Right, and this is the basis of MP3 compression, among other things. Why do you think the masking principle benefits tubes??I thought I had explained that enough, but nutshell explanations can be tricky. Essentially though the tubes have enough 2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion that those harmonics are able to mask the presence of the higher orders. So they **sound** to the human ear as if the higher orders are absent altogether. That is why they sound smoother.
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erik_squires; You seem to have gone off the deep end lately. You used to be a reasonably affable and knowledgeable bloke and now this? Do you really not comprehend the difference between MP3's shortcomings (and all of digital's) for the totally separate and distinct concept that Ralph is discussing? Are harmonic orders and truncated bits the same thing to your mind? To mine, there is one connection between Ralphs's post and digital and that is the limitations of modern measurements. Time and time again John Atkinson would measure a DAC (Benchmark being a prime example) or an amp (Benchmark again is a good example) and declare the measurements to be beyond reproach and often the reviewer coincidentally gave a rave review, but the buying public has disagreed. Certain highly esteemed writers/reviewers at S'Phile even disagreed. That is the only connection between Ralph's point and explanation and digital/MP3. |
You used to be a reasonably affable and knowledgeable bloke and now this? @fsonicsmith It is clear from your starting sentence you are confusing me with some one else. I won't be controlled by your disappointment, nor am I obliged to answer all of your obviously malformed inferences. Do you really not comprehend the difference between MP3's shortcomings (and all of digital's) for the totally separate and distinct concept that Ralph is discussing? I've never made any such equation. I mentioned that Ralph was using a concept known to me (please read the entire Wikipedia article here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_masking ) and to ask him to clarify the leap he made which I could not follow. I did so in a respectful manner, and gave him the opportunity to come back and illustrate his point so I could get it. Fortunately for me, he did: @atmashpere Essentially though the tubes have enough 2nd and 3rd harmonic distortion that those harmonics are able to mask the presence of the higher orders. So they **sound** to the human ear as if the higher orders are absent altogether. That is why they sound smoother. Oh, my bad. I thought you were saying that the masking some how improved resolution. You are saying that masking reduces the perception of distortion. I was confused because earlier you mentioned that tubes have more detail, but the masking of distortion is unrelated to the perception of detail. Thank you for the clarification. Masking though, AFAIK has to do with closely spaced frequencies. Hard to mask higher order distortion, isn't it? BTW, I like tubes a great deal. :) I'm not attacking them I just want to make sure I understand the arguments. Best, E |
The explanations provided by Ralph above are exactly what I have been reading about and find so interesting. Being afflicted with both Tinnitus and Hyperacusis along with a measured 10k max hearing level, I am very sensitive to harsh, forward, bright sound. Over 85db is uncomfortable and when overexposed I require some time to pass before I want to hear any music even at lower levels. So that is me. Everyone hears things differently so judge not lest ye be judged. I pass my finding as they relate to me. My goal for is for music to move me, involve me, engage me. "Magic" is the best term I think. If "Neutral" and "Accurate" are your goals, the Lejonklou house sound may be your ticket. Fredrik has a special Nothing Extra method of building amps that allows you to hear lyrics you only guessed at before. Sometimes I wonder if all the terminology in use today-soundstage, airy, open, dark, etc was developed in an effort to classify sound that was actually unmoving thus required further examination? If sound does something to your brain that feels great then enjoyment is achieved. Enough? |
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