Yes - it is.
It may be consistent, it may be accurate and repeatable, but it's still subjective. And there is nothing wrong with that. You may test 1000 people and ask which jam they prefer in a blind test. You may have a clear winner, but it's still subjective because you are asking for a value based on taste.
That's actually a great way to test. Controlled subjective testing is important.
If you measured the sugar content of jam, that would be a lot less subjective.
As far as I can remember, I can always understand the reason why some prefer this and some prefer that. And I never felt dissapointed about it because I thought it was logical. Sometimes it is just about taste, sometimes it is about ignorance. That's why you should not listen to everyone.
When you have to sell stuff to low end market for example, make sure you design an amp/speaker that emphasizes the treble (even if distorted) and the bass around 150Hz. This will be favoured by the majority of low end market, compared to a "natural" response system of your preference.
It is not about ears accuracy 😀 Ears accuracy is about detecting differences in sound, not about preference. I observe 3 things related to listening:
(1) Listening accuracy. Basically this is just an ability to differentiate subtle changes or difference in sounds. Examples of these are: when you hear a sound, you know that one of the channel has its speaker cable switched (the plus and minus), you know that negative plug of the speaker goes to positive signal (this is subtle), you know that the tweeter has incorrectly been wired out of phase with the woofer. The most subtle is probably listening to fatigue and "enjoyment potential".
(2) Listening taste. Perfect systems will have everything. But ours are imperfect, so it is okay to prefer deep bass, sweet vocal, sparkling treble, soundstage, highly sonical system or something else. At first this seems to be 100% subjective, but no it isn't. Bass and vocal is more important than treble. It is basically okay to have early roll-off on treble. But people have to find compromise between bass performance of a floorstander and vocal/soundstage performance of a bookshelf. And sonic is the most important for enjoyment.
Bipolar amps tend to sound more enjoyable than mosfet amps (due to their transconductance/sonic), but my taste/preference goes to lateral fet amps.
(3) Sensitivity to distortion. When listening to a certain sound system, I observe that some enjoy the sound and some feel disturbed and close their ears. I can usually know the sound of an amp before building it, only from looking at the schematic (Assuming everyone can make a low distortion amp with Spice programs). Now how about speaker? The best speaker should have the lowest distortion drivers, not the most detailed like Seas Excel and Focal W-cone. So my "preference" will be Scan-Speak designs.
I believe that everyone is affected by certain kind of distortion (fatigue), it is just not everyone will realize it on the spot. So ability to listen to it is important. Of course, if you rarely listen to sound system, then your preference is not important. But if you really like to listen to your music system, then logically fatigue and enjoyment (sonic) become paramount.
The first time I heard class D I thought... this is as good as any !!... and at $50 for 4 channels!
Never needed another amps again.
This convinced me that it's better to spend money & time on speakers rather than electronics like amps. I think given the money an active ClassD system would eat ClassXX with passive xo. Imagine the difference by removing all those caps, inductors etc.... not subtle!
Never needed another amps again.
This convinced me that it's better to spend money & time on speakers rather than electronics like amps. I think given the money an active ClassD system would eat ClassXX with passive xo. Imagine the difference by removing all those caps, inductors etc.... not subtle!
Yes.
First, you should be good in designing speakers and crossovers. And an active crossover is more difficult than a passive one. If your ears is not sensitive to fatigue (due to phase issues in driver response for example) you may easily prefer active to passive crossover. But if your ears are as sensitive as mine, may be you would only accept expert's design such as the Orion by Siegfried Linkwitz. Unless you are one of the experts.
I think you move them to line level? But yes, that will remove the sonic killer passive components (L-PAD, notch filters, etc). But now we have NE5534 in the line stage? Oh no 😀
Designing active crossover is much simpler and accurate than passive. For example driver's impedance and sensitivity are non-issue. Active or DSP are also able to time align, etc. If you ears are very sensitive I suggest to use active loudspeakers. Even better, DSP (example). If you keep experiencing fatique and keep changing amps, most likely your speakers are problematic.
Well, the music you play most likely would have passed hundreds of op amps in something like this:
These days may also have passed discrete components like DSP.
Class D can sound close to class A, but for that it has to be powered from power supply with extremely low output resistance. Like, shunt regulated power supply that consumes in pauses more than the amp can deliver on full power. It renders it as extremely inefficient.
Speaking of recording consoles, it is not true about passing through hundreds of opamps. There are few of them in gain make-up per strip, with very low gain needed, and since strips deliver parallel signals, one for each instrument, there is no intermodulation of signals of different opamps on a single strip. Most critical parts are microphone preamps and summing amps, but they are usually made very carefully. Unused functions are always by-passed.
Speaking of recording consoles, it is not true about passing through hundreds of opamps. There are few of them in gain make-up per strip, with very low gain needed, and since strips deliver parallel signals, one for each instrument, there is no intermodulation of signals of different opamps on a single strip. Most critical parts are microphone preamps and summing amps, but they are usually made very carefully. Unused functions are always by-passed.
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You are talking about "pop" recordings. Most classical engineers/producers are far more careful about the equipment used. The best use only minimal (if any) mixing or processing. I say this after forty years as a classical producer and recording engineer. Regards
Or a Schoeps Stereosphere, an ORTF or Blumlein array, or any other of a number of REAL stereo techniques. Regards
Millenia or Manley mic pres, analogue recorders Ampex MR70 or Studer C37 for the tube afficianados, Studer A 800 series for solid state, Nagra D or Stellavox for location, and you choice of Digital recorders (disk based). Regards
I find the question somewhat impossible to answer since amplifier class is just one aspect of fine reproduction and the number of examples within each class are on the verge of limitless. It is not my experience that any two amplifiers of similar power generally can be expected to sound the same.
Having said that it is remarkable that we are at a point where the question of Class D sound quality versus the alternatives is even debatable at all. I am one of the few who have seen and heard the Infinity Switching Amplifier of the mid/late 1970's and can say with no reservation that much has improved.
Having said that it is remarkable that we are at a point where the question of Class D sound quality versus the alternatives is even debatable at all. I am one of the few who have seen and heard the Infinity Switching Amplifier of the mid/late 1970's and can say with no reservation that much has improved.
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and what about compressors, limiters, EQs, delays, reverbs, flangers, aux sends and returns etc?
OT but a fun fact. Regarded as two of the best sounding digital reverbs produced (Lexicon 224 and EMT 250) are 12 bit devices.
I am speaking of purist classical recordings which do use mult-track consoles or effects. Regards
All of these types of threads lead to one outcome...no one agrees 🙄 And that is proof the unassailable audio fact...
...If YOU like YOUR system, YOU like it. If YOU don't, then YOU don't - and no one here should say or can prove otherwise)
A most important word that we don't use enough is contentment - 'a state of happiness and satisfaction'. If you can go into your listening room/lounge etc and reproduce your favourite track and it makes YOU happy, satisfied or even moves you, BINGO!!
on the other hand there's always the DiyAudio itch to try something else!!
...If YOU like YOUR system, YOU like it. If YOU don't, then YOU don't - and no one here should say or can prove otherwise)
A most important word that we don't use enough is contentment - 'a state of happiness and satisfaction'. If you can go into your listening room/lounge etc and reproduce your favourite track and it makes YOU happy, satisfied or even moves you, BINGO!!
on the other hand there's always the DiyAudio itch to try something else!!
Hi,
You'll never see on a forum, the real comparison between two class D amp, or two SMPS.
Moreover, given that the measures are good, this does not mean that the best measures equals better sound. then the result will always be debatable, being subjective to the people who listen.
is easier to see or ask some extended measures, with which you can "see" the behavior of the amp. This can help you better understand some aspects hidden.
Regards
You'll never see on a forum, the real comparison between two class D amp, or two SMPS.
Moreover, given that the measures are good, this does not mean that the best measures equals better sound. then the result will always be debatable, being subjective to the people who listen.
is easier to see or ask some extended measures, with which you can "see" the behavior of the amp. This can help you better understand some aspects hidden.
Regards
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