A 50 year hifi journey

julesd68
Global Moderator

Posts: 19,949

A 50 year hifi journey Jun 4, 2015 13:53:48 GMT

Quote

Post by julesd68 on Jun 4, 2015 13:53:48 GMT

Jun 2, 2015 18:33:20 GMT aurender said:

as someone who listen to a lot of solo instrumental classical music, surface noise can be an intrusive problem on many vinyl pressings.

I had to buy about 4 or 5 'near mint' copies of Allegri's 'Miserere' on vinyl to find one what was quiet enough ...

It's the one work where I just can't tolerate any noise but it was worth it in the end to have the best recording of one of this masterwork on vinyl. It is beyond heavenly.

Fortunately I listen to a lot of orchestral music as well where you can sometimes get away with a small amount of noise. I only have one classical cd now that I only bought to do a comparison with vinyl!

Spotify Premium > Sonore ultraRendu > Gustard U18 > Gustard A18 > Cambridge Audio Edge W > Sonus Faber Venere 2.5

MartinT Administrator Posts: 56,901	A 50 year hifi journey Jun 4, 2015 17:13:58 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by MartinT on Jun 4, 2015 17:13:58 GMT It's definitely a masterwork, Jules.
	TP-Link MR-600 router > Uptone EtherREGEN reclocker > Sonore Signature Rendu Deluxe streamer > Coherent modded Gustard U18 DDC > Gustard X26 Pro DAC > Belles SA-100 Gen 2 power amp > Usher Dancer Be-20 speakers. 2 x AfterDark master clocks. PS Audio P3 & P12 regenerators. 3 x Uptone JS-2 LPSUs.

aurender
Rank: Trio

Posts: 173

A 50 year hifi journey Jul 7, 2015 22:07:09 GMT

Quote

Post by aurender on Jul 7, 2015 22:07:09 GMT

Craig encouraged me to look at optimising impedance matching in clock connection.

The dcs master clock input is a 75 ohm load whereas the 10mhz clock I use expects to see a 50 ohm load.

The impedance difference will probably have little effect at 44.1khz but at 10mhz it's a different story. It's quite easy to change the load with a simple impedance matching pad in the cable. Rf equipment suppliers offer these quite cheaply.

At the same time we checked the cable impedance loading for some of the digital cables I have been using.

Results of all this? A significant step up in sound quality with a more 3d soundstage. The effect was quite surprising.

Question is: what next?

Deleted Deleted Member Posts: 0	A 50 year hifi journey Jul 8, 2015 9:02:30 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 9:02:30 GMT I could go into that but would have to kill you (metaphorically of course)

BilliumB Rank: Trio Posts: 159	A 50 year hifi journey Jul 8, 2015 11:07:47 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by BilliumB on Jul 8, 2015 11:07:47 GMT I guess impedance matching will minimise reflections and perhaps jitter that might be associated with them?
	Vortexbox on NUC, SB Classic with Audiocomm mods (clock etc) and Paul Hynes psu, Metrum Pavane L3 DAC, Conrad Johnson CA 200 'Control Amplifier', Amphion Xenon MkII speakers, Ben Duncan isolation transformer with dc blocker and hard wired Oreton mains cables, MIT Z-Powerbar Mains Conditioner, various second hand Black Cat digital and analogue cables.

aurender
Rank: Trio

Posts: 173

A 50 year hifi journey Jul 8, 2015 12:53:10 GMT

Quote

Post by aurender on Jul 8, 2015 12:53:10 GMT

Your guess is clearly correct. However the assumption had always being that at the frequencies normally used for digital audio, the effects would be minimal and unlikely to have audible consequences. Of course, once you are into rf frequencies, effects will be greater and, at 10mhz ref clock, become quite significant.

My view now may cause controversy here and elsewhere but I will claim strongly that with accurate impedance matching at master clock frequencies, digital sound from streamed red book sources is significantly ahead of cd or (wait for ir...) vinyl. More than happy to organise a controlled shoot out to test that hypothesis.

By the way, having a colleague who is more skilled in the art than I check cable load for several high end digital cables, we were surprised to find none of those tested actually represented a true 75 ohm load. One highly regarded and expensive British cable actually represented an 85 ohm load whilst another was much nearer the 110 ohm standard.

aurender Rank: Trio Posts: 173	A 50 year hifi journey Jul 8, 2015 12:54:27 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by aurender on Jul 8, 2015 12:54:27 GMT Jul 8, 2015 9:02:30 GMT @tonyc said: I could go into that but would have to kill you (metaphorically of course) Tony, unsubstantiated comment not adding much to sum total of human knowledge. Clarify please

Deleted
Deleted Member

Posts: 0

A 50 year hifi journey Jul 27, 2015 8:17:04 GMT

Quote

Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 8:17:04 GMT

May 27, 2015 18:18:19 GMT aurender said:

I just realised my first decent system was put together exactly 50 years ago this year when I was a student completing my first degree. It was a Garrard 301, Decca International arm with mk 2 cartridge, Armstrong 222 low powered amp and home made Wharfedale speakers with 15'/8' and super 3 tweeters in home made boxes which were about the worst examples of carpentry skill you can imagine. Still, it was very loud and impressive although living in a fairly squalid flat in Liverpool 8, keeping records clean was a problem and record noise was a huge distraction.I put the system in a Healds cabinet so plenty of rumble from the Garrard.

So 50 years later, what equipment do I listen to? Well here's a list of the system today (different from yesterday and certainly will be different tomorrow).

Sources:

Aurender s10 digital storage, player and Tidal streamer

Squeezebox Transporter

DCS Verdi disk transport (not spun a disk in almost a year!)

Digital processing

DCS Scarlatti upsampler, masterclock and DAC (Vivaldi stack on order as replacement
Custom
BVA Masterclock based on Oscilloquartz BVA oscillator

Preamp

Ayre KXR

Poweramps

Halcro DM88 monoblocks

Speakers

YG Anat Reference

Subwoofer
Wilson Watchdog mk 2

System Supports

Harmonic Resolution SXR stands with M3 platforms, HRS feet and dampers

Power Supply

30A discrete mains spur
PurePower 2000+ regenerator and battery back up (great but currently awaiting repair)

Kemp Electics power block

Vertex distribution block

Siltech Octopus Reference distribution block

Cables:

Power

Siltech Ruby Hill and Ruby Mountain for analogue.

MIT Magnum for digital

Running Springs for high power supply

Digital

Siltech Princess AES/EBU

Siltech Golden Eagle BNC/BNC and RCA/RCA
MIT
clock cables
Siltech Golden Eagle firewire

Analogue

Siltech Forbes Lake and Princess XLR

Siltech 777 and Vertex Hirez for subwoofer and bass amp

Speakers
Vertex HiRez

MultiRoom components

DF Solutions audio and video distribution network

Crestron Adagio audio networking

Sonos upgraded by Dr Gert Volk to provide better psu and clock

Control

Crestron (although currently waiting upgrade which is taking me a while)

Ipad running iPenq for Squeezebox and Aurender Conductor for Aurender.

Video

Since main system also used for 2 channel sound for video, main source is Russ Andrews Sky Box (yes, it is worthwhile, unlike much of his upgrades). Audio and Video fed through Lumagen Radiance XD processor and then audio upsampled through DCS, video is Pioneer KRP600m.

I bet you enjoyed the music just as much with the system of your youth.

aurender Rank: Trio Posts: 173	A 50 year hifi journey Jul 27, 2015 19:07:10 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by aurender on Jul 27, 2015 19:07:10 GMT Not sure why you would make that particular bet or how you would put it to the test.

aurender Rank: Trio Posts: 173	A 50 year hifi journey May 7, 2017 13:27:51 GMT Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by aurender on May 7, 2017 13:27:51 GMT System continues to sound great. Recent upgrade to Aurender w20 was very worthwhile. No planned upgrades in the pipeline. Listening to a lot of music through Tidal and Qobus and really enjoying widening my musical horizons

MartinT Administrator Posts: 56,901	A 50 year hifi journey May 7, 2017 13:49:14 GMT via Tapatalk Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by MartinT on May 7, 2017 13:49:14 GMT That's the great thing about streaming services: widening your tastes.
	TP-Link MR-600 router > Uptone EtherREGEN reclocker > Sonore Signature Rendu Deluxe streamer > Coherent modded Gustard U18 DDC > Gustard X26 Pro DAC > Belles SA-100 Gen 2 power amp > Usher Dancer Be-20 speakers. 2 x AfterDark master clocks. PS Audio P3 & P12 regenerators. 3 x Uptone JS-2 LPSUs.

The Audio Standard

The Friendly Hi-Fi and Music Forum

The Audio Standard
Connecting People through Hi-Fi and Music

Post by julesd68 on Jun 4, 2015 13:53:48 GMT

Post by MartinT on Jun 4, 2015 17:13:58 GMT

Post by aurender on Jul 7, 2015 22:07:09 GMT

Post by Deleted on Jul 8, 2015 9:02:30 GMT

Post by BilliumB on Jul 8, 2015 11:07:47 GMT

Post by aurender on Jul 8, 2015 12:53:10 GMT

Post by aurender on Jul 8, 2015 12:54:27 GMT

Post by Deleted on Jul 27, 2015 8:17:04 GMT

Post by aurender on Jul 27, 2015 19:07:10 GMT

Post by aurender on May 7, 2017 13:27:51 GMT

Post by MartinT on May 7, 2017 13:49:14 GMT