Stereophile's Jim Austin Says Streaming Atmos Sucks

[MattHooper]

Back around 2010 my Dutch friend Harry told me a tale about ego.

Whilst visiting an audio shop in Groningen, Friesland, he talked me into buying some silver foil coupling caps. In walked a man who said "I have €20K, cn you put together a system that will make my neighbours green with envy. I don't care what it sou8nds like as long as it makes them totally envious".

The guys who ran this shop couldn't believe what they were hearing, "are you seriou" - yes I am he replied. So they put together a system that was all bling.

Two weeks later harry was back to pick up the two pairs of hand made coupling caps. Whilst he was there the same man walked in beaming, really happy with his €20K purchase. "all my neighbours are envious". The guys who ran the shop said OK but what about the sound. "sod the sound, I don't care about that".

A true story. I look at the price of some of the bling t/ts, can't believe that there are people prepared to pay so much for decks that don't even match the best of the Japanese superdecks of the late 70s'/80s' but they do. I saw the price of a new top of the range amplifier from I think it was Rega @ £20K.

OK there are far worse things to spend money on.

I’m highly suspicious of that “true” story.

So this guy’s neighbours just happened to be audiophiles who would be envious of high end audio gear?

Most people don’t care about audio gear that way. For them audio file, gear is just somebody else’s hobby.

I have a friend who is deeply into collecting clocks. I say good for him, but I don’t “envy” him for his clock collection.

 

[Anton D]

Back around 2010 my Dutch friend Harry told me a tale about ego.

Whilst visiting an audio shop in Groningen, Friesland, he talked me into buying some silver foil coupling caps. In walked a man who said "I have €20K, cn you put together a system that will make my neighbours green with envy. I don't care what it sou8nds like as long as it makes them totally envious".

The guys who ran this shop couldn't believe what they were hearing, "are you seriou" - yes I am he replied. So they put together a system that was all bling.

Two weeks later harry was back to pick up the two pairs of hand made coupling caps. Whilst he was there the same man walked in beaming, really happy with his €20K purchase. "all my neighbours are envious". The guys who ran the shop said OK but what about the sound. "sod the sound, I don't care about that".

A true story. I look at the price of some of the bling t/ts, can't believe that there are people prepared to pay so much for decks that don't even match the best of the Japanese superdecks of the late 70s'/80s' but they do. I saw the price of a new top of the range amplifier from I think it was Rega @ £20K.

OK there are far worse things to spend money on.

Your Dutch friend gave his business to a shop that carried and sold gear that was "only bling" and we are criticizing a customer for buying it.

I wonder how those silver foil bling coupling caps worked out, compared to the non-bling kind!

 

[Down South]

I’m highly suspicious of that “true” story.

So this guy’s neighbours just happened to be audiophiles who would be envious of high end audio gear?

Most people don’t care about audio gear that way. For them audio file, gear is just somebody else’s hobby.

I have a friend who is deeply into collecting clocks. I say good for him, but I don’t “envy” him for his clock collection.

You didn't pay attention to what I actually said did you?

Nowhere did I say this man's neighbours were audiophiles, nor did I say they would be envious of 'high end audio gear. Read what is actually said in a post before commenting.

 

[Down South]

Your Dutch friend gave his business to a shop that carried and sold gear that was "only bling" and we are criticizing a customer for buying it.

I wonder how those silver foil bling coupling caps worked out, compared to the non-bling kind!

Another one who doesn't actually read what is posted. Is English not your first language, it doesn't seem like it or maybe your bi-polar.

The shop in question had a solid reputation for selling serious audio gear and modding commercial gear, which they did for Harry's h/amp. The hand made caps weren't bling.

Did you miss what the guys who ran this shop said - they couldn't believe what they were hearing!

The caps were very good BUT as it happens the very week after Harry shipped those caps to me and I fitted them and listened I read a thread on diyaudio about a doctor in London who had spent a lot of money on expensive coupling caps . He then saw some Russian mil. spec. caps which were really cheap - K73-16 PEPT which a couple of American good old boys said were crap. He bought them, tried them and rec. anyone could try them and be amazed. Well a lot of us did even though we were all very sceptical. Only one word to describe them - transparent. Other caps coloured and masked detail, timbre. They exposed shortcomings in other components ahead of them. At that time you could only buy in amounts of 10 or 20. They are the equivalent of Z foil resistors - transparent.

It always makes me laugh when manufacturers make a big thing about Alps Blue pots. Nothing like the Panasonic pots long gone. But even they can't match shunting an Alps Blue with Z foils. So many just accept that the crappy pots fitted to so much good gear can sound so much better with a shunted pot or a better one. Most class D amps have crappy pots fitted, they act like bad filters. Deal with this and be pleasantly surprised.

 

[voodooless]

 

[Axo1989]

Being this forum a rationalist place and being history my field of expertise, I can confirm that the Spanish inquisition did not rely on zealots; that was the style of English witch finders.

The Inquisitors and their "family" confidants were a highly rational group of actors with systematic methods and double check systems. That is precisely what made them so effective and saved the Hispanic Crown all the internal religious turmoil other places such as France had.

None were nice, though, and the terror flew free on all geography.

That's an interesting historic rabbit-hole I should explore one day (my impression of said inquisitors is also sadly formed by those English humorists).

So @Newman should be happier with the charge of inquisitor then? As for old mate, his methods are certainly too sloppy to consider.

 

[Axo1989]

Another one who doesn't actually read what is posted. Is English not your first language, it doesn't seem like it or maybe your bi-polar.

The shop in question had a solid reputation for selling serious audio gear and modding commercial gear, which they did for Harry's h/amp. The hand made caps weren't bling. ...

I still don't know how/why the neighbours were impressed?

 

[Anton D]

Another one who doesn't actually read what is posted. Is English not your first language, it doesn't seem like it or maybe your bi-polar.

The shop in question had a solid reputation for selling serious audio gear and modding commercial gear, which they did for Harry's h/amp. The hand made caps weren't bling.

Did you miss what the guys who ran this shop said - they couldn't believe what they were hearing!

The caps were very good BUT as it happens the very week after Harry shipped those caps to me and I fitted them and listened I read a thread on diyaudio about a doctor in London who had spent a lot of money on expensive coupling caps . He then saw some Russian mil. spec. caps which were really cheap - K73-16 PEPT which a couple of American good old boys said were crap. He bought them, tried them and rec. anyone could try them and be amazed. Well a lot of us did even though we were all very sceptical. Only one word to describe them - transparent. Other caps coloured and masked detail, timbre. They exposed shortcomings in other components ahead of them. At that time you could only buy in amounts of 10 or 20. They are the equivalent of Z foil resistors - transparent.

It always makes me laugh when manufacturers make a big thing about Alps Blue pots. Nothing like the Panasonic pots long gone. But even they can't match shunting an Alps Blue with Z foils. So many just accept that the crappy pots fitted to so much good gear can sound so much better with a shunted pot or a better one. Most class D amps have crappy pots fitted, they act like bad filters. Deal with this and be pleasantly surprised.

Mon ami, you specifically said, in English...

"I have €20K, cn you put together a system that will make my neighbours green with envy. I don't care what it sou8nds like as long as it makes them totally envious".

The guys who ran this shop couldn't believe what they were hearing, "are you seriou" - yes I am he replied. So they put together a system that was all bling.

Two weeks later harry was back to pick up the two pairs of hand made coupling caps. Whilst he was there the same man walked in beaming, really happy with his €20K purchase. "all my neighbours are envious". The guys who ran the shop said OK but what about the sound. "sod the sound, I don't care about that".

_

So, yes, we read what you said. "All bling."

How are the measurements on those caps, you are at least into Audio Science, right? Sighted listening is just termInologic BS...they sounded "transparent." Please back that up with objective measurement, my good friend.

 

[Anton D]

I still don't know how/why the neighbours were impressed?

He needs a little editorial tightening up, fiction can be hard to keep straight.

 

[Justdafactsmaam]

Mon ami, you specifically said, in English...

"I have €20K, cn you put together a system that will make my neighbours green with envy. I don't care what it sou8nds like as long as it makes them totally envious".

The guys who ran this shop couldn't believe what they were hearing, "are you seriou" - yes I am he replied. So they put together a system that was all bling.

Two weeks later harry was back to pick up the two pairs of hand made coupling caps. Whilst he was there the same man walked in beaming, really happy with his €20K purchase. "all my neighbours are envious". The guys who ran the shop said OK but what about the sound. "sod the sound, I don't care about that".

_

So, yes, we read what you said. "All bling."

How are the measurements on those caps, you are at least into Audio Science, right? Sighted listening is just termonologic BS...they sounded "transparent." Please back that up with objective measurement, my good friend.

I have a better true story, a priest, a nun and a rabi walk into a bar, there’s a horse, a gorilla and a squirrel at the bar….have you heard this story before?

 

[Vacceo]

That's an interesting historic rabbit-hole I should explore one day (my impression of said inquisitors is also sadly formed by those English humorists).

So @Newman should be happier with the charge of inquisitor then? As for old mate, his methods are certainly too sloppy to consider.

Henry Kamen published a monumental work on It decades ago. It is still today a very worthy work about the inquisition. Spoilers: the largest amount of inquisitorial executions took place in its last decades of existence and against constitutionalists and liberals.

 

[Axo1989]

I have a better true story, a priest, a nun and a rabi walk into a bar, there’s a horse, a gorilla and a squirrel at the bar….have you heard this story before?

Change the setting from a bar to a hi-fi showroom, and tell us ...

 

[Axo1989]

Henry Kamen published a monumental work on It decades ago. It is still today a very worthy work about the inquisition. Spoilers: the largest amount of inquisitorial executions took place in its last decades of existence and against constitutionalists and liberals.

Thank you, I'll check it out.

 

[chelgrian]

Streaming charges are going in one direction only, how long before they approach the cost of owning physical media. Streaming music is a far bigger rip-off for artists than record companies ever were - it begins.

Just wait until they not only charge you but also randomly insert adverts unless you pay even more. Where video streaming goes audio will follow eventually in this regard.

 

[JP]

I still don't know how/why the neighbours were impressed?

I've a neighbor who I've no doubt thinks we're all impressed by him, and I can guarantee that absolutely none of us are.

 

[MattHooper]

You didn't pay attention to what I actually said did you?

Thanks for the helpful scolding, but my reading comprehension is fine, thanks. I read what you wrote, that's why I responded.

Nowhere did I say this man's neighbours were audiophiles, nor did I say they would be envious of 'high end audio gear.

Exactly. That was the point of my reply. Your character in the story says" I have €20K, cn you put together a system that will make my neighbours green with envy. I don't care what it sou8nds like as long as it makes them totally envious"

And later declares of his stereo: "all my neighbours are envious".

Well, who would be "green with envy" over a stereo system except someone who really cares about such things...audiophiles. Right? Would you like to explain that?
I'm not "green with envy" over other people's hobbies I don't care about.

The non-audiophiles who come to my place see some nice looking (to me) audio gear, and even sometimes sit down for a listen and enjoy it. But none of them are "green with envy" over my spending all that money on that audio gear. For them "that's fine for you, but it's not what I care to spend my money on." Non audiophiles aren't leaving "green with envy." It's a niche interest.

That combined with the suspiciously cartoon-like nature of the story leaves me rather dubious to say the least.

Read what is actually said in a post before commenting.

Oh get over yourself.

 

[Anton D]

Oh get over yourself.

That guy is gonna go upstairs and tell his mom and she is gonna come here and settle your hash.

 

[Sal1950]

I’m highly suspicious of that “true” story.

Same here,
Now if the story was dated about 1975 or 80 when most everyone had a nice 2ch rig in the
living room to show off, maybe.

 

[Justdafactsmaam]

You didn't pay attention to what I actually said did you?

I paid attention enough to know this was a joke without a punch line. Where else does everyone show up at exactly the same time a week or two later coincidentally?

True story….yeah

 

[Down South]

Mon ami, you specifically said, in English...

"I have €20K, cn you put together a system that will make my neighbours green with envy. I don't care what it sou8nds like as long as it makes them totally envious".

The guys who ran this shop couldn't believe what they were hearing, "are you seriou" - yes I am he replied. So they put together a system that was all bling.

Two weeks later harry was back to pick up the two pairs of hand made coupling caps. Whilst he was there the same man walked in beaming, really happy with his €20K purchase. "all my neighbours are envious". The guys who ran the shop said OK but what about the sound. "sod the sound, I don't care about that".

_

So, yes, we read what you said. "All bling."

How are the measurements on those caps, you are at least into Audio Science, right? Sighted listening is just termInologic BS...they sounded "transparent." Please back that up with objective measurement, my good friend.

Picking up on typos is nitpicking.

The guys put together a system that was all bling - because that is what the punter wanted - what part of this don't you understand. Then you separate a comment from it's source, which is the man who shelled out €20K and try to put it onto those who run the business - what's wrong with you.

Your last comment is hilarious - The Russian caps are inside a chassis - they can't be seen.

You remind me of someone who posted on a thread on Headfi a long time ago. He said " I don't trust my ears I only trust the measuring instruments. So I replied logically - who sits down at night to listen to the music, you or the measuring instruments - he never came back with a reply.

Of course testing components or gear is important but in the end it's how the sound impacts the person - thought is not reality - only reality is real. If you are only 'thinking' about the music you aren't listening to the music - the thinking is the filter that stops you from actually listening to the music. This maybe hard for you to grasp but 'thinking' becomes it's own echo chamber. Stop thinking about the music and actually listen.