Audiophile Myths Proved Wrong!

[Skyhawk Delta]

Tyler mentioned in the video that while upsampling to 192kHz is useless but not harmful, I would like to point out that audio with higher sampling rates can sometimes actually be detremental to the listening experience.  This article is in the FAQ, but it deserves to be posted again (I've linked it at the relevant section):

 

https://www.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html#toc_1ch

 

Basically if your setup is not capable of playing high sampling rate digital audio, the high sampling rate can audibly distort the sound and can be detrimental to the listening experience.

 

Great video though!

[EmoRarity]

Tyler mentioned in the video that while upsampling to 192kHz is useless but not harmful, I would like to point out that audio with higher sampling rates can sometimes actually be detremental to the listening experience.  This article is in the FAQ, but it deserves to be posted again (I've linked it at the relevant section):

 

https://www.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html#toc_1ch

 

Basically if your setup is not capable of playing high sampling rate digital audio, the high sampling rate can audibly distort the sound and can be detrimental to the listening experience.

 

Great video though!

Its not a matter of the set up being able to play back your music, its if you music is encoded is such a sampling rate. I would congratulate the man that finds an are that encodes over 48khz, I would have a giggle.

[mr moose]

Well, I just finished watching the video and I have no idea what people are complaining about.  apart from the odd brain fart (obvious slip of the tongue) it conveyed an accurate message.

[LinusTech]

Having not watched the video (yet), I do feel like I need to weigh in on the cables bit:

 

"Good" or "fancy" cables do nothing for a digital signal. If it's working, it's working. Yay. They also do very little to an analog signal unless distance or interference from nearby junk is a factor.

 

BUT

 

"Bad" cables suck. Crappy connectors (often found on cheap/bad cables) can easily cause intermittent (and difficult to diagnose) nonsense, and they tend to wear out faster and randomly fail more often.

 

I've long ago moved from buying the $1 cable to buying the $4 cable for the reason above, but with that said it'll be a cold day in hell before I start buying the $40 cable.

[OddballMV]

I would congratulate the man that finds an are that encodes over 48khz, I would have a giggle.

 

Isn't some of the stuff from places like HDTracks 24/192?

[Tr3vor]

Gotta get those nice thick RCA cables for your composite video

[LinusTech]

Gotta get those nice thick RCA cables for your composite video

 

There's a time and a place for fancy cables

 

I personally own a $60 HDMI cable that I paid my own hard-earned money for. Zero regrets.

[Shikarikato]

There's a time and a place for fancy cables

 

I personally own a $60 HDMI cable that I paid my own hard-earned money for. Zero regrets.

May I ask which cable received this honor?

[EmoRarity]

Isn't some of the stuff from places like HDTracks 24/192?

The key is if it was made at such a resolution and sampling rate. 

I could go bs some track in Reason, encode in 24/192....but my samples and sounds were not.....and you see where this is going you're a smart person.

[EmoRarity]

May I ask which cable received this honor?

Twas a Red cable for their fancy camera. 

[Tr3vor]

There is a difference between 1/8" and 1/4" plugs... depending how many amps you put though them

 

You might start a fire with that 1/8" stuff...

[LinusTech]

Twas a Red cable for their fancy camera. 

 

Aw, you killed my flame-bait.

 

It's a Redmere active 50' HDMI cable from Monoprice. Unlike other HDMI cables, it uses lower gauge wire giving it more flexibility, and causing less strain on the connector. We actually don't use it much, but when you need a super long HDMI cable that can literally go from one floor to another one, go Redmere...

[EmoRarity]

Aw, you killed my flame-bait.

 

It's a Redmere active 50' HDMI cable from Monoprice. Unlike other HDMI cables, it uses lower gauge wire giving it more flexibility, and causing less strain on the connector. We actually don't use it much, but when you need a super long HDMI cable that can literally go from one floor to another one, go Redmere...

Was a justifiable cable though, you bought a "purpose built" product. 

Would you demand a contractor carry 18 foot roofing trusses in a Civic? If you can justify buying a product, its not a bad product, as long as the justification is legitimate.

[OddballMV]

The key is if it was made at such a resolution and sampling rate. 

I could go bs some track in Reason, encode in 24/192....but my samples and sounds were not.....and you see where this is going you're a smart person.

 

Yes of course, It's often said the people who get into all of that care more about the specs and gear than the music. I always find that if it's free, such as the up-sampling plugin in Foobar then I will experiment and see if there is anything in it, but otherwise I'll stay relatively 'mid-fi' so to speak.

[EmoRarity]

Yes of course, It's often said the people who get into all of that care more about the specs and gear than the music. I always find that if it's free, such as the up-sampling plugin in Foobar then I will experiment and see if there is anything in it, but otherwise I'll stay relatively 'mid-fi' so to speak.

Not saying that I don't toy with it either, just tend to keep those experiments to myself for fear of sheep.

[Yuval]

Interesting video, but I will still use flac and wav files, just cause I can, may not be the best argument but I have 120 or so songs and a 32gb phone with little to non games, but if this is all true why do you need extremely pricy headphones and dacs, I bet there is a need for very high end equipment like stay and etc, at least not to the average "audiophile"

[Hazy125]

There's a time and a place for fancy cables

 

I personally own a $60 HDMI cable that I paid my own hard-earned money for. Zero regrets.

Lol what, only $60? Come one Linus, all them YouTube monies could have bought you one of these beauties. Only $1,095.99..... Even has ethernet for that camera.....

[mr moose]

Interesting video, but I will still use flac and wav files, just cause I can, may not be the best argument but I have 120 or so songs and a 32gb phone with little to non games, but if this is all true why do you need extremely pricy headphones and dacs, I bet there is a need for very high end equipment like stay and etc, at least not to the average "audiophile"

 

Every component in the audio chain has it's uniqueness and point at which the law of diminishing returns kicks in. For audio file types it doesn't cost anything to save a wav file as a flac or 320 mp3 etc. and seeing as regardless of how good your audio gear (headphones/amp) is you can't tell the difference there is no point in going past 320 mp3.  As for headphones. well they are an electromechanical device, there are physical tolerances that need to be accounted for and they are very complicated to design.  That is why the better ones cost more.  Dacs are a little different, these days they tend to either work or not work.  There is no real grey area with them.

[frontliner]

This is the only HDMI cable worth spending extra for, it has antivirus.

 

[Tr3vor]

Hey, while we're at it, lets not forget the pure gold solder....

 

Maybe possibly pure gold traces too?

[EmoRarity]

This is the only HDMI cable worth spending extra for, it has antivirus.

 

>snip

You're forgetting, Virus protection, for an console. 

[Tr3vor]

You're forgetting, Virus protection, for an console.

Hey, the PS3 and PSP had console bricking viruses, but not that an hdmi cable would help.

[MayflowerElectronics]

Having not watched the video (yet), I do feel like I need to weigh in on the cables bit:

"Good" or "fancy" cables do nothing for a digital signal. If it's working, it's working. Yay. They also do very little to an analog signal unless distance or interference from nearby junk is a factor.

BUT

"Bad" cables suck. Crappy connectors (often found on cheap/bad cables) can easily cause intermittent (and difficult to diagnose) nonsense, and they tend to wear out faster and randomly fail more often.

I've long ago moved from buying the $1 cable to buying the $4 cable for the reason above, but with that said it'll be a cold day in hell before I start buying the $40 cable.

Correct, that's fine. In the video we talk about the $500 cables people are trying to sell, of course spending $3 extra for a better connector is fine, just asking as you know that it doesn't do anything else besides that.

[Tr3vor]

well whatever. All this whiny audiophile stuff has inspired me to improve my cruddy turtle beach headset.

 

So I went into the shop, got the soldering iron out and completely bypassed the shitty built in amp on the thing. Yay, hissing gone. Still can hear the "computer thinking" interference on my integrated. I won't have the functionality of the 2nd audio device for skype calls anymore though :\ but hey, that's what the windows mixer is for. USB mic on it still works though

 

Gotta keep my volume on windows at like 15% though, otherwise I'll blow my ears out 0.o

[warhead0]

well whatever. All this whiny audiophile stuff has inspired me to improve my cruddy turtle beach headset.

 

So I went into the shop, got the soldering iron out and completely bypassed the shitty built in amp on the thing. Yay, hissing gone. Still can hear the "computer thinking" interference on my integrated. I won't have the functionality of the 2nd audio device for skype calls anymore though :\ but hey, that's what the windows mixer is for. USB mic on it still works though

 

Gotta keep my volume on windows at like 15% though, otherwise I'll blow my ears out 0.o

 

I've always been curious about those Turtlebeach external DAC thingys, I take it from your experience it was complete junk?

I have a few friends who use TB headsets, and have those little box amp/DAC things.