The Post-Modern Audiophile

Vladimir

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Interesting dilema got my human CPU working.

If cables don't really matter that much; if 16/44.1 digital in non-physical format and a £250 DAC is best our hearing can discern for resolution; if best option for speakers is just going active with DSP and bypassing all the speaker amp and preamp dilema... What is left for the post-modern audiophile to do?

Thoughts?

shrug.gif
 

jmjones

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What can we do? We should try not listening to the bullcarp quite so much, and listening to the music.

I'm sure most components leave some kind of sonic signature. I like what I have, and enjoyed the journey getting there. I intend to keep travelling.

One of the most effective upgrades I ever made was removing the bell wire - and no, I didn't blind test it, because you would have to be deaf not to have heard it. I remain a little more sceptical about £300 digital connectors.

Having tried a good few hi-res files, I'd be the first to say sample rates probably make little or no difference on identical material. But through checking a number out, I've found some exceptional recordings.

Can someone tell me how much I would have to spend on actives to beat my current amp/speaker set? Meridian range maybe?

In short, if it makes you feel good, buy it! :cheers:
 

davedotco

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Vladimir said:
Interesting dilema got my human CPU working.

If cables don't really matter that much; if 16/44.1 digital in non-physical format and a £250 DAC is best our hearing can discern for resolution; if best option for speakers is just going active with DSP and bypassing all the speaker amp and preamp dilema... What is left for the post-modern audiophile to do?

Thoughts?

shrug.gif

It's getting simpler by the day.

Spotify Connect , Nad 7050 and a pair of speakers is still one box too many, how long will we have to wait for a pair of speakers with built in Spotify Connect, Pandora etc, Airplay and the two speakers communicating wirelessly.

The technology is all in place, just needs someone to put it all together.
 
T

the record spot

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Like anything, people want choice. Some will clearly want something that looks and is finished to a high standard, that is out of the ordinary. Plenty of room for boutique gear.
 

CnoEvil

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Vladimir said:
Interesting dilema got my human CPU working.

If cables don't really matter that much; if 16/44.1 digital in non-physical format and a £250 DAC is best our hearing can discern for resolution; if best option for speakers is just going active with DSP and bypassing all the speaker amp and preamp dilema... What is left for the post-modern audiophile to do?

Thoughts?

shrug.gif

A radical reappraisal of what you think you know about Hifi, would be a good start. Failing that, you could be an Approved Resident Science Expert.
 

Broner

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CnoEvil said:
Vladimir said:
Interesting dilema got my human CPU working.

If cables don't really matter that much; if 16/44.1 digital in non-physical format and a £250 DAC is best our hearing can discern for resolution; if best option for speakers is just going active with DSP and bypassing all the speaker amp and preamp dilema... What is left for the post-modern audiophile to do?

Thoughts?

shrug.gif

A radical reappraisal of what you think you know about Hifi, would be a good start. Failing that, you could be an Approved Resident Science Expert.

As long as he doesn't take loads of subjective listening tests as the measure of everything. ;)
 

SolarGlider

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No difference in dac's?

Cables don't matter that much? (more expensive doesn't mean better)

I think I must go to a doctor then since I hear differences

Or maybe a psychiatrist as some of you may think.

Just to give you an example of my working day. (and yes I work on sunday, my boss is a Jew ;)

I just created a very very good tube setup with a Leben CS600 and Verity Finn's and pulled out our race horse dac.

The Accuphase DC901 (extreme example, I know) and threw in an Aurender S10 as musicserver

Then a customer asked if he could hear the Chord Qute EX DSD for comparison.

Let's just say if you couldn't hear the difference I would recommend to get out of this hobby.

I'm not saying the very expensive dac's are always worth it but by god there are differences, (sometimes too small to invest IMHO)

This year alone I listened to 40 different ones and I'm always amazed at how different they sound.

Don't always listen to others, go to a shop where they really know dac's and ask for side to side comparison.
 

Broner

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SolarGlider said:
No difference in dac's?

Cables don't matter that much? (more expensive doesn't mean better)

I think I must go to a doctor then since I hear differences

Or maybe a psychiatrist as some of you may think.

This seems to be a common thingy that just keeps reoccurring. FYI: those who think that cables make no difference generally, usually, just about always, find it perfectly logical and understandable that you do hear a difference. You're only human. It takes quite a bit of rationality to step away from the subjective experiences. It's a pity thought that this point is often so poorly understood. That people disagree with you and feel that the differences you hear are not produced by the system, does not mean that they feel that you are a lunatic.

SolarGlider said:
Just to give you an example of my working day. (and yes I work on sunday, my boss is a Jew ;)

Not funny.

SolarGlider said:
Let's just say if you couldn't hear the difference I would recommend to get out of this hobby.

Right, others are deaf and whatever you hear is completely accurate. Yawn...
 

SolarGlider

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It seems someone got out of the wrong side of bed this morning.

I was trying to get my point across with some satire mixed into it,

unfortunately that just went way over your head.

My boss is a Jew, since they have shops open on sunday I had to work there.

Not being rascist here, just stating fact.

Not going into the cable argument, just felt that what he said was somehow incorrect, especially about dac's.
 

steve_1979

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davedotco said:
It's getting simpler by the day.

Spotify Connect , Nad 7050 and a pair of speakers is still one box too many, how long will we have to wait for a pair of speakers with built in Spotify Connect, Pandora etc, Airplay and the two speakers communicating wirelessly.

The technology is all in place, just needs someone to put it all together.

All that's needed is an AEX plugged into any pair of competent active speakers and away you go. You can use a your phone/tablet as the remote control and you have true hifi sound quality without the need for any more boxes.
 
Vladimir, I don't imagine you really believe your hypothesis at all. As others have said, DACs are surprisingly different given what they do, and despite several firm opinions that cables make little difference, aside from exposing our expectation bias, I think there is more diversity of approach out there than I ever recall (and I've been buying hifi for longer than you've lived!).

You only have to go to a decent HiFi show to hear how different the systems sound, at any price level. With speakers alone there are so many different configurations, the mind boggles. All that said, my recent dalliance with Qobuz (brilliant) and Audio Pro has surprised me how easy any enjoyable listen is to create, but no way does it surpass traditional stereo setups.
 

Vladimir

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Well, as we all know the quintessential audiophile in the 70s fiddled with his turntable tonearm or preamp for years. In the analog days there was so much time and knowledge needed to get things righ. Plenty of trial and errors. However, audiophiles had something to talk about, experiment and do and since they had analog systems a lot of the upgrading and maintanance did result in better sound.

So how would a conversation go today?

- How's your system John? Happy with it?

- Yeah. It's digital so it's good.

- Nice.

- How's yours Michael?

- It's digital.

- So good, eh?

- Yeah.

- Nice.

And it doesn't end up inviting to listen to eachother's gear since the gear doesn't really matter and who invites another man to listen to music together, right? Men went to eachothers homes and audiophile clubs to listen to the gear, not the music. The constant upgrades and fiddling meant you could have back and forward visits for decades.

Need I mentioned inviting a girl to listen to some records in those days?

What you got back home, little sister, to play your fuzzy warbles on? I bet you got little save pitiful, portable picnic players. Come with uncle and hear all proper! Hear angel trumpets and devil trombones. You are invited.
 

Vladimir

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A lot of us today are stuck between the quintessential and the post-modern audiophile, which makes us the modern audiophiles. The post-modern audiophile is still in formation, he is the future.
 

SolarGlider

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Thank you for the apology, but that response was aimed at the post before you.

I know this is a hard fought battle between believers and non-believers but that was not the point of my response.

I was trying to open up some perspective with the OP since he was writing stuff that gave me goose bumps.

I don't even read reviews anymore, I have the luxury of testing most of them out, just wanted to give him some insight on

the little experience I've been given.
 

Native_bon

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SolarGlider said:
No difference in dac's?

Cables don't matter that much? (more expensive doesn't mean better)

I think I must go to a doctor then since I hear differences

Or maybe a psychiatrist as some of you may think.

Just to give you an example of my working day. (and yes I work on sunday, my boss is a Jew ;)

I just created a very very good tube setup with a Leben CS600 and Verity Finn's and pulled out our race horse dac.

The Accuphase DC901 (extreme example, I know) and threw in an Aurender S10 as musicserver

Then a customer asked if he could hear the Chord Qute EX DSD for comparison.

Let's just say if you couldn't hear the difference I would recommend to get out of this hobby.

I'm not saying the very expensive dac's are always worth it but by god there are differences, (sometimes too small to invest IMHO)

This year alone I listened to 40 different ones and I'm always amazed at how different they sound.

Don't always listen to others, go to a shop where they really know dac's and ask for side to side comparison.
WOW.. 40DACS! you listened to.
 

Broner

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SolarGlider said:
Thank you for the apology, but that response was aimed at the post before you.

I know this is a hard fought battle between believers and non-believers but that was not the point of my response.

I was trying to open up some perspective with the OP since he was writing stuff that gave me goose bumps.

I don't even read reviews anymore, I have the luxury of testing most of them out, just wanted to give him some insight on

the little experience I've been given.

If you really want to add something, it would be better if you don't introduce a straw man in the discussion, don't say other people are deaf, and finally don't post an extremely lame racist joke.

Providing perspective is something different entirely.
 

CnoEvil

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SolarGlider said:
Thank you for the apology, but that response was aimed at the post before you.

I know this is a hard fought battle between believers and non-believers but that was not the point of my response.

I was trying to open up some perspective with the OP since he was writing stuff that gave me goose bumps.

I don't even read reviews anymore, I have the luxury of testing most of them out, just wanted to give him some insight on

the little experience I've been given.

I suspected that, hence the deletion.....but the apology stands if it's needed.
 

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