What is this new devilry ?

[karatestu]

One of my favourite lines from Lord of the Rings

Here is a quote from The Doc lifted from a thread about room treatment. Lindsay T was / is of the view that lots of room furnishings are all you need rather than lots of ugly & expensive bass traps and panels. Doc replied

I am of the same view as you. Even more so when it comes to these digital electronic room sorters - music killers

So we get to digital room sorters I must admit I have only heard one such room "sorter" and that was a B&O system at my sisters. It was very polite and not very dynamic like it had compressed things. All imo ofc. I could live with it I suppose but (a big but) I am moved emotionally much more by old fashioned simple ways which I believe is down to there being as few components in the chain as possible, as few electrical filters as possible and things done mechanically where possible.

There are people with different views all over the internet. Just visit PFM or diyaudio.com and you will read glowing reports about this new devilry. Why am I / are we different ? Are we listening to music in completely different ways? Is dsp the darling of the flat frequency response at all costs brigade because that is essentially what it does.

But what is the cost ? Many people would have you believe that there isn't one. I don't buy that personally. Doc thought they were music killers. From my limited experience I would agree with him.

[Fretless]

DSP or Digital Sound Processing is a resampling process that breaks the music into little bit/byte chunks and applies EQ alteration to achieve the desired effect. Then the datastream is reassembled and the modified audio can be played.

Basically any form of digital manipulation will suck the 'life' out of the music - just listen to an MP3 file in comparison with WAV or DSD - and may sound better through a portable bluetooth speaker or (yuk) Airpods, but the average audiophile will not be happy.

[CN211276]

All this room treatment bumph is . The sole intention is to empty the pockets of suckers. Hardly surprising that Linn are in on it.

[karatestu]

Basically any form of digital manipulation will suck the 'life' out of the music - just listen to an MP3 file in comparison with WAV or DSD - and may sound better through a portable bluetooth speaker or (yuk) Airpods, but the average audiophile will not be happy.

But yet audiophiles all over the internet are using things like mini dsp etc and thinking it is marvellous. I can't work out how people can be such a world away regarding which aspects of music they listen for.

[savvypaul]

Imagine you have a disease. Treating the symptoms won't cure you but it may still be thought to be an improvement.

We may use DSP (via RME DAC) at shows, if we think it is needed. We won't have much chance to alter / refurnish the room.

At home, fix the room and keep the signal clean.

[Daniel Quinn]

Some say dsp is akin to blood pressure medication.

Ie, there is a inherent fault, this will fix it.

[karatestu]

In which case I am glad I don't have the disease. It strikes me that the people who use it don't have speakers that suit their room. Today's modern minimalist rooms can't help either.

My wife asked me once if we could have wooden flooring in the lounge. A big no from me and when asked why she didn't question it She also wanted blinds. I insisted that if she wanted blinds then the thick curtains stay and they did My living room is full of the clutter of life and I honestly think it helps.

Latest thing she mentioned was getting the artex ceiling skimmed over. I agreed it would look better but does it help the dispersion of high frequencies when it is random and not flat ?

I will be doing the room out before too long. The chimney breast is going to be removed up to the ceiling and an RSJ put in amongst other things. That will free up part of a wall for more records and cd's

[CN211276]

The poularity of tall thin floor standrs and room correction could be linked.

[Fretless]

I had one DSP device that had a 'Cathedral' setting. Masses of echo and reverb. Sounded awesome with classical choral works but ridiculous with Heavy Metal.

[karatestu]

Apparently many use it only in the bass frequencies to remove room modes etc