Clever Little Clock test info and reviews

[usedto]

Still trying to keep an open mind about the clock and read everyone's response, I have questions that I will reserve until the test is finished, and all of the "testers" have reported. I have gone back and read this thread several times, and need one question answered, if possible, so I can in my own mind try to understand why it may work on some systems and not on others.

Is the clock supposed to alter what our system (audio or video) emits, or does it alter what we see or hear? Is it an internal change, or an external one?

 

[geoffkait]

Bentpencil - The CLC operates on the way we hear sound; i.e., it's a sensory perception issue as opposed to a system issue. The problem that the CLC addresses degrades our sensory perception - both sight and vision - to some degree. Of course, we're not aware of this degradation at all since we've always lived with it. You could say that the "better" sound (or video picture) was in the room all the time, but until the CLC was brought into the room you couldn't hear (see) it properly.

Like most (all?) audio tweaks, the CLC is not a "silver bullet" and results can vary (as we've seen here). The CLC might not be heard in some systems, even extremely good systems, for any number of reasons.

Regards, Geoff

 

[usedto]

That I understand. Thanks.

 

[Grainger49]

Bentpencil - The CLC operates on the way we hear sound; i.e., it's a sensory perception issue as opposed to a system issue. The problem that the CLC addresses degrades our sensory perception - both sight and vision - to some degree. Of course, we're not aware of this degradation at all since we've always lived with it. You could say that the "better" sound (or video picture) was in the room all the time, but until the CLC was brought into the room you couldn't hear (see) it properly.

Like most (all?) audio tweaks, the CLC is not a "silver bullet" and results can vary (as we've seen here). The CLC might not be heard in some systems, even extremely good systems, for any number of reasons.

Regards, Geoff

This is very interesting. :scratch2: I find it appealing on a philosophical level.

In 1971 I got my Psychology degree, but couldn't make a decent living. In 1979 I got my EE degree. But I never was good at Philosophy.

I DO look forward to my audition.

:thmbsp: :thmbsp: :thmbsp:

 

[chrisf]

Hey Eric,how about a post as to who has what tweek o we at least have some idea where we stand on the list?Do we have one for the members north of the border and one of each for south of the border(us).If possible that might speed things up some.Just a thought if Jeff and everyone agrees.












/

 

[ozmoid]

The CLC and intellichip(s) arrived Friday, thanks NT.

I casually took the shipping box home and just set it in the music room, with lots of other matters on my mind beyond testing. Cranked up some "We're home, get to work" music, and forgot all about it until later that night.

That's when I realized that the CLC was "doing it's thing", whether I had unpacked it from the shipping container or not. I had not been doing any critical listening prior to that time (had in fact been in other parts of house, the music was just a dim backdrop). So here's what I decided to do:

Working under the assumption it is easier to hear an incremental change for the worse over an incremental change for the better, I have left the CLC alone since it arrived, and have been listening to a 'control' track each night at least twice - once critically, once for enjoyment. Tomorrow, my wife and I will be home for about two hours in the afternoon unencumbered by children. At that time, I'll have her moving in and out of the house with the CLC, and we'll both keep track. I'll see if I can score better than average!

 

[whell]

Tomorrow, my wife and I will be home for about two hours in the afternoon unencumbered by children. At that time, I'll have her moving in and out of the house with the CLC, and we'll both keep track. I'll see if I can score better than average!

Thank God that some of us have very patient, loving wives who are supportive of the sometimes bizzare behavior associated with our hobby. You're a lucky man, Ozmoid!

 

[Tangent]

Thank God that some of us have very patient, loving wives who are supportive of the sometimes bizzare behavior associated with our hobby.

Or we'd be dead.... :sigh:

You're a lucky man, Ozmoid!

He is! Actually, I think we all are in a way.... or we'd be dead.

 

[ozmoid]

Hmmmm...

I have been listening to my "control track" at least once every day with the CLC in the room. Wednesday fell through, but I kept plugging and today we got to do the blind test.

Out of 10 trys, I was wrong 8 times.

I picked a particularly difficult track, Levon off Madman across the Water by Elton John, SACD Hybrid. I'm using the CD track. There is an acoustic guitar buried in the right channel doubling the piano that is difficult to pick out, and there are some subtle effects on Elton's voice in the first verse.

What is interesting to me is that the 2 correct guesses were the second and last, and the other 8 were all exactly wrong. :scratch2: I had changed my answer on the first two after listening to the third. So it seems I can pick out the CLC with more accuracy than random chance, but my mental "music processor" seems to like the room better without the CLC.

The main things I was hearing were a slightly better resolution of the guitar line in otherwise "busy" musical patches, and a cleanness to the organ in the opening. Both effects were extremely subtle, and took very critical listening to discern. Kind of like trying catch fog in your hand. Both seemed to happen with the CLC out of the room.

The CLC was removed to the yard, about 10 feet from the house. I was not visually or aurally able to detect when my wife replaced/removed the CLC while the test was taking place.

I did a non-blind test earlier in the week, and tried to identify what the CLC was doing, and had no luck. I could not convince myself that there was any appreciable difference in the audio. My ears in the test tonight seemed to hear a difference, it just wasn't the result I expected. I don't know if 10 trials constitutes a conclusive test, but I'll be putting the CLC in the mail Monday for the next member. Somebody PM me an Address!

 

[Bigerik]

Interesting, Ozmoid.
Don't know what to make of it. Sounds like it was doing something but just not what you expected. Weird!
I appreciate your review. More grist for the mill!

 

[onepixel]

By the way I sent the CLC I had off to arm013 over a week ago via Express mail.

 

[geoffkait]

I can do better than that - here's a picture of 9 of 'em:

www.machinadynamica.com/machina41.htm


Geoff Kait at Machina Dynamica

 

[geoffkait]

Hot off the press! - Positive Feedback Online's Brutus Awards for 2006 just posted. Guess which product made the list? (blush)

http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue28/brutus.htm

Regards, Geoff
Machina Dynamica

 

[Bigerik]

Congrats!
Nice to get some recognition in the press I am sure!
:thmbsp:

 

[Grainger49]

I have gott'a ask, do I have to leave the clock blinking, or can I set to the proper time.

My name is Grainger and I am a compulsive.

 

[geoffkait]

Grainger49 - The clock display should not be blinking; please set the time to about 2 hours later than your local time -- I.e., the clock should not be set to the "proper" time. You will have trouble seeing the minutes behind the orange dot, but you can get close enough by setting "Hour" to be 2 later than your local time. To set the time, turn knob on front of clock to "Time Set" position. This setting (of 2 hours later than local time) will be OK for all testers in the US and Canada.

For example, if it's 8:45 PM where you're located, set the Hour for 10, and don't worry about setting Minutes -- Make sure that "PM" is displayed in upper left corner of the display. After setting the clock, turn knob all the way to the far right position.

Geoff

 

[Grainger49]

Geoff,

I read this in the e-mail, but should have thanked you when it was posted. I'll remember this time.

Thanks,

 

[geoffkait]

Grainger49 - I should have pointed out the reason that setting the Clever Little Clock two hours and some-odd minutes later than *your local time* will be OK for all subsequent Mr. Clock testers is that I noticed you live in Knoxville, TN, which is EST. Thus, all future CLC testers - whether they reside in EST, MST or PST time zones, will receive the Clever Little Clock set for a time that is *later than their local time* (and won't have to go through the somewhat tedious excercise of re-setting the clock).

Regards, Geoff

 

[Clarence]

oh how did I miss this thread......

bigerik, is it too late to be placed on the list for the clc? :yes:

 

[Grainger49]

From what I see on the 9th page, one CLC was sent to arm013 the first week in October.

I don't see a review. Was it received? Was it reviewed? If so, where?

Can Eric find the two clocks and tell us where they are?

Sorry to be a pain but the review samples have disappeared, all of them!