Ratz Hi-Fidelity corner

[orpheus]

I don't know why, but there are a good number of musicians - myself among them - who aren't audiophiles. I play everything through my iPod, and I have some decent Sony earbuds (cost only $40, though, so they're far from top quality). It's not that I can't tell the difference or can't appreciate it; it just matters less to me these days.

It's partly to do with what I listen for in the music, I think: I love some modern recordings, but I find myself equally moved by some old noisy analog recordings from the '30s and '40s. The aspects of the performances that touch me seem fairly independent of sound quality.

It's probably also because I don't actually listen to much music. Weird. Maybe it's because I spend so much time performing, studying and composing it - my head is already full.

[fretmeister]

Very good point. The more I play, the less I listen. When I compose I find it fatal to listen too much, at least in the same genre as the composition, that way plagiarism lies!

[orpheus]

Very good point. The more I play, the less I listen. When I compose I find it fatal to listen too much, at least in the same genre as the composition, that way plagiarism lies!

Oh yeah. Been there, done that, banged my head on my desk in frustration, got the bloody t-shirt (blood from the head wound, of course)...

[macdoc]

I was in high end sound for years ( in the business ) and working with HDTV since 1982.

Gave up on the high end audio as differences were not worth the money.

I followed the Texas Instruments DLP progression ( as far as I'm concerned DLP remains the best as it is scaleable ) and bought this a year after it came out for $4k and with a new bulb it's still superb 6 years later. ( DLP is what you see in most of the digital cinemas).



Recently I wanted to get back into some decent sound so started with Sennheiser Pro 280s.
Sound is good if a bit lean ( the warmer components help ) and they pack flat so they travel on my head when flying and have very high ambient isolation - use them for sound and movies on the MacBook Pro and with the gear below. The very long cable means I can sit at correct HD distance for my screen ( 5-6') and relax yet with top end sound and not disturb the household.

They are are combined with the best tube amp available for the money - all of $99.
Qinpu Q-2 Hybrid Integrated Amplifier - looks cool too.




and an OPPO BlueRay player - again incredible value given the quality. $300 used.


http://www.oppodigital.com/blu-ray-bdp- ... eview.aspx

Oppo BDP-83 Blu-ray/Universal Disc Player
$499
oppodigital.com
The Oppo BD-83 is an answer to the dream of every audiophile who has wished for an affordable, truly universal disc player that performs on every format. It is compatible not just with CD, HDCD, DVD-A, DVD-V, and SACD, but
also with Blu-ray Discs. The best part is that the BD-83 not only plays all these discs, but plays them well. The player is characterized by a warm, sweet, full-bodied sound that is a significant step up from Oppo’s lower-priced players. Winner of The Absolute Sound’s Budget Component of the Year Award. CM,

Using this player allowed me around the stupid DRM issues that locks out many owners of upper end HDs that are more than 4 years old and it and the little tube amp are just a superb sounding combination for the Sennheisers.

I've always been a 2:1 fan- have no use for surround sound as I feel a good sound stage can be recreated in stereo. So $500 for a upper end sound quality including a top end Blu-Ray player that does wonders for DVDs.

If I was in the market for HD I'd grab one of these.

http://www.mitsubishi-tv.com

Which one cinephile reviewer mused that they may be the very best picture on the market bar none.

My home set up is such that I can watch the HD from three locations in the room.
Optimally within 5-6' for the 50"
When working from my desk - about 10'
From bed 15-16' ( too far but hey ) and the room can be blacked out entirely - the walls are a very deep green that fades to black in low light.

Many of you may be surprised you are too far from your HD screen.
http://myhometheater.homestead.com/view ... lator.html

[Tero]

How much is a spare tube for the tune amp?

[macdoc]

Dunno but don't think it's a custom tube. It seems well designed to protect the tube - has a delay while the tube warms up and there is the guard around it that protects it and wandering bits of skin.
I'd not recommend it for powering speakers tho it will - but for the headphones it's a great set up. Not a hint of background noise and a quiet volume control.
When you consider Sennheiser's own offering at $1600 - I'm quite content with value and sound quality.



http://www.engadget.com/2012/09/01/senn ... phone-amp/

[hadespussercats]

I don't know why, but there are a good number of musicians - myself among them - who aren't audiophiles. I play everything through my iPod, and I have some decent Sony earbuds (cost only $40, though, so they're far from top quality). It's not that I can't tell the difference or can't appreciate it; it just matters less to me these days.

It's partly to do with what I listen for in the music, I think: I love some modern recordings, but I find myself equally moved by some old noisy analog recordings from the '30s and '40s. The aspects of the performances that touch me seem fairly independent of sound quality.

It's probably also because I don't actually listen to much music. Weird. Maybe it's because I spend so much time performing, studying and composing it - my head is already full.

J's family is like this (well, kind of) and there are many professional or one-time professional musicians among them--
music is only listened to in this one room in the finished basement at my in-laws. They go down there, listen to a piece, discuss it manfully, then return upstairs (I say manfully because the women, even the musician women, aren't part of this particular ceremony for some reason.)

I love to crank up tunes to work, to paint, to clean-- I love having music in the background. And if it's not there, I tend to fill the space myself by singing. This used to drive my husband nuts. But after several years of enforced silence at home, I started to go nuts. We've worked it out. Mostly.

Even these days, J only listens to music while drafting or while playing video games-- dreamy, ambient stuff that doesn't demand his attention unless he chooses to cue in.

Actually, maybe this isn't like what you wrote at all-- except the link between professional musicianship and not listening to recordings much.

[orpheus]

I don't know why, but there are a good number of musicians - myself among them - who aren't audiophiles. I play everything through my iPod, and I have some decent Sony earbuds (cost only $40, though, so they're far from top quality). It's not that I can't tell the difference or can't appreciate it; it just matters less to me these days.

It's partly to do with what I listen for in the music, I think: I love some modern recordings, but I find myself equally moved by some old noisy analog recordings from the '30s and '40s. The aspects of the performances that touch me seem fairly independent of sound quality.

It's probably also because I don't actually listen to much music. Weird. Maybe it's because I spend so much time performing, studying and composing it - my head is already full.

J's family is like this (well, kind of) and there are many professional or one-time professional musicians among them--
music is only listened to in this one room in the finished basement at my in-laws. They go down there, listen to a piece, discuss it manfully, then return upstairs (I say manfully because the women, even the musician women, aren't part of this particular ceremony for some reason.)

I love to crank up tunes to work, to paint, to clean-- I love having music in the background. And if it's not there, I tend to fill the space myself by singing. This used to drive my husband nuts. But after several years of enforced silence at home, I started to go nuts. We've worked it out. Mostly.

Even these days, J only listens to music while drafting or while playing video games-- dreamy, ambient stuff that doesn't demand his attention unless he chooses to cue in.

Actually, maybe this isn't like what you wrote at all-- except the link between professional musicianship and not listening to recordings much.

No, I'm sure it's related in many ways. I find it interesting that J listens to music while he's drafting or playing video games. I'd never be able to do that. In fact I can never have music on in the background no matter what I'm doing - even mechanical mindless tasks like washing dishes. The music takes my attention so strongly that I wind up just standing there with a stupid blank look on my face. It's not uncommon for me to insist on leaving a restaurant because the background music - even if quiet - is too distracting. Used to drive my wife crazy, but she's used to it now.

It may also have something to do with my training. I went to a conservatory that put us through a ludicrously rigorous curriculum. Lots of dictation, where they would play a short melody and we'd have a few minutes to write it down as accurately as possible. Then the tunes became longer and more complex. And they added more voices (other tunes) playing together. And the time we were allowed shrank. (We joked that for extra credit on the final exam we'd have to write down a five-voice fugue before it was played.) Anyway, I sweated blood in those classes, but they really opened my ears. And I definitely noticed that this phenomenon (my mind gravitating to whatever music is playing and ignoring everything else) increased around that time. I was always somewhat like that, but this made it worse.

[hadespussercats]

I don't know why, but there are a good number of musicians - myself among them - who aren't audiophiles. I play everything through my iPod, and I have some decent Sony earbuds (cost only $40, though, so they're far from top quality). It's not that I can't tell the difference or can't appreciate it; it just matters less to me these days.

It's partly to do with what I listen for in the music, I think: I love some modern recordings, but I find myself equally moved by some old noisy analog recordings from the '30s and '40s. The aspects of the performances that touch me seem fairly independent of sound quality.

It's probably also because I don't actually listen to much music. Weird. Maybe it's because I spend so much time performing, studying and composing it - my head is already full.

J's family is like this (well, kind of) and there are many professional or one-time professional musicians among them--
music is only listened to in this one room in the finished basement at my in-laws. They go down there, listen to a piece, discuss it manfully, then return upstairs (I say manfully because the women, even the musician women, aren't part of this particular ceremony for some reason.)

I love to crank up tunes to work, to paint, to clean-- I love having music in the background. And if it's not there, I tend to fill the space myself by singing. This used to drive my husband nuts. But after several years of enforced silence at home, I started to go nuts. We've worked it out. Mostly.

Even these days, J only listens to music while drafting or while playing video games-- dreamy, ambient stuff that doesn't demand his attention unless he chooses to cue in.

Actually, maybe this isn't like what you wrote at all-- except the link between professional musicianship and not listening to recordings much.

No, I'm sure it's related in many ways. I find it interesting that J listens to music while he's drafting or playing video games. I'd never be able to do that. In fact I can never have music on in the background no matter what I'm doing - even mechanical mindless tasks like washing dishes. The music takes my attention so strongly that I wind up just standing there with a stupid blank look on my face. It's not uncommon for me to insist on leaving a restaurant because the background music - even if quiet - is too distracting. Used to drive my wife crazy, but she's used to it now.

It may also have something to do with my training. I went to a conservatory that put us through a ludicrously rigorous curriculum. Lots of dictation, where they would play a short melody and we'd have a few minutes to write it down as accurately as possible. Then the tunes became longer and more complex. And they added more voices (other tunes) playing together. And the time we were allowed shrank. (We joked that for extra credit on the final exam we'd have to write down a five-voice fugue before it was played.) Anyway, I sweated blood in those classes, but they really opened my ears. And I definitely noticed that this phenomenon (my mind gravitating to whatever music is playing and ignoring everything else) increased around that time. I was always somewhat like that, but this made it worse.

Well, as for the listening while doing certain tasks-- it's sort of a new development. And he's verrrrrry choosy about what music he can tolerate. He's had similar reactions to restaurant music and such.

And yeah, he went to conservatory for undergrad. Perhaps he's able to lsten sometimes now because he left music for architecture, and it's been over a decade since the shift. If he were still making music for a living, I bet he'd never listen to recordings.

It's funny how differently we engage with music (J and I, I mean.) I can't ignore background music, either-- but I like having accompaniment for certain tasks. In fact, I think I work better, doing craft work and such, with music, because it focuses any excess nervous energy and helps me to fall into my task (my favorite brainspace.)

But another difference we've started to notice because we sing to our kid at night-- I know lyrics. I listen to lyrics and engage with them. J remembers the bass line, or the chord progression, or the guitar solo... you get the idea. All these songs that we've both listened to a thousand times but he doesn't know the words.

I have a bit of a leg up in the reverse scenario, because I've been trained (in far less demanding fashion than you!) to listen for all these other elements. J's an instrumentalist, so words didn't really come up.

[macdoc]

In fact, I think I work better, doing craft work and such, with music, because it focuses any excess nervous energy and helps me to fall into my task (my favorite brainspace.)

I did a survey online in a Mac group and I was surprised how many people were constantly listening to music and using it to control their mood and enregy levels up to 60-70% of their day.

With the advent of iPod and now into the smart phones - decent quality and playlists can be constant and for me wearing the big cans on a plane or even a busy airport lowers my stress levels immensely.

I love what music does when riding the motorcycle
My own little world. Just gotta watch the rock if speed zones.

[JimC]

Basic, small Bose speakers attached to my iMac...

They are sufficient for my needs...

[hadespussercats]

In fact, I think I work better, doing craft work and such, with music, because it focuses any excess nervous energy and helps me to fall into my task (my favorite brainspace.)

I did a survey online in a Mac group and I was surprised how many people were constantly listening to music and using it to control their mood and enregy levels up to 60-70% of their day.

With the advent of iPod and now into the smart phones - decent quality and playlists can be constant and for me wearing the big cans on a plane or even a busy airport lowers my stress levels immensely.

I love what music does when riding the motorcycle
My own little world. Just gotta watch the rock if speed zones.

Speed-pod!

[fretmeister]

The tube looks like 12AX7 or maybe 12AT7.

If so, about £15 for a good one.

[rasetsu]

Stereo and only stereo.


40" cheapie HDTV (Emerson)
Low end Onkyo receiver
Philips DVD player
Sony wifi ready Blu-ray player
The onboard sound from an Intel D845PEBT motherboard.
Pink Sansa Fuze (not Fuze+) with 12 GB storage
Low end Polk bookshelfs (Studio40, iirc)
Sony MDR 7506 studio cans
RAID 6 file server hosting 3/4 terabytes of music, about 70% lossless


I am poor folk. All my stuff is more or less cheap or bargain.

I've consistently been disappointed in Sennies, but then I can't afford more than $200 for cans.

[macdoc]

Yup - quality can be had personally - trickier to get full room at any decent price tho the surround movie systems are dirt cheap and decent for Cinema.