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"Evaluating SINAD - Why it's NOT important" - Amirm, can you please respond on this Guy's YouTube?

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Celty

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amirm , "The HEADPHONE Show" posted a YouTube video saying SINAD is basically useless. He throws out a lot of stuff on the topic, is any of it valid?

 
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Celty

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amirm

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I post my remarks in the other thread. Quickly, Andrew is just reading a script here. This is very deep topic and he should not attempt to present himself as a knowledge source. If he wants to use this type of analysis then he should apply it to himself: https://www.headphones.com/communit...iew-not-your-average-tube-headphone-amplifier

"So my typical rule, as far as a chain for headphones is concerned that I think is safe to follow, is that headphones make the biggest difference, then amps, then DACs (all of this assumes decent files or streaming). "

Let's have him show us references on said differences between amps and DACs if it is not noise and distortion as expressed in SINAD.

In another review he says this (the link is unsafe):

"The “pluck ’n’ twang” that pervades Keb’ Mo’s “Early Morning” is rendered beautifully, even addictively, by the CYAN. I’m not sure that Holo Audio are shooting for a “house sound”, but their discrete R-2R/NOS designs, so far, seem to have one … and that’s deliciously incisive with a little sweetness. And this track exhibits this aspect of the CYAN’s delivery perfectly. "

House sound? Really? Where would that come from in said DAC&amp?

As someone elegantly put in the other thread, he wants to dismiss reliable objective measurements and replace them with this kind of nonsense. Have him show a commitment to audio science and then we can talk.
 

Resolve

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"The “pluck ’n’ twang” that pervades Keb’ Mo’s “Early Morning” is rendered beautifully, even addictively, by the CYAN. I’m not sure that Holo Audio are shooting for a “house sound”, but their discrete R-2R/NOS designs, so far, seem to have one … and that’s deliciously incisive with a little sweetness. And this track exhibits this aspect of the CYAN’s delivery perfectly. "

I'm doing my best to stay out of this discussion here since there seems to be more interest in discrediting the source than engaging with the position. But I do feel the need to point out that the quoted passage isn't from one of my articles.

With that said, I also wouldn't claim to be an objectivist reviewer - at least not yet. I'm still in the process of trying to connect objective data with my subjective experiences on things. I do appreciate the work you've done to measure and publish information about source equipment, and it's fun to learn about this stuff.
 

SIY

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I'm still in the process of trying to connect objective data with my subjective experiences on things.

Are you attempting to implement basic ears-only controls in your listening evaluations? Correlation with objective data becomes a lot easier then.
 

Resolve

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Are you attempting to implement basic ears-only controls in your listening evaluations? Correlation with objective data becomes a lot easier then.

Do you mean like blind A/B type stuff? At the moment I only do volume matched tests (using REW), but we're working on getting an ABX box in to help with that. I should also for the record state that I really don't think there's much audible difference in most amps/dacs - especially with solid state sources. My outlook on this is that if ABX comparisons reveal no perceived difference between certain low end stuff and certain high end stuff, then that's the interesting thing worth publishing. Framing effects can be powerful influencers that I'm certainly not immune to haha.
 

thefsb

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I'm still in the process of trying to connect objective data with my subjective experiences on things.
That's going to be very hard. Discussion of your subjective pleasure (or lack) in listening to music is a separate domain of thought from the objectivity that science can provide regarding elements of a sound recording and playback chain. I don't think there is any possibility of bridging these. As I said before, I think this is a category error.

But that's not what I think ASR is all about. I think it's useful for helping us make less disappointing consumer choices by lifting the veil on some of the BS that confuses some of us. Just my opinion.
 

SIY

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Do you mean like blind A/B type stuff? At the moment I only do volume matched tests (using REW), but we're working on getting an ABX box in to help with that. I should also for the record state that I really don't think there's much audible difference in most amps/dacs - especially with solid state sources. My outlook on this is that if ABX comparisons reveal no perceived difference between certain low end stuff and certain high end stuff, then that's the interesting thing worth publishing. Framing effects can be powerful influencers that I'm certainly not immune to haha.
Yes, no peeking, ears-only. ABX is a good format, there are many others, but the key is to just isolate the sound. Lots of people are using digital capture, since that greatly simplifies the testing.
 

AdamG

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