@fleschler in your case Ti BB outdated DAC chip could be limiting factor by itself.. also, I don’t see post-DA converter and filter / ref-clk design details, therefore it’s hard to say what affects midrange in your case.
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.
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It could be just the SPDIF as the streaming section sounds okay (only checked with iPhone USB connection). There are two SPDIF inputs and one lacks bass response with an even leaner sound compared to the other. Design or implementation flaw somewhere. I'm selling it. Again, manufacturers often do not provide details of their design (often considered proprietary) and/or measurements. |
Just read their review of the SMSL M500 MKIII, where they said that the XLR and USB ports are too close together and you cannot remove the right XLR cable when the USB is plugged in since spacing on the back is too tight (design flaw). Yet everyone including Amir just loved it! If what's on the outside where everyone can see is flawed I wonder about worse design flaws on the inside. Too many reviews where the first post is like the second coming and by the end post the flaws start showing up and you have to send the broken thing back to China. I don't mind reading their test results but wouldn't buy anything they recommend unless it is also recommended by sites I trust. |
@ddd1 +1
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This is a non sequitur, but I listened to the top measured products on ASR compared to some which measured worse, and I was shocked at how bad the top ones sounded by comparison. Because of course, they are not measuring everything you can hear. Like a good magician setting up a card trick, Amir will narrow your lens of perception before the trick begins. Never thought about that forum again after that.
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