UPDATE:
First off, I may have secured access to a Meitner MA-1. Would be fun to add that to my shootout. It's available to me if I'm patient, i think…
Second, the Flockazinga was not used during this session. ;)
As with my other sessions, I listened to the DAC using a Wireworld Platinum Starlight USB from my Mac Mini running iTunes and Amarra, Merrill Audio's XLR interconnects (generously lent by Merrill for this shootout, and they are amazing - I will likely buy myself 2 pair when I am done with this shootout), and used my Shunyata Zitron Alpha Digital PC direct to the wall. All is sitting on my Adona SR4 rack. The DAC is running through my Jeff Rowland Battery powered Criterion pre-amp running via Shunyata ZiTron Anaconda balanced 1.5m cables to my Merrill Veritas mono blocks. Then finally through Audience AU24SE shotgun runs to the Vienna Acoustics The Music speakers.
First listen of the EA ODSE (Empirical Audio Over Drive SE is too long to keep typing).
Physical description - It is a set of 2 modules, power and formal DAC. These units are tiny tanks. I'm guessing aluminum or some other lightweight, stiff metal. Very attractive and very solid. An industrial look; but refined and well implemented. Nicely finished and not at all looking like it came from a garage or one man show (nicely done Steve). My first though was that it looked like the younger smaller silver cousins of that little black robot from Star Wars that Chewbaca growled at and scared away; but one of the cousins has a mohawk. ;)
I like the layout of toggles (projected and recessed) and a small volume knob that has a nice feel to it while rotating. The recessed toggles were difficult to flip, but they really are infrequently used and I can understand his decision to use them recessed. I will leave Steve to explain the coupling cap and Hynes upgrades and all of that (please chime in as you want). The 2 units are connected via a power umbilical that is well made and easy to connect. The connectors on the back hold PC, USB, XLR very well and were well laid out with nothing difficult to connect or disconnect. Its staggeringly small compared to the Big6 Lampy and about half the size of my Aeris. The two modules CAN NOT be stacked, which is too bad because they are begging to go for a piggy back ride (maybe there is some type of creative divider/shelf that can be designed to put above the power module so the DAC can jump on top?). I know that we can adjust the volume from the computer so I don't need to get my lazy A$$ off the couch if i'm running direct (which I didn't yet), but I would still like a tiny remote that controlled only volume directly on the DAC. But knowing Steve, he has a good reason it's not available...
The instruction manual is very well layed out/written and very easy to follow. And Steve is ridiculously available to answer questions via email or on the phone within a more then reasonable time frame.
As I mentioned earlier, I did need to upload a driver for my Mac to find the DAC. But once that was loaded into the computer, it linked instantly and has not been an issue since. No real I.T. knowledge needed to get it going. My Amarra software instantly recognized it and I was up and running. I ran exclusively 16/44 source so I have NO idea how it sounds with hi-res, nor is that the purpose of this thread. I listen almost exclusively to 16/44.
The ODSE is FULLY broken in and I gave it another 3 full days of running before I listened in my room. The Aeris has only 220 hours on it (maybe 260 if you add the small amount the first owner put on it, maybe); and it needs anywhere between 600 and 800 hours to fully bloom. I'm running it day and night to get those hours on though. And it sounds better each 50 hours that gets added…
Sound - WOW is this hard!!! I listened to my 33 song list twice, first through the ODSE and then through the Aeris. I will repeat the entire process in a few days starting first with the Aeris. I liked the ODSE more when i listened to the ODSE, and then I liked the Aeris more when I listened to the Aeris…. Is that useful to anyone???? LOL!!!!!
Honestly, what it says is that Steve is an amazing designer and knows his stuff! The ODSE is, in every way, the equal to the Big6 and the Aeris, and may surpass it in certain ways.
the Aeris seamed to dip a tad lower, and control that bottom a hair better. Although the only time you noticed was listening to the Aeris. I was never wanting for more with the ODSE, and I never thought it sounded sloppy or lose; always tight and proper. The same on the top end, the highs seamed to linger and stretch a scotch higher with the Aeris then the ODSE. I think, in all fairness, that there is a synergy between the Rowland Pre-amp and DAC that adds significantly to that. I am very curious to see if that will change when I run the ODSE direct to the amps via the Final Drives (I promise that will happen, but I want to run these 2 sessions first); although the Criterion is crazy resolving… I don't mean to say that the Aeris is formally more extended as I felt the extension on both ends was a bit "HiFi" and will probably go away once the Aeris burns in thoroughly (I hope). I will say that the music up top and down low was equally enjoyable with both. I felt as if there was more complexity in the Aeris, and more layering in the ODSE if that makes any sense at all… I honestly thought I heard further into the music on the ODSE, like there was more there.
Leading edges and trailing edges were both equally reproduced and made them both wonderfully enticing. No winner there…
The mids were interesting. What the ODSE did with the cello, french horn, and higher registers of a base guitar or base cello was pure and unadulterated magic! Real, palpable, feel the hairs on your neck stand on end magic. The Aeris didn't do this. Male vocals, well, uh, sang….. hehe… Seriously, what Steve did makes everything in the mid section incomparable. The Aeris (currently) excels a bit more on the top and bottom end, but I have been told that this is to be expected in the Aeris's road to finality, at which time it becomes a music making magic monster. I can't tell you how I wish the Aeris were fully broken in!!! I think the Aeris made the female voice a bit more lush while the ODSE made her sound more demure; both offered vocal dynamics and equal upper and lower extension.
Lets talk soundstage and imaging. The AE should be called the Holographic OverDrive SE Generator! I have not had such a deep, delineated stage in front of me in my room. The Aeris gave me more top to bottom. Left to right is equal, but the ODSE has a front to back stage that could practically be measured with a tape measure at about 8 feet, which put some of the performers behind my glass door and enjoying the outdoors on my back patio. Performers were meticulously placed in their proper spot and had a sense of belonging in the X, Y and Z axis. The Aeris did not do this as well. It did is very well, but not as well as the ODSE.
All music belonged and sounded wonderful on both DAC's.
I listened to 33 songs on the ODSE and didn't even notice the time had passed. That says a lot! I had to force myself to keep focusing with both. I honestly gave less time to the Aeris on this go round since I was getting a bit tired (I was up until 2:30 last night), so I jumped through a few of my songs on the Aeris. Next go round the Aeris will get first shot.
I apologize if I used some terms that are very subjective, but these are both so good that I need to really fight to identify differences and something to grasp onto so I can make a decision between the two.
Both are engaging, both are musical, both are dynamic. Round 2 to follow in a few days. I'm hoping that another hundred hours or so will really help the Aeris get closer its final character.
As of this very second, I actually think I would keep the ODSE. But the fact that the Aeris is not fully broken in makes me want to wait until it has 600 hours on it, at least, to make a final decision. I don't know if Steve is willing for me to hold onto my demo unit for that long… 700 hours would put me at 20 days from today.
LOOKING BACK - The Lampy Big6 was equal in every way to both of these guys. I think the imaging and soundstage of the Lampy and the ODSE are more similar. I also think the high and low extension are more similar. Actually, the mids are more similar as well. lol. Me thinks Steve likes tubes and found a way to get the best of both worlds. The Big6 was, well, big. It didn't have the physical fit and finish of the ODSE or the Aeris. For those who want to tube roll and accessorize, the Big6 is the unabashed winner. I have no doubt that with time, energy, patience and research the Big6 can equal or surpass the performance of either DAC I heard today. And we have now established that the tubes in the Big6 will last many years and that there is ample technical support in the states to make anyone comfortable with a Lampy purchase. But the Lampy will need some tweaking and some NOS hunting to get the most out of it. The Aeris and ODSE are tweaked and done; just maybe play with power cords and vibration stabilization; thats it.
My PS Audio DirectStream was supposed to be completed either late last week or early this week, and I was supposed to get an email saying that it is sitting on Mayura's desk with a USB cable running 24/7 for 2 weeks. I have not received such an email, and I called yesterday and left a message for an update. Sigh...
'Fin
