Any audiophiles here?

http://www.geocities.com/altbinariessoundsmusicclassical/mp3test.html

I would call that a good audio system ... case in point.

Nobody's contesting the fact that during mp3 compression data is lost. What I am contesting is that this loss is audible even on high end systems, as long as high bitrates and modern encoders (like LAME) are used.

^ so in essence you're saying that those subtle differences can only be heard after longer listening sessions? Call me naive, but in my book prolonged listening means fatigue, not relaxation. And independently of the source, too ... I know that some audiophiles will immediately say that listening to mp3 means fatigue and listening to vinyl means relaxation ...

Eh, I tend to think listening fatigue comes from over compressed albums.
I don't get that problem much since I don't listen to stuff very loud, since anyway I'm a musician that doesn't want to bust his hearing.
But I do notice, certain albums in my collection, I cannot listen to them even moderately loudly (such as The Faceless album "Planetary Duality", Gojira's album "From Mars to Sirius" and a few others) for the entire duration of the album, otherwise I get a minor headache and I just feel like I've had a barrage of noise shot at me.
Planetary Duality in particular is bad, although it doesn't have much in the way of audible clipping, the master bus limiting is so ridiculous the sound constantly "pumps" which is very irritating to listen to.
Although I tend to master bus limit my music fairly loud, it's nowhere near clipping/audible pumping levels and I like it that way, even if it means I'm not in the race of the loudness wars.

Anyway, MP3 vs loseless continued, I tend to rip my stuff at 256Kbps these days. Sounds good to me, eh.
I don't have a massive hard drive (300 GB) plus I need to keep it very freed up to maintain system stability and performance for doing audio stuff (recording, mixing etc) and since I don't hear a difference at 256Kbps, it suits me fine and doesn't overload my hard drive. And believe me, I've been spending hours mixing stuff, constantly doing tiny refinement to my guitar tone/bass guitar tone most people wouldn't even be able to hear, so it's not like I don't have an ear for detail.

Some people own 50 000 USD sound systems. That's awesome and I'm jealous of them, but thinking rationally I see no point in owning one for myself because the music I listen to just doesn't take advantage of it.
If you listen to heaps of jazz, fantastic, because those ultra high end systems really work with that kind of music, the soundstaging, the perception of depth (being able to hear where instruments are in a room, in a sense)/ how tall/wide it is/sounds.
Honestly jazz and other music that has lots of 'space' in it makes up a small portion of my listening. I'm mainly a rock music guy and a big heavy metal fan as some would know by now.
So the benefits of such expensive audio systems is entirely lost, because there is just too much going on in the music I generally listen to. Everything is just competing for it's own space in the sonic spectrum, no matter how well mixed it is, it's just a fact when you have stuff like that going on you just can't give it heaps of depth.
Quad tracked electric guitars, bass guitar parts that are essential for keeping all the low end down, there just isn't any space in the mix to have any proper perception of depth and space that you'd hear in jazz or something like that.
I've spoke to some guys on other forums about this, and this was their complaint basically, that as I said, the benefits were just lost on music that revolves around high gain double/quad tracked guitars and they felt deeply disappointed by that.
So really, I think at most I'll end up with a 5000 AUD system when I move out of home and I'll be fine with that.
It'll be good enough to take advantage of the music I like that has amazing production (like This Godless Endeavor by Nevermore, End of Heartache by Killswitch Engage and not have to think "Well at least I  didn't spend 50 grand, I don't have enough jazz" lol.
Chances are I'd be spending even more on my studio monitors by that stage anyway.

^It's definitely not as compressed as Death Magnetic, otherwise it would probably be clipping, but I can't hear any clipping going on in Planetary Duality, but it's quite compressed enough that there is an audible pumping effect, which is quite unfortunate. Death Magnetic, even if I liked the music, which I don't (well, I don't hate it, just don't particularly love it either), the sheer amount of compression on the master bus alone would be reason for me not to listen to it.
Indeed, I know Obscura's Cosmogenesis, great album, but again mastered a bit too loud for my tastes. When it comes to the kind of loudness I prefer, think the debut Rage Against the Machine album. Great level of dynamics and still fairly loud without being over the top.
Personally I think you'd be better off with a stereo system for that price too, since after all less components and more money going into each individual component means those 2 speakers will sound better than a 5.1 system, although I realize you probably wont go out and get a new system to listen on. I just tend to be very comfortable listening on stereo, but that's just me I suppose.


Edited by Petrovsk Mizinski - September 11 2009 at 01:05

 

Hi

I have been building my setup (system) for a long time let say 15 years and I thought that

Progressive /heavy metal will always improve on my upgrades.

I know now that I was wrong

More money and effort I have spent towards my system degrade the overall sound of   Progressive /heavy metal sound.

However I do have a lot of Jazz/blues and Classical discs and I have to say the sound always improved on every upgrade.

So I would not recommend spending a lot of money on stereo if you only listen Progressive Hard/rock/metal disc.

Cheers Jiri

 www.jirihifi.com.

 

PS: Some bands like

Porcupine Tree, older recording of Ayreon, older recording of Enchant sounds

OK

Edited by jch - September 12 2009 at 01:10

Hi Mr ProgFreak

I don’t exactly how much .I have spend a lot > I have started to change amplifiers ,then preamplifiers, then speakers, then speakers cables, then power cables and so on and on….

 

I hope it was worth it

 

Not yet the journey is still going on I have to say for a jazz /blues my system is absolute (at least to my ears) but still have to find compromise for a progressive/heavy metal.

Thinking of different approach multiple tweeters and bass (in one) system switch able for different style of music.

Take care jiri  

Edited by jch - September 12 2009 at 05:13

Hi Mr ProgFreak

Thanks a lot hopefully I will get there. I had a look at your Logitech set. I will go and have a listen the Z5500 Digital for my self for (computer room) It looks nice and compact.

Anyway good luck with Z 5500 upgrade.

Jiri 

I couldn’t agreed more with your previous post

 

Chances are I'd be spending even more on my studio monitors by that stage anyway.

 

Just wondering if you have any particular (brand, model) monitors in mind?

I have recently auditioned ATC SCM 150ASL Active speakers and they are good I mean really good

Nevertheless price is too high unless bought 2 hand from Audiogone or so

http://www.atc.gb.net/scm150aslpro.htm

 

Take care

Jiri

www.jirihifi.com

 

 

Hi Guys

Just sending a funny video link for true audiophile’s addiction.

jch wrote:   Hi I have been building my setup (system) for a long time let say 15 years and I thought that Progressive /heavy metal will always improve on my upgrades. I know now that I was wrong More money and effort I have spent towards my system degrade the overall sound of   Progressive /heavy metal sound. However I do have a lot of Jazz/blues and Classical discs and I have to say the sound always improved on every upgrade. So I would not recommend spending a lot of money on stereo if you only listen Progressive Hard/rock/metal disc. Cheers Jiri  www.jirihifi.com.   PS: Some bands like Porcupine Tree, older recording of Ayreon, older recording of Enchant sounds OK

That's a really awesome set up man, wow!

Mr ProgFreak wrote: ^ I hope you'll find what you're looking for. As far as I'm concerned, my 80 EUR Logitech speakers give me a lot of joy ... maybe I'll upgrade to the more expensive digital version later this year, but I can't envision myself spending more than 1000 EUR on audio equipment. I know what big systems sound like, I've had one about 15 years ago and we even had a home recording studio in the basement, with expensive monitors and a 24/8/2 mixing console for about 4000 EUR. So I know what I'm missing, and my opinion is that it's not worth the effort ... IMO it actually distracts you from the music. There's a reason why it is called "audiophile" and not "musicophile" ... obviously I'm the latter. BTW: This is what I currently use to listen to music: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/211&cl=au,en And this is what I might upgrade to: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=au,en

Distracts you from the music.........interesting. I don't feel distracted from them music when I listen through my active monitors, simply because if I'm in the mindset where I'm just there for listening and not concentrating on production aspects, it's ok.
Personally I couldn't live without a set of studio monitors now.  I still haven't decided whether I'll pursue professional audio engineering yet and even if I don't, I still want to hone my skills to at least a semi professional level for my own personal home music projects and of course that would mean computer speakers would simply not be good enough, especially since I'd like to at least post my music on forums and show them to friends and such.

Petrovsk Mizinski wrote: Mr ProgFreak wrote: ^ I hope you'll find what you're looking for. As far as I'm concerned, my 80 EUR Logitech speakers give me a lot of joy ... maybe I'll upgrade to the more expensive digital version later this year, but I can't envision myself spending more than 1000 EUR on audio equipment. I know what big systems sound like, I've had one about 15 years ago and we even had a home recording studio in the basement, with expensive monitors and a 24/8/2 mixing console for about 4000 EUR. So I know what I'm missing, and my opinion is that it's not worth the effort ... IMO it actually distracts you from the music. There's a reason why it is called "audiophile" and not "musicophile" ... obviously I'm the latter. BTW: This is what I currently use to listen to music: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/211&cl=au,en And this is what I might upgrade to: http://www.logitech.com/index.cfm/speakers_audio/home_pc_speakers/devices/224&cl=au,en Distracts you from the music.........interesting. I don't feel distracted from them music when I listen through my active monitors, simply because if I'm in the mindset where I'm just there for listening and not concentrating on production aspects, it's ok. Personally I couldn't live without a set of studio monitors now.  I still haven't decided whether I'll pursue professional audio engineering yet and even if I don't, I still want to hone my skills to at least a semi professional level for my own personal home music projects and of course that would mean computer speakers would simply not be good enough, especially since I'd like to at least post my music on forums and show them to friends and such.

I'm just saying that looking for the perfect system can become an obsession ... like that one guy in the video who had already spent 10000+ EUR but still wasn't happy with it, and said that it was an ongoing journey. Nothing wrong with that - as long as it makes you happy. Others collect stamps or build miniature railways. Still, I maintain that with most audiophiles I argued with over the years it seemed to me that they had become more interested in audio equipment than the actual music.