Playground for practical listening exercises

[u252agz]

Second clip is best. :-)

I agree with Beck- I much prefer the second clip.

Again nice recording played on a good system.

[lejonklou]

(text running towards connector)

All mine have the text running from the C13 connector to the UK plug socket, so the wrong way around by my understanding...?

Yes, likely the wrong way. I say that because most Volex and Longwell UK cords (2m and 0.75mm2) I've supplied have been best with text running from plug to connector. Also check the length! If 0.75mm2, it should be 2m long. Not shorter. If 1mm2, it should be around 2.5m.

But you can't know for certain before you've tested each specific model in both directions. Then there's also batches; things can change over the years. In this regard, Longwell are helpful as they print year of manufacture on their cables.

[lejonklou]

BTW, I'm not sure about the clips. The first one does have something solid and pitch accurate in it, although the second seems more nuanced.

[beck]

I am not folding on this one Lejonklou. :-) Let us see your hand!

[Charlie1]

Again nice recording played on a good system.

Thanks u252agz. I sent you a PM a few days ago btw.

[Spannko]

I tried some fleece between Isoblue shelves but that didn't work. It was quick to do and easy to tell the difference - I appreciate this isn't what Ron had it in mind for when discussed in the other thread.

Also tried Skeets under the Archidee. Took a while between tests so I recorded the difference if anyone is interested. I'm a Skeets off man when it comes to the Archidee on carpet so no improvements unearthed this time around:

Archidee with skeets: https://www.dropbox.com/s/xz0iupqveuf2n ... s.MOV?dl=0
Archidee without skeets: https://www.dropbox.com/s/p4mo017fg092h ... s.MOV?dl=0

I also prefer the clip without skeets, so that's two votes for with skeets and two for without!

Theres only one way to settle this .......... (As Harry Hill would say :) )

[u252agz]

BTW, I'm not sure about the clips. The first one does have something solid and pitch accurate in it, although the second seems more nuanced.

This time I tried the clips with the I phone headphones in the I phone 6.

Interestingly the headphones seems to improve the first clip more than the second, and what I thought was just more hi fi on the first clip is indeed much more than that.

But I still prefer the second, and agree with Beck that we should push for a preference from Mr L.

[Charlie1]

Let us see your hand!

I usually record a couple of tracks each time so this one might help:

New Plug: https://www.dropbox.com/s/sinrqmlfchbm7 ... w.MOV?dl=0
BAOHING: https://www.dropbox.com/s/f3ss3edebl9x4 ... G.MOV?dl=0

[beck]

The reason I prefer the second clip is that I get a total connection between the pitch of the bass notes and the piano notes. If it is the same listening in the room that is what I would use. In the first clip I get a more "spread out" feeling.

[u252agz]

One of these days I will disagree with Beck. Today is not that day, however.

I find a stronger preference for the second clip , this time around (using the headphones on I phone 6)

When it is not my type of music, I often find it easier.

If I enjoy the music, I have to concentrate that much harder.

[lejonklou]

While I folded on the previous clip, I prefer Baohing on this one.

I have still not read anything about the lengths and diameters, Charlie. Only the brand of the cable and that they're both directed against text.

[Charlie1]

Sorry Fredrik I didn't realise it was a question.

The Longwells are .75mm2. One is 185cm between the connector at each end. The other I can't get at easily.

The BAOHING is also .75mm2. One is 188cm long and again the other will have to wait until the morning if you'd like me to measure it.

[lejonklou]

Ok, thanks.

I assume you measure from where the plug and the connector starts, which means those are 2 m cords. Even when sold as 2 m cords, some manufacturers save copper and make them a little shorter. I've also seen models that are not the specified 0.75mm2, but instead 0.7mm2.

Both these ways of cheating result in a worse sounding cord.

[Charlie1]

I also prefer the clip without skeets, so that's two votes for with skeets and two for without!

Theres only one way to settle this .......... (As Harry Hill would say :) )

Hi Spannko, sorry forgot to reply to you sooner. Yes, a Harry Hill style fight would be the best way indeed and no doubt very funny :)

I've actually stuck with Skeets and happy with the decision. Thanks for your post though.

[ThomasOK]

Have been a bit busy to listen to clips for a while - apparently ever since we pulled the rug out from under beck! ;-) Listening to the clips on the two power cables I agree that the Baohing on the second set is the more musical. On the first set of clips it is indeed harder for me to tell. I don't know if it is the piece of music or other circumstances of the recording but when I first listened I thought that the Baohing might be a bit more tuneful but also somewhat muddled but then going back to the other clip I wasn't sure which was more tuneful. They were different but neither sounded great.

[Charlie1]

Thanks for listening Tom.

Here's another Friday special with some jazz for a change:

1. 140 mid and bass torqued to 1.0Nm: https://www.dropbox.com/s/qp5y0v7d38oqh ... m.MOV?dl=0

2. 140 mid and bass torgued to 1.1Nm: https://www.dropbox.com/s/4wnplzg7u5y6k ... m.MOV?dl=0

[ThomasOK]

I like #2 - the 1.1Nm setting better.

[beck]

Absolutely, clip number 2 is best. Wonderful demonstration. :-)

You are definately heading in the right direction. No one can stop you now! :-)

[beck]

And now you can all tell me why I do not like to go around bald headed but prefer rug under my equipment?!

The featured track is early digital and has always had a synth bass way out of tune in my system but listen what happens:

No rug: https://www.dropbox.com/s/lhjxgwxzb0xbs ... 4.MOV?dl=0

Rug : https://www.dropbox.com/s/r8j4kvpuffeg4 ... 3.MOV?dl=0

[Charlie1]

I'm reluctant to say anything cos I'm so unreliable at this but feel it would be rude not to return the favour. I definitely hear the better pitch or note stability that you mention but kind of prefer the other one. Seems more fun to me.

[beck]

I'm reluctant to say anything cos I'm so unreliable at this but feel it would be rude not to return the favour. I definitely hear the better pitch or note stability that you mention but kind of prefer the other one. Seems more fun to me.

I think you hit it on the nail! :-)

[lejonklou]

Second sounds apparently more sharp and accurate, but is out of tune.

First one is better.

[beck]

Yes, whatever I do this synth bass will always sound out of tune one way or the other.

I think Charlie1 is really doing us all a favour by making all these clips (skeets/no skeets, different power cables, different torque). They really show that making a really tuneful system can be a delicate balance between fresh, quick responce of sound and the more earthy natural relation between the pitch of the notes. One has to find the exact point where the two come together (an almost impossible task).
So listening to all these clips with our different background and "ears" show us that at some point we have to choose what is most important to us individually when enjoying recorded music.

At the end of the day recorded music will always be recorded but it is still so much fun to listen to! :-)

[Charlie1]

Glad you have found the clips insightful Beck. I'm just delighted how much more I'm enjoying my music thanks to everyone's input.

It's funny how some of these changes are enhancements whilst others are very significant. The clips yesterday were taken with the speakers further apart. I'd not checked distance to side walls since buying the KK so was seeing there was an improvement. I thought I had found an improvement but later felt the music wasn't drawing me in as much. I find its easy to kid myself so glad I didn't leave it. Moving them just 1cm back made all the difference. I will have to share the same jazz clip when I can coz its a fundamental change in the room. I'd be interested to know if it seems like that to you guys. You are able to detect such small changes I wonder if you can sense its a much bigger one or just better. HiFi just amazes me sometimes. There is nothing so rewarding when it's dialled in but outside of that sweet spot can be pretty dull.

[beck]

Quick update: Rug is gone and what I was unhappy about turned out to be rectified by cable dressing! Just goes to show that even the smallest things can have big impact on the sound.