Sound Quality Vs. Measurements

[wahab]

Originally Posted by Jay

I think differential equation is basic Math.

Most if not all maths tools used in engineering are at least
one hundred years old.

I would rather say that there are differential equations that are basic...

Originally Posted by Jay

.

If you're not a coffee lover for example, what will you feel if I told you that you have no idea of good coffee?

I like coffee. Arabica is 90% better than Robusta. And Nescafe is not real coffee. It is strange, but I can easily relate coffee quality with its price. In a coffee grocery near my house, coffee are displayed from the cheapest to the most expensive. And my preference is exactly as the price rank. So is with Starbuck coffee sold in aluminum or plastic package. I know which one is the cheap one and which one is the expensive one from tasting it.

An American friend today told me that his favorite coffee cost around $1 half a kilo (brand is Kopi Luwak) and he doesn't like the real Luwak Coffee which is very expensive. So if you really think that OPA627 opamp is as great as a Burson discrete opamp, then you have to remember this story.

Of course this is not addressed towards dvv personally, because I value his ears and experience...

Agree about good coffee being invariably expensive but it s somewhat
stretching the logic that to extend it to audio where it is very often
quite the contrary , i.e , expensive gear being in fact rubbish..

[scott wurcer]

I like coffee. Arabica is 90% better than Robusta. And Nescafe is not real coffee.

I agree, out of respect for dvv I did not feel compelled to make comment on his Nescafe or Tabasco use. Tabasco has a strong flavor and completely alien to Europe and Asia at least if I wanted just some hotness there are some neutral flavored extracts available. The thought of ordering a nice fillet of Charolais beef in Paris and putting hot sauce on it is rather too much, like the ugly American cliche. When my local freind serves his Segedinský guláš I would never think of adding anything (it is not hot spicey).

One of my favorite experiences was in the Grande Place Brussels where the waiter brought out a big 32 oz bottle of Heinz "for the Americans" and I asked for the mayo instead.

[scott wurcer]

I've been informed BTW that our time is no longer running out, recent discovery of Mayan calendars going on and on insure our future after all. New avatar is now needed.

[jacco vermeulen]

To some, difference between Arabica and Robusta is very large.
Having coffee from Robusta beans results in heavy transpiring, heart rate going giddyup, insomnia, upset stomach, especially in combination with a habit of eating a lot of chili paste.
I'm somewhat of an espresso junkie, pure arabica, from early morning till late evening, zero problems.

I make my sambal fresh once a week, have been for over 40 years (cut my ration down from +1lb to half a pound a week a couple of years ago though).
Regular chili pepper stuff in a jar barely tastes other than salty.
(also smoke kretek cigarettes whenever i can get hold of some since childhood days)

For hotties, Tabasco is kid stuff, barely hot and not exactly tasty, last resort when all else ran out.
In gulash, i use this stuff from Spain : Pumpkin Preamp - Perfect for F4

(Italian food and chili is a crime, save pasta with aglio, olio, and peperoncino)

[SY]

Tabasco is industrial crap. Ortego is the Real Thing. Allen Ortego used to make this in his garage using his homegrown chiles. He was quite proud of a letter he received from the McIlhennys expressing relief that he wasn't mass producing because indeed his sauce was better. Old Cajun fellow, wonderful story teller- and great sauce. That's what you'd find on the tables at K-Paul back in the day.

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[SY]

Originally Posted by jacco vermeulen

(Italian food and chili is a crime, save pasta with aglio, olio, and peperoncino)

Tell that to the Sicilians. Mmmm, arrabiata!

We should probably confine this to the Food thread in the Lounge.

[bcarso]

Originally Posted by scott wurcer

I've been informed BTW that our time is no longer running out, recent discovery of Mayan calendars going on and on insure our future after all. New avatar is now needed.

Whew! That's a relief.

Besides giving the end of the world a miss, the proprietor of deoxy.org will have a little more time to prepare; his site started up years ago (along with an open chatroom that was the first I encountered) predicated on Terence McKenna's Time Wave Zero writings, which saw an enormous "novelty" spike around the winter solstice of 2012.

[dvv]

Originally Posted by Jay

While dvv is in this thread, I will comment his experience with Nescafe and relate that to the audio sound quality.

Usually audio people are very sensitive when they are told that they don't have ears for sound. That they have no clear idea of what supposed to be a good sound. They tend to say that it is a pure subjective area, highly affected by personal taste and preference, and there is no line of true correlation between good sound and perceived sound.

If you're not a coffee lover for example, what will you feel if I told you that you have no idea of good coffee?

I like coffee. Arabica is 90% better than Robusta. And Nescafe is not real coffee. It is strange, but I can easily relate coffee quality with its price. In a coffee grocery near my house, coffee are displayed from the cheapest to the most expensive. And my preference is exactly as the price rank. So is with Starbuck coffee sold in aluminum or plastic package. I know which one is the cheap one and which one is the expensive one from tasting it.

An American friend today told me that his favorite coffee cost around $1 half a kilo (brand is Kopi Luwak) and he doesn't like the real Luwak Coffee which is very expensive. So if you really think that OPA627 opamp is as great as a Burson discrete opamp, then you have to remember this story.

Of course this is not addressed towards dvv personally, because I value his ears and experience...

Actually, DVV is ONLY in this thread - I like the company and the thread.

Regarding coffee, I am not even going to start naming all the coffees I have tried in Africa, Asia, Europe and North America. Most important, I have had the pleasure of trying it as the locals traditionally make it. I see that just as important as the quality of coffee itself.

Culturally, coffee is probably the most important item locally. In Serbia, we see coffee as one of life's great pleasures. It is a traditional welcoming beverage, when you have guest - God forbid that you should fail to offer coffee, that's taken as an insult. You are free to decilne, of course, but God help the host who doesn't offer it.

Saying that Nescafe or Maxwell House are not coffees is rather extreme for me. True, they are processed coffee types, industrial versions, but that's not to say they are no longer coffee. They are simply fast versions of the traditional beverage. In fact, given the choice, I best like to order a double espresso with a glass of water, so I can blend it just the way I feel like at that particular moment. Followed by a Pepsi.

Just in case the mention of OPA627 was for my benefit, I have to disappoint you, because I have never even seen it, let alone heard it. Somehow, I never managed to obtain a pair to try it out, nor am I praticularly interested in it. Much like John, I prefer discrete all the way because that way I get to keep complete control over the sound, and I can mix and mact transistors as per their specific job in the circuit.

However, I do use for example LF411CN for the DC servo, and I do use LM393 for the protection circuits. I would have no trouble using say 3916 for a LED display, etc. In other words, op amps are great for secondary functions, in which they have practically nothing to do with the actual sound.

I make no claims about this approach, that's how I do it, and if someone wants to use discrete transistors to make that same LED display, that's their buisness.

But I repeat - they have come a long way, and are now a valid alternative approach to what I'd call "Mid Fi" sector, i.e. the cost conscious sector of the market. Also, judicious use of them can do much for the low cost audio devices. However, the best will still be made using discrete technology, I believe, right or wrong.

[dvv]

Originally Posted by scott wurcer

I've been informed BTW that our time is no longer running out, recent discovery of Mayan calendars going on and on insure our future after all. New avatar is now needed.

Seriously, Scott?

Would you mind posting a link, or something? I'd be much obliged.

[dvv]

Originally Posted by SY

Tabasco is industrial crap. Ortego is the Real Thing. Allen Ortego used to make this in his garage using his homegrown chiles. He was quite proud of a letter he received from the McIlhennys expressing relief that he wasn't mass producing because indeed his sauce was better. Old Cajun fellow, wonderful story teller- and great sauce. That's what you'd find on the tables at K-Paul back in the day.

Anchorage Daily News - Google News Archive Search

OK, SY, you have convinced me - shall I send you my address so you can send me samples?

I should add that I am an old hot sauce user, and that I never miss a chance to try a new one out. So far, the best I ever got was in a Mongolian restaurant in Taipei, Taiwan, way back in 1992.

Until I find better, I make sure I have that red Tabasco bottle in my bag; it may not be the best, but it's freely available just about anywhere. Although some Vietnamese and Chinese sauces available locally are giving it a run for its money.