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DanTreview
159
Jan 23, 2019
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- Even Spotify's highest quality setting is lossy, and to my ears, not quite as lush as a redbook standards. You'll hear it especially in the cymbal crashes, and down low in the bass drum kicks. However, if you're looking for new stuff to explore, nothing beats them. Simply fantastic for that. I have a premium account for that reason, and because when I travel, I'm not traveling with my high-end gear, so my travel equipment doesn't reveal its shortcomings, and it works tremendously for that. I've been tempted to try out Tidal, but the last time I checked, the selection was sub-par, so while more "popular" stuff might be presented at 16/44.1 or above, the obscure stuff I like isn't available at all, so the trade-off to lossy quality works out for me, despite being a bit of an audio quality pedant.
- You don't NEED to do anything. Not sure why people want to be told what to do. Music is an artform, so there is no corridor in which you NEED to be.
- As others suggested, find an audio producer or engineer who has created solid albums, and see what else they've done. And remember, sometimes the genre matters. For example, I find it risible that fans of heavy metal invest in high-end systems to extract the "subtleties of the mix," and equally silly when fans of super hi-res classical music listen to it with crappy headphones or whatever. So for example, it's not my go-to genre by any stretch, but my home equipment SOARS when I play lossless 'smooth jazz' through it, especially if it was mastered in the mid-to-late 1990s. Hard rock, classical, grunge, pop, and other genres I like require a bit of tweaking to get them to sound right. So consider the genre too - some genres are just inherently mixed and/or mastered better than others as a general rule (though not comprehensively).
- Not sure what you mean by "standard," but I'm guessing you're using a computer as your primary source, in which case I'm guessing Windows or Mac, and so I'm going to say you can be happy, but with a few hundred dollars extra, you can "de-crap-ify" the audio drivers in those operating systems with external, off-board equipment that really shines. I'd start with the DAC and then move forward. A warning though: START SMALL. Don't dive in spending thousands. For example, you can build a nice bitperfect DAC from a Raspberry Pi 3 and a GPIO board that snaps right onto it (no soldering), and you'll hear a difference from your PC's audio card right away. IQAudio, HiFiBerry, and a few others offer little $100 kits for you to play with. From there, you can scale up, but again, go slow. Take your time, and remember it's not a race. If you don't understand something, just ask. Anyone who lambasts you for asking questions is just revealing their own insecurities. It's a journey, so enjoy it!
(Edited)
Duncan
3731
Jan 24, 2019
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DanTreviewThink I may need to specify 'standard' a bit. but you're right. Computer as source, basic headphones/IEMS..
I have the 58X Jubilee headphones now so the next step is a DAC... will start small. Gonna look into the ones you mentioned.
Greatly appreciate the tips!
DanTreview
159
Jan 24, 2019
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DuncanDuncan, just be careful when adding components. Realize that your other components may not allow your shiny new component to fully shine. Your audio equipment is only as good as its weakest link. And we all fight this battle. Sure, I'd love to have a $40,000 DAC, but you know what, the rest of my equipment isn't going to allow it to really do what it was engineered to do even if I did have a $40,000 DAC. So that's how I tackle this hobby - I remove my own cognitive bias the best I can, and I ask myself "what's my weakest link," and then research from there. I only mention the DAC because for a computer-based music player, that's the component that I believe will give you the greatest benefit for the lowest amount of money. Again, start small. Maybe try the Cambridge Audio DacMagic from Crutchfield. I've heard it's a killer off-board entry-level DAC that will get you up and running with good quality sound and without needing to empty your wallet. From there, you can upgrade to multibit, or play around with rolling tubes in tube amps, etc. etc. Sky is the limit, and you can have a lot of fun with it, but again, be aware of your weakest link.
Also, if you're handy, consider going the DIY route. You can save a bundle if you're confident with a soldering iron, a table saw, etc. There are guys out there who even assemble their own DSPs with multiple crossovers and full room correction - from scratch. It costs thousands to buy something at retail that can do all that, and these guys build it themselves for pennies on the dollar, straight from the core components, all in one box. It's mind-blowing. And they're a friendly bunch, willing to share, and give you some help along the way. You don't have to be an electrical engineer, but most of them are over the top helpful in answering "dumb" questions (I don't believe in dumb questions...).
Good luck!
bootster1
61
Jan 27, 2019
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DanTreview"Luck" is an understatement. Without a background in the science of sound, it is just stabbing in the dark to believe that you can achieve audio excellence with off the shelf components. I'm not saying that you couldn't "luck" into a combination of off the shelf generic parts that will stand toe to toe with a component that was built with the knowledge background and specific device selection that the more notable sound engineers have spent their entire career learning how to assemble/implement, but the actual "Chance" you have doing so is pretty slim to none.
A great DAC has more to do with the combination of device selection being logical and intended to be implemented to a final goal, than just a haphazard stab in the dark to see if rolling the dice will give you a result that compares favorably with a designed DAC that was deliberately put together by an engineer who knows the science behind these deliberate selections of components. A DIY builder of an audio component without a SUBSTANTIAL investment into research and development is handicapped beyond compare. In other words, if you try to save money, and just throw together some off the shelf components, you will have very little "Luck" claiming an outcome that is worthy of any kind of merit at all.
Dissecting what I just said, to simplify, goes something like this. A properly assembled DAC is a product of a deliberate combination of parts who's designer has researched into how these component will work together to give you a final product that has a favorable chance of sounding like it should. If you figure that these companies who design these components have invested a LOT of time and money on engineers who know what works together and what doesn't, mostly through TRIAL AND ERROR. In other words, these engineers have already built their final products based on a lot of trial and error in these designs, so they have already tested designs that have failed, based on chance combinations (just like the one that you are suggesting here) that have been improved by scientific awareness and implementation.
Why would some DIYer think that they can just luck into a design that will rival an expensive, proven design that has a lot of time, money, and understanding behind it? The chances are so slim that any person who values their time and money wouldn't be much better off just paying the fee for the design that has been toiled over by others who set out to provide the best product they can, knowing that most of the R&D has been done by competent personnel who have made it their life's choice to excel at these specific tasks.
"Chance favors the prepared mind."
Lois Pasteur
scruffy1
55
Feb 2, 2019
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bootster1if everyone had the same taste in music and equivalent quality auditory processing abilities in their cochleas, science could define what sounds best
but like with food, no amount of expert opinion will make your own taste buds experience their personal experience
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