WHY does music on a Dell PC and pants headphones at work sound so good?

I must be going mad, but this new Dell PC at work (no idea of the number - some crappy mini-case with laptop-style CDRW drive) and an ancient pair of Sony MDR CD30 headphones (£19.99 in 1995 - closed back) rocks!

Musically it's really exciting to listen to - and I've noticed this with the previous two Dells work's provided for me too.

WHy is this - it should sound f awful but it's really involving - is it because it chills me out from usual work stress, or is there some weird thing re distortion etc going on that makes it enjoyable to listen to?

So far, Love's "Forever changes", Guns 'n Roses' "Appetite for destruction" and Elastica's "Elastica" have been rocking out nicely... I don't get it!

Any ideas, or have I finally lost the plot?

 

'cos your listening to the music and not the equipment.

My walkman also sounds great - i expect it to sound crap, forget the playback system as a consequence, and just enjoy the music.

Also, you're at work, any distraction is a good distraction.

It sounded good on an Aiwa mini once..............

 

Point taken re the distraction...

BUT - even if I analyse it audiophool-wise - it's not bad at all - the treble is a little spitty but nothing too bad, and it really is grooving! I don't get this - Queen 1 (off the library) is kicking ass as we speak

 

Probably because a lot of this utter crap is, in many cases, not as bad as we have been conditioned to believe...

 

Tell me, did it start skipping like nobody's business during track 3? If not, then they must have got a new copy... I had it out back in '98 and it failed to play on any system we tried it on. Good album though, was glad to pick it up on vinyl for a quid on a trip to London earlier this year.

As for the music sounding good, I think it is just the fact that you've actually got something going on at work that you enjoy so it's sounding good without you considering and over-analysing the equipment you play it back on. Anything you enjoy in an environment that, for the most part, bores the crap out of you is going to possibly seem better than it is.

Really minidisc shouldn't sound that great either, since it's compressed, but it always does.

 

dom, get yerself a little headphone amp, mate, anything hand-made in a mint tin, running of a 9v battery.
my little altoids amp using an external ibm cd-rom that happens to have a line-out, and sennheiser hd480's i bought new back in ... 1989 for £50 - sounds great, much much better than from the cd-rom itself.

 

No I disagree. Most cheap stuff is really bad. But you do get the occasional gem.

 

Headphones - single driver - perfect driver integration (because there's only one - no room distortions or resonances - no crossover induced distortions - near ideal phase response.
Obvious really

 

Ah - like the one TheMadHippy gave me? Hadn't thought of that one - good idea! I'll have to snarf out a headphone/phonos lead and find the line out round the back of the PC...

Ian - yep, it plays fine, but don't forget we're talking multiple read speed and databuffering, so it might still get stuck in a normal player. I'd try it tonight but I'm round Loretta's with the posse - should be a good laugh

 

Well, I've got a Dell PC here at work, and the DAC in the (onboard?) soundcard is absolutely crap! It's that bad that 192 MP3 and normal CD sound virtually identical, and that's through my in-ear Sennheisers which are reasonably discrminating. The walkman is miles better.

I think Technobear got the answer to the question spot on - that'll be contributing to that spot on timing so beloved of Dom's earthie side.

 

Yeah - you're probably right dude - the timing's great - Hot City Nights is sounding a bit coarse due to the crap 80s mastering - so the DAC's revealing enough to show that up, but Pat Benetar still sounded pretty decent just now - shame about this awful Big Country track... Oh well - Rush's "Spirit of radio" next

 

I'd love to do a blind test on you mate

 

that sounds decidely dodgy mate

Henry, run while you can!

 

Damn, busted!!

But wouldnt you like a fine busty blonde like myself doing blind tests on you ?

 

erm
um
i feel strangely violated

 

Well, if you look anything like your avator IRL, then I have a "feeling" you might just be in with a chance!

Seriously though, you telling me that you can demonstrate that there should be no difference between an original CD and an appropriately encoded/played back 192 kbs MP3?