Do equipment stands have an impact on electronics?

Have you ever done tests like this? I have, many times. I wish more people would! Here’s one that plays a very nasty harsh noise under gentle classical music, and then under a synthesizer based pop tune:

http://ethanwiner.com/audibility.html

I first looked at that link 2-3 years ago.

IMO/IME, this is a good example of testing for the wrong thing!!

Done as this test is, it does not reveal the problem. I agree (obviously) that you don't hear the artifacts (**as I stated in my post above**); what you **do** hear is that the sound is brighter and harder than the source, because the ear/brain system converts the "inaudible" artifacts into tonality.

Because the tonality is caused by the ear's perception and not an actual FR error, it does not show up on the bench. Hence the objectivist/subjectivist debate and the need to understand how the ear works.

I'm not sure if you understand this, but its the tonality and the accompanying hardness to which audiophiles object.

atmasphere = Zen Master

No Ralph, my test is exactly right on the money. I'm sorry you can't see that. If you were here I'd play the various clips for you blind, and I am absolutely certain you would not be able to identify which clips are "clean" and which have the buried noise. Since you're far away, maybe someone reading this discussion who lives near me is brave enough to visit and let me test them blind. But I doubt that will happen either, because I've been offering such visits for many years. Even when they live only a few towns away they refuse, making up endless BS excuses. So this nonsense that an obvious A/B comparison is somehow invalid continues year after year.

Hey wait, I have an idea! Tell me if you agree before I spend the hour or so this will take: I'll prepare clips of the same two examples in my Audibility article, but they'll be longer and I won't tell you there the nasty noise starts and stops. I'll put them on my site and post the links, then you'll play the clips and tell me where you think the noise is present. Then I'll tell you if you're correct or not. If you fear I'd lie about the locations, I'll be glad to email the answers in advance to a disinterested third party. Deal?

Also, Ralph, I’ll be glad to entertain any test you care to describe that will prove you can hear what you claim. Please, let’s do this and settle it for once and for all. You owe it to your fans here to truly prove your case.

I hate to sound pedantic but there are a great many reasons why stock untreated CDs right out of the box played on stock untreated CD players frequently sound pretty terrible. And it’s not the recording folks. It’s not that it’s an early CD and it’s not because the bit rates aren’t high enough. Allow me to summarize why CDs often sound terrible. You can also visit my web page where I explain all the gory details. Most of these issues are inherent to the design of the CD and the CD player. A few are out of our control.

Why Do CDs Sound So Horrible,

http://machinadynamica.com/machina35.htm


1. CDs not demagnetized
2. CDs static charge not neutralized
3. CD Player not isolated
4. Scattered background laser light getting into the photodetector, both the visible and invisible portions
5. The magnetic fields produced by large transformers are degrading the sound
6. CD not absolutely level whilst spinning
7. CD Resonating
8. Fuse in wrong direction
9. Interconnects in wrong direction
10. Most CDs especially audiophile CDs are in reverse absolute polarity
11. Most CDs in the past 20 years are overly compressed, especially those released recently

geoff kait
machina dynamica