Say it isn't so

[GMPX]

This confirms the old saying that some people hear music and others listen to music. Sound quality (http://rss.slashdot.org/%7Er/Slashdot/slashdot/%7E3/jhcK4gVbbfk/13-of-People-Cant-Tell-48Kbps-Audio-From-160Kbps)

[mr.prick]

I think most of the "people that listen to music" think too highly of themselves.
Some of those same people like to suggest that the best sound comes from
only having speakers in the doors and a sub in the back.

Personally I am impressed with the quality of a lot of youtube videos
I convert to MP3 (320kb). :hihi:

[GMPX]

There is also the extremes, people that will spend $500 on 20ft of speaker cable because it sounds better, good luck to them if they can hear it.

It just seems funny to me knowing that some sound engineer has spent weeks perfecting the sound on a CD only to find people can't even pick the difference between mp3's encoded at 48kbs or 160kbs. Personally, 160kbs is about the bottom limit I would accept.

Also, you know the car is the worst environment for good sound reproduction, it's all about 15" subs and max dB.

[Ira]

There is also the extremes, people that will spend $500 on 20ft of speaker cable because it sounds better, good luck to them if they can hear it..

You do realize that $500 for an 8 foot pair is the bottom of the barrel in high end speaker cables, They go about as high as $24,000 for an 8 foot pair.

Ira

And now having read the link, it means nothing without knowing everything about the equipment and environment. Hard to tell on bad speakers driven by bad electronics.

[GMPX]

You do realize that $500 for an 8 foot pair is the bottom of the barrel in high end speaker cables, They go about as high as $24,000 for an 8 foot pair. ok, that is plain stupid!
My theory is why bother unless, every path from the output transistor(s) to the speaker connector on the back are made of the same 'quality' wire. Then there is the internal wiring in the speaker box. Why not just use some welding cable :shock:
Now, shall we start on 300W USB powered subwoofers :mad:

[Tordne]

I am a supporter of the quality of cables used making a difference. I have reasonable (not insane) quality cables interconnecting all hifi components, as well as good quality cables connecting all speakers.

When I first made the change the dynamic range of the "system" was improved to the extent that I could hear elements in my favourite music I had not heard before. Actually took a little while to get used to the difference.

[Ira]

My favorite example in my experience was changing the preamp in my then current system. Before is was a Black Widow arm with a decent cartridge on a Technics table feeding a GAS Thedra into a Hafler DH200 with Rogers LS35As for speakers. I was completely happy with the system, sounded wonderful.

I replaced the Thedra with a used Audio Research SP3, put on Terrapin Station and walked back to sit down and listen. Don't recall if I made it to the couch or not, but it was mis-tracking so badly I couldn't stand to listen. An hour later with the VTA corrected the system sounded better than ever and after replacing the Thedra as an experiment it also sounded dramatically better. I just found it interesting that two preamps with seeming similar specs of the measurable stuff would sound so different and one would almost completely hide the sound of the needle bouncing in the groove and sound good doing it.

Ira

[GMPX]

I could hear elements in my favourite music I had not heard before. I was not aware the The Proclaimers made such an effort on production :hihi:
I must say Andrew, I'm not sure I can pick the styles of music you would listen to.

[Tordne]

I must say Andrew, I'm not sure I can pick the styles of music you would listen to.

I'm almost scared to tell you in case you are disappointed :)

I think pretty varied taste. A sample... Live, Switchfoot, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Beyonce, Linkin Park, Nickelback, Maroon 5, Jordin Sparks.

Let the harassment begin...

I'd just like to say that my favourite tune of all time is the sound of a V8! :cheers:

[Chevy366]

My front set : http://www.magnepan.com/model_MG_16 rear: http://www.magnepan.com/model_MG_12 center: http://www.magnepan.com/model_CC3 .
A box speaker sounds like a box , we listened to some Thiel : http://www.thielaudio.com/ which are 15k per speaker , the Maggies blew them away .
I truly believe Vinyl through a Tube is the best .

[SS2win]

the difference would be pretty obvious if they used the same compression routine. AACplus can do some amazing stuff at a low bitrate...

[ScarabEpic22]

But AAC is Mac = the DEVIL!!! Haha jk, I just converted my 8 thousand some songs from .wma to .mp3 so I could use my flipping iPod, so irritating that the iPod decoder can decode .wma's but Apple disabled it.

[N0DIH]

AAC = MP4

iTunes and Rhapsody are native mp4 players.

Rename to your m4a and you can play with any mp4 player.....

I would be wma's are proprietary to Microsoft and only blessed applications like WMP and Zune's can play it.

WMA's are far more limiting than AAC's..... I despise wma's.....


But AAC is Mac = the DEVIL!!! Haha jk, I just converted my 8 thousand some songs from .wma to .mp3 so I could use my flipping iPod, so irritating that the iPod decoder can decode .wma's but Apple disabled it.

[mr.prick]

I always convert to MP3 or buy MP3s.
gomusicnow (http://www.gomusicnow.com/)

[GMPX]

I'm almost scared to tell you in case you are disappointed :)Ok, we'll let you off, it's not too bad. I listen to all extremes and styles of music too, as long as it's not in the Top 10 then I'll probably like it.


But AAC is Mac = the DEVIL!!!I'm with you on that one, I would never convert anything I had over to an Apple format.

[ScarabEpic22]

AAC = MP4

iTunes and Rhapsody are native mp4 players.

Rename to your m4a and you can play with any mp4 player.....

I would be wma's are proprietary to Microsoft and only blessed applications like WMP and Zune's can play it.

WMA's are far more limiting than AAC's..... I despise wma's.....

I agree and you are correct but AAC is still a Mac format. Yes WMA is Microsoft and more limited but every mp3 player Ive had up til now can play them except the iPod. Archos, Zen x2, Rio.

[MN C5]

There is also the extremes, people that will spend $500 on 20ft of speaker cable because it sounds better, good luck to them if they can hear it.

It just seems funny to me knowing that some sound engineer has spent weeks perfecting the sound on a CD only to find people can't even pick the difference between mp3's encoded at 48kbs or 160kbs. Personally, 160kbs is about the bottom limit I would accept.

Also, you know the car is the worst environment for good sound reproduction, it's all about 15" subs and max dB.

And some of your best customers spend months on a perfectly fine VE table.. lol

[Lextech]

WOW,
I'm happy when I get the antenna JUST RIGHT on my garage AM radio.

Jeff