Not smart... just have worked with PCs for past couple of decades. Honestly, the crap is obvious. As a simple, techie-minded computer person, I will speak out against this nonsense when I encounter it.
Frankly, one doesn't even have to be a techie. Take a look at threads here, and other sources, on building PCs for playing music. One of the requirements tends to be that the PC is as physically silent as possible, and for these reasons,
less-powerful CPUs and
slower HDDs, both of which produce less heat and, hence, need less cooling, with less cooling meaning less (or even no) fans. A P4, or even a 486, can play sound: cpu power not at all needed. A CD drive can feed data fast enough to play music: how can anyone seriously suggest the speed of the hugely faster HDD can make a difference?
There is geeky stuff, like reading entire files into RAM before playing them. I do not believe that this can, technically, make a difference, but nor am I against people playing with and experimenting with the technology in this, and other, ways, or even working on stuff that can barely make theoretical changes, let alone audible ones --- especially if it is free or cheap. I'm less happy when the expensive DAC or cable becomes a don't-even-turn-it-on-without-this marketing success. As in a conversation with a friend yesterday: he uses Apple because he wants stuff to
just work: I use Linux, because
playing with the thing is, for me, all part of the deal.
What you say, though, about taking the good bits, is quite true. I'm always on the lookout for new information about sound and PCs, and am more active in PC threads here than most others. The problem is, how is the newcomer (at which something like this is aimed) to tell what bits are good, and what bits are not good. Don't the items that I marked
sound good? They will be very believable to anyone who doesn't know they are just wrong. Plausible misinformation is the most dangerous kind.
ranjeetrain said:
Probably they are trying to cultivate an audiofool culture in a society of otherwise smart computer engineers.
I'm afraid that, as PCs and computer technology (eg NAS, wireless net, etc) become more and more accepted as audio sources and equipment, the audiofool culture will invade!
... faster hard drives sound better. Joke of the century.
There's worse:
sata cables can affect the sound. Google and be horrified!
.
. Anyway, someone will soon correct if I am wrong!
