[Ancipital]

   
I remember once seeing a thread (might have been on HA) where somebody set up a script to encode a file recursively. I can't remember exactly how many times they did it (500 comes to mind for some reason), but the end result was bizarre. It was like listening through phased static on a clock radio. Also, it was the weirdest Rickroll I'd ever experienced because, yep, of course they used that song.
 
I guess I shouldn't have used the word theoretical here. My meaning was more that it's possible artifacts that you can actually detect will emerge, but that the few times I've done it I didn't notice anything odd, so it's possible to get away with it. As you say, it's best to avoid it if at all possible.

 
There have been instances where people have publicly failed to get away with it (that I probably can't talk about here), too, amusingly. The people who do notice get disproportionately pissed off, you won't be shocked to hear.
 
..also, that really does sound like one of the few Rickrolls that would have been worth hearing. If you ever come across it again, feel free to chuck me a link!

 

[RRod]

  This type of post is so wrong .......
 
http://www.head-fi.org/t/765943/fiio-x5-2nd-gen-impressions-and-discussion-thread/5640#post_12796818

 
Send them over to the thread where we're actually playing with files that are killer:
http://www.head-fi.org/t/816527/mp3-vs-flac-split-from-modi-multibit-thread/
 
The issue isn't that some people can ABX mp3 320 / V0 with certain files; that's actually true. The deal is the rhetorical comments on the subject that adhere to myth-based norms on the subject rather than how these codecs actually work. I know people love their cymbals, but when synthesized impulses are *hard* to ABX at V0, then the last thing that the codec should be doing to cymbal is absolutely destroying the sound. But that's the story people like to tell, along with high-bit-rate mp3 "destroying" all kinds of easier sounds like Jerry Garcia's guitar. And then there's the whole "reverb tail" thing, which is its own special problem: anyone can hear issues in reverb tails if you jack the volume up *beyond listening levels on only the reverb tail*.
 
This matters to this thread, of course, because it's another example of how people can end up paying more $$ for the same end result. "NO NO, you can't just stream this album at 256AAC. If you really want to hear it correctly you must pay the $25 for the hi-res FLAC download!"

 

[cel4145]

Agreed. But imo even more wrong is the fact that his post is compliant with Head-Fi rules, while your rebuttal is not. :rolleyes:




Head-Fi ToS:





 

I'm not about to change my post when someone posts something which is obviously incorrect. If I get bounced - so be it I guess.

I knew that "discussion" was not permitted. But I somehow missed the extreme censorship of specific terms. I can understanding wanting to avoid flame wars by eliminating the arguments about it in a forum that is so heavily subjectivist oriented. But how do you even suggest to some of the newbies that they might want to go learn about DBT and expectation bias in the sound science forum if you can't even say the words?

I'm done. No more assistance in the Intro/Newbie forum for me. That's completely unhospitable to any non-subjectivist points of view with this level of segregation. Also makes me feel as if I'm being allowed occasionally to get by with it because I'm Uncle Tom enough to be let out of the kitchen. Not interested in feeling that way.

 

[Dillan]

I personally agree that there is probably a better way to handle off topic tangents and discussions than to just ban the other side all together (or at least banishing them to a rarely used science section). The ones who suffer the most from that type of behavior are the newcomers which means our hobby will only slowly decline as time goes on.. which it has in my opinion.
 
Saying that - I don't know the best way to rewrite those rules, but I definitely think there is a better direction to take that can benefit us consumers. I know Jude wants to make money and have a business, but he's a headphone loving audio enthusiast just like us and we have a great website here that can make a dent in the industry and I feel like it's a good thing to talk about how.
 
Seeing those rules in the above post is kind of sad actually when its laid out like that. Inevitably.. in product threads (especially new products) - it feels like at least to me that we are only really allowed to talk about the pros and not the cons. I am not even talking about in regards to the rules per say but our society here at head-fi has a negative reaction to criticism of gear, even if completely constructive and reasonable.
 
As for MP3 vs FLAC - My 2 cents would be that because the internet is so diverse and you never know if something was converted 10 times before it reached your hard drive or the encoding used or where the original mastering came from etc I just try to use FLAC just for the piece of mind and as a rule of thumb. If you have a properly encoded/transcoded MP3 320 then it really is nearly impossible (read completely impossible) to hear any difference whatsoever from personal experience and multiple studies. However I like having the piece of mind that FLAC files on the internet are usually of better quality origination, haven't been converted many times (if at all) before and are in a format that is "supposed" to be the exact copy as your physical media. This opinion might be a little different from most people in this thread.. and I certainly don't like contributing to the theory of "bigger is better".. but it just helps me sleep at night having that rule of thumb.

 

[Ancipital]

   
Seeing those rules in the above post is kind of sad actually when its laid out like that. Inevitably.. in product threads (especially new products) - it feels like at least to me that we are only really allowed to talk about the pros and not the cons. I am not even talking about in regards to the rules per say but our society here at head-fi has a negative reaction to criticism of gear, even if completely constructive and reasonable.

 
Gnnh.
 
Sorry to be that guy, but it's "per se", it's Latin. Pet hate.

 

[Dillan]

Gnnh.

Sorry to be that guy, but it's "per se", it's Latin. Pet hate.

I knew that, my mistake!

You never know how I'll type something.. I only really proof read when I'm being formal. Sorry in advance to you forum grammar nazis! Haha

 

[Ancipital]

I knew that, my mistake!

You never know how I'll type something.. I only really proof read when I'm being formal. Sorry in advance to you forum grammar nazis! Haha

 
Hah, I'm really sorry- I did try to resist but the flesh is weak 

 

[nanaholic]

I just had a co-worker commenting that my headphone cable looks cheap and is probably limiting the performance of my gear, and that I should buy better and more expensive cables because they would make a night and day difference. He boasted about how changing the cable altered the sound of his Shure IEMs and made them listenable compared to the stock cable and what cable can tune the sound etc. It was very difficult for me not to burst out laughing in his face, instead I just went along with the snake oil talk. Now I feel a bit dirty. 
 
It's scary how many people talk about these things as a matter of fact-ly, and that due to social pressure that objectivist like us can't refute them because we are in the minority going against the consensus. 

 

[SodaBoy]

  I just had a co-worker commenting that my headphone cable looks cheap and is probably limiting the performance of my gear, and that I should buy better and more expensive cables because they would make a night and day difference. He boasted about how changing the cable altered the sound of his Shure IEMs and made them listenable compared to the stock cable and what cable can tune the sound etc. It was very difficult for me not to burst out laughing in his face, instead I just went along with the snake oil talk. Now I feel a bit dirty. 
 
It's scary how many people talk about these things as a matter of fact-ly, and that due to social pressure that objectivist like us can't refute them because we are in the minority going against the consensus. 

You probably got him all hyped up now; sold him on some 6moons stuff. He's going to walk home with some cryogenic cables, which will transform the sound stage of his Shures into Carnegie Hall, and the voice of Diana Krall will drift down from the heavens and bathe him in a warm all encompassing radiance. It was like he was really there, seated in the 3rd row, he could clearly hear the plucking of the bowstrings across the cellos, and the tapping of performers' heels. Truly sublime presentation, nuanced yet spacious. Those cables are worth their weight in gold.

 

[mulder01]

  I just had a co-worker commenting that my headphone cable looks cheap and is probably limiting the performance of my gear, and that I should buy better and more expensive cables because they would make a night and day difference. He boasted about how changing the cable altered the sound of his Shure IEMs and made them listenable compared to the stock cable and what cable can tune the sound etc. It was very difficult for me not to burst out laughing in his face, instead I just went along with the snake oil talk. Now I feel a bit dirty. 
 
It's scary how many people talk about these things as a matter of fact-ly, and that due to social pressure that objectivist like us can't refute them because we are in the minority going against the consensus. 

 
haha it's like you've come to sound science confessional.  Except instead of saying Hail Mary's you have to say 50 Ohm's Laws...

 

[krismusic]

I just had a co-worker commenting that my headphone cable looks cheap and is probably limiting the performance of my gear, and that I should buy better and more expensive cables because they would make a night and day difference. He boasted about how changing the cable altered the sound of his Shure IEMs and made them listenable compared to the stock cable and what cable can tune the sound etc. It was very difficult for me not to burst out laughing in his face, instead I just went along with the snake oil talk. Now I feel a bit dirty. 

It's scary how many people talk about these things as a matter of fact-ly, and that due to social pressure that objectivist like us can't refute them because we are in the minority going against the consensus. 

Was there a reason you had to go along with his. POV? I would have thought it was an excellent opportunity to suggest an alternative view. Might have been a lively discussion!

 

[mulder01]

I have been told before that not only does a cable need burning in, but it burns in in the position it's in, and if you move it or bend it in another way, it has to start burning in again in it's new position. And I was like, "Oh yeah".

Sometimes you just don't feel like an argument.

 

[nanaholic]

Was there a reason you had to go along with his. POV? I would have thought it was an excellent opportunity to suggest an alternative view. Might have been a lively discussion!

 
Mainly because he was a superior, and having worked with him before he doesn't like being "corrected" in general....
He was so sure he was absolutely correct, these types of people that boarders on religious fanaticism can't be converted by pesky things like facts, unfortunately.

 

[krismusic]

In other news. I have been so close to buying a DAP as I have been told several times that I am not getting the best out of my CIEMS using the iPhone.
However, the few that I have heard either sound little different or just boost the lower mids.
Could it be that the iPhone is technically correct in its implementation of DAC and amp and no improvement is possible?
Apologies if this is not the thread to discuss specific products but it seems relevant that I am being asked to drop £100's on something that may not have any advantage over what I own already.

 

[nanaholic]

In other news. I have been so close to buying a DAP as I have been told several times that I am not getting the best out of my CIEMS using the iPhone.
However, the few that I have heard either sound little different or just boost the lower mids.
Could it be that the iPhone is technically correct in its implementation of DAC and amp and no improvement is possible?
Apologies if this is not the thread to discuss specific products but it seems relevant that I am being asked to drop £100's on something that may not have any advantage over what I own already.

 
Contrary to popular "audiophile" belief the iPhone is a great player which measures very well. I think the only reason for not using easy to drive CIEM with the iPhone as a player is only a) you REALLY hate using iTunes to transfer music, b) you've got a bunch of files in formats such as FLAC or hi-res files which the iPhone won't play natively and you can't be bothered to spend hours to do transcoding and retagging etc. c) you don't have enough space on the phone as it is due to things like photos and apps taking up the space, and d) battery life
 
Personally I don't use my phone as a player is mainly because I'm having enough trouble with battery life as it is already, if I play music on my phone too I'll probably be charging my phone 3 times a day. Plus I change phones quite frequently, and sound quality from phones wasn't exactly a given thing 3-4 years ago (now it's MUCH better in general). I haven't used iPhone for ages, if I ever go back to using iPhones I would probably even consider selling off some of my DAPs.