15-Oct-2016, 09:41
Good post Hifi_swlon - this is a complicated area and I think it might be worth stressing a lot of the potential sound quality changes could be actually unintentional and nothing to do with the actual code changes (unless of course the change is actually intended to affect sound quality). Even something simple as making a loop (say a counter) execute more or less efficiently may (I'm guessing here) utilize cpu more or less and also affect the power profile. I have coded embeddded devices & used various low level languages but a long, long time ago, but I suspect a lot of this hasn't changed that much apart from the method of coding becoming more sophisticated (and therefore from a low level point of view less within the control of the coder?).
I think what I'm trying to say is - people suspect Devialet , Linn or whoever of deliberately making sound quality changes when they don't mention any in the release notes, but in reality the people who coded the changes are quite probably baffled at reports of differences and probably think we're all mad, even though there could potentially be changes in SQ but caused by something the coder was not aware of and didn't intend.
Having said that I'm particularly poor at hearing changes between firmwares anyway! I tend to hear much bigger differences, say, regarding how long the Devialet has been switched on or possibly other factors.
I think what I'm trying to say is - people suspect Devialet , Linn or whoever of deliberately making sound quality changes when they don't mention any in the release notes, but in reality the people who coded the changes are quite probably baffled at reports of differences and probably think we're all mad, even though there could potentially be changes in SQ but caused by something the coder was not aware of and didn't intend.
Having said that I'm particularly poor at hearing changes between firmwares anyway! I tend to hear much bigger differences, say, regarding how long the Devialet has been switched on or possibly other factors.
