BAASnotes.com – Bay Area Audiophile Society

Where’s the dough in downloads? Ringtones!

Well, it’s nice to be HDtracks, Linn, or some other music download service. And it’s great to be Apple or Amazon – but not for their music download sales.

But being on top of ringtones? Now that rocks!

You may be surprised at the size of this market. Don’t be. Number of buyers is huge, size of sales channels (starting with cellphone companies) is huge, and most buyers just want the latest Ga Ga now and easily.

You might also be surprised at the movie and commercial soundtrack bizes too…but that’s another story.

Bob

How Should Your Room Measure?

Yes, the title of this post is correct.

We audiophiles read a lot about how our components should measure, i.e., how to quantitatively specify system performance. You know the drill: 20-20Khz, 8 ohm, slew rate > 10, noise < 100dB, etc.

But how do we specify correct room behavior? And what are the consequences of poor behavior? Should any of this change with dipole speakers?

Sure, these answers can be found buried in textbooks and AES research papers. But few, if any, easily-accessible references are available.

Now, thanks to BAAS member Nyal Mellor, we have such a document. In fact, he and co-author Jeff Hedback wrote it! And they graciously donated a copy to BAAS for download.

You will need to use FTP to get it. See the new “Downloads” button above for instructions. It’s easy!

Bob

Is the CD Format Good Enough for High Fidelity?

BAAS member Vince S. just sent me this very interesting link from Aussie pub Australian Hi-Fi . Just as interesting was that the article written way back in 1999, an era that I would not equate to superlative digital. (Hint: A DVD-V was used as the hires source.)

The article presents a balanced case for both formats, relying on by objective and subjective measures.

I personally agree with his key conclusions, but the author reached his 12 years ago!

A relevant AES article [1], published in 2007, also seems to support these conclusions. The money line:

The test results show that the CD-quality A/D/A loop was undetectable at normal-to-loud listening levels, by any of the subjects, on any of the playback systems. The noise of the CD-quality loop was audible only at very elevated levels.

Enjoy,

Bob

[1] Meyer & Moran,  “Audibility of a CD-Standard A/D/A Loop Inserted into High-Resolution Audio Playback,” J. Audio Eng. Soc., Vol. 55, No. 9, 2007 September

Alan Parsons Laments Abandonment of High Fidelity

Despite his “normal guy” appearance, discerning eyes would have spotted superstar Alan Parsons on the Exhibit Floor of the recent AES Conference in San Francisco. (I would have missed hgim had the Prism rep not pointed him out to me.)

Writing in the current Wired, he says:

“It’s definitely lamentable that the concept of high fidelity seems to be largely a lost relic. The sad thing is that it seems to be irreversible. People are locked in to the idea that music (and other ‘entertainment’) is now delivered on their computer — instantly — and that’s all that matters.”

Of course, BAAS members join Alan in these sentiments. Parsons goes on to share various interesting tidbits about iPads (“ Why would anyone take recording on an iPad seriously?”, rock (“Talking Heads are a one-hit wonder”), and his own musical development (“ I was coerced into piano lessons by my parents from age 6. I hated it…”).

Recommended reading.

Bob

Audiophile Guide to the Universe

The last truly-new-and-truly-useful web site for audiophiles that I discovered was the now-venerable Computer Audiophile.

Well, here’s another: Audiophile’s Guide to the Galaxy. This isn’t a simple “clipping service” like Daily Audiophile (also useful). Rather, it’s an edited compendium of all-things-audiophile. That is, the site creator attempts to add order (and opinion) to the content. And, I must say, he adds content that I have never seen before.

The proprietor of the site, Mike Davis, is a deep thinker. He tends to seek categories, root causes, hierarchies – to bring order to the chaos that is the 21st-century high end. While he also runs a high-end retail establishment (Audio Federation; it might be moving to North Bay), he does a reasonably good job (IMO) of keeping his writing balanced. Other BAAS members disagree, citing concerns of bias. So YMMV.

Anyway, like him or not, I think that you’ll find this site useful. Dig around…and enjoy!

Bob

Burning Amp 2011 – My Highlight

Here’s my “best in show” award for Burning Amp 2011 (the audio track actually captures the speaker’s audio signature pretty well):

Zenwood Audio speakers – check out Zenwood’s other videos! (They are located in San Francisco.)

Bob

In Audio, Digital is Simply Not Digital

I wrote earlier in this blog about how digital audio signals must ultimately be represented by analog signals – particularly when traversing a cable.

This article in EE Times, while geeky, presents more evidence about the slippery problems of digital audio – this time from the perspective of USB.

Don’t think USB cables matter? Read on – if you dare!

Bob

Psychoacoustics – The Next Frontier for Audiophiles?

Earlier this month, the NYT published an interesting article about the way that the brain hears.

If we can understand the way the brain hears, we can design better, more realistic, solutions to listen to music.

Such is the work of companies like Audyssey, whose work is cited in the article.

I’m not a big fan of surround setups, but I have heard some very interesting sound from 3-channel Meridian setups.

I am a big fan of DSP, though. And as more of our listening becomes computer-based, DSP effects will become easier to implement in home environments.

Those coming to Saturday’s event will get a glimpse of this….

Bob

The Limited Bandwidth of Consciousness

The writings of Tor Nørretranders argue, among other things, that the data bandwidth of conscious thought is so small that the world becomes an exceedingly crude model within our minds. That may well be, but the most interesting things for audiophiles lies in the comparison of the mind’s bandwidth to that of our auditory sensory system (AKA, “our ears”).

Note:  For the purpose of simplicity, I will omit so-called “Golden Ears” from this discussion. These massively-capable systems clearly represent outliers that would not add anything to our present discussion.

In the illustration above, we see that our surroundings regularly bombard us with information content of 1-100Gbps – the bandwidth of some of the world’s fastest internet connections. For example, the bandwidth of the internet backbone itself is “only” 10^9 bps.

Our ears, however, are limited to 1 Mbps. This equates to a slow internet connection (by modern standards). So our auditory system operates at just about 24/88 (24 bits at 88kbps)! Interesting.

The other fascinating, if perhaps unsurprising, possibility here is that a person might be able to free up to 10x more bandwidth for listening simply by shutting down other senses.

So close your eyes, don’t eat and enjoy 24/192 at its full bandwidth!

Bob

It’s (Almost) Time…for Burning Amp 2011!

One of the true audiophile highlights of the year will be held on October 1st at Fort Mason in SF – Burning Amp.

Virtually mandatory for do-it-yourself (DIY) folks, I also recommend it for “general” audiophiles.

This year will feature a veritable “DIY God” – Douglas Self. I’m sure that I’m far from the only builder who got major acceleration from Mr. Self’s teachings.

Edit: The BA organizers are looking for help, especially in providing high-end digital and/or analog sources for the event. Contact info is on their site.

See you there,

Bob

Audiophile Alert: The Power of Placebos!

We all know that are acute, seasoned listening skills could never be affected like this – right?

Bob

Audio Letters from Bob

No, not this Bob (me). Bob Lefsetz. Pundit, analyst, and troubadour for the music industry. Past, present, and future.

Why should an audiophile care about what Bob L writes in his blog?

Because he writes convincingly and intelligently about why the Top 40 is all glamour and anger, about HTML5 and what it means to musicians, and about how the big labels are run by old guys (like most audiophiles) who are risk-averse and just trying to turn a buck for lifestyle-preservation. Eclectic and hard-hitting. All with a love for the music.

So Bob’s blog isn’t the place for classical or jazz reflections. It’s where one goes to learn why CCR is now Ga Ga, CSN wouldn’t have a chance, and Michael Jackson could thrive in any age.

Bob

Audiophiles and the Seeking Mechanism

I love Mark Wiecorek’s blog, marktaw.com. I know of no other place to read considered commentary on acoustics, psychology/marketing, and software. He is a modern eclectic man.

In this post, Mark guides us through how psychology is used by modern marketers to stimulate sales.

A key point of the piece is that the human brain is easily triggered into a “seeking state.” The pathways guiding this state evidently have been bolstered by evolution, presumably to stimulate a search for food and other necessities. But now the punchline:  humans generally enjoy seeking more than having!

The journey really is the reward.

Do you see any parallels to the behavior of audiophiles? How many hours do you spend analyzing which set of cables to buy? How many web sites? How many clicks?

Interestingly, I find Mark’s description of shopping mall design to be oddly reminiscent of CES or RMAF. I wonder why….

Enjoy,

Bob

Korean Idol

I think that this performance really just speaks for itself…   – Bob

Wither the Music Industry – David Byrne Speaks

I’m sure that D. Byrne needs no introduction to music lovers (hint: see the pic).

But some of us may not be aware of Byrne’s scholarly approach to the industry in which he participates.

In a comprehensive article for Wired, Byrne begins with “what is music” and then lays out the whys and wherefores of modern music-making – or, as he pointedly notes – modern CD-selling.

Recommended reading.

Bob

Be a Better Audiophile (Or Maybe Reviewer?)

This just in from member Bob S.:

Click here for Ear Training software from Harmon Intl.  Really cool, and it's free!

Some bugs are discussed here.

Finally, Figure 3 (here) shows the poor performance of a group of audio reviewers (how chosen?) compared to listeners trained by Harmon's method.

Bob S.

Thanks, Bob!

Kanye West vs Bob Dylan

Every picture tells a story, don’t it?

(Click pic for bigger view on Voxy.com)

Sambora On Audiophiles, Vinyl, and Compression

Bon Jovi songwriter and guitarist Richie Sambora voices his views on the modern music scene in this CE Pro article.

Highlights include a general ambivalence (in an honest way) about formats, claiming that the ear can adapt to digital and compression. For him, it’s really all about the music and the touring.

Given the gift of some LPs, he now wishes to buy a “record player.” He adds: “You have to be, what, 40 to know what analog was even, and then to actually remember it?”

Ummm….maybe.

Bob

OK, I’m hooked…on Black Dub

Black Dub is a relatively new musical collaboration brought together by accomplished producer Daniel Lanois (think Joshua Tree). The result is a Simply Red-esque powerhouse of New Orleans soul, Jamaican charm, and pop-level power.

Black Dub in Concert

Click here to learn more. I love the Kimmel vids, but find the KCRW livecast even more impressive. Be sure to listen to the production notes at the beginning of the latter.

As Daniel says: “…there’s an appetite for authenticity.” Indeed.

Edit: Unfortunately, I detect an unnatural sheen and greyness to the CD recording itself. I would say its sound quality is above-average, but by no means reference-quality. Interestingly, the streamed media sounds, in several ways, better. Go figure.

Lots of good music here too.

Enjoy,

Bob

The Rise and Fall of the Music Industry

Edit:  The original chart was misleading at best (thanks, Aaron!). Here’s the new one (adjusted for inflation and per-capita):

The Real Music Industry Data

Note: These are stacked charts. For example, in 1973: 8-tracks = $12M, vinyl = $34M, and cassettes = $2M.

At peak:

• 8-track = $13M
• Vinyl = $43M
• Cassettes = $34M
• CD = $63M
• Digital = $10M  (and still growing; illegal activity not shown)

In their first 6 years, CD went to $24M and Digital Downloads went to $10M.

Here’s a great article with even more. Hint: the death of the music industry is highly correlated with the death of the album.

Every picture tells a story, don’t it?   – Bob

Old graphic:

Music Industry Sales by Media Type