HDMI isilencer

[Bretho72]

Expectation bias is a powerful thing.
You spent your money hoping for an improvement and despite the science you hear one.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...s/a-deep-dive-into-hdmi-audio-performance.56/
https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...and-potential-for-hdmi-cable-differences.104/

“The measurements show that HDMI is a setback from a performance point of view. While “heroic” efforts such as the Mark Levinson 502 manage to get superlative performance out of HDMI, it clearly presents a tough situation for lesser designs. More concerning is that the mere connection of a device to an HDMI source can cause it to degrade its performance over other inputs.”
“My advice is that if you are using your system for critical music listening, use S/PDIF instead of HDMI. If you are using a PC or Mac as the source, invest in a high-quality USB to S/PDIF converter.”

Exactly, HDMI is not the best connection for audio so I use the HDMI iSilencer to make it better.

 

[jimfisheye]

OK now this is getting good! Between the CD products I forgot getting triggered by all those years ago to the last bit of dry sarcasm.

Parallel to the expectation bias comment. The thing that happens behind the mixing board is you A/B two subtle eq settings for a minute or two. Subtle small adjustments that might be (are) within perception bias. Careful listening. You've picked the one that you like better or fixes the thing better. Yep, solid decision. Now you notice you had the thing bypassed the whole time. There was no change at all.

 

[Sal1950]

Exactly, HDMI is not the best connection for audio so I use the HDMI iSilencer to make it better.

You'd have to prove any benefits are "audible", using bias controlled DBT listening and measurements
of how it altered the analog output of your system.
Without scientific evidence to support your claims, they can just as easily be fantasy.

 

[LuvMyQuad]

All of the above is really pretty meaningless. HDMI jitter is certainly measurable, as it also is with S/PDIF. If you want to call that a setback... well ok. The real issue is, is it audible? For competently designed gear (and i dont mean stupid priced high end stuff) jitter audibility has been a non issue for 15 years now. But the audiofool mentality remains. It exists, if it can be reduced further it has to make a difference. Even if it was inaudible in the first place.

 

[Zacabeb]

iFi is also claiming that the HDMI iSilencer improves picture sharpness, clarity, color saturation, and rendering of shadow detail...

That picture is data in a specific color model, color space, and bit depth. It's packaged in a certain way. It's then HDCP encrypted and encoded as TMDS or FRL. To affect sharpness, clarity, color saturation, and rendering of shadow detail, the signals must be decoded, decrypted, unpacked and interpreted in the correct color model, color space, and bit depth, before performing structured math or referencing lookup tables. The result would then need to be repackaged, re-encrypted, and re-encoded.

Jitter, noise, and signal loss can't do that. At the point where they make the signal so corrupt it can't be properly recovered by the sink, the data falls apart in a very spectacular manner with picture contents largely turning into garbage.

Given that nonsensical claim about picture quality being affected, I don't trust there's any real science behind their claims about audio either.

 

[atrocity]

I've always used AC-3 and DTS to test the data integrity of my connections, which makes me ask a sincere but possibly stupid question:

If my decoders consistently work perfectly when fed the above formats via HDMI, how could anything in the chain be less than perfect? How would it be possible to have the same HDMI setup successfully carrying a delicate, easily-disrupted stream like DTS somehow be so inadequate as to color the sound of a PCM (or DSD) signal?

 

[Sal1950]

If my decoders consistently work perfectly when fed the above formats via HDMI, how could anything in the chain be less than perfect?

Nothings "perfect", the question is, is it audibly imperfect.
Things like jitter and noise exists in all digital streams.
Long ago lowered to inaudible levels on even "everyday" gear.

How would it be possible to have the same HDMI setup successfully carrying a delicate, easily-disrupted stream like DTS somehow be so inadequate as to color the sound of a PCM (or DSD) signal?

It's not, they're not. Digital streams don't become "colored".
It there's a problem you'll hear dropouts, not tonal changes.

 

[Mackspower]

The Australian contribution to the snake oil cease pool. Bolting this to the chassis of your car improved performance.

 

[somethingcleveridunno]

I've always used AC-3 and DTS to test the data integrity of my connections, which makes me ask a sincere but possibly stupid question:

If my decoders consistently work perfectly when fed the above formats via HDMI, how could anything in the chain be less than perfect? How would it be possible to have the same HDMI setup successfully carrying a delicate, easily-disrupted stream like DTS somehow be so inadequate as to color the sound of a PCM (or DSD) signal?

Not hardly a stupid question.

This thread is entirely about a somebody making money with a non-fix to a non-issue. Even the cheapest equipment has jitter measured in hundreds of picoseconds.

 

[Steve Bruzonsky]

How do you folks feel about Isoacoustics isolation "feet" for components and speakers?

https://isoacoustics.com/

 

[LuvMyQuad]

How do you folks feel about Isoacoustics isolation "feet" for components and speakers?

https://isoacoustics.com/

It depends what you are trying to do and the construction of the listening room. An isolation platform under a turntable can work wonders. Not so much for electronic components with no moving parts. In my experience, it depends with speakers. Couple them to a high mass floor like concrete with spikes or decouple them from a low mass shelf that acts like a sound board. Ive also used sand weighted speaker stands with bookshelves. You either want to adsorb and disperse any extranious energy into something with high mass or decouple that energy from anything that resonates. Either way it only solves part of the problem. Physical room treatments and well done DSP room EQ will provide more bang for the buck.

We gonna do maringo dots next or go straight to cable trestles?

 

[Sal1950]

How do you folks feel about Isoacoustics isolation "feet" for components and speakers?

https://isoacoustics.com/

What is the goal?
For everything except turntables and speakers, mostly worthless.

Turntables are very susceptible to both surface/furniture and airborn vibrations.
May work well for furniture borne, worthless for airborne.
A CD player is the real answer here.

Speakers, there's about 200 if's, and's, and but's, in play here.
Audible effects from either will be subtle in the extreme.
My JBL's came with both spikes and soft rubber feet.
I use the rubber, much easier to move without damage to my hardwood floors.

 

[steelydave]

All this stuff is child's play, my system really didn't come alive until I got my hands on a Rockwell Retro Encabulator - thanks to the revolutionary implementation of hydrocoptic marzel vanes, it has completely solved all of my problems produced by modial interaction of magneto reluctance and capacitive duractance, with almost zero side-fumbling.