Karey Mullis

For those who may be interested in reading a short article that summarizes recent fMRI data on music perception by the brain - http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/48622/title/Infographic--Mapping-Musicality/ See article for higher quality figure. For a longer, more general review article describing experiments that attempt to elucidate human musicality - http://www.the-scientist.com/?articles.view/articleNo/48593/title/Understanding-the-Roots-of-Human-Musicality/

No, I wouldn't start with the power cord, nor the USB cord. I got far more bang-for-my-buck buying a pair of SE80e Grados vs. buying an AudioQuest Carbon USB cable. I'm usually quite conservative when it comes to upgrading my current system (iFi). After my original foray into high-rez audio, I'm in no hurry to mess with a system that works just fine for me. I originally had a TEAC 501 connected to my Mac via USB. I had what I thought was a ground loop hum that I couldn't get rid of at the time with either a ebtech hum x voltage hum filter, a Schiit decrapifyer, or an iFi iUSB power. At the time UpTone and Itona did not have their USB isolators available yet. I was convinced it had to do with the old wiring in my house but after replacing the fuse box with a modern circuit breaker and replacing the main electrical line for safety reasons, there was no effect on the hum. By that time, I didn't have the money to replace all of the house's wiring and/or install high-quality outlets. But the hum continued in other parts of the house on a different computer. It even hummed at the next door neighbor's house, which lead me to believe I had a defective unit. Crutchfield was happy to exchange mine for a brand-new one, yet the new unit had the same exact problem. My solution was to return the TEAC and try a different company. I heard good things about iFi Audio and listened to a system made up of iFi's micro components at a show in Manhattan. I had the iUSB power already and the price range fell into my budget. I have some minor tweaks including an iFi headphone attenuator, a Forza AudioWorks USB Female type A to female type B adapter for Gemini cable-->iDSD DAC, a Pangea Audio USB-PC cable computer-->iUSB, and a Panamax SP8-AV surge protector/power conditioner. Since then I've been happy, although I recently was enlightened when I listened to a Benchmark DAC3, a LampizatOr Amber II DAC, and a Schiit Yggdrasil with Grado GS1000s and Hifiman HE-560s. I have to admit that my little system still holds its own fairly well, but I think my next move is a pair of nice headphones.

Incidentally, the intention of my post yesterday was an attempt at humor. I now see it probably wasn't a particularly good post to quote as it could be misinterpreted as an unprovoked insult on CA member(s) by yours truly. To be clear, that was not my intention. The time limit on editing posts prevents me from deleting it, so my apologies if I offended anyone.

I recall reading more than one article in Stereophile magazine that extolled the positive effects that Nordost cables had on sound quality when introduced into higher-end audio systems (I no longer have those issues and cannot recall specifics). So you are not the first nor only person to sing high praises for Nordost cables. I would love to try an Odin 2 in my own system to see if the trend of improved audio quality noted in high-end system translates to an under-$3k system as well. Not only is it beyond my financial means, but my inexperience with hearing high-end audio components could result in an erroneous assessment. The solution to both problems is simple enough...when shall I expect you, witchdoctor? ??

There was a point about 16 months ago when I decided that I wanted to upgrade the USB interconnect between my computer and DAC. I had a $25 Pangea USB-PC 0.5m and swapped it out for an Audioquest Forest ($35), Cinnamon ($65), or a Carbon ($135) USB cable 0.75m. The end result was that the cheapest Audioquest (Forest) sounded the best to me in my system, but still not as much as the Pangea. I ended up keeping the Pangea and bought a pair of Grado SR80es (had Sony MDR-7506s already), a $100 investment which has provided me with more enjoyment than any of the USB cables. My vote is middle/cables make a difference but not necessarily as price goes up, at least in terms of USB interconnects. The myriad possible reasons why I like sound of the Pangea the most may have to do with my system, my brain, or a combination of both. And the brain may actually have a significant effect on an individual's auditory perception and preferences. Last month, a study out of the University of Barcelona identified a condition called specific musical anhedonia, a condition of brain structure in which there is reduced functional connectivity between cortical regions responsible for processing sound and the Nucleus Accumbens, a subcortical region related to reward. People with specific musical anhedonia show extremely low sensitivity to music (involvement, enjoyment, memory, distractibility). As fMRI, PET, EEG, and NIRS technologies progress and functional brain mapping data is compiled and analyzed, it will probably become apparent that not only are there music non-responders but that there are varying grades of connectivity and types of connections that affect a person's auditory perception and are at least partially responsible for their audio reproduction preferences. The link to the paper's abstract - Neural correlates of specific musical anhedonia

I'm not an electrical engineer but I am molecular biologist with a background in Alzheimer's pathogenesis and psychiatry. Music and sound reproduction are a lifelong passion. I was only expecting to enjoy professional and enthusiastic discussion and commentary on high-quality audio on this site. Imagine my delighted surprise in coincidentally discovering that neurological disease and psychiatric issues would also be topics of conversation here as well!

They have an XA777ES on ebay for $1500. They also have unmodified XA5400ES for about the same, but with the mods you had done, it'd bump it out of my price range. Bet it sounds sweet, though... Vacuum State GmbH Terra Firma Lite Clock Upgrade for Sony SCD-XA5400ES or Yamaha CD-S1000 Review | A Unique Audiophile Experience

Thanks for the reply, Panelhead. You've given me something to think about before running out and picking up a SACD player, since I don't have a MCH setup either. Currently I use a 2011 iMac i5 - 2.5 GHz, 12 GB RAM with a Teac UD-501 as DAC and headphone amp. No speakers as of yet. If I stick with downloads, then it makes sense to concentrate on beefing up my computer a bit (e.g. a little more RAM, external drive and SSD internal drive) and possibly a separate headphone amp. For the foreseeable future, I'll be doing the majority of my listening through headphones, so that's also a smart component to upgrade. My Sony MDR-7506s are nice, but there are others out there for reasonable prices that may give me a little more enjoyment. I'll consider a SACD when I get speakers and then deal with a preamp/amp setup. So is your SSD drive internal or external? I've read that installing them internally really gives a big performance boost, but I'd rather avoid doing that mod myself. And BTW, you've got a really sweet set of speakers in those Thiels. I imagine your system sounds very good. Thanks again for helping me out. It's much appreciated.

I guess I asked a stupid question. So I answered it myself. Here’s what I learned. Hopefully it’s somewhat interesting. I visited the local audiophile store yesterday, and I’ve decided to avoid the universal player models and focus on a player that specializes in making SACDs sound good. The used esoteric K-05 SACD/CD Player made the Audio Fidelity SACD of Going For The One by Yes sound full, natural and not flat. The title track "Going For The One" did not assault me like it did when played on the other three SACD players I listen to, or like it does on my Teac at home. For $8k new, I don't think I could justify spending that money for my novice ears. Even used for about $2k less, it's still out of my reach for now. So it's down to the Marantz SA-8005 ($1200) - Yamaha CD-S1000BL ($1300) - and the Teac CD-3000 ($1200) All three that shared a very unmodified, clean and warm sound profile. Plus they all run about the same in price.

Yeah, i don't blame you for not wanting to buy your cord from China. Did you consider calling GeekOut to see if they have any suggestions of where to pick one up? Otherwise getting one patched together by usbfirewire like ericuco suggested would probably work out pretty well.

I'm basically thinking of buying a high-res player so I can enjoy some of my SACDs, DVD-As and Blu-Ray albums. (I know that very statement may make some people question my logic for building up a decent system). There just aren't enough good downloads of music I really like available as DSDs or well-mastered, well-reconverted files. It's painful to listen to Yes, Fragile that I downloaded from HDTracks. My vinyl copy sounds better than whatever they attempted to do. Here's where I need some advice. There is an older, high-end Integra Research Super Audio CD & DVD RDV-1.1 player for sale privately. It has cosmetic dings and scratches, but is supposedly working fine. Now, it's electronics are less sophisticated than a modern Oppo (BDP-103) but it is also originally a $4k player and made solidly. [ATTACH=CONFIG]14315[/ATTACH] For the same price, I could buy an Oppo BDP-103 and play basically every type of high-res format and not have to worry about the player dying (without a warranty at least). However, the Integra has high-end components (Apogee Electronics master clock, 192 kHz/24-bit Wolfson DACs, Integra Research’s exclusive VLSC) and it has decent connections for it's age - two iLink (IEEE 1394) connections for digital output in 5.1, 7.1-channel analog outputs using the high quality internal decoding circuitry and two coaxial and two optical digital audio outputs for solid 2-channel sound. Finally, there the AES/EBU balanced digital output for connecting to a decent preamp, which is kind of old school, but not necessarily inferior. If I can afford the 110-ohm impedance wire and not short-cut it with standard microphone cable. The Oppo has dual HDMI inputs & outputs, 3 USB ports, HML-compatable so you can hook up your smartphone, DNLA for wireless streaming (although I have a Mac), SMB/CIFS for more wireless communication/connection... So it will come down to, which one will sound better (most important), which will allow me to listen to more formats (not as important), which one will have the longest lifetime w/out breaking (also pretty important) and which is cheaper (if either) in terms of connections, etc. If anyone has a little knowledge and experience they wouldn't mind sharing with a newbie, I'd be most appreciative.

Here's another short and pretty simple book on compression by David Maxey -UnderstandingCompressionintheHomeMusicStudio.pdf Here's also a great reference site that contains many articles on all sorts of DIY electronics/audiophile projects - amps, filters, power supplies, speakers, signal processing and more. The articles are here - DIY Audio Articles. Plus a price list for all the parts to perform the projects - ESP - Complete Price List. The only drawback is that they are located in Australia, so it may slow down the mail & up the postage depending where you live. Finally, here a book on electronic components and how to build the basics - transformers, transistors, resistors, capacitors, up to speakers, microphones and and headphones. Plus, there is a company which supplies all the needed parts to perform the projects (located in Belgrade). http://goo.gl/1PZMt8. There's some technical reading here, but it's very educational. Maybe enough so that you can learn how to build your own audio equipment...?

Something like this? USB 2.0 A Male plug to 2 dual USB A Female jack Y adapter Cable on Aliexpress.com And this? USB 2.0 A Male plug to 2 dual USB A Female jack Y adapter Cable on Aliexpress.com - A couple from AliExpress. Here's something on ebay - Amazon.com: CY USB 2.0 A Male to Dual Data USB 2.0 A Female + Power Cable USB 2.0 A Female Extension Cable 20cm: Electronics And one from modDYI - USB Type-A Male to Dual Type-A Female Cable (30cm) - modDIY.com Hope that helps. What were you planning on doing with this kind of connector?