Hello Srajan:
Congratulations on taking the leap into computer/music server audio! I did so just before New Year’s after much rumination and doubt. One of the elements that clinched it for me was Ken Micallef’s review of the Benchmark DAC1 USB, along with a few others, last fall. I had read many reviews of the latter in the English-language audio press but I found Ken’s assessment to be very encouraging.
It’s been almost 3 months since I took delivery of a Mac mini and the Benchmark and I’ve probably ripped two-thirds of my 600+ CD collection, not counting other music that my better half prefers. The music is automatically backed up to an Apple Time Capsule, which also serves as a router. I’ve been on a ripping break for the last few weeks—life with 2 young children requires prioritizing at times—and I keep buying new music,so who knows when I’ll be done. I’m aiming for the end of April for CDs currently in the collection – wishful thinking perhaps…
In due course, the Mac mini will reside as a dedicated music server on the audio rack in our living room and connect to the Benchmark via USB. The premise was that there wouldn’t be a computer monitor in the living room to muck up aesthetics in view of a positive WAF. The music library on the Mac Mini will be accessed with an iPod touch using the free “Remote” app.
Until most of the copying of CDs to the hard drive is complete, I was hoping to stream music wirelessly from the Mac mini, which is hooked up to our LCD TV located in the family room above the garage, to an Apple Airport Express hooked up to the Benchmark with a Toslink cable. Unfortunately, I’ve not managed to establish the wireless connection with the Airport Express despite the patience of the Apple rep with whom I spent a couple of hours on the phone a few weeks ago. I ran out of time that day but will call back to pursue a couple of other fixes that she suggested, such as changing the default channel/frequency that is used to communicate between the Mac and Airport Express. There may be interference from elsewhere in the house or in the neighbourhood. For now, I’ll keep spinning silver discs on our CEC CD player.
One of the frustrations I’ve encountered, other than the Airport Express, is that the time required to copy a CD to the hard drive varies from about 4 minutes to as long as 10 to 15 minutes. I’m using Apple Lossless Encoder and on average, I’d say for every CD that takes 4 minutes, three or four take 10 minutes each. I’ve tried with error correction enabled and disabled, no apparent difference due to the latter.
I was in the mood to share my experience after reading about your acquisition of an iMac and the Weiss DAC. It hasn’t been entirely smooth for me but I’m not going to let it stop from continuing down this road.
All the best,
Max Hollins |
Dear Srajan,
I have enjoyed your website for a number of years now and am not in the habit of writing in to bother the writers, but I have some observations to share that I thought would add to your review of the Weiss Dac2 and could be worth exploring. As a young musician 5 years ago I pulled up stumps from Melbourne Australia and moved to Neuköln Berlin (ja, ganz in der nahe von Herr Werner...) where I planned to study music. So as not to lose my music I converted all my CDs to Apple Lossless and took a hard drive with me. Since that time I've completely switched to streaming, not least because my lovely old 15kg CD spinner died immediately on my return to Australia. I purchased an MHDT Labs tube dac with a NOS dac chip and hoped for the best. After a tube swap and a long burn in I was pleased enough with the sound to forget about CD players but what I have found lately is that that is far from the end of the story with computer music.
I use an M-audio Transit for conversion to S/PDIF. When I finally got the cash to move from PC to a unibody Macbook, the sound increased significantly in transparency (no more kernel mixer apparently). When I moved the files to a separate USB media drive, things improved again. Against all logic, I discovered by accident that setting the M-Audio to 24-bit 88.2kHz output was, again, significantly better and improved staging despite the fact that the dac is NOS 16/44.1! Finally, I recently upgraded to Snow Leopard and installed new M-Audio drivers and was shocked when, unexpectedly, instruments seemed to become unstuck from each other and find their own space. It seems that switching to streaming can lead not only to an increase in convenience but also to a very low-price upgrade path as technology improves. I thought it may be worth pointing out that it could be interesting to try out settings of 24/88.2 v.s 16/44.1 in Audio MIDI and maybe the effects of different storage. These, in my experience, have had a more positive effect than either Pure Musi or Amarra (although both certainly do change the resultant sound).
Just thought I'd moot some of these ideas to a fellow mac user and music lover.
Regards,
Robin Hillier
|
Hi there Srajan,
Some time ago, acually quite exactly one year ago, I wrote to you asking about the Yamamoto YDA-01. Well I did order one from Japan and am very happy with it. Just a week back we have a little listen/comparison witha friend using his Audio Aero Prima as itself and as transport. Well, the word 'slaughter' came to mind -:)
Anyway, what this all has to do with the Aura Neo CDP is that with the YDA-01 I am using a DIY transport - and the transport mecanism is in fact exactly the same as in the Aura Neo CDP. The transport is a JVC transport that they use in their JVC RC-EZ31 boombox. At first a Polish DIY group noticed that the same transport is also used in thea Shigaraki model 4716 transport. The DIY thread became quite extensive and lots of DIYers including me have built the transport. After some tweeking with the power caps, I think it sounds quite good. (Not that I've had much comparison with the better transports though.)
Just thought you'd like to know if you haven't been aware of this before. He's the link to the descussion forum.
Thanks for the advice and take care!
Yours, Jukka
|
Hi Srajan,
First the easy bit. I have fixed iTunes' metadata deficiency with a vaccine of www.tuneupmedia.com. There is a free version and the lifetime version is an innocuous $29.95. Between that and the current discount on Pure Music (expires today I think), one can provide a permanent vitamin boost to iTunes content and playback for a little over $100. Not bad by audiophile standards. Now on the more complicated stuff. There is an emerging trend toward substituting software for hardware boxes in your writing. If you want to pursue this further, may I suggest exploring the Metric Halo ULN-8 (or Amarra Model 4/5)?
I personally find the value proposition very appealing despite the seemingly high absolute price tag associated with it. And I find the value proposition not simply because it combines many functions into one box but because it does so with very high performance. It sells for less than half the price of the Linn player and is infinitely more versatile. Just a thought as you go down the path with the Weiss Dac 2. Btw, the 'character' function, which emulates tube pres in the software domain is a blast (not just tubes but transformers and FETs). I am also listening more and more to my headphones through the headphone amp in the machine instead of the Yammy or the Experience One. To top it off, there is equalisation included in the software (one less box) and it acts as a line and digital preamp (less boxes). It's essentially an iDecco at a higher playing field, that's why I though you might find it interesting.
And it gives a basis for endless audiophile controversies: how can a machine that uses an SMPS and chips perform so well? There is talk in the forums that a linear power supply does not improve the performance of the standard SMPS. Cannot think of higher praise for the designer.
Good luck in your new adventures.
All the best,
Paul Espinosa |
Hello Srajan,
Being able to play 16bi /44.1kHz tracks as well as high resolution 24bits/96 kHz from the same machine/interface makes a
lot of sense/cents. With 1T iMacs starting at $1500, delivered, the
rationale for multi-format standalone players is pretty blurred.
Keeping in mind that an iMac is also a high end number cruncher, you
can count on various vendors to offer software DSP in the very short
term.
One suggestion: be sure to download the free Remote App for iPod,
iPhone and iPad for the ultimate remote control experience.
Best regards,
Robert Gaboury
Gemme Audio
I'm presently aware of the Spatial software which embeds in iTunes to allow for phase/time and room correction directly on the files. There surely are other programs now or coming soon so yes, there's a lot to experiment with and learn. The Apple platform seems to enjoy more support from the pro-audio arena than Windows so that was another reason I went that way.
Srajan |
Hello Srajan,
thanks for taking the plunge into computer audio and sparing us dare-nots a lot of trouble. Two remarks for now One, going the iMac route means you've got a switching PS in your system for good. Macbooks mean you
can go battery, which is better. And two, I was all set to buy the
cheaper (not so much) Weiss 4-pin firewire dac when Jobs took the firewire
off the white Macbook and put an 8-pin on the aluminum ones. Object
lesson, computer acessories are subject to instant obsolescence and should
be priced accordingly.
Michele from Rome
I have a MacBook Pro and can't tell the diff between running it off batteries or not so the iMac's SMPS doesn't scare me. When I listen to CD, the iMac isn't powered up so who cares. As far as obsolescence goes, the iMac will make one stonking PC should it ever become obsolete as an audio machine. Things change quickly, granted, but if you want to participate, you can't just sit there and watch. You gotta make a decision, then live with the consequences.
Srajan |
What follows is part of Bruce Rozenblit's latest newsletter which was forwarded to me by one of our writers. The content is important enough to be read by as many as possible. Bruce's email is here: brozenblit@mac.com:
Dear Friends, you haven't heard from me in a while because I've been having a rough time the past few months. I came down with a bad case of tinnitus, which is ringing in the ears. I'm virtually certain that the condition was precipitated by an adverse drug reaction. The drugs and head noise sent me into a deep depression. I'm getting better and have made a lot of progress during the last several weeks. I want to share my story with you in hopes that my experience can help someone else. No one should have to go through this. Business has been good and I am keeping up with kit orders. I have not worked on any new projects because I just can't find the motivation until I get a little better. The depression is lifting but I need more time to heal. So here is what happened.
L
ast summer I started having urinary problems. They came on very quickly. I went to the clinic that I use and doctor no. 1 put me on Avodart on August 1. I felt better with the very first pill. It was amazing. In 2 weeks, my symptoms were mostly gone. Also, with the very first pill, I felt very calm. I'm a high-energy guy. I buzz. Avodart took my buzz away. This is significant. I told doctor no. 1 this was happening at the 2-week visit and there was no response. Soon after that, I became very sleepy. I don't mean Avodart made me drowsy, it knocked me out. I was non-functional and could not stay awake. I had to drink a cup of tea every two hours to keep from falling asleep but I was still out on my feet. So I started taking the medicine before bed, which alleviated some of the sleepiness. At the 6-week visit, I told doctor no. 1 about this and there was no response.
Something is very wrong here. Avodart isn't supposed to act like a strong sedative. During the month of Oct., the sleepiness began to abate and I started to wake up. Here is what I think is going on. Avodart works by knocking out the hormone DHT, which is the most anabolic of the anabolic steroids. It's what makes a man a man and allows us to build muscle and bulk up. It is converted from testosterone through the action of enzyme 5α-reductase. Avodart interferes in that process and reduces DHT levels by 90%. This is serious stuff. This drug reconfigures a man's entire physiology. I think what happened in me is that after my chemistry was severely altered by Avodart; my body started producing chemicals to compensate for the alteration. It is important to note that human physiology is governed by dozens upon dozens of hormones, enzymes and neurotransmitters, all interlocked in a delicate balance. Upset that balance and you are asking for trouble. My body said I should be awake and changed my chemistry accordingly. In other words, my body was producing chemical stimulation to counter the depressing action of a toxin. Something like that had to have happened simply because I started to wake up. Otherwise the extreme sleepiness would have remained.
Also during the month of Oct., I began to notice that there was whistling in my ears. Then on or about Nov. 1, all hell broke loose. I went to bed and in a few minutes, a maddening piercing set of noises and tones went shooting through my head. They gave me a panic attack. They did not go away. I had a combination of distinct tones, whistling and ringing. Somehow over the next 2 months, I managed to put up with the all the screeching. I think that was because I had not started to fall into depression. I did not make any connection with Avodart at that time. I thought that it would be prudent to just give it some time and see if it goes away on its own. If anything, it was just getting worse.
Another very important occurrence here is that every time that I would engage in high output aerobic exercise, the noises in my head would go way up, and I mean way up. As my body cooled down, the noises would subside to pre-exercise levels. This would happen every time without exception. Understand this, these were not subtle noises that I was experiencing. At their worst, I could easily hear the hissing and squealing while driving my noisy truck with the radio playing loudly.
After the first of the year, I was getting more and more depressed which was causing more and more anxiety over the noise so I made an appointment to see an ENT doctor (doctor no. 2) and was examined by him the last Thursday in Jan. He didn't want to treat me. I told him about how exercise greatly altered the noise and that the Avodart made me sleepy etc. He ignored all of that information. He took a very brief one second look in each ear and said I had idiopathic tinnitus and there is nothing that can be done about it. Then I started to fall apart.
All audiophiles are a bit obsessive compulsive and I am no exception. I couldn't let go of the noise and developed extreme anxiety that weekend. I thought that I was going to loose my mind. No exaggeration. My brain chemistry was already scrambled to start with from the drug and this pushed me over the edge. On Sat., Jan. 30, I took myself off of Avodart. I found out that weekend that it takes a full 6 months to flush Avodart out of your system. It has a 5-week half-life. I now realize that if the noises are from the drug, I'm in for it. So the following Mon., I went back to the clinic and was seen by doctor no. 3. She also ignored my information about how the noise behaved and said I had a sinus infection, which she successfully treated with antibiotics. The ENT specialist missed that. She also put me on Meclizine, which is the same drug as Dramamine Less Drowsy. The drug greatly helped to quiet down the noise. It also made me sleepy which means it is also functioning as a depressant. Meclizine works by interfering the uptake of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. It is designed to be neurologically active.
I'm already chemically depressed from the Avodart, psychologically depressed from the maddening noise in my head and we just piled another depressant on top of that. After 2 weeks on Meclizine, I quickly sunk into a severe depression. I began to have very dark thoughts that my life was over with. This is very serious stuff. People get thrown in the crazy house when that happens. I caught myself and stopped taking Meclizine and my mood quickly improved. I pulled myself out of that dark place.After 24 hours, the noises came back strongly but my mood had improved substantially. I had come to the conclusion that I am going to have to figure this out on my own. No one is listening to me. I experimented with Meclizine several times and each time it would substantially lower the noise and when it wore off in about 6 hours, the noises would return. This indicated that I am having a neurological problem because Meclizine is neurologically active. I began to but the pieces of the puzzle together.
The first Thursday in Feb., I came home from spinning class and my ears were screaming at me. I accidentally dropped the toilet seat and many high volume tones shot through my head like bottle rockets. This indicated that the auditory nerves were pushed into uncontrolled firing by the loud noise. That means they were over stimulated in the resting state. If I would take a shower, the noises would go way up. Again, this is a similar response to loud noise. I noticed for months that if I put on high noise isolation hearing protectors, the screeching in my head would go down. As soon as I entered a live sound field, the noises would come back. So under-stimulating the auditory nerves reduces the ringing. The noises were always lowest first thing in the morning when metabolism is at its lowest. Highest at the highest rates of metabolism, i.e. high output exercise. Taking a nap always lowered the noise. The more stimulated my nervous system is through raising and lowering rates of metabolism, the louder the noise and vice versa. Taking a drug that is a known nerve suppressant reduces the noise. Drug wears off and the noise goes up.
All of this points to a problem of over stimulated neurons. This is not idiopathic because I can consistently modulate the noise by altering how stimulated my nervous system is through physical activity or drugs. Getting to sleep is the worst problem. I use a white noise generator, which helps a lot. Problem is, I like to lie on my side, which cuts off the sound from masking the noise in the down ear. This all brings me back to Avodart. It seriously altered my nervous system by screwing up my hormones. The noises began after my body adjusted to the hormone disruption. Since I have been off of Avodart for 4 weeks, the noises have diminished. I still have ringing, but it is considerably lower. The noise levels 2 weeks after stopping the Meclizine are lower than they were with the Meclizine. I am getting better each week. Now after exercise, the noises only go up a little. Average levels are lower. I can hear clocks tick and appliances run that I haven't heard in months. As the noises abate, my mood improves. I have good days and bad days but the trend is downward. Currently, most of the loud hissing is gone and what is left is a generalized low level ringing overlaid with a faint very high frequency squeal that is very irritating. These noises may have been there from the start but were masked by louder sounds that have since dropped off. When the ringing goes up, I don't notice the squeal. I am encouraged by the continuous changes in the sound because they appear to changing as my chemistry changes. Day to day, there may be no progress or even regression but week to week there is progress. Problem is I keep testing it and I should not. Progress is slow because Avodart drops off on average less than 1% per day. Logically, I know that it's going to take months to clear out the toxins and heal but emotionally, it's very difficult getting from here to there. It took 3 months to screw up my body chemistry so it stands to reason that it could take at least that long to correct the problem. If Avodart was not the problem, why am I slowly but steadily getting better? The only other possibility is that I had invented some psychological reaction to a drug that I thought was helping me that took 4 months to play out. No way!
Last week I saw doctor no. 4 (my neighbor's family doctor) and I am keeping this guy. He actually listened to me and said that my theory was plausible. It is hard to argue with logic. My dentist also agreed with me that Avodart probably caused the problem. ow, here is a very aggravating turn of events. After listening to my medical history, how my urinary symptoms manifested and reacted to the Avodart, doctor no. 4 thinks that Avodart was not the appropriate treatment in the first place! He said it was nerves in the region overreacting like having a nervous bowel. That is why Avodart provided so much relief so quickly by altering my hormones, which affected my nerve function. This validates my theory of Avodart causing the noise in my head. My argument is that Avodart didn't directly cause the noise; it was my body's adjustment to the Avodart that caused it to secret something or things that caused my auditory nervous system to become overexcited. So I may have gone through all this hell for nothing.
Avodart is extremely efficient and it may have to be essentially all gone before things return to normal. That could take another 5 months. The safest way is to just let time work and not interfere with the process. In fact, I told doctor no. 4 that I didn't want any more drugs. I want my brain chemistry to reset to its normal state before any more chemicals are introduced. If I can't handle it, I will see doctor no. 4 again and we can try a mild anti-depressant (which he suggested) but I really don't want to go down that road. Hopefully no permanent damage has been done. Irritated nerves take a long time to heal. If any of you out there are having any symptoms similar to what I have described, you have my permission to print this out and show it to your doctor or anyone else that might benefit from it. Any time a doctor prescribes a medication, make them tell you what the half life is. I never would have taken Avodart if I knew it would take 6 months to get rid of it. There are older, less powerful drugs available. Prescription drugs are very power agents and people consume them like candy. They should be taken sparingly and with strict supervision. That is not the way our system works. - Sincerely, Bruce Rozenblit, Transcendent Sound. |
Hello Srajan,
I switched from SR Apex spkr and IC to ASI Liveline and it's a huge improvement. Your review is 100% accurate ... most obvious is complex and compressed passages are no longer smeared plus it sounds live :-) Sold all my very expensive SR cables and use the $$ towards a new VAC Signature MKIIa preamp. Hopefully my preamp will ship in next few weeks from VAC factory. Meanwhile running my MW Transporter direct to the amp.
I auditioned ASI Liveline PC last time and found them to limit current. I might audition them again so whole system is wired with the same cable.
Thanks for your suggestion. Almost took the Crystal Ultra route ... Yikes!
Best Regards,
King |
Seen this? This is so not good: http://www.timescall.com/news_story.asp?ID=20988
Bill Leebens |
Srajan,
Please forward to Steve as well.
Here is some discussion on Groundside Electron Pools (aka early Ground
Control).
I have some of Bud's earlier pigtails on the ground terminals of the
speakers in my modest hifi. The biggest difference we have noted is
that they reduce or eliminate the stressed sound that can happen
during large dynamic peaks.
Dave Dlugos |
Hi Srajan,
I enjoyed your Strada review and look forward to the comparison with the 3.5. I am familiar with the Reference 3.1 and I'm thinking about purchasing a pair of Strada with floor stands. Since I own a pair of JL Audio subwoofers, I have the following question:
What is the approximate -3dB frequency of the Strada when stand mounted out into the room? (Gallo's specs assume boundary reinforcement.)
Thanks very much,
Vladimir Dorta
In my setup without a rear wall altogether, between 55 and 60Hz.
Srajan |
David,
Thank you for the review of the Elekit tu-879s. I have been looking for an integrated amp for a desk top/computer system and have been considering some of the small EL-84 amps like the Jolida FX-10, Jolida 102B, Sophia baby SET, MiniWatt and the Glow amp, but this amp seems to be in a different class. I have not settled on a speaker, but the Silverline Minuet or the Rega R1are on the short list for their size, impedence (8 ohms) and sensitivity (89-90 db).
If you have the time, I have a few questions for you about the tu-879. You made it seem easy to complete the project...just how easy was it? I have no electrical knowledge or experience (except for an electronics class I took in high school...25 years ago). I know my way about a soldering iron from stain glass projects, and have access to a variable temperature soldering iron.
• Would you recommend having a local electronics shop look over my work when I complete it?
• Do you think it would be a good desk top amp?
• Does the amp have a transformer hum?
• Does it put off a lot of heat (would it be acceptable to you to have on your desk top)?
Thank you for your time and hard work reviewing audio products I always enjoy learning about new equipment.
Jeff Trudrung
Jeff,
Thank you for your kind words.The Elekit is easy to assemble in the sense that the step-by-step instruction is very clear and you simply solder by numbers. No electrical skill or electronic knowledge are required. The lessons I learned were: (1) don't rush and (2) check every stage as indicated in the instruction (about 8 to 10 check points I think).
After the assembly is finished, you need to perform the test. If it doesn't work, you have to trace back every assembly stage to find out which components might have been inverted or some soldering points are not properly done. It could be very tedious and frustrating since it requires the amp to be partly disassembled (the transformer for example) to check thoroughly. As I mentioned in my review I made a few mistakes. Fortunately those were easy to fix and didn't cause any hazardous result during the test. My friend who assembled a TU-879S also didn't pass the test - a couple of soldering points didn't have enough solder! My best advice is to check and double check every assembly step and every soldering point. You should feel confident enough not to rely on a technician.
The other amps you mentioned are much smaller in size and would satisfy the prerequisite of desk top amp much more so than the Elekit. But it's all a matter of synergy with the speaker of your choice and use of your desk top space.
Transformer hum of the TU-879S is extremely low even with my 95dB loudspeakers. Like all tube amps, heat is inevitable, especially with 6L6/EL34/KT88 power tubes, which are much hotter than the smaller EL84. For my cluttered desk top and the TU-879S having no tube cage, it's a no-no. But your situation might be different.
David
|
Wow. Btw, David, I have to note his perspective re: using the iPod as portable server, carrying it from place to place or using multiple Pods. See - not everyone wants to access their music from a big ol' hard drive! (For the rest of you, this is a convo David Solomon and I were having the other day and relates a bit to some of what was discussed with Dave Johnson. I just see the idea of using the iPod this way as something everybody gets - seems we have to beat it into them sometimes about the hard drive. And yes, I'm making too big a deal of this. My only real intent is to smile because I found the reviewer agreeing with me!) And it's a Lunar Eclipse! Awesome.
Russ Goddard (copying the Peachtree Audio men) |
Srajan,
Are you familiar with the name John Westlake? He was the designer of the famous Pink Triangle Da Capo DAC in the 90s. He is also the consultant designer of the iDecco that you have just given a Lunar Eclipse award to. I thought you might be interested to know that he is also the consultant designer of two new Audiolab pieces of kit, the 8200, a DAC with CD transport (as JW regards it) and a DAC called the MDAC (not yet out). Both use JW's latest custom-designed DAC which he says is superior to the ESS DAC used in the iDecco - and he is not a man to make idle boasts. The MDAC and I think the 8200 have USB input as JW very firmly shares your view (and mine) that CD transports will soon only be used for uploading to a hard drive and not for playback (that's already my system, I'm using a Modwright Transporter).
Even more exciting is that JW intends to bring out a DAC/preamp under his own brand and he reckons the DAC will be even better than the one used in the Audiolab gear.
If you want to read more of what JW himself says check out this page on diyaudio.
Given your current interest in hard drive-based audio, I thought you would be interested in these new products. My suggestion of course is that you contact Audiolab and get a review lined up.
I have no affiliation with JW or Audiolab - I'm just excited by new products from JW. He is the Pass of digital as far as I and many others are concerned.
Regards,
Ian |
|
Srajan -
Well I’m one of those people who can’t leave anything alone. Hey, for me half of the fun of this hobby is trying new things. Anyhow, with the help of your reviews I’ve assembled a great system I never dreamed I would own. But… something is still missing and I can’t put my finger on it, my jaw is not dropping as much as I would like. Here is my system and some thoughts on how to take it to the next level, I’d really appreciate your input on what might be my weakest link.
Speakers: Zu Druid mk IV/08
Amp: Yamamoto A-08S w/EML 45 Globes (love this thing)
Preamp/DAC: Red Wine Audio Isabella w/Siemens 7308’s
Source: Apple Lossless library on my home server, streamed to my audio rack via Sonos and connected to the Isabella via coax SPDIF. This sounds 95% as good as connecting a laptop directly to the Isabella via USB. XXHighend is another matter, but won’t play Apple Lossless, only FLAC.
I’ve been planning on acquiring a pair of Essences for a whil, but now I’m also wondering if I shouldn’t ditch the Isabella and go for the Yamamoto YDA-01 paired with an Esoteric C-03 (used) or ModWright 36.5 to feed the A-08S. A Wyred STP SE is another option, but I gather a step down from the former two.
Keep up the great work!
Ian Butt
The first thing to ask is, what turns you on? For the jaw to drop, you need to be triggered. Some folks get triggered by dynamics and speed. Others get off on tone density and fullness. And so on. All trigger points are equally valid but they do require a somewhat different system voicing or calibration - just like car suspensions are tuned for canyon carving or family vacations, daily commuting or offroading. Which one is perfect for you depends on how you'll use your car. There's no one-size-fits-all formula.
To get anywhere, we first have to diagnose our system's ailment. Why isn't yours going all the way? Without a clear diagnosis, you can't go about a strategic cure.
If you don't know what's missing—that would be true for most of us—it's because you don't know what's possible. The best thing I can recommend for that is to sleep around. Hear as many systems as you can (friends, stores, shows) and take note what the ones you like have in common. Some will elicit your respect, many will be boring, a few will engender outright lust - even if they all have certain compromises or aspects you'll consider imperfect.
The mission isn't finding the perfect system to recreate it. Your room will be completely different. The mission is to identify your hot buttons, then determine which of those your current setup misses. Only then can one zero in on what component is the most likely suspect that's holding things back. You've got some home work to do I think...
Srajan |
Greetings from the States,
I wanted to point out what I felt (IMHO) was a glaring omission to your Hexateq review. You state, "It seems fair to say that until class D gains more of its own Nelson Pass, John Curl and Charles Hansen equivalents..." I would certainly put John Ulrick's name along side these others. While you may not like the sound of the amps (I've had 3 different Spectron amps with various levels of modification on two of them but am now running a Pass amp), I think leaving his name out of an article that attempts to hit on the "big names" of Class D is an unfortunate oversight.
Cheers,
Joseph Pagan
You're confused. The 'celebrity' designers I singled out are specifically non class D. Class D for high-end is still too new a category to sport designers who have achieved equivalent renown in the minds of most audiophiles. Had I wanted to mention class D celebrities, I would certainly have included Ulrick - as well as Bruno Putzeys, the B&O brain trust and others.
Srajan |
Hello Srajan,
Like many of your readers I read a lot of audio sites. And like a lot of readers I recognize that you are heads and shoulders (in what you hear and how you describe it) above the rest. This does not mean that I agree with your tastes (for that Jeff Day is probably closest to what I look for in music playback as his recommendations have never steered me wrong) but it does mean that I will read a review of a $15,000 component that I know I will never own just because I want to read your piece. With a family, a job, me restoring a 100 year old loghouse, and an avid reader of literature my time is valuable so this is the highest compliment I can give.
Over the years I have seen your writing prowess grow, with only the occasional dud along the way. There is definitely an uprising arc in your skill of describing gear. I am writing because I was so impressed with your preview of the Gallo Strada. The energy and flow of the piece was informative and entertaining.
Bravo,
Joshua Jacobson |
Hello David,
I’ve been following your reviews of various digital amps for the past few years and it appears you might a comparative grasp on a fair number of them. I know its hard to say this one is simply better than that, but I’m trying to narrow it down. Reading your reviews, I’m trying to draw conclusions from various comparisons. In one of your reviews, it may have been a Mark and Daniel, you’d mentioned that the Winsome Mouse was very close and even hard to distinguish from the Nuforce amps. It also appeared that the latest 5 channel Dared was at least the equal of the Mouse (in 2 channel mode?). Then there was the Virtue amp that you liked that I guess was not delivered…but you favored.
The reason I’m asking is that I’ve toyed around with some of the cheaper (sonic t and trends) digital amps and quite like them, making me want to step up to the more costlier versions like the Nuforce or Audio Zone (I noticed one in your photos but don’t remember a reference). So when I hear that something like the Nuforce is marginally (if any) better than the Winsome…it makes me wonder. . I hope this question isn’t too broad.
Also, as a side question, what were you using as a 5 channel preamp in those multi amp systems you were using, there don’t seem to be many out there? I agree about sending the video straight to the screen, but haven’t found many 5 channels preamps out there.
Thanks very much, David, for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.
Murray Hutchins
Hello Murray,
You just threw the trickiest question at me. Did I made all those comments? The Winsome Labs was hard to distinguish from NuForce? That must be during one audition session with one particular CD. I clearly remember I reported the Mouse tripping on Orff's Cartulli Carmina driving Mark & Daniel Mini. And up till my recent Dared DV-6C review I reconfirmed that the Winsome Labs are not the perfect match for Mark & Daniel.
Seriously, keeping focus on the USP (unique selling point) of each affordable Tripath amp has been challenging but thanks to the individual designer's effort they all have reasonably clear-cut sonic characteristics that help consumers to make decision.
Let me clarify a few things. First, "can do" doesn't mean "do well". Yes, Virtue TWO can drive Apogee and Dynaudio. But NuForce Ref9 V2/V2 SE unleash the full potential of these speakers. Winsome Labs Mouse can drive Mark & Daniel. But Symphonic Line RG-3/RG4 or Sim Audio Celeste W-4010 SE make them sing. I hope I didn't convey the wrong message that the more expensive amps are only marginally better otherwise I should have sold them all. Second, affordable Tripath amps do have that "wow" effect on us and without the luxury of bench test in a sound lab, I could only resort to some primitive torture tests to get a more objective reading. If I recall, all of these Tripath or chip amps (Virtue excluded) failed in the most extreme situations. Like I said, I never admitted the Winsome Labs Mouse to be perfect match for M&D speakers. But I did mention that their sonic characteristics (not power though) could be best described as the mini-NuForce. Even with Virtue, which can play all the notes right, there lies somewhere in the space between notes (as Joël puts it) something the more expensive amps can do so eloquently that the affordable amps can hardly match.
Bottom line is, affordable products are compromise but these affordable amps offers such exceptional price/performance value that the compromise becomes ignorable - especially with carefully matching speakers, the space between notes could be handsomely enriched. So my suggestion is start with the speaker you like and be guided by your budget. For my ears, I prefer KingRex with Klipsch F2 or F1.
There's no 5-channel preamp in my Winsome Labs+ M&D setup. I use the Restek Sector preamp for the front channels and a Recoton AV switch box to select the other 3-channel inputs (Oppo/Pionner/desktop PC). In fact, I could make a S-video to RCA adapter to turn the Recoton into a 5-channel switch box.
Hope this helps.
David |
Hello David,
Greetings from Alberta. To refresh your memory, I am the owner/op of audioboutique.ca in Southern Alberta who contacted you awhile back. I just got in some John Blue JB4 speakers to add to my growing lineup of single driver speakers. I was so impressed with them that I sent Sacha Kuettel an Email of which I will quote a portion. I hope you pass these impressions on to Tommy Wu. I have been in audio for over thirty years and heard everything from soup to nuts, but I find the JB4 to be one of the best small speakers I have heard in this price range. I have yet to try them on my TL66 mono blocks, which I feel will take them to the next level. Concerning your "Second and Third Opinion" review I feel the speaker still got a bum rap. The listening room at Oscar the Wide's place was totally inappropriate for the JB4, way to big, on the long wall, and where they are positioned (in the picture at least) they don't have a chance at making bass. I realize a reviewer has a great challenge on his hands when reviewing a product, but he also has a responsibility to the readers to rightly represent a product.
Some of the reviewer's rooms I see the gear pictured in leave a lot to be desired and I also realize a reviewer cannot have an anechoic chamber either, but some effort needs to be made to match room to gear, and gear to gear along with appropriate room dimensions and treatment. While I was writing this email, I listened to the JB4s on my Decware SE84C+ 2w/ch SET with great results in the same room as mentioned to Sacha, but on the short wall. This speaker is easy to place: with flea and low powered tube amps and with low to medium powered chip or tri-path amps in smaller environments. When reviewing a product, a thousand tweaking options should not be mentioned, it will scare off the average audio buyer whom the likes of almost every manufacturer, distributor and dealer are trying to reach. Telling of all the tweaks will only reach the DIYers, tweakers, geeks, and cheapskates who will never buy from us, and will keep some of the best gear from getting into the hands of the average plug and play music lover.
Aside from pertinent images, a review should not cover more than two 8-1/2 x 11 pages with 12 point print. Attention spans are shorter than 50 years ago. Reviews should cut to the chase with only pertinent information and images. I realize the very nature of reviewing audio is subjective, but I feel every effort should be made to make a review as objective as possible. You are one of my favorite reviewers, so do not think I am putting you down but rather just offering constructive criticism not only to you but to your colleges also. I realize you were in a tricky situation when asked to do a "second review" on the JB4, but which is more important, covering a college's tail by doing a "beating around the bush" review or sitting down and doing a straight to the point "David Kan only" review using the most likely amp, the TL66 and being done with it? If Mr. Beudot gets his nose out of joint, too bad, at least the truth was served and a great product possibly redeemed from the "controversial" list.
It's sad that the JB4 dwells in the shadow of the JB3. The JB3 is terrific in its own right, but the JB4 is in a completely different and superior class. I think part of the problem with both reviews was focusing on Tommy Wu's claim they were like the Rogers LS3/5a when that was not his claim at all according to the addendum at the end of Mr. Beudot's review. Listening to Tommy's products tells me he's got a very refined ear, and chances are both you and/or Mr. Beudot misunderstood the nature of Tommy's claim. Perhaps contacting Tommy for a clarification of his claim before publishing a review would have been more appropriate on Mr. Beudot's part rather than adding it as an addendum to a bad review.
Best Regards,
Rob Martin
Hello Rob,
Thank you for your comments and observations on JB4.
I have passed them on to Tommy. His feedback: "Rob Martin is a true connoisseur of fullrange speakers. And he fully understands the design concept of the JB4. I'm very impressed." (Back translated from his Chinese message.)
I admire (and begin to share) your passion for JB4 and JB3. As the distributor/dealer of the products you represent, its your personal touch that makes your service unique. As reviewers, its our personal style. The difference is, you'd try to satisfy everybody and we couldn't even try.
Your comment regarding attention spans is interesting. I should thank you for your patience knowing that the average length of my recent reviews is about 10 pages in 10-point print yet you rate me as one of your favorite reviewers. I'm glad that you're not alone. My recent Dared DV-6C review is 12-page long in 10-point print and one reader told me that he read and re-read the review and enjoyed it. He bought the amp, was very happy with it and most pleased with the extra informations (including virtual surround from 2-channel input) I provided in the review that he could not find elsewhere. So I guess it's the content that matters. Another review of the same amp elsewhere doesn't even tell readers what power amp chips are used in the hybrid circuit. Easy to read? I suppose.
Regarding the "beating around the bush review", I never felt it that way. And I don't think you should if you could read that just one more time. (It's only 5-page long.) That particular review was a golden opportunity for me to try something new and I have never enjoyed a review so much. I could be wrong but it occurs to me that when you have your distirbutor/dealer hat on, you have less attention span than an average reader. You want the review to cut to the chase so that your potential buyers get the selling points instantly without even thinking. Well, I like my readers to do a bit of thinking.
Again, thank you for taking the time to write down all the constructive criticism. We could all use some from time to time. Don't worry about putting me down - it won't be that easy. At least I don't feel it that way:-)
Best regards,
David |
The following exchange had the name of the correspondent and certain identifying details removed to instead serve as generalized explanations for an apparent misunderstanding regarding asking us to remove an article more than 15 months after publication:
Hi Srajan,
hope everything is well and you enjoy living at lac léman. I am in the process of launching an evolutionary ... product and I would appreciate if you could pull the following page - xxxxx
Thank you and hope to see you soon, maybe at the Milan Show.
Sincerely.
xxxx /name withheld
Hello,
We don't pull pages. That's throwing away work we did. Why would I do that? I have more respect for my own time and efforts than that.
Srajan
Hello Srajan
thank you for your quick reply. Here is the relevant text concering Datenschutz in Switzerland...
Hope this helps. Feel free to keep a copy of your work on your harddrive. If any questions arise do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
xxxx /name withheld
Interesting. You solicit me to your house to demonstrate your product and obtain publicity for it in our pages. I take the time to drive out, listen, write the article and publish it. Now well more than a year has passed. You have a new product. The old article apparently no longer suits you. You then invoke domestic law about publishing an evaluation which (very mysteriously) happened against your knowledge to legitimize your request. Hmm.
Our policy has always been and continues to be that post publication, all articles move into our archives like yours. This serves readers as future reference. We do not delete those articles. They don't have an expiration date. They are our property and make up our legacy. If you have new product to promote that 'overrides' the old one, the proper course of action is to submit a news page post or to solicit a review. Requesting that prior articles be deleted—no matter how politely asked—isn't proper. It is also grossly disrespectful of our (unpaid) time and efforts involved to write and publish such articles in the first place. I thus have to
deny your request and similar ones other parties might make in the future. Truth be told, I had assumed this would have been patently obvious. Apparently not...
Srajan
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Hi Srajan,
Greetings from Pakistan. Congratulations on doing a fantastic job. Just wanted to ask you to please review the Stradas driven by the iDecco because that is the combo I’m thinking of getting. My worry is that the iDecco won’t have enough oomph to work the Stradas so do please let your readers know what you think on that account.
Cheers,
Feisal Naqvi
That's the plan - two potential game changers together.
Srajan
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Dear Srajan,
It's an impressive review. What you say represents 12 years of hard work, sacrifice and convictions.
So, now I have understood that you wait for the Calliope.21 :-)
You will have to wait a little more because I am obliged to move the factory into another building where we have started to build a new workshop. I need two months and I have to stop speaker production during this time.
I started to listen to the records I received and ordered from your list of Year's Favorites and it's exactly the kind of music I want to listen to at the moment!
Have a good week.
Best regards.
Samuel Furon |
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