Confused About Relative Sonic Impact of DAC VS. Transport

Once you reach a certain level of transparency in the system, all of the cables become very important. It seems to me there is always a bit of trade off between getting a high level of detail, yet retaining warmth and liquidity so many of us enjoy.

In general, and I mean very general, I have found the following to be true. Power cords can be very important, particularly the cord to the DAC. Try to avoid nickel plated connectors anywhere in the signal path. Silver, silver plated, and rhodium cables/connectors can add detail and air, but can “thin out” the sound, and lose some warmth (mids and bass). Copper and gold can be your friends. Gold plated connectors will add warmth. A power cord with a connector like an Oyaide P-079 might suit the DAC.

I have not listened to a Blue Jeans digital cable, so I can’t comment on it. But, I listened to a number of digital cables and they all sounded different. I ended up with not so cheap Jorma digital cable as it was the first cable in my system that rendered high details, was not grainy, and had some warmth.

Audio Bacon has a nice writeup on some digital cables. The article includes the Audio Art cable you mentioned previously (looks very similar to the DH labs cable I suggested with better connectors).

With the newer Heed transport it’s more than likely you won’t need to use the reclocker. The reclocker can’t necessarily fix the sonic characteristics of various cables. Different digital cables will sound different, and not just due to jitter. Also some CDs just sound better then others. Depends on the recording and mastering.

The Cardas digital cable may help. Cardas has a reputation for having warmer sounding cables.

steakster: I have a Wells Audio majestic integrated-- definitely on the warm side and runs in class A for the first (?) watts (don't recall). It definitely doesn't sound "thin". I was using a Jolida tube integrated and I tried a few SS state units that all sounded thin and sterile (including Parasound Halo, which is supposed to be great). The Wells is excellent.

I'm very sensitive to bright cables. I'm using Audio Art SC-5 SE speaker and what was, a couple years ago, Audio Art's top of the line Power cables. IC's are Audioquest Cheetahs. The cable from Synchromest to DAC is Steve's own bnc. 

No-- I'm not using power cond. A friend who was a PS Audio dealer brought over one of their big regeneration units and it made no audible improvement. He said I said "really clean" power.

This doesn't mean that "backwash" isn't occurring. How does one deal with this issue?

steakster: oops-- typo-- should read: he said I HAD "really clean power". 

mooglie: 

The challenge of retaining detail without fatigue and warmth without congestion is a familiar one, but my approach has always been to sacrifice detail for liquidity. Because my ears are really sensitive to highs,  I suspect I'm probably more content with a less articulate top end than many others. 

Having said that, when I first put the Heed into the system, the first thing I noticed was increased detail. And I really liked it! It wasn't until I'd done a lot of listening that I gradually became aware that the sound was, in fact, fatiguing. Funny how the brain can be so fixated on X that it doesn't even register the presence of Y.  

I will have to pull out the paperwork on my power cords (Audio Art's top of the line at the time of purchase), as I don't recall their metallurgical composition. I remember that they were available in two different configurations and the first one I tried resulted in what I can only describe as "smearing", so I went with the other and have been happy with them. 

The Audioquest Cheetah IC's are silver and worked very well when the Jolida was acting as transport. Maybe I ought to try switching THEM out. 

As it happens, I'm familiar with the Audio Bacon coax shoot-out. The adjectives the reviewer employed for the cable I've ordered: "liquid, dense and weighty, bloom-y, almost tube like, warmth that's more gold than silver", etc. all suggest a potential for compensating for what I'm currently not liking about the system.To what degree it will compensate remains to be heard. A buddy loaned me a Cardas coax which sounds only somewhat better to me than the Blue Jeans. I'm hoping the A.Art will have much greater impact.

If it does not, I'll consider trying a different power cable for the DAC. 

I may also try another transport. The Simaudio Neo 260T is in my price range and Sim has agreed to let me return it with no penalty if I don't like it. 

Finally, I am painfully aware that some CDs sound better than others. I  weed out the worst offenders as well as research which masterings are thought to be best.  


jbmack75: the thought of simplifying the equation and going back to a CDP has certainly crossed my mind ,lately. . . and more than once ! 

However, it seems likely that I will end up with a server once whatever I'm using to spin discs bites the dust, so hanging on to the DAC seems fiscally prudent, rather than selling it at a loss.