Test your ears in my new ABX test

[PMA]

Thanks Pavel. Laptop test... no good 🙁 How did I guess this would be more difficult 😀

Yes, I suspect it will be extremely difficult now. Udo was right, even if we have crossover distortion, the level of distortion components is very low to be audible. Both headphones and our ears do distort more.

Edit: at least one positive - thanks to my mistake with pitch, we have verified that Foobar ABX file assignment works properly 😀

 

[maty tinman]

* With Lacinato ABX, impossible.

* With JRiver is very difficult but I can sligtly differentiate. I would not pass a blind test.

 

[PMA]

Thank you Maty!

 

[Pano]

I can't tell a difference, but it's noisy here right now (my wife and her 60s rock n roll).
Maybe try later, but if Mooly and Marty can't tell, it's not likely that I can.

 

[PMA]

I made a stupid mistake before. Or, better say, I have completely underestimated the influence of small linear differences, at the moment when I made the test files. This is another interesting point that I found in my testing with the AB box, small linear differences like inserting 0.44 ohm resistor in series with speaker box (levels matched) are audible. The "magic" of tube amplifiers - output transformer and high output impedance of tube amplifiers makes modulation of frequency response and it is audible. Much more than nonlinear distortion.

 

[Markw4]

How much modulation of frequency response did you get?

Sort of what I am wondering about is are we somehow comparing -60dB nonlinear distortion to some larger value of of linear distortion then being impressed by how much more audible the linear distortion is?

 

[PMA]

Let's not mix pears and apples. I was speaking about another test with 0R44 resistor.

In this test with OPA549, measured output impedance at amplifier speaker terminals is 0.026 ohm. Modulation of amplitude response is less than +/- 0.1dB, and yes, it was measured with the real speaker used in the test.

 

[Mr Evil]

foo_abx 2.0.4 report
foobar2000 v1.3.16
2017-11-05 19:40:06

File A: 1khz_opa549.wav
SHA1: b769dd001622b11a4d14a5ad0f6306151b179c94
File B: 1khz_orig.wav
SHA1: eb82051def1859865d708b83ce2b9224c9996a24

Output:
DS : Primary Sound Driver
Crossfading: NO

19:40:06 : Test started.
19:40:43 : 01/01
19:41:07 : 02/02
19:41:24 : 03/03
19:41:48 : 04/04
19:42:10 : 05/05
19:42:23 : 06/06
19:42:39 : 07/07
19:42:54 : 08/08
19:43:05 : 09/09
19:43:22 : 10/10
19:43:44 : 11/11
19:43:56 : 12/12
19:44:06 : 13/13
19:44:16 : 14/14
19:44:26 : 15/15
19:44:36 : 16/16
19:44:36 : Test finished.

 ---------- 
Total: 16/16
Probability that you were guessing: 0.0%

 -- signature -- 
4af15bb9102e73d4041410c1bc53ccd7fe77811e

Still the same - it's not hard to tell the differencee.

 

[PMA]

Still the same - it's not hard to tell the differencee.

Wow, could you tell what are you concentrated at?

 

[Mr Evil]

Wow, could you tell what are you concentrated at?

The easiest way to tell is to listen to X and Y from the beginning. The slight buzzing noise in the background of the one with crossover distortion changes as it fades in, while the one without sounds constant in timbre. I can still tell the difference in the middle of the samples, but I have to listen harder.

 

[Mooly]

That's a spectacular result. I just managed a 4/8 🙁 must try harder.

 

[PMA]

The easiest way to tell is to listen to X and Y from the beginning. The slight buzzing noise in the background of the one with crossover distortion changes as it fades in, while the one without sounds constant in timbre. I can still tell the difference in the middle of the samples, but I have to listen harder.

Very good.
Edited - different SHA is when the order of files is opposite. So no problem.

 

[maty tinman]

Mr. Evil

With headphones or with speakers?

 

[PMA]

And type of soundcard or DAC, if I may ask?

 

[Mr Evil]

It turns out that those results are invalid. My wireless headphones (Avantree Audition Pro) alter the sound enough to make the difference audible. Trying again on the same headphones but wired, I can't tell.

 

[Markw4]

Maty, maybe be careful with that DSD processor for foobar. Starting with a 16/44 source, it can make things louder or add distortion, depending on settings.

 

[DonVK]

Round#2, 1KHz tones.

I can't hear the difference.

 

[Markw4]

It turns out that those results are invalid. My wireless headphones (Avantree Audition Pro) alter the sound enough to make the difference audible. Trying again on the same headphones but wired, I can't tell.

If operating in wireless mode, then you must be using the DAC in the headphones. If wired, maybe not? Or does wired mean USB, not analog?

 

[maty tinman]

I use the ODAC (USB DAC), tweaked too. It can not play DSD, only PCM.

Usually I listen very very very good vinyl (before 80's) rips 24/96 FLAC. One hour before, with glorious sound:

George Benson - Breezin' (1976) (Vinyl, *******, 1979 MFSL) {24-96} [FLAC]

PS: yes, this MFSL sounds bery good.

 

[Mr Evil]

If operating in wireless mode, then you must be using the DAC in the headphones. If wired, maybe not? Or does wired mean USB, not analog?

By wired, I mean an analogue cable from the output of my PC (just a Realtek ALC1220).