audio myths answered /debunked ?

[lovinthehd]

LOL just noticed I had two tabs open, meant to post in the "what stuff have you bought" thread Might have to go put some Dixie Dregs on now, tho

 

[highfigh]

LOL just noticed I had two tabs open, meant to post in the "what stuff have you bought" thread Might have to go put some Dixie Dregs on now, tho

I worked for a music store in the mid-late '70s and in '83, one of the salesmen asked if I wanted to go to the NAMM show in Chicago- of course, being a guitar gearhead, I said I did, so I picked up the ticket and drove down. I had moved on to working in Audio by that time and as I walked to one of the exhibits I wanted to check out, I saw one of our old Pioneer reps going to one on his appointments. He told me to go to the Lexicon booth (they make studio and live sound quality audio delay units)- I asked why and he said "You'll see". I walked in and saw Steve Morse at the front of the room, showing everyone what cold be done with those delays. Eep! At the end of his demonstration, he said that anyone who had questions could go up and he'd answer them, so I marched up and asked if The Dregs would be coming to MKE anytime soon- that's when he told me they had broken up.............Got to see them again on a recent tour and Andy West was back- as usual, they were great, although T Lavitz had passed by that time.

 

[Kingnoob]

I was testing out the bi amp myth do I gotta remove the metal jumper cable plate between speaker terminals ?
I removed them.

 

[Kingnoob]

Look at the bare cable- if it's remotely shiny and light-colored, it's not oxidized enough to matter. I it looks like an old coin, cut off about an inch, strip it and insert it in the terminals.

Inside of the insulation, oxidization doesn't matter, but if the wire looks green, replace it- that's a chemical reaction between the insulation/jacket and the Copper and eventually, some of the strands will break, losing connectivity. Old wire with the clear PVC insulation often turns black or green and once it turns black, it'snot very easy to clean it, especially when the ends are in a place where accessing it is difficult.

Cable price has increased drastically- in about 2008, it more than doubled because the Chinese were buying as much scrap metal as they could get, in order to build the facilities for the Bejing Olympics.

No, I don't want to see anyone tell me that I'm being racist, look into it for yourselves.

is there any Audible difference between 14-12-10 and 8 awg cables ?
I’m using 14 can I improve sound by going bigger?

 

[highfigh]

is there any Audible difference between 14-12-10 and 8 awg cables ?
I’m using 14 can I improve sound by going bigger?

Depends on power, cable length, frequencies. If the signal is in the audible range, it won't cause many problems but at extremely long runs, the added resistance decreases the output if it's in whole numbers but even that isn't really significant if it's 1 Ohm.

 

[Kingnoob]

@lovinthehd @fmw

Well, I haven't started any arguments today so maybe theres still time to get one going.
How about using a coat hanger for speaker wire instead of $2,000 cables?
It's a famous urban legend in audio circles.

Coat Hangers verses Expensive Cables

Let the games begin.

Is bi amping total bs? I been trying it but it can’t tell if it does anything.
Do you gotta run fronts full range for bi amp benefits?
Might go back to front height speakers.

Bi-Amping Speakers (An Illustrated Guide)

Bi-amping your speakers can significantly improve audio clarity. Here's everything you need to know about bi-amping, bi-wiring, and more!

producerhive.com

 

[Kingnoob]

Kimber, the makers of PBJ cable would say no. So would I. Here is the confusion. The purpose of shielding cables is to prevent the cable from receiving or emitting signals. But the problem is that only radio frequency signals can escape or be captured by wires. Audio frequency signals can't escape or be influenced by radio frequency signals. The high end audio industry is loaded with people using bad science to sell their stuff.

So. What’s the point of shieldEd jacketed cables for in wall are they useless for non in wall usage ?
Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

Because there is a market for it. If there was no market or he was losing money, he would not make or sell them.

True. !Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

 

[mtrycrafts]

So. What’s the point of shieldEd jacketed cables for in wall are they useless for non in wall usage ?
Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

True. !Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

It is a gimmick as is usually executed by most enthusiasts. True bi-amping is through active crossovers, bypassing the passive crossovers, to each driver in a cabinet, bi, tri, etc. but that would need standalone amps, not a receiver trickery.

 

[Kingnoob]

It is a gimmick as is usually executed by most enthusiasts. True bi-amping is through active crossovers, bypassing the passive crossovers, to each driver in a cabinet, bi, tri, etc. but that would need standalone amps, not a receiver trickery.

Is this format of surround legit its my only option for 7ch. But I can’t mount the speakers

Speakers

Speakers come in all shapes and sizes. Learn which ones are best for your home theater, how to hook them up, and what to do when things go wrong.

www.lifewire.com

 

[Kingnoob]

It is a gimmick as is usually executed by most enthusiasts. True bi-amping is through active crossovers, bypassing the passive crossovers, to each driver in a cabinet, bi, tri, etc. but that would need standalone amps, not a receiver trickery.

Don’t these jumper plates already technically do the job of bi amping ? What’s a separate amp supposed to do ?

 

[highfigh]

Don’t these jumper plates already technically do the job of bi amping ? What’s a separate amp supposed to do ?
View attachment 60546View attachment 60547View attachment 60548

That's not bi-amping. Bi, meaning two, would involve using two amplifiers, one for each frequency band but without using the crossover ahead of the amplifiers, a major benefit of bi-amping is lost- eliminating the insertion loss caused by passive crossover components- any time you send a signal through those components, some voltage is lost and while more power can restore the audio level, it's not the same as having never lost it in the first place. Those metal straps and four post terminal cups didn't exist until someone began making people think they were inferior if their speaker cables weren't fat, ugly and expensive. Salespeople shaking their head in disapproval and saying, "Oh, so you DON'T hear the improvement" made them buy this crap because, well, who wants to be seen as unable to discern the benefits, even if they really didn't want to spend the money?

 

[mtrycrafts]

Is this format of surround legit its my only option for 7ch. But I can’t mount the speakers

Speakers

Speakers come in all shapes and sizes. Learn which ones are best for your home theater, how to hook them up, and what to do when things go wrong.

www.lifewire.com

Don't really know how placing surrounds up front and up would give the illusion of rear spatial sounds, 5.xxx or 7.xx
Prologic uses frequency phases to place them in the channel the audio mastering wants it to be.

 

[Kingnoob]

Don't really know how placing surrounds up front and up would give the illusion of rear spatial sounds, 5.xxx or 7.xx
Prologic uses frequency phases to place them in the channel the audio mastering wants it to be.

Is it like a failed precursor to Atmos ?
I’m trying the height with bookshelves ontop my towers z.

 

[mtrycrafts]

Is it like a failed precursor to Atmos ?
I’m trying the height with bookshelves ontop my towers z.
...

Trying is allowed.

Not sure of the outcome quality.

 

[Kingnoob]

Trying is allowed.

Not sure of the outcome quality.

Yeah doesn’t cost anything to try it got extra speakers and cable lying around , just can’t find the banana plug that vanished . So bizarre a plug just gone ..

 

[mtrycrafts]

Yeah doesn’t cost anything to try it got extra speakers and cable lying around , just can’t find the banana plug that vanished . So bizarre a plug just gone ..

Just use the bare wire to experiment. If it works, then you use the banana plugs.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Don't really know how placing surrounds up front and up would give the illusion of rear spatial sounds, 5.xxx or 7.xx
Prologic uses frequency phases to place them in the channel the audio mastering wants it to be.

They’re not surrounds. They’re speakers placed above the mains, while still using a regular 7/5 channel setup. The content for them is extracted from the mains. It’s not a precursor to Atmos is noob said. It’s just an upmixer protocol with a “front height” speaker location. It’s not the same location as Atmos or dtsx front height as those are around 30°. Pliiz heights are supposed to be installed just a couple feet above the mains. PLIIx added similar upmixing to systems with rear surrounds.(Z and X refer to the axes in which the speakers were located).

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

Is this format of surround legit its my only option for 7ch. But I can’t mount the speakers

Speakers

Speakers come in all shapes and sizes. Learn which ones are best for your home theater, how to hook them up, and what to do when things go wrong.

www.lifewire.com

It is legit. But it’s not related to Atmos at all. If you can’t place them then just focus on placing 5.1 correctly. You’re trying to put 10 pounds of shitt in a 5 pound hat. No harm in trying if you’ve got nothing to do. Just gives a slightly taller front stage. Don’t expect too much. FWIW, Atmos is legit and can be badass.

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

So. What’s the point of shieldEd jacketed cables for in wall are they useless for non in wall usage ?
Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

True. !Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

Yes. Bi-amping is a gimmick. As much of a waste of time as shoveling snow.

 

[fmw]

So. What’s the point of shieldEd jacketed cables for in wall are they useless for non in wall usage ?
Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

True. !Is bi amping a gimmick ? I’m trying it out can’t tell any difference?

The purpose of shielding is to contain or reject radio frequencies. It is used commonly between electronics and antennas. Your audio system has no RF going on. In the rare case that you get RF interference, shielding is helpful. Basically, you don't need it.

Biamplification is not a gimmick. It is used often in professional sound reinforcement applications. It doesn't have much if any application in home audio. In order to use it in your system you would need to disconnect the crossover network in your speakers, set up an external active crossover designed for the purpose and use separate amplifiers for each driver. The idea of using it the way adiophiles use it is bsically a gimmick.