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Post by julesd68 on Jan 16, 2021 10:50:49 GMT
How is the RME shaping up Jerry - any further thoughts?
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 16, 2021 13:22:02 GMT
Yep, the RME is a good'un.
Quite surprised it betters my MyST R2R DAC, but it does, by a bit. More focussed and solid imaging, and the MyST was already impressive in that regard. I'll have to dig my Behringer DEQ out some time and do some room measurements and play around with the RME's eq functions.
It comes across as amazingly neutral - I can imagine some folks finding it a bit bland, actually. But I'd call it a music pass-through device, it seems much more of an open window than most DACs I've had.
Coincidentally, I won a rather non-neutral DAC on eBay this morning! What I've described as an "up and at 'em" DAC on the Wam, to general agreement from those that have used one. One person liked it, another didn't. A Benchmark DAC1 HDR. Not for the faint of heart, a very dynamic performer. I've had one before and fancied a re-visit.
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 16, 2021 13:37:29 GMT
In a moment of more than usual pottiness I bought this valve preamp. A long time admirer of the Xiang Sheng DAC-01A I just couldn't resist when it came along on, you guessed it, eBay. Came out of 5 day pandemic quarantine today. Immediately replaced the stock pairs of 12au7 and 12at7 with TADs. I didn't bother listening to the stock tubes, opinion on the net unanimously declares they aren't much cop. Because of the DAC-01A being a small enclosure, I couldn't get it out of my head that the preamp would be similar, but no it's a full size unit. Both RME DAC (which doesn't strictly need a pre) and the MyST (which does) are going through it atm. It's a lovely sound - I can hear why some folks on t'internet go a bit potty about it. A bit loose in the deep bass, but wonderfully open, lucid and alive higher up. Hmm, I'm surprisingly pleased with it. I've a SET valve power amp coming out of Q5 tomorrow, I rather think they might work really well together.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 16, 2021 15:10:42 GMT
I'd be surprised if a SET valve power amp will drive your speakers well in the bass, but weirder things have happened.
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 16, 2021 15:42:16 GMT
Oh yes, it does it very well. It's one of the very few things that I regret selling - it came up for sale again on the Wigwam. The rest is history.
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 16, 2021 16:01:11 GMT
Due out of Q5 tomorrow. I hope I like it as much as I did first time around!
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 16, 2021 16:24:51 GMT
Yep, the RME is a good'un. Quite surprised it betters my MyST R2R DAC, but it does, by a bit. More focussed and solid imaging, and the MyST was already impressive in that regard. I'll have to dig my Behringer DEQ out some time and do some room measurements and play around with the RME's eq functions. It comes across as amazingly neutral - I can imagine some folks finding it a bit bland, actually. But I'd call it a music pass-through device, it seems much more of an open window than most DACs I've had. Coincidentally, I won a rather non-neutral DAC on eBay this morning! What I've described as an "up and at 'em" DAC on the Wam, to general agreement from those that have used one. One person liked it, another didn't. A Benchmark DAC1 HDR. Not for the faint of heart, a very dynamic performer. I've had one before and fancied a re-visit. Yes I remember you were very keen on the Benchmark. I was reading up on the RME - they claim the digital volume control is superior to any analogue offering. That would be quite a bonus. I was thinking it's a pity it doesn't include Bluetooth but then maybe it's better to have it in a separate receiver that can be upgraded as new tech comes along - cheaper than a new DAC!
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Post by user211 on Jan 17, 2021 11:56:02 GMT
Jerry stop box swapping and buy something real. Violin. Cello. Oboe. Flute. Piccolo. Trombone. Saxophone. Spanish guitar. Then learn. You have the time. You'd bloody love it. Don't think you're not musical you are. Starting to learn how to play a musical instrument while in pandemic lockdown may not be the best way to foster continuing matrimonial harmony with the Mrs. On the other hand she puts up with the hi-fi. And since you can't do much surely it's the best time to learn. From that list I'd quite like a saxaphone. I will get myself some drums at some point.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 17, 2021 14:02:16 GMT
Living with someone learning to play sax. I can't think of many worse situations!
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 17, 2021 16:19:30 GMT
Ah well - Justin does like to tell me what I should be doing, bless him. No, I don't fancy learning to play anything. I'm happy just to listen to others do it properly.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 17, 2021 18:45:01 GMT
I'm happy just to listen to others do it properly. My mantra almost word for word.
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Post by user211 on Jan 18, 2021 16:40:47 GMT
Living with someone learning to play sax. I can't think of many worse situations! Without a mute and/or good space between rooms you have a point. That said a friend's kid was playing my guitar a while back. He couldn't play and it was fine. Just interesting to hear what he was making of it. He was definitely finding tunes with no knowledge. Pretty cool I thought.
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Post by user211 on Jan 18, 2021 16:41:21 GMT
Ah well - Justin does like to tell me what I should be doing, bless him. No, I don't fancy learning to play anything. I'm happy just to listen to others do it properly. I'm a sweetie. I just carry on telling you until you listen:) Then you get that Eureka moment Like with streaming.
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 31, 2021 13:48:23 GMT
A Teac UD-501 DAC has arrived as part of a px deal to amuse and entertain. My goodness, it takes no prisoners. Very explicit and "no nonsense". Playing around with the various settings, I prefer upsampled (to 192khz). The PCM filter options are sharp, slow and off. Most online commenters seem to prefer slow, but initially at least off is finding favour here. My Ixos Ixotica digital cable was just too upfront with the Teac, it gave me a headache. Swapping for the 'lesser' Ixos 105 (always one of my favourites) and the presentation relaxes a little and is now quite enjoyably engrossing. Is this the same DAC that Slinger uses? If so, what settings have you settled on, Paul?
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 31, 2021 14:00:12 GMT
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 31, 2021 14:06:33 GMT
And for the previous few days this little pile was providing the entertainment. Benchmark DAC1 HDR - now sold. It's very good, but I've had one before - and I relearned the lesson that I shouldn't revisit gear I'd sold on. The Benchmark has a switchable remote controlled preamp function, but I preferred that turned off. The Myryad pre is very transparent, and will be sticking around a while for future partnering opportunities, and trades delicacy and refinement for the heft and wallop available from my NAD M15 pre.
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Post by brian2957 on Jan 31, 2021 14:55:28 GMT
I thought the Teac UD H01 DAC had similar characteristics Jerry . It didn't last long before being sold
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Post by jandl100 on Jan 31, 2021 15:05:19 GMT
I thought the Teac UD H01 DAC had similar characteristics Jerry . It didn't last long before being sold Hmm, yes, playing around trying to make it work for me atm!
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Post by julesd68 on Jan 31, 2021 15:24:17 GMT
The Benchmark has a switchable remote controlled preamp function, but I preferred that turned off. The Myryad pre is very transparent, and will be sticking around a while for future partnering opportunities, and trades delicacy and refinement for the heft and wallop available from my NAD M15 pre. Whilst it's very convenient to control volume by DAC not all DAC's are well sorted in this department, so I agree it's good to keep a decent preamp handy.
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Post by Slinger on Jan 31, 2021 15:28:45 GMT
The Teac UD H01 that Brian disliked is the one I've got, and like. Well, it was bound to be, wasn't it. I'll have to put it down to synergy or something as I've never wanted to change it since I bought it new. TBH It might be bettered by a more modern DAC, as it was around 10 or 11 years ago that I bought it, but I'm happy with the sound so I'm going with " If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Followed by " I can only afford to bugger about with one system, and my main system ain't it."
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