I just don't get crossfeed!

You are certainly not alone.

As with most other audio related crossfeed have its share of fans, and other who can not stand it. You simply have to make up your own mind.

I'd probably use crossfeed if I could get a Foobar plugin and Rockbox set up to sound similar. Otherwise I'm afraid I'd spoil myself and not be able to switch so easily from one to the other. But I guess I do that with different headphones already...

Heck, I'm EQing now so forget bit-perfect. I'll play with it. What's a good Foobar plugin?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head Injury 

I'd probably use crossfeed if I could get a Foobar plugin and Rockbox set up to sound similar. Otherwise I'm afraid I'd spoil myself and not be able to switch so easily from one to the other. But I guess I do that with different headphones already...

 

Heck, I'm EQing now so forget bit-perfect. I'll play with it. What's a good Foobar plugin?

For me, most software crossfeeds have some associated downsides. The one I use is bs2b(settings =cmoy). It's a simple .dll file that works with foobar. It doesn't do as much as some others might, but it helps with recordings with too much channel separation, and because it isn't as "powerful" as others it doesn't have any noticeable negative impact on SQ.

Try it. If you don't like it, just delete it from the components folder.

http://bs2b.sourceforge.net/

It's entirely album dependent. If there is naturally crossfeed built into the mix then it's not necessary. I find it necessary when instruments are hard-panned to one channel only. It drives my ears mad to listen to this music without crossfeed. In fact, most of the time I don't listen to albums like that using headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by JxK 

For me, most software crossfeeds have some associated downsides. The one I use is bs2b(settings =cmoy). It's a simple .dll file that works with foobar. It doesn't do as much as some others might, but it helps with recordings with too much channel separation, and because it isn't as "powerful" as others it doesn't have any noticeable negative impact on SQ.

 

Try it. If you don't like it, just delete it from the components folder.

http://bs2b.sourceforge.net/

Believe it or not, I already had it. Just forgot about it.

The effect is interesting, and my reaction is mixed. Sounds good on poorly separated songs, but bad on everything else. I found a noticeable negative impact, though. It kills the soundstage, at least the CMOY setting. I suppose that's part of the purpose behind it, but it makes songs sound too small, especially orchestral, like they're playing from little speakers on my monitor. There's also a loss of detail or note separation or something that takes away the bite of the attack. "Soft" is the only way I can describe it, or "mushy". It might be treble roll-off, the effect is worst on treble. Wait, or maybe it's just that it makes things a little quieter. Eh, the soundstage compression for me is a deal killer regardless.

It may sound better on headphones with bigger (or artificially huge) soundstages.

I don't think I'll be using it, but since I've probably had it in my components for months I won't get rid of it just yet 

Could be. At any rate, it sounds better with my hippo VBs than with my sr60s. Surprisingly enough, the IEMs actually have a bigger soundstage then the grados.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Head Injury 

...It may sound better on headphones with bigger (or artificially huge) soundstages...

It depends on the recording, but it depends even more in the person using it. Some brains seem to adapt better to headphone sound, meanwhile others have a hard time and crossfeed seems to help this second kind of people more. Personally crossfeed does nothing for me in a lot of tracks (and can make imaging less precise for me), except the ones with extreme left-right separation (like The Piper At The Gates of Dawn by Pink Floyd), in which it makes them at least tolerable through hp's, but then again I grew up hearing through headphones most of the time and are like second nature to me.

But there are other forms of audio processing that are far more interesting than just plain crossfeed like  Isone Pro or Canz3d (just to mention two I learned about here in head-fi) that try spatial simulation through more sofisticated methods and you might like it (I use it from time to time just to see how things would sound in different rooms). 

BTW your are NOT old at all!!!!  (I'm 24 also )

Quote:

Originally Posted by Roger Strummer 

It depends on the recording, but it depends even more in the person using it. Some brains seem to adapt better to headphone sound

That might be it for me. I've never really listened on speakers. Ever since I got into music, and especially since I got into quality reproduction, I've used headphones.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Uncle Erik 

People either enjoy crossfeed or they don't. Neither side is "right" and you should enjoy whatever it is you enjoy. I use crossfeed. I've had a Corda Cross I for years and it's a constant in my setup. I've heard a few other implementations and Dr. Meier's is the most natural sounding to me. I like crossfeed because it is closer to the live event and speakers. In a concert hall, you don't get strict left/right separation. You hear everything with both ears, but with some time delay. Same with speakers, and I'm a fool for dipoles that radiate front and back. Dipolar sound radiation is much like the live event. Crossfeed is an artifical method for doing the same. It isn't perfect, but I find it worthwhile. YMMV, of course. If you enjoy music without crossfeed, then keep doing what you enjoy.

I use Crossfeed with my HD800's, but do not with my HD650's and Ed8's.  I don't use it with the latter two cans because the increased warmth in the sound caused by the crossfeed feature on my HeadRoom amp adversely affects the sound.

The Meir Corda 1 seems interesting.  Is the increased warmth universal with all crossfeed implementations?

I have found it to be of most use with early mono recordings from the 60's and 70's which were later artificially made into stereo, its exaggerated and far to extreme the cross-feed helps make it much more natural.

Until a client pointed it out I didn't really understand how much it can improve older recordings

cheers

FRED

the stagedac has a tonal balance switch.

so the bass can be increased or attenuated as desired with the crossfeed.

amazing.

the soundstage with this thing seems to start at my shoulders and extend to infinity.

okay, i exaggerate a bit.  but, i won't be going back to software crossfeed ever again.

in fact, i may get another stagedac for work.

that's how much i like this thing.