Musetec (LKS) MH-DA005 DAC

@americanspirit

from one point of view, all this asr stuff is fine

not everyone cares about sonic excellence and are willing to pay for it, but people still want to feel good about themselves, their decisions... this asr stuff provides handy rationalization, especially for those who have a quantitative/science-oriented bent (never mind that what asr delves into is more ’pseudo-science’ actually but we will leave that be...)

i think it is fine because these people spend what little they want, feel good about it, and presumably enjoy the music - this can be looked at as an entry path into broader musical enjoyment, better quality of life as a result, which is positive

then if there is a subset of these folks who are more passionate, more discriminating, and over time, put forth the thought, effort and expense to test the ’wisdom’ that asr espouses, those folks will then undoubtedly discover its limitations and obtain much better sounding music to enjoy

silly analogy, i sometimes enjoy a little wine with dinner, but i am not a wine connoisseur, don’t care to be -- so i buy relatively inexpensive $10-20/bottles of wine marketed by some popular websites, with their claims about point-ratings, reviewer blurbs, i then enjoy that wine with everyday meals - i don’t care enough to be an expert, don’t want to invest the effort to deep dive into the topic, don't want to pay more, don't care to appreciate some minute differences, it’s just average/above average wine to sip, to accompany the good food which i consider the real centerpiece of meals - life for me goes on just fine...

@jjss49 

you seem a very calm and contemplative person, I agree with most of your statements, what I don't like is one thing.

I cannot bear the claims of superiority of pseudo science over human senses.

the adepts of poor Amir (who obviously read these posts) consider humans who rely on the senses as deficient, and they consider superior people (not intellectually prepared) who rely on ad hoc measures that have nothing to do with full modeling of reality.

in the engineering field, the analysis of the variables involved in sound reproduction is very similar to those that occur in fluid dynamics in the presence of tubulence (n differential equations, n + x unknowns)

only the ignorant can only think of being able to approach the explanation of the phenomenon with four elementary equations understandable even to chickens ...

@jjss49 Whenever I go wine tasting in the Bay Area (Napa + Sonoma) I always ask for a straw.

.. (who has a Topping in his audio chain is probably a person who only pays attention savings so I don't expect it to have a high-end system alas ...)

I have a Topping D90LE in one of my systems and it produces a sound that bring me happiness. It was not about cost but more about synergy for this pairing.  Schitt Jotenhueim | Topping D90LE | RAAL CA-1a + SR1a 

I cannot bear the claims of superiority of pseudo science over human senses.

agreed that part is distasteful, but why harp on it?

you can see via amir’s system, he is not an audiophile, he is a clever tech dude monetizing a niche, a circle of like minded folks with like minded blind spots - he can be a robin hood in his own mind with eager followers...lots of advice givers in the world with weak legs they stand on

we are much more passionate about this pursuit, in our way, different from his, it should be water off a duck’s back, so to speak

this isn’t to say that what becomes ’recommended’ by amir is necessarily bad... we all know that any piece of equipment fits into a chain, that chain has a certain level of musicality and resolving power, and of course, synergy matters ... much of it is just fine, just like my $15 zin serves its purpose for me well...

interesting, just stumbled into this from john darko