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Not wasting my time on new Digital

Well guys, I have disappointing news:

Getting all hyped being a tech guy, tried out a new $9000 top flying Integrated CD player, with the apparently best design and parts including Anagram algorithms and ……..

I don’t know boys, this is my second disappointing experience with new digital gear.
I am not going to mention any manufactures that I have been disappointed with.
I have a very nice system to my ears to name a few products including Sonus Faber (Electa Amator mk1 to be exact) Apogee’s, Audio research and more…….

Decided to try some new sources of course and I was told all sort of things and parts and man oh man, the reviews and well to my ears other than my original Oracle turntable and my newer VPI table, my older DAC’s sound much more musical. WHY? WHY? WHY?

New technology, new ideas, new designs, new engineering and we see to be going behind rather that forward. I still like my original Theta Gen V and even my Bel Canto DAC for a fraction of the cost, even my Micromega DAC hands down.

Anyway are there any other people experience the same thing, by the way I have tried some very serious stuff and out of the pricy gear…meridian and Spectral (Spectral SDR-2000 with no upgrades and still sounds amazing) stays on top of my listing.

Appreciate any input.

Cheers - rapogee
rapogee
rapogee OP
256 posts
 
Mre2007:

No upsampling on those units, the micromega is a bit-stream design which was always on the warmer side to begin with but dont have quite the resolution of the very best today but it seem to be more enjoyable listening, as far as keeping it simple, its works but not always.....I DID NOT LIKE THE AUDIONOTE DAC! They said its warm like Analog, I disagree for sure, it might be tweeked to sound "warm" but I will not compensate loosing resolution for warm assured. I still do love the Micromega and scary enough, some well made 16 bit X 4 times oversampling units in the past. GO FIGURE!
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rapogee OP
256 posts
 
Even Meridians older stuff for example (500 Transport and 563 DAC combo) for just over a grand today, I do not know how much more information you can squeez out of a cd and that is if you actually need that extra information is another thing, sometimes too much is not that much when you are listening and enjoying. I don’t analyze music any more since I have learnt to listen more as the years have gone by. I still end up going back looking for new LP’s and it shouldn’t be that way today when convenience for software use is vital these days. Well I am glad I am not alone after reading some of your responses.
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drubin
3,274 posts
 
Very interesting discussion. Makes me want to hear some of this retro stuff.

How does the Channel Islands DAC stack up, does anyone know? Price is sure
right.
boa2's avatar
boa2
1,551 posts
 
It occurs to me that the majority of sweeping conclusions expressed in these threads are drawn upon a very small sampling of in-home listening experiences. I understand your disappointment with two newer digital players, but how does that account for the other 100+ options available in today's marketplace?

This is no different than those who damn all expensive power cords after having tried one or two. Or slam speaker manufacturers for a model they heard ten years earlier. I too have heard a number of players--upsampled and not--that did not produce sound that IMO warranted their high price. On the other hand, I've heard others--older, newer, pricey and not--that sounded amazing. It all depends upon whether or not you're willing to find the right combination, one that works with your other components, your choice of music, your sonic preferences, and with your room...often with no rewarding payoff for 300 hours or more!

It's no small feat to replace one's reference, and neither a high price or a specified technology is any guarantee of successfully making that leap. But I assure you, even this empathetic lover of vinyl has heard some killer digital.
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