[ROBSCIX]

Should be an interesting read.

 

[Lenni]

Quote:

And I'd hate to sound personal, but on your site you're selling $1300 power cables: http://www.empiricalaudio.com/cables/power-cables
 
for that kind of money, you can get a much bigger improvement than what a power cable will ever be able to do for you IMVHO.
 
Anyway, each to his one...as we say in France: "as long as there'll be someone to buy it, there'll be someone to sell it".

I'd hate to sound personal either, but your logical thinking is not where it has. it would make sense if the person involved was not happy with their system, then off course the logical thing would be to find a system their happy with first. but if their already happy with what they got I don't see what is wrong with trying to improve even more. they don't want to buy new speakers, amp, etc., they're already happy with it, they just want to hopefully get even more than what they already like. does it make sense?
 
let's say you buy a car, and you like the car. it drives well, it performs great, it makes you feel good, the girls...oh yeah - you're happy with the car. then, for example, you decide to change the car exhaust system to a "supposedly" better one just to maybe get even a better performance. but someone tells you, "you'd be better off buying a new car than spending on a new exhaust". doesn't make sense, and borders on the offensive.
 
just wanted to point that out.

 

[wushuliu]

Yeah, seriously, do people not have other hobbies? Because, yeah, the word 'aftermarket' doesn't just apply to audio and I sure would love to see the 'discussion' with an auto enthusiast about whether those expensive tires make a 'difference'...
 

 
Quote:

I'd hate to sound personal either, but your logical thinking is not where it has. it would make sense if the person involved was not happy with their system, then off course the logical thing would be to find a system their happy with first. but if their already happy with what they got I don't see what is wrong with trying to improve even more. they don't want to buy new speakers, amp, etc., they're already happy with it, they just want to hopefully get even more than what they already like. does it make sense?
 
let's say you buy a car, and you like the car. it drives well, it performs great, it makes you feel good, the girls...oh yeah - you're happy with the car. then, for example, you decide to change the car exhaust system to a "supposedly" better one just to maybe get even a better performance. but someone tells you, "you'd be better off buying a new car than spending on a new exhaust". doesn't make sense, and borders on the offensive.
 
just wanted to point that out.

 

[leeperry]

 

let's say you buy a car, and you like the car. it drives well, it performs great, it makes you feel good, the girls...oh yeah - you're happy with the car. then, for example, you decide to change the car exhaust system to a "supposedly" better one just to maybe get even a better performance. but someone tells you, "you'd be better off buying a new car than spending on a new exhaust". doesn't make sense, and borders on the offensive.

hah! so we're talking about ppl who are so bored w/ their money that they are willing to shell out $1.3K on a power cable? even though the seller is honest and says on his webpage: "We are not privy to the technology in the Top Fuel, we just know that it works."
 
The seller doesn't even need to come up w/ technical fluff, as he "knows that it works"....well, it'd better damn work for $1.3K

 
So OK, we're talking about the guy who's got the most expensive DAC/amp on the planet, platinum IC's, a MDR-R10 and all his little brothers(T1/HD800/O2/etc)...and that guy is greatly upset coz the SQ is not up to his expectations

 
So of course he also bought a serious power conditioner, but he's so sure that the weak link is indeed the cable between his power conditioner and his source...that he has to buy a $1.3K power cable to find out what he's been missing all along, that's the only solution to his problem. I fully get it now, this cable is aimed at mentally dumb OCD'ed millionaires 

 

[wushuliu]

Mmmm, no. I think it's called a hobby and it's also called Steve charges what he thinks represents the time and effort he put into it. Whether or not it performs as advertised is unrelated to the question of cost. If you have an issue with getting what you pay for then I assume you're living off-grid in the mountains texting from the outhouse.
 
Don't call people mentally dumb for indulging in their interest/hobby/passion whether you consider their decision prudent or not.
 
 
 
Quote:

 

hah! so we're talking about ppl who are so bored w/ their money that they are willing to shell out $1.3K on a power cable? even though the seller is honest and says on his webpage: "We are not privy to the technology in the Top Fuel, we just know that it works."
 
The seller doesn't even need to come up w/ technical fluff, as he "knows that it works"....well, it'd better damn work for $1.3K

 
So OK, we're talking about the guy who's got the most expensive DAC/amp on the planet, platinum IC's, a MDR-R10 and all his little brothers(T1/HD800/O2/etc)...and that guy is greatly upset coz the SQ is not up to his expectations

 
So of course he also bought a serious power conditioner, but he's so sure that the weak link is indeed the cable between his power conditioner and his source...that he has to buy a $1.3K power cable to find out what he's been missing all along, that's the only solution to his problem. I fully get it now, this cable is aimed at mentally dumb millionaires 

 

[Lenni]

Quote:

My big question is how the Hiface with a high quality S/Pdif cable like a Vardig would compare to USB going straight into an asych capable DAC like the North Star USB DAC 32. With two computers it would be possible to do a very fast A/B comparison.

I've been wondering about something like that myself for awhile.
DaveBSC, do you have the HiFace, and do you use the pc as a souce? if the answer to the first question is no, then I'd highly reccomends the HiFace. I've realised how good really is once I stopped using it.
 
I bought a new pc. it came with windows 7, and AMD chip based. the HiFace doesn't work with it, and have to wait for a replacement. instead of disconnecting and moving everything I decided to use the usb cable to connect the pc to the dac. a couple of days passed, but I wasn't happy with the sound; the sense of frustration didn't want to let go. in the end I moved everything back and brought the laptop to use the HiFace with. it's been a couple day since, and my sense of frustration has disappeared , and am much more enjoying the sound.
 
I can honestly say the HiFace is the reason I have not completely abandoned using the pc as a source instead of a cdp. if the EVO turn out to be an improvement in performance over the HiFace, I'm gonna be a happy guy.

 

[DaveBSC]

Quote:

I've been wondering about something like that myself for awhile. DaveBSC, do you have the HiFace, and do you use the pc as a souce? if the answer to the first question is no, then I'd highly reccomends the HiFace. I've realised how good really is once I stopped using it.

No, at this point I'm still using a sound card with S/Pdif out into my DAC. Before springing for anything I want to see what the production Hiface EVO is like, and whether Jkeny can mod it in much the same fashion as the original. A (mostly) battery powered Hiface with BNC, RCA, and AES output has a lot more appeal for me. The big question for me though is what ultimately provides the best sound out of a PC? 1. Lynx card > AES > DAC, 2. USB > Asynch DAC (Ayre, North Star, etc.) 3. Modified Hiface > BNC or AES > DAC.

 

[xdanny]

XP users, I have a quick question:
 
In KS mode, latest foobar version:  when I cycle through songs, for example play one, then hit "next" and so on I noticed that there is something like a 20 second (maybe more) lag until the next song plays IF I go from a 16 bit format to a 24 bit format.  Also, my dac locks and stays on the 44khz sample rate.
 
However, it does not do it if I first hit "stop" then "next".  The dac also shows the correct sample rates.
 
Anyone knows what's going on, and is there a fix?
 
Thanks in advance.

 

[MikoLayer]

Quote:

has anyone read this thread: http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/11678/0/0/0/ ?

that was an awfully good read, that's all I have to day. thx!

 

[upstateguy]

Quote:

has anyone read this thread: http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/11678/0/0/0/ ?

 
 
Read the whole thread.  Good perspective.  Thanks.
 
USG

 

[audioengr]

 
Quote:

 the word 'aftermarket' doesn't just apply to audio

 
Actually, it does.  It's called the modding business, which I dont do anymore incidently.  It was a great learning experience to see all of the other Mfgrs products and what they did right and wrong.  Also, lots of experimenting with different components, particularly capacitors was very valuable.  Very few designers do this.
 
Steve N.
Empirical Audio

 

[audioengr]

 
Quote:

 Regal wrote: A vacuum or air dielectric 75 ohm cable?   Get real,  completly impractical and downright rediculous.

 
Really?  It just so happens that my interconnects are and have always been air dielectric.  Its patented.
 
Steve N.
Empirical Audio

 

[audioengr]

 
Quote:

 the main issue w/ $500 interconnects is to know where your  money is? you're paying for R&D I presume? Do these half-grand cable sellers use every pricey measurements package like AP? Why does a mere copper cable cost more than solid gold, and possibly platinum?

 
I cant speak for others cables, but my Bitmeister uses pure 5-nines perfect crystal silver and is hand-made using air and expanded teflon dielectrics.  Double-shielded with pure copper direct gold-plated connectors.  No brass here.  It takes 2 days to make one of them.  Very labor intensive.  Then there is the cost of the patent, which is about $15K out of my pocket plus my time.  It was voted by reviewers of Positive-Feedback as the best commercially available digital cable.
 
If you think you can make a better one, go for it.  I've had all versions of Steath Varidig cables here BTW.
 
 
Quote:

And I'd hate to sound personal, but on your site you're selling $1300 power cables: http://www.empiricalaudio.com/cables/power-cables

 
I previously made my own power cables, and they were pretty good, but when my good friend showed me his design, I was blown away.  Therefore, I buy these from him and sell them under my brand name.  This is my only product like this.  I compared this power cable at CES in 2005 to several other cables, including Kimber, Acoustic Zen, Audience and Clarity as well as my own designs.  All of these are in the same price range or more.  It was so much better than any of them that I had to stop building cables myself and buy this one and resell it.  I bought several of these that I use in my own system and at shows.  It's the best I have heard.  It was evidently designed by a retired university professor and my friend licensed the design from him.
 
If you dont hear differences in power cords, your system is not very resolving IME.
 
Steve N.
Empirical Audio

 

[xnor]

And what are you buying those cables for? 50 bucks?

 

[h.rav]

After reading the thread that I posted, do you guys still bother reading this guy's (audioengr) posts?