunately. It's sad but true. I'm very fortunate in that I have a really good system but if that's what they want then who am I to change their minds.

Slightly off topic, I notice in your kit list you have a pair of EB2s. Good speakers are they?

 

[chebby]

George Siemmel in the early age of Sociology noticed that urban people are more prone to mental illnesses than those living in the country ...

Probably fewer people in the country were bothered about it. ("Ee'm mad Jack. Ee's bin touched since 'is threshin' accident as a lad. Ee's alright 'cept on a full moon when we all locks our doors.")

 

[bonzo101]

Hello.

In answer to your rude-ish response, it has nothing to do with the sound quality of portable music devices. Far from it. Although I don't personally use one I was quite surprised by how "un hifi" the sound was to my ears. My son comes round to do my garden sometimes. iPhone or iPod in pocket and a pair of Sony MDR V6 headphones on his head. Looks like a Cyberman.

Like I said, I'm probably kind of stuffy about it all but that's just me.

 

[MajorFubar]

After listening to my sons iPhone plugged into my Hifi via a dock that I realised just how awful it was. Both the sound of the phone and the quality of the recording. Had to be an mp3.

The format has usually very little to do with it, unless you're talking about stupidly-low bitrates like 128k or lower (which is what I meant above by poor quality). But yes, there's a chance it could have been goddamn awful. But it wouldn't purely have been because it was an MP3. However I get the feeling you've already made your mind up that the SQ from mobile devices is universally rubbish and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

 

[MajorFubar]

Sorry, didn't mean to come across rude. But you do seem to be the one who has decided phones and HQ music do not mix. Just trying to point out that it's not quite so simple and there are many variables.

 

[chebby]

What is all the foo fah about music and phones other than the fact that I nearly ran a guy over who stepped out in front of me the other day. Headphones plugged into a phone or something.

I had a strange flashback to the early 1980s just now.

I could have sworn that masses of youngsters everywhere were wearing little headphones on portable music devices even then over 30 years ago.

Must be because I am mad (and old) that I dreamt that one up. Of course it didn't happen until smartphones and MP3 players became popular.

 

[The_Lhc]

In answer to your rude-ish response, it has nothing to do with the sound quality of portable music devices.

So why mention it then? It's an utterly irrelevant comment.

I like fishcakes.

 

[The_Lhc]

Sorry, didn't mean to come across rude.

Don't worry, he was talking to me.

 

[Vladimir]

Hello Vladimir and thank you for the welcome.

I wouldn't mind so much but it was the string of verbal I got when I papped my horn. I think I must have interrupted him sending a text with his music turned up to "stun". I'm 6 foot 4 tall and a bodybuilder and it wasn't until I uncoiled myself from the car that he shut his mouth rather sharpish.

I might be wrong but if he'd done that in the USA he would or could've been done for jaywalking but enough about that idiot, it's the so called marriage of the so called phone and the Hifi system that bemuses me more than a little.

After listening to my sons iPhone plugged into my Hifi via a dock that I realised just how awful it was. Both the sound of the phone and the quality of the recording. Had to be an mp3.

No excuse for his reckles behavior. I'm just thinking outloud why there are more and more earbud zombies each day.

 

[MajorFubar]

What is all the foo fah about music and phones other than the fact that I nearly ran a guy over who stepped out in front of me the other day. Headphones plugged into a phone or something.

I had a strange flashback to the early 1980s just now.

I could have sworn that masses of youngsters everywhere were wearing little headphones on portable music devices even then over 30 years ago.

Must be because I am mad (and old) that I dreamt that one up. Of course it didn't happen until smartphones and MP3 players became popular.

Yeah I mentioned that further up. Not exactly new.

 

[bonzo101]

After listening to my sons iPhone plugged into my Hifi via a dock that I realised just how awful it was. Both the sound of the phone and the quality of the recording. Had to be an mp3.

The format has usually very little to do with it, unless you're talking about stupidly-low bitrates like 128k or lower (which is what I meant above by poor quality). But yes, there's a chance it could have been goddamn awful. But it wouldn't purely have been because it was an MP3. However I get the feeling you've already made your mind up that the SQ from mobile devices is universally rubbish and anyone who thinks otherwise is an idiot.

No sir, on the contrary. And I certainly wouldn't cast aspersions that I'm right and everyone else is an idiot. The object of coming on here is to learn. My son has an iPhone and an iPod. The iPod plugged into my pre with a jack to phono lead sounded better than the phone. He uses the phone more than the pod because he can keep in touch with friends via text. Have to admit the iPod was interesting.

 

[MajorFubar]

Maybe there are more 'earbud zombies' than there were, maybe there aren't. When I was a teenager everyone had a Walkman just like now everyone has an iPod, phone or MP3 player. But one thing's for certain: there are definitely more cars.

 

[chebby]

What is all the foo fah about music and phones other than the fact that I nearly ran a guy over who stepped out in front of me the other day. Headphones plugged into a phone or something.

I had a strange flashback to the early 1980s just now.

I could have sworn that masses of youngsters everywhere were wearing little headphones on portable music devices even then over 30 years ago.

Must be because I am mad (and old) that I dreamt that one up. Of course it didn't happen until smartphones and MP3 players became popular.

Yeah I mentioned that further up. Not exactly new.

I missed that because I am old and mad. (Well, urban which is the same thing apparently.)

 

[Alec]

I, too, like a fish cake now and then.

 

[MajorFubar]

My son has an iPhone and an iPod. The iPod plugged into my pre with a jack to phono lead sounded better than the phone. He uses the phone more than the pod because he can keep in touch with friends via text. Have to admit the iPod was interesting.

Is it an iPhone 5S? If so I'm with you on that. I don't have an iPod, but I've been saying for ages that the sound from my older iPhone 4S is in a different league to my new 5S. I did query this on the Apple forum, but got nowhere. Firstly everyone thought I meant the sound from the internal speaker (which is actually better on the 5S than the 4S). Then when I explained that no I meant the actual SQ of the phone's DAC as output from its headphone socket, it's clear that I totally lost them, because there's not a lot in it when you only listen via the supplied buds, which it seems that's what 99% of buyers ever do.

 

[MajorFubar]

I missed that because I am old and mad. (Well, urban which is the same thing apparently.)

You and me both, mate

 

[Vladimir]

Maybe there are more 'earbud zombies' than there were, maybe there aren't. When I was a teenager everyone had a Walkman just like now everyone has an iPod, phone or MP3 player. But one thing's for certain: there are definitely more cars.

I could hear a car over my headphones back then and you only took your large headset and walkman/discman in particular areas (beach, park, school, hiking) and now people are wearing the unnoticable earbuds everywhere.

Earbuds are different issue because they isolate you more from the surroundings, they are louder and more dynamic on low powered mobile devices (no need for headphone amp) and also important, car drivers can't notice you are a zombie with earbuds, unlike large plastic headphones.