Anybody interested in audio must have stumbled at some point across a blog or article claiming the PSone might be one of the best ever CD players, rivaling rigs priced at $6k. The underground rumblings seemed to start over at 6moons but spread pretty quickly and hit print in this months Stereophile.
Being a sucker for this kind of thing and desperate to hear for myself just how good it may be I picked up an original PSone (SCPH-1001) on ebay.
After trying several discs side by side in my PS3 (with digital up-sampling) and the PSone I started to see the appeal. What the PSone seems to do is to remove a lot of what analog and vinyl loving audiophiles dislike about CDs. It delivered something very close to a vinyl experience for me. The problem, at least in my case, is that I actually like the digital clarity, brightness and all the other criticisms thrown at CDs.
I grew up on electronic music, playing with synths and samplers. The digital perfection of CDs is what is strived for in the pre-computer days of sound recording. 4 Track analog tape was a real compromise for me.
Can you argue that some music sounds best via analog and other recording better in digital? Is classic jazz better on vinyl while Coldplay just has to be heard on CD (I am not even including compressed audio here as it just does not compare. Convenient but not for any serious listener).
I have a problem here too. The purists will likely suggest pistols at dawn for me saying this but Kind Of Blue played back in DVD-Audio directly over hdmi to my receiver is simply stunning in a way I simply cannot expect an analog system to beat.
I guess I need a rich friend with a $10k analog system to invite me over and change my mind but for now I will stick with my thoroughly digital setup.
UPDATE: My first unit failed and I returned it for a new one. It sounded way better than the first and so clearly there was additional distortion due to the failing optics. Even with the improved sound I would still say my original review stands. It is definitely warmer and more analog sounding if you like that kind of thing.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Very Bad Things #2
The 5 Most Ridiculous SkyMall Products Money Can Buy | Cracked.com
Not sure these are really the worst things on Skymall, but pretty bad all the same. Enjoy.
The real barriers to Bluray adoption
One of the little talked about but significant barriers to bluray adoption (or any new disc format) is ubiquity. Articles often gloss over this and focus on success as being a player in every household.
I moved to bluray well over a year ago but my big issue has been that I only have a player in one room in my house. In my other rooms I have DVD players, in my van I have a DVD, I convert DVDs for use on my ipod and psp, etc.
I have found I have to buy kids movies on DVD or even twice in the case of great hidef releases like Cars and Ratatouille. I want the Hi-def experience in my home theater but my kids cannot understand if they canot watch it in the car or the living room.
This is similarly true for downloads. We get over fixated on these settop box solutions that are not portable.
So what are the studios doing to help? Well not much right now as they benefit from duplicate purchases.
Some blurays will come with portable copies, iTunes is a better solution with Apple TV support, and I can also watch on my ipod in my van, but I still need to buy multiple copies in some cases.
Until we have cheap players so that folks can afford to buy several this will be an issue. DVD did not have this issue in the same magnitude when replacing VHS. CDs are probably a better analogy but the key difference is you could copy your CD onto a cassette and listen in the car. I cannot copy my bluray to DVD.
Also, today I can copy my DVDs so that when the van inevitably eats it, or the kids scratch it, or the heat damages it, I can juts cut another copy.
So for now I am sticking with netflix for bluray and only buying those big cinematic movies in hidef that I will only watch in my home theater.
I moved to bluray well over a year ago but my big issue has been that I only have a player in one room in my house. In my other rooms I have DVD players, in my van I have a DVD, I convert DVDs for use on my ipod and psp, etc.
I have found I have to buy kids movies on DVD or even twice in the case of great hidef releases like Cars and Ratatouille. I want the Hi-def experience in my home theater but my kids cannot understand if they canot watch it in the car or the living room.
This is similarly true for downloads. We get over fixated on these settop box solutions that are not portable.
So what are the studios doing to help? Well not much right now as they benefit from duplicate purchases.
Some blurays will come with portable copies, iTunes is a better solution with Apple TV support, and I can also watch on my ipod in my van, but I still need to buy multiple copies in some cases.
Until we have cheap players so that folks can afford to buy several this will be an issue. DVD did not have this issue in the same magnitude when replacing VHS. CDs are probably a better analogy but the key difference is you could copy your CD onto a cassette and listen in the car. I cannot copy my bluray to DVD.
Also, today I can copy my DVDs so that when the van inevitably eats it, or the kids scratch it, or the heat damages it, I can juts cut another copy.
So for now I am sticking with netflix for bluray and only buying those big cinematic movies in hidef that I will only watch in my home theater.
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
Visualizing inside the box
CrunchGear � Archive � Amazing mini 3D-display cube developed in Japan
Some way to go but the concept it stunning. The applications are endless, from design prototyping to medical imaging or education and museums.
Some way to go but the concept it stunning. The applications are endless, from design prototyping to medical imaging or education and museums.
Friday, June 06, 2008
Lost cameras phone home to catch thieves
Lost cameras phone home to catch thieves
| Oddly Enough
| Reuters
I just love reading stories like this. Brings a smile to your face, although the Japanese side story is a little strange....
| Oddly Enough
| Reuters
I just love reading stories like this. Brings a smile to your face, although the Japanese side story is a little strange....
Thursday, June 05, 2008
Mobile Web 2.0
Mobile Web 2.0 Summit
I agree with much of what Carlo says here. It definitely is about user experience and not technology. However this is really focused on the creation of specific mobile content and although that is happening and is slowly gaining traction, where Apple succeeded was in leveraging the existing web content by providing a true desktop browsing experience (sans Flash and Java of course). At the same time they made it simple to create targeted mobile content for the iPhone alongside the existing web experience. They also are driving towards a consumer application store (and hence lack of Java).
So while content developers will target both desktop and mobile clients using various technologies and standards, clients will need to be flexible enough to consume all types of content and trying to force a standard mobile internet is a pointless short term exercise.
I agree with much of what Carlo says here. It definitely is about user experience and not technology. However this is really focused on the creation of specific mobile content and although that is happening and is slowly gaining traction, where Apple succeeded was in leveraging the existing web content by providing a true desktop browsing experience (sans Flash and Java of course). At the same time they made it simple to create targeted mobile content for the iPhone alongside the existing web experience. They also are driving towards a consumer application store (and hence lack of Java).
So while content developers will target both desktop and mobile clients using various technologies and standards, clients will need to be flexible enough to consume all types of content and trying to force a standard mobile internet is a pointless short term exercise.
Tuesday, June 03, 2008
Credible iPhone Rumors
There has been a lot of guessing and conjecture around what Apple will announce next week. I have the following from a reliable source and guarantee it is at least as good as the other predictions you are reading:
Battery life
Once Apple make it possible for the iphone to function completely without connecting to a laptop then you get the issue of less frequent charges and reduced battery life.
The new iPhone will be able to charge itself in several different ways:
- Solar: Inbuilt solar micro-panels
- Kinetic: body motion
- Heat: Body heat
- Wind: Simply talking, your breath will charge the phone
- Static: can convert the static produced in your pocket or bag
Retinal control
There has been many rumors about a frontal facing camera with the thought it is for video conferencing. In fact multi-touch is so last year and will be replaced by retinal scanning. "iGestures" will be used to navigate the UI in new and innovative ways. When you look away from the screen it will also turn off to conserve battery life.
Enhanced earbuds
The phone will ship with a new pair of headphones that can respond to brainwaves in a simplistic manner. You will be able to raise or lower volume based on basic thought commands. If you stop listening they will detect this and pause the player. During the playback of a track it will sense your emotional response and rate the track accordingly for later sync with your main iTunes library.
Accessory Awareness
The phone will be able to detect when it is being used with an unapproved or even worse, tasteless accessory. For example, if you try and put it in one of those hideous rubber or plastic cases, similar to putting a car bra on a porsche, the phone will rebel and refuse to work until it is removed. Alternatively it may just cripple certain functionality or change the phone theme to something more fitting your lack of style such as a kitten screensaver.
Incremental Feature Addition (IFA)
The phone will come with a set of pre-installed apps, the existing phones will get these too. For every new Apple product you register, such as a new iPod, a new MacBook, etc, additional features will be unlocked on the phone. Think of it as a reward for being loyal to Apple. There is no risk that you will run out of products to buy in order to get more features as Apple will refresh and make redundant all of your existing registered products within 6 months of purchase.
What is missing?
It is believed that the following features will not be present in the new phone due to the complexity of implementing them compared to the features above:
- No search capability in mail or address book
- No video support
- No MMS
- No replaceable battery
- No Flash or Java support
- No support for concurrent 3rd party applications
Battery life
Once Apple make it possible for the iphone to function completely without connecting to a laptop then you get the issue of less frequent charges and reduced battery life.
The new iPhone will be able to charge itself in several different ways:
- Solar: Inbuilt solar micro-panels
- Kinetic: body motion
- Heat: Body heat
- Wind: Simply talking, your breath will charge the phone
- Static: can convert the static produced in your pocket or bag
Retinal control
There has been many rumors about a frontal facing camera with the thought it is for video conferencing. In fact multi-touch is so last year and will be replaced by retinal scanning. "iGestures" will be used to navigate the UI in new and innovative ways. When you look away from the screen it will also turn off to conserve battery life.
Enhanced earbuds
The phone will ship with a new pair of headphones that can respond to brainwaves in a simplistic manner. You will be able to raise or lower volume based on basic thought commands. If you stop listening they will detect this and pause the player. During the playback of a track it will sense your emotional response and rate the track accordingly for later sync with your main iTunes library.
Accessory Awareness
The phone will be able to detect when it is being used with an unapproved or even worse, tasteless accessory. For example, if you try and put it in one of those hideous rubber or plastic cases, similar to putting a car bra on a porsche, the phone will rebel and refuse to work until it is removed. Alternatively it may just cripple certain functionality or change the phone theme to something more fitting your lack of style such as a kitten screensaver.
Incremental Feature Addition (IFA)
The phone will come with a set of pre-installed apps, the existing phones will get these too. For every new Apple product you register, such as a new iPod, a new MacBook, etc, additional features will be unlocked on the phone. Think of it as a reward for being loyal to Apple. There is no risk that you will run out of products to buy in order to get more features as Apple will refresh and make redundant all of your existing registered products within 6 months of purchase.
What is missing?
It is believed that the following features will not be present in the new phone due to the complexity of implementing them compared to the features above:
- No search capability in mail or address book
- No video support
- No MMS
- No replaceable battery
- No Flash or Java support
- No support for concurrent 3rd party applications
Playing the Building with David Byrne
Playing the Building with David Byrne - Hack a Day
Creative Time presents Playing the Building, a 9,000-square-foot, interactive, site-specific installation by renowned artist David Byrne. The artist transforms the interior of the landmark Battery Maritime Building in Lower Manhattan into a massive sound sculpture that all visitors are invited to sit and “play.” The project consists of a retrofitted antique organ, placed in the center of the building's cavernous second-floor gallery, that controls a series of devices attached to its structural features—metal beams, plumbing, electrical conduits, and heating and water pipes. These machines vibrate, strike, and blow across the building’s elements, triggering unique harmonics and producing finely tuned sounds.
Gotta love David Byrne (breakup of Talking Heads aside). Would love to see this installation in person. Not especially groundbreaking but like all good art it is about the experience and definitely a lot of fun. If you are in New York now through August 10th check it out. Otherwise take a look at the video.
Monday, June 02, 2008
Fire Spares Back the the Future Clock Tower
Update: Fire Spares Back the the Future Clock Tower | /Film
There are a lot of conflicting news around what was really damaged by the fire at Universal Studios over the weekend. Slash Film is likely more accurate. The clock tower still stands, the rest of the square is gone, but it was a rebuild anyway, and the new york city street is destroyed. The theme park is untouched.
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