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RE: Does it really matter who the man is?

"So, why ask and not answer his points?

Toshlink is is for MP3s, Wireless and the like, good listening for inmates who wish to go this way. May be 10 nS jitter suits some ears"

fmak,
What "points" are you referring to? As far as I'm concerned, that comment you linked to has no point other than a subjective opinion that 1ns jitter in TosLink "sounds like crap" (again made in 2004 by a man who is no longer welcomed at that forum). And here you go again making some generalized assertion that "Toshlink is is for MP3s, Wireless and the like..."

Here, I'll give you some specifics:
Since last year, I've owned a Behringer DEQ2496 for room EQ purposes. I've tested the Transporter direct and with the Behringer DEQ2496 in "effects loop" for EQ purposes. I connected the Transporter --> Behringer --> Transporter with TosLink into the Behringer and another TosLink cable back to the Transporter as DAC. This means 4 electrical-optical conversion stages and 2 TosLink cables (6 feet, well made but plastic fibre).

In an A-B test with music, was there an audible difference with the DEQ2496 set to signal bypass? NO. Over the past year, 4 other audiophiles have listened to this setup doing the A-B comparison and nobody has felt they thought the DEQ2496 made any difference (in bypass mode as well with any EQ turned off of course).

Last night, I thought about this thread and decided to measured my Logitech Transporter using the 24-bit Dunn J-Test at 48kHz with and without the DEQ2496 in line. The "direct" Transporter output consists of 3x2 sidebands, all of which below -120dB from peak. Total estimated jitter <300ps.

With the DEQ2496 in the loop (with the 2 TosLink cables), the measurement was clearly worse: I now see 4 sidebands about -105dB from peak, and another 4 around -110dB. Total estimated jitter now ~2ns.

This correlates well with Jacko's assertion that TosLink adds 1ns and I have 2 TosLink interfaces in line now.

But does it change the sound when I A-B again? NO. I didn't have any audiophile friends around but my wife didn't notice any difference patiently listening with me for an hour switching back and forth instantaneously.

Look, of course it would be ideal to have no jitter in the system. But pragmatically, as I said before, where is the evidence that a few nanoseconds make any perceivable difference in music? Even knowing I've injected 2ns into the audio output, I'd happily keep using the DEQ2496 because the EQ for my room actually does make a positive difference which can be appreciated in A-B testing.

Show me something substantial other than gross generalizations and I'd be happy to reconsider my viewpoint. Otherwise, despite my listening and measurement tests, IMO this whole jitter "issue" is grossly magnified. This sentiment corroborates with scientific research as well.

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Archimago's Musings: A 'more objective' audiophile blog.


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