CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

  • December 31, 2015, 11:09:16 AM
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6

Author Topic: Take a listen please  (Read 7215 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

donunus

  • Cheapus Sexus
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +52/-3
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 875
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #20 on: June 23, 2013, 11:38:39 AM »
So what is exactly the difference between both files? The way it was ripped?

Did it go through an expander?
« Last Edit: June 23, 2013, 02:12:44 PM by donunus »
Logged
Team Delicious and Juicy Sound

donunus

  • Cheapus Sexus
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +52/-3
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 875
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #21 on: June 23, 2013, 02:13:34 PM »
Quote from: xnor on June 23, 2013, 10:52:28 AM
The version is based on the Japanese SACD released 2011. Maybe it's the remastering or the downmixing that makes it sound worse to you.

The original pressing is less V-shaped compared to this pressing
Logged
Team Delicious and Juicy Sound

stv014

  • Guest
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #22 on: June 23, 2013, 02:55:42 PM »
Quote from: donunus on June 23, 2013, 11:38:39 AM
So what is exactly the difference between both files? The way it was ripped?

*** SPOILER ***: I think A is the original, and B has been processed with a filter that has flat or almost flat frequency response, but rings (there is apparently both pre- and post-ringing) at 4-5 kHz. I have an impulse response extracted, although it may not be 100% accurate.

Edit: because of the pre-ringing, it is easy to ABX the difference using only the first second of the samples. The filtered version has an audibly less "sharp" attack.
« Last Edit: June 23, 2013, 03:40:10 PM by stv014 »
Logged

fishski13

  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +79/-1
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 424
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #23 on: June 23, 2013, 04:46:57 PM »
thanks xnor.  these tests are always fun.  after a quick A/B/A/B, A sample had better definition on note attack and sounded a little more dynamic and detailed.  sample B was a little grainier sounding and tonally a little more chalky.  subjectively, i preferred A in my rig.
Logged

xnor

  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +39/-50
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 154
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #24 on: June 23, 2013, 05:05:22 PM »
Gee don't analyze the files, just tell us what you hear. :P
Logged
"I'm on a whole new adventure." - "Growing a mustache?"
"No. Bigger than that." - "A beard?!?"

twizzleraddict

  • Powder Monkey
  • *
  • Brownie Points: +30/-0
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 69
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #25 on: June 23, 2013, 10:26:40 PM »
A sounds ever so slightly CLEANER and B has some degree of grain to some of the high hats and cymbals, as most have mentioned. You'd be hard-pressed to hear it on crappy gear. I could barely hear the differences on a TH900 but when I took out the ear-shattering HD700, it was there. I went back to the TH900s and heard the same. If you processed the original copy to be cleaner, then I'd think you have A, and B is the original.

That'd be my hypothesis based on my observations. I could be wrong because I just don't do ABX tests well. :p
Logged

ultrabike

  • Burritous Supremus (and Mexican Ewok)
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +4226/-2
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2384
  • I consider myself "normal"
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #26 on: June 24, 2013, 09:01:29 AM »
Crapware:

Player: Foobar2000
DAC/Amp: Focusrite 2i2 (I know xnor loves this redlicious piece of equipment, but he doesn't know it.)
Phones: HD558 (... yup ... and a used one)
Cables: The one that came with the Focusrite, but modded with holy water.
Conditions: Subject was definitively tired (long day at Disney with the kids)

My results:

foo_abx 1.3.4 report
foobar2000 v1.2.6
2013/06/24 01:23:24

File A: C:\Users\osito\Downloads\a.flac
File B: C:\Users\osito\Downloads\b.flac

01:23:24 : Test started.
01:25:20 : 01/01  50.0%
01:25:44 : 01/02  75.0%
01:26:48 : 01/03  87.5%
01:27:10 : 02/04  68.8%
01:29:06 : 03/05  50.0%
01:29:36 : 03/06  65.6%
01:30:14 : 03/07  77.3%
01:30:52 : 04/08  63.7%
01:31:45 : 05/09  50.0%
01:32:07 : 05/10  62.3%
01:32:55 : 06/11  50.0%
01:33:10 : 06/12  61.3%
01:35:16 : 07/13  50.0%
01:35:49 : 07/14  60.5%
01:36:04 : 07/15  69.6%
01:36:41 : 08/16  59.8%
01:37:52 : 09/17  50.0%
01:38:47 : 09/18  59.3%
01:39:55 : 09/19  67.6%
01:40:38 : 10/20  58.8%
01:41:20 : 10/21  66.8%
01:41:45 : 11/22  58.4%
01:42:11 : 12/23  50.0%
01:42:34 : 13/24  41.9%
01:43:04 : 14/25  34.5%
01:43:55 : 14/26  42.3%
01:44:34 : 15/27  35.1%
01:45:06 : 15/28  42.5%
01:46:07 : 16/29  35.6%
01:47:57 : 17/30  29.2%
01:48:06 : Test finished.

 ----------
Total: 17/30 (29.2%)

I also felt A was a little better. It was hard for me to tell the files apart.
Logged

Anaxilus.

  • Dikus Beligerantis Analmorticus
  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +65535/-65535
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 577
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #27 on: June 24, 2013, 10:51:32 AM »
Quote from: ultrabike on June 24, 2013, 09:01:29 AM
Total: 17/30 (29.2%)

I also felt A was a little better. It was hard for me to tell the files apart.

Maybe investing in a horribly distorted Eddie Current tube amp will help improve the results?  :)) ;)  I shudder at the thought of getting around 50% using a HD650 and O2 amp like some MIA folk in hiding.  It truly is amazing how a non linear, noise and distortion machine sold as snake oil could provide a listener the illusion of repeatedly and accurately discerning variances in mastering and playback technique. Powerful Jedi mind trick this SET tube stuff!  :&
« Last Edit: June 24, 2013, 06:13:23 PM by Analixus »
Logged
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading - Lao Tzu

stv014

  • Guest
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #28 on: June 24, 2013, 11:17:16 AM »
Using crappy cheap headphones (although bright headphones that may make the difference more audible) from a sound card:

foo_abx 1.3.4 report
foobar2000 v1.2.2
2013/06/24 14:56:01

File A: F:\a.flac
File B: F:\b.flac

14:56:01 : Test started.
14:58:08 : 01/01  50.0%
14:58:16 : 01/02  75.0%
14:58:42 : 02/03  50.0%
14:59:18 : 03/04  31.3%
14:59:33 : 04/05  18.8%
14:59:48 : 05/06  10.9%
15:00:14 : 06/07  6.3%
15:00:35 : 07/08  3.5%
15:00:56 : 08/09  2.0%
15:01:15 : 09/10  1.1%
15:01:45 : 10/11  0.6%
15:02:47 : 11/12  0.3%
15:03:06 : 12/13  0.2%
15:03:41 : 13/14  0.1%
15:04:08 : 14/15  0.0%
15:04:24 : 15/16  0.0%
15:04:52 : 16/17  0.0%
15:05:08 : 17/18  0.0%
15:05:47 : 18/19  0.0%
15:05:54 : 19/20  0.0%
15:06:01 : 20/21  0.0%
15:06:22 : 21/22  0.0%
15:06:33 : 22/23  0.0%
15:06:43 : 23/24  0.0%
15:06:51 : 24/25  0.0%
15:06:58 : Test finished.

 ----------
Total: 24/25 (0.0%)

Also, I did a quick test yesterday with a 7/7 result listening only to the beginning of the files. This time, I chose a point somewhere in the middle of the sample. An easily noticeable difference is that the attack of the snare drums is smeared in a way similar to MP3 compression. See also my other post above for an explanation of how I think the sample was processed.
Logged

Anaxilus.

  • Dikus Beligerantis Analmorticus
  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +65535/-65535
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 577
Re: Take a listen please
« Reply #29 on: June 24, 2013, 06:33:11 PM »
Just goes to show that such tests are often just as much about the experience, skill and consistency of methodology implemented by the user.  That many such tests can sometimes, or often be a reflection upon the user rather than the gear involved.  It's no wonder that it may sometimes be difficult for the casual or even potentially biased to distinguish between correlation and causation when interpreting data.
Logged
If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading - Lao Tzu
Pages: 1 2 [3] 4 5 6
« previous next »