When people hear things I can't, instead of doubting, I simply chalk it up to different hearing abilities. Years ago Danny Richie was talking about hearing the difference in black wire insulation compared to red. My ears just aren't sensitive enough for such nuance.
But when we get into something like a quarter turn on a big inductor, or .000 01 of an ohm, I'd think that you have that much variation or more simply in the contact points in on/off switches, or input selectors, or volume pots. I've learned not to doubt that others hear things I don't, but the explanation of 1/100 000 of an ohm or .001% change in an inductor don't seem like a likely reason for change in sound. Most of us don't hear a 1 dB increase or decrease in volume. And +- 3 dB has sort of been an industry standard for decades.
I'm not doubting your conclusions. But I'm curious how you arrived at determining a difference in such small changes? Shoot, I hear things different from night to night... could be what I ate, or allergies, or something my wife said. I do think my state of mind affects my perceived hearing.
Hi Scott,
Actually it is a1/4" of a turn on the inductor. Dan also hears it and got on my case for having the sound a little too full the last visit up. Changing the inductance just slightly is at the crossover intersection, where phase matching, additions and subtractions occur, thus extremely touchy.
I agree with you, connections, all make a difference and need to be periodically checked. That is one area of concern with maximum attention.
The 1db you mention is spl, across the audio band "volume". What I mean is change in frequency response, or tonal balance change. The ear is incredibly sensitive to tonal balance changes.
That is why +/- 0,1db means so little and why one perceives different manufacturers sounding different even with a
+/- 0,1db spec from 20hz to 20khz. That change in tonal balance is only in the area of -54db down. That variance alters many natural harmonics that an instrument/voice produces, and is easily perceivable.
Changing the number of speaker wires in parallel alters both the total gauge, thus damping of the bass and the inductance at higher frequencies, altering the highs. Both parameters alter any masking effects, rise time (attack times), cleanness of the sound, sound stage, transparency etc.
Also remember this is a lab setting, my preamplifier, amplifier, speakers, ics have been designed and special listening tested to be accurate in absolute terms, so masking is virtually eliminated.
I hope this helps in clarifying and foggy explanations I may have written Scott.
steve
