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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 2, 2019 9:51:46 GMT
Thanks
60 each side it is then
Results the same on all CDs so far, another veil removed and more clarity
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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 21, 2019 10:44:31 GMT
Laughed out loud last night
Tried out first track of Caravan of Dreams - Peter White then Nespa treatment 60 seconds either side
Back on Eh !? This is a different track !? Turned out it was the same track, so very different
Album not on Spotty
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Post by mattspl on Aug 21, 2019 19:58:57 GMT
I might have to try one of these, sounds promising seen as I’m still a CD person.
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Post by MartinT on Aug 22, 2019 3:47:56 GMT
I will put mine up for sale shortly.
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Post by MikeMusic on Aug 22, 2019 9:53:32 GMT
I might have to try one of these, sounds promising seen as I’m still a CD person. Happy to demo it Matt if you can make it over to North West Surrey All CDs are improved. A few are significantly better Only available 2nd hand nowadays
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Post by mattspl on Aug 22, 2019 14:46:58 GMT
I might have to try one of these, sounds promising seen as I’m still a CD person. Happy to demo it Matt if you can make it over to North West Surrey All CDs are improved. A few are significantly better Only available 2nd hand nowadays Thanks for the kind offer Mike, I will let you know if I’m ever over that direction. Cheers Matt
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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 8, 2019 11:03:03 GMT
A new to her album for the boss - "I don't know this"
Bajofondo - yes them again - Mar Dulce*
Just over 1 minute playing then off to the Nespa, 1 minute either side
"That's more interesting !" she said
So it was. A quite definite step up
If you listen to CDs Nespa is a cheap upgrade, certainly on this system
Coming up soon my thoughts on 3 other CD improvers
*
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Post by MikeMusic on Oct 29, 2019 16:22:20 GMT
99% of albums show a significant improvement in sound when treated with the Nespa Caravan' s Land of grey and pink, remastered by Steven Wilson* was always wonderful Now revealed in even more splendour If you play CDs this is a seriously good upgrade * Not sure where you can hear this unless you buy it - or come round here BTW this is not "Remastered and Bonus tracks". This is 2 CDs and a DVD with Steven Wilson mentioned
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Post by MartinT on Oct 30, 2019 7:45:37 GMT
I haven't posted mine up for sale yet, but please PM me if interested.
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Dec 27, 2019 22:43:30 GMT
I just got a Nespa Pro (thanks MartinT!) and tried it out on a second run 1984 UK press of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, but... I don't know about the results. I did 60 on each side then copied with EAC on the same settings as I had done previously. in an 8 trial ABX test (Foobar2000 component) I had trouble telling the difference, and my result was exactly 50%, 4/8. Any advice? I'm not sure if the issue is my speakers/headphones (I tried both) or if I just don't have the ear for it. my PC speakers: Edifier R1280T 2.0 Studio Monitorson Rockville RRS190S Foam Studio Monitor Isolation Padson Rockville RHT8C Studio Monitor Standson my desktop connected to each other with AmazonBasics 100ft 16-Gauge Audio Stereo Speaker Wire Cable
output from computer is over USB to FiiO E10K USB DAC Amplifer
and from there to the speakers with AmazonBasics 3.5mm to 2-Male RCA Adapter Audio Stereo CableWhen I tried with headphones they were: Logitech G933 Artemis SpectrumWhich I connected to the FiiO DAC with the included 3.5mm cable, rather than using them wireless. I intend to try with my other, better headphones, but they are set up with my TV at the moment and I have not brought them to my office yet. They are: beyerdynamic DT 770 PRO 80 Ohm Over-Ear Studio HeadphonesI know my speaker setup could be better, and those Logitech headphones aren't great for music, so I am hoping the other headphones will give better results. Is it possible that I just happened to have picked a CD that didn't have much change? Does it have any trend in what gets a better affect from it, such as newer, more cheaply produced CDs being improved more than older ones? When I have some time I plan to do more CDs and try it with the good headphones to get a better idea of if I just don't have the ear for the difference it makes, but unfortunately that won't be today. I'll report back after more testing. Thanks!
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Post by MartinT on Dec 27, 2019 22:48:16 GMT
In order to A/B test the effect, you need two identical commercial (not copied) CDs. Treat one, then compare with the other. Comparing with a CD-R could produce unpredictable results as CDs are stamped whereas CD-Rs are laser written.
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Dec 27, 2019 23:18:18 GMT
In order to A/B test the effect, you need two identical commercial (not copied) CDs. Treat one, then compare with the other. Comparing with a CD-R could produce unpredictable results as CDs are stamped whereas CD-Rs are laser written. I was comparing the digital copy. I had previously imported the CD with EAC (untreated), and then after treating it I imported it with EAC again under the same setting and compared the 2 digital files from the same CD. Would the improvement from the Nespa be noticeable on the digital copy, or only on CD playback?
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Post by MartinT on Dec 27, 2019 23:35:30 GMT
The Nespa processes the sub-layer of the CD and should improve playback of that CD in a CD player. I think bringing digital copies into it (and the computer drive) will side-track you from the improvement of the CD played in the CD player from before it was treated.
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Post by John on Dec 28, 2019 7:34:47 GMT
I have a few thoughts that might be worth considering for the future Are you using a PC for playing back files I presume windows based Computers have a lot of electrical noise that will stop you really hearing the files at their best You could consider something like Jplay Fermto as a playback method if you want to stay with a PC it will work via an app from your phone and is the best pc playback device I heard but quite expensive www.jplay.eu/ml_post_slider/jplay-femto-the-new-benchmark-in-digital-audio-reproduction/ It might also be worth considering getting a reclocker something like the Oehlbach Master Clock XXL www.oehlbach.com/en/detail/index/sArticle/1712 or if you really want to go for it the Mutec MC-3+ USB that Martin uses www.mutec-net.com/product_mc-3-plus-usb.php It might also worth considering process Lasso bitsum.com/ I not used this kind of software for a good few years so no idea how much they have developed To be honest I would move away from a PC unless you are willing to invest a fortune to deal with all the noise you get from a pc and move over to a network bridge. The ASUS Tinkerboard is a cheap way that works well but also loads of other options Sorry this is not really answering your question but will help with file playback
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Post by MikeMusic on Dec 28, 2019 10:57:42 GMT
You just beat me to it ThomasI have a box of CDs in the kitchen diner I keep playing. Yesterday I started improving those CDs. Nespa only to start with Even while making breakfast, eating and reading, serving the dogs dinner and other I noticed an improvement in the sound Clearer vocals, background info brought forward leaving the foreground clear. 'Louder', IE more dynamic range and I was listening while doing other things rather than *Listening* Most impprssive Pioneer PD-S703, SMSL Q5, TDL RTL speakers all sitting on RDC cones
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Dec 29, 2019 6:23:35 GMT
I have a few thoughts that might be worth considering for the future Are you using a PC for playing back files I presume windows based Computers have a lot of electrical noise that will stop you really hearing the files at their best You could consider something like Jplay Fermto as a playback method if you want to stay with a PC it will work via an app from your phone and is the best pc playback device I heard but quite expensive www.jplay.eu/ml_post_slider/jplay-femto-the-new-benchmark-in-digital-audio-reproduction/ It might also be worth considering getting a reclocker something like the Oehlbach Master Clock XXL www.oehlbach.com/en/detail/index/sArticle/1712 or if you really want to go for it the Mutec MC-3+ USB that Martin uses www.mutec-net.com/product_mc-3-plus-usb.php It might also worth considering process Lasso bitsum.com/ I not used this kind of software for a good few years so no idea how much they have developed To be honest I would move away from a PC unless you are willing to invest a fortune to deal with all the noise you get from a pc and move over to a network bridge. The ASUS Tinkerboard is a cheap way that works well but also loads of other options Sorry this is not really answering your question but will help with file playback Well, that's certainly some things to consider and learn more about. I would most likely want to go the hardware route rather than changing what software I am using, but it looks like Oehlbach doesn't sell to any vendors in the US, and most international sellers don't want to ship it here. The lowest price I could find that was willing to ship to my address was about $200 (converted) from a seller on Amazon.de, however it is available for about half that from other sellers on there or Amazon.co.uk, which is annoying. The Mutec looks amazing, but $1,200 is... ouch. I tried to see if I could find any cheaper devices that would serve the same purpose, but I'm not totally clear on what I'm even looking for so that is an issue. It seems like one of the primary vendors for Mutec is Sweetwater.com, which I am familiar with as my brother orders a lot of the gear for his studio from there, to the point that he has a personal sales rep, so I may be able to talk to him and see if there are any specials or anything that could help me out. I'm not sure if this would make a difference, but here's my end goal for all this: I have a FreeNAS server that I run Plex from, and I intend to get all my digital music transferred over to that to create a library that I can stream to all my other devices. For now I am just using Foobar2000 to playback music locally on my PC while I work, which I had planned to keep doing in addition to Plex, but if it's possible that the server would give better audio than Windows I could just use that all the time. In the meantime I'll have to try and come up with another device that can play CDs, as my PC was my main (and only) CD player. I've got others, but they weren't set up after the last time I moved and I would need to try and dig them out. One option is if I use something that isn't a dedicated CD player, such as a game console or DVD/blu-ray player. Is it possible that I could get better results with one of those than with my PC? Thanks.
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Post by MikeMusic on Dec 29, 2019 11:15:15 GMT
You may be able to pick up a Pioneer DV-717 DVD Player I've heard good things about it
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Jan 1, 2020 18:46:34 GMT
Further testing: I've been on the look out for decent dedicated CD players online, and have snagged deals on an NEC CD-420 CD Player & a Tascam CC-222 CD Recorder/Cassette Player, so I am awaiting the arrival of those. In the meantime, I was too impatient and wanted to try something now, so I decided to see how the CD function would preform on my RCA LDR-600 LaserDisc/CD Player (a clone/rebadge of the Pioneer CLD-2090, RCA did not produce their own LaserDisc hardware). There is a headphone jack on the front of the unit, so I tested using my previously mentioned beyerdynamic DT 770 headphones. First up, I tried the same CD from before, Pink Floyd - Dark Side of the Moon. It sounded good, but I have nothing to compare it to other than the digital files on my computer, so I can't say what kind of improvement there was from before the disc was treated. I do believe I sounded better than the computer though. Second, I tried a newer CD from an independent label ( Lindsey Stirling - Shatter Me) in the hopes that maybe cheaper produced physical media would show better results. I took a listen to the first track without treating it, then popped it into the Nespa for 60 on each side and listened to it again, and I think it improved? Unfortunately I just don't feel like I can do a true comparison when I wait 5+ minutes between listens... I think to do a proper ABX test I will either need to get a reclocker to improve my PC audio so I can use the Foobar2000 component that makes it blind, or at the very least would need two identical CD players with two identical copies of a CD so that I can queue them both up and switch back and forth in seconds rather than minutes. I'm still having doubts about whether the problem could just be my ears... I've never had any known hearing problems before, but I am afraid I may just really not have the ear to hear the change the Nespa makes. I'll keep trying to come up with a better, more accurate way to test.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jan 1, 2020 20:04:17 GMT
I am convinced after much testing on CDs I know really well Have a few duplicate CDs, one treated, one not and they proved it
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Thomas
Rank: Soloist
Posts: 19
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Post by Thomas on Jan 1, 2020 21:20:28 GMT
I don't doubt that it makes a difference, I'm just trying to find a way to measurably hear that difference for myself using equipment that I either already own or can get on the cheap to fit my current budget. If it does turn out that I just really can't hear it/don't have the ear for it then I won't waste time treating all my CDs, since that would also be a wasteful use of the Nespa's lifespan.
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