Gustardx26 pro vs RME ADI2FS

@recluse thanks for the link to the first article that you cited in this thread. I’m a big fan of Nelson Pass-and it was building and listening to an amp camp amp from DIY that opened my eyes to the comments I made earlier. It really had a tube sound without tubes which pass explains as introducing second order and even order harmonics which we find pleasing and which tubes also do. I suspect that there might be a natural/evolutionary reason for this which I can’t offer but it seems to be the fact that even with live music we find the same harmonics pleasing.
i’m thinking of building the F6 this winter possibly.

by the way when discussions get heated on this subject, as they often do here, I harken back to a comment from Nelson Pass to the effect that “this is the entertainment industry, why don’t you just have fun?“

@jjss49 Great analogy!

@jjss49    +1

Hey all and especially @jjss49, I owe you an apology for acting like a jerk in my previous posts. I should’ve written my original reply to the OP more clearly. I can certainly see how I caused confusion given how it was worded.

@bruce and @jjss49
I can appreciate systems that strive for ultimate fidelity to the recording or that ’embellish’ the sound in an attempt to recreate a lost moment in time. I have two examples in my home - one based around the Benchmark AHB2 and the other driven by Bottlehead 2A3 Paramours that I assembled from a kit. I listen to and highly enjoy both.

I also agree that people can end up chasing their own tails sometimes when trying out different components in search of ’perfect’ sound. These days, I tend to look at and analyze measurements a lot more than I used to. I also like to try out sound tests such as those on Audiocheck.net to test my perception of different aspects that affect audio reproduction. I think it gives me a way to focus on what really matters so that the changes I make in the future are more deliberate instead of getting carried away by the flavor of the month. In other words, I don't want to get off the audiophile treadmill, but I do want to slow it down.

An RME uses an off-board power supply. You can use a cheap wallwart or upgrade to something better. I run my RME off a 12v Li battery, which is orders of magnitude better than any power on the planet. It made a dramatic difference in sound.

Whether it sound better than the custard I don’t know, but it sounds a lot better than it did with a wallwart.