Chris and George. I suggest you both stay out of threads related to the other.
Signature line links to products are allowed. There is nothing rule breaking about Georges signature.
However the forums are not the place for product rivalry/ownership claim, discussions. Please end it now.
Will do boss after this response to you, I'm outer-here.
My "name" and my "product" was bought into this thread numerous times, that was the trigger for my first post.
Cheers George
I've been a diyaudio member for some years, sadly I have no technical qualifications at all though I have spent many many hours gleaning knowledge from conversations about actual experimental work carried out by those that do, best illustrated by the huge thread on NOS DACS. The only way I can rationally evaluate components or equipment is to use my own personal hearing equipment - ears, to convey sound to my brain that then manifests a personal opinion that others may agree or disagree with.
What both hacks me off and provides great humour is posts from the theoretical clique (there aren't many of them) who spout off about components and products they have never tried - but they know they are crap, those who use and like them are deluded, irrational. They know this because their 'holy books' tell them they are right. They almost always use the word ' belief' which they then desperately hurl at the others who don't believe what they believe. History shows us the terrible campaigns of mass slaughter carried out by the religious and political fanatics on those who don't hold with their respective 'belief' systems. Happily this doesn't happen on diyaudio.
In reality of course they are the 'true believers' projecting their true beliefs onto others. This absolute certainty that they alone are 'right' is both sad and hilarious - witness the same nutters ranting on street corners - worth a titter and nothing more as you pass by.
Shunting the pot is something that I tried many years ago when it was raised on another forum. IMPO the Alps Blue is crap but shunting it produces another sound completely. Why oh why do so many commercial companies use them knowing full well that they seriously interfere in a negative way with any and all audio signals. Contrast this mentality with that of the computer world, always constantly pushing the boundaries, fearlessly exploring new avenues.
A little while ago I came upon the 'LDR' thing. It immediately interested me I read all that I could about Lightspeed/S/C/ Tortuga and decided to take a pop at the S/C kit.
I got in touch with Chris Daly and found him to be both extremely helpful, non pompous and pointing me in the right direction (with alternatives) re. chassis, power supply and other audio suggestions for which there was no profit motive.
I am awaiting the latest PSU board from Chris before building the kit. Having no technical qualifications or belief system of course my opinion on how it sounds - I know it's weird but I actually do listen to music, will be irrational, deluded and worthless to all true believers but it may have value to those of us who live in the real world and use our ears/frontal cortex and other parts of the brain to .listen to music - keep it loose.
What both hacks me off and provides great humour is posts from the theoretical clique (there aren't many of them) who spout off about components and products they have never tried - but they know they are crap, those who use and like them are deluded, irrational. They know this because their 'holy books' tell them they are right. They almost always use the word ' belief' which they then desperately hurl at the others who don't believe what they believe. History shows us the terrible campaigns of mass slaughter carried out by the religious and political fanatics on those who don't hold with their respective 'belief' systems. Happily this doesn't happen on diyaudio.
In reality of course they are the 'true believers' projecting their true beliefs onto others. This absolute certainty that they alone are 'right' is both sad and hilarious - witness the same nutters ranting on street corners - worth a titter and nothing more as you pass by.
Shunting the pot is something that I tried many years ago when it was raised on another forum. IMPO the Alps Blue is crap but shunting it produces another sound completely. Why oh why do so many commercial companies use them knowing full well that they seriously interfere in a negative way with any and all audio signals. Contrast this mentality with that of the computer world, always constantly pushing the boundaries, fearlessly exploring new avenues.
A little while ago I came upon the 'LDR' thing. It immediately interested me I read all that I could about Lightspeed/S/C/ Tortuga and decided to take a pop at the S/C kit.
I got in touch with Chris Daly and found him to be both extremely helpful, non pompous and pointing me in the right direction (with alternatives) re. chassis, power supply and other audio suggestions for which there was no profit motive.
I am awaiting the latest PSU board from Chris before building the kit. Having no technical qualifications or belief system of course my opinion on how it sounds - I know it's weird but I actually do listen to music, will be irrational, deluded and worthless to all true believers but it may have value to those of us who live in the real world and use our ears/frontal cortex and other parts of the brain to .listen to music - keep it loose.
Everybody has a belief system. Some are nearer the truth than others. If your belief system has no room for science then you probably find the modern world a baffling place, yet you seem happy to use the results of science to denigrate science.
Technical qualifications have some value. Technical understanding, whether formally qualified or not, is more valuable.
I am sure Chris is pleased to hear that you are a satisfied customer.
Technical qualifications have some value. Technical understanding, whether formally qualified or not, is more valuable.
I am sure Chris is pleased to hear that you are a satisfied customer.
DF96,
you nailed yourself once again - everybody has a belief system - totally irrational - for that to be true you would have to know everyone which of course you can't - unless your one of those fabled sky pixies.
The only way to know what an orange tastes like is to eat one - then you have a valid rational opinion that has equal value to anyone else who has also eaten an orange.
You made many comments about K73-16 caps justifying them with theoretical comments but you have never tried them or heard them in any equipment at all. You are doing the same now about LDRs thought is not reality - only reality is real.
Eat the orange, try the K73-16 caps, listen to an LDR pre-amp then come back to us all - your opinion will then have validity that rational people can evaluate - thought is not reality - only reality is real. To actually encounter the real world you have to stop thinking because thought is a function of space time and reality like music is here and now.
I'm off to make an excellent gin and tonic - a glass from the freezer (Spanish style) a wodge of lime, some ice and a generous measure of gin, switch on the TV and check out Brava and Mezzo - listen to the music and drink the g&t - no theory, all reality - slantje
you nailed yourself once again - everybody has a belief system - totally irrational - for that to be true you would have to know everyone which of course you can't - unless your one of those fabled sky pixies.
The only way to know what an orange tastes like is to eat one - then you have a valid rational opinion that has equal value to anyone else who has also eaten an orange.
You made many comments about K73-16 caps justifying them with theoretical comments but you have never tried them or heard them in any equipment at all. You are doing the same now about LDRs thought is not reality - only reality is real.
Eat the orange, try the K73-16 caps, listen to an LDR pre-amp then come back to us all - your opinion will then have validity that rational people can evaluate - thought is not reality - only reality is real. To actually encounter the real world you have to stop thinking because thought is a function of space time and reality like music is here and now.
I'm off to make an excellent gin and tonic - a glass from the freezer (Spanish style) a wodge of lime, some ice and a generous measure of gin, switch on the TV and check out Brava and Mezzo - listen to the music and drink the g&t - no theory, all reality - slantje
It is not irrational to have a belief system; it would be extremely impractical not to have a belief system of some sort. I am sure you believe all sorts of things which you have not or cannot have personally experienced and fully understood; for example, you probably believe that the next cup of coffee you drink will not kill you. You probably believe that gravity will continue to work.Black Stuart said:
Is this an attempt at humour? Or does your belief system require you not to think?
In defence of Chris, why would any fair dinkum audio DIYer think that judging audio equipment by technical data has a bearing on how a component actually sounds in real life? If technical data is vital, why does high end equipment sound way so much and if it is so good why do audiophiles upgrade to frequently?
Thanks to Chris, I have had the opportunity of testing each of the many upgrades he has made to his StereoCoffee and providing constructive suggestions since I bought and built one two years ago.
The most sophisticated equipment I use in tests is an ohm meter and jewellers screwdriver to fine tune the balance.
I hope I am not alone, but to me the ONLY way to audition equipment is to LISTEN and listen critically for a long period, but it seems the main critics of Chris haven’t heard his StereoCoffee preamp let alone listened and hundreds of tracks for hours on end.
To me, the ultimate DIY milestone is to reach the point where you enjoy the music 100% without having that DIY niggling feeling that something is not quite right and something needs to be tweaked. I have just experienced this over the last week.
I guess there are others who would rather look at their CRO and make a few calculations rather than listen and enjoy music but that’s their version of DIY.
Chris has kept me up to date with changes he has made, and there have been dozens. All the changes have been audible improvements but the latest board is so much improved I won’t even bother trying to put the experience into words.
Critics seem to forget is that Chris is a DIY person too and his aim was to design equipment for himself that enables him to enjoy the finest music reproduction. I would suggest we are very lucky that he is generous enough to share many years of intense development with others, for such a low cost.
TESTING: I confirm my impressions of the latest upgrades with the previous version and have a CloneNote and DIY LightSpeed as a fixed reference. I listen to hybrid 505 ESL Mini Panels through a Hypex nCore amp and they take no prisoners.
NOTE: I have no financial connection with Chris apart from purchasing a StereoCoffee two years ago.
Critics, please don’t bother attacking me because I am too old to bother reacting and I feel sorry that you are missing out on an opportunity to experience something you have never heard before.
Thanks to Chris, I have had the opportunity of testing each of the many upgrades he has made to his StereoCoffee and providing constructive suggestions since I bought and built one two years ago.
The most sophisticated equipment I use in tests is an ohm meter and jewellers screwdriver to fine tune the balance.
I hope I am not alone, but to me the ONLY way to audition equipment is to LISTEN and listen critically for a long period, but it seems the main critics of Chris haven’t heard his StereoCoffee preamp let alone listened and hundreds of tracks for hours on end.
To me, the ultimate DIY milestone is to reach the point where you enjoy the music 100% without having that DIY niggling feeling that something is not quite right and something needs to be tweaked. I have just experienced this over the last week.
I guess there are others who would rather look at their CRO and make a few calculations rather than listen and enjoy music but that’s their version of DIY.
Chris has kept me up to date with changes he has made, and there have been dozens. All the changes have been audible improvements but the latest board is so much improved I won’t even bother trying to put the experience into words.
Critics seem to forget is that Chris is a DIY person too and his aim was to design equipment for himself that enables him to enjoy the finest music reproduction. I would suggest we are very lucky that he is generous enough to share many years of intense development with others, for such a low cost.
TESTING: I confirm my impressions of the latest upgrades with the previous version and have a CloneNote and DIY LightSpeed as a fixed reference. I listen to hybrid 505 ESL Mini Panels through a Hypex nCore amp and they take no prisoners.
NOTE: I have no financial connection with Chris apart from purchasing a StereoCoffee two years ago.
Critics, please don’t bother attacking me because I am too old to bother reacting and I feel sorry that you are missing out on an opportunity to experience something you have never heard before.
To answer the question in the first sentence, the reason why audio equipment can be judged by technical data (although not necessarily technical data alone) is that we know what technical data corresponds to reasonably good sound quality in terms of sound reproduction. If an item of equipment deviates too far from this then we can be sure it will be poor at reproducing sound. We know what technical performance is needed, at least in outline, because of listening tests.robmid said:
The answer to the second question is that we know that some people prefer sound which has been distorted in various ways (non-linear, or wobbly frequency response, for example), some people prefer equipment which is expensive and known to be expensive, some people prefer equipment which has been 'designed' according to some principles other than sound engineering etc. etc.
Reminds me slightly of the controversy many years ago,concerning those looking at the Quad 405 vs the Quad 303 , the original Quad 405 measuring 0.05% THD vs 303 0.1% . Readers who have tried each, know pretty well the 303 is the better sounding amplifier, with music. How is the Quad 303 compared to 405-2 ?
Type of distortion matters too. If both amplifiers have similar total harmonic distortion value, they may differ in ratio of upper harmics, and in the end will sound different. Amp with higher distortion may not necassary sound inferior, if the distortion is primarily second harmonic with little odd harmonics. Amp with lower distortion may subjectively sound worse if it contains lots of odd harmonics, 7th, 9th...
More to the question posted by Pedrocols " what is the lowest distortion you can hear " the following you tube video looks at Perceptual Perfection. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j71NrNMx2rU
David Blackmer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_E._Blackmer
( you refer to as this fellow ) was the inventor and founder of DBx , so yes has some unique knowledge about audio equipment, and what is required to attain exceptional performance from equipment.
I am making no such assertions, however his obvious passion for equipment to provide more, is indeed, inspirational to me. Does it inspire you too ?
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