Netgear N300 VS EE brightbox Help needed

[Lego]

Which do you prefer.

Track 1

SHAMPOO

https://www.dropbox.com/s/nbe39clbqm4yq ... 9.mp4?dl=0

CONDITIONER

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r9cjp2p9n865v ... 27.mp4?dl=

Track 2


MUNRO

https://www.dropbox.com/s/r1uklfwb7qwg1 ... 0.mp4?dl=0

CORBETT

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hebl72570ai9q ... 7.mp4?dl=0

Track 3

Pinky

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qwm2uwv9m8r54 ... 9.mp4?dl=0


Perky

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7lgleps5bfa37 ... 6.mp4?dl=0

[tokenbrit]

Shampoo seems to get deeper into the music; Conditioner has a bit more 'shine' to it... Not sure which one I prefer.

Corbett seems to come across better than Munro... Munro has a touch more musical insight but is a bit subdued.

Interesting choice

[David Neel]

Conditioner outshines shampoo and leaves the music feeling glossier and deeper, shampoo seems a tad astringent, but gets your attention.
Corbett reaches greater heights than Munro, which feels flatter in comparison.

[ThomasOK]

I'm with conditioner. Although it sounds a little more Hi-Fi (but not in a bad way) I find it more musical and expressive.

I'd say pretty much the same for Corbett over Munro. However I do notice that Corbett has a darker center image than Monro does.

[beck]

I agree with the distinguished gentlemen David Neel and ThomasOK. They have impeccable judgement skills indeed. :-)

[Spannko]

Shampoo & Corbett for me.

[Lego]

Pinky

https://www.dropbox.com/s/qwm2uwv9m8r54 ... 9.mp4?dl=0

Perky

https://www.dropbox.com/s/7lgleps5bfa37 ... 6.mp4?dl=0

[tokenbrit]

Not knowing how this piece of music is intended to come across, Pinky seems to stop on the beat, which interrupts the musical flow. Perky seems supported by the beat rather than stopped by it so feels a bit... perkier.

[David Neel]

Pinky is perkier...

So after seeing tokenbrit's response, maybe my "impeccable judgment skills" (thank you beck!) are somewhat peccable?

[Spannko]

Pinky and Perky both sound like Conditioner to me!

[tokenbrit]

Pinky is perkier...

So after seeing tokenbrit's response, maybe my "impeccable judgment skills" (thank you beck!) are somewhat peccable?

You're safe - I'm imbeckable, since we often differ :)

[beck]

To be serious for a moment.

We are picking out what we think is closest to real music. Sometimes we choose between two alternatives that are different but at the same time have an equal amount of good and bad incorporated into the end result. This makes it really difficult to choose a “winner”.

[David Neel]

To be serious for a moment.

We are picking out what we think is closest to real music.

And therein lies the rub. I agree, but I'd prefer a different word. When I "think" what is closest to real music, I run the risk of over-analysing, and thereby missing the point. If I can switch off my analytical mind (not always easy) and "feel" what makes me want to carry on listening, then I end up closer to the music.

[Lego]

To be serious for a moment.

We are picking out what we think is closest to real music.

And therein lies the rub. I agree, but I'd prefer a different word. When I "think" what is closest to real music, I run the risk of over-analysing, and thereby missing the point. If I can switch off my analytical mind (not always easy) and "feel" what makes me want to carry on listening, then I end up closer to the music.

Indeed David and there are occasions where you're doing comparisons and the music keeps distracting you.

[tokenbrit]

That was why I put the comment in about the 'stop beat' vs the better (to me) musical flow... I preferred one presentation over the other but don't know that there was much in it musically. The win comes from getting more out of what you're listening to, and that comes from within; not from overthinking, and not from trying to pick a winner. Relax. Enjoy. Share.

[beck]

I agree with David ................................................................and tokenbrit! :-)

[Spannko]

To be serious for a moment.

We are picking out what we think is closest to real music.

And therein lies the rub. I agree, but I'd prefer a different word. When I "think" what is closest to real music, I run the risk of over-analysing, and thereby missing the point. If I can switch off my analytical mind (not always easy) and "feel" what makes me want to carry on listening, then I end up closer to the music.

I absolutely agree David. There’s something very strange about this topsy-turvy world of ours. It seems that the more we look, the less we see; the more we know, the less we understand; the more we listen, the less we hear. I think it works the other way round too. I’m discovering more and more that the less I listen, the more I hear, using a technique I call “Listening Without Listening”. It’s not easy, but I try to not listen to any element of the soundscape, and when something gets drawn to my attention, I just gently push it away, back into the soundscape. After a while, my subconscious mind will alert me to the soundscape which appeals to my reptilian brain by revealing the joy of harmonicity. It’s a blissful moment as the clouds part, enabling the sun to shine its light upon all that is wondrous.

[Lego]

That was why I put the comment in about the 'stop beat' vs the better (to me) musical flow... I preferred one presentation over the other but don't know that there was much in it musically. The win comes from getting more out of what you're listening to, and that comes from within; not from overthinking, and not from trying to pick a winner. Relax. Enjoy. Share.

When you go back Tokenbrit can you still feel the stop beat ?

[tokenbrit]

When you go back Tokenbrit can you still feel the stop beat ?

Difficult to put a finger on it ;) but the Pinky beat just feels a little exaggerated to me, which I find off-putting, hence a personal preference for Perky. Of course, it may be that Pinky is better and I'm not hearing it because I'm distracted in a way that others aren't.

[ThomasOK]

I have to go for the Brain. Pinky just doesn't quite do it for me, I find it making me sleepy (OK I'm already sleepy so make that sleepier). Perky perks me up and makes me want to listen more. Also I do think I hear what tokenbrit is talking about as the drumming does feel a bit halting on Pinky and has better timing to me on Perky. Perky definitely nails the beat more to me.

[Lego]

EE Bright box 1 is Shampoo Corbett and Perky .

Ever since Linn recommend using laptop and a DAC as a digital source I have been using the old Netgear with ddwrt software installed to setup my hifi network.

In order to get internet I tried power lines to link it up with my then bright box ISP router and I immediately thought that sounds better,but dismissed it thinking nah!! Anyway I gave up the ghost as my wife kept unplugging the plug attached to the bright box .

Trying the BB1 locally last week it sounded quite rough around the edges compared to Netgear but was more engaging and reminded me of the linn basik cartridge .Nuff said .
Thanks for your input guys it's been a real help .

The next round is BB1 vs BB1 plus Netgear switch .

I wonder whats influencing the sound/musicality

[Charlie1]

I slightly preferred conditioner, had no preference on the second clip and much preferred pinky on the last one which seemed to time much better.

[tokenbrit]

EE Bright box 1 is Shampoo Corbett and Perky .

.. I have been using the old Netgear with ddwrt software installed to setup my hifi network.

Trying the BB1 locally last week it sounded quite rough around the edges compared to Netgear but was more engaging...

I wonder whats influencing the sound/musicality

Any reason you're using ddwrt firmware? I literally just reverted from K26 Tomato to the last Netgear firmware for my old N300 router to see if a simple, separate hifi network might sound better than a shared home network. Figured I'd start with 'oem' firmware to avoid any 'outside' influences...

Looks like I preferred the BB1 down the line, though, so maybe I shouldn't bother with the old Netgear router :/

[Lego]

EE Bright box 1 is Shampoo Corbett and Perky .

.. I have been using the old Netgear with ddwrt software installed to setup my hifi network.

Trying the BB1 locally last week it sounded quite rough around the edges compared to Netgear but was more engaging...

I wonder whats influencing the sound/musicality

Any reason you're using ddwrt firmware? I literally just reverted from K26 Tomato to the last Netgear firmware for my old N300 router to see if a simple, separate hifi network might sound better than a shared home network. Figured I'd start with 'oem' firmware to avoid any 'outside' influences...

Looks like I preferred the BB1 down the line, though, so maybe I shouldn't bother with the old Netgear router :/

Initially just for flexibility if I wanted to use it for something else ,like a VPN router or a client bridge.

[tokenbrit]

Initially just for flexibility if I wanted to use it for something else ,like a VPN router or a client bridge.

Not to take this thread o/t, but that was my reasoning too: to use it for VPN, but I wasn't sure it had the cpu, & then 802.11ac made it redundant... I dusted it off following Fredrik's comment to see if an older router might sound better separated from the rest of the house since the hifi network really just needs the gigabit LAN ports.

I'll be interested to hear your clips with & without the Netgear switch.