Tobias
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 275
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Post by Tobias on Sept 5, 2024 10:02:52 GMT
One thing that recently caught my attention is all the interviews with Peter Qvortrup of AudioNote and especially when he talks about digital. I find it fascinating that many regard AudioNote as the best of the best, cost-no-object, within digital audio (CD and DAC). Even if we don´t agree on that, it is a testament of how far you can take digital without using any new technology. They basically use ancient technology but apply extreme (i mean, really extreme!) attention to the noise factor, in the digital domain. (CD, not streaming. But the digital concept is still the same) I have to say that i sort of start to understand his thinking, that you can´t remove noise with added technology since technology is noise... (sort of). Much of the trickery in new DAC´s is about removing noise, using technology (like jitter reduction), even though that process itself is associated with some level of noise. According to him, new technology is often a way to reduce production cost (increase margins) instead of applying the correct measures for audio, which is often expensive, if done right. I have basically watched all his YT interviews (linked) and i find them very fascinating and enlightening. Even if we might not agree, what he is saying is for sure thought provoking and very interesting. (in my mind, he is probably even 100% correct) What is your view on his thoughts? Do we have a lot to learn by thinking more like him instead of focusing on the latest and greatest in digital audio? All the YT videos: www.youtube.com/results?search_query=peter+qvortrupOne of my favorites: Another shorter one focused on digital: |
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Tobias
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 275
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Post by Tobias on Sept 5, 2024 12:00:11 GMT
I forgot to mention that even if his interviews and products are somewhat old by now, i think all of us that has played around with streaming noise reduction can relate to what he was saying back then.
In my opinion he basically seem to nail most of the things in digital, at least from what many of us is now experiencing when playing around with noise reduction before the DAC.
In the CD era it was hard for us non-DIY:ers to confirm any of these claims...
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Post by HD Music & Test on Sept 5, 2024 12:08:37 GMT
All I will say Tobias is this regarding AN (UK) it has a certain quite coloured sound, it does deliver a bouncy and musical sound that is infectious (unlike Kondo Japan which is the empitome of audiophile heaven for a quite a few) Currently I have a Dac5 & Transport 5 signature which has been further inproved along with Gakon 211's etc. If you want a much more involving and similar sound for very sesnible output then try Abbas its ripe for tinkering The AN digital front end was replaced by a combination that at retail were less than 1/8 of the cost |
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Tobias
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 275
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Post by Tobias on Sept 5, 2024 12:20:08 GMT
Great input, thanks a lot!
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Post by MartinT on Sept 5, 2024 13:13:48 GMT
Whenever I have heard an AudioNote system at shows, I have found it conveys music very well but often the scale is missing due to quite small speaker designs and limited power. So, on the one hand, I can sit and relax to their presentation, but on the other hand their systems are not for me.
I'll watch the YTs later.
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Tobias
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 275
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Post by Tobias on Sept 5, 2024 13:41:11 GMT
Whenever I have heard an AudioNote system at shows, I have found it conveys music very well but often the scale is missing due to quite small speaker designs and limited power. So, on the one hand, I can sit and relax to their presentation, but on the other hand their systems are not for me. I'll watch the YTs later. Thanks for sharing. I have never heard it my self... From what i understand, when reading/watching recent reviews on their DAC´s, they are very transparent and doesn´t really seem to have a sound of its own. (if that is correct...?) I understand that their sound signature is very much related to their Amp and Speakers but the digital end actually seem to be very transparent despite using "old" technology. Even good for the money, on their entry DAC´s (but probably mostly if you feed them very clean signals?) I guess they are not alone in this space since we have a lot of these types of companies, like Lampizator DAC´s and others using old Philips chipsets, and so on... The interesting part here was hearing his philosophies about digital, i felt. |
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Post by John on Sept 5, 2024 16:41:21 GMT
Like Martin I heard a few AN systems I like but not for me
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Post by HD Music & Test on Sept 5, 2024 17:16:05 GMT
AN & Transparancy er...................................NO, that is not what they are about. I remember a few years demonstrating to that owner of the AN sig system including the three box 10 pre amplifier. A very modest dac in copmaparision which showed it the way home both is staging depth and detail with greater bass depth and flow. The AN had better tonal reproduction and depth of sound with as Martin says an ease to the sound which is it biggest selling point along with the musicallity. Cost difference between that CDT & Dac agianst the AN sig 5 pairing about 88K lol the AN was better all round maybe 15% tops lol
Transparancy quite a way off even a modest Ideon EOS or Wavelight, but as you know music reproduction isn't just about transparancy it conjures emotional responces along with trailing note decay, articulation and involvement.
Transparancy kings are MSB Select II's(The new Cascade is quite sepcial as well)The Absolute meta, Esoteric Gransdiso mono's, the undisputed ruler here by around 20 light years is the Wadax Atantis reference now in a modest six box version to keep ahead of the dcs Varese effort though it would cost a damn fine deposit on most agreeable place top reside!!!
BUT again you would need amplification & speakers to obtain the true performnaces of these pieces of equipment at that point, you could retire rather well lol
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Tobias
Rank: Quartet
Posts: 275
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Post by Tobias on Sept 5, 2024 17:45:03 GMT
AN & Transparancy er...................................NO, that is not what they are about. I remeber a few years demonstrating to that owner of the AN sig system including the three box 10 pre amplifier. A very modest dac in copmaparision which showed it the way home both is staging depth and detail with greater bass depth and flow. The AN had better tonal reproduction and depth of sound with as Martin says an ease to the sound which is it biggest selling point along with ther musicallity. Transparancy quite a way off even a modest Ideon EOS or Wavelight, but as know music reproduction isn't just about transparancy it conjures emotional responces along with trailing note decay, articulation and involvement. Transparncy kings are MSB Select II's(The new Cascade is quite sepcial as well)The Absolute meta, Esoteric Gransdiso mono's, the undisputed ruler here by around 20 light years is the Wadax Atantis reference now in a modest six box version to keep ahead of the dcs Varese effort though it would cost a damn fine deposit on most agreeable place top reside!!! BUT again you would need amplification & speakers to obtain the true performnaces of these pieces of equipment at that point, you could retire rather well lol Again, thanks for sharing! Great information. Much appreciated. |
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