|
Post by lobalwarming on Dec 3, 2020 10:53:12 GMT
And once you go down the long and sometimes expensive 6SN7 tunnel, there's light. Shining on pairs of 6J5Gs. A pair of Zenith 6J5Gs are still reasonable and to my lobes, better than the best of the 6SN7s in many ways. Bigger, more open soundstage with excellent tonal balance. But, no rush. Enjoy the 6SN7 journey - Sylvania 6SN7WGTs are fun. A late 50s TungSol Tall Bottle 6SN7GTB is great choice as well. Grey glass RCA from the 40s can be a pathway back to a smokey jazz club. If the path takes a turn down CV1988 Brimar Street, that's not a bad place to hold up for awhile. In terms of the mini tubes, my (low cost) preference is the Tungsram ECC80. Exceptional clarity. Not as spacious as a good 6SN7. But that's the beauty of rolling... a tube for every mood. ;-)
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Jun 16, 2020 19:15:26 GMT
Reminds me of the old joke... Fletcher and Munson enter a low volume bar carrying a bass guitar and a triangle...
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Mar 22, 2020 4:20:17 GMT
Good for you! If those USB snake-charmers don't charm, ship them off to the audio circus.
Have you tried different USB ports? Did you run the DPC latency utility above I linked? Also... did you wear a mask while listening? An ear mask. ;-)
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Mar 12, 2020 21:57:43 GMT
Win 10 Home Torment Edition? 1903 update brought more DPC latency issues - and more clicks! Can check the system DPC Latency with this utility: www.resplendence.com/latencymonProbably need to update some drivers and try not to have M$ trash them on the next big update cycle
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Mar 12, 2020 20:36:38 GMT
What computer is supplying clicks and hisses?
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Mar 12, 2020 19:31:42 GMT
Only you can decide if the hiss is annoying. If it's a such a low level, then you might consider it bonus dither, but without enough noise-shaping.
Have you tried SPDIF yet?
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Mar 11, 2020 22:06:53 GMT
Have you timed the USB click? Is it exactly 20 seconds each time? Is the interval the same?
Maybe restrict USB listening exclusively to 15 second tracks. ;-)
If it is a sampling rate sync issue, could result in periodic clicks. In extreme USB malfunctions there's dropouts and satanic messages - since USB audio was designed by the devil. And supported by his mass marketing minions.
If the clicking goes away with SPDIF, then problem solved. If not, then there's a multitude of 15 seconds jingles to explore. Or hundreds to spent on USB cleansing devices...
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Mar 1, 2020 20:55:38 GMT
I'm not seeing any reference to it either. Safe assumption is no, it does not.
Could ask their support. Or when the unit arrives, open it up and use your galvanized skills of observation to look for signs of galvanic activity.
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Feb 29, 2020 22:06:34 GMT
Hope it sounds great to you. And you can stop dac searching for months or years. Enjoy!
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Feb 29, 2020 22:03:56 GMT
If you can try the dac-box before you buy, certainly give it a listen. If not, the resale value, at least on this side of the sea is not great.
Schiit Europe offers the 14 day in-home trial as well. The Modi 3 (AKM 4490) and Modi Multibit are well under your budget. I really enjoy the rich, organic presentation of the Modi Multi-bit. Still my fav low(ish) cost DAC. Highly musical and enjoyable with a convincing sense of space around instruments and depth of soundstage.
However, if the mystical pull to the qutest is strong, maybe you need to follow it. Even if it ends in disappointment and financial ruin. ;-)
While the more recent Delta-Sigma DACs (AKM 449x/ESS 9038) have improved sonically, the Delta-Sigma dac advancement was more about cost-cutting than pursuit of sonic virtues. Suggest you don't study the over-sampling, decimation, twisted filtering whitepapers. Best not to know how our sonic sausages are made.
In my experience, differences between DACs is more subtle than differences between amps. And far less significant that headphone differences.
Personal audio listening for pleasure is so personal, that only your experience counts. Best to ignore the internet raves and rants about gear. While it's fun to chat endlessly about gear and sonics, it's largely irrelevant to the actual listening experience. Which is best experienced rather than described.
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Feb 29, 2020 5:23:58 GMT
I have used various RME interfaces in my studio/editing work. Good for work. Not much fun for pleasure. Unless you like geeking out with variable filter/digital EQ settings. Settings that can generally make things worse or at least different.
Have heard the teac ud505 with the AKM 'velvet sound' DAC. Considered it decent, but over-priced. Barely preferred it to the AKM-equipped Schiit Modi for $99.00 - although the teac is a DAC/Amp combo. But didn't use the amp, because it's nothing special imo.
Also note, the RME adi-2 pro with all the digital filter presets whistles and fiddly bits, uses... uh-huh... the AKM 'velvet sound' 4490 DAC series chip as well. It's less velvet sounding and more burlap and chaffing. It's not just the DAC chip that ruins the music, there's the surrounding analog circuitry to help as well. ;-)
To be fair, the RME adi-2 headphone amp is pretty terrible with high impedence phones. The DAC part is decent. Way over-priced decency, however.
The best DAC filters I've heard are those designed by Mike Moffat. The super-burrito filter used in the Schiit multi-bit DACs provide satisfying tonality with the best depth and soundstage I've heard in sub $8k DACs.
If it were I making the suggestion... and I am.. would order a Schiit Bifrost 2 (https://www.schiit.com/products/bifrost-1) and use their 14 day try period to hear for myself.
If user filter fun is still on the table, the Soekris Engineering dac1541 is a good option. (http://soekris.dk/dac1541.html) - it offers not only a plethora of filter options, but downloadable tweaker filters from tweaking users.
I have heard a few of the Chord offerings and not on my top 10 DAC list. Tonally they don't sit well with my perceptions. The caveat is my perceptions may not sit well with anyone else's.
Have just started using a new MOTU interface for work. It uses an ESS 32bit DAC. Still evaluating for work use. Quite flat and clinical. Don't expect it will make it over to the pleasure rig and replace the good Schiit sitting there.
The Matrix X-Sabre Pro is another ESS-equipped DAC option that offers various filter options and other useless stuff. And measures stupendously. Unlike many other ESS implementations it doesn't suck the life force out of the music or me. ;-)
If you're one of the lucky ones where all DACs sound the same and filter tweaking is unsought OCD work, then look at some cheap Schiit or Box DACs. If you discover you can hear a difference, then expect financial doom and auditory dissatisfaction interspersed with momentary elation.
Happy hunting!
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Feb 29, 2020 1:31:14 GMT
Thanks for the review, you wily, wabbit. What do you plan to do with your wireless freedom?
If my wife found out about wireless headphones... I'd be wired to a wave of new chores. So far, all she knows is that Bluetooth is something you use in the car for the phone. Plan to keep it that way. ;-)
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Jan 1, 2020 7:46:28 GMT
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Dec 14, 2019 23:32:40 GMT
Those are some good deals and now we know Senn has very good retail margins. Not that you could pay me enough to use either model, but if I was in the Beats demographic, could be attractive.
|
|
|
Post by lobalwarming on Nov 4, 2019 20:51:31 GMT
Will you ship to the colonies? Using a samsung tablet box? ;-)
|
|