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Thoughts on Non-oversampling Filters

ejr

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Jan 6, 2023
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I recently saw reviews of the Loxjie D40 Pro and SMSL DO400 DACs -- which have, respectively, a NOS filter or Filter Off setting. Supposedly, these modes are better for hearing dialog on streaming videos or DVD playback. I am wondering if anyone has found this to be true, and whether using a non-oversampling filter adversely affects the sound of music in films.

I have personally found that listening to movies on my Sony MDR-7506 headphones makes the dialog jump right out at you. But then, a Hollywood soundman once told me that they were designed for boom operators recording dialog on the set and that was how I intened to use them. (I was a professional actor and was going to produce a low-budget film, which was cut short by health issues that forced me to retire early). Music and the rest of a soundtrack don't sound bad on the 7506s, but music defintely sounds better (fuller, more detailed) when I am listening on speakers or other headphones. I hate this either-or situation, where either the music or the dialog sounds acceptible, but not both at the same time (unless I am watching an older film that was crafted so that everything was audible).

I have high hopes for the upcoming release of the Sony MDR-M1s, but I still intend to mostly use my Genelec 3.1 studio monitors when watching films. And I do find that recent releases don't prioritize the audience being able to understand of dialog like the old films used to. If it were up to me, I'd abandon all this surround sound nonsense in favor of higher quality traditional stereo. I'm okay with subwoofers, but that's as far as I go. As a local radio station owner told me, back in the 1970s when was quadraphonic was all the rage, "We only have two ears." (That was his only reason for not broadcasting in it when all the other stations were doing so.)
 
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whether using a non-oversampling filter adversely affects the sound of music in films.
NOS fundamentally breaks analog sound reproduction:
(Middle column= OS for reference)
NOS+vs.+Filtered+-6dBFS+sine+waves.png

Source
 
I have high hopes for the upcoming release of the Sony MDR-M1
M1 is a bit more comfortable and less bright headphone than 7506.
Voices/instruments on 7506 will be noticeably clearer.

Forget the nonsense about (simulated) NOS being 'better' for certain aspects. It isn't. It is a broken DAC but strangely enough does not sound broken nor much different to most people. Most headphones will 'remove' the steps simply because they are not fast enough to reproduce these steps. Quite measurable, less audible than most think.
 
Supposedly, these modes are better for hearing dialog on streaming videos or DVD playback
They are not, unfortunately. They just mess the sound up
 
Too bad. I thought they were on to something.
 
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