Audiology Thread - Page 8

deadgrandma · 2011.09.09, 06:05 PM

Originally Posted by Tokyo Jihad

I was fishing for recommendations. I didn't think anyone would have trouble parsing that idea.

Get sum DVDs of stuff I guess.

But I suggest getting Kiyohiko Semba and Haniwa Allstars DVD right NAO.

W3iHong · 2011.09.09, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by deadgrandma

Get sum DVDs of stuff I guess.

But I suggest getting Kiyohiko Semba and Haniwa Allstars DVD right NAO.

I remember these guys. They are great! I think I will follow your advice.

The louder the music gets... the horse-ier Ringo's voice gets... Something tells me my $35 earphones are no good.

But my speakers... Damn, .flac really does make a difference...

W3iHong · 2011.10.11, 06:46 PM

9566 files, 73.5gb.

2TB hdd crazy.

What do you guys think about sony headphones?

http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-P.../ref=pd_cp_e_1
http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V6-Mo.../ref=pd_cp_e_4

I saw Ringo using, what looks like, Sony MDR-V6 in the youtube video on emimusicjapan channel.

Is a sound card important for music listening on a desktop?

Glathannus · 2011.10.11, 07:57 PM

I love my pair of MDR-7509s, and TeslaGuy can vouch for them, too. It's basically the big brother of the 7506s. The drivers (the speaker-like objects which produce the vibrations) are larger than the V6/7506, so the soundstage is wider, and the bass goes deeper. I've actually been tricked by these headphones, where sounds recorded in the edge of a room (a guy coughing in the back of a symphony) will seem like they're at the edge of the real room I'm in. But I understand the 7506s are super-common in the production world. Every professional cameraman has a pair or knows what they are, and they're fairly common in studios, too. The MDR-7506 isn't a bad way to spend $70-$100, but I don't know any 7509 owners who've had 2nd thoughts about the extra money they spent.

I've had my pair for at least 5 years now, and the fake leather has recently began peeling off - but that's a cosmetic problem for which there are cosmetic solutions. My headphones still have their structural integrity after all of the physical abuse they've been through, and they still sound as good today as they did the first year when I got them. If you can find the MDR-7509s for under $200, I wouldn't buy anything else in that price range. My brother recently found himself a like-new pair for around $100, which is close to what a new pair of 7506s cost.

As for desktop soundcards, the main reason to get one (if you don't already have one), is to escape on-board sound - the soundcard-like functionality which comes built-in to the motherboard. On-board sound is icky, and it doesn't cost very much money get a cleaner-sounding soundcard. Unless you're putting together a home studio (or using headphones more expensive than the MDR-7509s), $100 is enough to spend on a soundcard - most PC gamers spend more than that on their videocards. And stay away from SoundBlaster - last I checked, they don't do true 96kHz/24bit - which can blow you away if you can ever manage to hear the real thing.

I got myself a brand-new M-Audio FireWire Audiophile off of eBay for $110, and it has a dedicated headphone jack (of the larger plug type) - plus it can pretend to be 2 separate stereo soundcards. Like I could have one thing playing on my speakers, while something else plays on the headphones. The FireWire Audiophile's headphone output probably doesn't offer the best amplification ever, but the MDR-7509s are very efficient in how well they perform, versus how much power you're pumping into them. As long as the source feeding into the MDR-7509s is clean, it's all that really matters - and external soundcards are as clean as you can get.

TeslaGuy might chime in that external DACs (which aren't precisely the same thing as external soundcards) offer the best sound, but they cost a lot more than $100 if you're getting one which does sound better, plus I don't like the amount of software-based control you give up with one of those. It all boils down to what your priorities are. If you really want the best sound ever, you could easily spend thousands of dollars on a headphone setup - which would be on-par with a speaker setup costing tens of thousands. I draw the line at $1200 speakers, with some $200 headphones which sound like $2000 speakers. Not counting my speakers, I've put $270 into my rig (again, it's not entirely uncommon for PC gamers to spend at least that much just on their videocards), and I still can't find any evidence to suggest the money could have been better-spent on other soundcard or headphones. But I'm still looking in-case I'm wrong.

As for music hoarding...

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1 TB of that networked space I'm using, is for mostly-lossless audio.

TurtleFu · 2011.12.07, 04:09 PM

I'm not sure if this is the right place to post...
but what do you guys recommend for the best way to rip audio from a DVD ISO?(preferably in 320kbps MP3)

[[Sorry for asking, I'm not exactly skilled in audiophile/digital media]]

Glathannus · 2011.12.20, 10:46 PM

Believe it or not, I maintain a mental backlog for responding to people in need of my assistance. It's just that at the time when you asked, I was sleeping 4 hours a day, and doing a lot of last-minute work just to pass one of my classes. Now that the academic quarter is officially over, and now that I've had some time to recharge, I can point you toward an old answer.

The only additional instruction you'll need, is that if you're coming from an ISO, you will have to mount it in a virtual DVD drive (such as Virtual CloneDrive or Daemon Tools) before you can proceed with DVD Decrypter. Even those of us who actually buy the DVDs could find ourselves doing exactly that, if we don't want to rip the physical disc twice (once for video, and once for audio).

TurtleFu · 2011.12.21, 05:58 AM

I should have just looked. Thanks Glath! I'll try that.

TurtleFu · 2012.02.13, 10:01 AM

Okay, so I have another question. Sorry to keep pestering you guys!

Imogen Heap is selling her singles in three separate formats:
320 MP3
FLAC
Apple Lossless

and each contains a surround sound mix in the following formats:
AC3
FLAC
DTS-HD

So I understand the difference between MP3/FLAC/Apple Lossless, but what about the surround sound formats? Which is the best? And would they require to be burned to a CD/DVD to listen to them?

Maou · 2012.02.13, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by TurtleFu

So I understand the difference between MP3/FLAC/Apple Lossless, but what about the surround sound formats? Which is the best? And would they require to be burned to a CD/DVD to listen to them?

DTS-HD and FLAC are lossless so they will sound the same. AC3 is lossy; kinda like a multi-channel mp3. The AC3 and DTS-HD formats have the advantage of being decoded by a home theater if you need it (you can play them directly from a computer through HDMI). Pretty sure foobar can play them all, but other players/portables might have an issue with DTS-HD.

For me, FLAC would be easiest since I use my computer to decode everything.

deadgrandma · 2012.02.13, 03:51 PM

Surround sound mixes of music. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww

The Beatles' "Love" comes to mind. Barf.

2011.10.11, 06:46 PM	#73
W3iHong Senior Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Singapore Posts: 848	9566 files, 73.5gb. 2TB hdd crazy. What do you guys think about sony headphones? http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR7506-P.../ref=pd_cp_e_1 http://www.amazon.com/Sony-MDR-V6-Mo.../ref=pd_cp_e_4 I saw Ringo using, what looks like, Sony MDR-V6 in the youtube video on emimusicjapan channel. Is a sound card important for music listening on a desktop? Last edited by W3iHong : 2011.10.11 at 07:17 PM.

2011.10.11, 07:57 PM	#74
Glathannus True Final Boss Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: United States Posts: 2,423	I love my pair of MDR-7509s, and TeslaGuy can vouch for them, too. It's basically the big brother of the 7506s. The drivers (the speaker-like objects which produce the vibrations) are larger than the V6/7506, so the soundstage is wider, and the bass goes deeper. I've actually been tricked by these headphones, where sounds recorded in the edge of a room (a guy coughing in the back of a symphony) will seem like they're at the edge of the real room I'm in. But I understand the 7506s are super-common in the production world. Every professional cameraman has a pair or knows what they are, and they're fairly common in studios, too. The MDR-7506 isn't a bad way to spend $70-$100, but I don't know any 7509 owners who've had 2nd thoughts about the extra money they spent. I've had my pair for at least 5 years now, and the fake leather has recently began peeling off - but that's a cosmetic problem for which there are cosmetic solutions. My headphones still have their structural integrity after all of the physical abuse they've been through, and they still sound as good today as they did the first year when I got them. If you can find the MDR-7509s for under $200, I wouldn't buy anything else in that price range. My brother recently found himself a like-new pair for around $100, which is close to what a new pair of 7506s cost. As for desktop soundcards, the main reason to get one (if you don't already have one), is to escape on-board sound - the soundcard-like functionality which comes built-in to the motherboard. On-board sound is icky, and it doesn't cost very much money get a cleaner-sounding soundcard. Unless you're putting together a home studio (or using headphones more expensive than the MDR-7509s), $100 is enough to spend on a soundcard - most PC gamers spend more than that on their videocards. And stay away from SoundBlaster - last I checked, they don't do true 96kHz/24bit - which can blow you away if you can ever manage to hear the real thing. I got myself a brand-new M-Audio FireWire Audiophile off of eBay for $110, and it has a dedicated headphone jack (of the larger plug type) - plus it can pretend to be 2 separate stereo soundcards. Like I could have one thing playing on my speakers, while something else plays on the headphones. The FireWire Audiophile's headphone output probably doesn't offer the best amplification ever, but the MDR-7509s are very efficient in how well they perform, versus how much power you're pumping into them. As long as the source feeding into the MDR-7509s is clean, it's all that really matters - and external soundcards are as clean as you can get. TeslaGuy might chime in that external DACs (which aren't precisely the same thing as external soundcards) offer the best sound, but they cost a lot more than $100 if you're getting one which does sound better, plus I don't like the amount of software-based control you give up with one of those. It all boils down to what your priorities are. If you really want the best sound ever, you could easily spend thousands of dollars on a headphone setup - which would be on-par with a speaker setup costing tens of thousands. I draw the line at $1200 speakers, with some $200 headphones which sound like $2000 speakers. Not counting my speakers, I've put $270 into my rig (again, it's not entirely uncommon for PC gamers to spend at least that much just on their videocards), and I still can't find any evidence to suggest the money could have been better-spent on other soundcard or headphones. But I'm still looking in-case I'm wrong. As for music hoarding... 1 TB of that networked space I'm using, is for mostly-lossless audio. __________________ You know Tokyo Jihen is a supergroup, when you can't blame most of the members for wanting to pursue other projects.

2011.12.20, 10:46 PM	#76
Glathannus True Final Boss Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: United States Posts: 2,423	Believe it or not, I maintain a mental backlog for responding to people in need of my assistance. It's just that at the time when you asked, I was sleeping 4 hours a day, and doing a lot of last-minute work just to pass one of my classes. Now that the academic quarter is officially over, and now that I've had some time to recharge, I can point you toward an old answer. The only additional instruction you'll need, is that if you're coming from an ISO, you will have to mount it in a virtual DVD drive (such as Virtual CloneDrive or Daemon Tools) before you can proceed with DVD Decrypter. Even those of us who actually buy the DVDs could find ourselves doing exactly that, if we don't want to rip the physical disc twice (once for video, and once for audio). __________________ You know Tokyo Jihen is a supergroup, when you can't blame most of the members for wanting to pursue other projects.

2012.02.13, 03:51 PM	#80
deadgrandma Senior Member Join Date: Nov 2010 Posts: 4,764	Surround sound mixes of music. Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww The Beatles' "Love" comes to mind. Barf. __________________ Disco! Life is dead

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2011.12.07, 04:09 PM	#75
TurtleFu Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,592	I'm not sure if this is the right place to post... but what do you guys recommend for the best way to rip audio from a DVD ISO?(preferably in 320kbps MP3) [[Sorry for asking, I'm not exactly skilled in audiophile/digital media]]

2011.12.21, 05:58 AM	#77
TurtleFu Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,592	I should have just looked. Thanks Glath! I'll try that.

2012.02.13, 10:01 AM	#78
TurtleFu Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Honolulu Posts: 1,592	Okay, so I have another question. Sorry to keep pestering you guys! Imogen Heap is selling her singles in three separate formats: 320 MP3 FLAC Apple Lossless and each contains a surround sound mix in the following formats: AC3 FLAC DTS-HD So I understand the difference between MP3/FLAC/Apple Lossless, but what about the surround sound formats? Which is the best? And would they require to be burned to a CD/DVD to listen to them?