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Media Center Audiophile Quality Credentials

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jmone:

--- Quote from: Matt on November 13, 2011, 08:18:48 am ---There are two camps with regards to audio quality:
A) The original is perfect, and all processing is bad processing
B) Good sound is the goal, and sometimes processing can help

--- End quote ---

I think that is broadly correct.
Camp A:  Wants to keep the source as is, and importantly wants confirmation from the player of such status.  For them transparency is the goal of their AV Equipment with modification then done to the actual listening environment itself (see Lion's post on dedicated rooms with specialised acoustic treatments etc).
Camp B:  More than happy to apply processing to source to suite the listeners individual preference in the existing listening environment. 

No one Camp is more right that the other and both are valid (but mutually exclusive) options.


--- Quote from: TheLion on November 13, 2011, 09:03:25 am ---In the end it showed that we certainly couldn't tell the two options apart - although we where guessing alot and the placebo effect was the only thing we proved! ;-)
--- End quote ---

...and I think this is where rigorous ABX testing of many mfr "audiophile" claims tend to expose a Perception Bias over actual differences in many cases.  The issue is of course that there is not a black and white distinction and there will be alot of products that sit in the grey area between a change that we can all appreciate and pure snake oil (I saw a claim that swapping the dials on your av equipment with wooden ones held reduced micro vibrations for example).


--- Quote ---On another matter - I was able to distinguish between sync. and async. mode of my audio interface doing the same double blind procedure each and every time (async being "fuller, warmer", and sync. "clearer, more aggressive"). 

--- End quote ---

So the bit I don't understand is that if the Player (MC for example) is just filling a DAC's buffer how can it affect the DAC's output as long as the buffer never unexpectedly empties.  Is there some other communication done between the Player and the DAC on this timing as otherwise I don't get it.  Of course a good sample size ABX test would confirm the effect but I'm interested in the why as well.

JimH:
I've split a couple of audiophile discussion threads:

Bitperfect streams sound different

and

Audiophile Plumbing

Since these topics can be so controversial and generate so much discussion, please consider starting new threads on what you feel is important.

This thread, as it currently stands, is a good statement of where JRiver stands and what we believe is important for high quality audio.

Thanks.

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