Another big opamp listening test

Which of the files you prefer by listening?

  • aa

    Votes: 6 22.2%
  • bb

    Votes: 13 48.1%
  • cc

    Votes: 8 29.6%
  • dd

    Votes: 7 25.9%

  • Total voters
    27
  • Poll closed .
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Karl, I am receiving questions if it would be possible to hide votes in the poll from public, before the poll is closed. I do not know, but you, as a moderator, do you have an idea? Shall I send a PM?

We can run a hidden poll if you like. It would have to be made clear that all votes were to be by pm, and with no discussion of what is a favourite so as to avoid influencing others.
 
1. It would be nice if there was somewhere people could privately send listening impressions prior to the end of the poll. Then maybe people would be less inclined to blab early. In addition, if somebody does blab, then there is a record of who described listening impressions prior to the blabing. That way there should not be suspicions that the earlier reports were biased by hearing the blab. And the impressions that were received can be revealed at the end, along with the times tamp when they were received.

I strongly support that. You could argue that the mere fact that the results of the poll are shown in real time with people blabbing about it largely invalidates the results, as in 'waste of time'. 😉

Jan
 
And I insist, anyone who is not able to clearly differentiate between aa and bb has at least one bottleneck in their system that prevents it, regardless of the money spent on the system or in the listening room.

I share you impression about aa and bb, they did sound the most different to me.

However, not sure if I may have missed your Foobar ABX results.

I didn't post results myself because I didn't find the aa vs bb difference big enough to easily ABX, and because I found out I think I have a lot more practicing to do with ABX before I can let go and trust my system 1 without trying to think it though analytically. If the aa vs bb difference was easy enough to analytically differentiate the files, then maybe ABX would demonstrate that ability. Anyway, I think the difficulty of ABX suggests that a claim of clear differentiation might be an overstatement. Maybe subtle differentiation would be a more accurate description?

But, I would agree that some people who might be able to differentiate aa vs bb, might not be able to if the system isn't up to it. And even a system with seemingly good specs might not be up to it. Maybe that's because we don't specify perfectly. For example, sometimes there is much emphasis on transducer frequency response specifications or measurements, but much less emphasis on other possible aspects of accurate performance for the transducers.
 
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Chesky Records - The World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings

Maybe this great album...

Chesky Records - The World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings (2006) {24-96} [FLAC]


An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


foobar2000 1.3.15 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2017-06-17 10:45:25

....

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR13 -4.49 dB -22.14 dB 3:39 12-Meditation
DR13 -3.26 dB -20.73 dB 4:38 11-Once Upon a Summertime
DR13 -1.80 dB -21.58 dB 2:23 04-Ain't No Sunshine
DR12 -3.94 dB -20.92 dB 3:48 06-'Round Midnight
DR13 -1.57 dB -20.49 dB 4:20 09-Isn't It a Pity
DR15 -0.10 dB -19.26 dB 4:31 02-Isn't She Lovely
DR11 -0.10 dB -17.20 dB 3:56 08-Cielito Lindo
DR13 -0.28 dB -17.03 dB 3:44 01-Spanish Harlem
DR13 -1.81 dB -18.53 dB 3:19 05-Girl from Ipanema
DR13 -0.10 dB -20.70 dB 4:28 07-What's a Little More Rain
DR12 -2.07 dB -16.88 dB 4:28 03-Fever
DR14 -2.64 dB -21.61 dB 3:01 10-Habana Joven
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 12
Official DR value: DR13

Samplerate: 96000 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 24
Bitrate: 2661 kbps
Codec: FLAC
================================================
 
'Great' clearly means something different to you!

Great, in this case: very good sound with great DR.

I like more the sound of my very great vinyl rips than the hdtracks (usually they are upsampled from 16/44) off course. But he does not want a vinyl rip!

I almost always prefer the vinyl version instead of the CD, SACD, hdtracks ... Only with classical/baroque or jazz from Verve... the CD is very good too.

Old rock, pop.... is much better in vinyl. Before 198x, with analogue master tapes.

The same with reel rips.
 
Guys, first of all it must be a true hires, not something that is claimed as hires by audiophiles or editors. So there has to be a real content above 24kHz and not only noise or added noise. You will have to rely on my choice. The spectrogram is attached. The files are almost ready, just to make time alignment. BTW, DR=14.

I need your or Mooly's advice if I have to start a new thread or to continue here.
 

Attachments

  • hires_spectrogram.png
    hires_spectrogram.png
    739.9 KB · Views: 192
Great music to make a good test.

I prefer music with emotion that causes me to get up and start moving my arms like an orchestra conductor.

Tretyakov & Fedoseyev, USSR Radio TV - Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto (1985) (Vinyl) {16-44} [FLAC]

An externally hosted image should be here but it was not working when we last tested it.


foobar2000 1.3.15 / Dynamic Range Meter 1.1.1
log date: 2017-06-17 11:47:48

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Analyzed: Tretyakov & Fedoseyev, USSR Radio TV / Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto in D Major, Op.35
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DR Peak RMS Duration Track
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
DR13 -0.48 dB -19.44 dB 19:11 01-Allegro moderato
DR15 -5.22 dB -26.05 dB 6:56 02-Canzonetta. Andante
DR14 0.00 dB -20.33 dB 10:00 03-Finale. Allegro vivacissimo
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Number of tracks: 3
Official DR value: DR14

Samplerate: 44100 Hz
Channels: 2
Bits per sample: 16
Bitrate: 664 kbps
Codec: FLAC
=================================================
 
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I didn't post results myself because I didn't find the aa vs bb difference big enough to easily ABX, and because I found out I think I have a lot more practicing to do with ABX before I can let go and trust my system 1 without trying to think it though analytically. If the aa vs bb difference was easy enough to analytically differentiate the files, then maybe ABX would demonstrate that ability. Anyway, I think the difficulty of ABX suggests that a claim of clear differentiation might be an overstatement. Maybe subtle differentiation would be a more accurate description

Clear or subtle, it depends on one's individual ears. For one it may be clear, for others it may be subtle or even nondifferentiable.
 
If the music does not excite it does not make much sense for me to listen to it.

In the previous vinyl rip the clicks are heard in some sections but the interpretation of the famous concert is fabulous. I am listening and "piel de gallina" goose bumps have come back on me and I could not help getting up and running the orchestra. That does not happen to me with other interpretations of that concert, or at least not with that intensity.

- The end -
 
I need your or Mooly's advice if I have to start a new thread or to continue here.

A new thread that is linked to from here could generate more interest. Those reading this thread will know where the new is, those looking afresh at the index will pick up the new. Win win situation hopefully and less confusing as this thread has the poll and files in post #1
 
A new thread that is linked to from here could generate more interest. Those reading this thread will know where the new is, those looking afresh at the index will pick up the new. Win win situation hopefully and less confusing as this thread has the poll and files in post #1

Hi Karl, thank you for your advice. I have posted a new thread

http://www.diyaudio.com/forums/everything-else/309098-hires-96-24-listening-test-opamps.html

with 5 opamps in test and 96kHz/24bit resolution. The poll is public, again, but all comments on sound should be addressed to my PM or e-mail.
 
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