Messing about with Digital signals

Come again ?

bencat You've been reading too much TAS Andrew. 

It's normal to hear a difference when you swap something round, even if in reality there is no difference. It's a basic function of perception, like seeing recognisable shapes in clouds. It just doesn't happen every time for everyone.

Not saying that you have not made a real difference with this swap, it's a complex set up you have, there could be factors at play that have not been considered.

These days I cannot be arsed with it, as long as I'm not hearing anything that is annoying or irritating me I'm happy. I could go batter with better room or speakers but not really got any compulsion to do that. Long since got past using music to listen to equipment (although it's still fun on rare brief occasion).

Sounds like you're on a roll bencat

Keep it up, always interesting hearing about what others are trying out (and good to hear it's on the advice of other forum members rather than internet hearsay or biased reviews) that's a major contributing factor towards this place being what it is!

I'm glad your liking it Andrew. Now what else can I wax lyrical about to empty your wallet. 🤔🤔😂😂

This will be interesting!

Right the Mutec arrived back today and it was supposed to be a 2.5 plug but it was not instead it was a 2.2 ah well not to worry as with all of us I think I have little box of things and out comes a 2.2 to 2.5 converter and off we go . First great thing is that it powers up and all the lights start there traffic light set up. At this point I went in the kitchen and made myself a cup of tea and some toast giving the tea plenty of time to brew and get the full taste . Peanut butter on the toast tea poured and could hear music playing as I went in .

So sat down and listened okay everything was as it should be no hums , pops or distortion in fact very much the opposite every thing on this track was really clean as it should be on an electronic music track . Set up a few of my go to tracks for seeing how things sound (go on admit it you all have them ) . Now I have to preface this with what I said earlier I currently do not have an original Mutec in place to try alongside mine with LPSU so I am working with audio memory which is not great for anyone . So run through the six tracks I had picked out and all of them sounded incredible but they had sounded very good before was this better ? Honest answer is yes I think it is better and mostly in the completely silent back ground the music is coming out of which makes the contrast of on and off that much more .

But I could also just be fooling myself which in the long run does not matter but it will be nice to get things in place with Steve for a back to back listen . I know did something I would recommend to anyone else as a test . I switched on Radio 6 music because this is not a full flac service and if the sound can be improved on this then you know things are working correctly . First was Mary Ann Hobbs not someone I would ever listen to normally as am not really liking many of the tracks and hate the drivel the lady comes out with . Then on to Craig Charles now I do like him and lots of the music he plays and bingo from the Stevie Wonder Superstition comes on and that bounce to the key boards is there then Stevie sings and it is just heaven . I am sure this never sounded that good before as I would (except for Cerys on Sunday) listen to couple of tracks then get bored with the way the music sounded and switch back to my music . Been listening now for about thirty minutes and yes this is much better than before I could listen now to whole show and not be distracted by the quality of the stream .

So thank you Alan a great job done and I have become even more convinced that LPSU is the best way to currently power items at this moment .

Great, stuff Andrew, and I'm sure it will sound even better once my SBooster ECO & Ultra mk2 arrive at yours. I must admit when I bought the Ultra I wasn't expecting much for my £90 (hence why I bought online so could return it) but it made quite a difference to the Node2. Don't know how or why, but it did so I kept it.

Okay today the SBooster from John arrived and has replaced the DIY LPSU Alan settled for me a while back .

As always it is very hard to compare two sounds when there is a big gap between them so not claiming too much . Firstly what it has made clear is that even using the lowly DIY supply it was doing a decent job when Mutec is a very different sounding beast from the SMPS version . Treble in particular has more real clarity now and is more detailed .

SBooster time and first hurdle over when connected up and fitted it worked and powered up . Next hurdle music started playing which is always a relief . Was it better ? Well currently I am using the straight unit and not mk2 booster and after around two or so hours yes it most certainly is better and it seems to have added extra drive to music making things with a best motor along . I love active systems for their speed , it is hard to describe to others but noted start and decay or stop much faster with no sense of smearing of overhang . It is like some one has tidied up the room everything sounds neater and for me better . Passive speakers I have heard to date just never seen to have this control . Quads on the other hand do have this as part of what they do well they do not have overhang or added decay voices sound like real voices . The Mutec using the SBooster adds this even more and everything seems in time a pushing along more than when the Mutec is not there . So far I am happy and will leave things as they are until Saturday when my Wife goes to work for the day and over night and then will add in the mk2 booster and we what that brings .

David Bowie is just singing Quick Sand and sounds wonderful really emotive and powerful this is my favourite Bowie album by some way and sounds better on this system than I have ever heard . I have also done the Fever test and yes they do sound like drums . I am a very happy boy .

Okay now the next step forgot that John had sent a Mk2 booster doodah to put in . Was supposed to do a test on Saturday but was just enjoying the music so left things as they were (okay I admit it I am a lazy sod and it sounded great) . So today while messing about with stuff found the Ultra thingy and thought best give it a try .

Current wisdom is that adding extra connections in a system is a bad thing but not in this case . I remembered to change the voltage to 6v before switching on and replayed the song I had just listened to . Now I am not sure what is going on here but it has changed the sound not a huge jump and the effect is quite difficult to describe . Relaxed is the best I can come up with everything just sounds less rushed and more in place . The sound stage has expanded and seems to more space either side and depth wise . What ever it is I am now going to have to buy this along with the SBooster so John will laughing at me . Thing is though with these uplift once you have heard them you just can not unhear them and you do not willingly want to go back . This could end up a very expensive year for me .

Well I did say (warn you) the Ultra mk2 did something good when I plumbed it on the end of the SBooster. Nice to know it wasn't just my imagination and glad you like what the combo is doing.

Sounds like a good day, if a little frustrating!

I have to say I agree with you regarding the sound on the Ektas at Steve's.  I've mentioned before (in other posts) that the Ektas are not easy speakers to please/drive with amplifiers.  I have tried many amps and they didn't seem to respond well to class D.  I'm sure this isn't case for all class D, but they certainly weren't firing on all cylinders with the Nords at Steve's.  In some respects the sound was great - good clarity in vocals.  However, the bass was not what I'm used to (apparently this has improved) and there seems to be some congestion in the sound and limited depth to the soundstage.  Steve and I have discussed all this at length and he is going to try a 686 - I know the Ektas sing with a 686!  I believe Steve will be exploring some room treatment options also.  As you mentioned the speakers need a fair bit longer to run in too.  I know this is a contentious view, but mine improved for many months from new.

Oli or even Jason if he can help on this what sort of Amplifier has the best chance of working with the Ektas ? Yes I know you use the 686 but they are very hard to get hold of and expensive . I am not the best at this so accept others know much better but as always I do have an opinion .

Listening to Steve,s Ektas it did not seem to me that the issues it was having were with the amplifiers they seem fine and as showed when they played vocals they are very transparent . As noted there were bass issues but I was of the strong belief that this was a placement issue for the speakers . I get the impression that the set up and placement is very important with the Ektas and you need to get this right and as good as it can be before you start any other changes . I said to Steve the first thing I would do is set up the listening seat and using tape mark the point then measure from there to where the front of each speaker is and make that as close as possible the same distance (the back wall on Steve,s room is not straight but I still think the speakers were not aligned and equidistant from the listening spot . Once this is done leave it sit down have an afternoon of listening and decide if it is better than the previous position . If it is then days work done and leave it till the next day . Then start doing small adjustments to toe in , distance from the back wall etc but do just one then take a good deal of time and listen .