DAC blind tests? EVER?

[Frank2]

Do you, or anyone else here, by any chance know if this delay could be part of the explanation of the appeal of vinyl?
Often it's been claimed that vinyl has a deeper and wider soundstage, etc.
I've usually put it down to frequency response (or EQ), which actually can affect the soundstage, perception of depth, etc., especially if you lower the harshness region.

I once visited someone who had re-installed his record player next to his CD player (this was in the pre-streaming era). He played an old Genesis record (And Then There Were Three) and was enthusiastic about the warmth that was added to the sound - much better than that cold digital sound. I suggested to put on the CD as well, to make a direct AB comparison. To our amazement, the CD sounded much warmer than the record...

I had a similar experience when I started to use Spotify Premium. I listened to a Dire Straits album on Spotify (On Every Street) and was convinced the CD sound was much richer, with more detail and stereo depth. So I put on the CD as well to make a direct AB comparison. No difference at all...

In both cases human audio memory appeared to be hopelessly inaccurate and completely governed by expectation.

I have a DEQ2496 in my digital audio path so I experimented a bit with a difference in delay between L and R. It appears that a delay difference of 2 ms completely ruins the stereo image. Very small delays of 0.04 or 0.06 ms seemed to have a small panning effect on sounds that are mastered to be heard coming from behind. I tested it with "Impressive Instant" by Madonna. Did not do a double blind test so I might have fooled myself as well, since slightly turning my head a bit would have caused the same L to R delay

 

[board]

You asked a question with a... questionable premise. Examine that premise first.

Whatever .
I asked a simple yes or no question, which can of course also be elaborated upon, and you haven't even attempted to answer it.
I'm not a vinyl lover, in case you think so.

 

[SIY]

I asked a simple yes or no question, which can of course also be elaborated upon

Here's the elaboration: your question makes a MAJOR assumption which is shown to be highly unlikely in Uwins's paper. Read the paper, then you can stop trying to figure out the mechanism for a sonic preference which turns out not to be a sonic preference.

 

[board]

Here's the elaboration: your question makes a MAJOR assumption which is shown to be highly unlikely in Uwins's paper. Read the paper, then you can stop trying to figure out the mechanism for a sonic preference which turns out not to be a sonic preference.

What is the MAAAAAAAAJOR assumption I'm making?

 

[SIY]

What is the MAAAAAAAAJOR assumption I'm making?

That the reason for the preference is an actual sonic difference. Then with that assumption in hand, you're trying to come up with a mechanism. The assumption is dubious. Read the paper- these are really clever and well performed experiments to show why the preference likely exists and why you're chasing ghosts.

 

[board]

That the reason for the preference is an actual sonic difference. Then with that assumption in hand, you're trying to come up with a mechanism. The assumption is dubious. Read the paper- these are really clever and well performed experiments to show why the preference likely exists and why you're chasing ghosts.

I would say that the one making assumptions is you.

 

[pinger]

I think people want vinyl to sound better than digital. Its more fun. More tweaks and adjustments etc. Digital is really just plug and play. Thats no fun. Unless of course listening to music is your main desire

 

[Purité Audio]

The ‘hobby’ for many is the continual striving, the additions the tweaking the belief that they have added something particular themselves, when almost certainly they could have just bought decent measuring gear in the first place plug it in and listen to music.
( I suspect listening to music isn’t the prime consideration )
Keith

 

[BobbyTimmons]

The ‘hobby’ for many is the continual striving, the additions the tweaking the belief that they have added something particular themselves, when almost certainly they could have just bought decent measuring gear in the first place plug it in and listen to music.
( I suspect listening to music isn’t the prime consideration )
Keith

It's another type of creative expression.

 

[board]

It's certainly true that there are many non-audible attractions to vinyl, whether it's imagined "fun", as Pinger and Purité suggests, or it's very real physical attributes, such as looking at the big covers and the record spinning, as well as the visual beauty of tonearms, cartridges, plinths, etc.
None of that is audible, but there certainly also usually are audible differences between vinyl playback and digital, especially when you buy certain phono equipment, and some people choose vinyl for those reasons (along with the non-audible differences usually).