Meridian Director USB DAC
Comments
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I'm German........absolutely no Kethup or Catsup on a bratwurst or any other German sausage!"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 Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul! -
It's funny that for guys who never listen to mp3s and wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole, you sure seem to know a lot about them.
Are you sure you aren't basing your opinions about mp3 on that 128kbps Metallica track you downloaded off Napster back in 1999?
If you'd do a few quick google searches about 320s vs FLAC, you'd see that a/b blind testing results show the difference being indistinguishable.Post edited by Clipdat on -
Tony, as I mentioned to John a few posts up, I tried .wav files in my testing yesterday morning and I still noticed the same phase shifting ear fatiguing sensation from the apodizing filter.I would suggest maybe playing a cd quality file through the Meridian and compare notes, see how that filter effects your ears on a different file format.
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It's funny that for guys who never listen to mp3s and wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole, you sure seem to know a lot about them.
Are you sure you aren't basing your opinions about mp3 on that 128kbps Metallica track you downloaded off Napster back in 1999?
If you'd do a few quick google searches about 320s vs FLAC, you'd see that a/b blind testing results show the differences being indistinguishable.
That’s kinda like saying that since average joe box of wine drinker can’t tell the difference between his box cab and a $40 Napa cab, there isn’t a discernible difference.Living Room 2.1: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Musical Fidelity A308; NAD M51 DAC; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
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Nice try, but that's not a comparable or accurate analogy at all.That’s kinda like saying that since average joe box of wine drinker can’t tell the difference between his box cab and a $40 Napa cab, there isn’t a discernible difference.
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Ok Clipdat now you’re just lashing out...
My initial thoughts when seeing this thread were the same as Brock’s and Jesse, but I refrained from chiming in.
Actually, the analogy from rooftop above is on point. Like with wine tasting for example, your ears have to be trained to hear a difference, simple as that. -
A more accurate analogy would be saying "In a blind tasting, the average wine drinker would be unable to taste a difference between a Cabernet Sauvignon of the same vintage grape from a winery in Napa versus one from Sonoma."AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »Actually, the analogy from rooftop above is on point. Like with wine tasting for example, your ears have to be trained to hear a difference, simple as that.
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Nobody wants to play a game of semantics...you get the point. You can’t take an average group of people and do blind testing and expect them to hear a difference when they’re not trained to do so. Remember, the vast majority of people are fine with Bose and Beats...those are the people doing your blind tears. If you’re in that group the. Swapping DACs is gonna be a waste of your time and money.
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Haha, here we go again with the extremely judgemental "it's a waste of your time and money" response.
Out of the 5 DACs I've tried on my PC rig, none of them have been a "waste of time and money". Each one had their own unique sound signature that I could easily discern, even with my "casual listening" setup using 320s.AsSiMiLaTeD wrote: »Swapping DACs is gonna be a waste of your time and money.
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What they are saying is that you are doing yourself a disservice because while you can tell the difference, your not getting the full benefit you could because your source is bad.
If I was listening to MP3's with a low bitrate and decided to go from Polk Monitor 60's and a cheap Sony AVR (internal laptop soundcard to Usher Mini Dancers, LSiM 707's, and then also spend a couple thousand on better amps, a better receiver, etc (IE better DAC), you'd likely tell me I'm not getting as much out of the speakers as I could and that my money could be better spent on better quality source files.
Doesn't mean the MP3's wouldn't sound better than it was before, but it could be SO MUCH BETTER than it is, so judging the more expensive equipment on those MP3's does them and myself a disservice.
Thats what they are saying. You are taking this too personally as all we are saying is you owe it to yourself to try some higher fidelity files to see if that changes anything."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
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Or, to be honest, he can keep doing what's he's doing, and if that makes him happy, fine. I'll sleep easy either way.EndersShadow wrote: »Thats what they are saying. You are taking this too personally as all we are saying is you owe it to yourself to try some higher fidelity files to see if that changes anything.
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Heck, it's just one data point here. Maybe someone else will review the same DAC with CD-quality FLACs, and then someone else can do it with 128s, and we'll see what conclusions they reach. I think this thread has run its course...
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Yeah it has run it's course, because all you guys do is foam at the mouth and dogpile when you see that someone is using *gasp* horrible quality EMM PEE THREES!
If any of you actually stopped to read and comprehend, you'd see that I did test this DAC with .wav files as well.
The mob mentality and blind rage for something that you don't consider to be "right" on this forum is absolutely ridiculous.mdaudioguy wrote: »Heck, it's just one data point here. Maybe someone else will review the same DAC with CD-quality FLACs, and then someone else can do it with 128s, and we'll see what conclusions they reach. I think this thread has run its course...
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The mob mentality and blind rage for something that you don't consider to be "right" on this forum is absolutely ridiculous.
Relax man. I haven’t seen any blind rage here. Take it back a few notches. You’re sort of flying off the handle for no reason. Everything will be ok, it’s just the internet.2 channel:
Bryston 4B3, Bryston BDA3, Cary SLP05, Shanling CDT1000SE with parts conneXion level 2 mods, Nottingham analogue ace space 294, soundsmith Carmen MKii, Zu DL103 MKii, Ortofon MC 20 MKii, Dynavector XX2 MKii, Rogue Audio Ares, Core power technologies balanced power conditioner, Akiko Corelli power conditioner with Akiko Audio HQ power cable, Nordost heimdall 2, Frey 2, interconnects, speaker and power cables, Focal Electra 1028 BE 2, Auralic Aries Femto, Black diamond racing cones, ingress audio level 1 roller blocks, JL Audio E110 with Auralic subdude, Primacoustics room treatments.
Theater:
Focal Aria 926,905,CC900, SVS PB ultra x2. Pioneer Elite SC85, Oppo BDP93, Panamax M5400PM, Minix neox6, Nordost Blue heaven LS power cables. -
Jeezus you’re sensitive aren’t ya...good thing you weren’t around here in the early days lol
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"That guy is tense. Tension is a killer. I used to be in a barbershop quartet in Skokie, Illinois. The baritone was this guy named Kip Diskin, big fat guy, I mean, like, orca fat. He was so stressed in the morning..."
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Have no fear my fellow Polkies. At 1:40 of the video, Lightman shows up to save the day.
The Gear... Carver "Statement" Mono-blocks, TriangleArt Reference SE with Pass Labs Xono Phono Preamp, Walker Precision Motor Drive, ClearAudio Goldfinger Statement V2 cartridge and Origin Conqueror Mk3c tonearm, Polk Audio "Signature" Reference Series 1.2TL with complete mods, Pass Labs X0.2 three chassis preamp, PS Audio PerfectWave DAC MkII, Pioneer Elite SC-LX701, Oppo UDP-205 4K Blu-ray player, Sony XBR70x850B 4k, Polk audio AB800 "in-wall" surrounds.
“Every record has been destroyed or falsified, every book has been rewritten, every picture has been repainted, every statue and street building has been renamed, every date has been altered…History has stopped. Nothing exists except the endless present in which the party is always right” — George Orwell
“If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.” -
mdaudioguy wrote: »
Or, to be honest, he can keep doing what's he's doing, and if that makes him happy, fine. I'll sleep easy either way.EndersShadow wrote: »Thats what they are saying. You are taking this too personally as all we are saying is you owe it to yourself to try some higher fidelity files to see if that changes anything.
Totally agree. However we do him and the community a disservice by not pointing that a higher file rate may make things more enjoyable.
My library still has some MP3's from before I knew better. Then I learned and HEARD what better was and redid as much as I could off my CD's in FLAC.
I'm not suggesting the OP do that, simply saying he might try out some other file resolutions to see if he likes it better.
But to each their own."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
If any of you actually stopped to read and comprehend, you'd see that I did test this DAC with .wav files as well.
Were the .wav files rips direct from the CD, or converted MP3's?
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
On a side note, if that were The Lightman (pat.pending) at the 1:40 mark, he would get out of his truck and start spreading some of his special "de-icer".
Sure, some folks might object but it would get the job done.
A lesson to be learned, I'd say.
.... not saying what that lesson would be, or that I'm right, but still: a lesson to be learned courtesy of The Lightman (t.m.).
MrBigBlueLight
Here to pick your brain & steal your cookies
Shifting to Plan B+ -
MP3s will make your audio rack hum.
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MP3s will make your audio rack hum.
I've heard a slap upside the head causes humming too!
Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
Improper use of teeth during "humming" sometimes causes a slap upside the head.I've heard a slap upside the head causes humming too!
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It's funny that for guys who never listen to mp3s and wouldn't touch them with a 10 foot pole, you sure seem to know a lot about them.
Are you sure you aren't basing your opinions about mp3 on that 128kbps Metallica track you downloaded off Napster back in 1999?
If you'd do a few quick google searches about 320s vs FLAC, you'd see that a/b blind testing results show the difference being indistinguishable.
Wrong again, I've done plenty of listening to many algorithms of MP3;s, they all are markedly inferior to a std file. MP3's dump information, information vital to reproducing the original sound accurately. I don't need to do Google searches, I learned it all on my own by experimenting. It wasn't a long experiment either, pretty apparent very early............really.
Why would anyone take a 1441 kbps music file and subtract 78% of the info to pare it down to 320 kbps and think the sound quality wouldn't suffer? It's absurd to think it would sound as good. On a good system mp3's sound terrible compared to the original.
P.S. Btw, you're the only one who's in a blind rage. Take a chill pill, and crank your favorite mp3's and relax.
"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 Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul! -
320s aren't "mp3s with a low bitrate".EndersShadow wrote: »MP3's with a low bitrate
They absolutely are. Standard bit rate is 1441, 320 is 78% less information compared to the original. It's a low bitrate end of story. If you are going to try and argue that, you are very lost in this hobby."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 Aleph 30 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Plus DAC | MIT Shotgun S3 | MIT Z P/C's | updated SDA 1C| SQ Box Touch/Welbourne Labs P/S- Tubes add soul! -
Nope THAT'S ringing -
Does missing teeth also have an effect? Basement: Polk SDA SRS 1.2tl's, Cary SLP-05 Pre with ultimate upgrade,McIntosh MCD301 CD/SACD player, Northstar Designs Excelsio DAC, Cambridge 851N streamer, McIntosh MC300 Amp, Silnote Morpheus Ref2, Series2 Digital Cables, Silnote Morpheus Ref2 Series2 XLR's, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Pangea Power Cables, MIT Shotgun S3 IC's, MIT Shotgun S1 Bi-Wire speaker cables
Office: PC, EAR Acute CD Player, EAR 834L Pre, Northstar Designs Intenso DAC, Antique Sound Labs AV8 Monoblocks, Denon UDR-F10 Cassette, Acoustic Technologies Classic FR Speakers, SVS SB12 Plus sub, MIT AVt2 speaker cables, IFI Purifier2, AQ Cinnamon USB cable, Groneberg Quatro Reference IC's
Spare Room: Dayens Ampino Integrated Amp, Tjoeb 99 tube CD player (modified Marantz CD-38), Analysis Plus Oval 9's, Zu Jumpers, AudioEngine B1 Streamer, Klipsch RB-61 v2, SVS PB1000 sub, Blue Jeans RCA IC's, Shunyata Hydra 8 Power Conditioner
Living Room: Peachtree Nova Integrated, Cambridge CXN v2 Streamer, Rotel RCD-1072 CD player, Furman 15PFi Power Conditioner, Polk RT265 In Wall Speakers, Polk DSW Pro 660wi sub
Garage #1: Cambridge Audio 640A Integrated Amp, Project Box-E BT Streamer, Polk Tsi200 Bookies, Douglas Speaker Cables, Shunyata Power Conditioner
Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD.
