A response to "Grinding your own gears" by John H. Darko

[Jimbob54]

*lobs pineapples*
*beer chat*
*insults hosts*

 

[Jimbob54]

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[Thomas savage]

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I think this must of defused the situation.

 

[Jimbob54]

I think this must of defused the situation.

There's little that won't diffuse

 

[Blujackaal]

This is why i don't take subjective reviews seriously. Since i gotten downvoted somewhere else before for calling out how their flowery terms fails when a FR chart/CSD data is showed. Werid how they say trust your ears, but the moment someone does a impression with A/B and data suddenly there ear a faulty?. Which happend when few showed the ER4 could handle a +6db bass boost.

 

[doctorjuggles]

I didn’t want to start another thread on Darko so hopefully this belongs here
Is anyone able to comment on this latest review? I’m specifically interested in his comments on error correction where he says:

“This doesn’t prevent one of the most common misconceptions about digital audio transmission from living it large in the mainstream: that USB audio connections come with in-built error correction. They don’t.”​

Is that true of all USB audio connections and is the device in the review likely to combat this issue in any connection that doesn’t?

 

[QMuse]

I didn’t want to start another thread on Darko so hopefully this belongs here
Is anyone able to comment on this latest review? I’m specifically interested in his comments on error correction where he says:

​

“This doesn’t prevent one of the most common misconceptions about digital audio transmission from living it large in the mainstream: that USB audio connections come with in-built error correction. They don’t.”​

Is that true of all USB audio connections and is the device in the review likely to combat this issue in any connection that doesn’t?

USB isochronous transfer provides error detection via CRC but that is a detection only - there will be no retry nor there is a guarantee of delivery.

 

[Jimbob54]

I didn’t want to start another thread on Darko so hopefully this belongs here
Is anyone able to comment on this latest review? I’m specifically interested in his comments on error correction where he says:

​

“This doesn’t prevent one of the most common misconceptions about digital audio transmission from living it large in the mainstream: that USB audio connections come with in-built error correction. They don’t.”​

Is that true of all USB audio connections and is the device in the review likely to combat this issue in any connection that doesn’t?

Not competent to answer the question. But one of my observations of Darko is he spends a lot of his time and reviews talking about things upstream of the DAC. Very expensive things usually. That would be most definitely the digital realm.

The thing in question's only function is to somehow adjust the digital signal that other VERY EXPENSIVE devices have already touched BEFORE the DAC. The thing costs $3000.

A Chromecast Audio apparently (per here and elsewhere ) could pass a bit perfect stream to a DAC for $50 or less. A very good streaming DAC (as in well measuring) can be had from Matrix or others for $1000-$3000 (or less for some models) with all the features they bring.

I cant square that in my mind.

 

[Jimbob54]

I didn’t want to start another thread on Darko so hopefully this belongs here
Is anyone able to comment on this latest review? I’m specifically interested in his comments on error correction where he says:

​

“This doesn’t prevent one of the most common misconceptions about digital audio transmission from living it large in the mainstream: that USB audio connections come with in-built error correction. They don’t.”​

Is that true of all USB audio connections and is the device in the review likely to combat this issue in any connection that doesn’t?

Also - this quote from said review, just after the one you quote:

"That USB audio quality goes well beyond data transmission can be a tough adjustment for anyone fixating on the ones and zeros with a “bits are bits” mindset. For example, the second phase of Rankin’s DragonFly DAC development for AudioQuest focussed not only on the audio data travelling from laptop (or smartphone) to dongle DAC but the electrical noise profile of the DragonFly’s own USB receiver chip, specifically its power supplies"

Look at the measurements of any AQ Dragonfly to know how JD's use of audio and electrical science "stuff", hifi history/ legend and audiophoolery get a good old mashup multiple times per article.

I dont mind the guy as a reviewer of form and function. Not sure I can agree with his overall MO.

 

[doctorjuggles]

I didn’t used to mind his reviews, he was/is one of the few reviewers who listens to the type of stuff I listen to. But lately he’s got a bee in his bonnet about subjectivity vs objectivity, talks about trusting experts (which he confuses with reviewers and people with something to sell) and just generally has an axe to grind and tries to get in sarcastic little jibes at every single point. So in the last three or four months I have enjoyed his output rather less.

 

[MattHooper]

I didn’t used to mind his reviews, he was/is one of the few reviewers who listens to the type of stuff I listen to. But lately he’s got a bee in his bonnet about subjectivity vs objectivity, talks about trusting experts (which he confuses with reviewers and people with something to sell) and just generally has an axe to grind and tries to get in sarcastic little jibes at every single point. So in the last three or four months I have enjoyed his output rather less.

Agreed. And he makes sure his comments section is closed when he does so ;-)

 

[HammerSandwich]

I dont mind the guy as a reviewer of form and function.

Not quite the same thing, but have you seen his active versus passive video? He states that the Kii is more imposing than the KEF, because it is taller. Seemingly without noticing its taller stand. (For reference, the Kii is about 3" deeper than the KEF, but their baffles are both within fractions of 40cm x 20cm.) Later, he casually mentions that the KEF needs to be used much farther from the walls. This reasoning strikes me as somewhere between incredibly lazy & outright defective.

 

[PRL]

One thing that I don’t get with using Kiis for reviewing the differences with re-clockers and USB cables is that the Kiis use a huge amount of DSP and therefore there will be some serious re-clocking of data by the speaker. I just don’t see how additional re-clocking before the speaker can make a difference.

I also see more and more that it is said these re-clockers work by removing noise (general term, no longer specific to jitter) that can enter the following equipment. To me that just sounds like a get-out for when the re-clocking argument fails technically.

 

[srrxr71]

Not quite the same thing, but have you seen his active versus passive video? He states that the Kii is more imposing than the KEF, because it is taller. Seemingly without noticing its taller stand. (For reference, the Kii is about 3" deeper than the KEF, but their baffles are both within fractions of 40cm x 20cm.) Later, he casually mentions that the KEF needs to be used much farther from the walls. This reasoning strikes me as somewhere between incredibly lazy & outright defective.

Also did he “test” the Kiis with the KEFs sitting right there beside them? Does that not defeat the cardioid dispersion?

 

[balletboy]

The thing about Darko is that he comes across as a totally OK guy you’d happy to have a drink with in the pub, you’d also talk about the footie, he’s not in the least condescending or fundamentalist and people are happy to watch His videos for 15 minutes. He has a good written style. He clearly takes time over his work, whereas Amir makes it clear he is often in a rush, doesn’t test something because he can’t find a probe etc and this is a sideline to his day job. Many do well produced videos, but it takes time and effort.

Darko‘s role is to provide sensible guidance to users of consumer audio. This includes aesthetics, functionality and pricing, and he is one of the few people to compare products side by side. People like him because he doesn’t go on about cardioid dispersion. He would lose much of his large audience.

Audio equipment has been measured in magazines for almost 100 years. It’s nothing new. Trashing someone who does something extremely well, even if you don’t agree with it, does not seem to be a healthy attitude, which is why, however useful this forum is, it is generally disliked elsewhere, primarily for its narrow-minded attitude.

 

[Eetu]

The thing about Darko is that he comes across as a totally OK guy you’d happy to have a drink with in the pub, you’d also talk about the footie, he’s not in the least condescending or fundamentalist and people are happy to watch His videos for 15 minutes. He has a good written style. He clearly takes time over his work, whereas Amir makes it clear he is often in a rush, doesn’t test something because he can’t find a probe etc and this is a sideline to his day job. Many do well produced videos, but it takes time and effort.

Darko‘s role is to provide sensible guidance to users of consumer audio. This includes aesthetics, functionality and pricing, and he is one of the few people to compare products side by side. People like him because he doesn’t go on about cardioid dispersion. He would lose much of his large audience.

Audio equipment has been measured in magazines for almost 100 years. It’s nothing new. Trashing someone who does something extremely well, even if you don’t agree with it, does not seem to be a healthy attitude, which is why, however useful this forum is, it is generally disliked elsewhere, primarily for its narrow-minded attitude.

I agree with most of this, a likeable fella. When he becomes intolerable (and for a lot members here) is when he starts talking about how USB reclockers, USB cables, iFi purifers, ethernet switches, very expensive streamers & anti-vibration feet etc. make an audible improvement. He seems to have taken a bit of a measurement-sceptic stance lately as well ("Beware of the measurements").

 

[Jimbob54]

I agree with most of this, a likeable fella. When he becomes intolerable (and for a lot members here) is when he starts talking about how USB reclockers, USB cables, iFi purifers, ethernet switches, very expensive streamers & anti-vibration feet etc. make an audible improvement. He seems to have taken a bit of a measurement-sceptic stance lately as well ("Beware of the measurements").

I actually like his style and if I'd never found this place, may have used his guidance to buy some of the more affordable stuff.

I agree totally, he loses credibility when he starts on all the guff. This insistence that you need 3 boxes of gubbins before you get to a dac. Painful

 

[phoenixdogfan]

I think what we need to answer Darko is a charismatic person that looks good on camera and has a British accent. Our dry words are no match for his camera skills (and the talent lady that does his post production).

Guess I should just put that $10k USB cable on the Amex. Yup, yup!

 

[Thomas savage]

The thing about Darko is that he comes across as a totally OK guy you’d happy to have a drink with in the pub, you’d also talk about the footie, he’s not in the least condescending or fundamentalist and people are happy to watch His videos for 15 minutes. He has a good written style. He clearly takes time over his work, whereas Amir makes it clear he is often in a rush, doesn’t test something because he can’t find a probe etc and this is a sideline to his day job. Many do well produced videos, but it takes time and effort.

Darko‘s role is to provide sensible guidance to users of consumer audio. This includes aesthetics, functionality and pricing, and he is one of the few people to compare products side by side. People like him because he doesn’t go on about cardioid dispersion. He would lose much of his large audience.

Audio equipment has been measured in magazines for almost 100 years. It’s nothing new. Trashing someone who does something extremely well, even if you don’t agree with it, does not seem to be a healthy attitude, which is why, however useful this forum is, it is generally disliked elsewhere, primarily for its narrow-minded attitude.

@amirm it's official, Darko is more thorough than you ! You need to up your game !

 

[Jimbob54]

@amirm it's official, Darko is more thorough than you ! You need to up your game !

Darko knows how to use spellcheck is all.