How different does it sound?

Every now and then someone will try to give some loose sense of how much things matter, and give some kind of basic ranking of "transducer > amp > DAC" or whatever. But I want to get a sense of how much people think differences matter at a more detailed level. Not least because I find myself reading tube-rolling threads, lord help me, and I need a dose of context.

So, for each of the items below, put them into one of these groups based on how different they make music sound. Only rank things you've actually heard firsthand. I don't care what you "know" from common sense or theory, or what you've read other people say. I want to know the differences that you personally have heard. (And yes, this means that if you've never bothered comparing audiophile power cords because you're sure they're pointless, you have to leave them off your list entirely. Life is pain, princess.) Assume in all cases that the rest of the chain is as resolving as you've ever heard it.

The Ratings

Slap-You-In-The-Face Obvious: This is hugely, immediately different, and completely changes the character of a system. You'd feel silly even thinking about blind testing it because come on, this is waaaay too obvious for anyone to deny.

Makes a Noticeable Difference: You might have to compare this back and forth a bit to tell the difference, but it's pretty clear. If you did blind test it, you'd ace it easily.

Subtle Difference: You're confident that there's a real difference here, but it's not obvious at all. If you had to do a blind test, you'd probably get a statistically meaningful result, but you'd almost certainly get some wrong, too.

IDK, Maybe: You think there's a difference here, but wouldn't swear to it. You have no confidence that you'd be able to pass a blind test. (Or, you failed a blind test, but you still think there's something going on.)

Nothing: You literally can't tell the difference between these things.

The Items

DSD vs 24/96
24/192 vs. 24/96
24/96 vs. 16/44
Lossless compression (e.g. FLAC) vs. uncompressed 16/44
320kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
256kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
192kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
128kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44

Inexpensive headphones vs. step-up headphone (MDR-7506/SR-60 level)
Step-up headphones vs. $400ish headphones (HD-6x0 level)
$400ish headphones vs. $1K+ headphones (Focal/Audeze/HD800/etc)
$1K+ headphone vs. different $1K+ headphone
HD-600 vs. HD-650
Stock headphone vs. modded headphone

Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp (O2 level) for high-impedance/demanding headphones
Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp for easy-to-drive headphones (like some IEMs)
Basic SS amp vs. different basic SS amp
Basic SS amp vs. high-end solid state amp
High-end solid state amp vs. different high-end solid state amp
Basic SS amp vs. inexpensive tube amp (Vali, e.g.)
Basic SS amp vs high-end tube amp
High-end tube amp vs. different high-end tube amp
Inexpensive tube amp vs. high-end tube amp

"Stock" 6DJ8 tubes in Schiit gear vs. expensive NOS tubes
Expensive NOS tubes vs. different expensive NOS tubes

DAC in phone/PC vs. basic separate DAC (ODAC level)
DAC in phone/PC vs. good separate DAC (Multibit stuff or your own personal definition of "good")
Basic DAC vs. different basic DAC
Basic DAC vs. good DAC
Good DAC vs. different good DAC

USB vs coax
USB vs toslink
USB vs AES
USB decrapifier vs. straight USB
Coax vs toslink
Coax vs AES
USB Digital source vs. different USB digital source
Coax digital source vs. different coax digital source
Toslink digital source vs. different toslink digital source
AES digital source vs. different AES digital source

Stock power cables vs. fancy power cables
Basic interconnects vs. fancy interconnects
Stock headphone cables vs. fancy headphone cables

Whiskey vs water
Single malt vs. blended Scotch
Single malt vs. bourbon

 

To kick things off, here's my ratings. You disagree with me? Of course you disagree with me.

Slap-You-In-The-Face Obvious
128kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
Inexpensive headphones vs. step-up headphone (MDR-7506/SR-60 level)
Step-up headphones vs. $400ish headphones (HD-6x0 level)
$400ish headphones vs. $1K+ headphones (Focal/Audeze/HD800/etc)
Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp (O2 level) for high-impedance/demanding headphones

Makes a Noticeable Difference
192kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
HD-600 vs. HD-650
Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp for easy-to-drive headphones (like some IEMs)
Basic SS amp vs. inexpensive tube amp (Vali, e.g.)
Whiskey vs water

Subtle Difference
DAC in phone/PC vs. good separate DAC (Multibit stuff or your own personal definition of "good")

IDK, Maybe
DAC in phone/PC vs. basic separate DAC (ODAC level)
Basic DAC vs. good DAC

Nothing
Lossless compression (e.g. FLAC) vs. uncompressed 16/44
320kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
Single malt vs. blended Scotch
Single malt vs. bourbon

Note that those last two are being evaluated purely in audible terms.

 

Slap-You-In-The-Face Obvious:
128kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
Inexpensive headphones vs. step-up headphone (MDR-7506/SR-60 level)

Makes a Noticeable Difference:
Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp (O2 level) for high-impedance/demanding headphones

Subtle Difference:
Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp for easy-to-drive headphones (like some IEMs)
192kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
HD-600 vs. HD-650
DAC in phone/PC vs. basic separate DAC (ODAC level)
DAC in phone/PC vs. good separate DAC (Multibit stuff or your own personal definition of "good")

IDK, Maybe:
320kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
256kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
Stock headphone vs. modded headphone
Basic SS amp vs. different basic SS amp
Basic SS amp vs. high-end solid state amp
Basic SS amp vs. inexpensive tube amp (Vali, e.g.)
High-end tube amp vs. different high-end tube amp
Basic DAC vs. different basic DAC
Basic DAC vs. good DAC

Nothing:
DSD vs 24/96
24/192 vs. 24/96
24/96 vs. 16/44
Lossless compression (e.g. FLAC) vs. uncompressed 16/44
High-end solid state amp vs. different high-end solid state amp
Inexpensive tube amp vs. high-end tube amp
"Stock" 6DJ8 tubes in Schiit gear vs. expensive NOS tubes
Expensive NOS tubes vs. different expensive NOS tubes
Good DAC vs. different good DAC
USB vs coax
USB vs toslink
USB vs AES
USB decrapifier vs. straight USB
Coax vs toslink
Coax vs AES
USB Digital source vs. different USB digital source
Coax digital source vs. different coax digital source
Toslink digital source vs. different toslink digital source
AES digital source vs. different AES digital source
Stock power cables vs. fancy power cables
Basic interconnects vs. fancy interconnects
Stock headphone cables vs. fancy headphone cables

I removed the headphone ones because it's really dependant on the headphones, you can get similar sounding ones and you can get ones that vary greatly, regardless of price point.

 

Slap-You-In-The-Face Obvious
SBAF VS Head-fi
Sony NW-ZX2 vs Apple Ipod Classic Gen 6
Sony NW-ZX2 vs Apple Iphone 6
Sony NW-ZX2 vs Ibasso DX90
Audio-gd Master 9 vs Objective 2 Amp
Yggdrasil DAC vs Realtek Onboard Soundcard (or any other S-D Dac)
CD Quality vs 128kbit mp3 (with Yggdrasil DAC of course)

Makes a Noticeable Difference
Schiit Yggdrasil vs Audio-gd Master 7
Mutec MC3+USB vs Yggdrasil Gen3
Balanced XLR vs Single end RCA
Glass Toslink cable vs Plastic Toslink cable
Korg Audio Gate vs Apple IOS Stock Music Player
Belkin Gold USB vs oem printer usb cable

Subtle Difference:
Wyrd vs No Wyrd
Fidelizer Pro Optimized PC vs Stock PC
Furman Power conditioner vs Direct Power
Ikea Bamboo Chopping block vs Stock table
AAC vs MP3 (high bit rates)
Yggdrasil inputs: AES vs BNC vs Toslink vs Coax
PPA USB V2 Card vs Stock USB Port
PCM vs DSD
PCM 16/44 vs PCM 24/96

IDK, Maybe:
ASIO vs WASAPI
Foobar vs Musicbee
Yggdrasil Phase invert button

Nothing:
Dictator Jude's best (insert FOTM) he has ever heard

 

Slap-You-In-The-Face Obvious:
Whiskey vs water
Single malt vs. bourbon

Makes a Noticeable Difference:
128kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
$1K+ headphone vs. different $1K+ headphone
Inexpensive headphones vs. step-up headphone (MDR-7506/SR-60 level)
Step-up headphones vs. $400ish headphones (HD-6x0 level)
$400ish headphones vs. $1K+ headphones (Focal/Audeze/HD800/etc)
Straight out of phone/laptop vs. basic SS amp (O2 level) for high-impedance/demanding headphones
Basic SS amp vs high-end tube amp
Basic SS amp vs. high-end solid state amp
Basic DAC vs. good DAC
Basic SS amp vs. inexpensive tube amp (Vali, e.g.)

Subtle Difference:
192kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
$1K+ headphone vs. different $1K+ headphone
$400ish headphones vs. $1K+ headphones (Focal/Audeze/HD800/etc)
High-end solid state amp vs. different high-end solid state amp

IDK, Maybe:
24/96 vs. 16/44
256kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
$1K+ headphone vs. different $1K+ headphone
$400ish headphones vs. $1K+ headphones (Focal/Audeze/HD800/etc)
Stock headphone cables vs. fancy headphone cables

Nothing:
DSD vs 24/96
24/192 vs. 24/96
Lossless compression (e.g. FLAC) vs. uncompressed 16/44
320kbps MP3 vs. uncompressed 16/44
Basic interconnects vs. fancy interconnects
Single malt vs. blended Scotch

 

After conducting several blind listening tests between water and whiskey, I was unfortunately unable to hear a significant difference. Subjectively the bourbon sounded a little warmer, but I got it wrong too often to rule out chance.

 

did you pour it directly into your ear, or use a swab or dripper of some sort? pour it directly... you'll notice the magic.

 

My testing methodology was questionable in hindsight.