magon
Responses from magon
| I see the issue with ABX blind testing When we consider whether audiophiles have analytical ears and/or can remember sound qualities for lengthy periods of time (i.e. much more than a few seconds), let's consider two professions whose skill with sound is undeniable: (1) musicians, and ... | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) @shooter41 Do you have aftermarket cables on your Hifiman or Focals? I have a very good cable by Igor Kuznetsoff of the NJ Audiophile Society on my Audeze phones. I tried the Focal Clear OG recently but had only the stock cable, and it wasn't anyw... | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) I'm the OP. I've listened for a while and given it a few hundred hours of burn-in just in case that was needed. I'm giving up on it for two reasons: too bright, and weak bass (poor pitch definition). I'm using it with a headphone system, mostly: a... | |
| LCD-2 from 2011 I got a used LCD-X, 2021 version. It's a good match for a DAC I have on hand for a trial period, the Gustard R26. My older DAC, a modifed Gustard x20pro, was pretty bright, so that could have emphasized the peakiness in the LCD-2. In any case I li... | |
| Gustard R26 ladder DAC sound signature - comments? @audphile1 It could be system synergy, but I have several headphone amps, headphones, USB sources, 2 other DACs, and so forth, so I can triangulate on the signature pretty well. @bigshutterbug Interesting! Did you try to purchase another one? | |
| Gustard R26 ladder DAC sound signature - comments? Well, I'm wondering if it's defective. As I said in the first post, it actually didn't work for the first day (no USB lock, and no sound) and then randomly started working. I talking to the seller about an exchange. | |
| Gustard R26 ladder DAC sound signature - comments? @arafiq I need to make a decision within the Amazon return period, but I can give it 200 hours. I'll continue to burn it in. | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) @jmeyers When I was in college, I took a course in audio engineering from James Boyk, a pianist/recording engineer. He used to say that no measurement has ever been found that correlates with sound quality. He typically judged tubes and analog as ... | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) Further update... I'm loving my DirectStream DAC at this point. I mainly listen to classical, so there is emphasis on beauty of timbre as well as musical expression through macro- and micro-dynamics. The DSDAC renders the subtle phrase dynamics ... | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) Well, I'm liking it a little better. It doesn't just do gentle transients - it can slam pretty hard on drums etc. It's shocking how much musical expression it's finding in my old 16/44.1 recordings, often poorly made compared to the DSD files audi... | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) Got the PS Audio DS DAC from Fedex today. I don't know if it needs burn-in. It's "refurbished" so perhaps the innards already have a lot of play time. Well in any case I gave it an hour of warmup and started listening. The rest of my system is a... | |
| LCD-2 from 2011 I'm using a custom 12AU7/FET zero feedback amp designed by a brilliant designer/technician I work with frequently. I discovered that my tube selection, an RCA Clear Top, may have had something to do with it. It's smoother with a French military Ra... | |
| How do I get a job as a headphone reviewer? @ghdprentice I may not have as much experience as you think, given that I only had two periods in which I updated my system and it stayed the same for up to seven years in-between. In the last period of update, I discovered a technician in the New... | |
| Opinions on PS Audio Direct Stream DAC (Mk 1) Yes it's from the Music Room, although they said something about factory refurbished or authorized, forget which. Anyway, I offered 1600 and they accepted... Yes, returns allowed for small restocking fee! | |
| resonance at 500 Hz using headphones - maybe need a different DAC? To address some of your comments: Re: LCD-2: I don't think it's the headphone because it only happens on the Gustard. It doesn't happen on the modified iFi iDSD or the Beringer. Also it happens with another headphone, the AKG K712. And furthermor... |