[onyxdr]

Quote:

Originally posted by Matt So, besides the lack of hiss, has the iMic improved the sound in any way? Are the A/D's better, would you say, than the internal ones? If so, how so? Has it done anywhere near an Art DI/O-quality job?

I can't really compare it to an "Art DI/O," because I'm not even sure what that is

and I obviously don't have one

. But the sound is punchier with the iMic; highs are a little cleaner and overall everything sounds a little less muddy. No real bass improvement that I can tell, though.

Quote:

p.s. if you are running OS X, have you downloaded Internet Explorer v. 5.2.1 yet? The Quartz text smoothing is delicious.

OmniWeb has been doing this for a while, and I try to avoid M$ products when I can (Word is an unavoidable necessity). I've seen IE 5.2.1 in action, though, and while it does look better than IE 5.1, OmniWeb 4.1 still looks better IHMO. Check it out: www.omnigroup.com.

 

[Matt]

....to hijack this thread, but yeah, I've used OmniWeb and have really liked it, except for the glaring omission of interoperability with the bankofamerica.com online banking site. Ugh.

Really all I liked about it was the smooth text, so that's why I am excited about IE's newfound virtues.

Back to thread!

Thanks for the description of the sound changes. Probably more than anything those were due to the hiss removal, I'd bet.

- Matt

 

[onyxdr]

Quote:

Originally posted by Matt Thanks for the description of the sound changes. Probably more than anything those were due to the hiss removal, I'd bet.

Probably true. I have even noticed the improvement in noisy environments like the train, and I'm considerably happier with my system now. The Etys were grand enough, but now they're bordering on stellar.

[off thread] Matt, what was the last version of OmniWeb that you used? 4.1 can impersonate other browsers, so it might work in places where earlier versions didn't. [/off thread

]

 

[fredpb]

The hiss is probably the inherent design of the amplifier.

Some devices have an analog output amplfier designed to operate at maximum output, but use a pre stage that is digital to control the volume.

Like just plugging your headphones into any device with no music, and turning the volume to max....you will usually hear hiss or some noise.

Since the analog output stage is running full out all the time, you get the hiss. That is not a problem in the unit, it's the design of the unit. The only way to get rid of it is to use less efficient headphones.

I could be wrong .......

 

[onyxdr]

Quote:

Originally posted by fredpb Since the analog output stage is running full out all the time, you get the hiss. That is not a problem in the unit, it's the design of the unit. The only way to get rid of it is to use less efficient headphones.

Probably true, but the iMic does cut down on the hissing considerably. Maybe it's a better DAC or something?

 

[onyxdr]

Oliver, you asked me to report on how and whether the iMic cuts down on interference between the iBook output and the AirHead amp. I can now report that it most certainly does. Vitrually no hiss or other interference at all!

 

[MacDEF]

Quote:

Originally posted by Oliver Uh, the hp-jack is the one thing on the iBook that is not silent.

I missed this thread the first time around. As another data point (three more, actually), we've had three iBooks, and none of them produced any "static" or "noise" out of the headphone jack. In fact, compared to every other laptop I've owned or used, (both Apple and several Wintel vendors), the iBook has had the best audio output by a long shot.

As for the recommendations for the iMic, it's a very good product, but you're not really getting a line-out through it's "line-out" jack. USB audio cannot provide a true line-out, since volume and EQ are both part of the data sent via USB.

One reason people often get static/noise out of their computer is that they tend to turn the computer's "main" volume up all the way, then set application and alert sounds at low levels -- so your audio jack is trying to play at full volume even though you have sound-producing software set at low levels. A better combination is to set your "main" volume much lower, and then turn up your applications, etc. For example, I have iTunes' volume control near maxed, but the computer's volume control is much lower.

 

[HighwayStar]

Quote:

Originally posted by MacDEF One reason people often get static/noise out of their computer is that they tend to turn the computer's "main" volume up all the way, then set application and alert sounds at low levels -- so your audio jack is trying to play at full volume even though you have sound-producing software set at low levels. A better combination is to set your "main" volume much lower, and then turn up your applications, etc. For example, I have iTunes' volume control near maxed, but the computer's volume control is much lower.

I've noticed that with my PC. And that's exactly what I did including muting everything else such as midi, line in, etc. Cut down the noise bigtime.

 

[Matt]

Hello, all.

I bought an iMic (for recording), but have used it for listening and I have a question:

A lot of you are saying that the iMic cut out all the hiss and interference. I have experienced a hiss reduction (not much was there in the first place), but most notably it has some interference problems, apparently.

From the computer's sound-out, I would hear "interference," which would only stop when something was being manipulated (by the mouse) on the screen. It would be these "squiggly" noises (that were light, but quite noticeable) that, for lack of a better example, sounded like that "digi-crap" you hear in the background of a badly-encoded mp3 file. The very same thing is happening from the iMic, which I would have expected to have been killed by the "clean, externall, un-influenced DAC."

Does anyone experience the same thing? Or, can anyone explain it, if no one else does?

As far as the general iMic sonics, I heard a pretty noticeable increase in general refinement throughout the audio range, along with a de-rolling-off of the treble. There was, however, a reduction of bass levels. To me, the bassier sound is more euphonic (funny, considering my main rig is a Stax system), though the refinement is appreciated enough to the point where I'd listen to the iMic first.

This, of course, all changes when one sends the iMic out to a headamp, which reconstitutes it well. The iMic is probably just a bit underpowered (even though I listen through ultra-efficient VITEs), explaining the bass loss.

- Sir Mister Matt