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Mahesh

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  1. Chris, Thanks for the link to the Harley editorial. That's the type of information I was looking for. Mahesh
  2. clay, "In either instance, one can run one's own ABX testing, 'in-house', so to speak." I think doing an ABX test on your own is quite difficult. In order to have a proper experiment, you are not supposed to know which of A or B is the unknown for each repetition. Besides, I don't think an ABX comparator is on the top of every audiophile's wish list... ;-) Regards, Mahesh
  3. wgscott, "If someone selling cable X for $100 claims it is better than cable Y which sells for $0.33, it is not unreasonable to suggest that some sort of empirical evidence be supplied, whether this be double-blind listening tests to show a sample of people really can distinguish the difference, or some sort of read-out that shows greater fidelity in data/signal transmission, or whatever." Agreed. But I don't think audio cable manufacturers are the first to demonstrate questionable marketing ethics. If we want to have hifi as a hobby, I think we'll just have to get used to hearing claims like that, and then decide for ourselves whether we believe it or not. Citing The Ten Biggest Lies in Audio: "[...] it’s not really the audio industry that should be blamed but our crazy consumer culture coupled with the widespread acceptance of voodoo science. The audio industry, specifically the high-end sector, is merely responding to the prevailing climate. In the end, every culture gets exactly what it deserves." Mahesh
  4. wgscott, Many dealers can provide products on home loan, so you can try them out in your system before you buy. Whether it can be proved that the $100 cable is better, I'm not so sure. I think it is highly subjective what "significant difference" means in this context. One problem with the spdif signal is that the timing information is encoded in the audio data stream. So, even if you are able to transfer all bits perfectly, you might still have a problem if the physical properties of the cable somehow interferes with signal timing. However, I find it highly unlikely that a short stretch of toslink cable made to specifications will be able to tamper that much with the signal. Mahesh
  5. barrows, Thanks for providing your justified criticism of using ABX in audio, that was just what I was looking for. Mahesh
  6. wgscott, "So, is it then just impossible to test whether the $0.33 cable is worse than the $100 cable?" I guess you could just compare them in your system... Or do you mean a scientific test? Mahesh
  7. clay, I'll give you that, any empirical knowledge is true with a certain degree of probability. Hence, we cannot be 100% true that the "so-called laws of physics" hold. But they have given us moon landings and free Internet porn; if that's not proof of concept, I don't know what is... ;-) But if we were to find out one day that Ohm's law doesn't hold, after all, does that imply that the research methods we used to derive it are flawed? Mahesh
  8. clay, Mathematical probability is the way we measure the degree of certainty of the outcome of the ABX test. The test design is based on logical reasoning, just like all scientific research methods... Mahesh :-)
  9. In other words: no <em>legal</em> way to get hold of the HDTracks goodies for me. Too bad. Hope they'll expand their business some day, might be some extra revenue to make from European customers ;-)<br /> <br /> Mahesh<br /> <br /> PS. Don't worry, I will not try to fool the system, my days of hacking and illegal downloads are <em>long</em> gone...
  10. clay, I don't think our opinions are that different, see my reply to wgscott above. :-) I still stand by my point, though, that claiming something to be universally true requires to be backed by scientific arguments and evidence. And don't forget that the very principles of physics that let you enjoy your hifi system are based on the same fundamental logical reasoning that makes the ABX test scientifically valid. ;-) Mahesh
  11. wgscott, "[...] The contrary claims are more involved, eg: a deity exists, so there must be some phenomenon that is super-natural and un-accounted for if this deity can have any influence on the world, or there must be some law of physics violated or incorrectly applied or not fully understood when describing audio transmission through speaker wire. Both are, as Carl Sagan would have said, extraordinary claims that require extraordinary burdens of proof. Their logical negations, on the other hand, are very simple claims." I agree. But I see no point in a believer in God being obliged to prove that God exists. (I mean, if he or she wanted to, that's ok, but I see no legitimacy in that the non-believer can demand that from him or her.) As long as you use phrases like "I believe ...", "I think ...", "I can hear ...", it doesn't come with an obligation to prove anything. Along the same lines, I see no legitimacy in requiring from an audiophile to take an ABX test in order to prove what he or she hears (or not). But the moment you are marketing a product that you charge money for, or if you're an audio reviewer influencing the way audiophiles spend their money, then any extraordinary claim should be backed by scientific arguments and evidence. Unfortunately, we all know that is not the case. As a side note, we must not forget that some of the most important breakthroughs in science have come from people that went against what the majority considered to be true. Therefore, I think it is important to keep an open mind to claims that on first thought sounds unreasonable. That being said, all paradigm shifts in science have come about due to the new radical theory being backed by irrefutable evidence. Mahesh
  12. clay, If someone claims to be able to distinguish cable A from cable B, and fails when put through a (properly executed) ABX test with the cables, we have shown that his or her claim does not hold. No? Of course, it goes the other way as well, if the person passes the ABX test, he/she can truly claim his or her abilities. I don't think anyone has claimed that a single ABX test proves that it is universally impossible to hear a difference, but it certainly does hold as evidence for the particular case. I must add that, personally, I think it is important to be open to all sorts of phenomenon. In my opinion, I think James Randi, for instance, maybe goes a little bit over the top in his quest for convincing the world that Science and Logic are the only ways to see the world. Opening a nice bottle of wine, putting on my favorite music (on a hifi system with or without biwiring ;-), and sitting next to the person I love makes me feel like forgetting about science and logic, and just enjoy life. Regards, Mahesh
  13. @davidovada<br /> <br /> So, the big question is: Can a non-US resident (legally) get a credit card with a US billing address?<br /> <br /> Mahesh
  14. wgscott, Thanks for the link! I fell for this paragraph: "The tweako cultists will tell you that ABX tests are completely invalid. Everybody knows that a Krell sounds better than a Pioneer, so if they are indistinguishable from each other in an ABX test, then the ABX method is all wet—that’s their logic. Everybody knows that Joe is taller than Mike, so if they both measure exactly 5 feet 11.25 inches, then there is something wrong with the Stanley tape measure, right?" I also have a scientific background, and try to navigate my way through the hifi jungle the best I can. Many times it feels almost like attending a seminar on alternative medicine... Have you seen this article: http://sound.westhost.com/cables.htm I would also recommend James Randi's dispute with the high-end audio business and Stereophile in particular, quite entertaining to read: http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/component/search/stereophile.html?ordering=&searchphrase=all Mahesh
  15. Have you considered the new Zodiac units from Antelope? They have just started shipping, so I'm currently waiting to see how the market responds before I make my decision for a new DAC. I think the US prices are $1,500 for the entry level, and $2,500 for the + model. Mahesh
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