Point of higher priced streamer?

@audio2design:

“It ain’t what you don’t know that’ll hurt you, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” Mark Twain

A very wise man named John Darko is fond of saying, “If you haven’t heard it, you really don’t know.” If you accept that truism, you can discount about half of what you read on audio forums. Listening to people rant about things they’ve never actually experienced themselves really is the definition of a fool’s errand.

Now, if you buy the idea that ONLY people who have actually heard the audio equipment in question can possibly know what they’re talking about, then you’re faced with the following questions: Are these people are telling the truth about what they have experienced? Or are they merely trying to sell you something? It’s pretty hard to answer those questions definitively.

So,  if you can’t bring yourself to trust any humans, regardless of track record, you might think you can trust “scientific fact.” IF you think that scientific data, by itself, will help you definitively answer the question “What does this equipment sound like?” Then you will be forever disappointed and unhappy. Find another hobby.

The ultimate solution is to put your big boy (or girl) pants on, quit trying to cheat the scientific method, and pay the nominal shipping fees for an in-home audition so that you can hear the product in question with your own ears.

If it makes you smile and want to kiss strangers, the product bloody well works! If you can’t tell whether it works, return the product and consider it a lesson learned. And if you can’t even trust your own ears, audio will drive you and those around you crazy. Do everyone a favor and, for the love of God, find another hobby!

In conclusion, listening to music produced by great audio equipment should make you wildly happy. If it does that, whatever gear you’re using IS FANTASTIC. If your music playback doesn’t regularly thrill you, the whole endeavor is pointless....no matter what anyone says and no matter what the measurements reveal.

The joy of music is all that matters and anyone who claims to know what that’s worth for anyone else, isn’t having nearly enough fun.

But, hey, that’s just, like, my opinion, man!

If someone calls someone “technically illiterate” a person would be well within their rights to ask that you provide a quoted or video captured example that somehow proves or supports the claim of illiteracy. If that proof is not provided, I discount the assertion. Is that not the scientific way? Is that not how we would all want to be treated? Just one link to an example of what you call Mr. Darko’s technical illiteracy. Should only take a minute. Please. Expose him with evidence. 

his article was written in 2014, long after asynchronous USB was dominant for DACs and jitter on USB became meaningless, not to mention bit errors are extremely low.

https://darko.audio/2014/12/global-feedback-can-ethernet-cables-make-a-difference/

This statement is a beaut ...

Then comes the argument that the DAC will resolve all data arrival-timing errors by first buffering them and then re-clocking them before sending them onto the decoder chip. That’s a nice idea in theory but experience tells us otherwise.

I have a hard time finding even one blind Darko test which calls into question everything he says.


Please explain why this article demonstrates “technical illiteracy”. And I don’t understand the last sentence in your post. Humor me and clarify, please.

@audio2design,

No insult intended. Just offering some wisdom that was not my own. Twain was warning people to be wary of certitude. Ignorance, which plagues me and the rest of the world, is not nearly as dangerous as being certain about something that turns out to be untrue. Scientists are just as vulnerable to this trap as “flat earthers.” Many scientific discoveries remained elusive because some scientists claimed those discoveries were “impossible.” The more someone is certain they are right, the more skeptical I become of his/her position. But that’s just me. Similarly, I am skeptical of people casting aspersions on other people’s character when they don’t personally know the person they’re disparaging. Do you know Mr. Darko? Maybe you don’t know whether he’s “technically illiterate.” Are you certain?

Uhm, no hoop. I asked you to explain your position. You have and now I am going to go enjoy my fancy streamer. ;-)

Of the eight or nine streamers I have auditioned in my own system, I hear the biggest SQ differences between streamers whose manufacturers take power management and design seriously and those who do not. Additionally, vibration damping and build quality of digital outputs appear to have some impact on the SQ I have heard. That said, I’ve never found the SQ differences between competently constructed and designed streamers and DACs to be nearly as dramatic and obvious as, say, phono cartridges or even between high quality versus poorly made vinyl record pressings. But I’ve only heard a small portion of the devices available for purchase.  That said, any product that reduces “digital listening fatigue” is something I’m willing to pony up a bit of cash for...within the limits of my budget and priorities. Suffice it to say, getting the entire digital recording and playback chain “right” is no walk in the park. My hat is off to any designer or company that manages to make digitally reproduced music more faithfully resemble the original sound that was recorded.

PSAudio’s digital guru, Ted Smith, has some interesting thoughts on digital theory versus actual practice and listening experience. He posts frequently on their forums. No one is perfect, but he seems to have the knowledge, experience and practical expertise to explain many phenomena and the humility to shrug his shoulders about others. I hear what I hear and I am merely fascinated by what we discover as we learn more. There was a time when people doubted that minor firmware changes in DACS could result in clear changes in audible performance. Ted knows why. I heard those audible differences before I ever heard him explain it. My ears are my ultimate authority for what I purchase. I respect the scientific expertise necessary to build those products. I do not need to fully understand the science to enjoy the results. Nor am I troubled by those who doubt what I hear. All streamers are not created equal. That is what my ears tell me. If they all sound the same to someone else, I say, “Be Well and Prosper.”

@ Audio2design...I “suspect” this may be your goal on this thread:

https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2hwqn9

This thread is pretty typical. Here’s what happens: Somebody posts a question about whether “size really matters.” Then a bunch of other people weigh in. Before long, somebody shows up to lecture everyone about how he or she is the authority and proves it by saying something like “volume times mass does not result in velocity necessary for total accuracy.” Occasionally, somebody will opine some cliche, like, “It aint the meat, it’s the motion.” Then it gets really heated, shots are fired and everyone moves on. Meanwhile, real players have all the fun. ;-)