Bigman80
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The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,399
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 31, 2020 12:18:12 GMT
Could be "well enough" in terms of money spent?
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Post by pauld on Jan 31, 2020 12:24:09 GMT
True. Just interested in thoughts  |
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Post by dsjr on Jan 31, 2020 12:51:11 GMT
Don't flame me please, but changing a few caps and tinkering with firmware is hardly going to give a jaw dropping change I feel, let alone an improvement - these days with recent design of dacs anyway. Modern dacs, even cheap ones, test out pretty well it seems and don't seem to 'sound' that differently once sighted comparisons are ruled out - I firmly believe most of us and myself especially in the past if less now I know what happens, listen too much with our eyes and wallets...
I doubt I'll get the chance, but I really want to have proper control of a comparison with and without the Chord M-Scaler for example, as I'm sure the comparison the Chord chap did, changed the volume slightly, unless the dynamic range of the music was so severely altered (easily measurable I'd have thought).
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 14:39:28 GMT
Well enough that I feel no need to change it for a more expensive DAC.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,399
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 31, 2020 15:09:18 GMT
Well enough that I feel no need to change it for a more expensive DAC. That's great news |
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Post by dsjr on Jan 31, 2020 17:40:27 GMT
What about a cheaper one though? - Apologies, I couldn't help it...
I suspect the Beresford will only change now if it has to (component supply), rather than a massive 'upgrade' in performance as I suspect we're nearly there for a domestic dac. Maybe the largely academic improvements in proper top line models (mid to low priced in audiophool terms) will trickle further down as happens.
ASR have tested a Denafrips model which came out quite well and especially well for the tech used (all those bloody electrolytic caps though...). Better than a Topping D30?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 31, 2020 17:56:11 GMT
If a cheaper one performs better, then bring it on....
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Post by sq225917 on Jan 31, 2020 18:34:12 GMT
Funny you mention that Dave I though the same about volume level at the wave audio demo at a show last year.
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,399
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Post by Bigman80 on Jan 31, 2020 19:02:32 GMT
What about a cheaper one though? - Apologies, I couldn't help it... I suspect the Beresford will only change now if it has to (component supply), rather than a massive 'upgrade' in performance as I suspect we're nearly there for a domestic dac. Maybe the largely academic improvements in proper top line models (mid to low priced in audiophool terms) will trickle further down as happens. ASR have tested a Denafrips model which came out quite well and especially well for the tech used (all those bloody electrolytic caps though...). Better than a Topping D30? Have they? Which one?? |
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Post by dsjr on Jan 31, 2020 22:53:24 GMT
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,399
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 1, 2020 0:31:05 GMT
Doesn't do too badly does it. Expensive but Steve Gutteburg love the one he tried |
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Post by pauld on Feb 1, 2020 9:08:08 GMT
Don't flame me please, but changing a few caps and tinkering with firmware is hardly going to give a jaw dropping change I feel, let alone an improvement - these days with recent design of dacs anyway. Modern dacs, even cheap ones, test out pretty well it seems and don't seem to 'sound' that differently once sighted comparisons are ruled out - I firmly believe most of us and myself especially in the past if less now I know what happens, listen too much with our eyes and wallets... I doubt I'll get the chance, but I really want to have proper control of a comparison with and without the Chord M-Scaler for example, as I'm sure the comparison the Chord chap did, changed the volume slightly, unless the dynamic range of the music was so severely altered (easily measurable I'd have thought). What rot, Dave. When I had the cap upgrades on my SEG completed by Tony of Coherent Systems the difference was significant, taking the SEG to a completely different level. |
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Post by pauld on Feb 1, 2020 9:09:36 GMT
What about a cheaper one though? - Apologies, I couldn't help it... I suspect the Beresford will only change now if it has to (component supply), rather than a massive 'upgrade' in performance as I suspect we're nearly there for a domestic dac. Maybe the largely academic improvements in proper top line models (mid to low priced in audiophool terms) will trickle further down as happens. ASR have tested a Denafrips model which came out quite well and especially well for the tech used (all those bloody electrolytic caps though...). Better than a Topping D30? Why do you suspect we are nearly there for a domestic DAC?, are you just wildly guessing again Dave? |
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 10:05:26 GMT
What about a cheaper one though? - Apologies, I couldn't help it... I suspect the Beresford will only change now if it has to (component supply), rather than a massive 'upgrade' in performance as I suspect we're nearly there for a domestic dac. Maybe the largely academic improvements in proper top line models (mid to low priced in audiophool terms) will trickle further down as happens. ASR have tested a Denafrips model which came out quite well and especially well for the tech used (all those bloody electrolytic caps though...). Better than a Topping D30? The other upgrades I had done were clock based. I think these had an impact. The RCA sockets were also improved. It is not a “night and day” difference, the “blacks” are not “inky black” or darker. It is subtly better, but I no longer think about a new DAC. |
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Post by dsjr on Feb 1, 2020 10:16:24 GMT
Glad it's done it for you and I doubt it cost many hundreds, did it?
Paul, I honestly don't think many audio people in the slightest bit aware how our brains and how we feel on the day influences what we think we hear, so the slightest physical change appears to make a difference, real or not, because you've seen and paid for, a change, so it HAS to sound different. Now, if the Beresford dac was a pile of crap to start with of course, which is highly unlikely..... Our ear-brain interface may well be 'all we have,' but it's so flawed and variable day to day we NEED objective consistent backup to verify what we think we hear. Changing a few caps may well make a slight difference (they're only a few pence each in small sizes) but WHY do they and what was 'wrong' before. I'm sure Stan knows and if he's been doing things with the clock, maybe there lies the answer?
I apologise. You think I'm having a go at you when I'm not. It's just when one (i.e. ME!) has been fooled so many times by forgetting what we're listening to and ending up preferring the cheaper cable, the ever so slightly louder item in an A-B test, or preferring a 'change of component' that hasn't in fact happened, the wool starts to clear and all of a sudden, most of this stuff is seen for what it is. Until you've fooled yourself, you probably won't understand or accept it, but I think one or two of us have now been there in addition to me, so it's not 'just' me.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Feb 1, 2020 11:32:22 GMT
It was about £85 including postage, but the Supercaps had already been done by the previous owner.
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