thanks Options

[kraut]

a short thank you for a site that stands out from the regular audiophile idiocy of sites like audio asylum, audiogon, and unfortunately even DIYaudio where the pest of unsupported claims freely peddled as ultimate truth is an ever increasing phenomenon.
Thanks for the sanity.

[skamp]

Oh gawd… Did you notice how they always want you to "try for yourself"? It's like, "you just need to have faith"… They really believe you'll hear the same thing as they do! For me, it's gotten to the point that it's pretty much like religion. There's absolutely no use trying to argue.

What worries me, is that the recording industry might leverage those beliefs and try to perpetuate them. While we've seen significant advancements in the last 30 years (off the top of my head: CD Audio, lossless encoding, perceptual codecs…), we might one day be the victims of what I would call "forward regression", with the generalization of those useless sampling depths and rates that Neil Young recently championed and Xiphmont denounced.

I'm not sure what the global trend is. It seems that the vast majority of HA members has joined in recent years, I guess that's a hopeful sign? And while I can't tell what the trend is over at Head-Fi, I've noticed that there's a substancial portion of its members that tends towards objectivism. Hopefully a good sign as well.

Here's a piece I found over at Head-Fi though:

The generic USB cable sounds pretty flat. It has limited dynamic range and it distorts the tonal balance by softening the bass while it rolls off the treble regions. The mid range sounds dull and lifeless and the sound stage is narrowly constricted. In short, the generic USB cable was choking the full performance of my home audio system. […]

The Audioquest Diamond USB cable is an unbelievable USB cable. It uses a single AA battery to power the Audioquest Diamond USB cable so it does not need to be burned in for a significant period of time to sound its best. How does it sound? Amazing! Bass tightened up firmly and it sounds authoritative, punchy, and textures are quite vivid. The bass notes extend much deeper and they have more power and speed. Kick drums, high hats, snares, etc. sound much more vivid and they have an authoritative kick that gives the music a rock solid foundation. The mid range simply shines. It is like sitting in the first row of a concert. Gone is the distant veil and the haze from the generic USB cable. The Audioquest Diamond USB cable sharpens the focus of the mid range by adding layers of textures, details, and resolution without sounding edgy or hot. Clarity is the best word used to describe it. Everything sounds sharply focused and clear. Female singers sound fuller, richer, and more alluring as if she was singing right in front of me. […]

For those that will inevitably reply by stating that USB is a digital cable and all bits are the same, I urge you to find your local authorized Audioquest dealer and ask him or her to audition the Audioquest Diamond USB cable in your own home audio system for a week. Let your own ears be the judge. […]

At $649.00 USD for a 1.5 meter USB cable, I will not be able to afford the Audioquest Diamond USB cable anytime soon. However, I now know what is currently possible with a state of the art USB cable if you own a high end audio system at home.

And just for kicks, here's Audioquest's whitepaper called Computer Audio Demystified.

This post has been edited by skamp: Mar 18 2012, 07:48