[shane55]

I agree with what's been said so far.
To opine without a thorough knowledge of the medium is folly. To base one's statements on data obtained with obsolete tools is to open oneself to an onslaught of righteous ridicule.
The problem comes when others who know little... or less, believe the reviewer. When the gullible suck up, hook-line & sinker, all that is said by a dolt who did not do his/her homework... that's when misinformation spreads.
 
Go get 'em!!

 

[wink]

What do you people think about this post?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/694209/future-of-audiophile-audio#post_10047865

 

[mikemercer]

  I agree with what's been said so far.
To opine without a thorough knowledge of the medium is folly. To base one's statements on data obtained with obsolete tools is to open oneself to an onslaught of righteous ridicule.
The problem comes when others who know little... or less, believe the reviewer. When the gullible suck up, hook-line & sinker, all that is said by a dolt who did not do his/her homework... that's when misinformation spreads.
 
Go get 'em!!

workin' on the concept piece RIGHT NOW!!
 
I mean, the man was talking about the issue of noise w/ USB DACs.
We (the industry) started addressing that what, 5-6 years ago? Maybe longer?
 
and to say they needed to use an "old PC tower, as most computers don't output SPDIF and USB"?!?!?!
It's called a Mac - though I'm sure PC's do this too now right??

 

[aamefford]

Hey mikemercer, been thinking about you lately, glad you are still firing on all cylinders. For the record, MacBook Air's are USB only. No optical. Have to go mbp for optical. Hence my search for a good USB DAC of late. I've been using my HIFI-M8, which is a pretty darned good USB DAC. Anyway heading toward a derail, so I'll quit here. My main point was Mba's are USB only.

 

[shane55]

If my (PC) towers didn't have optical or COAX, I've put them in. Very cheap and simple. Most good soundcards have one or both.
My Dell laptop has optical. It's what I use 99.999% of the time as output to my DAC's. I do this for several reasons, but mainly because my USB's are all used up and I don't want to trust sound to multiple USB splitting.
 
With good DACs, I've heard no difference between USB and toslink. A good DAC should do both perfectly well.

 

[shane55]

  What do you people think about this post?
http://www.head-fi.org/t/694209/future-of-audiophile-audio#post_10047865

 
What?
OK... gave it a very quick look. This article needs for me to actually sit down and read it carefully.
 
Refuting the 'generally considered gospel' belief that 192/24 will sound worlds better than 44.1/16 is a tough sell and had better make sense to me. After my first quick skim of the article... it did not.
 
I'll go back and read this again...

 

[mikemercer]

Hey mikemercer, been thinking about you lately, glad you are still firing on all cylinders. For the record, MacBook Air's are USB only. No optical. Have to go mbp for optical. Hence my search for a good USB DAC of late. I've been using my HIFI-M8, which is a pretty darned good USB DAC. Anyway heading toward a derail, so I'll quit here. My main point was Mba's are USB only.

Oh right! I meant MacBook Pro - which is what I use mostly (I LOVE my 15" Retina w/ SSD drive) - for all my writing and for all my personal audio rigs when using Amarra.
 
and thanks for the kind words sir!
 
Have you seen our new website: Audio360.org??
We're VERY proud of what we're doing there (trying to have FUN and do things differently).
 
I have a straight-up MacBook - but it lives w/ my two-channel reference system full-time (and I used to have a USB-to-SPDIF converter on it, as ironic as that may be considering our latest discussion) - but now I just go straight into my Oppo BDP-105's USB DAC and I love the sound.  Even sold my dCs because I preferred the Oppo's DAC section!!  YUP - hey, you chase the sound of the music that moves you right?? 

 

[mikemercer]

  If my (PC) towers didn't have optical or COAX, I've put them in. Very cheap and simple. Most good soundcards have one or both.
My Dell laptop has optical. It's what I use 99.999% of the time as output to my DAC's. I do this for several reasons, but mainly because my USB's are all used up and I don't want to trust sound to multiple USB splitting.
 
With good DACs, I've heard no difference between USB and toslink. A good DAC should do both perfectly well.

I agree completely!! I'm not sure where all the toslink bashing came from - but I've done A/B tests feeding the same source into the USB and Toslink section of this Sim Audio/Moon DAC that I used to love and use all the time - and I couldn't tell a difference.
 
and - you're also dead-on with regard to upgrading via a decent soundscard.
I've done this for my wifey's machine and I'm usually not too good with PC's - but it was easy as pie.

 

[aamefford]

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Originally Posted by mikemercer /img/forum/go_quote.gif
  Oh right! I meant MacBook Pro - which is what I use mostly (I LOVE my 15" Retina w/ SSD drive) - for all my writing and for all my personal audio rigs when using Amarra.
 
and thanks for the kind words sir!

 
 
Have you seen our new website: Audio360.org??
We're VERY proud of what we're doing there (trying to have FUN and do things differently).
 

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I have a straight-up MacBook - but it lives w/ my two-channel reference system full-time (and I used to have a USB-to-SPDIF converter on it, as ironic as that may be considering our latest discussion) - but now I just go straight into my Oppo BDP-105's USB DAC and I love the sound.  Even sold my dCs because I preferred the Oppo's DAC section!!  YUP - hey, you chase the sound of the music that moves you right?? 

 

Yes, Ive checked out Audio360.org a few times.  It is now on my "check it out about every week" list.  Very cool.  Very irreverent.  I like it.  I aspire to write up a review on something well enough to talk you guys into running it.  Be cool to say I was published some day...

 

[mikemercer]

  Yes, Ive checked out Audio360.org a few times.  It is now on my "check it out about every week" list.  Very cool.  Very irreverent.  I like it.  I aspire to write up a review on something well enough to talk you guys into running it.  Be cool to say I was published some day...

It would be coo. I'm also sure you could do it. Just be yourself - sounds cliche, but many have a hard time writing like they speak, like they relate out in the world.
I'm SO psyched to hear you've been enjoying the work we're doing at 360!!
 
It's a true labor of love at this point. Me, Michael and Warren (we're the owners) have to continue our regular gigs to pay the bills.
Right now we're trying out our goals, the vision of doing something different, raw, something that doesn't elevate the writers above the users.
We have a rule that we don't wanna do anything like its been done before - though I admit the Roundtable idea comes from old school TAS!
 
Harry Pearson used to do those. But Warren and Michael didn't know that - so when we all talked about doing different things we all had something
different to compliment each others style and goals. It's been FUN - and I'm SO psyched I finally took the plunge and did something on my own (well,
with my partners and staff of course)!! Many peers have been bugging me to do it - and luckily I'm still writing for all the others spots - they all support it.
 
Hey - one day it may bring money. Right now we're just following a dream with it.
Thanks to supporting!
 
and HEY - if ever you have an idea you feel strongly about - something you wanna cover - hit me up.
 
Now I gotta write the damn TAS essay that started this thread!! LOL.
But now I might do it for Audio360.org!!
 

 

 

[mikemercer]

HEY FELLAS!
 
Down w/ pneumonia.
SUCKS!!
 
But its couldn't stop me from finishing my latest OCCUPY HIFI essay!!
 
Here it it, via The High Fidelity Report:
 
OCCUPY HIFI Part II - Respect The Art
 
I sincerely hope you guys dig it!!!!

 

[mikemercer]

  Yes, Ive checked out Audio360.org a few times.  It is now on my "check it out about every week" list.  Very cool.  Very irreverent.  I like it.  I aspire to write up a review on something well enough to talk you guys into running it.  Be cool to say I was published some day...

Well keep on workin on your craft brother!
You never know!!