When is digital going to get the soul of music?

"Either they throw away dynamics, detail, and resolution but coax out a sweet tonal balance with much of the warmth of analog.

Or, they get resolution, drive and dynamics but the upper mid and high frequencies drive me from the room."

When I run my mhdt Paradisea with the NOS Tung Sol tube in my current rig, I would say it does extremely well in regards to delivering dynamics, detail and resolution with a touch of sweet tonal balance and nothing offensive in the highs.

With the stock RCA tube, more towards the first camp.

I also use an mhdt Constantine and it falls a notch or two more towards the second camp.

I've used these in several system configurations and can also say the specific results can vary greatly depending on what the rest of the system is.

Currently, these DACs are proving themselves to be amazing overachievers especially for the cost.

ALbert, if you are ever in Baltimore DC metro area with some time I'd be happy to give an audition if you are interested.

Indeed it is very hard to get details, dynamics and warmth but like with right tubes and system *synergy* (here we ago again- components, cabling and matched speakers) it is possible to get both, may be not to the fullest as experienced in real life but what I perceive is best possible today in audio reproduction.

If recordings is bad or compressed no digital (or vinyl for that matter) system in the world can make that hight freq nastiness go away and make it sound sweeter- not even mine ;-)

Boy that Kanye's new album is real good- musically, but recordings is horribly compressed. On the other hand say albums by Arcade fire or Deerhunter or The walkmen or Dave Holland's hands or Wynton Marsallis's Vitoria suite- all a pleasure to listen to.

Aplhifi,

Happy Christmas to you too!!! Time to spin some Chanticleer Christmas. Oh boy!!!!

It's so close to Christmas I think it's time to spin some serious holiday music:

Jingle

One of the few holiday CDs I'll play on my system.

Aplhifi and Nilthepill,

For me *System Synergy* = Combination of components, and accessories, and tweaking, that intentionally or by lucky coincidence minimises the level of "nasty", "micro" distortion, the bane of virtually all hifi gear.

If recordings is bad or compressed no digital (or vinyl for that matter) system in the world can make that hight freq nastiness go away and make it sound sweeter

Since I have experienced many times the complete opposite to that, I disagree 100%.

Since there is a bit of a groove happening here, I'll throw in my bit too: seasons greetings to all those who agree and disagree with me ...

Cheers,
Frank