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Wombat

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Intrusion of background noise can be one of the common symptoms of having hearing issues. I've had this confirmed by an audiologist when I've had temporary eustachian tube blockage from sinus infections and had to get it dealt with.

You might want to get checked if it's been a while.

Yes, minor sinus/ear conditions but not the major cause.
 

watchnerd

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Introducing such non-linearities can only make sound worse.

I hate to break it to you, but when you get a "remastering" of a recording they're usually using EQ as part of the process.

Whether you think those non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference, but the use of EQ by recording engineers is pervasive.
 

Wombat

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I hate to break it to you, but when you get a "remastering" of a recording they're usually using EQ as part of the process.

Whether you think those non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference, but the use of EQ by recording engineers is pervasive.

Audio engineers seem to be pervasive. :facepalm:
 

peanuts

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You can fix that with EQ in your player. No DAC can provide warmth. Such terms are imagined by reviewers and audiophiles alike but has no basis in reality.
eh are you serious? have you listened to tube equipment? its not necessarily about freq response
 

watchnerd

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eh are you serious? have you listened to tube equipment? its not necessarily about freq response

Not to speak for @amirm, but I think he would say that any well-engineered DAC should be transparent and change the signal as little as possible.

If one agrees with this philosophy, then one shouldn't expect the DAC to act as an "effects box".

That being said, of course non-transparent DACs that intentionally change the signal can and are made.

Whether you should be looking to hardware to be your effects box is a system design paradigm question.

In the digital realm, one could argue that effects are better handled via DSP in software, where it is more customizable.
 
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Krunok

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I hate to break it to you, but when you get a "remastering" of a recording they're usually using EQ as part of the process.

Whether you think those non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference, but the use of EQ by recording engineers is pervasive.

If you were reading carefully you would realise I said that such things should be left for the music production but are not desirable in reproduction.
 

Krunok

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I hate to break it to you, but when you get a "remastering" of a recording they're usually using EQ as part of the process.

Of course they are, but that doesn't mean you should do it in the reproduction chain.

Whether you think those non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference

No, it is not. Reading one of Dr. Tools books or hundreds of scientific research articles on that subject will easilly prove to you that linear frequency response is ultimate criteria in SQ.
 

watchnerd

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If you were reading carefully you would realise I said that such things should be left for the music production but are not desirable in reproduction.

Let's give some examples of beneficial use in reproduction:

-Room EQ
-Equalizing during headphone listening to compensate for variances in ear shape that effect sound
-A song you love to listen to, but the original recording is harsh and nasty (maybe it's old)
 

watchnerd

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No, it is not. Reading one of Dr. Tools books or hundreds of scientific research articles on that subject will easilly prove to you that linear frequency response is ultimate criteria in SQ.

Yes...and often EQ can help make the response more linear if the transducers / room are not linear.

Those concepts aren't contradictory.
 

Wombat

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eh are you serious? have you listened to tube equipment? its not necessarily about freq response

One persons perceived tube-warmth is another persons impression/measurement of distortion.
 

Krunok

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Let's give some examples of beneficial use in reproduction:

-Room EQ
-Equalizing during headphone listening to compensate for variances in ear shape that effect sound
-A song you love to listen to, but the original recording is harsh and nasty (maybe it's old)

Sure, but those things have nothing to do with your "warmth" 220Hz filter.

Btw, I took time and learned what it takes to made my room EQ filters mannualy with rePhase. Have you done the same?
 

Krunok

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Yes...and often EQ can help make the response more linear if the transducers / room are not linear.

Those concepts aren't contradictory.

I said that your statement that "non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference" is simply not true - non linearities like your filter are actually resonances and they always make things worse. Numerous science proofs for that have been quoted on this forum in loudspeakers threads, for those who care to read them..
 

watchnerd

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Sure, but those things have nothing to do with your "warmth" 220Hz filter.

Btw, I took time and learned what it takes to made my room EQ filters mannualy with rePhase. Have you done the same?

The OP is asking for help about *his* DAC in his system.

I made a suggestion to try that is cheaper than switching DACs if looking to change sound.

It doesn't hurt for him to try it.

Let's try to keep to things that are helpful to the OP's question.

If you have a better suggestion to help the guy out, please offer it.
 

watchnerd

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I said that your statement that "non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference" is simply not true - non linearities like your filter are actually resonances and they always make things worse. Numerous science proofs for that have been quoted on this forum in loudspeakers threads, for those who care to read them..

Please feel free to offer up your alternative suggestion to help the OP get more warmth.
 

watchnerd

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I said that your statement that "non-linearities make things better or worse is a subjective preference" is simply not true - non linearities like your filter are actually resonances and they always make things worse. Numerous science proofs for that have been quoted on this forum in loudspeakers threads, for those who care to read them..

Lastly, if you want to argue that EQ is a bad idea in this situation, well, then you should argue with amir too, given he said:

You can fix that with EQ in your player

Peace out.
 

SIY

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eh are you serious? have you listened to tube equipment? its not necessarily about freq response

Quite a bit, having designed and built many amps and preamps over the years. None of the quality tube units sounded "warm" in any way I could imagine. The late Gordon Holt described tube sound as "bright, forward, and alive." My tube equipment sounds neutral, since it's meant to reproduce music, not alter it.
 

Krunok

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I'm not sure if you're trying to be funny, or just argumentative for the sake of being argumentative.

But, at the moment, I don't think you're helping the OP. Or yourself, come to that matter...

As "warmth" is a subjective cathegory which all of us can and indeed are perceiving differently I'm all eyes and ears to see how you are going to help him.

Or yourself, come to that matter...

You just take care of your own schiit and I take care of mine, ok?
 
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