calvinandhobbes
Responses from calvinandhobbes
| Upgrade Denafrips Terminator 2 @curiousjim First, a short answer to your question then a more detailed write up of my experiences comparing the AmazonBasics Cat 6 Ethernet cable to the Supra cable. Benefits that I heard due to the cleaner sound from the Supra cable were: ... | |
| Metrum Onyx vs Schiit Yggdrasil? FWIW, a comparison of the Yggy vs the Denafrips Pontus II from a friend that might provide some insight into how the Yggy sounds. Both tend toward a warner, more analog-like sound, but the Yggy and the Pontus are slightly different in their presen... | |
| Upgrade Denafrips Terminator 2 Another way to get sound that is "more holographic, more revealing" might not include a DAC change at all. I don't know if you've tried anything to reduce the amount of common-mode noise (i.e., EFI and RFI) in your digital signal path, but I've fo... | |
| dac recommendations for turntable listener? For digital, removing noise from your system in the form of EMI or RFI really helps produce smoother sound. You've taken the first steps by getting the Blluesound Node streamer. Other steps that can help are: Turning off the Wi-Fi receiver in y... | |
| From Rossini Apex to ???? The Linn Organik DAC is worth auditioning. To my ears, it sounds sweeter than did the dCS Rossini because it does truly have an organic, visceral sound that is at least as detailed as the dCS Rossini. | |
| better power supply for Qutest I powered the Qutest with a portable jump start battery/power bank and also with a phone power bank using the USB-A outlet to connect to the micro USB port on the Qutest. Doing this reduced the noise floor and took away a bit of harshness. NOTE: i... | |
| Differences in YouTube, Spotify, etc. Qobuz, because it sounds best. My ranking of streaming service sound quality (as of November 2020) 1. Qobuz 2. Primephonic - now acquired by Apple 3. Spotify Premium (320 kbps Ogg Vorbis which is not lossless) - sounds surprisingly decent to... | |
| recommend PRAT Integrated amplifiers (not Naim) Naim amplification does have PRaT, but I’ve now heard other brands that offer sufficient PRaT but with more tonal color and richness than what I’ve heard from Naim amps. Pass amps stand out to me in this respect. @ghdprentice I’ll have to check ou... | |
| recommend PRAT Integrated amplifiers (not Naim) 100% @superhonestben. With music I know, I immediately hear the lack of PRaT. I used to play the violin and listen to a good amount of live music. The presence of PRaT allows what's going on in the music to make sense to me. I hear this in live mu... | |
| recommend PRAT Integrated amplifiers (not Naim) Another vote for Pass amps | |
| Did your system getting better the more money you spent or more experience you gained? It's helpful to be able to spend money, but it's more important to have the listening skills and experience to know what truly sounds better & not just different. | |
| Best RCA interconnect up to ~$100? A third vote for DH Labs interconnects. I got 2 pairs of used 1-meter DH Labs BL-1 Series 2 interconnects for $75 total off of eBay. One of my best audio buys ever. | |
| Recommend me a DAC under 3k Another vote for the Pontus II DAC. FWIW, at least on the Pontus DAC, the choice of power cord can affect the clarity, resolution, and timing of the DAC a lot. And the most expensive power cord may not sound the best. The power cords that I've tr... | |
| Significant steps? (DAC) I know that the Chord Qutest has been well liked at the $1500k price point, but my personal experience with having both in my system is that the Denafrips Pontus II is a big step up in refinement, detail, naturalness of sound for acoustic instrume... | |
| Question: What are some of your best pieces of advise to someone new to the hobby? Listen, Listen, Listen before buying equipment. And listen to music that they like. |