wink
His amps are made out of recycled beer cans
and his source from tomatos.
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2009
- Posts
- 20,312
- Likes
- 3,656
No......
Rafe's Inner Fidelity
- Thread starter Roscoeiii
- Start date
His amps are made out of recycled beer cans
Another piece that reads like a filler, actually more like AD (who payed for that, Sony?). I'm sure anyone who is new to hi-fi can be amazed by whatever garbage, as long as it reads 'cool'. Nothing wrong with that, just don't call it InnerFidelity, 'cos that is definitely not 'cool'.
castleofargh
Sound Science Forum Moderator
- Joined
- Jul 2, 2011
- Posts
- 10,440
- Likes
- 6,062
I looked at it (being a non Rafe post^_^). it is self serving, but maybe we can put that on account of the post doubling as a self introduction.
that said, I can't for the life of me see what DSD has to do with the notion of neutral???? I would cut all that out and the post would only be better.
also DSD64 or 256, the numbers are multiples of the CD sample rate. not multiple of the resolution as he writes twice. it doesn't change that DSD has higher fidelity off course(dsd64 is somewhere close to 24/96 PCM if I remember an old paper trying to correlate resolutions). maybe he's recording in DXD or some other format more PCM like than DSD, so increasing the sample rate does increase the resolution by the same multiplier on the initial multibit recording for him? but in any case, it doesn't really work with the actual DSD format and IMO is misleading said as it is.
the actual parts about neutral are ok. nothing new under the sun but the general idea is certainly correct. so many variables end up making the concept of neutral look fairly chaotic. but of course all it takes is to establish a clear objective reference(no matter how arbitrary) of what constitutes neutral as a target. and instantly we're better equipped to try and get closer to that reference when we can know it in detail. it works for fidelity so of course it works for the idea of neutral. maybe some suggestions of reference and ways to follow them would have been more interesting than the "abandon all hopes" sort of mood.
that said, I can't for the life of me see what DSD has to do with the notion of neutral???? I would cut all that out and the post would only be better.
also DSD64 or 256, the numbers are multiples of the CD sample rate. not multiple of the resolution as he writes twice. it doesn't change that DSD has higher fidelity off course(dsd64 is somewhere close to 24/96 PCM if I remember an old paper trying to correlate resolutions). maybe he's recording in DXD or some other format more PCM like than DSD, so increasing the sample rate does increase the resolution by the same multiplier on the initial multibit recording for him? but in any case, it doesn't really work with the actual DSD format and IMO is misleading said as it is.
the actual parts about neutral are ok. nothing new under the sun but the general idea is certainly correct. so many variables end up making the concept of neutral look fairly chaotic. but of course all it takes is to establish a clear objective reference(no matter how arbitrary) of what constitutes neutral as a target. and instantly we're better equipped to try and get closer to that reference when we can know it in detail. it works for fidelity so of course it works for the idea of neutral. maybe some suggestions of reference and ways to follow them would have been more interesting than the "abandon all hopes" sort of mood.
Not to mention the comment section, where almost all comments get ditched for no reason.
I understand why comments like this one do not make it (although they make more and more sense as time goes by):
but why censor comments like this other one (my reply to Rafe's face saving mumbojumbo https://www.innerfidelity.com/comment/518136#comment-518136):
With such moves IF is losing the little credibility it had left after all those empty filler articles.
Bob Katz leaving IF was a clear premonition of what follows. Nothing. A complete disregard of the work InnerFidelity has done in the past 25+ years.
I understand why comments like this one do not make it (although they make more and more sense as time goes by):
but why censor comments like this other one (my reply to Rafe's face saving mumbojumbo https://www.innerfidelity.com/comment/518136#comment-518136):
With such moves IF is losing the little credibility it had left after all those empty filler articles.
Bob Katz leaving IF was a clear premonition of what follows. Nothing. A complete disregard of the work InnerFidelity has done in the past 25+ years.
Last edited:
wink
His amps are made out of recycled beer cans
and his source from tomatos.
- Joined
- Apr 13, 2009
- Posts
- 20,312
- Likes
- 3,656
Argyris
Head-Fi's third most long-winded poster.
It's sad how precipitously things have fallen over there. I've taken it off my bookmarks and favorites lists already.
That said, I visited the site the other day just to see if anything extraordinary had happened in the past week. When I checked the comments of the latest article, I saw all the moderation messages. I haven't got a clue what all got axed, so at least some of it might have been pointless vitriol, but seeing so much moderator activity in general tells me all I need to know: no, sadly nothing about the new order has changed.
I think I'll stay away permanently now.
That said, I visited the site the other day just to see if anything extraordinary had happened in the past week. When I checked the comments of the latest article, I saw all the moderation messages. I haven't got a clue what all got axed, so at least some of it might have been pointless vitriol, but seeing so much moderator activity in general tells me all I need to know: no, sadly nothing about the new order has changed.
I think I'll stay away permanently now.
Happytalk
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2014
- Posts
- 1,136
- Likes
- 111
I doubt we'll stay away permanently. I plan on checking in over the years. Hoping for the best. Was never a heavy reader on the site, but always got excited to see a new video. We gotta remember, a big part of audio is the people, and Tyll is essentially an angel. He has a very down to earth, humble attitude about the whole thing. Nothing hipster or pretentious about him. Anyone else will pale in comparison, in my opinion. I would have have chosen someone who would rise to the occasion, rather than someone who seems to be lowering themselves or something.
Last edited:
Sonic Defender
Headphoneus Supremus
I agree, have hope and in time maybe things will change. I will poke my head in there for sure, but definitely the loss of Tyll is significant and he won't be easily replaced. Actually he can't be replaced, but maybe somebody new can join the team over there and bring about some positive change and calm the waters. Some of the vitriol and angst could be due to the massive void that Tyll's departure left. It is kind of like a marriage that failed and one of the parents has a new partner, and the kids always hate the new partner at first simply on principle. If Rafe can't get a following hopefully he can bring somebody aboard who can. It would be a shame to IF just die out.
Argyris
Head-Fi's third most long-winded poster.
It's not just about Tyll, though. Not to make little of his dedication and considerable contributions to the hobby, but he isn't the only person in the world who could do what he did with IF. What made IF special was the way it explored how objective measurements map onto subjective impressions. There was the sense that Tyll was both learning and sharing what he learned every time he wrote a review or article, and it was fascinating to watch him augment the body of experience he'd accrued as he furthered his understanding of what the squiggly lines really meant to the listening experience.
Several regular readers of the site demonstrated in their comments a similar approach, and there are numerous others, some right here on Head-Fi, others out there on the high seas of the 'net; who also fit the mold. Even if these folks couldn't be pulled away from whatever their normal vocation is, the new regime at IF could have chosen to tap some of them, if not for actual contributions to the site, then at least for advice on how to continue the approach that maintained the readership under Tyll.
What's clear is that, at present, all this has been thrown out at the new IF. It's obvious they think that if the pre-Rafe readership continues to balk and eventually dissipates, they can just replace it with a larger one of different alignment. And maybe they can; maybe we're just a bunch of curmudgeonly dinosaurs who can't get with the times. Maybe things will improve—there's still the foolhardy part of me in the back of my mind that hopes it will—but at this point I'll wait until I see some sign from others who have visited that the attitude has shifted back toward the site's roots before I bother returning.
Several regular readers of the site demonstrated in their comments a similar approach, and there are numerous others, some right here on Head-Fi, others out there on the high seas of the 'net; who also fit the mold. Even if these folks couldn't be pulled away from whatever their normal vocation is, the new regime at IF could have chosen to tap some of them, if not for actual contributions to the site, then at least for advice on how to continue the approach that maintained the readership under Tyll.
What's clear is that, at present, all this has been thrown out at the new IF. It's obvious they think that if the pre-Rafe readership continues to balk and eventually dissipates, they can just replace it with a larger one of different alignment. And maybe they can; maybe we're just a bunch of curmudgeonly dinosaurs who can't get with the times. Maybe things will improve—there's still the foolhardy part of me in the back of my mind that hopes it will—but at this point I'll wait until I see some sign from others who have visited that the attitude has shifted back toward the site's roots before I bother returning.
Happytalk
1000+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Oct 1, 2014
- Posts
- 1,136
- Likes
- 111
I'm a fan of headfonia. Not a ton of measurements, but I'm in the camp that thinks you can get a good idea if you will like a piece of gear or not by reading reviews done by people that you trust and are familiar with.not necessarily from measurements. I ended up with HD600's and (eq'd) etymotic er4s, and haven't really changed much. A few planars came and went, etc. the usual budget stuff like ksc75 as well. I know it gets better, but even with following Tyll, he would often review some consumer friendly stuff that I wouldn't really be into. That always confused me, but I will enjoyed every minute of it. 
Last edited:
Hardly dinosaurs. InnerFidelity was the pioneer in the industry, taming objectivity in service of subjectivity and vice versa. 
Hope they can come to their senses and invest in what was once a hub for the serious visionary work in the industry, and keep their product placement, embedded marketing BS within the borders of the dozen sites they already using for that kind of work.
Hope they can come to their senses and invest in what was once a hub for the serious visionary work in the industry, and keep their product placement, embedded marketing BS within the borders of the dozen sites they already using for that kind of work.
cel4145
Headphoneus Supremus
They definitely can. We should remember this is AVTech Media Americas and they have a big audience to draw on. IF is becoming more aligned with Stereophile and Sound and Vision's editorial and feature content, which will make it more popular among the existing readership they have in those publications.
Sonic Defender
Headphoneus Supremus
Yes, people are replaceable and there are new headphone/audio enthusiasts being created everyday so if a bunch drop off, new people will show up. What will be important is for IF to engage and retain the new eyes be they from the other communities you mentioned, or new audio consumers. In the end I like everybody here just want to see IF be a useful contributor to the hobby.
cel4145
Headphoneus Supremus
Maybe if we are lucky, IF will eventually have product subjective reviews coupled with the appendices of measurements taken by someone else like Stereophile often does. But I would be surprised if we ever see again what Argyris described as "the way [IF] explored how objective measurements map onto subjective impressions" through Tyll's reviews. Seems pretty clear that the new chief of IF doesn't have the mindset to do that, and he seems to strongly rebel against suggestions in the comments that IF should do that.
Users who are viewing this thread
