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kippyk
·With all due respect, just because you cannot hear the difference of cables etc, it doesn’t not mean that others cannot hear it or that there are systems that will reveal the differences.
Best
For the Hi-Fi enthusiasts among us...
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pkaye6
·The sooner you start listening to music and stop listening to cables, the happier you will be. That is my advice to individuals suffering from audiophile delusion syndrome. Also, spending money on bourbon vs exotic cables will also enhance your listening experience.
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sxl2004
·The sooner you start listening to music and stop listening to cables, the happier you will be. That is my advice to individuals suffering from audiophile delusion syndrome. Also, spending money on bourbon vs exotic cables will also enhance your listening experience.
I just stated that one can hear it.
The inference you make is solely based on your prejudices and not on my preferences or system.😎
This reminds me why I haven’t visited a HiFi forum in a while.
People who know what is best for me 😂
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Archer
··Omega Qualified Watchmaker
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redzer007
·Best thing I did was to remember to listen to the music rather than the system. There was a point i forgot about the music and got obsessed with trying to hear things. These days good enough is good enough. Love the value to be had in 20 and 30 year old gear, and I like the chi-fi stuff, also some good value to be had there,.think next little system will be 1kish streaming system of chi-fi gear..wiim,.fosi etc, monoblock for 300, gotta give that a go 😀 just need to find somewhere to put it.
For any 90s dnb people, Adam F released colours revisited today. Spent the evening giving that a listen.
For any 90s dnb people, Adam F released colours revisited today. Spent the evening giving that a listen.
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Archer
··Omega Qualified WatchmakerBest thing I did was to remember to listen to the music rather than the system. There was a point i forgot about the music and got obsessed with trying to hear things.
Of course once the selection is made, then the music takes priority…
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Jakeys
·The inference you make is solely based on your prejudices and not on my preferences or system.😎
Maybe when it comes to speakers and other transducers. Certainly not when it comes to equipment like cables. The inference made there is in respect to objective evidence proving they don't make an audible difference, no matter how expensive the rest of your gear. Electrical signals can be measured, should you wish to. Anyway, Archer is right, we will never agree on this topic. If you feel that you hear a difference and that makes you happy, that's all that matters.
For any 90s dnb people, Adam F released colours revisited today. Spent the evening giving that a listen.
I am in that camp. I looked up the vinyl price... YIKES. $153 AUD. I think I'll just be sticking to streaming that one!
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redzer007
·I am most certainly listening to “the gear” because that is the entire point of trying new gear
I am in that camp. I looked up the vinyl price... YIKES. $153 AUD.
Wow, mine was pre ordered, 53 Eur, it's 3xLP , they run at 45 rpm. Expensive but worth it to me. For the record, think I prefer the original
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rob#1
·I see this a lot too. Audio equipment hobbyists are a fascinating bunch. There's no other hobby I'm engaged in where there is still so much fundamental disagreement and dogmatic opinions, on both sides. Part of the issue is it's been proven time and time again that our hearing is unreliable and very subject to placebo and bias, but some audiophiles insist they have superhuman and infallible hearing. I recall Rob Watts (of Chord) making a self-aggrandising claim that he could hear minute differences in the noise floor at a decibel level well below the threshold of ordinary human hearing. Someone calculated it and determined he was essentially claiming he could hear a mosquito buzzing on the moon from the UK. Can't find the chart now unfortunately, but it was very funny.
I think I might have already commented this a few pages ago but I own and enjoy listening to vinyl occasionally, but I don't claim that the format is superior to digital formats, i.e. lossless audio CDs or files. It absolutely, objectively is not. As far as I'm concerned, CD is still the king of physical audio formats. What vinyl is though, is fun and engaging to play, and sometimes the source of superior masters or versions of albums. Plus it's nostalgic and I wouldn't argue with anyone who wanted a fully analog signal chain for that reason alone.
Bizarrely the most successful format in this test was DCC, but I don’t see many people using this format these days (killed off similar to Betamax). What I took away from the experience was that different people hear different things differently, and how important the source material is.
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hen
·I can hear the difference between a bad system and a good system, but not a good system and an exelent system. That has saved me lots of money.
I can fully understand the listen to the music people. When my adiophile mates started listening to music they didn`t really like, because of the dynamics in the recording or something like that, I continued listening to what I liked. I found out that my music didn`t really need the fancy equipment, becase recordings weren`t always the best anyway on rock, punk and ska. So I kept my old stereo I bought used when I was 18 and had fu upgrading it with cheaper things like pick-up and cables. Still got it, but the bearing in the turn table are worn out and the amp has a ground failure somewere.
I do uderstan the joy of getting a new better component in the audiosystem, audiophiles are much like watch people that way.
I can fully understand the listen to the music people. When my adiophile mates started listening to music they didn`t really like, because of the dynamics in the recording or something like that, I continued listening to what I liked. I found out that my music didn`t really need the fancy equipment, becase recordings weren`t always the best anyway on rock, punk and ska. So I kept my old stereo I bought used when I was 18 and had fu upgrading it with cheaper things like pick-up and cables. Still got it, but the bearing in the turn table are worn out and the amp has a ground failure somewere.
I do uderstan the joy of getting a new better component in the audiosystem, audiophiles are much like watch people that way.
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kippyk
·Some random thoughts....
Does the same beer taste better or worse depending on when you drink it? Do you enjoy watching the same movie differently depending on when you see it? Does the same audio equipment sound better or worse depending on when you listen to it?
Listening to music is a complex psychological and emotional reaction. The stereo equipment is the same but the listener is constantly changing.
Audio magazines are/were awful rags and almost pure propaganda. Great for audio porn though.
The listening room is part of the audio system. Probably the most important item that people do not think about.
The mastering of the recording (digital or analog) matters the most over format. A "well-mastered" digital recording is the world I prefer. Cheap, easy, and sounds great. I really do not understand vinyl mastered from digital sources when you can actually acquire the digital source.
I used to sell professional audio equipment, louder with more bass always sounds better to the customer when comparing systems.
McIntosh used to laugh at the people at trade shows asking about exotic spaeker cable in the old days (70's, early 80's). They were using basically lamp cord. Then they saw the lines of interested customers looking to spend money on the cables at competitor's booths. The customer is always right, and they changed their tune instantly.
Does the same beer taste better or worse depending on when you drink it? Do you enjoy watching the same movie differently depending on when you see it? Does the same audio equipment sound better or worse depending on when you listen to it?
Listening to music is a complex psychological and emotional reaction. The stereo equipment is the same but the listener is constantly changing.
Audio magazines are/were awful rags and almost pure propaganda. Great for audio porn though.
The listening room is part of the audio system. Probably the most important item that people do not think about.
The mastering of the recording (digital or analog) matters the most over format. A "well-mastered" digital recording is the world I prefer. Cheap, easy, and sounds great. I really do not understand vinyl mastered from digital sources when you can actually acquire the digital source.
I used to sell professional audio equipment, louder with more bass always sounds better to the customer when comparing systems.
McIntosh used to laugh at the people at trade shows asking about exotic spaeker cable in the old days (70's, early 80's). They were using basically lamp cord. Then they saw the lines of interested customers looking to spend money on the cables at competitor's booths. The customer is always right, and they changed their tune instantly.
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Pastorbottle
·I s'pose it true of all hobbies to an extent: Wherever there are rabbit holes to get lost in, there are bunnies ripe for exploitation......the trick is, to not be seen wearing your long fluffy ears and cotton tail when you dive in, that way the unscrupulous predictors wont easily recognise you as prey!
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Larry S
··Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.Re: Cables … I believe in quality interconnects, XLR where possible, Good quality speaker cable appropriately specified for the run length. I had been drinking the power cord cool aid over at the audio forum. Called a well known, well loved US on line retailer. “”I think I need to look into upgrading power cords.”Said I to the rep. After a quick discussion of my current gear, inc interconnects and purchase history… “You don’t need to waste your money. If you really want to, I’ll happily take it though.” proceeded to tell me that the reps were put through A/B tests and most could not discern a difference. “Do you really think that Rotel, Marantz, Denon Yamaha go to all the trouble of design work and then risk it all by providing a crap power cord? “ One of the reasons I continue to buy from this retailer with ABT just two miles away.
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Jakeys
·Re: Cables … I believe in quality interconnects, XLR where possible, Good quality speaker cable appropriately specified for the run length.
Using XLR for balanced if you need it and appropriate gauge speaker wire for the impedance and distance I'm definitely onboard with. Using the $20,000 "directional" 16 AWG with weird wooden bits attached to it instead of the $5 16 AWG from the local electronics store I am far less onboard with. Though I do have some fancier sleeved wiring with banana plugs because it's just nicer to run and connect.
As far as interconnects, I don't have balanced speaker equipment, though I do have balanced headphones but that's a different thing. For my interconnects, I replaced everything with AmazonBasics RCA a while ago. Very nice quality metal connectors, very thick and pliable cable, measured to be as audibly transparent as Mogami Gold with slightly better noise rejection, probably due to the thicker shielding, although way beyond the limit of human hearing so non issue either way.
In a pinch once, I used one channel of a 3 metre long cable to connect a coaxial S/PDIF source temporarily, and it worked perfectly. I think that says something about their quality as well.
My vinyl preamp functions as an ADC so I connect that to my amp via TOSLINK optical to help with galvanic isolation.
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🤣
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vibe
·For the vinyl purists out there...
https://www.headphonesty.com/2025/02/vinyl-records-gone-digital-process/
So really, comparisons of digital are really beside the point, it is just another way to enjoy music.
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sxl2004
·Finally got a TT cover for the TD124 with SME3012 12” arm. Some modification needed but now it has the protection from cleaners and cats.
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Larry S
··Color Commentator for the Hyperbole.Using XLR for balanced if you need it and appropriate gauge speaker wire for the impedance and distance I'm definitely onboard with. Using the $20,000 "directional" 16 AWG with weird wooden bits attached to it instead of the $5 16 AWG from the local electronics store I am far less onboard with. Though I do have some fancier sleeved wiring with banana plugs because it's just nicer to run and connect.
As far as interconnects, I don't have balanced speaker equipment, though I do have balanced headphones but that's a different thing. For my interconnects, I replaced everything with AmazonBasics RCA a while ago. Very nice quality metal connectors, very thick and pliable cable, measured to be as audibly transparent as Mogami Gold with slightly better noise rejection, probably due to the thicker shielding, although way beyond the limit of human hearing so non issue either way.
In a pinch once, I used one channel of a 3 metre long cable to connect a coaxial S/PDIF source temporarily, and it worked perfectly. I think that says something about their quality as well.
My vinyl preamp functions as an ADC so I connect that to my amp via TOSLINK optical to help with galvanic isolation.
