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Audio Quackwatch

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 8:32 pm
by krabapple
I do this over on rec.audio.high.-end sometimes. Why not here?

Anyway, today's entry has to be, this article in the current issue of The Absolute Sound:

74 - TAS Roundtable
The Sound of Analog Tape, LP, CD, SACD, and DVD-Audio
Our ongoing look at important topics finds Mark Levinson,
Harry Pearson, Doug Sax, and Jonathan Valin discussing and debating the sonic merits of various audio-storage formats—from analog tape to today’s high-resolution digital media. Robert Harley moderates

Sounds promising, no? It has to be read to be believed. Each participant distinguishes himself in one way or the other. From memory, the highlights are:

Valin -- digital recordings sound like 'stair steps' whereas analog recordings sound like 'waves'
Levinson -- PCM digital 'causes stress and confusion in the listener. THis is not opinion it's physiological fact'
Sax -- analog has at least an octave of high end extension over CD, and a better noise floor

Pearson's nonsense makes my eyes glaze over automatically, so nothing he said stuck.

Anyway, Doug Sax comported himself best, being hte only one who *didn't* imply that CDs are evil. Levinson wins the Quack of the Month award.

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 10:01 pm
by Kjoerup
Thought you'd enjoy this one, krabapple. The endless "jitter" debate continues at the Hoffman forums. Someone by the name of Evan writes:

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showt ... hp?t=38254

"I think that it is jitter control in the manufacturing process. It really depends on the facility and the engineer. The Japanese are probably more consistent at controlling jitter. Once they learn how to do something, they do not want to change; at least that was my experience."

Posted: Mon Aug 16, 2004 10:04 pm
by krabapple
I can vouch that those Japanese have learned how to maximize, compress, and digitally clip the hell out of remasters, that's for sure. (see: Yes and Rick Wakeman remasters for examples)

Posted: Mon Sep 20, 2004 1:22 pm
by krabapple
SHtv has gotten around to 'discussing; this article (where 'discussion' tend s to mean, 'wow, what a good read!") No on has yet mentioned Levenson's cuckoo claims about the stress-inducing properties of PCM, but Michale St. Clair did manage to get in a plug for blind testing.
.

http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showt ... post744584

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 5:49 pm
by krabapple
I insist that this thread be revived, in order to direct folks to this outrageous example of
brazen charletanry:


Machina Dynamic home page

note especially the 'Intelligent Chip', 'Ultra Tweeter', 'Magic Ring', and 'Brilliant Pebbles' for examples of
audiophile snake-oil that are almost literally breathtaking.

Posted: Fri Feb 18, 2005 6:03 pm
by krabapple
..and for added giggles, herre's a typically incredible clusterfuck of discussion about it on

audioasylum

Posted: Sat Feb 19, 2005 6:48 am
by Rob P
The names of some of those products (Nimbus, Promethean Base, Brilliant Pebbles, Magic Ring) would make Madison Avenue blush. And I thought it couldn't get any more ridiculous in the world of tweakdom......