[Dr. Cube]

Separately, digital EQ, it seems, can create undesirable phase shifts? Do the analog EQs like Loki cause phase shifts?
I feel that I am sensitive to phase shifts (science be darned!) so maybe I should use a Loki instead of Roon's EQ?

Frequency-dependent phase shift is, in general, inherent to real-time filtering and analog LC filters like those in Schiit EQs will introduce it just the same as digital. If you absolutely must use filters and absolutely must avoid any phase shift, then the most practical way to do that is with digital FIR filters. The price you must pay for FIR is in overall latency; this probably doesn't matter for music listening, but could be a small inconvenience for video synchronization, or deadly for applications like rhythm games.

Something to keep in mind is that frequency response anomalies in physical transducers are also introducing a phase shift because they themselves act as minimum phase filters, and an equalizer configured to reverse transducer FR anomalies will often be likewise undoing the phase shift from the transducer. Of course, reversing transducer FR anomalies is far from the only thing you might ask from an equalizer.

 

[theeclone]

The price you must pay for FIR is in overall latency

Also time domain distortions. Getting around that issue is what makes the Schiit MCB filter (also a FIR) sound so good compared to the competition.

This is also why I don't take too seriously those videos showing what visually appear to be perfectly reconstructed simple periodic waveforms on the output of a DAC. These supposedly prove the widespread perfection of modern PCM technology; something us vinyl heads look askance at.

 

[Dr. Cube]

This is also why I don't take too seriously those videos showing what visually appear to be perfectly reconstructed simple periodic waveforms on the output of a DAC. These supposedly prove the widespread perfection of modern PCM technology; something us vinyl heads look askance at.

The approach that I take, personally, is that filters are the cure for a bad signal, but not for a bad transducer. I will use equalization to fix the recording and not to fix the playback system. If I can process something offline, destructively, in a digital editor, then an FIR filter is great because I don't care about latency. If I want to listen to a record or tape and I need to fix the tone, then an analog EQ is a whole lot more practical than transferring it to digital and fixing it there.

For any source with a microphone involved, there are already phase shifts coming from that first transducer in the recording chain, the mic itself. If the mix engineer turned one EQ knob on the desk, there's more. For a record, the RIAA stage in cutting added some, then the lathe's cutting head, then the cartridge, then the RIAA stage in my system, and then the speakers. None of these are perfectly flat, and they're all introducing some group delay.

It's not fair to say that every record is an example of "phase soup", but it's certainly fair to say that any recording that uses a microphone is provably affected by at least some small amount of group delay in comparison to the original sound in the room. If I can grab and turn a knob that adjusts an analog filter, then, sure, I'm creating more group delay at that point in the chain. But as I get closer to what it sounded like in the room (which is unknowable for me), I'm also undoing some group delay from previous parts of the chain. So, for me, it's not worth worrying about.

 

[theeclone]

For a record, the RIAA stage in cutting added some, then the lathe's cutting head, then the cartridge, then the RIAA stage in my system, and then the speakers. None of these are perfectly flat, and they're all introducing some group delay.

And yet for all that it still sounds better to me than a FIR filter with poor time domain optimization! Group delay is, as I understand it, a frequency domain concern. All I know is a FIR filter with a linear phase can still sound "not quite right" depending perhaps on what it's doing in the time domain.

In the digital world, with respect to the signal itself (as opposed to the noise) sometimes the best filter is no filter (which is why I capture and play back my vinyl rips in DSD and design my own very minimalistic FIR filters for converting to PCM).

 

[GearMe]

Now that I'll agree with. As to Bond, everyone knows Sean Connery is still the best. Daniel Craig is a close 2nd...!

Ditto...gotta say if Daniel Craig had a few more swings at the plate, I'd probably rate him tops

 

[Bowmoreman]

Years ago I commissioned a guy in my old club who was as poor as a church-mouse, in not great health but a top-flight craftsman, to build this. I handed him Kriege and Berry's book, gave him more $ than he asked for, and provided a 13.1" Discovery mirror as the core of the scope. He also built me a very nice adjustable observing chair.

I'm still crying because ~6-7 years ago my brother got rid of what I think was a Starsplitter with a 16" Zambuto mirror. I'm getting his 18" JMI NGT-18 as soon as he can schedule some time to bring it over the border to me, plus a 12" Meade SCT, 9.25" Celestron CPC Deluxe with HyperStar and fully kitted for imaging, 6" refractor, and another Coronado solar scope, a truckload of premium lenses, binoviewers, mounts, etc. I need to retire so I can build my observatory to house much of this.

Edit: The refractor in my pic is an AP 102mm Starfire, one of Roland's early 90's scopes when he worked on the lenses himself. Those are some nice scopes that you have!

Cool! I always wanted an NGT (huge aperture AND EQ tracking and “semi” portable). Good luck. After 15 years, it is time for me to send my 10” back to Carl Z., for re-silvering. Love the Krueger and Berry book, long considered re=mounting my 10” mirror out from the XT10i tube it’s currently in.

 

[Rayski]

Wednesday



Thursday



Friday



We'll see what Saturday brings.

(Hopefully Vali 3.)

At least change your socks man! No wonder there is only one set of feet in the picture.

 

[adydula]

Good Morning!

Its day 8 of a new bathroom renno!
My knees are getting tired!

But it looks like my adapter for Vali 3 will arrive today for some 12AU7 testing!

Alex

 

[Bowmoreman]

Yesterday, Post-eclipse, Willow TX


Last week, Pre-eclipse, River Trail hike to Beer Garden, Kerrville TX. Needed Ripper's Skechers!


LBJ State Park, Stonewall TX

Ah, the Willow City Loop. I’d do it every April and bring all my Nikon gear…

 

[US Blues]

Good Morning!

Its day 8 of a new bathroom renno!
My knees are getting tired!

But it looks like my adapter for Vali 3 will arrive today for some 12AU7 testing!

Alex

Amazing! You're updating your Schittr and your Schiit simultaneously!

 

[hearditontheX]

Thank you! Another recent pickup. Just getting back into playing consistently and treated myself. Been playing the same made in Mexico Strat for 10 years. The new Tele is a recent Made in Japan model, by far the nicest playing and feeling Tele I've had my hands on, beating any Mexican and American Fender I demoed before buying. Think I got pretty lucky with the rosewood fingerboard as well.

A coworker is in process of refinishing his mexi-teli. Theory is removing the thick finish of polyeurethane and refinishing with a thinner lacquer will enhance tone. He’s having fun with the process if nothing else.

 

[AstronomerXI]

Stay away from the MJ3. It's transparency and general excellence will make you want, nay, need, to upgrade everything in the chain.
Trying to save you from marital strife

Is the money for the car already allocated? There's a better use....

Unfortunately, money for the car has already been handed over to the dealership and a large rolling audio system was given back in return. It's sitting (quite handsomely) on my driveway as I type this.

In a related note, I think I got the largest return on any investment in at least my lifetime: I paid exactly the princely sum of $1 for my old car, and was offered 1000x that for my old ride in credit towards the new one. Of course, I accepted. It also needs at least 5x that sum in repairs and replacement parts, assuming the underside rust makes any of that viable.

(Long story short, my mom learned how to (barely) drive when my dad got ill. She was in her late 60's then. When he died just a month short of his 90th birthday it sat in her driveway for at least 3.5 years in the salty Atlantic coast air and driven on heavily-salted-in-Winter roads prior to that. It had 18,500km on it when I drove it away 6 years ago. It was 7 years old then and I put another 110,000 km on it. I had picked it out and helped them buy it all those years ago. They were easily able to slide in and out of it rather than climb in and out. It was a Chevy Equinox).

 

[Ohno Schiitizen]

 

[AstronomerXI]

I have a 'scope I haven't used in years, never any place dark enough being a big city boy. Always could count on the lunar mountains.

Only place I've been able to see the Milky Way was on Kaua'i. Amazing and could have goggled for hours except the mosquitoes were relentless.

I do a lot of public outreach in astronomy in and near the city - the moon, Jupiter, Saturn, and a couple of nice bright nebula (with proper filters on the lenses) are fine observing targets for city dwellers. Watching the changing positions over a few minutes or hours of Jupiter's 4 brightest moons, or seeing the rings of Saturn always gets people excited.

 

[Paladin79]

Good Morning!

Its day 8 of a new bathroom renno!
My knees are getting tired!

But it looks like my adapter for Vali 3 will arrive today for some 12AU7 testing!

Alex

Hopefully you have a large selection of 12AU7’s to try, I must keep a dozen types around.