CHORD M-Scaler Review (Upsampler)

[amirm]

A review from a seasoned reviewer is as valued in this context as multiple medical opinions from different physicians.

So if someone practices medicine without going to school or taking exams, is as good as one that is a proper doctor? You can't be serious. Yes, I know that is what you and many others believe. But it is so wrong. Please don't put blinders on. Technologies like M-Scalar fool lay audiophiles and reviewers alike into thinking audio alchemy exists. Only proper knowledge of signal processing, psychoacoustics, measurements and engineering inform you what the reality is. Otherwise, you are the mercy of company advocate with buzzwords mascaraing for data and reason.

Instead of arguing here, go and ask the youtubers if they could shoot a video where they can tell the m-scalar is in the loop 8 out of 10 times without knowing it is on or not and levels matched. If you trust their ears, then this should be walk in the park. Report back what you hear.

Please don't post more illogical claims like above.

 

[Jmart]

You have no plurality of "data." You have data from me. The rest are joe random youtuber who woke up one day and called himself a reviewer. They have not read one iota of audio research. Have no experience performing proper audio tests. And have severe conflict of interest being at the mercy of manufacturers to send them gear. Go ahead and see how many negative reviews they publish. You won't find any whereas I give thumbs down to 2/3 of what I review.

Really, if you want to stay confused, by all means do so. But don't waste our time with these talking points. Many wrong opinions are still wrong.

I am not qualified to tell you that your measurements are wrong. But I can see far more information that makes more sense outside of your measurements.

Your measurements, based on your conclusions, indicate that there should be no audible difference. It would not be beyond the realm of reason to assume that you also have a ‘perception’ based on your measurements.

Reviews don’t have to be negative or positive. I wonder if this is part of the problem. The mentality on this forum seems to be quite binary. Either it’s good or bad. Most good reviewers don’t give “bad” reviews because the products are usually not “bad” products. They instead have a particular change and is rather consistent across seasoned reviewers. Is everyone talking to each other and reviewing what they will say before posting? It goes much further than “good” or “bad” review. The fact that this is what you use as an argument further proves my suspicions that something seems rather inconsistent about much of what I’ve read on here.

I’m definitely open to correction. But, “I measured this with my own equipment and the measurements say everyone is wrong and there isn’t actually any difference” isn’t really the trump card everyone on here seems to think.

 

[amirm]

Reviews don’t have to be negative or positive. I wonder if this is part of the problem. The mentality on this forum seems to be quite binary.

My reviews are NOT binary when we are talking about regular audio gear. Every review has a ton of measurements and often listening tests that bring broad perspective of the device.

However, there is a class of audio tweaks which either work or don't. There is no two-ways about it when measurements show identical performance as do proper listening tests of say, a power cable.

So no, there is no problem here. The problem is not wanting to face the truth that audiophiles have grown to like a ton of tweaks that do absolutely nothing for the sound that enters their ears. They have trusted faulty evaluations of gear and/or listened to random reviewer with the same mistake. Then we come and do a proper, ground up evaluation behind the science and engineering of the device and show that it doesn't do anything, and they get bent out of shape. The problem then is not us, is you that continue to deny the value of the proper analysis we perform.

 

[amirm]

Most good reviewers don’t give “bad” reviews because the products are usually not “bad” products.

Really? Audio is that special? How come I find that there are audio devices that cost 10X more but produce horrible distortion and noise? That is not "bad?" What is it?

What do we do when we can prove an audio cable actually degrades the signal yet costs $2,000. Is that not a "bad" product?

How about a highly colored speaker? We are supposed to give that a thumbs up just the same as joe reviewer does?

 

[Jmart]

So if someone practices medicine without going to school or taking exams, is as good as one that is a proper doctor? You can't be serious. Yes, I know that is what you and many others believe. But it is so wrong. Please don't put blinders on. Technologies like M-Scalar fool lay audiophiles and reviewers alike into thinking audio alchemy exists. Only proper knowledge of signal processing, psychoacoustics, measurements and engineering inform you what the reality is. Otherwise, you are the mercy of company advocate with buzzwords mascaraing for data and reason.

Instead of arguing here, go and ask the youtubers if they could shoot a video where they can tell the m-scalar is in the loop 8 out of 10 times without knowing it is on or not and levels matched. If you trust their ears, then this should be walk in the park. Report back what you hear.

Please don't post more illogical claims like above.

That would be wonderful. I’d love to see a video as such as wells.

I’m not sure what’s so illogical about skepticism. If it offends you that someone doesn’t think your measurements are the end all be all, then I very much apologize. I know I have been quite blunt on the topic. I just don’t see how this is all there is to audio lol.

 

[amirm]

I’m definitely open to correction. But, “I measured this with my own equipment and the measurements say everyone is wrong and there isn’t actually any difference” isn’t really the trump card everyone on here seems to think.

You have shown no willingness on that front. I just explained to you that another reviewer who measured the unit also found the same problem. I also explained that the designer himself has admitted to jitter being an issue. Both of these went past you and you are claiming yet again that my data is unique. It is not.

 

[Jmart]

My reviews are NOT binary when we are talking about regular audio gear. Every review has a ton of measurements and often listening tests that bring broad perspective of the device.

However, there is a class of audio tweaks which either work or don't. There is no two-ways about it when measurements show identical performance as do proper listening tests of say, a power cable.

So no, there is no problem here. The problem is not wanting to face the truth that audiophiles have grown to like a ton of tweaks that do absolutely nothing for the sound that enters their ears. They have trusted faulty evaluations of gear and/or listened to random reviewer with the same mistake. Then we come and do a proper, ground up evaluation behind the science and engineering of the device and show that it doesn't do anything, and they get bent out of shape. The problem then is not us, is you that continue to deny the value of the proper analysis we perform.

Well that’s something we agree in. The world of audiophilia is inundated with a lot of very odd tweaks that likely have such minuscule differences to sound waves that they would probably be imperceptible.

But not all audiophiles are like this. Some will say honest things like (heaven forbid), “that tweak did nothing in my system.” As a matter of fact I have said that myself on many occasion on products I was convinced would do something. Where is my perception there?

 

[amirm]

That would be wonderful. I’d love to see a video as such as wells.

I’m not sure what’s so illogical about skepticism. If it offends you that someone doesn’t think your measurements are the end all be all, then I very much apologize. I know I have been quite blunt on the topic. I just don’t see how this is all there is to audio lol.

Measurements are not end all and be all. They are a component of reviews that I do. I offer a ton of information beyond them including science and engineering that goes into these products, what the measurements mean, etc. This review even went beyond that and included audio captures:

CHORD M-scaler and Hugo 2 Listening Tests
Conveniently, the switch between bypass and 2X upsampling was seamless. So I used that to perform listening tests. I say some because the button cycles to higher rates and there, it causes a glitch/pause which completely throws off your mind. Going by forward mode of bypass to 2X, I detected no difference at all. Nothing changes as far as tonality, soundstage, etc. I captured a couple of samples for you to listen as well:

Chord M-Scalar Sample 1.wav

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

Chord M-Scalar Sample 2.wav

Shared with Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

You can listen right in the dropbox or download them. If you are sure there is a difference, go ahead and say which one is M-scaler bypass and which is 2X.

FYI I could not run a null test with DeltaWave as there is too much clock drift and clips are not lined up. The difference shown was the same as two consecutive captures without changing anything.

You dismissed all of this with some random claim of measurements being wrong and me not knowing how to listen or evaluate such gear. It is insulting at its core and lacking any foundation.

I don't mind people challenging me but do so with proper knowledge and not lay arguments we have heard over and over again.

 

[Jmart]

You have shown no willingness on that front. I just explained to you that another reviewer who measured the unit also found the same problem. I also explained that the designer himself has admitted to jitter being an issue. Both of these went past you and you are claiming yet again that my data is unique. It is not.

Not your data, as said above I have no qualification to question the data. But rather you listening, and interpretation of the data.

Two physicians can look at the same data and come up with two diagnoses.

 

[amirm]

But not all audiophiles are like this. Some will say honest things like (heaven forbid), “that tweak did nothing in my system.”

Show me any "serious reviewer" who has said such a thing. You are not going to find them. Regardless, they need to say that about this device if they match volumes. If not, then they need to provide a controlled test that shows real sound differences.

 

[amirm]

Two physicians can look at the same data and come up with two diagnoses.

They can although not frequently. In this case, you have me as the physician. And no others with similar qualifications. They are all acting like lay audiophiles believing in marketing technical buzzwords, with no proper testing to back their opinion.

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Yes, but if you take the majority of content, reason plays out. There are more people who believe normal terrestrial science than not. That makes the probability greater that the former is true. All that’s left is the reader to review the data themselves.

No, applied physics and especially not audio engineering is subject to popular vote. The popular vote in medieval ages would have been that the earth is indeed flat. That didn’t make it correct then nor is the polling of audio YouTubers correct now.

See below. That’s what causing differences in subjective reviews plus mixed with commercial interests and garnered mostly with a substantial lack of engineering knowledge. As Amir said - I trust my doctor more than some self educated internet quack.

Audio Blind Testing - You Are Doing It Wrong! (Video)

Just uploaded a video on the basics of performing controlled tests in audio. It was motivated by saving myself text in having to write all of this down when telling someone who to do these tests right. And as a counter to a few online personalities to keep saying they do "blind" tests yet when...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[Jmart]

Show me any "serious reviewer" who has said such a thing. You are not going to find them. Regardless, they need to say that about this device if they match volumes. If not, then they need to provide a controlled test that shows real sound differences.

Let me see if I can hunt down a review I just watched by Hans B. He was talking about Ethernet switches and how when using a specific DAC, and audiophile dac didn’t make a difference at all. He mentioned that the DAC itself was less susceptible to the problems in Ethernet switches (I definitely don’t claim to understand it).

Here, Hans specifically

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Let me see if I can hunt down a review I just watched by Hans B. He was talking about Ethernet switches and how when using a specific DAC, and audiophile dac didn’t make a difference at all. He mentioned that the DAC itself was less susceptible to the problems in Ethernet switches (I definitely don’t claim to understand it).

Here, Hans specifically

You picked one of biggest internet quacks there is displaying numerous times that he is lacking fundamental engineering knowledge, leading to pseudo scientific babble. Good to impress the gullible and uneducated, but leaving the experts shaking their head in utter disbelief.

 

[Jmart]

They can although not frequently. In this case, you have me as the physician. And no others with similar qualifications. They are all acting like lay audiophiles believing in marketing technical buzzwords, with no proper testing to back their opinion.

Again no one is debating your expertise on data collection. It’s the conclusions made from data and your listening tests that I find strangely odd.

You’ve heard excellent equipment, so have many reviewers. In terms of subjective listening, you are both the “physicians.” Which one to believe? Out of all the reviews both written and recorded, it doesn’t seem like there is anyone who has said the M scalar does nothing.

Only the reviewer who published data stating that there shouldn’t be a difference, has said such a thing. I’m just calling it like it is, the situation has high risk of bias.

By the way, I’ve actually seen lots of YouTube videos entitled “this thing is trash” or some variation of the sort.

 

[Koeitje]

Well that’s something we agree in. The world of audiophilia is inundated with a lot of very odd tweaks that likely have such minuscule differences to sound waves that they would probably be imperceptible.

But not all audiophiles are like this. Some will say honest things like (heaven forbid), “that tweak did nothing in my system.” As a matter of fact I have said that myself on many occasion on products I was convinced would do something. Where is my perception there?

You are aware there has been scientific research into audibility of certain effects? We know what kind of changes the human ear can pick up and what changes our too small to can be heard. You are arguing that audiophiles somehow have such superior healing they are beyond mere mortals. Have you considered contacting the Guinness Book of Records or a medical school, because I'm sure such incredible hearing capabilities are a perfect candidate for a PhD research paper.

 

[Jmart]

You picked one of biggest internet quacks there is displaying numerous times that he is lacking fundamental engineering knowledge, leading to pseudo scientific babble. Good to impress the gullible and uneducated, but leaving the experts shaking their head in utter disbelief.

Well of course you think that! Passion for sound I also find rather helpful. I agreed with some of his findings in headphone DACs, I disagree with others. Heaven forbid that I intake data and then make a decision for myself.

Or is my disagreement with a YouTuber and said M-scalar review also a perception problem?

 

[HarmonicTHD]

Well of course you think that! Passion for sound I also find rather helpful. I agreed with some of his findings in headphone DACs, I disagree with others. Heaven forbid that I intake data and then make a decision for myself.

Or is my disagreement with a YouTuber and said M-scalar review also a perception problem?

We know that for a fact about Hans B.

As you choose to ignore current science and facts and proofs, I don’t think we can help you here (look at the forum title - a dead give away).

 

[Koeitje]

Well of course you think that! Passion for sound I also find rather helpful. I agreed with some of his findings in headphone DACs, I disagree with others. Heaven forbid that I intake data and then make a decision for myself.

Or is my disagreement with a YouTuber and said M-scalar review also a perception problem?

Nobody says you can't make a decision for yourself. If you think that sniffing mercury straight up your nose makes you healthier then you are free to do such things. Just don't recommend it to others.

 

[Geert]

Not your data, as said above I have no qualification to question the data. But rather you listening, and interpretation of the data. Two physicians can look at the same data and come up with two diagnoses.

There are a lot of engineers reading and discussing Amirs reviews and interpretation of data on this forum. If his conclusions were invalid, it would have surfaced already in these 89 pages of comments. And when I mention engineers it's not just experts in electronics, but also sound engineers and others experts with relevant expertise. Where does that leave your Youtube reviewers?