Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Break-in period for Transporter?
Electronic components for the Transporter I'm sure were chosen with quality in mind. However, new components work best, and in fact with age and use electronic components degrade and will eventually fall outside their stated tolerances in terms of performance, which is likely to affect fidelity, so the best your transporter may ever sound is with the first track it ever delivers to your Amp. -- peejay I've got a fever above my waist You got a squeeze box on your knee I know the truth is in between the 1st and 40th drink - Tori Amos Squeezebox Classic - NAD T743 - Krix Phoenix Oh, and a BOOM... peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=63394 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] FYI - mp3 file quality audibility
opaqueice;250096 Wrote: One important issue to bear in mind is that distinguishing MP3 from lossless (or higher rate MP3) is MUCH easier if you know what the encoding artifacts are and so what to listen for, and if you have selected a sample which the encoder will have problems with. Even 320 kbps MP3 can be distinguished from lossless that way in a blind test. Then once you're spoiled by learning how to listen for MP3 artifacts, it's permanent - you'll be able to hear the difference, then you'll know you're listening to a lossy version, and then the good old audiophile psychology kicks in and it will start to sound terrible! Therefore I recommend that no one think about this question ever again :-). I'm interested to know what encoder artefacts are known to have problems with which particular samples. I'd love to be able to pick the difference between CD and 320 kbps MP3. -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=41120 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Are you an audiophile or a music lover?
brjoon1021;245248 Wrote: I hope that I am a fully recovered audiophile that is now a music lover. I remember buying many CDs that sounded good though I hated the music. Steve Winwood and Anita Baker (I was in my last years of High School and early College) come to mind. I am also trying to recover from being a purist snob that listened only to two channel audio with vacuum tubes and no tone controls. So much of what I like comes from a studio where there is nothing Live to preserve in the first place. obsessing over classic rock studio albums is dumb. Play with tone controls all you like... until it sounds good to you. Which Steve Winwood album(s) are you referring to? -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=40553 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] MicroDac
Cheers for your experiences with these products. While I do have an SB3, my aim here was to use the dac and amp from my Macbook (using the toslink out) either via softsqueeze, or when I'm travelling, via iTunes. I appeciate that the SB3 DAC is probably superior to the MicroDac, but it's (Microdac) likely to be an improvement over the Mabook DAC (whatever it is, anybody know?) Although I find the standard audio out on the macbook *much* quieter (cleaner) than my work Dell, for example. -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=39445 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] MicroDac
muski;237087 Wrote: So, yes, I do think you'll find the MicroDAC better than the Macbook one. (As I mentioned, even the Total BitHead was a nice step up). Let me know your impressions once you get it. (BTW, the 2007 HeadRoom Portable Desktop Amp also looks really nice -- granted a little bit larger, but then the DAC Amp battery are all in one). muski Yes, thanks, the portable desktop amp is a nice looking unit - bit over the budget for me at this point, but it is exactly what I'm looking for. Maybe I need to revise the budget. Cheers -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=39445 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] SB3 -getting better with battery power
dancemanster;236956 Wrote: I have learned most of what i was looking for in this and one other thread. I never expected to hear about noise in a battery. I had bought a 6v 12ah sealed gel lead acid battery that we use for back-up for fire alarms etc. I could add another and use 12v and build the regulator. Are you familiar with this type of battery? Any advice will be appreciated. You could probably just use a low dropout regulator like the LM3940 CT-5, which has a typical drop-out voltage of 1/2 volt, so until the battery terminal voltage falls below about 5.5 volts, it should operate OK with your battery. The datasheet is here: http://www.futurlec.com/Linear/LM2940CT-5.shtml; -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29633 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] MicroDac
Has anybody here used the Micro Dac and Micro Amp for headphone listening? I realise this is budget gear, but reviews say they represent excellent value for money...any comments from experienced users appreciated -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=39445 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Power Supply Upgrade for SB3?
Lucky this thread went off topic early...history tells us this topic is hazardous to your online health -- peejay Music is what feelings sound like - Unknown peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=38271 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
Re: [SlimDevices: Audiophiles] plug and play linear supply (part 2)
j.wales;178111 Wrote: After reading several of the threads relating to linear power supplies, I figured I would spend the $25 or so and try the Globe Tek linear supply. I am going to start by saying that I know how controversial this subject has been in the past, so the following is only my opinion, that is it. Further, I have an extremely limited understanding of how electronics work, I just know what I like and don't like in terms of sound. My system is SB3 Audible Illusions L2 McCormack DNA-1 Revel F-52. I live in NYC. All that being said, what a difference, night and day! I can't believe it. Honestly. And to answer the double blind test question, I have one better. My wife, whom has a fantastic ear, and indulges me in the hobby, was sitting on the couch reading the newspaper and she put it down, shot a look, and asked how much I spent!!! She had no idea that I made any changes to the system. As far as she was concerned we were sitting on the couch, casually listening, reading as we try to do whenever we can. The difference, again in my opinion and my wife's is the enhancements to the soundstage, placement of instruments, separation of instruments, clarity, deeper clearer bass- basically you name it - My wife and I heard a significant improvement. Perhaps it is the noise of NYC, the dirty power, whatever it is it made a difference in my system to my ears and to my wife's. Let someone shoot me down here, but according to a brief e-conversation I had with someone from SD, because the 5 volt regulated supply into the SB is up-converted to various other internal supply rails and it is these which will actually affect the quality of the audio, and then regulated internally *again*, there's nothing measurable to be gained by messing with the original supply. But, due to the intense emotional and fiscal investment people on this forum have already made on this topic, I'll bow out now and let the flame wars begin..:-) P.S. This didn't stop me from making my own battery-powered supply just in case ;-) -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=32231 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Transporter on the cover of Stereophile, Feb 2007 issue
P Floding;173595 Wrote: Somehow I don't quite like how these magazines almost ASK for producers to keep prices high... Today high price is seen as a guarantee that the product is good -which is baloney. Not that I know a lot about this, but... The price of equipment generally reflects (taking the introduction of new technology out of the picture) the business model of a manufacturer. So, containing RD, production, testing, and logistics to a reasonable spend, then you base your unit cost on some reasonable figure which should bring profit to you, a manufacturer, based on sales projections of some figure which take into account blah blah blah over a period ofget the picture? So, cost generally reflects the amount a manufacturer has put into the prodcution of the item, and what the same manufacturer expects back per item, once the manufacturing process is in full swing. After that, of course, it's generally based on what the market will tolerate. High price is sometimes a guarantee of quality, and in a mature market, generally so. Not that streaming media music players are quite a mature market.. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=31860 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: headphone jack
chiefersone;169338 Wrote: I plugged headphones in and hear nothing. Press 'Play'? -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=31554 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Dvd-Audio and SACD over HDMI
jmourik;161993 Wrote: The new Oppo dv-981hd has the following feature: See: http://www.oppodigital.com/dv981hd/index.html Question: Which receiver or pre-amp can handle hdmi multi-channel input? jan The question might want to be 'which DAC can handle hdmi mutli-channel input'. There's also a piece of pre-processing involved before the DAC (or DACS) is suspect. There are others on this forum with better knowledge than I in this area, however...over to you guys. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=30568 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: FS: Bolder modded Elpac
ecruz;157930 Wrote: I'm selling my Bolder modded Elpac to upgrade to the bigger PS. I paid $40 for the Elpac $85 for the mod (Wayne's now charging $100 for the mod). I'm asking $110 plus shipping. I also have a wireless Squeezebox(the original model) that I'm going to list on ebay as soon as I receieve my new SB3. I'd rather sell it here. Comes with the SB, remote wall wart, $175. Contact me if you're interested. A forum like this is not a shopping mall, nor an auction site, so generally you'll have no luck trying to sell your wares here. If I'm looking for something to buy, I'll go to ebay. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=30083 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: A photo of your Squeezebox setup (please)
A poll associated with this post was created, to vote and see the results, please visit http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19817 Question: Should there be a new forum for photos? - yes - no - maybe This is an integration testing scenario for my DIY phono pre-amp. That's a Pro-ject turntable (1.2, discontinued I think), NAD HT amplifier, no prizes for recognising the squeezebox... I was doing an end to end test and couldn't help but take a photo - it just seemed right. Internal leads are all too long at the moment, but I'll shorten those, I promise. It was a pleasure to swap out the SB3 input for something a little warmer, with nice RIAA equalisation. Go on, guess what was spinning on the turntable.. +---+ |Filename: IMG_0487reduced.jpg | |Download: http://forums.slimdevices.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=2090| +---+ -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=19817 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: 256 kBits vs. Flac
Rip everything to a lossless format. Chances are if you are participating on an audiophile thread, hard disk space financial considerations won't be a problem, given that the lossless format is significantly hungrier for hard disk sectors than compressed formats. With a lossless library, you can easily convert to lossy (MP3,AAC etc) for portable requirements, at whichever bit rate is desired, yet have the full lossless library ready for the SB3/Transporter to pacify your ears. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=30263 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB3 -getting better with battery power
genoaz;156764 Wrote: What if you just use four NiMH rechargable batteries, straight in - no regulators. [EMAIL PROTECTED] volts/2500 mAh. I wonder how that would sound? While this may give you 2 hours of listening or so, I believe that the NiMH solution at 1 amp load may lose terminal voltage due to internal resistance and you may just be driving you SB3 at a supply rail not intended by the engineers of te device. Of course, experimentation is the only true source of observable results, so go right ahead. Better to drop the voltage from something higher (like a 12V or 6V battery) or use a linear supply. As Sean Adams once told me, the switching supply of the SB3 introduced noise well below the noise floor of the DAC, and other components in the output stage, so if you pick anything up by switching to battery, you have better ears than I. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29633 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: There must be a better way for this forum to operate.
As a music listener of some 30 years, in all honesty it wasn't until recently that I did an A-B test of anything. Here's my story in defence of people who hear a difference and care about it. Recently a friend of mine from the U.K. who previously bought audio equipment at about the same time as myself suggested that we look around for new kit that could also cater for some home theatre requirements. He was already sold on amplifier brand 'A', and I did some research and liked brand 'B'. Both cost about the same with similar features and both catered for the audio enthusiast. When we finally did a 'shoot out' at a local Hi-Fi dealer, we didn't quite believe our ears. Same set of Krix speakers (I'm naming names here 'cause we were'nt shopping for speakers) and source (high end Denon CD player, again named as the source we had in mind was an SB3), and when swithing between the 2 amps which the guy in the shop kindly set up for us, the difference in sound was quite dramatic(I have a witness, if you would also like his testimony). Not expected at all, I can tell you. What that did highlight was that 2 amplifiers of similar specificaitons can influence the soundstage in different ways quite dramatically. So, while I don't believe my ears are anything special, and also that I don't spend a lot on audio equipment, this experience for me exonerated the lengths some poeple go to achieving a sound they're happy with. Live on, the audiophile. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=30039 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: SB3 -getting better with battery power
tyler_durden;154365 Wrote: I be interested to know what sort of analog 5V regulator runs with just 6VDC input. Most require a couple volts drop to work, and when they don't get it, they stop regulating. TD Me too. I use the LM317 which needs a 3 volt drop to operate. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29633 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Better sound with digital out. Why?
cliveb;154472 Wrote: Sorry, I should have said that it would implicate the SB's analogue output, not its DAC specifically. (For the record, I think the SB analogue output is pretty damn good). I've done some A/B tests with the SB3 DAC (analogue out) vs digital out to the NAD DAC in my NAD T743 (note:when set on stereo mode and tone defeat, the NAD passes analogue signals directly through its preamp and ouput stages, thereby by-passing any signal processing). The SB3 analogue has a much warmer, laid back 'being there - to borrow that phrase from an earlier post' sound about it whilst the NAD seems to push the soundstage forward and brightens up the whole profile of the music. I definitely prefer the SB3 to decode the digital..I was secretly hoping I'd have a much tougher time detecting the difference, by the way -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29526 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Newbie seeking the best sound quality
Generally. moving audio reproduction circuits away from any possible interference is a first move to improving sound quality. The humble act of moving power cables away from source or speaker cables in a stereo setup, for example, can in some cases make an audible difference. In the case of a PC, the RF (Radio Frequency) influence on the soundcard is likely to be significant, and an on-board chip and audio stage is likely to suffer even more so. I echo Tom's advice of the Squeezebox setup, as a first measure. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29306 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Newbie seeking the best sound quality
probedb;151846 Wrote: As far as I'm aware AC'97 requires that all signals are mixed to 16-bit 48KHz? In windows it's possible to bypass kmixer which does this nasty stuff but it maybe that your onboard sound does this as well...i.e. all Creative cards do this in hardware. Unless you're doing things like bypassing kmixer I doubt your PC is passing untouched digital signals to your DAC. I'd say the squeezebox will give better quality, but like everything it's subjective as to whether or not you can actually tell the difference. I Agree, it is all subjective - in the ears of the beholder, so to speak. Computer and audio delivery technologies are inevitably merging, but discreet audio devices such as the squeezebox, still have the edge, IMHO. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29306 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Suggestions for an up-to-date, available source for a linear PS
I recently invested in a 12V lead acid battery - completely sealed so 'clean' for a domestic environment, purchased a DC-DC regulator and am VERY happy with the result. How did it affect the music - In every way an AC supply cannot. Take my advice and look at battery solutions. You only use them when you are really listening, so the longevity of the supply isn't important. I have a 7 Amp Hour battery which keeps going for about 6 hours fully charged - I lose battery energy from the heat sink on my supply pack, so I don't get the rated performance from the battery. My solution uses the ubiquitous LM317 regulator - does a great job. Ask me about it anytime. Cheers -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29058 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Suggestions for an up-to-date, available source for a linear PS
tomjtx;150401 Wrote: you are absolutely WRONG about that. I am a professional musician, trained to hear far more subtle differences than the PS makes. I can listen to a piece of music and then write it down. I can identify numerous clasical guitarists in blind AB with 100% accuracy simply by their tone. And I identifird the PS V stock ps blind EVERY time. Before you make idiotic statements like that you should spend twenty years doing ear training exercises as I have. To reiterate: I am a succesful, professionaly trained musician and I obviously have MUCH better hearing skills than you. Do the hard work to attain the aural skills I have and maybe then you will have the right to an opinion. Otherwise you are just blowing hot air No one blows hot air on these forums, these forums are for sharing ideas. Egos are put aside and friendly exchanges of experience are what happems here. Nothing else is welcome. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29058 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Suggestions for an up-to-date, available source for a linear PS
My heart sinks when I see a reply to a forum thread which attacks another member. Since my first encounter with Slim devices forum my experience has been a pleasent experience of an exchange of ideas between members, and generous gifts of good advice for those who need it, from those who have that information. Let's keep it that way, and be gracious in exchange of ideas, comments, and audio intellecutal collateral. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29058 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Suggestions for an up-to-date, available source for a linear PS
ceejay;150630 Wrote: If only! ;) Well, sometimes.. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=29058 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: How to Improve Sound Quality?
highdudgeon;146525 Wrote: Exactly. What he said. To quote highdudgeon's signature, relax, it's about the music. All the points made in this thread have been valid, and I admit that ambient conditions affect the listening experience as much as the quality of the equipment responsible for the reproduction, and of course you cannot go past the original instruments and pieces written for them, being mastered in the same room as you who are listening. We all do what we can with the resources we have available. If you think any modification to your system will be beneficial to the reproductive qualities of that system, and it makes you feel good to use it, then do so. Follow the advice of the many threads on the forum W.R.T. the improvement of your listeneing experience and all else being equal (meaning that if you have mid- range or better sources and amplification) most likely your speakers are the weakest link in the audio reproductive chain, and so maybe concentrate on those -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28700 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Noise level of SB3
ceejay;145319 Wrote: I'm a little puzzled by this discussion (I could say I don't have this problem, but that might not be seen as helpful!). One thing that has been noted before is that, without external attentuation, the SB does have a rather higher output level than many other devices: so, if you compare its noise level in the way you've described with another device with a similar S/N ratio but a lower output level, the SB would seem noisier. So, instead of testing with the amp turned all the way up to the max, how about playing some loud music with the volume as high as you think you will ever go ... and then stop the SB and - at that volume - see if you can hear the hiss. Apologies if you've already done that and I've misread somewhere... Ceejay Thanks Ceejay, I did as you suggested and I do still hear the hiss, albeit only when sticking my head within 1 foot of the tweeter. Interstingly I took my SB3 back to the dealer and we plugged it in (same psu etc) and it was quieter. Now we weren't using my BW 601s so I'm not sure if the 601's tweeter is much more efficient than the one to whiich we were listening. Additionally he suggested I may have an earthing problem, which I'm going to check this weekend. Is it likely that earthing the SB3 will solve this. Should this even be attempted? I'll do some continuity checks and measure the ohms between all the earth points on my components first I guess, then start fiddling. Cheers -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28514 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Noise level of SB3
dcolak;144915 Wrote: I am using the audio outs of my SB3. It's not the white noise bug that people were talking about, I had no problems like that. It's exactly as you described the noise floor, I've turned my amp all the way to the max and paused SB3 (not wanting to kill my speakers). SB3 is configured to use digital volume (I think that the analog volume control of SB3 is at 100% at all times). The situation is the same if I lower the digital volume to 10 (0-100) instead of having it paused. Hm... I'll try using the different power outlet for SB. I hope it helps a bit. Well, I can verify that the noise we're experiencing is not the PSU (as Sean CEO rightly suggested). I put together a 5V DC-DC regulator using the LM317 and some other stuff, and fed this from a 12V lead acid battery. Same hiss from the SB3, regardless of playing, paused, booting, zero volume, max volume, whatever, so the noise floor of this baby is definitely out there.I'm going to measure this with an oscilloscope when I work out where I can borrow one...interested to know how you're going dcolak. Cheers -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28514 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Noise level of SB3
dcolak;144816 Wrote: Last night I tried using SB3 without the preamp. The noise coming from SB3 was incredibly loud! It was like, wow, who recorded the sounds of the beach? :-) The amps were NAD C370's (two in a 300W monoblock configuration). Connecting M-Audio Revolution 5.1 sound card (PCI card in a PC) produced no noise. I also tried NAD C541i CD player, same again, no noise at all. I tested them at 100% power of the amps. With SB3, it was loud shhh noise (SB3 paused). I tried moving cables around, but nothing made a difference. Is it just my SB3 that has such a high level of noise or is it normal? Am I doing something wrong? Should I change the power supply of SB3? It can't have more noise than a 70USD sound card, can it? Check out this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28397 Sean Adams talks about the noise floor and has suggested other forums where this is talked about. Apparently from looking at them, a lot of people are using external DACs, thus bypassing the coveted Burr Browns, which are a selling point of the device.I've looked at my cables and swapped other devices in and out (Panasonic RP-82 for example, with no detectable hiss when paused - not sure if it does something tricky like grounding the audio out when pause is hit?) I'm not sure whether to invest in a separate DAC, which increases my investment considerably or whether this hiss is curable. I understand that squeezing (pun intended) this much functionality into a small device means some trade-offs, so maybe we just have to live with it. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28514 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Some Amplifier Feedback Please (no pun intended)
PhilNYC;144016 Wrote: A long time ago, I used to own a NAD 713 av receiver. Honestly, I felt it was underpowered for the speakers I was using at the time (Phase Tech PC-80 monitors). Assuming that the BW 601's like a good amount of power like their 800-series cousins, I might be inclined to suggest you look at a few other options...maybe similarly priced products from Rotel or Arcam? Thanks Phil, unfortunately Rotel and, especially Arcam, once arriving in this country, given its market size, are priced well above NAD its peers. Outlaw is unknown out here, and as such, is a risky purchase given the remoteness, but they are well spec'd, so thanks for the advice tom. In the end, I believe that the amp may be less influential than say a good set of interconnects or getting your source colouration down to an acceptible level. Then, any respected amp in that price bracket should probably do the job adequatelyyes? -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28395 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: DVD Audio ripping
liffy99;143797 Wrote: Is it posible to rip DVD Audio discs ? What is the file format (when I explore a disk I caanot identify which are audio tracks - it may be the ones showing with a file type of AOB). If I can, will I be able to straem them via a Squeezebox that supports 24/96 data rates ? Thanks I think Liffy is talking about DVD-A format discs, which the IMToo product couldn't handle Check out this thread. I've had no luck thus far. http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=27196 Cheers -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28386 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] SB3 noise
Hi, I noticed that a discussion about the PSU for the SB3 was deleted and now I am wondering if it may have contained the answer to this question. I have noticed that when selecting the source for my SB3 and cranking up the amp volume there is a noticeable white(ish) noise (hiss, not hum) on the speakers and headphones (yes I know I've got too much time on my hands). This noise is not detectable (via speakers or headphones) if I switch my CD player to the same input. Is this likely to be related to noise coming in on the DC from the power supply of the SB3, or from the internals of the SB3 itself? I don't have an oscilloscope handy so I can't look at the DC source itself. Cheers -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=28397 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: 2 channel Direct In
Thanks JRT, I didn't get around to downloading the manual, but had I done so I would have been as well informed about the 540R as you are. It seems to support a stereo direct mode after all. I can't wait to listen to my SB3 through this unit. Cheers -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=27623 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: High Bit Rate MP3 vs Lossless Compression
Hmm, and after some reasonably exhaustive listening tests against Joni Mitchell's Court and Spark - Opening Piano in 'Same Situation', there is a noticeable reduction of hammer noise (or maybe the damper or soft pedal moise) when listening to 256 Bps encoded mp3 vs Flacs, what else may be missing from other tracksenough for me to get busy again and re-rip. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=26918 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Re: Ripping DVD Audio
I have poured over various forums and multiple dead ends on this particular front. I believe that to Rip the advanced resolution stereo (96 kHz/24 Bit) tracks in comparison to perhaps digitally remastered versions of CD tracks would be of little benefit. I believe that for the 3 DVD-A albums I have I'll simply venture out and buy the CDs. Thanks anyway, to all contributors to this discussion. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=27196 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] Ripping DVD Audio
Hi all, My collection consists of a few DVD-A (audio) albums, the content of which I don't have elsewhere. I'd like to rip these to include in my soft collection, but as yet I haven't found a ripper/codec package which will do this. Has anyone come across software which can help? Thanks in advance. -- peejay After Silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music - Aldous Huxley. peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=27196 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
[SlimDevices: Audiophiles] High Bit Rate MP3 vs Lossless Compression
Hi All, I spent a lot of time and effort ripping my CDs to 256 kbps mp3 (using a Lame encoder) before I heard of FLAC. My questions relate to perceived audio quality vs a purist's view of the situation. I did some research prior to choosing the bitrate and the general consensus was that above 192 Kbps there was no perceived loss of quality from that of a standard audio CD. Clearly a lot depends on the equipment used for reproduction, but assuming this is of above average quality and constant, are there any opinions which will convince me to convert everything over to FLAC, also assuming disk space isn't an issue? Having just hooked up my new SB3 and being very happy with it (albeit still having some wireless network 'fun'), I'm curious about the factors which can could influence me to re-rip. Thanks in advance. -- peejay peejay's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=7046 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=26918 ___ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
