Am I Awakening Into an Expensive Reality?
Cpyder
Posts: 514
So I always listen to my music through my motherboard's optical out. Until recently, when my mobo's sound devices got messed up and no longer work. So I use an M-Audio Transit (USB Device) to output through optical. At least, until I get around to fixing my mobo.
Here's the deal. Both connection types output digital through optical to my receiver but the mobo connection sounds way better. At first, I thought it sounded the same, but after being stuck with the Transit for a while, I notice I get listener fatigue WAY quicker and the highs don't seem as sharp. The music does not seem as real.
Why would this be? Does it boil down to jitter? I have no doubt that my receiver is receiving all of the ones and zeroes in both cases, but the mobo definitely beats the transit. Is the mobo's internal clock just better than the transit's? And I'm assuming that my receiver doesn't reclock so it's timing clock is probably the same as whatever the source is. If it reclocked I would expect similar results in either case.
Am I just now starting to realize that seemingly pointless parameters, like jitter, actually do have very serious impacts?
Here's the deal. Both connection types output digital through optical to my receiver but the mobo connection sounds way better. At first, I thought it sounded the same, but after being stuck with the Transit for a while, I notice I get listener fatigue WAY quicker and the highs don't seem as sharp. The music does not seem as real.
Why would this be? Does it boil down to jitter? I have no doubt that my receiver is receiving all of the ones and zeroes in both cases, but the mobo definitely beats the transit. Is the mobo's internal clock just better than the transit's? And I'm assuming that my receiver doesn't reclock so it's timing clock is probably the same as whatever the source is. If it reclocked I would expect similar results in either case.
Am I just now starting to realize that seemingly pointless parameters, like jitter, actually do have very serious impacts?
Post edited by Cpyder on
Comments
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Heh heh........
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Yes.Am I Awakening Into an Expensive Reality?"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche -
Am I just now starting to realize that seemingly pointless parameters, like jitter, actually do have very serious impacts?
I'm not sure jitter has ever been considered "seemingly pointless".Speakers: Polk LSi15
Pre: Adcom GFP-750 with HT Bypass
Amp: Pass Labs X-150
CD/DVD Player: Classe CDP-10
Interconnects: MIT Shortgun S3 Pro XLR
Speaker cables: MIT MH-750 bi-wire
TT:Micro Seiki DD-35
Cartridge:Denon DL-160
Phono Pre:PS Audio GCPH -
hehehehehehehehe
welcome.........its your path.
RT1 -
Is it perhaps possible that there are things that affect sound that might not seem all that signifcant? I think that some of us have been trying to tell you guys that for awhile now.
BDTI plan for the future. - F1Nut -
I'm not sure jitter has ever been considered "seemingly pointless".
No, you're right. But a lot of "legitimate" sources will say that the jitter in well constructed devices is so low that it's effects absolutely cannot be heard.Is it perhaps possible that there are things that affect sound that might not seem all that signifcant? I think that some of us have been trying to tell you guys that for awhile now.
BDT
You have been
I'll always be on my search to draw the line on what makes a difference and what doesn't. From coloring your CDs green, to fancy speaker wire geometries, to shielded interconnects, to oversampling DACs, to speaker break-in. Some parameters don't make a different and some do. My quest is to find which does and invest my money there. -
Everything Matters - Madmax
You just have to decide where you are willing to compromise.
H9"Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul! -
Everything Matters - Madmax
You just have to decide where you are willing to compromise.
H9
That's the most intelligent response I've heard around here in a long, long time. You're on it Brock.Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2 -
yea this place is full of dumb asses err wait a second:eek:.........not so sure on the words but just words or spin per say, I would say where you wish to begin or prioritize, since it all matters. I do not presently have my 2 channel power situation quite squared away, dont really want to compromise just something on the bucket list for the Rig.
Thought I lost the entire right channel today after hearing a pop, but looks like a passing gremlin, well, played the rig for about four hours with no problems but for a bit I had no output on one of the mono blocks, switched the amp off then back on............whew looks like a protection circuit may have saved the day.:D
RT1 -
I had some discussions on this board a year or two ago about how there can possibly be sound differences in digital information transmission, which didn't make sense to me. Based on my limited investigation, it all boils down to jitter.Steve Carlson
Von Schweikert VR-33 speakers
Bel Canto eVo2i integrated amp
Bel Canto PL-2 universal disc player
Analysis Plus Oval Nine speaker cables and Copper Oval-In Micro interconnects
VH Audio Flavor 4 power cables
Polk Monitor 10B speakers, retired but not forgotten -
I had some discussions on this board a year or two ago about how there can possibly be sound differences in digital information transmission, which didn't make sense to me. Based on my limited investigation, it all boils down to jitter.
That's kind of my thoughts too. I mean, we can prove with absolute certainty whether a device is receiving all of the data of 1s and 0s, but that's not true when it comes to data timing.
