The Audiophile Thread

[Zeuhlmate]

Astrology and voodoo. Good luck with it!

One of my friends has a box and cables from Wire world and will come over with his system and test it on mine. He is not only convinced ... but we will see.

I can imagine the rationale behind. Everyday round 1800-1830 hours when everybody in my neighbourhood starts cooking dinner, my power amp starts to hum. One of my city's larger transformation stations is placed about 500 meters from here.
I dont believe in the shielded cables, but the filters might have some impact.
Let's see.

[rcarlberg]

I dont believe in the shielded cables, but the filters might have some impact.

Does your amplifier have any capacitors in it?

[Garyhead]

One of my friends has a box and cables from Wire world and will come over with his system and test it on mine. He is not only convinced ... but we will see.

I can imagine the rationale behind. Everyday round 1800-1830 hours when everybody in my neighbourhood starts cooking dinner, my power amp starts to hum. One of my city's larger transformation stations is placed about 500 meters from here.
I dont believe in the shielded cables, but the filters might have some impact.
Let's see.

The outdoor Christmas Lights cause a hum in my system....and I have Tice Power Blocks / Titans!

[Zeuhlmate]

Does your amplifier have any capacitors in it?

Yes, but according to the experts, this is far from enough to ease out what is happening with the current.

I don't know enough technically about this, so my ears (and purse) will be the judge.

"You can fool all the people part of the time, or you can fool some people all the time, but you cannot fool all people all the time."
Churchill

[Zeuhlmate]

The outdoor Christmas Lights cause a hum in my system....and I have Tice Power Blocks / Titans!

I have read a 12 year old Danish review of PS Audio Power Plant Premier: http://www.hifi4all.dk/content/templ...=1727&zoneid=3 and the reviewer is very positive, but states that it will also emphasize problems with the sound - and it is quite expensive.
And this is way over my budget. I'm pretty sure that replacing other components would have a bigger sound improvement.

Here are some american reviews:
https://6moons.com/audioreviews/psaudio5/ppp.html
https://positive-feedback.com/Issue34/ps_premier.htm
Even Stereophile was positive https://www.stereophile.com/content/...nerator-page-2
" I've never used the expression jaw-dropping in print or in conversation, and I'm not going to start now. My jaw remained in its usual place. But I was surprised by the magnitude of improvement produced by the Premier. The music became more subtly detailed, the soundstage wider and deeper, the overall sound more natural, less electronic. Noise, which can be a problem with the 105dB-sensitive Avantgarde Uno Nanos, was already quite low with the system plugged into the wall; with the Premier, it was even lower. There was no impairment of dynamics; if anything, if was now easier to hear the music's ebb and flow.

Using the Premier to feed my system its power simply resulted in a superior listening experience, an impression that persisted through repeated switchings back and forth between raw AC and the Premier's regenerated AC. I used the CleanWave function from time to time, and yes, the sound seemed even "cleaner" after this treatment. The ability to activate CleanWave from the remote was very useful, and increased my use of the function. "

[rcarlberg]

Yes, but according to the experts, this is far from enough to ease out what is happening with the current.

I don't know enough technically about this, so my ears (and purse) will be the judge.

This is excellent advice: "Let your ears be the judge." Make sure you do a fair test, which ideally means a blind test where somebody else is switching the filters in-and-out out of the circuit without you knowing which is which. Argumentum ab auctoritate is never sufficient if you can't prove it to yourself.

[Zeuhlmate]

This is excellent advice: "Let your ears be the judge." Make sure you do a fair test, which ideally means a blind test where somebody else is switching the filters in-and-out out of the circuit without you knowing which is which. Argumentum ab auctoritate is never sufficient if you can't prove it to yourself.

Considering the price (and my budget), the difference should be bigger than that. If I can't hear it immideately, I dont' care.

I have friend, electrician even, he stubbornly didn't 'believe' in loudspeaker cables, because it didn't make any sense with the knowledge he possesed from his work with DC.
I borrowed him a set of Van Den Hul Magnum Hybrid cables an the issue has not been discussed since.
Off course you can get cables that doesnt make much difference from ordinary DC-cable, or cables that is ridiculously priced considering what you get
These Danish loudspeaker cables https://ansuz-acoustics.com/products/ansuz-d-tc-cables cost in Denmark 64.000 $ !

[Rael]

Anybody have experience with Power cables and power filters ?
Rcarlberg will most likely compare it to astrology

I have just bid on an auction for a PS Audio Dectet, if I get it and it doesn't work, I can easily pass it on whithout loosing money.

If you really want to give yourself a headache, I dare you to wade through this thread:

https://forums.stevehoffman.tv/threa...matter.888777/

[rcarlberg]

Nein danke. Steve Hoffman is the Fox News of audio advice.

[Dave (in MA)]

Nein danke. Steve Hoffman is the Fox News of audio advice.

I only read the Music Forum, but I filter out the Beach Boys and Monkees nuts.

[Zeuhlmate]

Being 'audiophile' is an endless (hopeless?) search for the holy grail.

There are so many factors & combinations involved, but nevertheless if a lot of people have the same experience, it might be worth looking into it. So such fora can be usefull.

If you don't investigate, you will still be stuck with the Sansui amp and Cerwin Vega's you had when you were 15...and if that makes you and your ears happy, you have saved a lot of money.

[Firth]

Being 'audiophile' is an endless (hopeless?) search for the holy grail.

There are so many factors & combinations involved, but nevertheless if a lot of people have the same experience, it might be worth looking into it. So such fora can be usefull.

If you don't investigate, you will still be stuck with the Sansui amp and Cerwin Vega's you had when you were 15...and if that makes you and your ears happy, you have saved a lot of money.

Good sound isn’t expensive. Audiophilia is an OCD which puts money as a lower priority, but there is no replacement for size and space.

[rcarlberg]

I figure there are two kinds of audiophiles: those who listen with their ears, and those who try to impress with their wallets.

[Zeuhlmate]

One of my contacts is a repairman of (also highend) audio equipment.

He says that the customers he has with expensive high end gear, doesn't enjoy the music as much as others.
They are mostly concerned about that 'funny noise', that sudden lack of 'staging', that occasional out of phase cymbal, rattling bass, etc. that they believe they hear.
Often its not there, often its on the recording.

So he thinks buying very expensive Hifi is a bad idea

[Zeuhlmate]

btw

[rcarlberg]

So he thinks buying very expensive Hifi is a bad idea

Maybe VERY expensive is. There's a curve of diminishing returns, and somewhere between "kinda expensive" and "very expensive" is probably the sweet spot.

The trick is learning to be happy with 99% perfect.


BTW, the Audioquest video above is CLASSIC - he describes each piece of equipment solely by how much it costs. Hint: That's not the important data!

[Zeuhlmate]

Maybe VERY expensive is. There's a curve of diminishing returns, and somewhere between "kinda expensive" and "very expensive" is probably the sweet spot.

The trick is learning to be happy with 99% perfect.


BTW, the Audioquest video above is CLASSIC - he describes each piece of equipment solely by how much it costs. Hint: That's not the important data!

Yes, being content is also an artform. I am not longing for a power cable costing 2000 $. Explaining it to wife and friends alone would be embarrasing

Clearly there is a psycological factor (expensive = good, cheap = poor) The price in the video for the Hurricane cable is crazy - but even through youtube, the internet, my pc, etc. differences are audible.

[3LockBox]

If power in a particular area is poor enough from the supplier (electric company) that it affects the proper functioning of audio equipment then I could see needing a power conditioner, but then again it would probably affect other appliances as well. I'd contact the power company first. It makes more sense to install a dedicated primary to your property and have your own power transformer. It's about as expensive as many magic box audio line conditioners.

Audiophillia isn't unlike many hobbies where money is no object and subjectivity rules. People pay for reiki too.

[simon moon]

One of my contacts is a repairman of (also highend) audio equipment.

He says that the customers he has with expensive high end gear, doesn't enjoy the music as much as others.
They are mostly concerned about that 'funny noise', that sudden lack of 'staging', that occasional out of phase cymbal, rattling bass, etc. that they believe they hear.
Often its not there, often its on the recording.

So he thinks buying very expensive Hifi is a bad idea

I belong to the largest audiophile club in the world, the Los Angeles Orange County Audio Society, and the vast majority of members are "music first" audiophiles. Including those with the most expensive systems. In other words, the equipment's main purpose is to serves the music.

By all measures, my system it pretty high end. The vast majority of the time, when I listen to music, I am pretty much ignoring the equipment, and all I care about is the music. But that doesn't mean there are other days, that I don't enjoy just playing with the system: changing out a piece of equipment, slightly moving the speakers, slightly moving room treatments, modifying subwoofer settings, spending time with friends doing the same with their systems, etc.

Your high end audio repair contact, is only seeing owners of high end equipment when they believe it has a problem. So, his sample size of audiophiles doesn't represent the majority of those happily listening to their systems.

I hear very high end systems on a fairly regular basis at LAOCAS member's houses. So, I am quite familiar with these types of systems.

Sometimes I get the idea that some of the naysayers (not referring to you or your contact specifically) are not aware of what these systems are actually capable of. It goes well beyond lack of distortion, lack dynamic compression, full frequency response, tight bass.

[rcarlberg]

People pay for reiki too.

There's a certain "snobism" among those of us that scoff at mega-$$$ systems, just as there's a "snobism" among those who buy them.

Simon's right. It's all in the enjoyment.

[3LockBox]

There's a certain "snobism" among those of us that scoff at mega-$$$ systems, just as there's a "snobism" among those who buy them.

Simon's right. It's all in the enjoyment.

I don't doubt that I'm probably guilty of naysaying. I have heard some high-end systems (Puget Sound Audio Society). I've watched guys spend more money on an amp than the car I drove. But they spend so much time fretting over their gear, hearing phantom distortion or noises "the power in this room seems kinda spikey". I wondered if they ever listen to a song all the way through. I haven't been to a speaker contest in several years. The last time I went I actually had a T-shirt made that read, "I hear jitter", but chickened out and didn't wear it.

[rcarlberg]

"Fussy" is the word I'd use to describe most ultra-high-end systems I've heard. Not "musical" or "comfortable" or "pleasant-to-listen-to."

It could also apply to the audiophiles who owned them.

YMMV

[Firth]

There is no problem this will not solve
https://www.reddit.com/r/audiophile/...tm_name=iossmf

[BobM]

OK, so expensive high end systems are "fussy", but if you spend that kind of cash don't you want to be precise with what you bought? Isn't it worth going the extra mile to dial it in perfectly? It's OK for supercars to be fussy. it's OK for yachts to be fussy, even needing a crew you have to pay to run it. Watches and other fine jewelry, flying model airplanes or toy powerboats, buying art... these are just a few expensive hobbies most of us don;t get into because they are costly and require special knowledge. Maintenance on expensive homes and cars and other toys is a real thing, and it is costly. So why is expensive audio thought of differently?

A car enthusiast will change out a drive shaft to get an extra 5 horsepower, but an audio guy is looked at as stupid if he buys a cable to get extra horsepower in his system. Sure, a 420 Seiko or Casio watch tells time, but a Patek is something anyone would love to own but most can't afford. I just don't get all the blubber against anyone who spends money on audio. Let them do as they will and enjoy your Casio watch.

[Zeuhlmate]

A good friend of mine once said "It's very important for a real man, to have an expensive and useless hobby"

As a music and hifi-nerd I naturally disagree in this particular case.

btw I won the auction and got the PS Audio Dectet (current filter), it hasn't arrived, so no report yet.
But my tube preamp ear 864 has been in U.K. to be repaired, and the shop who are fascilitating the repair, isn't content, so its probably going back to the factory again.



No Fussy Pooting.