D: Dive Into Media

[Fat Bob]

Just seen thisinfo about file sizes of songs which is being supported by Neil Young. I remember Burbage and BoD always harping on about music compression and it seems Neil Young is spouting similar stuff:

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Young told the "D: Dive Into Media" conference on Tuesday that he spoke with Jobs about creating a format that has 20 times the fidelity of files in the most current digital formats, including MP3.
Such a format, he said, would contain 100 per cent of the data of music as it is created in a studio, as opposed to five per cent in compressed formats including Apple's AAC (Advanced Audio Coding). Each song would be huge, and a new storage and playback device might only hold 30 albums. Each song would take about 30 minutes to download, which is fine if you leave your device on overnight, he said.
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To those in the know, what do you feel? Do you think you need a 100MB file rather than 5MB in order to listen to your music? He probably has a point re compression, but also is missing the point that people don't want to wait 30mins to download a song.

[baloo]

30mins today will be 30secs in 10years time.

[Kooky]

Well I don't understand the technical aspects and the benefits of gold wires, yadda yadda, but I do know I hate listening to an iPod played through speakers - why should we be going backwards in sound quality?

edit: took me a while but I spotted a typo

[slinky]

I can't say I can really hear the difference, THB. However, Mr. S just bought a new Denon receiver and I have to say songs played through iTunes or directly off an iPod (not to mention movies) do sound noticeably better. Same speakers - the only change is the receiver, so clearly better quality equipment can make a difference, so it stands to reason that better quality files are worth something (but I still don't think I can tell the difference between whatever the standard iTunes file is and a higher quality ripped one).

[Morrolan]

the benefits of gold wires

there is none. cable is cable...

a $25 cable is no worse than a $250 one, other than in the improved residual size of your bank account...

[Fat Bob]

Hmmm....using that logic, why not use a 25c cable?

Now, it does depends what the cable is carrying and how far it is carrying the information for. For instance, yes, a cable carrying a digital source has to do one thing. Make sure the 1s and 0s get to the destination the same as when they left. Minor distortion of the signal is possible, as the receiver can still distinguish a 1 from a 0. Hence, paying $$$ for such a digital cable is not required.

Conversely, carrying analogue signals, e.g. component video or speaker wires, can be effected by distortion quite easily. Reducing the source of distortion is not always possible, so shielding cables can improve signals, whilst having a better quality metal to make the wire is important to reduce a chance of distortion being put into the signal by the cable itself.

Also, the price of the cable can effect the thickness of it: you'd rather run your speakers off a multi-core wire than single strand or the same wire for several reasons, of which sound quality is one.

However, when it comes to the quality of speaker wire A ($25) versus the quality of speaker wire B ($250), then now you're talking only slightly, possibly imperceivable improvements in quality.

And you can tell you're living in Singapore when you start asking $250 for a cable! Ship it from Amazon!

[Fat Bob]

Re:iPod music. I insist on buying all my own CDs rather than taking it off the internet. One reason is that, once ripped, I have no DRMs to worry about. I can also rip them at the bit rate I want (currently 256kbs VBR AAC seems to do a good job). I listen to the music in various places (car, 5.1 surround system at hom, laptop, iPoDs, when exercising eyc), and can't remember the last time I actually listened to the CD.

If you are listening to mp3/AACs ripped 3-4 years ago, it is unlikely the bit rate is going to be that good. So delete and re-rip at a bit rate that your hard drive can handle (I did this ~2 years ago and did notice differences when played through high quality sound system via either iPod dock, Apple Airport Express or computer).

And remember, if you have a 30-60GB iPod or other such device, you probably don't listen to ALL the music you put on. So just put the music you want on it!

[Morrolan]

Hmmm....using that logic, why not use a 25c cable?

because they don't make them?

[baloo]

Agree with FB here.

Digital cables, don't need anything expensive unless you're going to run long distances and/or around strong electrical or magnetic fields. The signal will get there or it wont.

Analogue is a different kettle of fish and sound distortion can happen.

[Fat Bob]

OK, Morro, there's $1.25 cable you could use if you stripped the plugs off them for your speakers.

But I couldn't find $250 wire either, but I could find $209 wire

[Morrolan]

http://www.hometheaterfocus.com/accesso ... ables.aspx

The trouble with all this goofy science is that resonance in fact does not occur at the audible range in cables. A speaker cable test by Audioholics.com shows an extremely long run of 50 ft, standard 10AWG Zip Cord speaker cable didnt start resonating until 2.02 MHz, well past human hearing. A 12 ft line of the same cable shows cable resonance at 8.5 MHz.

[baloo]

Heh, we know you're struggling when Snopes can't back you up.

[Addadude]

Guitarist Eric Johnson is so picky over his guitar tone, he claims he can hear the difference between different brands of batteries powering his distortion pedal!

http://www.theguitarcolumn.com/2009/08/ ... crets.html

Energizers vs Duracells:
"He can tell the difference between what kind of batteries I put in fuzz boxes; it's really bizarre. He likes Eveready Energizers the best, over Duracells or Kodaks. I believe he hears things that no one else hears."

[Spike]

Guitarist Eric Johnson is so picky over his guitar tone, he claims he can hear the difference between different brands of batteries powering his distortion pedal!

http://www.theguitarcolumn.com/2009/08/ ... crets.html

Energizers vs Duracells:
"He can tell the difference between what kind of batteries I put in fuzz boxes; it's really bizarre. He likes Eveready Energizers the best, over Duracells or Kodaks. I believe he hears things that no one else hears."

If he's a rock guitarist he's probably half deaf anyway with most of his high frequency hearing gone. So it must be all in his mind. I'm half deaf just from going to rock concerts years ago. Just got my first hearing aid on free clinical trial

[Fat Bob]

http://www.hometheaterfocus.com/accesso ... ables.aspx

The trouble with all this goofy science is that resonance in fact does not occur at the audible range in cables. A speaker cable test by Audioholics.com shows an extremely long run of 50 ft, standard 10AWG Zip Cord speaker cable didnt start resonating until 2.02 MHz, well past human hearing. A 12 ft line of the same cable shows cable resonance at 8.5 MHz.

Hmmm....just read that and do you know how much 10AWG Zip Cord speaker cable costs?