Translating measured DAC specs to audible qualities heard.

[voodooless]

I’d love to here the perspective of a blind person on this matter. I do not know if we have any blind members though? They often have a much more trained ear, and will be a bit less susceptible to bias (though they also can read the marketing fluf and feel a heavy volume control of a high priced audio item).

 

[Deleted member 23982]

Not saying that everything and anything is placebo, but in the cases where the only argument people have for an effect being real is "science doesn't know everything yet!", it very likely is just that... placebo.

well, if you can "imagine" how a speaker !exactly! sounds just based on graphs we can talk again, and it certainly is not just frequency response in db

while looking at the tedious research people have made into the actual limitations of human hearing

you really think this is a closed book? (i mean the perception of the auditory (ear/brain) system as a whole, not just "limitations")
because if i listen to an unoptimized system i get rather quick a headache (specially at higher volumes).... and dont say placebo now.... specially audio source/usb connection/opamps/mainsfilter has an effect on this but not only, basicly as the audio gets "clearer" it will produce less ear/brain fatique, for me this is a clear evidence, tho you dont have to believe me

also treble has an big effect on this BUT as the setup gets "cleaner" you can turn the treble up again without negative effect

tho i would also like to know why this isnt exactly measureable in any kind of form (at this point)

I've been there. I've spent decades obsessing over the "sound" of op-amps, capacitors and all other kinds of components. I based my ideas on countless campfire stories woven from subjective impressions. I didn't stop to consider whether any of it had been verified in a reliable manner.

so, once you heared a meaningful change in those things and at some point not anymore?

 

[SIY]

well, if you can "imagine" how a speaker !exactly! sounds just based on graphs we can talk again, and it certainly is not just frequency response in db


you really think this is a closed book? (i mean the perception of the auditory (ear/brain) system as a whole, not just "limitations")
because if i listen to an unoptimized system i get rather quick a headache (specially at higher volumes).... and dont say placebo now.... specially audio source/usb connection/opamps/mainsfilter has an effect on this but not only, basicly as the audio gets "clearer" it will produce less ear/brain fatique, for me this is a clear evidence, tho you dont have to believe me

tho i would also like to know why this isnt exactly measureable in any kind of form (at this point)


so, once you heared a meaningful change in those things and at some point not anymore?

Seriously, will you EVER subject your beliefs to controlled testing? Unlikely claim piled on unlikely claim- and they're not even creative and original unlikely claims.

Just pick one and go get some evidence. Just one. More handwaving is not evidence.

Breath not being held.

 

[voodooless]

so, once you heared a meaningful change in those things and at some point not anymore?

 

[Deleted member 23982]

Seriously, will you EVER subject your beliefs to controlled testing?

well i did just to proof it to myself and stopped since, since i dont see a point, i can trust my ears, end of story
i really belief at this point there is a failure rate even if there ARE changes with blindtests, specially with the mindset " ah no change anyway "

well it looks like the background is changing between black and white because if 4 black ones are stationary the white middle one will rotate OVER the black ones, hence black looks like a background... proof enough?

 

[BDWoody]

the changes can go from very subtil to very obvious depending on how you see things

No doubt.

They tend to go from nothing to nothing when you can't see them.

 

[Killingbeans]

well, if you can "imagine" how a speaker !exactly! sounds just based on graphs we can talk again, and it certainly is not just frequency response in db

Why are we talking about speakers again? You were descibing your experience with XLR cables

Measurements will probably tell you pretty accurately how a speaker sounds in a theoretically perfect anechoic chamber. But once you put them in a normal room, all bets are off. It's not really the measurement's fault.

you really think this is a closed book? (i mean the perception of the auditory (ear/brain) system as a whole, not just "limitations")

I think the book describing things up to the point where the sound waves hit your ears is pretty much closed. I don't see why further chapters are necessary? Interesting, yes. But zero relevance for the subject of audio reproduction?

because if i listen to an unoptimized system i get rather quick a headache (specially at higher volumes).... and dont say placebo now.... specially audio source/usb connection/opamps/mainsfilter has an effect on this but not only, basicly as the audio gets "clearer" it will produce less ear/brain fatique, for me this is a clear evidence, tho you dont have to believe me

You say I can't use that word, so... yeah well....

so, once you heared a meaningful change in those things and at some point not anymore?

No. But I've come to a point where, when I hear things that shouldn't be physically possible, I can say "It's most likely placebo" and not lose any sleep over it. I no longer fell the need to grasp at straws in order to rationalize it. And if I want a more definitive conclusion on whether or not the thing I'm hearing is caused by placebo, I have the option to initiate some proper controlled testing.