AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
Thanks. I can't be the only one who thought about reporting the perp earlier but then thought that he would only use any moderation as proof of how intolerant this site is!
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Chord just released a new upscaler: Quartet
- Thread starter Human Bass
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I don’t pay too much attention to this, but is there something these upscalers do that you can’t do on a computer with cheap or free software?
(Presuming it is worth doing in the first place)
(Presuming it is worth doing in the first place)
No, the exact calculations could be done on a lot of relatively cheap computer hardware.
That’s what I thought. Ridiculous that people sell overpriced appliances for processing in the digital domain.
Perhaps, but this discussion sparked some tempers. The opportunity for some restored credibility still awaits but not in this thread and we need more proof and less bluster. Deflections are just an indicator of a lack of proof.
Just think we should keep focus on the big picture objectively.
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IMO if there is a buyer, there is a seller. If someone is willing/able to spend ridiculous money on every component, I understand there is a seller who wants to give him the pleasure to spend even more. A PC/computer does not feel sexy to a rich audiophile, everybody has one. A super expensive dedicated box is a different story.
I believe the box does the filtering right, no real snake oil. Does it help the sound? Almost certainly not. Does it feel good to own one for a rich audiophile? Likely yes. So both sides get what they are after. I have no problem with that.
Well, the audibility claim IS the snake oil, isn’t it.
Honestly, I cannot find any audibility claim on https://chordelectronics.co.uk/product/quartet . It's a typical BS towards technically-clueless audiophiles, but no direct claim to audiblity, as far as I can see on the Description and Features tab.
IMO there are other devices which are total snake oil, but this one seems like a real technology to me. IMO the effect is inaudible, but precise digital measurements would likely show a bit of difference compared to filters in DAC chips.
It's a pitty the well-known resampler performance database https://src.infinitewave.ca/ does not include these hardware I/O resamplers, even though it would be perfectly possible technically.
IMO there are other devices which are total snake oil, but this one seems like a real technology to me. IMO the effect is inaudible, but precise digital measurements would likely show a bit of difference compared to filters in DAC chips.
It's a pitty the well-known resampler performance database https://src.infinitewave.ca/ does not include these hardware I/O resamplers, even though it would be perfectly possible technically.
solderdude
Grand Contributor
Indeed there are no audibility claims made by Chord on the product page.
Most likely the filter is extremely sharp with high attenuation.
I expect the filter and DAC to perform close to an 'ideal' DAC.
The audibility claim was made by someone who wants to buy it and is convinced he can hear a difference with a $ 9.- dongle.
Most likely the filter is extremely sharp with high attenuation.
I expect the filter and DAC to perform close to an 'ideal' DAC.
The audibility claim was made by someone who wants to buy it and is convinced he can hear a difference with a $ 9.- dongle.
You’re not looking hard enough. Most of them are cleverly hidden, only implying some sonic benefit. This is obviously done on purpose. There are some direct claims though:
Why else talk about all kinds of improvements if they don’t have any audible effects?
And Rob Watts himself does make these claims, as were posted already a few pages back from his Head-if posts:
AudioSceptic
Major Contributor
For me the elephant is always: whatever improvements that might be made in the digital domain or in conversion to analogue, the various distortions in amplifiers and transducers are orders of magnitude greater, and then there's room acoustics on top of that. That's assuming that the digital and DAC improvements are actually audible, even if only to some in some systems, and ignoring the issue of price.
I only have a problem with false claims. This particular argument is made again and again on this site, and I always answer the same way: Knock yourself out, but don’t go around making bogus claims.
The next step in the argument is “but lots of people in lots of businesses make false claims”. The answer to that is simply “yes, I object to that as well. I don’t seek legal remedies, I just criticize it on science-oriented sites so that consumers who still have their critical faculties can learn from it.”
PS - as for ‘claims’, don’t forget Watt’s claims that he can hear a mosquito farting from more than 10 light years away:
Master Thread: Are Measurements Everything or Nothing?
Blind tests can be very difficult to do properly. When differences are found you can bet your life on it there are substantial measurable differences. When no differences are found either the ones that did the test did not listen correctly OR the differences are below audible thresholds for the...
www.audiosciencereview.com
Yes and no. There is software for upsampling music files on your computer, but nothing for upsampling the audio stream from your PC on the fly.
AndyRoo
Active Member
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No, not so.
Audirvāna has on the fly upsampling. Neutron Player does too. JRiver does too.
Actually, I think most serious audio players can.
TBF, the effect on my PC is very audible - the cooling fans kick in because some of these algorithms are quite CPU heavy.
Do they improve audio sound? Personally, I’ve never experienced any benefits from upsampling…
No I mean you can't take your whole PC audio stream and upsample it on the fly. You aren't upsampling windows noises, youtube, movies or anything else. Just the music files.
I think there are some methods for linux and maybe for mac, but I have yet to see a real system wide solution for windows. I have been waiting for something like that, because in theory, you could upsample everything to DSD, push it out over USB, and now your DAC could be 5 bucks worth of flip flops and a half decent clock.
If anyone is interested you can find recording made with quartet here - https://www.rnd-audio.co.uk/recordings/7mmbfamlkr38hxzziebzrl9apkopcn
No use, I could download this no doubt "superior" recording,
but it will be transported over some humdrum network for 100rs. of miles via all kinds of "non audiophile" components before it reaches
my PC, by that time all benefits of the original recording will be long lost
but it will be transported over some humdrum network for 100rs. of miles via all kinds of "non audiophile" components before it reaches
my PC, by that time all benefits of the original recording will be long lost
I wonder about the Warner Bros 'archiving' thing. I mean, it's 2026, are you telling me they still have masters on tape they haven't already archived?
Also, if it's on tape do they really need a 'better' ADC than already exists? Modern ADC are better than the best analogue tape machine they could find to do the transcription. They were probably better in the 1980s.
Also, if it's on tape do they really need a 'better' ADC than already exists? Modern ADC are better than the best analogue tape machine they could find to do the transcription. They were probably better in the 1980s.
We know labels are always finding new ways to get people to re-buy the same album multiple times over the years (remasters etc)
We've seen this for 40+ years
I get the marketing angle, but it seems to me there's nothing tangible behind it.
How old are these tapes now? A transfer done back in the 1980s would be better if only on the basis that the tape was fresher with less noise and print-through which I'd suggest would be far more relevant to sound quality than a small improvement in ADC measured performance.
Added to which any tape they had to bake to make it useable for a transfer is done, finished. There's only one shot at that and they took it years ago.
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