That's good, I have tinnitus too. There was a thread recently where someone was selling their whole hi-fi system because they had started suffering from tinnitus, I thought that was very sad and not a little strange.
I may accept that Max H. believes what he says about cables but I don't accept a bar of the interpretation myself.
As a lab. tech, I spent quite a few years developing plastics, even colouring them various shades etc. and I can say PVC extension cables in this country and likely most others, are coloured with only very small small amounts of powdered green waste char or metal oxide powders, usually of the cheapest types possible, as you find in cement colourant. It beggars belief that a minuscule amount of pigment dispersed in the outer sleeve of a 5M mains extension cable could markedly influence the sound quality of an amplifier. What of all the other PVC sleeving in the AC house wiring?
The added resistance of a such cables, the extra contacts and often peeling plating on them, could make a measurable change but even that may be pushing the threshold of audibility. A wrap of aluminium foil (no, don't try it
) would have more diamagnetic effect it that's what you identified as the mechanism of sound influence. Otherwise, there's not many more rabbits you can pull out of that hat.
If we believe we can hear definite differences between compounds with such tiny amounts of colourant as there usually are in domestic extension leads, your comparison should remain entirely your own suspicion, since there is almost certainly a time delay, movement and of course it's a sighted test when you carry it out on your own without neutral assistance or an automated DBT device.
When young folk with much better hearing tell me I don't know what I'm talking about when they can't hear differences, I've learned to believe them. That's regardless of how many years I've spent with audio in some capacity and regardless of my vain hope that even though normal hearing impairment begins to take its toll in our 20s, somehow I can still have golden ears that do not lie or exaggerate
.
As a lab. tech, I spent quite a few years developing plastics, even colouring them various shades etc. and I can say PVC extension cables in this country and likely most others, are coloured with only very small small amounts of powdered green waste char or metal oxide powders, usually of the cheapest types possible, as you find in cement colourant. It beggars belief that a minuscule amount of pigment dispersed in the outer sleeve of a 5M mains extension cable could markedly influence the sound quality of an amplifier. What of all the other PVC sleeving in the AC house wiring?
The added resistance of a such cables, the extra contacts and often peeling plating on them, could make a measurable change but even that may be pushing the threshold of audibility. A wrap of aluminium foil (no, don't try it
) would have more diamagnetic effect it that's what you identified as the mechanism of sound influence. Otherwise, there's not many more rabbits you can pull out of that hat. If we believe we can hear definite differences between compounds with such tiny amounts of colourant as there usually are in domestic extension leads, your comparison should remain entirely your own suspicion, since there is almost certainly a time delay, movement and of course it's a sighted test when you carry it out on your own without neutral assistance or an automated DBT device.
When young folk with much better hearing tell me I don't know what I'm talking about when they can't hear differences, I've learned to believe them. That's regardless of how many years I've spent with audio in some capacity and regardless of my vain hope that even though normal hearing impairment begins to take its toll in our 20s, somehow I can still have golden ears that do not lie or exaggerate
.
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Based on Dan's posts several months ago regarding lead free solder I purchased such solder and have been using it for a few amplifier builds. My intuition told me that I could hear differences but I have had difficulties to decide if the difference is for better or worse. Till now I have never compared two modules where the difference is only with solder but I'm starting to prefer using my old leaded solder... There was no problem with higher melting points (I'm not a rookie) of lead free solder either...
I think I understand why Dan prefers the lead free but I think I'm starting to prefer the leaded one... I have noticed that with the usual leaded solder I have to wait for one day to hear the sound (usually it gets better). With lead free it seems the sound will not change. IF this is true, then if judgement is done right after solder change, the lead free has bigger chance of being preferred.
I think I understand why Dan prefers the lead free but I think I'm starting to prefer the leaded one... I have noticed that with the usual leaded solder I have to wait for one day to hear the sound (usually it gets better). With lead free it seems the sound will not change. IF this is true, then if judgement is done right after solder change, the lead free has bigger chance of being preferred.
What alloy did you get ?.
I agree I don't hear noticeable change with 99.3/0.7 solder, I have heard noticeable change with Lead solder on first power up and nothing noteworthy after that.
To judge a simple solder joint with ZERO OHMS influence over electrical current flow is utter insanity driven from some inner obsessive cumpulsive disorder.
The same goes for the color of insulation of wiring.
A person's brains must have been "nutted" to an extensive amount to actually believe such nonsense.
Years ago, people never cared about, or were bothered by such things, because they were never an issue.
Before the internet and its annonymous contributions to others, you never saw a group of educated people sitting around in a room and discussing such topics.
Nevertheless, there were institutions where certain types of people were contained, seperated from the general population, for their own good.
The same goes for the color of insulation of wiring.
A person's brains must have been "nutted" to an extensive amount to actually believe such nonsense.
Years ago, people never cared about, or were bothered by such things, because they were never an issue.
Before the internet and its annonymous contributions to others, you never saw a group of educated people sitting around in a room and discussing such topics.
Nevertheless, there were institutions where certain types of people were contained, seperated from the general population, for their own good.
Internet forums can be a great leveller though, we are all safe hiding behind our keyboards.
Scottjoplin, in the past, there were numerous institutions around the country for people who were deemed "sick or ill" in various ways.
One, near me, was Byberry State Hospital over on the boulevard.
There's even a historical website, including photos, about the place.
Some of the horror stories about that place are also mentioned.
And also, back then, society was substantially better with those chosen ones "locked up".
But since the closure and demolishing of the place, where do the ill minded ones go now?
You're right, they've flooded the internet, attempting to make the rest of us crazy loons.
One, near me, was Byberry State Hospital over on the boulevard.
There's even a historical website, including photos, about the place.
Some of the horror stories about that place are also mentioned.
And also, back then, society was substantially better with those chosen ones "locked up".
But since the closure and demolishing of the place, where do the ill minded ones go now?
You're right, they've flooded the internet, attempting to make the rest of us crazy loons.
You sounded so obsessive compulsive yourself. Relax
On the contrary, I'm mild-mannered and quite laid-back, and I refuse to obsess over trivialities and nonsense.
At the ripe old age of 66, I've mastered the art of relaxation so I can live longer.
Watching others in "such a hurry" and glued to their cellphones is mildly amusing to me.
I sometimes solder SMD IC's so prefer the lower melting temperature of leaded solder.
I meant the opposite obsession.
I believe that something can appear trivial and insignificant when actually it is not (for example, fatigue is not something that is easy to measure). I often worry about this so I tend to stick with what works. The measure or the test of whether it 'works' or not is:
"The test of the machine is the satisfaction it gives you. There isn't any other test. If the machine produces tranquility it's right. If it disturbs you it's wrong until either the machine or your mind is changed." Robert M Pirsig.
Another thing that may look trivial is the effect of phase behavior on signals or crossovers...
I've found that using a TIG with an argon/CO² fluxing gas, performing the whole joint with HF start only (no DC), and a copper/nickel alloy filler can produce a ZERO Ω connection, and sounds utterly clear and superior to any other joining method. It's not for the timid enthusiast, however, and is usually reserved for the real audio professionals.
If there is a Harbor Freight in Oz, you might need to visit there and unload a few lower-hemisphere dollars to assure yourself of the audibly absolutely best connections in your equipment. Make sure you weld the connections all the way back to the generating plant in Brisbane, just to be sure.
If there is a Harbor Freight in Oz, you might need to visit there and unload a few lower-hemisphere dollars to assure yourself of the audibly absolutely best connections in your equipment. Make sure you weld the connections all the way back to the generating plant in Brisbane, just to be sure.
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