"DACs... You CAN hear the difference!" - new YT from David Mellor (Audio Masterclass)

[Multicore]

In which he presents the results of previous invitation to ABX a couple of different "DAC" devices: specifically Douk K5 vs iFi Valkyrie. Result 28 vs 6. So this means that people can hear a difference between A and B and can say which the hidden X is.

When I saw the invitation video I quit watching after Mellor presented the devices. Douk K5 has tone and volume knobs so if there's a difference in the sound it could be related to something other than conversion. So I am not satisfied that Mellor is being fair when he says that you can hear the difference between DACs because, at least looking at its knobs, Douk K5 is more than a DAC.

Do we have the technology to analyze and compare the WAV files to discover what it is that people could hear?

 

[tmtomh]

I think we always have to remain open-minded and investigate as much as we can. That said. I too am quite dubious of this on its face, for two reasons:

1. What you mention: there are potentially unaccounted-for variables that could change the sound; and
2. Without being ad hominem, I have to say that I stopped watching his videos a long time ago because his titles and intros we so consistently clickbait, and the content of his videos so consistently skirted the real, core issues he claimed the videos were about. It was so misleading, and became so frustrating, that I had to stop.

 

[DanielT]

In which he presents the results of previous invitation to ABX a couple of different "DAC" devices: specifically Douk K5 vs iFi Valkyrie. Result 28 vs 6. So this means that people can hear a difference between A and B and can say which the hidden X is.

When I saw the invitation video I quit watching after Mellor presented the devices. Douk K5 has tone and volume knobs so if there's a difference in the sound it could be related to something other than conversion. So I am not satisfied that Mellor is being fair when he says that you can hear the difference between DACs because, at least looking at its knobs, Douk K5 is more than a DAC.

Do we have the technology to analyze and compare the WAV files to discover what it is that people could hear?

Starting at 3:26 David says: It is possible to cheat. ...with the download there is a possibility to come up with a correct answer with 100% confidence.

So how do we know if the participants cheated or not? We don't know.

Tip. Check out David Mellor's first videos in that thread below. Tests where you can't cheat and then the results are as expected. No audible difference.

'You couldn’t hear the difference - Proof! Beautiful video of David Mellor (Audio Masterclass) about sound differences between DAC'

Apr 21, 2025

David Mellor from audio masterclass and Alain Pauls are YouTubers and Audio engineers.
They wanted to find out, if Differences between DAC are audible.

So both of them started polls in which they asked the audience if it is possible to hear, how often they switched between an original audio file and it looped signal with an extra conversion.

They also provided the original wave files, because it’s known that the YouTube soundqualtiy is compressed.

The results were telling: No audible differences at all!


David Mellor has the results now: 505 Participants!
And I have left a comment, as...

• totti1965
• Replies: 197
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

 

[tmtomh]

Starting at 3:26 David says: It is possible to cheat. ...with the download there is a possibility to come up with a correct answer with 100% confidence.

So how do we know if the participants cheated or not? We don't know.

Tip. Check out David Mellor's first videos in that thread below. Tests where you can't cheat and then the results are as expected. No audible difference.

'You couldn’t hear the difference - Proof! Beautiful video of David Mellor (Audio Masterclass) about sound differences between DAC'

Apr 21, 2025

David Mellor from audio masterclass and Alain Pauls are YouTubers and Audio engineers.
They wanted to find out, if Differences between DAC are audible.

So both of them started polls in which they asked the audience if it is possible to hear, how often they switched between an original audio file and it looped signal with an extra conversion.

They also provided the original wave files, because it’s known that the YouTube soundqualtiy is compressed.

The results were telling: No audible differences at all!


David Mellor has the results now: 505 Participants!
And I have left a comment, as...

• totti1965
• Replies: 197
• Forum: Digital To Analog (DAC) Reviews and Discussion

• 

Thank you for this - this is exactly the kind of thing I was referring to in my prior comment. He's got a lot of hands-on experience with engineering and mastering, and he's clearly smart and well-spoken - but he has this annoying (and incredibly consistent, alas) habit of pulling stuff like this where there's almost always a small but crucial "gotcha" or loophole in his argument or his presentation of the facts.

 

[Multicore]

Well, yes, @tmtomh the "titles and intros ... consistently clickbait" kinda goes with the job. He's trying to make a crust as a YouTube Influencer. It's a nasty business. Who, other than TheReportOfTheWeek, has managed to make that work and not end up somewhere on the road to MrBeast?

But anyway, I guess my hope was that someone who knows how to use DeltaWave or REW or some other software could say exactly what makes one of these (or perhaps both) a defective, i.e. not transparent, DAC.

 

[tmtomh]

Well, yes, @tmtomh the "titles and intros ... consistently clickbait" kinda goes with the job. He's trying to make a crust as a YouTube Influencer. It's a nasty business. Who, other than TheReportOfTheWeek, has managed to make that work and not end up somewhere on the road to MrBeast?

But anyway, I guess my hope was that someone who knows how to use DeltaWave or REW or some other software could say exactly what makes one of these (or perhaps both) a defective, i.e. not transparent, DAC.

I take your point, but there are many, many YouTubers with smaller, similar-sized, and larger followings than him, in both the audio/music space and in other hobbies and information/interest areas, whose videos actually deliver the goods even if their titles and/or cover photos are sometimes clickbait. In my experience and opinion, this YouTuber's titles are almost always clickbait - and most importantly, he almost never delivers the goods in the video itself. In other words, even after the video starts and it becomes clear what the actual (as opposed to clickbait-title) topic is, within that actual topic - in other words ignoring and forgiving the clickbait entirely - the content of the video still usually skirts the core issue or has one or more huge loopholes or lack of evidence that make it worthless. I can think of lots of music, tech, hobby, and other YouTubers about whom this is not the case.

I get that they have to make a living, and I'm fine with that. My reaction to his channel was not one of ethics or taking offense - as I noted in my prior comment, it was a much more consumer/entertainment-based reaction: I simply find his videos unsatisfying and frustrating to watch because he usually never gets to the actual point.

 

[Sokel]

From the thread posted above, I have already measured them:



Not even a hint of a difference.

 

[marauder64]

Addictional measurment if you care:

But should the only valid test be carried out by a DAC that is as good as the most expensive one tested?

 

[Multicore]

From the thread posted above, I have already measured them:

View attachment 474358View attachment 474359

Not even a hint of a difference.

That was a different contest, wasn't it? this new trial was posted only 8 days ago .

 

[danadam]

That was a different contest, wasn't it? this new trial was posted only 8 days ago .

That thread talks about both. The discussion about the one from 8 days ago starts here:

Post in thread 'You couldn’t hear the difference - Proof! Beautiful video of David Mellor (Audio Masterclass) about sound differences between DAC'

Aug 27, 2025

Comparing two DAC - one for $120 one for $2,000 David Mellors new video is a must see!

Dear Gold Ears,

Another highly interesting comparison with beautiful, cleanly recorded sound samples. You can download the original files as ZIP files (96 kHz, 24 bit resolution).

It's hard to tell the difference!


David Mellor worked as a sound engineer at Abbey Road Studios for over 20 years. He knows what he's talking about!

• totti1965

• 

 

[Multicore]

Oh. I started a new thread when I shouldn't have. Sorry

 

[shuppatsu]

I think the first test where you count the switches is flawed. When I ABX audio codecs I can only find extremely subtle changes on specific parts of the music. I hone in on that and repeat that short section repeatedly. I’m sure that even if I could 100% a piece of music using that technique I would severely undercount the number of switches in a continuously played piece of music.

Ultimately there’s no way to make a foolproof test without proctoring.

 

[tmtomh]

Oh. I started a new thread when I shouldn't have. Sorry

Maybe - but I do think it's totally understandable why you created this new thread. If the mods ultimately wish to merge the two threads, that would make sense probably - but this thread has been interesting and useful IMHO.