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Noise or distortion-which is most objectionable?

If you had your choice to completely eliminate one or the other which one would you pick?

  • Noise

    Votes: 16 76.2%
  • Distortion

    Votes: 5 23.8%

  • Total voters
    21
  • Poll closed .

Larry B. Larabee

Senior Member
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Nov 24, 2021
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Poll is open for 30 days.
 

RayDunzl

Grand Contributor
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Riverview FL
All playback systems have noise.

All playback systems create distortion.

Depends on which one is strong enough to notice and cause annoyance.

Probably noise would be more obnoxious for me, since music is loaded with distortion - it's what makes instruments and voices sound like they do.


A single electric Bass guitar note - electrical signal spectrum:

Findamental is 96.5Hz, with harmonic multiples - 96.5 x 2, x 3, x 4 etc

Red is the peak level, black is the current level - the note decays after you play it.

22.7% distortion, or next to none, depending upon how you feel about it.

47.6% noise? Well, it was me playing it.



index.php
 

Tom C

Major Contributor
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Jun 16, 2019
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Like Pavlov’s dogs, pops, clicks and low-level hiss put me in the mood, because you know something good is about to start. Having spent childhood in the analog era, noise like this meant it was time for relaxation and enjoyment. It’s actually part of the magic of sound and movies. Hum is pretty annoying, though.
 

BoredErica

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Jan 15, 2019
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I hate hiss in speakers.
50% of why I'm going to upgrade my setup is because the noise in my speakers bother me and I hate it. Are my speakers colored? Yeah. Am I missing a sub right now? Yeah. But you know what's way worse? Hearing the stupid noise coming out of my idiotic speakers.

There are "good" speakers that get recommended which perform great on spinorama but in practice I cannot tolerate.
 

mvil

Member
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Apr 11, 2019
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I hate hiss in speakers.
50% of why I'm going to upgrade my setup is because the noise in my speakers bother me and I hate it. Are my speakers colored? Yeah. Am I missing a sub right now? Yeah. But you know what's way worse? Hearing the stupid noise coming out of my idiotic speakers.

There are "good" speakers that get recommended which perform great on spinorama but in practice I cannot tolerate.?

?

The hiss comes from the amplifier, not the speaker.
 

Harmonie

Major Contributor
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May 30, 2020
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France
Noise of course.
A distorted sound can even sound pleasant to some.
But noise is noise, like the one that is buggering your brain, or listening to music in a noisy area.
Noise is my enemy for sure.
I would even relocate because of noise and changed my hotel room so often for such reason.
Don't you plug out the hotel's room fridge?
 
OP
L

Larry B. Larabee

Senior Member
Joined
Nov 24, 2021
Messages
347
Likes
194
Extended Results:
1600 members think that something that has been virtually eliminated since the advent of the compact disc is an important issue.
500 members think that something that has been virtually eliminated in electronic components and not in transducers (or source material) is an important issue.
The remaining members may have not understood the question.

My vote: distortion
 

relmu

Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2019
Messages
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Location
Buenos Aires, Argentina
distorsión
 
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