Six DAC Comparison

I doubt that many folks go for PRaT only. Over my time pursuing the high end I ran into PRaT only systems, and was shockingly moved… but kept going because while they were incredibly emotionally involving… but they had wacko tonal balance and and or the absence of detail. But I also found details and slam are about the easiest thing to get in a system… then tonal balance and imaging. But if you get these without PRaT… you end up with a great sounding system without soul… one that will not emotional involve the listener.

If I were to do it over again… I would follow PRaT as an absolute requirement and midrange bloom with good tonal balance and then look for better detail and more slam. I think I would have had more enjoyable systems along the way. But I had to learn and evolve and honestly PRaT was the last parameter I learned to hear / identify. Then it all fell into place. Now I have it all great PRaT, tonal balance, detail, imaging and nuanced bass. I am sure I would have got here one way or another… I guess I am just happy I did.

One of my friends that I helped assemble a great system over the last few years sent me a message last week. It said that he is not an outwardly emotional guy (I agree). But he was brought to tears several times listening to a song. That had never happened to him before. I am really happy to hear this, because it was the great PRaT in his system that did it.

@soix

I know some people who are big into PRaT and I confess I just don’t get it. Give me tonality and a good 3D soundstage and I’m a happy camper, so this toe-tapping PRaT thing is just totally lost on me if someone here can actually explain it. And here’s the thing — I’m a drummer so if anyone should be sensitive to PRaT I’d think it’d be me so I think it’s just something else maybe I’m just not sensitive to that others perceive. What gives???

 

What gives, given that you’re a drummer? I dunno!

I should clarify that while PRaT doesn’t trump tonality for me, it is crucial to my enjoyment. However, PRaT was never on my radar until I bought my Hegel H390. Reviewers had described how it "pushes the music along" (maybe not in those exact words, but something to that effect). I was intrigued but having never experienced this phenomenon, it remained purely conceptual. . . until I began listening with the Hegel in the system. I noticed I could not listen without drumming along on the arms of the big ol’ Mission rocker that serves as my listening chair. And that hasn’t stopped being the case. I don’t know whether PRaT enhances emotional engagement. It certainly enhances PHYSICAL engagement and I suppose it could be argued that if the body and emotions are simultaneously engaged, it makes for a more "global" sense of engagement. . . IF you are "wired" accordingly.

Sounds like you are not, despite your chosen instrument. I guess this goes to show how different we can be and still be equally addicted to music. . . which is pretty cool. A common way to think about music as a universal language is its capacity to cross cultural boundaries. Another way to think about it might be its capacity to engage listeners who prioritize differing aspects.

Finally, it strikes me as somewhat ironic that genres that lean very much on the rhythmic aspect, such Rap and Funk, don’t appeal to me. My only explanation is that it’s due to the relative absence of melodic and harmonic content. Yet, I’ve always loved Blues.

Classical music, with its abundance of melodic and harmonic content, tends to bore me, due to the fact that its rhythms simply don’t bring my body on board. So, what do I make of these apparent contradictions? I don’t understand them any more than I understand why PRaT doesn’t factor as a high priority for you.

I could say I find Jazz very appealing because it marries a strong and complex rhythmic aspect to sophisticated melodic and harmonic content. For me, it’s the best of both worlds. But I wouldn’t be content only listening to Jazz!

Perhaps someday, there will be research into what makes any given individual respond more enthusiastically to one genre (or one aspect of sonics) than another. Until then, it appears to be fairly mysterious.

I guess, re: Jazz, that would be "best of three worlds". . . rhythm, melody. harmony.

@stuartk FYI, I'm still working with this site to fix my messaging issues.  I haven't forgotten about you 

Sorry for the interruption... Now back to your regular programming,

Best wishes,

Don

Michael Lavorgna just came out with his additional review of the Linear Tube Audio Aero DAC  - Part 2 Tube Rolling.

Fairly short and succent (generally a good thing), he tried five different tubes, in addition to the original tubes supplied by the manufacturer, and determined he liked three of the tube pairs better than the others, with his favorite being a pair of NOS Tung-Sol JAN-12SN7GT – Round Black Plate, Oval Mica tubes.  He found that the Tung-Sol tubes,

"offered a nicely balanced sound overall with an added touch of richness in tone and texture and more than a touch of extra air". 

Lavorgna contrasted his favorites with the original GE’s that came with the Aero, about which he said,

"getting back to the original GE’s that came with the Aero it became clear that they offer more apparent detail than the NOS tubes I preferred which emphasized that hardness I mentioned in my first review."

Interestingly, LTA offers two levels of Ray Tubes 6SN7s, Select and Reserve, for purchase separate from the DAC. 

Lavorgna ended with,

"Summing up, the tubes I preferred—

• Tung-Sol 12SN7GT,
• GE 12SX7GT(A),
• Ray Tubes Reserve 6SN7

—all brought out qualities that gave the LTA Aero DAC the kind of richness and rightness that suits my tastes to a T, bringing music to life in Barn and in me to a greater degree."

I find it nice that he took the additional time to share how changing tubes can change the sound of the LTA Aero DAC.  It gives the current and future owners of that DAC something to think about.