Like the title says really. Went into hifi shop to dem a possible xmas pressy. Listened to one track (Bjork-Human Behaviour) on each of them in the above order, stopped the dem and walked out with wallet in pocket. Someone is seriously taking the piss or my ears need syringing. Probably both I suppose.
£20 Behringer, £1250 Naim V1, £1800 Linn Majik DS-Eff all in it.
- Thread starter molee
- Start date
dave
Plywood King
Actually, we could give you a hundred possible reasons why you didn't hear (or value) a difference. I doubt it's because there's no difference to be heard or that anything is wrong with your hearing based on a hifi shop dem.
If you have the desire to try more comparisons maybe your dealer would loan you the components and set them up for your in your home for a trial...and leave you to yourself. This eliminates all pressure.
flatpopely
Prog Rock/Moderator
Buy the cheapest, that's best for you......but not for everyone.
dave
Plywood King
So only people that hear differences have good hearing?
Correct, if there are differences to be heard
dave
Plywood King
Seconded..always buy the cheapest if no difference is heard (and assuming there is no difference to be heard.) If a dealer claims there is a difference to be heard - make him prove it.
martin clark
pinko bodger
NO. It is perfectly possible to have unbelievably-great hearing and not give a significant toss about the very small differences one might detect, and so choose to buy a bit of kit on entirely-other grounds: aesthetic, packaging, cost, flavour, running cost, number of worker-children killed per unit sold, ability to stir shit on a forum one trolls etc.So only people that hear differences have good hearing?
So, as SQ says in the post above, you buy what you are happy with. The End.
Such choices have got absolutely zero to do with the relative technical merit of each item auditioned, nor how good the buyer's 'ear' is. It's a personal value judgement in the round. Everyone does it - everyone!
(and so the conflation of such issues are also why 99% of audio threads can be safely ignored...)
I brought my boy's Behringer with me so buying nothing- incidently nothing wrong with its timing through USB at home. I said eff all difference not NO difference, the Naim was the best-marginally. Regarding 'Listen to them blind, buy the one you like the most' -its not so simples is it unless the opportunity cost of £1230 is irrelevant. I agree about the home dem bit though, my Rega Planet does sound better. Maybe my OP is saying something about the value of Hifi room dems as well as the relative merits of the three items. In my view, though, it shouldn't be that difficult for a professional consultant to demonstrate the clear differences between a £20 fag packet box and a couple of four-figure pieces. Flatpopely, if you are saying that 'everyone' should buy expensive for the sake of buying expensive-do you use that rationale when demo-ing your stuff? It's not about cheap, like above it's about opportunity cost-quite a steep one if only in proportional terms in this instance.
I'd be curious to know the rest of the system. And I expect the differences to be much bigger with different kind of music (or at least this is my experience)So only people that hear differences have good hearing?
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
Molees are known to have poor hearing above ground although they are sensitive to vibration.
Warren Day
pfm Member
I agree with realmassy.
My 2p is that there are several factors:
* the quality of the amp and speakers (once heard Linn Mimik & LP12 SE in a shop, couldn't hear much difference, changed speakers and there was a massive difference)
* how good your hearing is (I think this has the least effect in my experience)
* learned listening skill/appreciation of music (I know more about the subtly of a top guitar solo or classical music than I did years ago) I think this learned skill is huge and invariably completely not even thought about
* the music used (I played some of a flatmate's trance stuff recently, really enjoyed it, but doesn't need a system of my calibre to be enjoyed)
My 2p is that there are several factors:
* the quality of the amp and speakers (once heard Linn Mimik & LP12 SE in a shop, couldn't hear much difference, changed speakers and there was a massive difference)
* how good your hearing is (I think this has the least effect in my experience)
* learned listening skill/appreciation of music (I know more about the subtly of a top guitar solo or classical music than I did years ago) I think this learned skill is huge and invariably completely not even thought about
* the music used (I played some of a flatmate's trance stuff recently, really enjoyed it, but doesn't need a system of my calibre to be enjoyed)
Tony L
Administrator
So to recap in a somewhat less emotive manner: you felt you observed a difference between the three DACs and have therefore negated much of the entrenched cyclic argument present on this thread. The only question left is whether that difference was worth the asking price to you, and that's a personal decision, so not something anyone else can answer. I expect a nice quiet thread from now on. ;-)
MVV
pfm Member
I'm with you mister mole. Since the likes of serge and Robert have left there is almost no balance against the people who come here to promote their business. You post a comment and are told your hearing is faulty and you don't know how to listen to music properly or that you are simply not discerning enough by people who mostly sell hi fi. Me I use a FIiO D3 and find there is eff all between it and any DAC. Having said that I am deaf, thick and shop at Aldi.
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
There's some good stuff in Aldi.