RMAF 2008

This is Music

Jason Victor Serinus  |  Oct 12, 2008

Much of Keith O. Johnson's invaluable presentation consisted of a series of graphs that demonstrated everything from jitter to the noise created by certain power cables. One of his many messages was, if folks think there are no differences between cables, I have the graphs to show otherwise. He also exhibited graphs that show how the quality of manufacture of CDs makes a huge difference in the ultimate analog signal. Want to see what a bad DAC or amplifier does, and compare it with a state-of-the-art unit? Keith can show you. Pictured is a tone-cluster wave he developed as a diagnostic tool that resembles music.

COMMENTS
Larry(Poor Audiophile)'s picture
Submitted by Larry(Poor Audi... (not verified) on October 12, 2008 - 3:28pm

What will all the folks like DUP say about this?Isn't this science? Let the excuses begin!!lol

DUP's picture
Submitted by DUP (not verified) on October 13, 2008 - 7:25am

After you hook up those magical pieces of wire, do you know what's on either end of the terminations INSIDE the unit, hmmm, on the inside of the pre amp or amplifier is some non magical hookup wire, and some other non magical wires in the pre amp. Why do magic wire makers and sellers, which there are too many to count anymore, each with their own special magic trick, not consider the AC power switch in a component to have any effect? There are sellers of magic fuses, claiming they have a sound, but no one speaks of the power switch between the cord and fuses. Ever think because they couldn't sell you something, since the power switches are part of the built in parts that can't be easily changed out, so there is no market for scammers to sell to gullible fools a readily changed part. If you have a magic fuse on one end (in a non magic fuse holder, another not easily swapped part of course), magic AC line cord on the other, but between them something that is not magic. Is the magic, really smart

Bob Shore's picture
Submitted by Bob Shore (not verified) on October 13, 2008 - 10:37am

Just saying it's so, doesn't mean it's so. He'd have to publish the details of what he measured and how that relates to audible audio performance before we can evaluate whether the graphs mean anything.A few cable manufacturers have stated that there's some measurable difference in their cable. But they haven't shown that the electrical difference makes any audible difference.

suits_me's picture
Submitted by suits_me (not verified) on October 14, 2008 - 12:36am

Leave out any power switches with your fancy power cables and truly get "Drop Dead Sound", as I note from the nether margins of this page is Salagar Speakers' rather odd exhortation."Drop Dead" or not is quite verifiable, at least.

Moscode Mark's picture
Submitted by Moscode Mark (not verified) on October 16, 2008 - 10:12am

DUP You seem to be correct and missing the point at the same time. All those NON magical parts do have an effect (usually not good) and when they are hard to access and change (like power switches) they stay and continue to degrade the sound. Does that mean you don't improve what you can? The answer there is clearly price. If you can only get to 25% of the problems what you spend to "FIX" it should be less, you need much more bang for the buck in that 25% area.I am an electrical engineer and an audiophile, so a nerd two ways.Most techniques now being used in analogue circuitry to control noise has been done in digital for a long time. What has changed a bit is that engineers (like me) felt that this high frequency (over 20K) noise could not be heard so why bother. Well a signal that my ears cannot detect by itself, can modify or distort signals I can hear. Phase information is very important and the human hearing system is pretty good at locating sounds. It was a survival skill. That noi

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