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In Reply to: RE: ASIO Driver for OSX posted by Mercman on September 04, 2014 at 10:45:54
"This results in better sound."
How so?
In what way is the "sound" better?
You look at people's feet for a living. Why do you think that makes you more qualified to pass judgments on these products than the people who actually have to pay money to listen to them?
Would it really be so hard to cite some authority for the positions that you take, or are you simply just blowing hot air?
JE
Follow Ups:
"You look at people's feet for a living. Why do you think that makes you more qualified to pass judgments on these products than the people who actually have to pay money to listen to them? "
I certainly don't speak for Steve and in fact am a data-oriented electronics guy. Yet I can easily see the connection between "looking at feet" and evaluating stereo gear...
The deal is about being a good observer, which is actually a surprisingly rare trait, and also a thoughtful analyst with an open mind. Both can be learned and honed but some folks simply have a natural inclination towards one or both.
I see gross errors of judgement here daily because the posters simply have not acquired the right skills. Good Doctors, Engineers and Technicians don't usually make the sorts of logical errors rampant amoungst hobbiests.
Ironically one of the best tools is to be able to blank-out your mind and just observe. It is usually best to try and not drool as that can unnerve clients but short of that observing without bias is an amazing tool. Yes, much of the time the issue will indeed be what you suspect or close to it and while that's a good crosscheck, it's a poor starting assumption.
Rick
Thanks for your comments Rick. But our questioner knows the answers to his questions before he presents them. There is no answer. If there were a set of measurements that could describe exactly how a DAC would sound, we could dispense with the reviews and just verify that everything works as advertised.If one reads my e22 DAC review, both the ASIO driver and the Core Audio are bit perfect. But they sound different. How does one prove this? One can easily measure the CPU activity with ASIO and Core Audio drivers. I did; the ASIO was much less. But if the output is bit perfect for both, how can they sound different? Most of us know the answer to this question. Some just can't accept it.
I also find it curious that the questioner won't share with us his name, occupation, system specifics, etc. I'm sure he will protest on a stack of bibles that this has nothing to do with anything; but it does.
Most of the inmates in this forum are well educated and bright people. Need I say more?
Reviewing these products is not an easy task. You are playing with people's livelihoods and can't take a caviler approach to the task. After doing this job for over two years, I have left a significant body of work for others to evaluate. If their experiences are consistently different from mine, then I am wasting my time and theirs. I hope this has not been the case.
Now what about computer hardware and software optimization?
I know that it makes a sonic difference. But I have a number of friends with excellent systems that just use a stock Mac and have a darn good time. After all, this is a hobby and we should not lose site of that.
Edits: 09/05/14
Rick, I have to agree. You make a fair point. Someone good at observing with one set of senses may very well be good at observing with their other senses.
Of course, one could also argue that someone who hallucinates with one set of senses may also do so with their other senses!
"I see gross errors of judgement here daily because the posters simply have not acquired the right skills. Good Doctors, Engineers and Technicians don't usually make the sorts of logical errors rampant amoungst hobbiests."
What are the most common logical errors that you notice audiophiles make?
JE
I'm either having tablet problems or it is having operator problems as you can prolly tell by the messages that I THINK it sent to you again' my will!
I think audiophiles are rather inclined to pick up buzz words or phrases and use them as "explainations" without necessarily understanding what is truly occurring. It seems like having a name for something satisfies their desire for understanding. And they MAY be right, at least some of the time...
On the other hand most of us do not have a fully equipped electronics Lab. at home and for many these sorts of systems are quite out of their field of expertise. The latter actually may contribute to making audio a fun hobby. My dentist likes riding his horses but I don't think he floats their teeth let alone fixing them up with dentures!
Rick
"I think audiophiles are rather inclined to pick up buzz words or phrases and use them as "explainations" without necessarily understanding what is truly occurring. It seems like having a name for something satisfies their desire for understanding. And they MAY be right, at least some of the time..."
Tony Lauck
"Diversity is the law of nature; no two entities in this universe are uniform." - P.R. Sarkar
This will go on forever. For those who really listen...a lot... to music 'sounds better' is meaningful. For those who don't it is not meaningful. And that is ok but those who don't listen all that much ( or can't hear the difference) why the incessant need to doubt, to minimize or otherwise ask for proof . If you can't hear it why are you here, why not pick a different hobby wherein you can discriminate nuances. It's almost like you are saying I can't hear it so it doesn't exist therefore all who claim they do are frauds ... which is very caustic and small minded. Generally sounds better to me almost always means more dynamic, bigger soundstage, smoother upper mids/highs, tighter bass, more inner detail, better low level detail. All of which makes for better appreciation of the music.
Nice review Mercman!
"For those who really listen...a lot... to music 'sounds better' is meaningful."
Now see, I wouldn't think to insult those who listen to a lot of music by saying that someone else's judgment was per se "meaningful" to them. I would expect them to be able to think for themselves. And to be able to describe what it is they hear. Can you do that? Certainly some reviewers cannot, at least not without resorting to tired audiophile cliches.
"why the incessant need to doubt"
Why the incessant need to babble about imaginary changes to the sound of a system? Oh, that's right, you want people to read your review.
"It's almost like you are saying I can't hear it so it doesn't exist therefore all who claim they do are frauds..."
Now hold on there. I'm not calling anyone a fraud, presupposing as it does deliberate deception. I do NOT think that is the case here. However, if someone is free to post an opinion on the internet, why not is someone else free to challenge that opinion? Debate is a good thing. You may not like my opinions, but surely learning to respond to them is good for you, and for reviewers too!
JE
Someone's opinion can be helpful if you can verify their claims and also if others give the same description. Once you get 'synced' with a reviewer you can reasonably expect to hear the same things if you purchase or at least listen to the dut (device under test). But of course you must make your own judgments and buying decisions. You talk about tired cliches...that's what you use except it is more mindless in your case. You claim no difference. Mercman gives all kinds of detail on what he hears. You give nothing. You don't offer challenging opinions. Your contribution is zero, null. If you said yes I agree with the thin sound of brand x but not the depth /width of the soundstage. Or the bass is fat not tight or the upper mids are glassy not smooth....that would be a detailed challenge. But you don't do that do you. How is your contribution a debate? I can reasonably track mercman's review descriptions so he offers value to me. You offer no value. Why are you here?
But the nutjob doesn't listen. Or may be doesn't hear, that would be in line with his posts here.
Actually, the nutjob does listen. Carefully. On multiple systems. However, you are correct that the nutjob cannot hear a lot of things that people here claim to be audible. The nutjob is sorry this makes the nutjob so contemptible in your eyes.
.
I know you swore off reading my posts, and you know what I think of the Synergistic Research Electronic Circuit Transducers, but if the little guys really work for you, have you ever thought of putting some in your car? Now there's an audio environment that could use all the help it can get!
JE
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