The Mike Moffat (#2 at Schiit) Blog

Discussion in 'Schiit' started by baldr, Dec 15, 2016.

  1. GeneZo

    GeneZo New

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    Mike.... I once suffered what sounds like your symptoms. No doctor would have figured out. Even the doctor that caused it (oral surgeon) did not understand. Our brain runs on electrical current. If I have fillings in my teeth of differing alloys it forms into a mini battery via oral galvanism. Besides the high mercury content in the old fashioned metal filings, the metals themselves can play games with the electrical signals in the body.

    Well, I went to an oral surgeon who insisted that titanium implants are not really a problem after initially asking for the newer type, ceramic implant. He insisted it would be okay. About three days after the implant was in I began falling sideways when bending down to pick up something. Because I had other fillings in my mouth it was acting like a conductor for the galvanism one step closer to my brain. I begged the doctor to remove it. He insisted that it had to be something else and suggested some over the counter sinus medication.

    As time went on my legs became affected. They became heavy. It felt like I had weights on my ankles, and to walk just a block was a frightening experience. I found a blog online with others having experienced the same symptoms after receiving titanium implants.. I printed it out and showed to the oral surgeon who finally reluctantly removed the titanium implant. It took about two years for the feeling in my legs to return. I learned about an oil soluble form of thiamine (usually water soluble) that is used used by diabetics to help avoid nerve damage "Benfotiamine". It me got closer to full recovery.

    Long story short. I had to learn how metals in the mouth interacted to form oral galvanism which can effect our brain waves I probably would not be posting this today if I had not found out.

    Not sure what you got going wrong. But, thought I should say something just in case.

    Wishing you well, GeneZ
     
  2. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    How is your hair? Hairs are your aerials. They pick up signals from the cosmos and transmit them directly into the brain. This is the reason bald-headed men are uptight.
     
  3. murray

    murray Friend

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    Thanks. That explains a lot!
     
  4. Thad E Ginathom

    Thad E Ginathom Friend

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    Some people can pick up radio with their fillings. Wait... is this still a thing? And that weird feeling when biting on a piece of silver paper that got stuck to the chocolate is an electrical thing, right?

    So electricity and the mouth... not entirely complete-and-utter-nutter stuff.

    Granted, whilst strictly true, "Our brain runs on electrical current," tends not to precede a proper-scientific discourse. But I'd be interested in knowing if galvanic action between titanium and mercury is possible?

    ...Even though I am one of the many millions with both mercury and titanium in my mouth. My pair of implants has been there for sixteen years.

    Google suggests it might not be fiction. But then, I have no way of knowing what this amounts to in real life. It certainly hasn't been a problem in my real life.
     
  5. bjack70

    bjack70 New

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    Hi Mike,
    I am so happy to hear that you are recovering and back at work breaking the rules! I have enjoyed listening to your design magic for over 25 years.
    Stay well!
     
  6. baldr

    baldr Schiit-sterer

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    Probably best to avoid this subject in a forum as sophisticated as this but f**k it, it is meant partially in jest anyway. (With apologies to Fred Reed). So here we go: What is the point of measurements? Who decides(ed) which ones are significant? AES? Julian Hirsh? I always tended to do them on prototypes without considering WTF I was doing and why. Granted,if the prototype is really fucked up, the measurements will tell. But really, who cares if the S/N is -120 or -130db. Bragging rights? Self hand job? What are we doing with our measurements that indicates we really know what we do? Are there better tests? Faster ones? I have never read a paper on the methodology on the need for, suitability, and development of such tests. Bam, the key word is methodology. There is so much audio thinking that resembles an amoeba globbing around, slowly and randomly. No methodology. In fact, my bragging right is methodology. You can’t build Schiit that lacks prior art without it. Come to think of it, art is an interesting word in this context. Subject for another missive.

    Take that to the sound science guys. Sometimes it seems the only certain knowledge over there is that they haven’t any. Nothing that make me sport audio wood. Kinda like trying to read Bertrand Russell. High IQ but talks/writes way too much; insufferable. Another reason that measurements are suspect is they are defined in a plane. Ninth or tenth grade Geometry. The whole of Geometry is points, lines, angles and planes. Suitable for defining an audio measurement but useless for a taco, a cheeseburger, or the feminine mind. Hmpf.
     
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2020
  7. yotacowboy

    yotacowboy McRibs Kind of Guy

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    lol, Wittgenstein FTW.
     
  8. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    Measurements provide static evaluation of a component's ability to reproduce accurately some input signal. Problem is that most measurements are simple sines and don't adequately convey meaningful information on dynamic behavior. Further, the simpleton's approach of lower distortion measurements must be better completely ignores the case where certain specific distortions are actually enjoyable, even preferable. Currently the only method for evaluating dynamic performance involves actually listening with ears, not eyes. The site to which you refer is absent the ability to achieve higher level cognitive function in understanding more complex concepts such as these.
     
  9. Psalmanazar

    Psalmanazar Most improved member; A+

    Pyrate Slaytanic Cliff Clavin
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    Well the science guys bitch and moan about thd but ignore imd. They would throw a fit about Lavry and SPL stuff like they did Schiit if they could afford them but they can’t. They don’t like paying 5000 bucks for a metal box even if it’s gold plated. they totally handwave IMD and rising distortion in treble. The French dudes who measure stuff always listen and measure for shitty digititus treble as the first measurement but aren’t “scientific” like the dudes building shitty dsp speakers.

    If those fools found out 90% of popular music has been through a Pultech or SSL bus compressor, not even considering API and Neve pres, they would kill themselves.
     
  10. Dr J

    Dr J Friend

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    With the risk that I am stretching to things on the audio engineering domain on which I have no theoretical or practical credentials, a philosophy of science point of view:

    From science perspective, all the scientific methods like applying mathematics to build theoretical models, or statistical analyses of any data sets of real-word phenomena, surveys via questionnaires, or controlled measurements are meant to find the truth about the world. The more independent the results of the the methods are of the confounding variables like the researcher, the particular data set, the equipment used, the context, etc. the better.

    From engineering science perspective, the above applies, but the model and methods must in addition be useful in designing solutions to practically relevant problems. Otherwise, they obviously are not worth doing (for engineers).

    The latter point brings in things like how do the measurements correlate to perceived high quality (however defined) recording and re-production of audio (which is the fundamental problem being solved), what measurements are effectively measuring this, and how the measurements should be done in a cost-effective manner. Codifying this typically leads to engineering methodology and building tools supporting that methodology. The measurement-outcome dependency and effectivity of the methdology can be studied in controlled test setups with small focus groups (like Toole), and ultimately the test is the market: which solutions and the methodologies are adopted into use.

    Maybe the above is self-evident.

    The reason I wrote this is that as a layman it seems to me that the biggest gaps are in the topis of the last section above. Having some experience in another engineering science domain, it has been nagging at me that there is some anecdotal evidence that the standard measurements do not seem to capture what we hear (e.g Purr1n's blind listening of perfectly measuring devices and being able to differentiate them and similar things from Innerfidelity's blind listening of top-of-the line amps). And a lot of claims that people do hear differences.

    If I were an audio science researcher I would be curious to do research in this area to find out what the hell is happening here. I would hesitate to say that there is nothing to be found and current theory and measurements tells enough of the truth that no further research is warranted. (Nothing in science is the full truth. All theories are approximations.)
     
  11. baldr

    baldr Schiit-sterer

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    Jesus, Ivana gave me a new Unison USB out set of software. Holeee f**k!

    Now I must fess up to being a bit of an audio curmudgeon. But I am also an incurable music romantic, with varied pleasures. I get chills and moist eyes when I hear an appropriate bit of music or musician. I admit it, my favorite soprano of all time is Elisabeth Schwartzkopf. Granted, she was a member of the party albeit apolitical. I read an English bio which insists she joined the party only to be cast in the preferred roles at the Berlin opera. I originally became a fan of hers in the 1960's and had no idea about the political stuff until I read the bio a year or so ago.

    Von Karajan, on the other hand was an enthusiastic party member who was exiled to Paris. Furtwangler, not a National Socialist at all, remained in Berlin as the senior musician in the Reich. Musical giant that he was, he defended and kept all of his Jewish musicians and made sure they were properly treated. Ever the asshole, Von Karajan made sure he opened every Parisian concert with the Horst Wessel Lied in order to taunt his French audience.

    Really ironic that the Nazi fanatic Von Karajan ended up with Cat Bird Seat recording contracts for the rest of his life with EMI and Duetsche Grammophon. Excessive for an insipid conductor in the context of Furtwangler, who, on the other hand was singled out as the musical Nazi primarily by occupying Americans. He recorded little after the war, until his death in 1954.

    Hans Knappertsbusch, an amazing conductor in his own right, noted an experience when his assistant conductor was rehearsing the orchestra. Furtwangler walked in the rehearsal hall and stood in the back of the hall. Knappertsbusch reported that as the orchestra (The Berlin Phil) noticed Furtwangler’s presence, the quality of their playing significantly improved.

    Apologies for the digression. I hope I am not just writing to myself. Where I was headed was that I absolutely loathe Baroque and JS Bach in particular, although I acknowledge the musical ability. To me, baroque sounds like bad bluegrass with warbling vocals. As I write I listen to Bach’s B Minor Mass, (yecch!), conducted by Herb Von K (double yech!!) but with Dame Swartzkopf providing the requisite chills.

    Another 40 minutes and I will play “Bags and Trane” and then probably some Little Feat. There must be something to a rocker who died of obesity rather than drugs. At least no fuckin’ Nazi controversy.
     
    Last edited: May 12, 2020
  12. Ice-man

    Ice-man Friend

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    @baldr I imagine that you are spinning up your music on vinyl with a vintage set of Maggies or maybe a double stack of AR3's with appropriate Schiit DAC and amp to do the upstream. Is it possible that you enjoy headphones from time to time? Just curious what those might be.

    Very good to see you posting around these parts again.
     
  13. Case

    Case Anxious Head (Formerly Wilson)

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    Furtwangler conducting on Hitler's birthday. I would like to think that this was his Resistance against the ghouls. The music couldn't clash more with the imagery.
     
  14. Muse Wanderer

    Muse Wanderer Friend

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    Don't give up on good ol' JS Bach. Music was never the same after Bach. His music speaks to me like no other. Whenever I listen to any of his cantatas, I feel entranced in its perfect harmony and counterpoint.

    Herbert von Karayan tends to turn anything he touches to a sloppy mess apart from few great recordings of his like the Bruckner 7th with the VPO. Karayan's Bach in particular is an abomination.

    Bach's Mass in B minor conducted by Herreweghe is the mass to listen to in my books.


    Back in 2016 I wrote my thoughts, aptly called 'The Light and the Way', about this work and its equally monumental but darker composition, the St Matthew's Passion... https://www.talkclassical.com/blogs/muse-wanderer/2448-light-way-bachs-mass.html.

    Since then nothing has changed, these two works, as with many of Bach's pieces, keep my spirit intact.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2020
  15. Brian D

    Brian D Facebook Friend

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    I've read a fair amount about Furtwangler and the injustice done to his legacy. von Karajan really was a nasty prick, and I am proud to say I own no recordings by him. It's good to have you back Mike, keep on sharing all of your thoughts freely.
     
  16. purr1n

    purr1n Desire for betterer is endless.

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    Herbert von Karajan: poser grandness to the point of boring. Ended up with a bunch of CDs with him conducting during my college days' music sources. I never listen to them. Odd for an Austrian to mess up Mozart. Musical equivalent of high-feedback chip based amplifiers. German perfection is better exemplified by many others who are not so boring.
     
    Last edited: May 14, 2020
  17. baldr

    baldr Schiit-sterer

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    American High End Audio Manufacturing as Divine Right

    I have founded, embodied, and delighted in the culture of high end audio manufacturing since 1977. Right or wrong, I always perceived my customers as liberal-minded – technological, equitable, humanistic, secular, and (mostly) meritocratic. This is nothing but a man’s world. It is also the company culture I have lived in for those same 43 years. One of the reasons for self-employment is not a desire for control which often conflates with hubris, but a desire to create. I find myself now in a company where in spite of the fraternal top management style, resembles the United Nations. We have a female audio R&Der, for God’s sake. The only other person of her type in our entire industry that comes to mind would be EveAnn Manley. 40% of those who really run the place are female. 25% of our staff are musicians, some talented enough to tour and/or open for Dream Theater. This is the talent that plays in our sandbox. This diversity we came into honestly on our own, rather than the odious kind enforced by HR. I like it! Everyone else seems to as well.
     
    Last edited: May 20, 2020
  18. Mithrandir41

    Mithrandir41 Friend

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    I'm surprised you referenced Dream Theater rather than opera. Rock on, Mike:punk:
     
  19. atomicbob

    atomicbob dScope Yoda

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    When I am no longer bound to tow the corporate line, I have some rather *interesting* things to say about corporate HR, including the current fad of Gallup profiling. The best and brightest will not be hired as the profiling favors a specific attitude at the expense of innovation, with result of mediocrity.
     
  20. baldr

    baldr Schiit-sterer

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    Science as propaganda and rationale.

    What do I say?? That science is not useful? Bullshit? Misleading? Can be. can be, and can be! Yup. I have been frequently been interviewed, written white papers, and cited science. It is the citing we do that we use as the basis of our oral/written conclusions that can become quickly misleading. The keyword is basis. I think it is not a secret that I am not a fan of delta sigma data converters, except for economic designs. This is not simply because any cretin or person of limited engineering experience can design such an apparatus – after all I even admit to the design of several. When it absolutely, positively has to be cheap or to be incorporated in a surround sound decoder design it is appropriate. I could, as an exercise present a mathematical case for such designs, and a sophisticated one at that. I choose not to, because the only occasions I resort to such designs is when I cannot make a better sounding multibit one at the price.

    It should be easy for the reader to infer my preference for multibit designs. The salient point is that I could write a far more sincere scientific paper arguing the superiority of multibit, even though I could do the same for delta sigma. It is also somewhat genteel to argue science, even if only slightly affected.

    So my conclusion is that I could write several papers, based on math or science, which represent beliefs I either accept or deny. If I can do so, then it follows there are many others who share that ability. The moral of the story is to choose your equipment according to your likes, not “science”.
     
    Last edited: Jun 3, 2020

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