stereo5, The bottom line is that you didn’t believe my review. Shame on you. ;)
I’m going to put in some extended discussion here, not only because I’m disappointed in your skepticism, but as additional info for the community in general in such situations where products can be improved at low cost.
It’s the same as with tubes. Simply because a component can be improved does not mean it was not good sounding in stock form. Do not misread my review and misinterpret.
This is the nightmare for manufacturers who offer such improvements. Instead of fixing the product to allow no easy improvements, they hand the buyer a gift, then it is perceived to be some sort of problem How’s that for a no win for the manufacturer? Perhaps you would be happier if Kinki Studio soldered in cheap opamps like 99% of the companies?
Of course we all want the ultimate build, the ultimate sound for cheap. If the parts are not good enough and better are available, we complain. If the parts are too fancy and deemed unnecessary, we complain. This is the audiophile community, after all. :(
I have actually had to discuss with manufacturers how much of mod availability to a product should be discussed in a review because of this very perception problem in the community. If I put in an arcticle that I have done an improvement, then some yahoo goes to the manufacturer and gripes about it. NO, they can’t just pay a bit more money, or put in the effort, but instead it’s easiest to blame the manufacturer, or make other excuse for not getting their a-- off the couch and doing it.
Simply because theoretically a unit could be improved, there is always a percentage of the community that thinks that is a problem. Either the manufacturer didn’t give us the best, or it doesn’t sound that good because it wasn’t built with this or that part, etc. It can’t simply be that it’s a great product, a good design, and it can be tuned. No, that can’t be. It has to be a problem. :(
Then, there are the component makers who go to the limit, the extreme, and again, a percentage of the community, the objectivists or "thrifty" ones, are railing against them because of purportedly using parts that are not necessary and upcharging. I feel sorry for the manufacturers who have to deal with all this nonsense.
I happen to have in my rig right now, along with the incredible Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra Amplifiers the older Eastern Electric Minimax Tube DAC Supreme - with Sparkos Labs (among others used) upgrade discrete opamps. It was a GIFT of EE to NOT solder in some lame opamp that would not allow for the INCREDIBLE contouring of the DAC to any system. This community needs to learn that simply because a component is built to a cost point does not mean it has poor sound, AND if the maker generously allows upgrades, it should be seen as a benefit, not a problem.
Now, does this mean the EE DAC is better than all others, a "giant killer" that takes out DACs up to 3x price? Yes, about every fifth system. And, in about 80% of the time it doesn’t. So, will the Kinki Studio EX-M1+ with discrete opamps outperform components that cost 3x? No one knows, comparisons must be done. But, no one wants to do that; they just want to boast about what they think they know. Again, this is the audiophile community, after all. :)
I’m going to put in some extended discussion here, not only because I’m disappointed in your skepticism, but as additional info for the community in general in such situations where products can be improved at low cost.
It’s the same as with tubes. Simply because a component can be improved does not mean it was not good sounding in stock form. Do not misread my review and misinterpret.
This is the nightmare for manufacturers who offer such improvements. Instead of fixing the product to allow no easy improvements, they hand the buyer a gift, then it is perceived to be some sort of problem How’s that for a no win for the manufacturer? Perhaps you would be happier if Kinki Studio soldered in cheap opamps like 99% of the companies?
Of course we all want the ultimate build, the ultimate sound for cheap. If the parts are not good enough and better are available, we complain. If the parts are too fancy and deemed unnecessary, we complain. This is the audiophile community, after all. :(
I have actually had to discuss with manufacturers how much of mod availability to a product should be discussed in a review because of this very perception problem in the community. If I put in an arcticle that I have done an improvement, then some yahoo goes to the manufacturer and gripes about it. NO, they can’t just pay a bit more money, or put in the effort, but instead it’s easiest to blame the manufacturer, or make other excuse for not getting their a-- off the couch and doing it.
Simply because theoretically a unit could be improved, there is always a percentage of the community that thinks that is a problem. Either the manufacturer didn’t give us the best, or it doesn’t sound that good because it wasn’t built with this or that part, etc. It can’t simply be that it’s a great product, a good design, and it can be tuned. No, that can’t be. It has to be a problem. :(
Then, there are the component makers who go to the limit, the extreme, and again, a percentage of the community, the objectivists or "thrifty" ones, are railing against them because of purportedly using parts that are not necessary and upcharging. I feel sorry for the manufacturers who have to deal with all this nonsense.
I happen to have in my rig right now, along with the incredible Legacy Audio i.V4 Ultra Amplifiers the older Eastern Electric Minimax Tube DAC Supreme - with Sparkos Labs (among others used) upgrade discrete opamps. It was a GIFT of EE to NOT solder in some lame opamp that would not allow for the INCREDIBLE contouring of the DAC to any system. This community needs to learn that simply because a component is built to a cost point does not mean it has poor sound, AND if the maker generously allows upgrades, it should be seen as a benefit, not a problem.
Now, does this mean the EE DAC is better than all others, a "giant killer" that takes out DACs up to 3x price? Yes, about every fifth system. And, in about 80% of the time it doesn’t. So, will the Kinki Studio EX-M1+ with discrete opamps outperform components that cost 3x? No one knows, comparisons must be done. But, no one wants to do that; they just want to boast about what they think they know. Again, this is the audiophile community, after all. :)