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New DAC - better low resolution digital music performance?

Has anyone experienced this, where a DAC upgrade shrunk the perceived enjoyment difference between low and high resolution digital music files?  After setting up a new DAC and optimizing cables and power supply, I am shocked at how much the performance separation has closed between file formats. AAC files now sound pretty good irrespective of genre, and it has me reexamining the value proposition of expensive hi res downloads.  I would add that for hi res material, it is now much easier for me to distinguish between recording quality, venue, engineering decisions - so that performance improved as well, just not as much as it did for low resolution digital music.

Hans Beekhuyzen has some thoughts on this, and claims that better digital playback systems can eliminate noise associated with severe upsampling of low res material.  My recent subjective experience bears this out.

A qualification, this is for all files played from a hard drive, not streaming. I still am not sold on streaming for critical listening, but feel it’s fine for background listening and exploring new music.  This across multiple systems of varying quality.  Hard wire to source is still hard to beat.

kn

knownothing
ghdprentice
8,292 posts
 

It sounds to me that the new DAC increased the rhyme and pace... adding to the musicality of the system and letting you relax from concentrating on the details. 

To me, while there are lots of imporant parameters in a system, ultimately the most important is rhythm and pace. It is probably the hardest to directly sense and most important as to the musical enjoyment. I have observed that the more rhythm and pace a system has the more I listen (and enjoy) the music versus concentrating on the system. 

Your key observation is perceived enjoyment (a very good one, by the way). 

 

akg_ca's avatar
akg_ca
2,415 posts
 

 

 

(1) Many erroneously believe that the secret to a good DAC lies in just choosing a “high-end” converter chip. While this is important, we know that the essence of the musicality also resides in the line signal processing stages, the power supplies (transformers, filtering, regulation), the digital signal processing before conversion, the quality of the key components: clocks, transistors, capacitors, etc.

(2) An upgraded quality DAC is intuitively important, but is just one factor in the audio performance improvement matrix .You already highlighted the key item from Hans …” …. that better digital playback that better digital playback systems (emphasis added ) can eliminate noise associated with severe upsampling of low res material 

In Hans’ assorted videos , that “system” is all of an upgraded dac, upgraded digital file streamer/ network player, upgraded linear power supplies, audiophile network switches, audiophile grade Ethernet cables, and a direct router-to-streamer/network player streaming with cable connections in lieu of wireless wherever possible,

gkelly's avatar
gkelly
553 posts
 

I experienced pretty much what you describe about being concerned about which files you listen to. Only this happened when I purchased a better network streamer than the one that came in the Marantz. might I suggest you revisit your feelings about critical listening with a streamer. I think a lot of people overlook the importance of a good streamer with so many people claiming it’s just a computer in a box. This may be true, but apparently these companies have some magic music dust that they’re sprinkling inside these boxes. It’s worth a look trust me. enjoy the day 🎼

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