[killkli]

Hi everybody. Recently, I've been thinking about some questions about Hi-Fi performance & measurement.
I got some ideas about the matter and wanna do a test for it.
So I've created two tracks from the same source.
Each has a different kind of distortion.
Please let me know which sounds "better" to you.
 
(they are not complete track so it would not violate the author's right.)
Here's the file:
 
File A:
http://www.mediafire.com/?5y50toq6e63uaxb
 
File B:
http://www.mediafire.com/?85gudk32abup3g8
 
 
Please vote in the poll.
 
If you wish, please also give me some ideas about how you think about each of the two files.
 
Thank you all, lets work toward a world with better sound  ^^||.
 
 

 

[killkli]

Sorry @@
I forgot to put "can't tell the difference" into the option.
If you don't see difference in them. Please simply reply "Can't tell." to the thread.
 
Thank you.

 

[liamstrain]

voted. Download worked fine for me.
 
I don't want to specify because I do not wish to prejudice other listeners. 

 

[Tilpo]

I voted, but I did not really feel there was a significant difference. There seemed to be one, but since it's not double blind I can't say for sure.

 

[Bones2010]

The first time I listened to each file the difference was pretty easy to tell. After that it became more difficult. Like my brain was filtering out the distortion or something. Anyone else experience this?
Using D2000's with Realtek ALC888.

 

[firev1]

Not significant but there, nice song though

 

[adamlau]

Voted. Looks as if I am with the current majority on this one so far...

 

[killkli]

Here comes the answer:
A file has a distortion rate around 1%
B file has a distortion rate around 10%
 
All distortion is of 2nd harmonic.
 
I've posted my theory in the thread here:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/596966/could-you-here-the-difference/15#post_8198266
 
note that the AB file is not the same in that thread.

 

[Tilpo]

Seems I'm the only one who preferred the lower distortion one in that case.

Still, with so little votes I think this experiment is hardly conclusive.

 

[killkli]

Quote:

Seems I'm the only one who preferred the lower distortion one in that case.
Still, with so little votes I think this experiment is hardly conclusive.

There are actually quite some people preferred lower distortion ones.
But do read my theory in the other thread, I'm not testing to prove that tube amp sounds better.
I'm trying to reason out why tube amp and some higher distortion designed amp do have some lovers.
(Such as non negative feed back design.)
 
I did measure IMD on both of these system, but it's not a great difference between tube & ss really
A well designed SS amp would also have very low Inter modulation distortion.

 

[stv014]

Quote:

Seems I'm the only one who preferred the lower distortion one in that case.

 
The problem with this test is that it is not real non-linear distortion, so there is no IMD. However, it is IMD that actually makes distortion sound bad.
 

 

[killkli]

Harmonic distortion is non-liner distortion.
You should read more about what's non-loner and what's not.
 
Though I do think IMD is an important factor too. But I think one should narrow the factors down to simple problems and solve them one by one.
Here I only intended to see how harmonic distortion effect listening experience.
 
Stop mention IMD. It's not about this test AT ALL

 

[stv014]

Quote:

Harmonic distortion is non-liner distortion.

 
That is exactly my point, you did not use actual non-linear distortion, but rather pitch shifting (a complex digital effect that amplifiers normally do not do).
 

 

[killkli]

Seriously, do you know what's harmonic distortion is?

 

[stv014]

Quote:

Seriously, do you know what's harmonic distortion is?

Yes, I know.

The point I made is that the pitch shifting effect used in your files is different from real non-linear distortion which always produces intermodulation as well. Therefore, your poll does not give valid results in the sense of proving that tube distortion improves sound, because the test files lack what is the main reason why high distortion sounds worse.