Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2019 23:14:15 GMT
So STeVE has so many people asking him “how he does it” so he gives an explanation.
Hoofy:
Highlights include the following exchanges -
Pastafarian:
STeVE:
Heathen:
Guffman:
Heathen:
Yost:
Hoofy:
FYI, How to judge interconnects, power cords, speaker cable, etc. Let's share techniques together..
Hoofy:
I've been asked how I do it. I have no problem with writing this up again if it helps some of you figure it out.
Some people expect a BIG difference when switching, auditioning wire. BIG DIFFERENCE. Well, no, see, this is what makes me scratch my head. You won't hear a big difference but over the course of say 5 years, it truly adds up, believe me!
Those that want it all now: What were you listening for? What were you expecting to happen? Do you know what exactly to listen for? What music were you playing, was it compressed or dynamic, pop, jazz, classical, what?
A better power cord will give you better dynamic peaks instantly but if you are expecting something like a "loudness button" to be pushed, it won't happen, although the bass has a better chance of being dynamically freed from the soundstage than with a stock cord, don't ask me why. Most people like the sound of compression though and seem not to notice that it's even there.
I've seen rich audiophiles with $200,000.00 systems who have NO idea what to listen for when comparing wire, cables, VTA, etc. After I tell 'em they focus on one crucial thing (bass response or treble extension or midrange balance, one at a time!) and block everything else out. That's the way to do it. It took an experienced audiophile to clue me in on how to critically listen for changes like this. Very hard to do, takes the ability to focus on one aspect of the sound and block the other out or pad them down. Many can't seem to do it at all, or think they can't, so they give up and become part of the "I can't hear a difference, so there isn't one" crowd, sad to say.
BTW, some stock cords are really good, most are just adequate, IMO. I wish power cords made no difference. I hate the fact that some upscale cords are so inflexible, impossible to move them even a bit into position. Drives me bonkers...
So it is very difficult to get people to focus in, especially since it probably seems to them self-indulgent or a waste of time.
My thing (when forced to do it, I'm not a fan of swapping out stuff in my system) is to concentrate on one song, usually a song I'm working on for work or a song I've known well since childhood. Then I'll swap wires and give a listen. Using "all kinds" of music, etc. would make it impossible for me to tell anything, it's like swapping out CD players and speakers. You get lost. Doing one song (should be something not wonderful sounding) will make any difference stand out.
For years I used Beatles stereo I FEEL FINE (from the old Past Masters CD, the left 'drums & bass' side) to tell which impedance tap sounded best. Since the music hasn't much dynamic range (thanks to how it was mixed) ANY change is obvious. The more dynamic the opening of the song sounded (after the drums came in), that was the impedance to use. Also works on wire, cable changes, etc.
If you pick a wonderful recording to do any testing on you will come to grief. You need something less than wonderful. That makes any changes bad or good easier to spot.
This is to just open a discussion. I've posted this in Music Corner since it definitely involves music.
Please share your experiences and how you do it.
Some people expect a BIG difference when switching, auditioning wire. BIG DIFFERENCE. Well, no, see, this is what makes me scratch my head. You won't hear a big difference but over the course of say 5 years, it truly adds up, believe me!
Those that want it all now: What were you listening for? What were you expecting to happen? Do you know what exactly to listen for? What music were you playing, was it compressed or dynamic, pop, jazz, classical, what?
A better power cord will give you better dynamic peaks instantly but if you are expecting something like a "loudness button" to be pushed, it won't happen, although the bass has a better chance of being dynamically freed from the soundstage than with a stock cord, don't ask me why. Most people like the sound of compression though and seem not to notice that it's even there.
I've seen rich audiophiles with $200,000.00 systems who have NO idea what to listen for when comparing wire, cables, VTA, etc. After I tell 'em they focus on one crucial thing (bass response or treble extension or midrange balance, one at a time!) and block everything else out. That's the way to do it. It took an experienced audiophile to clue me in on how to critically listen for changes like this. Very hard to do, takes the ability to focus on one aspect of the sound and block the other out or pad them down. Many can't seem to do it at all, or think they can't, so they give up and become part of the "I can't hear a difference, so there isn't one" crowd, sad to say.
BTW, some stock cords are really good, most are just adequate, IMO. I wish power cords made no difference. I hate the fact that some upscale cords are so inflexible, impossible to move them even a bit into position. Drives me bonkers...
So it is very difficult to get people to focus in, especially since it probably seems to them self-indulgent or a waste of time.
My thing (when forced to do it, I'm not a fan of swapping out stuff in my system) is to concentrate on one song, usually a song I'm working on for work or a song I've known well since childhood. Then I'll swap wires and give a listen. Using "all kinds" of music, etc. would make it impossible for me to tell anything, it's like swapping out CD players and speakers. You get lost. Doing one song (should be something not wonderful sounding) will make any difference stand out.
For years I used Beatles stereo I FEEL FINE (from the old Past Masters CD, the left 'drums & bass' side) to tell which impedance tap sounded best. Since the music hasn't much dynamic range (thanks to how it was mixed) ANY change is obvious. The more dynamic the opening of the song sounded (after the drums came in), that was the impedance to use. Also works on wire, cable changes, etc.
If you pick a wonderful recording to do any testing on you will come to grief. You need something less than wonderful. That makes any changes bad or good easier to spot.
This is to just open a discussion. I've posted this in Music Corner since it definitely involves music.
Please share your experiences and how you do it.
Highlights include the following exchanges -
Pastafarian:
I think the biggest mistake many people make during any dem is to focus on a particular element, my view just listen to the music and then try to decide why one sounds better.
STeVE:
Heh, so the opposite of how I do it. Interesting.
Heathen:
Blind testing is the only way. Cognitive bias is just too strong.
Guffman:
Not true at all. Trust yourself, trust your ears, practice.
Heathen:
I'll have to respectfully disagree. I won't derail your thread into a subjective vs. objective argument, though, so I'll just bow out of the discussion.
Yost:
I always ask a friend to help me. He does the swaps so I have a blind comparison. If I’m changing the component myself, I already “know” what to hear differently. I do the same with different (re)masterings, btw.
Hoofy:
You could never be a mastering engineer!
FYI, How to judge interconnects, power cords, speaker cable, etc. Let's share techniques together..