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Author Topic: Are audiophiles, the really crazy ones, an endangered species?  (Read 23492 times)
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manisandher
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« Reply #15 on: June 24, 2015, 08:23:53 am »

But sometimes I really do regret that I spend too much time tweaking and chasing down SQ improvements when I could be exploring some new piece of music. The latter is far more important than the former IMHO.

Absolutely phenomenal post Paul. Bang on the money IMO.

For my part, I haven't been able to spend much time at all on our hobby these last few months, and what's interesting is that I haven't missed it at all. The few occasions I've been at home and had time in the evenings, I've just listened to music for 20-30 minutes without thinking about tweaking at all. It's been almost liberating! I think being in a place where the SQ really is already 'more than good enough' is a big help.

But I'm not totally out of this hobby. I'll always keep a keen eye on what Peter is up to... just to make sure he isn't driving himself completely crazy... and to keep him on the straight and narrow (need to counteract any sycophantic behaviour here).

Oh, and I'm 48 years old...

Mani.
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rakeshpoorun
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« Reply #16 on: June 24, 2015, 12:30:17 pm »


For my part, I haven't been able to spend much time at all on our hobby these last few months, and what's interesting is that I haven't missed it at all. The few occasions I've been at home and had time in the evenings, I've just listened to music for 20-30 minutes without thinking about tweaking at all. It's been almost liberating! ...

Mani.

Hi Mani,

"Liberating"

Don't you just savour that word? One of my favourite words in the English language without a doubt.

I second your sentiments and drink to that.

Best regards
Rakesh
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juanpmar
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« Reply #17 on: June 24, 2015, 02:50:03 pm »

Great posts from all of you, sharing some personal and emotive feelings and circumstances. Thanks

Rakesh, thanks to you specially for your kind words, of course no problem in case you have an opinion different than mine. I accept it the same way I accept any other´s opinion.

I´d like to explain myself better just in case I was unable to do it in the first post. Perhaps Peter was right and I beat around the bush a bit.

I agree that internet can or could be a good source for musical culture, I agree also, as I stated in many other posts, that we need to put the tweaks where they must be, just as an instrument to the final goal which is listen and enjoy music.

But in this topic, I was talking about the Audiophiles and specifically about "the madness to pursue the best possible sound until almost exhaustion". What I tried to say is to recognize the merit of the people that, even at the age that many of us have, are still chasing the chimera of the "perfect sound". Perfect in the sense of a sound that is as real as possible. We know that tha´s an illusion, we know that there is no perfect sound except the one you can listen directly, but still we seek.

In the first post I was trying to convey an almost philosophical, existential, idea. The idea of pursuing perfection, that´s what I find meaningful. That´t what I think has a special merit.

And, above all, I see it as a quality that can be applied to many areas of our life.  Go in search of the illusion and strive to approach to it. That´s what I think makes us better. As someone said, the truth is not the at the finish, but on the way.

Kind regards,
Juan
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Audio Pc: Processor i7 970: 3200MHz (reduced to 1668MHz), 6+6 cores/ RAM Corsair DDR3, 24Gb, 1333MHz/ Mb Asus X58 Sabertooth/ OS and XXHE in Peter's RAM-Disk / The CPU fan is the only one in the Audio Pc: NF-S12A (600rpm/6.7db)/ No graphic card/ Power supply: Seasonic SS-400FL2, fanless.

Configuration and Updates in HOW I'VE BUILT MY NEW PC...http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1673.0. This post is very old but maybe someone still find it useful

XXHighEnd: 2.11a. Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, music on LAN/ KS:Phasure NOS1 Out 4.0/ #4 Engine/ Adaptive Mode/ Q1=10, Q3,4,5=1, xQ1=15/ Dev.Buffer: 4096/ ClockRes: 15ms/ Straight Contiguous/ SFS: 0.69 (max 0,69)/ Not Invert/ Phase Alignment Off/ Allow format change/ Decode HDCD/ Playerprio: Low/ ThreadPrio: Real Time/ Scheme: Core 3-5/ UnAttended/ Not Switch during Playback Off/ Playback Drive none/ UnAttended/ Include Garbage Collect/ Copy to XX Drive by standard/ Always clear Proxy before Playback/ Stop Desktop Services/ Stop Remaining Services/ Stop All Services: Off/ Keep LAN Services: On - Persist: Off/ Use Remote Desktop/ Minimize OS/ XTweaks : Balanced Load 35/ Nervous Rate 10/ Cool when Idle -/ Provide Stable Power 0/ Utilize Cores always 1/ Time Performance Index: Optimal / Time Stability: Stable / Arc Prediction/ Number of cores in use: 12 (máx. 6-12)

Music Server PC (W10) totally silent with OS (W10) in SSD and music inside in SSDs - RDC > Ethernet Gigabyte cable 3m > Audio Pc > 1m USB Lush cable directly from the USB3.0 in the motherboard > PHASURE NOS1a-75B-G3 (Driver v1.0.4) 16ms > Blaxius BNC interconnects > Genelec 1037B 3-Way Active speakers with BNC inputs
phantomax
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« Reply #18 on: June 24, 2015, 03:44:20 pm »

Perfect in the sense of a sound that is as real as possible. We know that tha´s an illusion, we know that there is no perfect sound except the one you can listen directly

But don't forget that even in that case the experience can be very dissapointing: bad acoustics, rude people around, poor performances, etc.

Said that I totally agree when you say that tweaks are a medium and not the end itself.

Best regards

Maxi
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Audio PC -> AsRock Z79 intel i-3 4170  @~800MHz, 16GB, Windows 10 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, DIY Linear Power Supply. music on LAN /
Engine#4 Special Mode/Q1/-/3/4/5=*30*/-/*1*/*1*/*1*/ Q1Factor = *5* / Dev.Buffer = 1024 /ClockRes = *15ms* /Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect /
SFS = *0,69*  (max 0,69 / Phase Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 1-3 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback
Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / Stop Desktop, Remaining, WASAPI and W10 services / Use Remote Desktop / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / *OSD Off* / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = 35 / Nervous Rate = 10 / Cool when Idle = n.a / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = Not the best / Time Stability = not stable / *Custom Filtering low for 176400* / Always Clear Proxy before Playbck = On -> Modified Audiotrak Prodigy HD2 internal soundcard with analog tube buffer (Broskie cathode follower) -> Passive biamplification: Canary Audio CA-301 MkII for highs- mids and Counterpoint SA-100 for lows -> Audiovector M-3 Super / modified Musical Fidelity X-3 (6h6p tubes) -> Grado 1000 headphones.
phantomax
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« Reply #19 on: June 24, 2015, 04:03:23 pm »

I wish to mention another questión related to audiophilia and not specifically to music: the HiFi equipment. I mean the physical appearance, the looks of that brushed aluminiums, the valves glowing in the dark ofa quiet winter night  drool

It is not music but it creates a especial mood and it helps too.

Máxi

PS sorry for the typos... this f****g tablet. Old

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Audio PC -> AsRock Z79 intel i-3 4170  @~800MHz, 16GB, Windows 10 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, DIY Linear Power Supply. music on LAN /
Engine#4 Special Mode/Q1/-/3/4/5=*30*/-/*1*/*1*/*1*/ Q1Factor = *5* / Dev.Buffer = 1024 /ClockRes = *15ms* /Memory = Straight Contiguous / Include Garbage Collect /
SFS = *0,69*  (max 0,69 / Phase Invert / Phase Alignment Off / Playerprio = Low / ThreadPrio = Realtime / Scheme = Core 1-3 / Not Switch Processors during Playback = Off/ Playback
Drive none (see OS from RAM) / UnAttended (Just Start) / Always Copy to XX Drive (see OS from RAM) / Stop Desktop, Remaining, WASAPI and W10 services / Use Remote Desktop / Keep LAN - Not Persist / WallPaper On / *OSD Off* / Running Time Off / Minimize OS / XTweaks : Balanced Load = 35 / Nervous Rate = 10 / Cool when Idle = n.a / Provide Stable Power = 1 / Utilize Cores always = 1 / Time Performance Index = Not the best / Time Stability = not stable / *Custom Filtering low for 176400* / Always Clear Proxy before Playbck = On -> Modified Audiotrak Prodigy HD2 internal soundcard with analog tube buffer (Broskie cathode follower) -> Passive biamplification: Canary Audio CA-301 MkII for highs- mids and Counterpoint SA-100 for lows -> Audiovector M-3 Super / modified Musical Fidelity X-3 (6h6p tubes) -> Grado 1000 headphones.
juanpmar
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« Reply #20 on: June 24, 2015, 05:59:50 pm »

Yes Maxi, I agree with your last two posts

Best regards,
Juan
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Audio Pc: Processor i7 970: 3200MHz (reduced to 1668MHz), 6+6 cores/ RAM Corsair DDR3, 24Gb, 1333MHz/ Mb Asus X58 Sabertooth/ OS and XXHE in Peter's RAM-Disk / The CPU fan is the only one in the Audio Pc: NF-S12A (600rpm/6.7db)/ No graphic card/ Power supply: Seasonic SS-400FL2, fanless.

Configuration and Updates in HOW I'VE BUILT MY NEW PC...http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=1673.0. This post is very old but maybe someone still find it useful

XXHighEnd: 2.11a. Windows 10 Pro 64 bit build 14393.0 from RAM, music on LAN/ KS:Phasure NOS1 Out 4.0/ #4 Engine/ Adaptive Mode/ Q1=10, Q3,4,5=1, xQ1=15/ Dev.Buffer: 4096/ ClockRes: 15ms/ Straight Contiguous/ SFS: 0.69 (max 0,69)/ Not Invert/ Phase Alignment Off/ Allow format change/ Decode HDCD/ Playerprio: Low/ ThreadPrio: Real Time/ Scheme: Core 3-5/ UnAttended/ Not Switch during Playback Off/ Playback Drive none/ UnAttended/ Include Garbage Collect/ Copy to XX Drive by standard/ Always clear Proxy before Playback/ Stop Desktop Services/ Stop Remaining Services/ Stop All Services: Off/ Keep LAN Services: On - Persist: Off/ Use Remote Desktop/ Minimize OS/ XTweaks : Balanced Load 35/ Nervous Rate 10/ Cool when Idle -/ Provide Stable Power 0/ Utilize Cores always 1/ Time Performance Index: Optimal / Time Stability: Stable / Arc Prediction/ Number of cores in use: 12 (máx. 6-12)

Music Server PC (W10) totally silent with OS (W10) in SSD and music inside in SSDs - RDC > Ethernet Gigabyte cable 3m > Audio Pc > 1m USB Lush cable directly from the USB3.0 in the motherboard > PHASURE NOS1a-75B-G3 (Driver v1.0.4) 16ms > Blaxius BNC interconnects > Genelec 1037B 3-Way Active speakers with BNC inputs
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