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Post by MikeMusic on May 30, 2023 14:05:56 GMT
Yannis makes very good cables indeed
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Post by MartinT on May 31, 2023 18:44:01 GMT
I have collected the Coherent 6D Gen2 interconnect and just got home. Unfortunately, we must have had a power brownout during the day as the P3 was in protect mode, meaning the clocks and source components are stone cold. Just my luck.
I've had a quick listen and even with no settling and a cold system, it outperforms the Yannis quite considerably. Bodes extremely well.
So I'm putting on the Tara Labs burn-in on for the night and will be patient.
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Post by MartinT on Jun 1, 2023 16:12:21 GMT
The Coherent 6D Gen2 phono interconnect has had 24 hours of Tara Labs burn-in. Compared with the Yannis just before it, it has an even more cavernous soundstage, and less brightness but more overall midrange energy. Bass is tremendous, both prodigious and tight. Noise floor is way down. Fine detail like strummed acoustic guitar sounds quite wonderful. Compared with the XLR to phono 6D before it, it's much more confident and energetic but with less brightness in the upper mid - the latter was obviously causing the system some problems.
The Gustard's phono outputs are proven to sound just as good as the XLRs with output stages fully capable of driving a power amp.
Lizzy McAlpine - doomsday sounds more potent and less harsh, while Ethel Cain - Gibson Girl is dark, enveloping and thick with soundstage. Maria McKee - I Forgive You in this slightly old fashioned recording sounds exactly as wonderful as when I heard her very many years ago.
The big test: Gone Gone Beyond - Little Moon has the best rendition of the two female voices I've yet heard. And the bass? Tighter and more controlled, but still sofa shaking. I believe my music room moved 1m to the left.
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Post by MartinT on Jun 1, 2023 18:56:55 GMT
Goodness me, Abraxas in 24/176 is incredible in its mastering. I don't think it's leaving much on the table. Amazing insight into what must be one of the greatest albums of modern times. It has to be up there, right?
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Post by petea on Jun 3, 2023 7:20:46 GMT
I agree, and often return to it.
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Post by wannarock2 on Jun 3, 2023 22:59:53 GMT
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Post by MartinT on Jun 4, 2023 6:50:37 GMT
Not for me - I already have one and know how incredible it is. And no, I don't need to bridge it! For someone else in the US, though, that is quite the bargain. Snap it up if you want one of the best power amps made. |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 5, 2023 11:57:02 GMT
The Coherent 6D Gen2 phono interconnect has had 24 hours of Tara Labs burn-in. Compared with the Yannis just before it, it has an even more cavernous soundstage, and less brightness but more overall midrange energy. Bass is tremendous, both prodigious and tight. Noise floor is way down. Fine detail like strummed acoustic guitar sounds quite wonderful. I don't want to keep retreading old ground, so all I will say is the Coherent 6D Gen2 is a tremendous interconnect fully matching its high cost. It has burned-in and the soundstage is not only the largest I have yet known, it is walk-in solid in a manner for which I don't have the words. Midrange energy is astonishing, really taking me by surprise at the same volume levels as before. Energy is the operative word for this cable. However, a cable doesn't do it on its own so it tells me that my system is working at a high level, each component achieving its objective. All that design work and care with the digital chain has been effective. It is hugely rewarding hearing the results of those efforts. Nothing more to do now except order an EtherREGEN Gen2 when it's released. |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 14, 2023 18:46:25 GMT
I just timed from walking into the music room to playing a song at around 15s tops. Reliably, every time.
That beats any other media in my experience with the exception of a tuner where I can't choose the song.
Digital streaming is that dependable now. If yours isn't, it's worth trying harder.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jun 14, 2023 20:05:41 GMT
I might be able to cope with that  |
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Post by SteveC on Jun 15, 2023 9:38:17 GMT
I just timed from walking into the music room to playing a song at around 15s tops. Reliably, every time. That beats any other media in my experience with the exception of a tuner where I can't choose the song. Digital streaming is that dependable now. If yours isn't, it's worth trying harder. Until Putin severs the UK's internet! |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 15, 2023 10:31:35 GMT
Until Putin severs the UK's internet! Well, yes, that was always a given. If Putin severs the UK internet feed then we'll have more serious problems to worry about. I'll play a CD. Err, when I find a player. |
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Post by MartinT on Jun 29, 2023 4:30:42 GMT
Since my swap to a Coherent 6D Gen2 cable between DAC and power amp, I thought I'd try the Harmonic Technology Digital Copper III again for the 2nd clock cable (reminder, my 1st clock cable is also an HT). I'd forgotten what a potent clock cable this is, with an energetic midrange and powerful bass end. In these areas it gains over the Neotech NEVD-2001, although it doesn't have quite the treble extension and detail of the latter.
They are both tremendous clock cables, I'm leaving the HT in place for a while.
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Post by MartinT on Jul 2, 2023 19:40:58 GMT
The above is yet another example of a pattern I've seen in myself over the years. Simply put, I'll take an idea to the bleeding edge, and then back off a bit to achieve just the right level. I guess it's my way of finding the "safe operating level" for my listening preferences.
The thing I love about the ESS 9038Pro Sabre chipset is, you can certainly take things towards way beyond a nice sound with more detail than you know what to do with, ultimately throwing a stunning but musically uncommunicative 2-D soundstage and making your ears bleed. But, match your components properly, get the grounding, vibration control and power just right, and you have all the soundstaging of an R2R DAC but still with a goodly dose of stunning dynamics and fine detail. There is always a temptation for 'more' of a particular attribute, but I've learned better how to find the sweet spot and stay there. It takes a lot of listening and going backwards to hear the 'bigger picture'. You also have to acknowledge that there are great and terrible recordings out there and a balanced setup will never do them all justice.
In this regard, I think those who owned the X26 Pro DAC and sold them on abandoned them far too quickly. Gustard got that circuit implementation just right and you can choose how you want it to sound by selecting carefully the supporting clocks, cables, supports and power treatment. I'm not saying it's easy, but the rewards with this chipset are tremendous.
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Post by MartinT on Jul 8, 2023 23:00:39 GMT
I had a last listening session today before shutting the system down for a holiday. It seems to sound better than ever and I wonder whether it has just fully settled into the groove from not messing with it. The last change was putting the 2nd clock cable back to the Harmonic Technology which gives it a less obviously hi-res sound but is just more organic and musical and bloody good to listen to. Equally impressive is the consistency of sound, something that regenerators bring to the party. It has been sounding great coming home from work after just 15 mins from P10 power on.
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Post by MikeMusic on Jul 9, 2023 9:54:27 GMT
Could well be My experience is much the same courtesy of running through my album playlist, again and again The opposite is also true Conclusion : Fiddle with the system about 50% of the time |
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Post by MartinT on Jul 9, 2023 21:00:00 GMT
Conclusion : Fiddle with the system about 50% of the time I don't understand. My objective is to fiddle with the system minimally. |
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Post by MikeMusic on Jul 10, 2023 8:10:18 GMT
Conclusion : Fiddle with the system about 50% of the time I don't understand. My objective is to fiddle with the system minimally. Playing the Devil's Avocado Still getting to grips with my system, and yours, and others I bet sounding better without any changes Waiting for the post from MartinTSo it is now 2 years since the last changes to my system |
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Post by MartinT on Jul 10, 2023 9:04:23 GMT
Waiting for the post from MartinTSo it is now 2 years since the last changes to my system From Lu'on Airpor' I'm not parsing your post very well this morning, Mike. What are you waiting for? |
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Post by MikeMusic on Jul 10, 2023 10:02:06 GMT
Waiting for the post from MartinTSo it is now 2 years since the last changes to my system From Lu'on Airpor' I'm not parsing your post very well this morning, Mike. What are you waiting for? My pretend quote of your good self saying "After 2 years since my last changes.." Can't believe you, either of us even will go 2 years without system changes The improvements we hear after periods of doing nothing to the system await scientific logic We can only guess what may be going on |
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📶NAS > Gustard x26p DAC > Benchmark LA4 Pre-Amp > NAD M22-V2 Amplifier > Revel F228Be Speakers
