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Post by MikeMusic on Sept 3, 2018 9:12:11 GMT
The system did a job. Not entirely convinced as to how well.
I knew there was more expensive kit and assumed it would sound better.
Hearing Martin's system staggered me. The improvements I have put in place have improved the sound more than I could have imagined. The system at the moment is wonderful. If I can get more music at a sensible price I'd be at least interested.
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Post by brettj on Sept 5, 2018 0:00:46 GMT
My purchases of the last 6 months are my final ones for each item. These a little more expensive than I usually buy. I'm closer to 60 than 50. This cannot continue forever. So, ATC SCM 19 speakers. Audience AU24 Sx RCA interconnects. Arriving: Beresford SEG Dac with Coherent Mods and super capped PSU. Just leaves my amp, digital cable and speaker cables. Someone suggested getting your ears cleaned. May do that as well! "Sounds like a very nice system, Brett." Started the process with a pair of Mission M71, and a Nakamichi DR3. Before that, I kept away from Hifi shops; simply couldn't afford it. Couldn't believe the difference, using my Plinius 2c/7b pre/power amp from 1986 and the Mission M71 speakers. Started to see (hear) what I had been missing out on. This has continued as budget (and permission) has allowed. Was thinking of upgrading my Perreaux R200i, but would need to be a significant step up to consider it.
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Post by MartinT on Sept 5, 2018 5:51:06 GMT
always listen to your music, not your hi-fi Amen to that. I have to add in, though, that the better the hi-fi works, the wider the range of musical pleasure you gain. I find myself listening to all manner of genres that I wouldn't have given time to in the past. As for journey's end, I'm not quite there yet but I do feel a plateau coming along. For me, it's a very high level of performance and I am getting a lot of musical pleasure from wandering through Spotify listening to what it discovers for me.
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Post by John on Sept 5, 2018 6:33:39 GMT
I do find myself appreciating a more diverse styles of music these days. It is very easy to get caught up in listening to system changes rather than the music.
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Post by jandl100 on Sept 5, 2018 6:59:18 GMT
As for journey's end, I'm not quite there yet but I do feel a plateau coming along. For me, it's a very high level of performance and I am getting a lot of musical pleasure from wandering through Spotify listening to what it discovers for me. Yes, I have to confess to a feeling of plateau-ing. I'm not that pleased about it - I enjoy the boxswap shenanigans. Very worrying. I am sure I can get the system better, but I don't feel the need. It hits the spot and I'm wary of slipping down the other side of the plateau rather than up. And internet music streaming is partly to blame - so much to explore so easily now. Might have to rename my system blog thread from "an ever-changing story" to "stuck in a rut and happy about it".
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Post by ChrisB on Sept 5, 2018 7:24:57 GMT
Best start a new system then Jerry. One purely intended for experiments in 'Jerry's Box-Swappery Lab'
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Post by Tim on Sept 5, 2018 13:41:14 GMT
I'm not going anywhere. I can still contribute: when has knowing nothing about a subject, or a particular piece of kit, stopped someone from waffling on endlessly about it on a hi-fi forum? I've been doing that for 6 years now Slinger, most kit does nothing for me personally, but I can still waffle on with the best of them
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Post by brettj on Sept 5, 2018 22:34:10 GMT
I do find myself appreciating a more diverse styles of music these days. It is very easy to get caught up in listening to system changes rather than the music. I am now able to listen to my wife's music, and appreciate the musicianship... Actually celebrate it!
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Post by MartinT on Jan 24, 2020 7:07:03 GMT
Hey Slinger, I don't believe we've read much about your Weiliang DAC with the ES9038 chipset (the same as my LKS). How about a proper review?
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Post by Slinger on Jan 24, 2020 13:57:35 GMT
Hey Slinger , I don't believe we've read much about your Weiliang DAC with the ES9038 chipset (the same as my LKS). How about a proper review? Not much to say really, Martin. As you can see from the original post in this thread my judgement is suspect anyway as my " journey's end" setup has now shifted from a Pi/Volumio/SMSL system to an ATB/Volumio/Weiliang system. I don't, as I've said before, "do" reviews. It's a great piece of kit, it's better than the SMSL, more musical, which is the only way I judge things, but with the whole system, apart from amp, CD player, and speakers (which are about to get temporarily replaced with my MA Silver RX2s as an experiment) having changed, a lot of the improvement is down to synergy, and AudioQuest, obviously. For the price I'd have to say that the Weiliang is unbeatable. It probably isn't, but I'd have to say it.
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Post by John on Jan 24, 2020 14:06:36 GMT
I thought it uses the same chip as the Topping D70
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Post by MartinT on Jan 24, 2020 14:10:49 GMT
It's a great piece of kit, it's better than the SMSL, more musical, which is the only way I judge things Good enough - that'll do! You've had no more system scope creep than I have!
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Post by Slinger on Jan 24, 2020 14:28:48 GMT
I thought it uses the same chip as the Topping D70 It does, John, it's a dual AK4997EQ DAC. As far as I can remember, the version I went for even has the same USB implementation as the D70. The major difference was the price, at £292.20.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 24, 2020 15:23:35 GMT
Oh, in that case I must have misremembered the model you have. I thought it used the Sabre chipset.
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Post by Barrington on Jan 24, 2020 21:05:23 GMT
Oh, in that case I must have misremembered the model you have. I thought it used the Sabre chipset. My OPPO 205 has that DAC chip (ES9038) , they knew they were making their last player so only put the good stuff in
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Post by Slinger on Jan 28, 2020 14:50:05 GMT
Just a brief follow-up about the Weiliang DAC. As usual with these Chinese DACs there are a variety of "filters" to try, which I duly did. I eventually selected the one that gave me, in my opinion, the best all-round sound. What I didn't account for was the DAC " running in" or whatever. Although it sounded progressively better I never thought about the filters until now. I've just been through them all again and I've found one that I previously discounted but which now makes the run-in DAC sound even better in my opinion. You live and (probably fail to) learn.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 28, 2020 15:23:50 GMT
I've just been through them all again and I've found one that I previously discounted but which now makes the run-in DAC sound even better in my opinion. Which filter do you use? I have a specific preference, too. Just wonder if we like the same topology.
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Post by Slinger on Jan 28, 2020 15:32:27 GMT
I've just been through them all again and I've found one that I previously discounted but which now makes the run-in DAC sound even better in my opinion. Which filter do you use? I have a specific preference, too. Just wonder if we like the same topology. I've gone from "Low Delay" to "Slow Roll," both of which are equally meaningless I suspect.
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Post by MartinT on Jan 28, 2020 15:41:49 GMT
I use SLOW-M which is slow rolloff Minimum Phase, the same as was on my Ayre SACD player. It preserves leading edge transients free of ringing (moving it to the trailing edge) and improves the realism of dynamic transients. It sounds like yours may be similar.
Is there a wonderful bit of Chinglish to describe Slow Roll?
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Post by Slinger on Jan 28, 2020 16:58:08 GMT
I use SLOW-M which is slow rolloff Minimum Phase, the same as was on my Ayre SACD player. It preserves leading edge transients free of ringing (moving it to the trailing edge) and improves the realism of dynamic transients. It sounds like yours may be similar. Is there a wonderful bit of Chinglish to describe Slow Roll? Are you imagining that there was some sort of written instruction booklet that came with it? I've just done a comparison with the Topping D70 filters, as I was remarking the other day about the similarities, right down to the USB implementation... | TOPPING | WEILIANG | MODE 1 | Sharp Roll-Off | SHARP ROLL | MODE 2 | Slow Roll-Off | SLOW ROLL | MODE 3 | Short Delay Sharp Roll-Off | SHORT SHARP | MODE 4 | Short Delay Slow Roll Off | SHORT SLOW
| MODE 5 | Super Slow Roll-Off | SUPER SLOW | MODE 6 | Low Dispersion Short Delay | LOW DELAY |
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