Dolby Labs opens...

The way I read it, it's 16 stories + three below ground.

300,000 square feet. 100 labs. 63,000 square feet of lab space will
be used for a range of testing and research, including how emerging
digital entertainment technologies affect human physiology.

If you aren't quite noticing or accepting what is really going on in the present,
but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be,
then you are apt to collide with what is really going on.

Thanks..., posted on September 28, 2015 at 13:56:02
mkuller Audiophile Posts: 38130 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: April 22, 2003	...missed the 1. Corrected.

RE: Dolby Labs opens..., posted on September 29, 2015 at 02:35:05

Todd Krieger
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Location: SW United States
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"63,000 square feet of lab space will be used for a range of testing and research, including how emerging digital entertainment technologies affect human physiology."

Well it's about time.........

I hope they do some sort of double-blind study, where the same music performance is recorded both analog and digital. And have a large sample of listeners listen to one or the other, and compare the collective perception of the analog track vs. the digital track. (Neither the listener nor the person administering the test is even aware that an analog vs. digital comparison is taking place. The only thing differing from a typical double-blind study is that neither group is evaluating a "placebo".)

"Senior Subjective Test Engineer", posted on September 29, 2015 at 04:06:43
Dave Pogue Audiophile Posts: 11689 Location: DC Area Joined: October 9, 2001	What the world has needed. Take that, objectivists :-)

RE: Dolby Labs opens..., posted on September 29, 2015 at 06:32:52
fantja Audiophile Posts: 15524 Location: Alabama Joined: September 11, 2010	Very cool- would like to see and read coverage about the company's listening rooms/ labs.

RE: Dolby Labs opens..., posted on September 29, 2015 at 06:59:45

Inmate51

Yet another item to put on my Berkeley/S.F. trip agenda, which is starting to look like early November.

I've had four decent days (including today - so far) with my hip being reasonably good, so I think it's time to spend some FF miles. Yeehaa! UC-Berkeley girls, look out!

Dolby has done some amazing things over the years from its humble beginnings as a cassette noise reduction company. Although, I confess to being a bit overwhelmed by the array of products.

:)

About time, indeed, posted on September 29, 2015 at 08:53:57

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Would like to see more research that addresses a wide variety of issues.
For example, "Is Digital Music Affecting Your Health?"

If you aren't quite noticing or accepting what is really going on in the present,
but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be,
then you are apt to collide with what is really going on.

HUMAN STRESS PROVOKED BY DIGITALIZED RECORDINGS?

RE: About time, indeed, posted on September 29, 2015 at 09:08:30
Inmate51	Ha! ALL music affects our health. Duh. :)

RE: Dolby Labs opens..., posted on September 29, 2015 at 09:40:11
mkuller Audiophile Posts: 38130 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: April 22, 2003	...oh good - I thought I had missed your invite to see Meyer Sound with you.

That's a charlatan article if I ever read one - Cuckoo! Cuckoo!, posted on September 29, 2015 at 11:04:00

Chris from Lafayette
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Since: February 6, 2012

You don't need to read past the first paragraph to conclude the guy is wacko. Here it is:

Music is one of the great therapies. Throughout recorded history in all parts of the world, music has been used as therapy. In fact, of all factors that have been investigated, probably none enhances the Life Energy and reduces stress more effectively than music.[1] Perhaps the most obvious example of this is the fact that at the age of seventy, when some 50% of American males are already dead, some 80% of musical conductors are still alive, healthy, and productive.

So this guys "logic" consists of attributing conductors' longevity solely to the music itself and not to any other reason (such the regular exercise they get waving their arms for hours at a time)? And, BTW, how come this musical magic doesn't extend to the longevity of the actual players in the orchestra?

But reading further, you'll find that a similar lapse of logic appears later in the article when he attributes the effectiveness of Mehta's earlier recording of the Emperor Concerto to the fact that it's analogue (rather than digital as his later recording is). So. . . let me get this straight: the fact that the two recordings featured different soloists, different orchestras, different microphone placements, etc., etc., were not considered important factors - but the difference between analogue and digital is???

Then he compares the SAME performers in different recordings (recorded years apart - the newer Denon vs. the older Supraphon Czech recordings) and attributes the differences in "theraputic" effects solely to the analogue vs. digital difference - without even mentioning that these are different performances and interpretations (even with the same performers), with different recording techniques (aside from the analogue/digital difference).

Excuse me, but this guy is just foggy in the head and I just can't take this stuff seriously.

Disagree With One Part of the Article......., posted on September 29, 2015 at 11:41:07
Todd Krieger Audiophile Posts: 37333 Location: SW United States Joined: November 2, 2000	I don't think the way music has been digitized (or "digitalized") has any significantly lesser ill effects than PCM..... (Except for maybe MP3 or lower resolution formats.) In fact, I think PCM is one of the least stressful of the digital methods, amongst formats of at least CD quality resolution.

RE: That's a charlatan article if I ever read one - Cuckoo! Cuckoo!, posted on September 29, 2015 at 11:57:08

Todd Krieger
Audiophile

Posts: 37333
Location: SW United States
Joined: November 2, 2000

"So this guys 'logic' consists of attributing conductors' longevity solely to the music itself and not to any other reason (such the regular exercise they get waving their arms for hours at a time)?"

Airport ramp agents do similar motions waving their arms, directing aircraft on the apron/ramp.... Maybe a comparison should be done here.... [-;

"And, BTW, how come this musical magic doesn't extend to the longevity of the actual players in the orchestra?"

I think conductors were sampled because their personal data is more readily available.

How about this experiment ..., posted on September 29, 2015 at 13:20:59

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Since: March 1, 1999

... cited by Markus Sauer? It's what I actually was looking for
when I stumbled upon the one I originally mentioned above.

"Giving the complete results of J�rgen Ackermann's experiment would be way beyond the scope of an article such as this one; besides, Ackermann has not yet completed his statistical analysis. But there are already some results that seem interesting enough to warrant a preliminary report (footnote 3).

Let's start with the emotional states of the participants. The participants began with a base tension level of 3.26; with the digital system this dropped to 2.35, and with the analog system to 1.75. Nervousness was raised from a base level of 1.8 to 2.2 by the digital system, but fell to 1.1 with the analog system. The need for relaxation fell from a base level of 2.6 to 1.9 with the analog system, but rose to 2.9 with the digital system. The ability to concentrate remained constant with the analog system at 4.3, but fell to 3.6 with the digital system. Relaxedness stayed constant with the digital system at 4.0, but rose to 4.6 with the analog system. This shows that the analog system worked toward a feeling of serenity in the participant, whereas the digital system heightened tension and stress.

Equally interesting was the response to the question of whether the participants liked the music they were played. With the analog system, 43 out of the 53 participants said they liked the Larry Conklin piece, 46 the baroque music, and 38 the Sally Barker piece. The music was heard as interesting, emotionally appealing, and engaging. Via the digital system, the levels fell to 31, 33, and 33, respectively. The same music was now more often experienced as boring. ..."

If you aren't quite noticing or accepting what is really going on in the present,
but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be,
then you are apt to collide with what is really going on.

God is in the Nuances

My invite?, posted on September 29, 2015 at 15:52:29
Inmate51	I thought it was the other way around. lol Actually, they do tours on a regular basis - as I now know. You don't need to wait for me. Just call 'em and sign up. Heck, the last time I stopped in, they were full up with tourists, and John was out of town. :)

Well, there's an astonishing statement, right within the article, posted on September 29, 2015 at 15:58:39

Chris from Lafayette
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"The selection of participants was not truly stochastic, but the sample was large enough to give meaningful results."

So, let me get this straight: Stereophile (Markus Sauer, Jurgen Ackermann) builds these sweeping conclusions (with all this pseudo mathematical precision!) on a foundation like this?? They've got to be kidding!

Do you think that the possibility that some (or, perhaps, many) of the participants were friends and acquaintances of Ackermann (with, perhaps, similar inclinations and biases) might have influenced the results?

RE: Well, there's an astonishing statement, right within the article, posted on September 29, 2015 at 17:08:30

-�-
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Since: March 1, 1999

>>Do you think that the possibility that some (or, perhaps, many) of the participants were friends and acquaintances of Ackermann (with, perhaps, similar inclinations and biases) might have influenced the results?

Well, sure. That doesn't stop my interest in more meaningful research into
how emerging digital entertainment technologies affect human physiology.

If you aren't quite noticing or accepting what is really going on in the present,
but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be,
then you are apt to collide with what is really going on.

Fair enough! [nt] ;-), posted on September 30, 2015 at 00:13:41
Chris from Lafayette Audiophile Posts: 26483 Location: SF Bay Area Joined: February 17, 2004 Contributor Since: February 6, 2012

Perhaps if someone did the old plant experiment? , posted on September 30, 2015 at 06:06:30

MannyE
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Joined: March 4, 2001

You know the one... classical music vs rock and roll? The plant supposedly flourishes with classical and is stunted by rock and roll? I don't think I remember reading if there was a control plant kept in a peaceful room with nature sounds however.

Anyway... how about a classical piece that's identical except one is played back on vinyl and one from CD.

That result would perhaps mean something.

I agree with Chris that the sample not being stochastic makes the entire endeavor meaningless.

Like to see it taken one step beyond...., posted on September 30, 2015 at 07:58:41
Ivan303 Audiophile Posts: 48887 Location: Cadiere d'azur FRANCE - Santa Fe, NM Joined: February 26, 2001	Comparing Multi Bit DACs vs. Delta Sigma DACs. Not going to venture any predictions, BUT.... First they came for the dumb-asses And I did not speak out Because I was not a dumb-ass

RE: Like to see it taken one step beyond...., posted on September 30, 2015 at 15:09:41

-�-
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Joined: May 9, 2013
Contributor
Since: March 1, 1999

>>Comparing Multi Bit DACs vs. Delta Sigma DACs.

That would interest me.

>>Not going to venture any predictions, BUT....

Not adventurous?! I have a few thoughts about how that would shake out ...

If you aren't quite noticing or accepting what is really going on in the present,
but are responding based on your thoughts or feelings about what ought to be,
then you are apt to collide with what is really going on.

General Asylum

Dolby Labs opens...

107.205.10.55