better audio quality
- Thread starter Pablihifi
- Start date
The neighsayers are either tone deaf, argumentative for the sake of it, completely ignorant or in some degree full of bitter envy. As I said I am happy to take any so called qualified person or audiophile sit them down in my room and take a blind test. People agree that amps sound different alongside dac implementations, turntables and anything else HiFi or audio but say it’s not possible with cables, it’s honestly not worth the argument. Personally I always hear enough of a difference to happily upgrade any cable digital and analogue once tested and if funds permit then sit and enjoy the benefits of what a cleaner more protected, better built road provides in allowing the signal to travel with less hinderance. It’s a bit like life itself and probably everything on the entire planet…(apart from cables?) you get the picture. Rivers always take the easiest route as do Humans just take a look in the park or woodlands. Electricity is no different.that's very interesting what you share thanks. i've had similar experiences with upgrading my power supplies and cables.
recently i've been delving deeper into vibration/resonance control - and it's pretty interesting stuff. forgot that i had some material for my snake oil thread. will add to it soon!
i know some of the lads on here will make fun of me but it's cool. as long as they have smiles on their faces, i'm good!
Brantome
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2022
- Messages
- 6,851
Let’s keep comments courteous please - I don’t hear any difference between cables and would resent being placed in any of those categories
Brantome
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2022
- Messages
- 6,851
True, we all have our own experiences and opinions that we’re entitled to relate or express, but that doesn’t give us the liberty to insult those who don’t share those. Maybe I wish I could hear a difference but the fact is I don’t and that shouldn’t open me or others to casual opprobium - maybe we should be charitably pitied insteadWith all respect, @Brantome. I claim the same for me, as one who hear differences. Subtle often, and for sure not in the digital domain. And because that I am more often called a moron, un-educated or a money thrower who gets into the infamous traps of "the high-end mafia". And do not want to be placed in those categories too. Love to spend my money for nice things
Brantome
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Oct 20, 2022
- Messages
- 6,851
I’m so old I remember when transistor sound was in the future.
Old doesn’t equate to wise, but I will impart an observation.
I’ve heard all this rhetoric for 60 years. Only the objects change. The style of argument hasn’t changed.
In 60 years, speakers have become marginally better than the AR3a, mostly in sound staging.
Recording equipment has improved, and digital media have eliminated clicks and pops. But the gains in ability to hear and enjoy music have been marginal.
Prices, adjusted for inflation, are way down, for adequate equipment.
Old doesn’t equate to wise, but I will impart an observation.
I’ve heard all this rhetoric for 60 years. Only the objects change. The style of argument hasn’t changed.
In 60 years, speakers have become marginally better than the AR3a, mostly in sound staging.
Recording equipment has improved, and digital media have eliminated clicks and pops. But the gains in ability to hear and enjoy music have been marginal.
Prices, adjusted for inflation, are way down, for adequate equipment.
Skull
Active member
- Joined
- Jun 20, 2024
- Messages
- 151
Toys for the boys is a goal we can all agree onBut isn't it reason enough to do it just for fun?
For the digital part of my stereo I use what is already in the house. Reasonable solid manufactured, but not really expensive. Because it isn't really important (for me).
Things are totally different where my heart is, in my turntable related analog gear. Over the years some will for sure name it "insane throwing a fortune out of the windows". As long as I can I will do it further. Although, with 72 and everything settled, no debts and more than enough for the remaining lifetime - for whom the f... shall I save my money? The succession duty in Germany is ridiculous high. So let the cables, cartridges and so on come
Turntables are works of art, and are appreciated as such. Cartridges are electro-mechanical devices that are appreciated for all kinds of reasons.
I personally admire insane functionalism. My first turntable was an AR. When it was a new thing. My current and last TT is a Technics 1200. Aside from the fact that they have no gross functional imperfections, I love the Spartan simplicity. No waste.
My preference is just as personal and irrational as someone’s love for cables. It’s just cheaper.
And yes, I’m Scottish.
I personally admire insane functionalism. My first turntable was an AR. When it was a new thing. My current and last TT is a Technics 1200. Aside from the fact that they have no gross functional imperfections, I love the Spartan simplicity. No waste.
My preference is just as personal and irrational as someone’s love for cables. It’s just cheaper.
And yes, I’m Scottish.
steadyshot
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2023
- Messages
- 795
No to all you said except the optical connection which has obvious advantages and can be ideal again based on the implementation (transmitter/receiver and cable). Your views are simplistic to a fault and outdated. Data intactness does not rule out distortion when the signal reaches the analogue domain. And of course high resolution recordings bring benefits in helping the dac reconstruction filter. The importance of those benefits may seem small when compared to speakers performance , subwoofer integration, low room rt60 etc but in the end contribute to the end goal which is fatigue free undistorted performance at reference volume levels.
Last edited:
Cite a real world example of digital data “inactness” resulting from cabling.
When streaming, do we need to worry about distortion from internet transmission hardware? Coax, fiber, satellite, 5G?
steadyshot
Major Contributor
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2023
- Messages
- 795
Data is intact no doubt... did not say that it is not. Yes we need to worry about noise that is carried electrically from router to streamer and from streamer to dac. That becomes distortion when the signal is converted to analogue by the dac and then amplified by the amp.
It is what carried in “excess”…
Last edited:
It’s possible for RF to enter a component and get picked up by the analog stages, but this vulnerability would certainly affect measured S/N.
I find it difficult to believe that competent engineers don’t take countermeasures, because class D amps live on RF.
waldo
Member
With a gofundme link to help us afford these physical enhancements (cables) all subject to a steep law of diminishing returns...[snip] - maybe we should be charitably pitied instead
waldo
Member
By the way, what type of ethernet cable is or isn't recommended between the WiiM device and the switch or router? I profess befuddlement with the choices: STP, UTP, or floating thereof .... My tiny home has old ethernet cables filling up corners in the closet; most are 5 or 5e, some are cheap Monoprice "snagless" cat6 that snag anyway (hate those), and now we have cat7, cat8 and the connectors that are plastic or metal-shrouded, some additionally gold-plated ....
Well, cat5 is good to a hundred Mbits, and audio takes not more than 5.
waldo
Member
More deer-in-headlight Qs from me ... Are these record weights assured not to have a negative impact? My old Dual 1242 seems to have a strong motor, and I've thought about using a weight over the spindle, but not sure I'd just be sending the Dual to an earlier grave ....
