doctor_big wrote: > I'm a touch confused: "very similar" isn't "the same", and my > (admittedly superficial) reading of this and other threads in here sees > repeated use of words like "indistinguishable" to describe the sound of > two amps and DACs that measure the same, regardless of cost. > > Build quality is obviously different, but I was asking specifically > about sound quality. > > If all these overbuilt audiophile amps and DACs are really high-priced > nonsense, then they should offer no sonic improvements over their > inexpensive well-engineered counterparts. (Again, given the amp is > driving a compatible speaker load and efficiency) > > Could you please clarify? > > Thanks, > Jason
I will do my best to try and clarify. The first problem is the vast majority of audiophiles and the high end audio community in general who steadfastly refuse to use double blind testing (DBT) of any kind on any piece of audio equipment. Without DBTs any and all comments about the sound of any and all audio equipment becomes simply a case of he said/she said and any reviewer can make just about any statement regardless of whether or not it is even possible for humans to hear the sonic differences in question. For example high end audio reviewers often claim to frequencies that humans cannot hear and/or pico second jitter that humans cannot hear, etc. The second problem is the frequent exaggeration of minor sonic differences into unbelievably wide chasms. With every new mega-buck amp. preamp, DAC, etc. comes a new round of worthless superlatives - revolutionary, groundbreaking, new sonic frontiers, etc. So while a $50K mega-buck amp may offer a very slight sonic difference over a much less expensive amp, this minor difference (I say difference since it really up the individual as to whether or not that difference is actually an improvement) is blown way out of proportion. Expensive interconnect cables, speaker wires and power cords fall into this category. Cables may sound different from each other but different does not necessarily mean better. Another problem is that many pieces of high end audio gear are overbuilt strictly as a means to partially justify their high price. Solid aluminum face plates do nothing to improve the sound but go a long way in justifying the high cost. Still another problem is the law of diminishing returns - a $200 amp may offer 95% of the performance of a $50,000 amp and a $5000 amp may offer 98% of the performance of a the same $50,000 amp. Often one has to decide if the huge increase in price justifies the small improvement in performance. Of course price is all too often not an issue for the high end reviewer who either get the equipment on a semi-permanent loan or a vastly reduced price. For the rest of us mere morals, price is very important. So until the audiophile world decides to work with a level playing field then there will be those of us who will continue to shout how the emperor has no clothes. Living Rm: Transporter-SimAudio pre/power amps-Vandersteen 3A Sign. & sub Home Theater: Touch-Marantz HTR-Energy Veritas 2.1 & Linn sub Computer Rm: Touch-Headroom Desktop w/DAC-Aragon amp-Energy Veritas 2.1 & Energy sub Bedroom: Touch-HR Desktop w/DAC-Audio Refinement amp-Energy Veritas 2.0 Guest Rm: Duet-Sony soundbar Garage: SB3-JVC compact system Controls: iPeng; SB Controller; Moose & Muso Server: SBS on dedicated windows 7 computer w/2 Drobos '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=102632 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
