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Is Soekris dac1321 worth buying?

mansr

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Years back studios would release VHS tapes in Europe PAL system as sped up 24 Hz to 25 frames per second of that video format. While some folks would notice that, clearly the mass market did not and that is a heck of a lot of pitch error.
That's a 4% increase, which can definitely be noticed. The proper way to do it would be with a pitch-invariant time compression. I have no idea to what extent this method was used on VHS or DVD releases, though with a digital source, there's really no excuse not to.
 

mansr

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Unverifiable Anecdote:

Audio Buddy brought over a CD made from a cassette recorded on a boom-box in some dimly lit club featuring dimly visible performers (he was the Token Caucasian in the band) and sometime way back when in the Baltimore/DC area, played back and ripped from his Nakamichi.

It was rough, but listenable, and band was tight and the tunes were fun. The leader/singer played an irrationally exuberant B3.

I thought it sounded off-key.

My CD player has a speed control, I tuned it to my ear, and said "There!"

We argued about it a little, so since he played it, and remembered the key and notes, we put a tuning frequency up on the PC speakers and compared to the adjusted playback.

The frequency (and due to that, the tempo) adjustment was perfect.

(just one of those things that you can't do again, though @JustIntonation might)
I have a similar anecdote. Someone had copied a CD to a cassette tape for listening in the (old) car. Despite being met with disbelief, I insisted it was playing too fast. Finally, we timed a couple of tracks, and they were indeed a few seconds fast. The speed difference would have been a few percent, so it could have been noticeable. Then again, I may have imagined it and got lucky. We will never know.
 

andreasmaaan

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I have a similar anecdote. Someone had copied a CD to a cassette tape for listening in the (old) car. Despite being met with disbelief, I insisted it was playing too fast. Finally, we timed a couple of tracks, and they were indeed a few seconds fast. The speed difference would have been a few percent, so it could have been noticeable. Then again, I may have imagined it and got lucky. We will never know.

You and @RayDunzl could easily determine whether you have absolute pitch with an online test like this one.

But even if you don't, you may have good enough pitch to be able to pick fairly reliably whether a song you know well is off.
 
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Soniclife

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That's a 4% increase, which can definitely be noticed. The proper way to do it would be with a pitch-invariant time compression. I have no idea to what extent this method was used on VHS or DVD releases, though with a digital source, there's really no excuse not to.
It was simply played faster, with no pitch compensation, so was fixable with DVD by simply playing back at the original correct speed.
 

RayDunzl

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You and @RayDunzl could easily determine whether you have absolute pitch with an online test like this one.

I can't name the notes, so I fail that test.

But having listened to music for so long, and participated as a minor player in some ensembles (starting in third grade) and fooled aorund for years with guitars and such, I might have a feel for when the base frequencies are off...

That's all based on the modern A=440Hz tuning, though.

I'll have to listen to some pieces with A=432Hz tuning and let you know.

Meanwhile, try some non-12 note octave tunings for you own edification, if you like...

The ratio of frequencies between two adjacent notes on a piano is the 12th root (12 notes in the scale) of 2 (doubling of frequency in the octave). Maybe technically not precisely 12th root for all intervals as implemented, because of other harmonic considerations, but that's the basic idea.

Use the 15th root of 2 to determine the relative frequencies for a 15 note octave, etc.

These pieces are beyond off...


Some details: http://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/microtonal

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easley_Blackwood_Jr.
 
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andreasmaaan

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I can't name the notes, so I fail that test.

But having listened to music for so long, and participated as a minor player in some ensembles (starting in third grade) and fooled aorund for years with guitars and such, I might have a feel for when things are off...

That's all based on the modern A=440Hz tuning, though.

I'll have to listen to some pieces with A=432Hz tuning and let you know.

Meanwhile, try some non-12 note octave tunings for you own edification, if you like...

The ratio of frequencies between two adjacent notes on a piano is the 12th root (12 notes in the scale) of 2 (doubling of frequency in the octave). Maybe technically not precisely 12th root for all intervals as implemented, because of other harmonic considerations, but that's the basic idea.

Use the 15th root of 2 to determine the relative frequencies for a 15 note octave, etc.

These pieces are beyond off...


Some details: http://www.cedillerecords.org/albums/microtonal

More: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Easley_Blackwood_Jr.

I quite like it actually :) There are a few microtonal composers whose stuff I like, very hit and miss for me though...
 

amirm

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andreasmaaan

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Again, that is differential testing. Have them listen to a single tone and say whether it is 500 or 501 Hz.

The incidence of people who can do this is around 1/10,000 (higher for people whose native language is tonal and who had music education from a young age).
 

bennetng

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Again, that is differential testing. Have them listen to a single tone and say whether it is 500 or 501 Hz.
I was referring to mansr's 24Hz vs 25Hz comment.

Basically it cannot be a "non-differential" test.

Let's say someone only listened to 440Hz music since his birth. Until 10 years old he listened to a 432Hz music and found a difference. It can also be listening to a 440Hz song followed by a 432Hz one without intentional fast switching.

So yes, fast switching ABX test with test tone is much more revealing, but it is not a "competition" or "challenge". Content distributes cannot restrict how users listen to their music, if something like 24Hz vs 25Hz is audible in some situation then it is better to be corrected.

I have a similar anecdote. Someone had copied a CD to a cassette tape for listening in the (old) car. Despite being met with disbelief, I insisted it was playing too fast. Finally, we timed a couple of tracks, and they were indeed a few seconds fast. The speed difference would have been a few percent, so it could have been noticeable. Then again, I may have imagined it and got lucky. We will never know.
I have a similar experience. I and my friend are game music lovers and I used to record music from game consoles with cassettes. I considered my friend's Kenwood deck sounds better than my Sony deck so I went to his home to record some music. However when I was back to home and listened to it with both my cassette deck and walkman, It sounded a bit flat, and by comparing with the actual console in my home it was indeed a bit flat.
 

bennetng

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mansr

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https://hydrogenaud.io/index.php/topic,110146.0.html
Quite a number of people can ABX 500Hz vs 501Hz.
I tried that just now and got 9/10 correct with some effort. Using headphones might have been easier, but I was too lazy to fetch them. 500 Hz vs 502 Hz was much easier. With 500/505 Hz it was effortless.

That was with rapid switching. I would not be able to pick the frequency of a single tone with such accuracy.
 

LTig

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I have a similar anecdote. Someone had copied a CD to a cassette tape for listening in the (old) car. Despite being met with disbelief, I insisted it was playing too fast. Finally, we timed a couple of tracks, and they were indeed a few seconds fast. The speed difference would have been a few percent, so it could have been noticeable. Then again, I may have imagined it and got lucky. We will never know.
I also have a funny story to tell. Years ago the local dealer had "phono days" and a guy from Ortofon offered free checks of turntables. I watched as he checked the speed of a Thorens TD-105 with an Ortofon test record. The speed was absolutely correct and he told the owner that his TT was perfect and no other drive could ever best it in SQ.

Having owned an TD-115 for many years and knowing its inferior SQ (even the entry level Linn LP 12 is much better) I was so stupid to mention that a correct speed is not the most important spec of a good TT. He got quite angry and told me that if a TT has no perfect speed it can never be good.

Well, point made, point taken. Now comes the funny part: Next day a group of people including me and the Ortofon guy listened to a record unknown to me. It sounded weird and after a minute I said that it must be a 45 rpm record played at 33 rpm. I was right.

So even the Ortofon guy did not note that the record was played some 25% too slow.:facepalm:
 

Maxx134

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To settle such disputes, we simply convert the same test you ran to arrive at the night and day conclusion, blind.
That one change will force you to only using your ears and brain and nothing else to judge. Should you fail miserably, mission is accomplished.
Mission accomplished to fail?..
This may be the culprit.
It is simply not "normal" to listen to anything blindfolded. This in itself may cause a distraction of awareness that will mask normal brain activity in listening.
This is flawed because it is simply not normal and not how any person listens.

Same goes with most tests as being unnatural or self aware.

This is my opinion.
I say, the emperor has no clothes...
You say, measure it or its not actually true but instead your perception.
I say, "ok how?"
"Do a blind test", you respond.
I say ok, and put on blindfold.
Then I say, "Yes, you must be right, as I do not see anything"..
The one thing most tests have in common is their resultant perception of no proof, when we all hear differences and go by our hearing to purchase products every day.

Then we supposed to come here and say that there is no difference.

I say it all has to do with the ability to have confidence in what you hear.

A "piano tuner" gets paid to tune piano by ear.
NOT by measurements.

A recording engineer's success also has to do partially with his ear and his microphone placement technique.

To have "Doubt" in the mind, is the initial destruction of the brain's ability to percieve differences.

Also Straining to percieve a certain aspect makes a person blind to the whole picture...
What is the user observing?The frequency? The amplitude? The soundstage? Instrument separation? Clarity? Resolution? Realism? Spacial cues? Blackness of background? Height? Width? Size? Proximity? Distance?
Do current tests make allowance for such observations?


This is why most users have more solid preferences when they are at home relaxed with thier gear.

I am not debating the usefulness of scientific measurements and tests, but to point out how they most ALL FAILED at proving WHY we hear differences and make general consensus what is better gear from lesser gear.

You cannot pin everything on placibo.
To do that is to make excuses.
 
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pkane

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This may be the culprit.
It is simply not "normal" to listen to anything blindfolded. This in itself may cause a distraction of awareness that will mask normal brain activity in listening.
This is flawed because it is simply not normal and not how any person listens.

No, your statement is flawed. 'Blind' in blind testing does not involve wearing a blindfold or a mask. It's a shorthand for not having a prior knowledge of the identity of the device being heard. It's a standard technique in all bias-controlled testing. Nothing unique about its application to audio.
 

Maxx134

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No, your statement is flawed. 'Blind' in blind testing does not involve wearing a blindfold or a mask. It's a shorthand for not having a prior knowledge of the identity of the device being heard. It's a standard technique in all bias-controlled testing. Nothing unique about its application to audio.
That was funny to realize.
Metaphorically still blinded with doubt though ...
 

March Audio

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That's a 4% increase, which can definitely be noticed. The proper way to do it would be with a pitch-invariant time compression. I have no idea to what extent this method was used on VHS or DVD releases, though with a digital source, there's really no excuse not to.

It might be noticed if you were doing a back to back comparison but it wouldnt in isolation. Any country whose TV system that is 50i based will speed up film, but I have never heard anyone mention it sounding too fast :)

Most definitely beats 3:2 pulldown, just watch a pan ;)
 

Maxx134

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I don't think we have all the tools on sound science.
I have read about military applications of sound advancements, like being able to point and place sounds/voices into victims heads.
Or military use for weaponizing.

Technology has advanced in all areas since the 70s and I don't see why it would not in all areas.

Think about it. Our military planes shown to us are about 20yrs old, before use of cellphones.
Then people wonder why they spot unusual activity in sky..
It is us all along.
Technology trickle down to the masses.
 
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