merlin
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If you feel threatened put him on your ignore list. Indeed put any trade member on there - think of it as an adblocker.
USB Cable Poll: Redux
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If you feel threatened put him on your ignore list. Indeed put any trade member on there - think of it as an adblocker.
Igloo Audio
Registered User
merlin
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You've got to love him
Peter
To be fair, I would question his hearing (or attentiveness), as probably would NeilR on this board.
We listened to a pair of 50's that clearly had a drive unit wired out of phase. He didn't notice.
maxflinn
pfm Member
It's always been my position. Well, apart from the fact that I won't be blind testing any cables going forward.
Is there an alternative sensible position?
whatsnext
Naimless
Threatened? What gave hìm that idea?
I shall note any more of your conjectures with interest.
Hell no! I never 'slagged your ears'.
In this issue, the uncertainty centres on whether USB cables all sound the same. By making a range of them available for free, I'm helping to remove that uncertainty, one listener at a time. You have it completely back-to-front: uncertainty stops people buying. No dealer wants that: they want to be able to say: Roll up! Here's the Solution! However, I'm absolutely not saying that. In fact, I'm saying: Mmm - maybe: you have a go: tell me what you think.
Wow: that's really reaching. But it's worth noting at this point that the ratio is currently for the first time 52:48 in favour of USB cables differing.
Also, to straighten out your statistical analysis: this is a 'metapoll' - a poll of polls. So if we get a true 50:50 split, one interpretation could be that we can't tell whether we can tell whether there's a difference between cables. It would say nothing about the cables themselves.
To make this crystal clear: this isn't a poll of USB cables: it's a poll of listeners. Your point would apply if we had asked a group of listeners to pick the best-sounding USB cable from A and B, unaware that A was a peripheral lead and B was an audiophile special - and the results came back 50:50. We might then infer that 'probability had taken over': ie, blind chance would have chosen the more expensive cable equally often and therefore it had not proven to be more valuable than the free one.
You need to think a bit more carefully about what a 50:50 result would mean in this instance.
Here's the next, item, you're going to love this!
A typical family sitting room. Dad is trying to connect his USB cable to his computer, while the kids are screaming, the dog is barking and the wife is yelling at the kids. Close up of the man's hands as he slips the cable into the USB qn the computer and presses play. Suddenly there is dead silence. The kids stop yelling and cuddle into there Dad, while the wife pats the dog and smiles fondly at the husband. Opening chords of 4 seasons are heard.
Just as the two kids plant kisses on Dad's cheeks the slogan appears: Item audio cables. The noise floor just drops away...
Yes, I know, sheer genius. PM me and I'll give you my RIB.
A typical family sitting room. Dad is trying to connect his USB cable to his computer, while the kids are screaming, the dog is barking and the wife is yelling at the kids. Close up of the man's hands as he slips the cable into the USB qn the computer and presses play. Suddenly there is dead silence. The kids stop yelling and cuddle into there Dad, while the wife pats the dog and smiles fondly at the husband. Opening chords of 4 seasons are heard.
Just as the two kids plant kisses on Dad's cheeks the slogan appears: Item audio cables. The noise floor just drops away...
Yes, I know, sheer genius. PM me and I'll give you my RIB.
Although it's a tiny bit off-topic (still about USB), I will eat my hat if within the next five years we don't see one of the more progressive DAC manufacturers sell their converter not just with a driver, but with a bespoke PCIe card matched to it, and specific instructions for its installation. Really interesting to see Auralic recommending JPlay.
I honestly don't think - on average - USB cables make a huge difference, although they can genuinely lift the performance of many DACs out there. The cable is (ho! ho!) a peripheral issue . . .
The real business of audio over USB is trying to grab hold of both ends of the signal path and sync - and cleanly power, them. Supplying the driver is a necessary first step, but it doesn't go far enough - which is why we see such differences between computers - software and hardware. Remember where you heard it first!
The future of USB DACs I think has been telegraphed in principle by Phasure and XXHighEnd, where they're striving for such an integrated approach. Also to some extent Pyramix. We'll look back and laugh at the silly idea idea that 'any old computer will work'.
I honestly don't think - on average - USB cables make a huge difference, although they can genuinely lift the performance of many DACs out there. The cable is (ho! ho!) a peripheral issue . . .
The real business of audio over USB is trying to grab hold of both ends of the signal path and sync - and cleanly power, them. Supplying the driver is a necessary first step, but it doesn't go far enough - which is why we see such differences between computers - software and hardware. Remember where you heard it first!
The future of USB DACs I think has been telegraphed in principle by Phasure and XXHighEnd, where they're striving for such an integrated approach. Also to some extent Pyramix. We'll look back and laugh at the silly idea idea that 'any old computer will work'.
maxflinn
pfm Member
He used to do me for free too
sq225917
Bit of this, bit of that
It means absolutely nothing as opinions are like arseholes, only blind tests are a true measure of people's ability to discern a difference.
no need to be embarrassed, mon ami. Not often you come up against real talent. Why, together we could conquer the world, what with my ideas and your - well, money if nothing else!
Another coming up shortly.
whatsnext
Naimless
Earlier post
and more publicity for things Item sells. Item have you ever posted about some thing you aren' selling? Turntables/cartridges, vintage HiFi, Tuners, stands maybe you know what I allude to. Something not advertising your business and it's interests.
How about we ask Tony to create you your own room under Audio a sub room or folder?
Some advertising for you Item. See ItemAudios name again and think Item Audio.
If anyone in the Birmingham area would like a 3m Supra USB 2.0 A and B cable, cost new £42, I have one going for a modest donation to a needy cause. It is burned in if that is part of your way of seeing things. Sorry it is collect only, turn up at a prearranged point and get handed a cable that will transform your system due to separated power and signal paths possibly.
Or you could borrow one off Item with all the inertia that returning something that was tried because of uncertainty brings.
Later
and more publicity for things Item sells. Item have you ever posted about some thing you aren' selling? Turntables/cartridges, vintage HiFi, Tuners, stands maybe you know what I allude to. Something not advertising your business and it's interests.
How about we ask Tony to create you your own room under Audio a sub room or folder?
There you go correcting your inaccuracy and giving you one of those Road side hoarding type adverts - the ones that if you didn't see them then the product/service would not be uppermost in peoples minds.
Some advertising for you Item. See ItemAudios name again and think Item Audio.
If anyone in the Birmingham area would like a 3m Supra USB 2.0 A and B cable, cost new £42, I have one going for a modest donation to a needy cause. It is burned in if that is part of your way of seeing things. Sorry it is collect only, turn up at a prearranged point and get handed a cable that will transform your system due to separated power and signal paths possibly.
Or you could borrow one off Item with all the inertia that returning something that was tried because of uncertainty brings.
'Pointy ears' is a good thing - cloth ears, bad. I said I've no idea what your hearing, or your system is like. If you've imputed an insult from that, it's all your own work: none was intended. None was stated.
If you track everything I've posted, you'll see the vast majority of it is the kind of generic, theoretical debate we're having now. Look at the Digital Source Poll thread. Quite a lot of it is fire-fighting the reputation arsonists, too.
Turntables, vintage hifi, stands - discussion of any of those would be 'advertising our business', too.
And if you come up with a fairer, more customer-centred way of allowing potential buyers to come to their own conclusions and never waste money on something that didn't concretely improve their system - one that 100% immunises against buyer remorse - let me know.
Case in point: you got suckered into buying a pointless 'audiophile' USB cable you now wish you've never bought and just want someone to take away. If you'd dropped this freaky flame war persona and simply called me, I'd have put two or three in the post without billing you for them, enabled you to make a proper judgment on more than a single cable and - if at the end of it you'd learned nothing more useful than that in your system USB cables aren't worth a damn, you wouldn't be out of pocket. And you wouldn't now have that white elephant on your hands, would you?
You've perfectly illustrated why we offer that service. Despite being completely aware of it - despite being so quick to call it a 'scam' - you deliberately chose to waste your time and money buying an overpriced cable from a non-specialist that won't now let you return it. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face . . .
If you track everything I've posted, you'll see the vast majority of it is the kind of generic, theoretical debate we're having now. Look at the Digital Source Poll thread. Quite a lot of it is fire-fighting the reputation arsonists, too.
Turntables, vintage hifi, stands - discussion of any of those would be 'advertising our business', too.
And if you come up with a fairer, more customer-centred way of allowing potential buyers to come to their own conclusions and never waste money on something that didn't concretely improve their system - one that 100% immunises against buyer remorse - let me know.
Case in point: you got suckered into buying a pointless 'audiophile' USB cable you now wish you've never bought and just want someone to take away. If you'd dropped this freaky flame war persona and simply called me, I'd have put two or three in the post without billing you for them, enabled you to make a proper judgment on more than a single cable and - if at the end of it you'd learned nothing more useful than that in your system USB cables aren't worth a damn, you wouldn't be out of pocket. And you wouldn't now have that white elephant on your hands, would you?
You've perfectly illustrated why we offer that service. Despite being completely aware of it - despite being so quick to call it a 'scam' - you deliberately chose to waste your time and money buying an overpriced cable from a non-specialist that won't now let you return it. Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face . . .
whatsnext
Naimless
Thank you Avole for the marketing and posting advice.
BUMP
And for reasons Item is unable or unwilling to understand:
If anyone in the South Birmingham area would like a 3m Supra USB 2.0 A and B plug cable, cost new £42 from Audio Affair, I have one going for a modest donation to a needy cause. It is burned in if that is part of your way of seeing things. Sorry it is collect only, we turn up at a prearranged point and you get handed a cable that will transform your system due to separated power and signal paths possibly as much advocated by ItemAudio.
Contrary to Items thinking it isn't an elephant of any colour but works very well and must be burned in out or whatever. Proved invaluable this AM when BT Broadband/Home hub WiFI went silly for an hour. Look upon it as an act of goodwill to a non trade member of the PFM community.
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