Pro vs hifi drivers - pros and cons?

[gedlee]

Originally Posted by Brett

HD formats require HDNMI and a receiver capable of decoding them. SPDIF will pass out standard AC3/DTS, not HD.

Is that a typo - do you mean HDMI? So there is no way to get the HD audio from a PC? Or is it output on the HDMI video card output? This has always been a mystery to me because the video players are sadly lacking in info on this point.

Let me appologize for getting so far off topic. Is there somehwere that I should post this question that would make more sense?

[Brett]

Originally Posted by gedlee

Is that a typo - do you mean HDMI? So there is no way to get the HD audio from a PC? Or is it output on the HDMI video card output? This has always been a mystery to me because the video players are sadly lacking in info on this point.

Yes, typo, meant HDMI.
Lots of PC's have HDMI capability these days, but I'm not sure of the details as I don't use a HTPC, just BR -> projector + AVR

Originally Posted by gedlee

Let me appologize for getting so far off topic. Is there somehwere that I should post this question that would make more sense?

AVS Forums. Here is an excellent, and very long thread on HTPC construction details. Link takes you to latest system recs.

[gedlee]

Originally Posted by Brett

Yes, typo, meant HDMI.
Lots of PC's have HDMI capability these days, but I'm not sure of the details as I don't use a HTPC, just BR -> projector + AVR

AVS Forums. Here is an excellent, and very long thread on HTPC construction details. Link takes you to latest system recs.

My PC is HDMI, but I go from the PC directly to the projector. If I get a new receiver I suppose that I could go from the PC to the receiver with HDMI and then on to the projector from the receiver HDMI output. This should then strip off the HD audio and send the video to the projector as is done now. Sound reasonable?

[45]

Originally Posted by markus76

Olive showed that trained and untrained listeners had the same preferences. See Audio Musings by Sean Olive: Part 1- Do Untrained Listeners Prefer the Same Loudspeakers as Trained Listeners?
Furthermore the subject at hand is sound reproduction. This is a rather global cultural phenomenon. Just look at all the different flags here at diyaudio.com.

Best, Markus

Do 300 people represent a statistically representative sample of the entire population of the world? Why? If the difference between trained and untrained does not exist why they insist in specifying every time their listeners are trained?
I see many different flags here but I would not say people preferences are so "flat". In that figure it looks like people have been grouped according to their overall choice. If you take into account why people prefer one loudspeaker over the others the error bars on that graph would be so big that you could not conclude anything.

[45]

I can't see any description about the error bars on that graph. They talk about the F-statics about the preference of trained listeners over untrained but a trained listener is still a person whose preferences could change o not, could change a little bit o substantially from one time to another according to their experience (in their real everyday life).

[SY]

Originally Posted by 45

I can't see any description about the error bars on that graph.

Did you read section 3 of the paper?

[45]

Their training is based on a limited number of specific things that could be of little interest for a music lover or a normal person that in end are the consumers!
Audio Musings by Sean Olive: listener training
As usual it is mostly based on frequency response and tonal balance and distortion. Is it exhaustive?
It is their standard. You could be biased as well.
In fact they conclude that students are the less reliable because they have little experience with high quality systems. However students could be the most reliable because they are not biased and what they listen to is not so strikingly "better" as the testers think.
On one thing I absolutely agree, it is speculation.....
Why don't they test persons untrained about hifi with a lot of experience with music? Both musicians and common people.

[doug20]

Originally Posted by thoriated

Even four - five years later, AC-3 is required on every DVD - what can I say? Maybe for grins, I'll check some DVD latest release racks and see - be kinda embarrassing if most were still AC-3 only, wouldn't it?

Checking what is on a standard DVD is like buying CDs.....no one needs to any more at all.

The discussion of audio content on movies here is all about what is available on BluRay.

[doug20]

Originally Posted by 45

Their training is based on a limited number of specific things that could be of little interest for a music lover or a normal person that in end are the consumers!
Audio Musings by Sean Olive: listener training
As usual it is mostly based on frequency response and tonal balance and distortion. Is it exhaustive?
It is their standard. You could be biased as well.
In fact they conclude that students are the less reliable because they have little experience with high quality systems. However students could be the most reliable because they are not biased and what they listen to is not so strikingly "better" as the testers think.
On one thing I absolutely agree, it is speculation.....
Why don't they test persons untrained about hifi with a lot of experience with music? Both musicians and common people.

They have, I believe Harman has done all kinds of tests with all sorts of people. You can just email Sean and ask any questions. He is a great guy to have discussions with.

[doug20]

Originally Posted by Brett

Emotiva UMC1
$700

HD formats require HDNMI and a receiver capable of decoding them. SPDIF will pass out standard AC3/DTS, not HD.

The Emotiva has been talked about for 2 years, its JUST coming out now. Pre-orders are being shipped for december but others will not see their new pre/pro until 2009.

Im a big fan of Emotiva products (The amps) generally but they drop the ball on the UMC-1 with the LONG delay. I wouldnt touch the first version, let others deal with the bugs so that means summer 2010....That means its outdated and the Onkyo 886 is a better purchase at that point (its $1K now) with the avialable PRO Audyssey correct system.



Lots of OT stuff now