Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 5, 2021 10:38:44 GMT
Brilliant mate, can you do the surgery! Of course! It will have to come back to be adjusted I also have a pair of cables I want you to try, but they aren't ready yet. I'm after the feedback. |
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Post by brian2957 on Feb 5, 2021 11:11:08 GMT
The JustBoom DAC is now a permanent fixture in my system as it has been able to recreate some spectacular performance from digital files via Audirvana. My reasoning for this is the fact I can benchmark some of the material I have against vinyl copies on my analogue system and in some cases they come very close, almost too close for comfort. Why I say that is because it then becomes a question of do I go to the trouble of putting on vinyl when I can almost match the recording from a digital copy so the choice becomes difficult.
I am have no problem moving from my chair to a cupboard and taking out vinyl and setting it up and then sitting back down again  as opposed to flicking to the file on my phone! But the question which comes to mind is should I save 20 mins or so on my cartridge wear? I am not bothered about vinyl wear as I have yet to detect any from anything I have bought new but cartridge wear is another matter and even my 2M Black MM stylus which is £300 a pop only gives me 1.5 years use approximately. I could double this if I mix in some digital playback and this is a serious consideration as I approach retirement and a fixed income!
Back to the JustBoom DAC and power supply considerations and I have been doing some interesting reading and research on SMPS chargers for phones which give the ideal 5v at 1-2A output for the DAC and I have unearthed some very good scientific ,technical evaluation comparing phone chargers and noise suppression. I did not realise that this was a vital technical requirement for the top manufacturers especially when they both have to charge and run a piece of equipment at the same time. Electrical noise and spikes can cause serious issues so many manufacturers have noise suppression bulit in to run these charges at a very constant noise free rate. So if you are charging an iphone or ipad for instance and using it at the same time you dont wont electrical spikes to get through which can causes issues further up stream .
So the top manufacturers of these phone/tablet chargers make a lot of effort to include noise suppresion as part of the technical design for these chargers which may well equal some of the best out there that are designed for audiophile applications ie RPI 3 or 4 audio. This is not generally published as it is not a concern for most uses but I have seen an evaluation of a whole bunch of chargers which have been technically measured and the results were suprising to a degree. It is not a suprise that Apple chargers come out almost at the top for noise supression as they are always concerned in nailing all technical aspects in their gear but what was suprising is how well they do this and it can be measured so unknowingly anyone using a phone charger wallwart type device could be inadvertently using a very clean power supply indeed probably measuring as good as an audiophile product.
I have been running the JustBoom DAC via the battery output /USB on the Macbook pro and not really evaluated running the DAC from my phone charger which outputs 5V at 1-2A so this will be where I am going next before I go down LPS route. A linear PSU is not a guaranteed improvement for powering DACs anyway as some measure only a tiny bit better than some SMPS and not all LPSU are equal and they do have their own issues.
There's a lot of food for thought in this post James . I think the little JustBoom DAC has been a bit of a find |
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Post by antonio on Feb 6, 2021 1:43:44 GMT
Jim, you might want to try an Ankar battery used to power laptops. I've slowly started moving away from any mains based power and where possible used batteries. I currently run my Garrard 301 PSU and my DAC this way. It stops the merry-go-round of power leads and buying "the latest" PSU. What would be yourm thoughts on this, obviously you would need a charger also? www.aliexpress.com/item/4001350636814.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.37dd2e0eaE6ZlB |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Feb 6, 2021 7:49:51 GMT
Jim, you might want to try an Ankar battery used to power laptops. I've slowly started moving away from any mains based power and where possible used batteries. I currently run my Garrard 301 PSU and my DAC this way. It stops the merry-go-round of power leads and buying "the latest" PSU. What would be yourm thoughts on this, obviously you would need a charger also? www.aliexpress.com/item/4001350636814.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.37dd2e0eaE6ZlBI get the Aliexpress home page. |
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Post by jimbo on Feb 6, 2021 7:52:02 GMT
Jim, you might want to try an Ankar battery used to power laptops. I've slowly started moving away from any mains based power and where possible used batteries. I currently run my Garrard 301 PSU and my DAC this way. It stops the merry-go-round of power leads and buying "the latest" PSU. What would be yourm thoughts on this, obviously you would need a charger also? www.aliexpress.com/item/4001350636814.html?spm=a2g0s.8937460.0.0.37dd2e0eaE6ZlBSorry Antonio nothing showing on the linky? |
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Post by brian2957 on Feb 6, 2021 9:53:03 GMT
Seems to be happening quite a lot on the forum . Try copy and paste James , that works for me .
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Post by antonio on Feb 7, 2021 1:35:50 GMT
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Post by gninnam on Feb 7, 2021 1:57:04 GMT
Worked for me also!
Never have issues with links on this forum.
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JimBlog
Feb 7, 2021 9:50:34 GMT
via mobile
Post by sq225917 on Feb 7, 2021 9:50:34 GMT
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Post by antonio on Feb 7, 2021 12:03:56 GMT
What did you want to say Simon?
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Post by sq225917 on Feb 7, 2021 14:15:03 GMT
Just removing all the tracking crap from the links.
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Post by antonio on Feb 8, 2021 0:12:42 GMT
Thank you
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Post by jimbo on Feb 10, 2021 18:08:10 GMT
Lots of exciting stuff about to happen over the next few days, lots of cables and equipment turning up here soon so I am expecting a rather busy weekend....
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 10, 2021 19:55:08 GMT
Lots of exciting stuff about to happen over the next few days, lots of cables and equipment turning up here soon so I am expecting a rather busy weekend....
Yes, there should be a very lengthy blog entry on Sunday evening 🤣 |
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Post by antonio on Feb 11, 2021 2:44:39 GMT
After Jimbo's latest post what we now need is another cables thread.   |
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Post by brian2957 on Feb 11, 2021 9:26:34 GMT
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Post by jimbo on Feb 12, 2021 10:02:12 GMT
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 12, 2021 10:26:00 GMT
Looking forward to the results of your experiments. Apologies for deleting your picture but my experimental cables are not ready for public exposure! I should have said about them being "naked" lol Keep us informed Jim! |
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Post by brian2957 on Feb 12, 2021 20:10:32 GMT
Great write up James , sounds like your havin a ball . What a great bake off this would have been  That picture of the Hecos makes them look like a New York skyscraper |
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 12, 2021 21:30:53 GMT
I'm glad the 686 has finally demonstrated all the qualities I have been raving about for some time now.
The Soekris (IMO) is an absolute giant Killer with that LPSU. I am totally fanatical about it.
It's been transformative and I agree that it makes that DAC sound like a completely different unit. A far better one.
Enjoy the rest of the weekend with my entire system 🤣🤣
It's got to come back you know lol
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Post by robbiegong on Feb 12, 2021 21:47:53 GMT
Nice write up James - Only ever read excellent things about the 686
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Post by jimbo on Feb 12, 2021 21:52:44 GMT
I'm glad the 686 has finally demonstrated all the qualities I have been raving about for some time now. The Soekris (IMO) is an absolute giant Killer with that LPSU. I am totally fanatical about it. It's been transformative and I agree that it makes that DAC sound like a completely different unit. A far better one. Enjoy the rest of the weekend with my entire system 🤣🤣 It's got to come back you know lol To be honest Oli it was a bit of a shock when I put it back in the system after the last two attempts. I know you would not be surprised with what it can do but you would be surprised to hear it in my system.
Listening to vinyl now and it makes for a killer system, Helen has just said it is very vivid which is an understatement!
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Post by jimbo on Feb 12, 2021 21:55:22 GMT
Nice write up James - Only ever read excellent things about the 686 More to come Rob but back listening at the moment.
Honestly the 686 is utterly superb. All you hear about it is absolutely true.
If you want to hear more of what your system can do this amp is the way to go.
I think it is one of those few pieces of kit I will be very sad to hand back!
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Post by rexton on Feb 12, 2021 21:57:38 GMT
Interesting stuff Jim, good write up and keep experimenting!
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 12, 2021 22:02:41 GMT
I'm glad the 686 has finally demonstrated all the qualities I have been raving about for some time now. The Soekris (IMO) is an absolute giant Killer with that LPSU. I am totally fanatical about it. It's been transformative and I agree that it makes that DAC sound like a completely different unit. A far better one. Enjoy the rest of the weekend with my entire system 🤣🤣 It's got to come back you know lol To be honest Oli it was a bit of a shock when I put it back in the system after the last two attempts. I know you would not be surprised with what it can do but you would be surprised to hear it in my system.
Listening to vinyl now and it makes for a killer system, Helen has just said it is very vivid which is an understatement!
That Vivid imaging is EXACTLY what we heard when we plugged the BT2 and 686 into Angus's system.... honestly, I don't think either of us had ever heard a sound like that. As you know, I came home and instantly told you to buy the Heco's. They were utterly immense and the 686 just held them with laser like precision and accuracy. Like you, I love accurate tonal and timbral reproduction and the 686 and the Hecos hit every sweet spot with aplomb. Being clean, accurate and doesn't have to mean being bereft of soul. I know what you're going through.....I went through it too. Nowadays, the lack of Mordaunt Short 880's means a lack of Vivid presentation. I won't lie, I envy the fact you guys have the Heco's. The Yams make a good fist of it and in truth they are VERY addictive...but the Heco's are stunning. I'd swap right now and never bat an eyelid over it. I guess I'm gonna have to pick up something Heco for my room...... |
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Post by firebottle on Feb 12, 2021 22:09:17 GMT
That Vivid imaging is EXACTLY what we heard when we plugged the BT2 and 686 into Angus's system.... honestly, I don't think either of us had ever heard a sound like that. That imaging is what I am getting with my BT2 and 286 into the ESL57's. Plus the timbral quality is sublime from top to bottom. |
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 12, 2021 22:16:21 GMT
That Vivid imaging is EXACTLY what we heard when we plugged the BT2 and 686 into Angus's system.... honestly, I don't think either of us had ever heard a sound like that. That imaging is what I am getting with my BT2 and 286 into the ESL57's. Plus the timbral quality is sublime from top to bottom. Good combo isnt it. |
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Post by jimbo on Feb 12, 2021 22:18:00 GMT
Yes Oli, I am so glad I dived in and bought the Hecos. I know most people have never heard off them never mind actually heard a pair but as you know when you do get to sit in front of a pair especially with a stellar set up they are stunning.
I have not managed to get them to put a step out of place today whatever I have hooked up to them. True bargain of the hifi world. The 686 + Hecos are definitely a marriage made in heaven, I am surprised Angus has not built himself a 686 to drive them!
They definitely like more power but dont go bonkers when you turn the wick up, very composed. The 686 brings more dynamic drive to them as well as that see through transparency to the recording whether digital or analogue. Analogue sounds amazingly clean?
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Bigman80
Grandmaster
The HiFi Bear/Audioaddicts/Bigbottle Owner
Posts: 16,408
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Post by Bigman80 on Feb 12, 2021 22:26:40 GMT
Yes Oli, I am so glad I dived in and bought the Hecos. I know most people have never heard off them never mind actually heard a pair but as you know when you do get to sit in front of a pair especially with a stellar set up they are stunning. I have not managed to get them to put a step out of place today whatever I have hooked up to them. True bargain of the hifi world. The 686 + Hecos are definitely a marriage made in heaven, I am surprised Angus has not built himself a 686 to drive them! They definitely like more power but dont go bonkers when you turn the wick up, very composed. The 686 brings more dynamic drive to them as well as that see through transparency to the recording whether digital or analogue. Analogue sounds amazingly clean? Angus is building something A little more......................Japanese. However, it's design ideas are very much in line with the Neurochromes circuit. Its just using older technology but with very similar performance specs. Knowing Angus it will be something stunning to listen to. I'm actually kind of pleased he has gone in a different direction as we're all ending up with very similar systems here. That's no bad thing as the quality is sensational, but what are we gonna talk about if everyone has the same kit. 🤣 |
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Post by robbiegong on Feb 12, 2021 22:31:19 GMT
Yes Oli, I am so glad I dived in and bought the Hecos. I know most people have never heard off them never mind actually heard a pair but as you know when you do get to sit in front of a pair especially with a stellar set up they are stunning. I have not managed to get them to put a step out of place today whatever I have hooked up to them. True bargain of the hifi world. The 686 + Hecos are definitely a marriage made in heaven, I am surprised Angus has not built himself a 686 to drive them! They definitely like more power but dont go bonkers when you turn the wick up, very composed. The 686 brings more dynamic drive to them as well as that see through transparency to the recording whether digital or analogue. Analogue sounds amazingly clean? Angus is building something A little more......................Japanese. However, it's design ideas are very much in line with the Neurochromes circuit. Its just using older technology but with very similar performance specs. Knowing Angus it will be something stunning to listen to. I'm actually kind of pleased he has gone in a different direction as we're all ending up with very similar systems here. That's no bad thing as the quality is sensational, but what are we gonna talk about if everyone has the same kit. 🤣 |
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as opposed to flicking to the file on my phone! But the question which comes to mind is should I save 20 mins or so on my cartridge wear? I am not bothered about vinyl wear as I have yet to detect any from anything I have bought new but cartridge wear is another matter and even my 2M Black MM stylus which is £300 a pop only gives me 1.5 years use approximately. I could double this if I mix in some digital playback and this is a serious consideration as I approach retirement and a fixed income!
