Playground for practical listening exercises

[lejonklou]

This is an interesting one.

I prefer the clip with Skeets, but it also reminds me of a test I did just the other week, comparing two different bottom frame pieces of the Linnofil stands for JBL 3677.

A summary: It was difficult to judge the two stands by listening to the clips. The majority of those that heard the clips preferred the version that had more attack, was more dynamic. Listening in the room, I was initially impressed by the more dynamic one, but eventually found it less nuanced and slightly worse.

Your clips, Charlie, remind me of this because the differences are a bit similar and the area of change is almost the same. On yours, it's the connection to the floor. On the JBL stands, it was how the bottom spikes were connected to the frame.

[beck]

Here are some clips showing the gradual change of sound from my system when using some kind of rug under my speaker cables and components. I will try fleece when possible. The rug can be seen in the last clip.

No rug: link removed

Rug under speaker cables: link removed

Rug under speaker cables and components: link removed

A look at the rug: link removed

A thing I would like to mention is that I find it quite useful to compare the general sound I get from my clips to live clips on youtube of performing bands comparing the general sound.

[Charlie1]

I find the first step makes the music less confusing and sounds a lot different (more refined). I'm not sure I prefer the final step or not.

[Charlie1]

This is an interesting one.

I prefer the clip with Skeets, but it also reminds me of a test I did just the other week, comparing two different bottom frame pieces of the Linnofil stands for JBL 3677.

A summary: It was difficult to judge the two stands by listening to the clips. The majority of those that heard the clips preferred the version that had more attack, was more dynamic. Listening in the room, I was initially impressed by the more dynamic one, but eventually found it less nuanced and slightly worse.

Your clips, Charlie, remind me of this because the differences are a bit similar and the area of change is almost the same. On yours, it's the connection to the floor. On the JBL stands, it was how the bottom spikes were connected to the frame.

Thanks for your post Fredrik. What I find strange is that I seem to favour the clips that sound less HiFi to me, yet others hear them as sounding more HiFi.

I've tried to work out how I'm being misled. I have a feeling that I'm sometimes hearing the instruments/vocals as more merged together on the less tuneful tracks and I'm letting this fool me into thinking the music is more flowing and of a single cohesive piece. If the better version is clearer and instruments more clearly defined then I'm incorrectly concluding it's just better HiFi. It's hard to explain, hard to know for sure. I can't be that bad at this all the time cos I have been able to get back the engagement of my system by moving the speakers around so must be doing something right at least part of the time.

I will definitely start using the streamed clips because they seem to really amplify the musical differences and make it easier for me. It's as if the process of degrading the playback quality forces any flaws to expand.

[lejonklou]

I will definitely start using the streamed clips because they seem to really amplify the musical differences and make it easier for me. It's as if the process of degrading the playback quality forces any flaws to expand.

OK, but keep this in mind:

Sometimes the clips expand the flaws and make it easier to tell better from worse.

Sometimes the clips hide the flaws. Listening in the room makes you draw another conclusion.

Just my experience.

[Charlie1]

I will definitely start using the streamed clips because they seem to really amplify the musical differences and make it easier for me. It's as if the process of degrading the playback quality forces any flaws to expand.

OK, but keep this in mind:

Sometimes the clips expand the flaws and make it easier to tell better from worse.

Sometimes the clips hide the flaws. Listening in the room makes you draw another conclusion.

Just my experience.

OK, thanks. There's me expecting consistency again when HiFi just doesn't want to play ball.

[u252agz]

No rug: https://www.dropbox.com/s/z0ppuyutzk17b ... 8.MOV?dl=0

Rug under speaker cables: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ty11jck5d0n7j ... 9.MOV?dl=0

Rug under speaker cables and components: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ye2ecbbb691uh ... 0.MOV?dl=0

A look at the rug: https://www.dropbox.com/s/tem27ic3m09w5 ... 3.MOV?dl=0

.

Prefer no rug .

The rug does different things depending on location - none of these beneficial as far as I can hear.

[lejonklou]

Prefer no rug .

The rug does different things depending on location - none of these beneficial as far as I can hear.

I agree!

[Charlie1]

Prefer no rug .

The rug does different things depending on location - none of these beneficial as far as I can hear.

I agree!

I think I'll just wait for you guys to comment first and then post that I agree afterwards. I think that's a much better approach :)

[beck]

Ha, ha. And I will disagree with you all for now and continue using the pieces of rug as in the last clip.I do think I can hear meaningful differences in the three clips but it is difficult.
In my room I hear clear differences in how the notes played relate to each other but it can be an acustic problem in my room that the rug deals with. Nice to disagree for once. :-)

[Music at Home]

I frequently flip-flop over which clip is preferable and don't find it easy to make a consistent and reliable decision quickly. If you have the patience, I find the most reliable indicator is time. Make a tweak, live with it for a week or so, what's your gut instinct towards the end of the week? Are you spending more time playing music and looking forward to getting back in font of the hifi? At the end of the week reverse the change, live with that for a week, are things better or worse than the previous week? Not a good method if you have a lot of tweaks to evaluate though

[Charlie1]

I frequently flip-flop over which clip is preferable and don't find it easy to make a consistent and reliable decision quickly.

Nice to hear I'm not alone.

If you have the patience, I find the most reliable indicator is time. Make a tweak, live with it for a week or so, what's your gut instinct towards the end of the week? Are you spending more time playing music and looking forward to getting back in font of the hifi? At the end of the week reverse the change, live with that for a week, are things better or worse than the previous week?

I think that's good advice. And based on this I'd say the skeets under Archidee is an improvement based on today's listening, but you're right, I should really switch back in a few days.

[Music Lover]

Using tunedem you should be able to judge directly. If not...not an important modification.

Also, try the rug in many places. I found it sometimes beneficial to place a rug between the speakers and listening position. fyi, I have never obtained good results where you placed the rug.

My rating:
Best without, second best "rug under speaker cables", worst "rug under speaker cables and components"

[beck]

I will use your advice and let the rug stay for a week. Then I will remove it and see what happens.

[u252agz]

My rating:
Best without, second best "rug under speaker cables", worst "rug under speaker cables and components"

I had second best as 'rug under speaker cables and components' but find it more difficult to compare 2nd and 3rd best once I have listened to and chosen my favourite clip.

[ThomasOK]

I agree that the one with no rug is the one I find most musical. To me the bass and drums sound sluggish and out of time with the rug and moreso with the rug under both. I'm afraid I think you are better off going bald.

[beck]

That makes me a little sad. I like my hair and often people call me "young man" because of it, even though I am well on the other side of fourty! :-)

[Charlie1]

Another Friday special. Thought this might be interesting for any UK Linn owners looking for a potential improvement.

Apologies in advance for the shaky camera work - had a strong coffee -nightmare to que the record.

Latest UK Linn plug which is a more triangular shape plug (on Radikal): https://www.dropbox.com/s/775e6pin1xea3 ... w.MOV?dl=0

UK BAOHING Linn which is a square shaped plug (on Radikal): https://www.dropbox.com/s/s7odlgpwr99ru ... G.MOV?dl=0

[beck]

Second clip is best. I do like your friday specials. :-)

[Charlie1]

Second clip is best. I do like your friday specials. :-)

Thanks Beck! I enjoy doing them. It slightly takes me back to the days of making up cassette mix tapes for friends and family :)

Normally I listen again and think 'oh, maybe not' but I still find the new cable more poignant and engaging so for once I will stick to my original conclusion :) Would be boring otherwise. Let's see what the others think...

[beck]

Maybe I should say "I prefer". Liking a clip best does not garantee anything but I would like to say that
these two clips show very well why I do not like Linns new sound direction. They abandon "in tune-ness" for more detail. This is why I do not trust Linn anymore IMHO.

[Charlie1]

I was going back and forward on the clips and struggling (for a change) but also starting to question my verdict. I swapped them back on the system and I reckon you're right again after all. I'll leave it there for a day then swap back. Still keen to know what others think.

[lejonklou]

Power cords can vary quite a bit in quality, but please note that there are many parameters you need to check to draw general conclusions. Otherwise all you're comparing is one specimen against another one.

One of the most important parameters is the direction of the cable. If the direction is the wrong one, a certain cord model falls many steps in the rank. For instance, I find the latest European Longwells (a 2.5m 1mm2 cable, sorry I don't have the data on the plug, connector and cable brand with me) better than European Volex Baohing when the cable direction is right on both of them (text running towards connector). But if the Longwell is in the wrong direction, the Volex Baohing is clearly better.

I used to try supplying the best ever power cord with my products, but I've had to settle for the best cord I'm able to get. Of the last 100 cords I purchased, 100 were in the wrong direction. And this is one parameter which you simply can't discuss with the cable companies. So instead of supplying the best ever cord, I currently supply maybe the 4th or 5th best. Still a good cord, but it feels rather annoying not to be able to control this.

[beck]

Yes, it is hard to get what we want when Linn do not check for components best direction when using them inside their streamers, amplifiers and the like!

[Charlie1]

(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...?