My wife and I love Savannah! We’ve been collecting art (that sounds so 18th century!) for almost 30 years now, and it started with a getaway to Savannah. We bought a couple pieces from a self-trained French Algerian with a studio in Savannah. We still have and love those pieces, and have added many since. And don’t get me started about the low country food scene there - oh my! I’ve always characterized Savannah as a more genteel version of New Orleans.
The Emperor Has No Clothes!!
Read a post the other day where someone characterized a server/streamer as “sweet and tube-like sounding”. It read like a parody. Am thinking of starting a company based on tube rectified power supply for network switch. Crowd funding?
Showing 17 responses by mdalton
But seriously, it’s stuff like this that make all of us the deserving objects of ridicule from our non- audiophile friends. I’m convinced that confirmation bias is the dirty little secret in all our lives that we need to acknowledge before we can move on. Anybody who thinks they’re immune is in denial. On another thread recently, I posted the following: “one more point: confirmation bias is alive and well in car performance, just like audio. Case in point: I have had numerous instances where, right after getting my car washed, I experience this compelling sense that my car handles better - swear to god! Why? Well I’ve just spent an insane amount of money - $36 most recently, before tip! - and now my pride and joy looks beautiful. I’m feeling good, and I’m focused on this amazing machine’s performance in a way I hadn’t during the dog days of January and early February when I kept putting off cleaning the car. So I have an enhanced appreciation of my car’s performance, even though that performance has not changed one iota. It happens every time, even though I know it can’t be real! That’s confirmation bias, and that’s why I’d be a fool not to consider measurements! last point (maybe?) thank god the car wash hasn’t started a marketing campaign that their special mix of soap and wax improves the performance of my S4 and Golf. My god, I might be willing to pay them thousands!!!!!”
Let’s actually discuss this. Has nobody else ever experienced this, or something like it?
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so i used the car example to try to take some of the audiophile mysticism out of the equation. (Another common example is that most people have very different responses to a man with a deep voice saying something, vs. a woman -or man - with a high pitched voice saying the exact same thing.) But back to my car example: I’m a very experienced driver. I’ve been driving high performance cars - mostly manual transmissions - for almost 40 years. So I have a similar passion there to my audio passion. So maybe it’s not quite as good an analogy for others as it is for me. Regardless, in that case, I know that the science tells me what I’m feeling is not an accurate representation of what’s actually happening. Don’t need to measure it because I don’t have any doubt. I could measure it however, though in this case it would be a pain to do so. My approach to audio is very similar. If I feel something that science - or measurements - tell me is not actually accurate, I don’t reject the science. It helps me sort thru my experiences to weed out those that are not an accurate representation of what is actually occurring. That way, I can spend my money where I can be sure it will make a real difference. Of course, maybe my car example is telling me not to overthink it. Maybe if I just enjoy the moment, and let myself be carried away by my passion for my hobby, I don’t need to spend much at all, just put my gear thru a $40 monthly wash, lol!
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Thanks for your comments. On your last point, I would like to apologize for my tone. I did mean to mock an idea, not a person, but I can see how it came off the same way; I’m sorry. And hobestly, I did mean to be click-baitey, but maybe that was a bad decision. My intention - however poorly executed - was to provoke an earnest discussion. |
It is absolutely not personal, but my apology stands. The irony is that my system reflects a complete lack of dogma, including with respect to measurements. I do tubes and vinyl for goodness sakes! I know that the amp in my big rig has a rated signal to noise ratio of “>90 db”. Compare that to the Benchmark or the newest stuff from Simaudio where it’s something north of 120 db. I also know that tubes are inherently more susceptible to noise and I choose to live with both of those limitations, cuz I just love my gear! What I don’t do is try to argue that my stuff is better, or more resolving, than everybody else’s. I know better. But I have developed a passion with respect to the network switch/server/streamer end of things because that’s where I believe there is the greatest amount of misinformation in our hobby. I do not doubt that most of the people responsible for this misinformation - including you - believe very strongly in what they say. But as a long-time audiophile -even longer than my car passion - I feel an obligation to continue to share my views - respectfully - in order to help others in our hobby. One of my favorite management aphorisms is: “Don’t always believe what you think.” It’s a really good lesson to us all.
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carrera 4s is my dream car. I call my chipped Golf R the poor man’s Porsche. After I chipped it, it increased hp from 256 to 311. The S4 is my wife’s (yes, I know, I married the perfect woman); anyway, since it got my car close to the power output of hers (333 hp), she made me chip hers, so it now puts out ~ 430 hp! What Porsche do you drive?
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For the record, I really love my server and all 4 of my streamers. I almost never participate in the vinyl vs. digital debates because it is all so system dependent. I am often amazed at how good my digital side sounds, even though I prefer my vinyl. And I’m willing to entertain the possibility that my preference for vinyl might be a case of confirmation bias. I’m ok with that. A good friend, who is a very high-end digital-only guy recently came to my house to listen to some tunes on one of my two better systems. He made an observation about how much he preferred my vinyl vs. the digital side in that system. I didn’t say anything, but I did not hear the same limitation he did on the digital side. It is quite possible that he was experiencing his own case of confirmation bias cuz he knows I’ve spent more energy - and money - on the vinyl side of that system. Who knows? But it’s certainly not worth arguing about, to me anyway.
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hah! interesting theory on car maintenance there. Need to consult the science, and will get back to you. see @jji666 ’s post above. Tubes on DACs make sense because there is an analog signal involved there. You don’t have to prove anything to me - I try to be very inclusive. I had a used 2000 Audi A4 closing in on 100k miles; was due for a new timing belt, which would have been $$$. When I checked blue book, I realized that my speakers were worth multiples of my car. That’s when I got my 2023 Golf R, which I still have 10+ years later. Have decided not to check blue book again. yes, precisely why I feel compelled to weigh in on these issues when they come up, just to provide an alternative resource for those who are trying to sort things out for themselves.
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Yes, by all accounts, the windows in my big rig are supposed to be hugely detrimental. And yes, it’s a gorgeous room, so there’s no way I’m ever covering that view up. But somehow it works really well, perhaps in part due to the upward sloping ceiling, which you can’t see in the pic. When my local dealer at the time - a legendary figure in room setup - delivered the speakers, he was amazed at how good it sounds. Could it sound better? Am quite sure it could. Check out my vintage system - there I’ve installed acoustic ceiling tiles, and it really sings. But if you ever find yourself in Nortgern Virginia, give me a shout. You will be treated to single malt scotch - if you indulge - and I’ll let you judge for yourself. |
an interesting metaphor indeed. I have frequently been accused of not understanding or embracing the digital side of our hobby whenever I point out the server/streamer craziness out there (and don’t get me started on network switches). But I’ve tried to use knowledge and common sense as a restraint. The irony is I’ve been streaming since about 2004 - I invested considerable $ in the original Yamaha Musiccast system: the MCX-1000 server/streamer/DAC, as well as 3 client A10 streamers. I was an audiophile snob, so didn’t want my home computer touching my audio system. But to |
oops, fat fingers: to finish the thought: I finally realized that the Yamaha stuff was great engineering, but a terrible user interface, which was just getting in the way of musical enjoyment. That’s when I moved to Sonos (~2007 maybe?), before moving to Roon a few years ago. The technology is so good, and so simple, I find it easy to stay out of the candy store. |
Single malt is definitely the best room treatment in my experience. Re windows, yes, I know there’s a lot of dogma out there on this, but my experience with my room has been very positive. There’s a youtuber called “Acoustics Insider” I’ve recently run across who provided a potential explanation why, based on absorption rates of different materials. (Bottom line: at lower frequencies, not much difference between glass and drywall; at higher frequencies, bigger differences, but since high frequency is more directional, glass behind speakers doesn’t matter as much.) YMMV, of course.
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