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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.

fleschler
fair
51 posts
 

@djones5

DACs are solved problems and have been for over 20 years.

My impression was that on a practical level the DAC problems were solved between 2007 and 2009. Several chips were introduced around that time, which made their way into professional studio gear I still encounter these days.

As to nowadays, more DAC distortions were introduced for audiophiles since then, to fight alleged "dry" and "analytical" sound typical of highly accurate DACs. One example is modern R2R DACs.

I'd say instead of using R2R and hybrid DACs, do what professionals do: if you are unhappy with a dry sound, just crank up your Culture Vulture, and enjoy "warm", "meaty", "weighty" distortions.

Those professionals who prefer mixing and mastering exclusively "in a box" - that is, inside a Digital Audio Workstation software - employ all kinds of distortion plugins, adding "meat" and "warmth" to sound. Worth trying too.

tantejuut
125 posts
 

Rude, snooty, snobbiness is exactly what can give audiophiles a bad name. It's what I ran into in ASR, and now I'm seeing it here, too. I thought we were in this hobby to relax and enjoy our gear and the music it reproduces.  

Audiophiles are über sensitive nerds. They all want to be an authority or just being right. Therefore, other people must be incompetent. Having the 'best' sound system is just a representation of competiveness. I went recently to an audio show and all I got was belittling. I don't care, I see it as an act of brittle ego's. 

At the end it just the music what matters.

westcoastaudiophile
310 posts
 

@djones51 latest AKM AK4499EQ chip (2x in my DAC) cost is in-between $100-$200, depending on purchase quantity. 

herbreichert's avatar
herbreichert
34 posts
 

please forgive me for stating the obvious:

 

Anyone can google the part numbers of the parts in the Benchmark (or any amplification) and see what they are exactly, and how they are specified to perform. 

 

The Mouser or DigiKey descriptions should explain why the designer's choose it.

 

I do this all the time especially with power-transformers 

 

hr

thyname's avatar
thyname
3,107 posts
 

@herbreichert : could you please elaborate a bit more on what you said above for those who don't have the patience to google Benchmark parts by part number?

By the way, are you THE Herb Reichert?

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