[7ryder]

  That's a matter of opinion. 

Just like most things in this hobby!

 

[Ableza]

  Just like most things in this hobby!

Yep! 

 

[chlyhne]

Objectivity vs. subjectivity:
 
I accept that tastes vary, that is some people like a warm sound, some like a more sterile sound. Some people like the look of vacuum tubes, an the fact that they spent 10k on some equipment. It actually and truly makes the music better to their ears. Very well, accepted.
 
However, if we temporarily go for the premise that we want "the equipment out of the way" and have uncolored sound, then surely the way of NwAvGuy should be the way to go.
Design for low noise, low destortion, flat frequency response, no clipping, no resonance etc. And most importantly, MEASURE it, UNDERSTAND the root causes of the measurements, IMPROVE the design, REPEAT.
 
Now, leaving the temporary premise of uncolored sound; it should be somewhat easier to design the coloration you want when you have ironed out unintentional coloration from the audio chain. Then the intentional coloration can come into play, once you know what you are doing and that the basic design is good. That is quite adverse to using expensive components in a cargo cult manner and then just listening to the outcome, the fiddling with it and doing it again.
 
So there is no need to pretend that subjectivity is incompatible with objectivity, but surely objectivity should come first!
 
BR

 

[Argo Duck]

^ Not a bad first post chlyhne (welcome to head-fi), but maybe it's out of place in this thread - unless you are advising Jason and Mike to follow NwAvGuy's design principles?!

The objective/subjective 'debate' has been done to death all over head-fi, sometimes doing headfier's to death as well if you consider banning a form of it!

I agree the two ive's are compatible.

However, there may be reason to think a complete theory of audio listening - one that satisfactorily relates all subjective listening impressions to one or more purely objective, reliable measurables - hasn't been achieved, and this is why pure subjectivism remains a force.

And indeed, why shouldn't pure subjectivism be tolerable in its own right? It's simply people starting their equipment-buying from the premise of "what I like" as opposed to "its measurements". The latter is very satisfying for (I guess most?) more-or-less technically trained people or quantitative-leaning personalities. OTOH, the "what I like" approach for non-technical or qualitative-leaning personalities is a lot less confusing to do and (I imagine) more satisfying in consequence.

 

[chlyhne]

AiDee,
 
Thank you for the (sort of) compliment. I am sorry if it sounds like I am advising Jason, I did'nt mean to. I was just making a general remark on some of the discussions.
However, I see now that it was actually waaaay back in the thread, so it seems out of context.
 
I get that one should go for the equipment they like listening to, even if that is a phonograph. It just seems that doing the basic work first makes it easier to have someone subjectively liking what they hear, and it also tends to make a difference to peoples wallets (as indeed NwAvGuy showed). If there is 100 knobs to turn and they have to be just right to get what you want, then it helps knowing what each knob does. It is especially nice to find expensive knobs to turn down with no consequence, and cheap ones to turn up with huge consequences.
 
I am not telling anybody what to do. People can do and buy what they want. Reminds me of this http://xkcd.com/1314/.
 
By the way, I am not new to HIFI, and actually not to head-fi.org either, since i have sifted through a LOT of the discussions. I just never had an account before.

 

[Argo Duck]

^ Very good link, I enjoyed that!

I did mean it as a compliment. I know and (as a physics as well as psychology trained individual) agree with what you're saying. It's just that - the psychologist side of me I guess - I know many people don't have the background to do that kind of "basic work" and hence won't.

I lurked for a few years before joining too! Got a bit warm at times but beneficial overall

 

[Jason Stoddard]

Time for a few more photos! This is a bit of a grab bag from the Bifrost days.
 

 
This is what a tech's boot looks like (note the screws.)
 

 
Early Schiit metalwork stored at our marketing office (we would ship it there, then take it to the house.)
 

 
The first working Bifrost.
 

 
The first shippable Bifrost. Note Rina's writing on the shipping space: DO NOT PUT ANYTHING HERE! Yes, we were pressed for space.
 

 
Rina at the second show (the one we backpacked products into.) Note the very professional Schiit logo signs in the background.
 

 
Mike, Rose, and Tony in the garage, around the time of the first Bifrosts shipping.

 

[Jason Stoddard]

And, a video. This was during the "popping Lyr" incident. Features Rina, Eddie, Mike, Tony, Rose, and my commentary.
 
Note: The "antique Schiit" reference is to an old audio distortion analyzer, while the "new shiny Schiit" was the new Stanford analyzer, over on the fold-up table that Tony worked at.
 
Warning: strong language, not just "Schiit." 
 

 

[john57]

The video is interesting a bit chaotic.

 

[fenderf4i]

That was fantastic, especially the video. Keep them coming!

 

[Anavel0]

That's fantastic! And you really were extremely crammed in there. I hope the new place has a lot more room.

 

[ricksome]

Jason:
 
Didn't you warn us about keeping beverages away from the equipment !!! Check out the video you posted.

 

[TwoEars]

  Jason:
 
Didn't you warn us about keeping beverages away from the equipment !!! Check out the video you posted.

 
And in that spirit they're keeping their beverages close to the equipment instead, I really don't see the problem. 

 

 

[UmustBKidn]

... deleted, for the sensitive people.

 

[Ableza]

That jellyfish video is not funny.  Stupid, yes, but funny, no.