Schiit Loki Max?

oops-- should read: not THAT the Lokius I currently own isn't remarkably transparent. 

Will do, but I won't be posting a review anytime soon, as the website currently states "ships in 6 to 8 weeks". . .

.

I have no reason to expect I won't like the Max-- I had a Loki to begin with and from there upgraded to the Lokius.  At this point my system is considerably more neutral than it's ever been (I favored a more euphonic presentation in the past, before I started losing some of my ability to hear higher frequencies)  and thus, considerably more revealing of the sonic differences between CDs. I'm actually compiling a spreadsheet of settings for each CD. At any rate, it's not very effective trying to adjust the EQ while standing next to the components, which are located off to one side of the room. The prospect of being able to make such adjustments from the listening chair is very appealing. 

@mike_in_nc 

Nice to know there are fellow obsessives out there! 

@rpeluso :

Please let us know your impressions once you've actually got it in your system.

That's great news about the quick delivery. 

@chuckie1970 

I ended up upgrading my transport to the Jay's and as a result, will need to wait awhile before I can afford the Loki Max.  

Let us know how the two get along in your system. 

@mike_in_nc 

"Did I really need it? No. Am I enjoying it? For sure!"

... and that's what matters, right? Life is short. 

You've made me curious about DigiKey -- I'll check them out. I may very well  eventually pick up a Max -- it's just not at the top of my upgrade list. 

@mike_in_nc

Good to know about the interface. I’ve had more pressing audio matters to attend to and as a result, haven’t bought a Max. Now, having read your post, I probably, won’t, as the distance from my listening chair to the Max would be more like 10 feet, in my case. At this point, having further tweaked my system, the impetus to utilize EQ has diminished significantly and the Lokius seems enough. Thanks for your report. 

@mahgister

Forgive me but I’m having difficulty locating my experience with EQ within your framework... so I must use my own framework in this case.

For me, it’s not so much about timbre as it is about overall tonal balance-- most often the highs are too forward or sometimes the lower mids are lacking clarity -- imbalances due to the, at times, frustratingly-inconsistent SQ of compact discs. 

The more resolving my system becomes, the better all CDs sound but their individual differences are also more apparent. They do not sound uniformly wonderful.

While I do not keep glaringly poor-sounding CDs in my collection, there are some that only require small EQ adjustments in order to eliminate otherwise distracting flaws that inhibit, as you might say, "immersiveness". This is not typically an issue with acoustic music genres but can certainly be an issue with electric instruments.

I hope this makes sense, despite being presented within a different framework.

🙏

@mahgister 

You are of course correct in your assertion regarding timbre and tonal balance!

If my words implied otherwise, that was sloppy thinking on my part.

You are definitely right!

I suspect I’m simply less aware of timbre than tonal balance.

What I’ve noticed is that tonal balance and PRaT are the first things my brain locks onto and evaluates before turning its attention to timbre, sound staging and even resolution.

I’m not sure why this is so.

Do you have any ideas regarding why different listeners prioritize aspects of SQ differently?

@dwest1023 

"it seems to change more the characteristic of the speaker than the sound"

Which characteristic(s) ???

@mahgister 

I appreciate you taking the time to offer a more detailed explanation of timbre and for clarifying the distinction between pinpoint and broadband EQ. 

@almosthome 

Yes -- I can easily see the advantage of more, narrower, bands.  My system is much better balanced now than when I first initiated this thread, so it's no longer a pressing need but I will probably pick one up eventually. 

@dwest1023 

OK. I guess I'm not that sophisticated. In my system, Lokius is located between dac and integrated. I'd be hard-pressed to discern whether it was changing the character of the source, amp or speakers. Could you please explain your rationale for concluding it's the character of the speakers that's being changed? ? ?