Geek with Family

More than a year ago I made a promise to myself that I would stop buying CDs and only buy vinyl and downloads. Since no independent record shops exist in Chicago’s western suburbs (I hope to change that someday soon), this promise has been difficult to keep. The only vinyl source close to my day job is Virgin Megastore, their selection is hit and miss and their prices are normal retail if not a few dollars higher. Other Music owner, Josh Madell, envisions recorded music’s future without CDs, with only downloads and vinyl LPs left. From Wired’s Listening Post:

WN: Do you think CDs and MP3s can co-exist peacefully, sort of like the way vinyl and CDs live in harmony at your store?

Madell: Hard to say. CDs in some ways seem outdated next to MP3s. But as hard drives and players become more powerful and smaller, and internet connections improve, I could imagine CDs becoming of less interest. I think the time is not too far off where some releases come out on vinyl and MP3 only — no CD. But who knows.

Vinyl and downloads of the same album is the perfect blend of ultimate consumer sound quality (vinyl; not to mention album sleeve art, liner notes and resale value) and compromised convenience (digital downloads without the restriction of DRM).

Continue reading The Future of Recorded Music Media - Not So Fast CD

Popularity: 8% [?]

Robert Harley, the Absolute Sound’s editor in chief, has written a new book: Introductory Guide to High-Performance Audio Systems: Stereo - Surround Sound - Home Theater. Because so few books exist on my main topic of interest, high end audio, I already ordered it, sight unseen. I’ve learned many listening and system building skills from Harley’s previous books. I hope this new volume contains new information and isn’t simply a Reader’s Digest version of the other books.

Of the book’s contents, the inclusion of the now dead DVD-A and SACD optical coaster format is worrying, one would hope for some speculative coverage of HD audio on Blu-Ray and HD-DVD. Amazon’s description:

How to choose, set up, and enjoy the latest high-technology audio systems are all given expert insight in this indispensable guide for stereo shoppers. Consumers today often use home-audio systems for both stereo music and surround-sound music, they buy multichannel systems instead of two-channel stereo systems, they may have HDTV and flat-panel televisions, and they have largely moved to in-wall and on-wall loudspeakers rather than floorstanding units. Questions relating to all of these changes are covered in a novice-friendly way, as well as Super Audio CD, DVD-Audio formats, and all of the latest surround-sound formats for home theater. The emphasis is not only on solving shopping dilemmas, but also on getting great sound from an audio system.

Continue reading New Book - High-Performance Audio Systems

Popularity: 9% [?]

Arcam is now selling the rDock, their audiophile iPod dock (not sure what the “r” stands for). The dock is part of Arcam’s Solo series of highly regarded integrated entertainment centers (not furniture but combo CD/DVD/processor/pre-amp/amplifier). Plus you can control the iPod with the Solo’s remote.

For $300 USD, the rDock sports high end electronic pre-amp components (fancy op-amps), vibration damping case, overbuilt, double regulated power supply and sturdy AV jacks. As most audiophiles know, steady battery power always beats dirty AC from your wall plug with blacker backgrounds and reduced digital hash. The rDock will not charge the iPod while music is played because Arcam feels the charging process introduces AC mains noise and degrades the sound quality of your Apple Lossless, WAV and AIFF songs (if you are listening to any lossy songs on your iPod then why are you buying Arcam gear?).

Continue reading Arcam rDock Mates iPod with Solo Home Entertainment System

Popularity: 7% [?]

I stopped by Virgin Megastore to fruitlessly shop for Broken Social Scene and TV on the Radio on vinyl Friday. Browsing through the book section I found the 33 1/3 book series. Each book is devoted to a different classic album. I was looking for Pixies Doolittle, but found Nirvana In Utero.

In Utero is one of he most frustrating recordings I own: my favorite Nirvana songs, recorded by Steve Albini and Bob Weston, but mastered for FM radio in a ‘78 Ford Fairmont by Bob Ludwig. To paraphrase Steve Albini’s opinion of the mastering, “…compressed dynamic range, closed down stereo image, reduced bass and treble…” Essentially, the final master approved by the band and Geffen had a sonic bell curve applied to it, appealing to the lowest common denominator.

The 33 1/3 book stated that bootlegs of Albini’s original recording exist and some versions of the vinyl LP contain the original. Searching ebay turns up domestic and UK pressings but no description mention a different mix on either. Nirvana fan sites don’t list the Albini sourced bootleg in their “Outcesticide” series. I’m losing hope that the original mix is available on any recorded media (or is so rare on limited vinyl pressings that it is lost to time).

Continue reading Nirvana - In Utero CD Liner Notes Reveal Tone Control Easter Egg

Popularity: 10% [?]

Captain Jack Harkness: “No idea. We know how to use it, not how it happened…” Torchwood SE1E1.

With so many consumer electronic buying choices it only makes fiscal sense to understand how and why your CD player, processor or amplifier works. All the way from the discrete electronic components (you know Black Gate capacitors are better than Radio Shack’s, right?) to the complicated recipe made up of multiple circuits. I want to understand audio electronic engineering enough to design and build my own DIY projects and gain the ability to detect bull-crank claims in manufacturer white papers and hi-fi press reviews.

Building the CMOY mint tin headphone amp (unfortunately, I’ve only cut the proto board in half and soldered the jumpers in place) got me curious about the inner workings of all my gear. With the CMOY I can follow the instructions and hopefully get good audio out of it without electrocuting myself, but I want to understand more than the beginner instructions and know how to improve the input, output and power supply circuits. So I bought some books.

Continue reading My Quest for How Audiophile Electronics Work

Popularity: 5% [?]

Stereophile magazine has infected me with upgraditis (luckily my empty wallet’s immune system is strong). In the last two issues they’ve reviewed Vandersteen Audio’s new 2ce Signature II loudspeaker and Slim Devices’ Transporter. For under $4000, I could take my system to the next logical level. Both these components, one at the beginning and the other at the end of the audio chain, could replace my Airport Express wireless transport and Vandersteen 1c loudspeakers respectively without any regrets.

What you need to know from each review:

Continue reading The New End-to-End - Slim Devices Transporter to Vandersteen 2ce Signature II

Popularity: 3% [?]

Paul Miller, founder of Miller Audio Research and lead consumer electronic measurement pornographer, asks what mysterious scientific measurements are missing that can better define sonic differences between audio electronics in the February Hi-Fi News. He cites the discovery of a method to measure jitter in the mid-nineties as the last new measurement technique. He also suggests that the more measurable a device’s performance the more it can be improved upon. Since jitter’s rise manufacturers of digital components have strived to reduce its ill effects.

So what’s left to measure that will better define a careful listener’s subjective impressions of a new wifi audio player, amp or loudspeakers? Synergy.

What if we figured out how to measure a whole audio system chain at once? How it might work (I have no idea if this follows any kind of scientific method, just my best guess):

• Establish baseline measurements for all individual components: Gather all the same measurements for your source, amplification and speakers as you would now with sine waves and pulses
• Use baseline high bit digital recordings that are viewed both as waveforms and spectrally
• Play both test tones and test songs through the whole system
• Use some really fancy math to compare the system measurements to those of the individual components and derive scores based on error values or 3D spectral comparisons
• Somehow present the results in layman’s terms

So go forth and measure system synergy. Remember, high end audio can only achieve new sonic heights if we set new unattainable goals.

By the way Mr. Miller mentions that everybody’s favorite new AV cable, HDMI, has terrible jitter performance. He doesn’t say how bad but I’m sure there’s a white paper with titillating charts and graphs available on his site or elsewhere.

Popularity: 2% [?]

AudioXpress, the only DIY audio hobbyist print mag, recently published a great how to article about transferring your LPs to DVD audio (though not necessarily DVD-A). Transferring LPs to DVDs in High Resolution by Victor Skaggs (PDF download) is the most detailed LP digitizing article I’ve encountered (Hi-Fi News recently published another how to, but stopped a CD quality audio). As a bonus Mr. Skaggs does all his digitizing on a Mac using affordable software and hardware (with many low and high end alternatives). He’s so into digitizing LPs to high resolution audio that he’s discovered hidden features in Roxio Toast and had features added to Toast (music-only DVD authoring) and ClickRepair (96 kHz file support). I wish I had as much ambition and input with my software tools.

Since my successes with ripping CDs to lossless audio files (with MAX) and listening through my low jitter Airport Express, I’ve wanted to compare a high resolution LP to digital transfer to the digital CD originals. By Victor Skaggs’ comments, I’d have to think the transferred LP would win followed by lossless audio and CD last.

When I get a free weekend I’ll pop open my Rogue preamp, flip the second outputs to fixed and hook it up to my MacBook Pro. Following the AudioXpress article, I’ll record Shellac’s At Action Park, clean it up and burn a 96/24 DVD (or 192/24 DVD-A if I can figure that out). Watch out for the head-to-head test.

(via Macintouch)

Popularity: 4% [?]

“These shouldn’t exist,” the Doctor.

With materials sourced exclusively from Cardiff, Wales’ Torchwood Institute regulated time and space Rift, Torchwood Cables will enhance your audiophile listening experience with unknown alien technology from many possible futures. The 21st century is when everything changes [in your home audio kit].

Every cable purchase includes a free bottle of “auditory enhancement” pills, Amnesiaphor (side effects may include sudden drowsiness and selective forgetfulness that in no way degrade your audiophile experience or turn you into a psychopathic murdererous pawn of a formerly deceased Torchwood agent). A satisfied customer, “It’s weird, my stereo’s never sounded better and I have no idea why. What? Are you sure? When did I get new interconnects? Oh God, I remember… I remember, Jack.”

Torchwood’s leader, Captain Jack Harkness, explains the peculiarity of the various cables’ construction, “A few months ago we were cleaning up the last of Cardiff’s Cyberman scrap and Gwen dropped an earpiece into this alien liquid/solid sphere Tosh had on her desk. There was an electric blue flash and then nothing. The Cyberman part was suspended in the middle of the liquid and when Gwen took a closer look and breathed on the thing, an audio interconnect slithered out. The alien runes on the jacket glowed and then faded. We’ve tested the conductor and termination plugs and they are definately Cyberman alloy. I don’t like it, but everyone else thinks it’s safe, especially Iantu.”

Torchwood interconnect’s jacket runes glow a calming blue when fed an audio signal keeping a constant charge on the alien dielectric (we haven’t identified the material yet but it measures better than air). The Cyberman alloy’s sonic signature is completely neutral, with no resistance and conductivity that’s off the charts.

Don’t ask what the third cable is for, you’re not ready to know.

Torchwood Institute’s doctor, Owen Harper: “I know many of you feel I don’t take AV kit seriously because I’ve got my plasma set on top of the cardboard box it shipped in, but since I’ve rewired my stereo with these cables, I’ve been listening at home more and shooting my fellow Torchwood agents less.”

Torchwood cables are only available in the U.K. Watch out for them at your local hi-fi shop.

Popularity: 9% [?]

A friend tipped me off to this amazing music room built into a barn or guest house. Follow the link for loads of pics of five-figure turntables, loudspeakers, tube amps, CD players and cables. This guy has really bought into the “cables and isolation accessories make a difference” with interconnects and speaker cables that resemble vacuum cleaners, ceramic cable lifters (I guess DIY cable lifter kegger cups wouldn’t blend well with surrounding décor) and tank-like turntable isolation rack sitting on top of a granite tile (which I assume must be twice as thick as normal granite judging by the overbuilt quality of the rest of the room).

As impressive as the audio system components is the acoustic construction of the room, all built-in scalloped acoustic chambers on the walls and ceiling. I love the floor to high ceiling LP and CD storage that he needs those elementary school library rolling step stools to reach the highest shelf.

Too bad he’s not listening to phase and time coherent loudspeakers. All that money spent on massaging the perfect signal through four carat phono cartridges, preamps, amps and cables only to have the listening experience mangled by the loudspeaker. Heh, if you can hear the difference (I would hope this system to be punishingly revealing).

What a Fortress of Solitude (Auditude?). What’s this guy escaping from? (Not to judge, I’m just overcome with envy.)

Popularity: 4% [?]