Is high end computer audio worth it

[elel]

Well, that's a good reason.

 

[astrallite]

yes there are.

I can show you countless charts of the 5770 pulling more frames at higher settings than the 5450.

So notice how with Graphics unlike sound, you auctually get better quality products by paying more.

Higher end speakers have lower THD, lower IMD, more linear frequency response, faster impulse response and wider dispersion.

You claim there is no proof there are better speakers asside from growing louder. Your basis is none of the measured values of loudspeakers mean anything and therefore, anybody who spends money improving these meaningless statistics are deluded and wasting their money. So let me ask you, how does faster frames prove you are getting better quality? This is a very easy question of semantics. Framerate is a nominal statistic, it doesn't prove one product is better than the other, just that the two cards pull different nominal values--I'm using your logic here.

How can you PROVE one is better than the other? How does a framerate graph does prove one is better than the other? It only proves that you think it is better, and by the way (again, using your reasoning), I can easily say that you and anybody who agrees with you that a higher framerate is better is deluded and wasting his money. Apparently all you need to do, is to make a sweeping statement backed by no evidence and all detractors are instantly discredited.

Your whole argument boils down to better = "builderbobftw think its better." In your world, nobody can prove to anybody that one thing is better than the other. In your world, I can say a framerate graph doesn't prove anything about video cards. If you tell me my argument on video cards is flawed, then you are actually contradicting your own position on audio. Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.

 

[builderbobftw]

^

Framerates to Sound is apples to oranges.


The diffrence is that playing with higher detail settings/higher fraemrates is a perceptibel diffrence, therfore I understand paying more for it.

Of course you can't see the diffrence bewteen 300 frames and 30000 frames, or bewteen my sound and high end sound setups.

But you can see the diffrence bewteen 8aa and 4aa

 

[elel]

Here is a link to a podcast which I think takes care of the problem very well, and is done by experts in the field. Skip to about minute 56 and start listening there if you want only relevant material. It's only about 15 mins, let me know what you think. (in future weeks in case the link doesn't go to the same place I am referring to number 22)

http/twit.tv/htg22

 

[fazers_on_stun]

I bought a Klipsch Proaudio 4.1 system some 6 years ago and have enjoyed it since - great for music as well as immersive gaming, with the surround speakers and a pretty good subwoofer. But that's about as much as I would spend on a computer-only setup. Now I have a midrange HT 7.1 setup with an Onkyo TX-SR607 AV receiver, Klipsch RB-10 reference bookshelf speakers plus Klipsch Synergy Quintet 3 HTPC surround & center speakers, and a Klipsch SW-350 subwoofer. As you can tell, I favor Klipsch speakers .

Anyway, I am in the process of putting together a gaming build and probably a NAS to go with a PS3 console that incidently has an excellent BD player built-in. The Onkyo receiver got panned in the reviews for a mediocre upscaler but the PS3 has one good enough (for DVDs) that I bypass the Onkyo's. And of course BD doesn't need no stinkin' upscaling to 1080P .

For the video, I have a Pioneer Kuro Elite 50" plasma that is quite noticeably better than my Sony XBR4 LCD set that it replaced.

Anyway, so now I have console gaming, PC gaming/music/video and HT movies/audio all making use of a decent audio setup, which obviously I think was worth the the ~$1200 it cost.

And the Onkyo has 4 more HDMI inputs waiting for other components to connect to ..

 

[builderbobftw]

I think was worth the the ~$1200 it cost.

My mind has been blown.

Realy?

That's 2 5970s.

That's a car.

That's a entire sick PC.

That's 1,000 bottles of beer.

That's 60 grams of herion.

You really think it was worth all that cash? Is it THAT diffrent?

 

[astrallite]

u mad?

 

[builderbobftw]

Nah.

Just amazed.

 

[EasyC]

Dear delusional no-nothing moron a.k.a. builderbobftw.

Please, PLEASE post your diarrhetic dribble you're spouting off over at the Hydrogen Audio forums so I can watch you get ripped apart by people that have a properly functioning brain between their ears.

Honestly I'm still laughing at this

High end audio setups are very expensive, and they offer no real improvment over what you can get with 50$ speakers and onboard sound.

And seeing as you're such a smartarse...

Also, Censor has a C not a S SAAIELLO.

I never correct spelling, only grammer.

Really? You never correct spelling? What the f*** is that then? And not only that you even spelt grammar wrong LOL!

And my absolute favourite part of your incoherent rambling...

My spelling is horrid cuase i type at 120 words per minute

No wonder nothing of what you say makes sense, you're brain clearly can't keep up with rational thinking.

 

[elel]

Wow, this thread is about to be locked. At least it served it's purpose.

 

[builderbobftw]

And seeing as you're such a smartarse...



Really? You never correct spelling? What the f*** is that then? And not only that you even spelt grammar wrong LOL!

LOL!!!!!!!!

How stupid can you get?

Sensor an Censor are 2 diffrent words!

Therefore it is a gramitcal mistake!

LAWLZ.

THink before you flame mate!

 

[fazers_on_stun]

My mind has been blown.

Realy?

That's 2 5970s.

That's a car.

That's a entire sick PC.

That's 1,000 bottles of beer.

That's 60 grams of herion.

You really think it was worth all that cash? Is it THAT diffrent?

LOL - I guess I do think it was worth, since I enjoy my system. Ultimately, isn't that what matters? Also, as I said, my audio system is multi-purpose, so it's not just a PC audio system, but also console and HT. More "bang for the buck". Not to mention healthier than 1000 bottles of beer or 60 grams of heroin . Plus I don't think $1200 buys a decent used car - more like a beat-up "cash for clunkers" reject .

As for a "sick PC" - that would be a 5 GHz 980x with phase-change cooling on an EVGA Classified or equivalent with two 5970's in Xfire or three 480s in SLI, a couple SSDs in Raid0 for a boot drive, six 2-TB drives for holding all my movies & music, and three 60" HDTVs for Eyefinity - about $12K oughtta cover it .

It really comes down to the consumers' interests versus what they can afford. To me, good audio has always been a priority - I've spent quite a lot over the years on Creative labs, Proaudio Spectrum, etc. soundcards, and speakers. However I'm most definitely not an audio purist, which a number of my friends are, since they spend well into the 5-digit range on their speakers & equipment. OTOH, I also don't disparage them for that kind of spending if they can afford it.

 

[builderbobftw]

LOL - I guess I do think it was worth, since I enjoy my system. Ultimately, isn't that what matters? Also, as I said, my audio system is multi-purpose, so it's not just a PC audio system, but also console and HT. More "bang for the buck". Not to mention healthier than 1000 bottles of beer or 60 grams of heroin . Plus I don't think $1200 buys a decent used car - more like a beat-up "cash for clunkers" reject .

As for a "sick PC" - that would be a 5 GHz 980x with phase-change cooling on an EVGA Classified or equivalent with two 5970's in Xfire or three 480s in SLI, a couple SSDs in Raid0 for a boot drive, six 2-TB drives for holding all my movies & music, and three 60" HDTVs for Eyefinity - about $12K oughtta cover it .

Maybe i'm to simple, but to me, a i7-930+x58 mobo+haf 932+60gb ssd+5970 is a awesome PC.

 

[builderbobftw]

And 10k$+ for sound?

OMFG.

I hope they have a net value of over 10 million $.

I would much rather put those 10k$ into part of paying for a nice car if I was that rich...

 

[fazers_on_stun]

And 10k$+ for sound?

OMFG.

I hope they have a net value of over 10 million $.

I would much rather put those 10k$ into part of paying for a nice car if I was that rich...

No, the one guy I'm thinking of in particular makes around $170K per year - not exactly "rich" by Obama tax standards but definitely above the average here in the Washington DC area.

Anyway, this guy had a pair of Vandersteens that he paid something like $3K apiece, in a stereo system. He decided to update his system to a 5.1 for home theater and wound up dropping $12K more, including shipping the original pair back to be upgraded. He had a question on the specs and actually got called back by the company president, which was pretty impressive. So that's close to $20K for just the speakers & subwoofer.

At the time, the guy was in his 40's, single, living in a 1970's 2-story house, & paid some contractor to come out and excavate part of his basement floor so that it sloped down from back to front like a movie theater. I think the carpeting he had installed was over $2K alone. With 6 theater seats, each around $800, a top-end Sony projector, and all the electronics, he was probably around $50K total into his home theater.

Now if you wanna really discuss high-end (Bill Gates level) speakers, go HERE and see if they'll make you a deal on one of those MBL 101 X-tremes: 4-way, 24Hz - 40Khz, 1.5 tons apiece, 82 db efficiency 600 watts RMS - only $187,000!! Whatta deal!

 

[builderbobftw]

Does any of this stuff even sound any better?

 

[fazers_on_stun]

Does any of this stuff even sound any better?

TBH, I haven't spent enough time at my friend's home theater listening to various kinds of music to tell . He'll swear that it does, of course. IMO, for movies, and most definitely for PC games, probably not a very noticeable difference between his $50K system and my $1.2K system. Anyway, he got married a year ago and now his wife won't let him blow that kind of money any more. After all, it looks silly to be driving a 15-yr-old clunker around and yet have a high-end home theater setup..

However I can vouch for the fact that my much-more-modest AV system does indeed sound very good, whether watching Avatar or playing Dragon Age. Seriously, don't pan it until you experience it - if you're willing to shell out say $15 or $20 for the IMAX version of a movie, on a 6-story-high screen and 12000 watt audio system, then you'd appreciate a good audio and video home theater and PC system. The more immersive the AV experience, the better it is, since that's basically what we're paying for.

 

[elel]

Does any of this stuff even sound any better?

Since it doesn't sound like anyone listened to that link I gave, I'll re-cap it. Basically a pair of people who, among other things write for a hi-fi magazine, were discussing whether blind tests were meaningful for sound quality. They came to the conclusion that it often takes many listens to figure out the differences between two systems, but after you are 'trained' you can tell almost instantly. So you might not hear one as being better than another now - but live with them for a bit and you will.

 

[astrallite]

No it doesn't, because Stone Cold Builderbob says so.

 

[builderbobftw]

^

Exactly.