Audio Science Review = Rebuttal and Further Thoughts
@crymeanaudioriver @amir_asr You are sitting there worrying if this or that other useless tweak like a cable makes a sonic difference.
I don’t worry about my equipment unless it fails. I never worry about tweaks or cables. The last time I had to choose a cable was after I purchased my first DAC and transport in 2019. I auditioned six and chose one, the Synergistic Research Atmosphere X Euphoria. Why would someone with as fulfilling a life as me worry about cables or tweaks and it is in YOUR mind that they are USELESS.
@prof "would it be safe to say you are not an electrical designer or electrical engineer? If so, under what authority do you make the following comment" - concerning creating a high end DAC out of a mediocre DAC.
Well, I have such a DAC, built by a manufacturer of equipment and cables for his and my use. It beat out a $9,000 COS Engineering D1v and $5,000 D2v by a longshot. It is comparable to an $23,000 Meridian Ultradac. Because I tried all the latter three in comparison I say this with some authority, the authority of a recording engineer (me), a manufacturer (friend) and many audiophiles who have heard the same and came to the same conclusion.
Another DAC with excellent design engineer and inferior execution is the Emotiva XDA-2. No new audio board but 7! audiophile quality regulators instead of the computer grade junk inside, similar high end power and filter caps, resistors, etc. to make this into a high end DAC on the very cheap ($400 new plus about the same in added parts).
@russ69 We must be neighbors. I frequented Woodland Hills Audio Center back in the 70s and 80s. I heard several of Arnie’s speakers including a the large Infinity speakers in a home.
@prof , your gear is quality stuff, agreed. Hope you can post pics sometime. I would recommend swapping out the Node for the NAD C658 streamer. It is a much better match to the higher level gear you have AND it comes with a microphone and a dsp software called DIRAC. Will take 10 minutes to run and will measure it and correct the room problems to the degree possible. I know you don't need it as a DAC but the DIRAC dsp software is worth it, even if you just use it as a streaming source. |
I think this is absolutely the correct order to do things. There’s a bit of re-iteration of the whole cycle I guess, at least for me as I learned/experienced more of amp-speaker-room interaction.
Glad it made sense. I tried DSP first a while back but learned (for example) you can’t just pour power into a serious null. Adding a Krell helped (even a baby one) but drivers have limits. DSP gain increases distortion of course so you want to get as far as you can before that. This time when I did listening I used my usual music but also stepped test tones. When it got to that 70-80 Hz null in the original position it sounded like a giant grabbed the speaker by the throat and squeezed, Move the speaker out of the giant's reach, it needs to breathe. |
Kota1, Thank you for the recommendation. However I have no need for the NAD. I'm very aware of DIRAC - the AVSforum especially has been a DIRAC love-fest for many years. I listen to records more than digital these days and prefer not to digitize my analog system. If only out of conceptual purity :-) I also tried subwoofers - JL Audio, their CR-1 crossover, and the Dspeaker Anti-mode. I preferred my speakers without all of that and sold it off. I'm pretty old school I guess. |
@kota1 You’ve done a very impressive job correcting your room sound from the speakers alone (quite bumpy). Looks really flat after correction. Back in the mid-1980s, I was fortunate to hear Conrad Johnson’s top pre-amp (don’t remember the name), an Audio Research SP 8 and an SP 10 (I don’t remember which of the 7 versions). I was amazed at how dark and closed in sounding the CJ pre-amp was, even compared to my highly modified Dynaco PAS--3. The SP8 was just as warm sounding but the soundstage was so much larger, more open. The SP10 blew me away. Great soundstage, 3 dimensional sound and wide frequency response. I couldn’t afford and it uses a lot of tubes. A year later I acquired a Fisher 400 CX tube preamp for free from an estate. It sounded almost as good as the SP10, a little darker and less open. Musically it was great. I sold it for a nice profit. At the time, I didn’t realize how good it would be even today but my tech guy back then said his Dynaco was "purer" sounding. I have heard since the 80’s maybe 4 CJ preamps and at least 5 CJ amps. My neighbor had the CJ Art 27A running into the tweeter and mid of a YG Sonja 2.3. It sounded lovely on small ensembles, voices and non-percussive instruments. He has a PS Audio BHK 250 amp for piano, rock and orchestra/opera. Well the CJ sounded very warm with lesser resolution than the BHK. The latter has NOS input tubes and has a dynamic and wide open sound although not ideal for voices. So, he has two separate sounding amps (sold the CJ, bought a highly modified Dynaco ST 70) in a tri-amped system (bass and subs have big Class D amps). He listens to music on each amp dependent on the type of music. This appears similar to prof choice of using the clean and clear wide open sound of the Benchmark L4 and the more seductive, warm albeit more distorted sound of the CJ preamp. That’s an easier choice than maintaining separate speakers/rooms to do the same. Luckily, I have cool running Class A/B 125 watt voltage regulated monoblock tube amps that play anything and most speakers (I haven’t tried them on impedances below 2 ohms but they will play well with 85 db speakers). The funny thing is that my 2nd system amp, a voltage regulated highly modified Dynaco 70 35 watts has great control versus my back-up to the 2nd system which is an EAR 890, a class A zero global feedback, super heater/hot running 70 amp which can’t control 3 12" woofers per side. Sounds great on the Signature IIIs 3 10" woofers. |
