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Went to CES this year to work on my transition to high Rez digital. I've heard many of the highly regarded players in my room or in others systems in the past. I'm actually very happy with my current cd based sound. As I listened to various DACS playing CD then high Rez, I was not bowled over. High rez was better, but only slightly so. The best (and most different) sound I heard happened to have one similarity. They were 2 non oversampling DACS with tube analog stages(Zanden and Ypsilon). These were without question the most natural sounding digital systems I heard at the show. They made CDsound miles ahead of high Rez. What gives?

PS: I understand the limitations of show auditions.
bflowers
agear
1,362 posts
 
Charles, my digital rig is very good but I will most likely be getting a L7 Lampizator. The issue with digital for me is by and large recording quality. You can listen to VanHalen on vinyl (which I did as a 12 yr old) while the digital version is garbage. Digital tends to pigeonhole the listener a little more and thus the existence of "audiophile" recordings, hi rez, DSD, etc.

I am also to some degree the prisoner of my OCD quest for that "live" sound. Pretty or pleasant sounding hifi puts me to sleep. My room or system delivers the closest I have heard to that sound in a home setting, and in that regard, it is a stunning achievement for Starsound. On the flip side, EVERY change is audible for better or for worse. I will get there though. What you will hear at CES will hopefully be a taste of the sort of "digital" that will inhabit my room in the not too distant future.
agear
1,362 posts
 
Bill, the ML3 Reference speakers sound very interesting and evokes thoughts of Dale Pitcher's speakers. Once you hear a probably grounded box (aka no box), there is no going back....
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
'Charles, most people who own SOTA vinyl and digital concurrently favor vinyl (Mike L. for example). Beyond that, people I trust who have nothing to sell still feel master tape is king. If digital works for you, great. Its a matter of goals and expectations. Its getting closer though as this and other threads indicate which is exciting.'

I sort of agree.

I was privy to the results of a little experiment where a rather good USB DAC was compared to a good vinyl system. The person doing it, and this is my view as well, thought the digital MURDERED the vinyl - much more life, detail and 'rightness' to my ears. The vinyl sounded dull and muffled. Guess what - to the total shock of the person doing the comparison about 50% preferred the vinyl, and 50% the digital. The exact areas the digital guys thought was way ahead - detail, and life was described by the vinyl brigade as a digital edge - what they called resolution and organic flow digital guys described as dull and lack of life.

The truth is not that digital or vinyl is better - it's rather we all lock onto different things.

I hasten to add this was not a uber expensive vinyl system - I have been assured by people whose ears I trust they can, and do, exceed the best digital.

But exactly how many have systems in that league?

Thanks
Bill
bhobba's avatar
bhobba
303 posts
 
'Can you do an experiment? Convert some of your favorite PCM files to DSD64 or DSD128 using JRiver 19 Media Center, as I feel their PCM to DSD modulator is superb. Once done, feed the resulting DSD files through your MPD-3 and see what happens against your PCM DAC playing the same PCM files?'

I haven't got time for that right now - next few weeks here in Australia is Cricket and Tennis season and my time will be taken up with that.

But from my experience I think you are correct - it would likely improve things quite a bit.

What I do know of is experiments done with a Killer DAC where the output of a master tape was converted to DSD, then downsampled to 44.1 using some special software. There was a difference when played back via the Killer - but it was thought many wouldn't worry about it - it was that slight.

Thanks
Bill
charles1dad's avatar
charles1dad
10,250 posts
 
Hi Agear,
Well that's very encouraging to hear, Robert has told me how good your room and system are, so the "digital sucks" just made no sense to me. My feeling was what a waste of money and time if that's your end result (how sad that'd be). Glad to know that isn't the case.

I agree that the recording quality is the primary limitation. Pop and rock seem to suffer the most. My fare overwhelming is jazz and this genre is recorded much better and is very close to a "good" vinyl LP and often equal or better(it depends on variables involved). I've done enough comparisons with high quality digital and
analog systems to say this with confidence(I can really enjoy either). I can bounce between both
during a listening seseion with no problem if both formats are done
properly. Just my experience and certainly others will disagree.

I looking forward to hearing the Lampizator -Pitcher room in a few days. Curious how it will sound compared to the Trinity set up I'll also listen to while there.
Charles,
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