XXHighEnd

Just for my Sunday Afternoon :

Recently we started to rip the remainder of CDs that never got ripped because not worth while much, but which is now happening because it would remove a last bunch of 4 cabinets from the room (each carrying 200 CDs). Still half a cabinet to go ...

Well, I know from the annual Christmas "playings" how much sound improved over time. I mean, what sounded like sh*tty "songs" and such, over time it started to sound like real music. You notice because another year of improvements have passed, and suddenly you hear that same Christmas album improved. But with the ripping of these last CD's things went a litte different ...

Since the computer era (for me 2006) all new CDs were ripped right away. So I remained used to them. These though, btw all bought prior to 2003 were not played much in the first place, because considered too poor. A large amount of it is hip-hop and although from the maybe somewhat better times, it was no music as such. Sound maybe, but that was all.
So many of of them I maybe played once only (I just bought what I could find in the genre) and for sure since 2006 they just couldn't be played because no CD player around anymore, and thus not ripped.

Well, you feel it coming;
The number of tracks or whole albums going into my Demo and Nice Stuff Gallery respectively, maybe hasn't been so high as the last couple of days. Man, totally unrecognizable just because they now appear to be able to just play music as such. Nothing like "sound only" but actually all of them being just on par.

Ok, big deal that PeterSt likes his hip-hop sh*t, but it is about that we so really much have improved over the past years that it is actually beyond us what really happened. And this of course is about how it sneaks in. Bit by bit it happens and although one bit is noticable, we maybe do not realize how those many bits have formed a totally new era.
It really did.

A merry XXMas to you all !
Peter

Well to alter the Zen saying a .....

"A Gazillion bit journey begins with the first bit!"

Thanks so much for your commitment and creativity.

Merry Christmas,

Brian

From the snowy countryside of St-Colomban, a Merry XXMas to all ! And I wish we will still all be together in that great journey Peter has invited us to share !

Regards,

Alain

Yes I've been ripping the last of my CD's the not so popular ones and whoa they do sound good again. Mine are new wave and ambient from the 80's and 90's.

Another big year but looking forward to next!!!!!!!! XXhighend 10 and beyond????

Thanks for your huge efforts in digital audio land Peter.

There is no comparison in the sound of my system a year ago compared with now. Even the most difficult albums now sound good.

Highlights of this year have included new home made speakers (big surprise), room speaker positioning, XX working on W8 and other tweaks by Peter, system earthing changes (unfathomable), new home made bridged GC amplifier (was it this year I am losing track). clocks in USB (both ends) and other changes that I have lost track of.

AND the award for the biggest improvement: -

Jointly shared between the new USB clocks and the speakers.

Closely followed by the change in earthing arrangements.

But then all changes are cumulative so it is not easy to separate them.

BUT for sure THIS IS IT there will not be any more significant improvements this coming year. I was listening last night and thinking that it is just not possible to get better than this :..................................

IS IT? What will we be saying next year at this time.

Anyway a BIG BIG thanks to Peter for all his incredible hard work and to everyone contributing to this forum and making it by some margin the BEST hi fi related forum on the World Wide Wonderweb. Keep it up chaps and here's looking forward to next year.

OH and a VERY big thanks to Nick who was the INSPIRATION behind much of my system - from building GC amps to other tweaks and Dexa clocked USB link. Cheers Mate I owe you a beer or three.

Cheers

Paul

Paul, we will have to see what comes of the ATX Linear PSU to see if it can get any better for you.  I think there is good potential for improvement there.

Merry Christmas to all.

Anthony

So many things have changed ... others do not, such as kindness and willingness to share and help from the people here.

Merry Christmas to you all,
Juan

A bit late, I know... but Merry Christmas everyone!

Cheers, Mani (relaxing to an incredibly good Medoc).

PS. My system in 2014 should bare virtually no resemblance sonically to my 2013 system. Pretty much everything will be different. (Of course the NOS1 will still be there, but will be different.) Bring it on...

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a musical new year  :)

Kind regards,

Nick.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas there in the future from here in the past where it is still Christmas Eve.   :grin: