reading through this thread I see that it veered very much off topic, with the original topic still being "audio myths". So in an effort to get the thread back on topic I offer the following.
I think that audio myths can be divided into three unique categories: 1) Tweaking myths - these would include the Soudcheck Toolbox and things like magic clocks, stones and what have you. 2) Analog myths - these would include things like super expensive cables, power conditioning, vinyl dimagnifying, etc. 3) Digital myths - these would include things like sonic difference between hard drives, sonic differences between wi-fi and ethernet, etc. In all three categories many of the myths are not in fact myths but very sound advice for getting improved sound but nonetheless in each category there are still plenty of truly worthless myths. The rather new embrace of computer based digital audio by the high end audio segment has resulted in making digital myths the hot category. And boy is the BS piling up fast. I've already started threads on this forum dealing with this onslaught of mis-information and utter BS but the BS pile just keeps on getting bigger. See these threads: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=92168 http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=92774 Late night after reading the latest installment of the TAS computer audio series (mentioned in the first thread linked above) I came to the realization that the audio myth makers are trying their best carry over some of the truths and myths of analog audio into digital audio and therein lies the problem. Stated plain and simply digital files are very well understood and have been so for quite some time. Now for some reason it is believed that the rules which apply to a digital file of a document do not apply to a digital file of music. This is pure nonsense. If one rips a CD onto a hard drive and provided the rip is error free then it makes absolutely no difference what kind of device one uses to store that digital file or what kind of lossless compression one applies to file, since the compression is by definition without loss. What the high end audio world refuses to accept is that the lowly $300 Squeezebox Touch delivers the same exact digital data stream to an external DAC (with or without any modifications to the Touch) as any other digital delivery method from a megabuck CD/DVD transport to an Apple computer runs some expensive music playback software and feeding some fancy USB DAC. What annoys the kool-aid drinkers out there is that the non-kool-aid drinkers know FOR A PROVABLE FACT that 99% of their digital myths are just that, MYTHS. And it's not because we are close minded or only hear what we want to hear but because if the myths were in fact true than every computer in the whole world would not longer function correctly. Going back to Mnyb post #38 above I believe that he stated the problem quite well. Let's stop focusing on trying to improve things which can't be improved and focus instead on the areas where real improvements can be made. -- ralphpnj Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels -> Snatch -> The Transporter -> Transporter 2 (oops) -> Touch 'Last.fm' (http://www.last.fm/user/jazzfann/) ------------------------------------------------------------------------ ralphpnj's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=10827 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=92918 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
