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Post by firebottle on May 3, 2023 17:15:53 GMT
..and it sounds how?
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 3, 2023 17:46:42 GMT
Very respectable actually. I've been listening for a couple of hours and have no real complaints at all. PSU is a bit naff, but then again don't we think that about everything lol. All in, it's money well spent. Can't understand why the guy struggled to flog it. Cables are showing signs of excellence too. 1mm² conductors, so the sound is effortlessly solid. I like them a lot so far. Not done a proper A/B with the XR3000 and probably won't until the Aqvox lands and gets the treatment required.
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Post by stryder5 on May 3, 2023 18:41:03 GMT
Oli, didn’t you have a Youngs DAC years ago, IIRC you were using computer as source and usb connection?
Gary
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 3, 2023 18:53:58 GMT
Oli, didn’t you have a Youngs DAC years ago, IIRC you were using computer as source and usb connection? Gary YES! This is that very same unit lol. I needed something to tide me over until the Aqvox is here and modded to death. Seemed sensible to revisit and DAC from my past and see whether I had actually made any progress at all 😂
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Post by sq225917 on May 7, 2023 19:12:20 GMT
Ah the young, intersample overs ahoy....
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 9, 2023 10:01:16 GMT
May update,
IT has been a couple of months since the last bigblog update, and a fair bit has been developing here.
Where to start!?
Ok, so let's talk about the digital side a wee bit first:
I again found myself first in line to buy a Denafrips Terminator II a couple of weeks back, or so I thought. This led to the rather impulsive premature ejection of the awesome Aqvox DAC and the Aria Digibit streamer from the system.
The last time I got close to a Termy II, I missed out because I couldn't sell the incumbent gear quick enough. This time, I wanted to be ready…and I was. Cash waiting!
Then, as usual, something else happens outside of HiFi and the money is needed elsewhere. Whilst this didn’t derail my hopes of a TII entirely, it did give me pause to consider what I was doing. When I took the focus off the Termy, I realised that I was severely missing the Aqvox and all of the things it did in my system. The stand-in DAC, the M2TECH Young MKI is, by all accounts a superb DAC, and i have spent many hours listening to it, but as good as it is, it’s not an Aqvox.
I decided to see what else was in the marketplace and see if my budget could find another gem. The truth became quickly obvious.
I just wasn’t interested in anything. ESS this, AKM that….no, not interested at all. Sure, my prejudiced view on DAC chips may be completely irrational, but IME i haven't heard a single unit armed with ESS or AKM chips that made me want to break out my wallet and throw my hard earned coinage at. Then there is the pricing….
For instance, a £2000 starting bid for DAC with a (now) much older ESS chip and a SMPS inside….ended up going for nearly £4k. The measurements are horrific too….is this where we are at?
If so, I wanted no part of it. One DAC, a Chord QBD76, came on to eBay. £1250 starting bid.
These were struggling to fetch £750 a few months back, with Chord 64’s fetching around £450-500! I was quite intrigued to have a listen to one as they are quite few and far between. I contacted the seller. He had absolutely no interest in talking about a BIN price, so I watched the auction. Unsold. I looked at a few 64’s and they are priced at around £1200!!!
It started to make more sense to me to find me another Aqvox.
A fella in Bulgaria very nearly decided to do business with me, but changed his mind. I attempted contact with two other guys in Germany through a contact, but again, they don’t want to play ball. It was time to see what i could do elsewhere.
In a last ditch effort i looked at the Aqvox website. The DAC is on sale for £850ish quid, so i bought one. It’s cost me £220 more (so far) than I sold mine for, but I don't care. From all of the digital i have heard, it’s definitely my favourite. I have never had a brand new DAC before, so it’s nice to check that box…but it will be taken apart and given a new PSU as soon as it lands.
I am not out of the market for a Denafrips TII, but it will not be at the expense on an Aqvox going forward.
To go with this new Aqvox, i now needed a new streamer. Enter the Nova FIdelity X50D.
I have to say, i have wanted one of these since i heard one in Tony's Coherent Systems demo room down south. The unit doesn't disappoint. I did have a few moments of concern when it turned up and i had a hissing noise through both speakers. However, that was solved after changing the cables in the digital chain between X50D, Mutec and M2Tech. My fault as i hadn’t constructed the cables according to spec. Not unsurprising, as the cable has not been seen outside of a factory constructed cable before.
More on this cable at another time.
However, special mention here to Tony as he spent a little while on the phone giving me the tips to get the most out of the X50D’s settings and performance. I have now nicknamed him the Godfather of Digital…the Digital Don if you will lol. I am sure he will appreciate it 🙂
The X50D required a SSD, so I picked up a 1TB Kingston off eBay for £40! Brand new…i was stunned. The last one I bought was £100! A second one will be ordered ASAP.
The x50D can accept a world clock input (thanks for the reminder Chris) so i have ordered a second SMA to BNC cable to run from the clock to the X50D. I am quite excited to see what happens..if anything.
The X50D is a top class bit of kit. I am very impressed.
Cables:
For the last week of so i have been using a pair of Acrolink ‘Streesfree’ 7N-A2400III cables in place of my XR-3000. It has been very interesting. The Acro’s appear to have a richness in the mids that the XR-3000 do not. This is a really beautiful midrange with purity of tone and vocals seem to really convince with emotion. They aren't currently as utterly unforgiving as the XR-3000 and as a result they tend to make everything sound beautiful. I think these cables have some legs and i am considering whacking some WBTs on them to see what happens.
They aren’t a cheap cable by any stretch of the imagination. £800RRP according to sources, and the most expensive cables i have ever bought.
So far I haven't had an urge to take them out of the system, and knowing how fussy I am with cables, that's a real compliment. I will keep them as is until the Aqvox lands, but I think they may be a perfect foil for the DAC.
If not, they are 110Ohm rated so could be used for AES duties. That idea has been pretty stuck in my mind since they arrived to be fair.
Analogue,
Well, big news here….the Winny has gone!
In it’s place….a Kontrapunkt b 😮
WHY WOULD YOU DO THAT?! - i hear you scream.
The truth is, i can’t use it. The lads both have PS5’s and they are pumping some sort of Sh#t into the mains here, and i am trying to listen to an extremely low output cart with all sorts of noise in the background. It’s put me off using it as i don’t want to waste it.
The lads are unlikely to be moving out anytime soon, being 8 and 10 respectively lol, so i took the decision to let the Winny go to a hope that appreciates it’s performance.
So, in a nutshell i will be using a Kb (which i love BTW) until i can either find a solution to the noise, we move house or the PS5’s are no longer in use.
I think that just about covers everything at the moment.
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Post by robbiegong on May 9, 2023 11:51:23 GMT
Hey Olster, shame about the Winny Ti but understandably, as you say, if you're not being able to utilise a cart of that level to it's fullest. I dont know the Acrolink ‘Streesfree’ 7N-A2400III, but I'd describe the XR-3000 as genuinely excellent and typically pc triple C, in that they transfer the signal noiselessly and disapear so all you get is whats travelling through them. Therefore very revealing as you say, of all thats in the music etc - I'm a shameless, self confessed pc triple C fan boy
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Post by electronumpty on May 9, 2023 14:44:24 GMT
I reckon you need to start modding the PS5s, blimey you've done everything else! Give them proper PSUs and some mains filtering! lol.
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Post by lurch on May 9, 2023 15:02:17 GMT
I reckon you need to start modding the PS5s. Yep, turn them into frisbees, then see if they'll fly right across the local boating lake. 😂😂😂
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 9, 2023 15:24:57 GMT
Hey Olster, shame about the Winny Ti but understandably, as you say, if you're not being able to utilise a cart of that level to it's fullest. I dont know the Acrolink ‘Stressfree’ 7N-A2400III, but I'd describe the XR-3000 as genuinely excellent and typically pc triple C, in that they transfer the signal noiselessly and disapear so all you get is whats travelling through them. Therefore very revealing as you say, of all thats in the music etc - I'm a shameless, self confessed pc triple C fan boy The cart has gone to someone who ENTIRELY vinyl, and a huge Ortofon fan, so its definitely in the right place. The Acrolink is good, very good, but it has a sound. The XR-3000 doesnt IMO, thats why it's in my system.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 9, 2023 15:25:47 GMT
I reckon you need to start modding the PS5s. Yep, turn them into frisbees, then see if they'll fly right across the local boating lake. 😂😂😂 The amount of peace and quiet they bring to the house is worth the sacrifice lol
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 9, 2023 15:27:01 GMT
I reckon you need to start modding the PS5s, blimey you've done everything else! Give them proper PSUs and some mains filtering! lol. I did have a look at LPSU's for them but as they are still under warranty the gaffer vetoed it. I will investigate further when the time comes.
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Post by gninnam on May 9, 2023 17:16:45 GMT
I reckon you need to start modding the PS5s, blimey you've done everything else! Give them proper PSUs and some mains filtering! lol. I did have a look at LPSU's for them but as they are still under warranty the gaffer vetoed it. I will investigate further when the time comes. Sounds like the gaffer has to go to
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 9, 2023 17:26:26 GMT
I did have a look at LPSU's for them but as they are still under warranty the gaffer vetoed it. I will investigate further when the time comes. Sounds like the gaffer has to go to Nah, she's sweet as a nut. In a few months I'll attack the PS5s and see what can be done.
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Post by stevew on May 10, 2023 7:05:12 GMT
Sounds like the reality is that investment is following your listening habits. Feels like the right thing… especially as you have prolific listening habits. The thought of wearing out a Winfield in short order would scare me.
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 10, 2023 7:12:13 GMT
Sounds like the reality is that investment is following your listening habits. Feels like the right thing… especially as you have prolific listening habits. The thought of wearing out a Winfield in short order would scare me. I do mainly listen to digital these days TBF, but the reason for not using the Windfeld is that noise on the mains when the kids are home and on their playstations. It's intrusive and I didn't want to put hours on a Winny and not hear it at its best. Retipping is a concern too. That is always on my mind with vinyl.
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Post by stevew on May 10, 2023 8:33:36 GMT
Out of curiosity just looked up the price of a new Windfeld. 5,500 euros Even if I had that kind of dosh spare …
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 10, 2023 10:38:16 GMT
Out of curiosity just looked up the price of a new Windfeld. 5,500 euros Even if I had that kind of dosh spare … Yeah, brutal isnt it.
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Post by pete on May 10, 2023 11:20:18 GMT
This is the issue with running such high end stuff. We can get most of it for relatively ‘affordable’ amounts as such skilled and talented people on here are able to design, make and refurbish to super high standards. To replace a SP10 with arm, like for like with new is probably going to be £20k including cartridge, possibly more. Where as mine from Angus was still a lot of money but ‘affordable’ by comparison. However, once we get to cartridges which have to be either bought new or have them refurbished we are paying the sort of money that fits with a £20k+ turntable, that is, loads. What we need is someone in our group who diversifies into cartridge re tipping and rebuilding😁
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Post by karma67 on May 10, 2023 12:07:19 GMT
Sounds like the reality is that investment is following your listening habits. Feels like the right thing… especially as you have prolific listening habits. The thought of wearing out a Winfield in short order would scare me. I do mainly listen to digital these days TBF, but the reason for not using the Windfeld is that noise on the mains when the kids are home and on their playstations. It's intrusive and I didn't want to put hours on a Winny and not hear it at its best. Retipping is a concern too. That is always on my mind with vinyl. Deja vu
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 10, 2023 12:28:41 GMT
This is the issue with running such high end stuff. We can get most of it for relatively ‘affordable’ amounts as such skilled and talented people on here are able to design, make and refurbish to super high standards. To replace a SP10 with arm, like for like with new is probably going to be £20k including cartridge, possibly more. Where as mine from Angus was still a lot of money but ‘affordable’ by comparison. However, once we get to cartridges which have to be either bought new or have them refurbished we are paying the sort of money that fits with a £20k+ turntable, that is, loads. What we need is someone in our group who diversifies into cartridge re tipping and rebuilding😁 I am looking into this Pete. I love the medium, the history, the sound...but at this point in life where I have young kids who want to do everything on earth and deserve to do so, it's incredibly selfish to throw huge sums of money at carts etc. I have a Kontrapunkt b, so vinyl should be playing again asap, but it's affordable vinyl....not £1800 for a retip vinyl.
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Post by gninnam on May 10, 2023 12:32:40 GMT
Just 'cos something is expensive doesn't mean that it is the best as most of us know.
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Post by pete on May 10, 2023 12:58:47 GMT
Just 'cos something is expensive doesn't mean that it is the best as most of us know. Equally the most enjoyable music does not necessarily come from the most expensive components.
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Post by misterc on May 10, 2023 13:19:04 GMT
Last year at NWAS we were voted one of the best sounds at the show with a front end that totalled £2400 way more than possible
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Post by lurch on May 10, 2023 16:16:56 GMT
Sounds like the reality is that investment is following your listening habits. Feels like the right thing… especially as you have prolific listening habits. The thought of wearing out a Winfield in short order would scare me. I do mainly listen to digital these days TBF, but the reason for not using the Windfeld is that noise on the mains when the kids are home and on their playstations. It's intrusive and I didn't want to put hours on a Winny and not hear it at its best. Retipping is a concern too. That is always on my mind with vinyl. I'm pretty much the same (mainly through idleness) in listening to 95% digital including some occasional CD. I'm so glad I managed to pick up my Koetsu RSP for only £1500 2 years ago (£6k new), but not looking forward to refurb time, as around £900 from Goldring or £2.6k sent back to Koetsu via Absolute Clowns (the official importer). Wouldn't want to go out and pay full retail for my tt and arm either, as the Bardo now retails for £7,995 + arm. 🤯 So £13.3k (with my 12" OL Enterprise mk4) before cartridge. YIKES seeing that written down maybe I ought to use it a bit more, luckily I got it used in 2019 for £2.5k so not so bad.
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Post by stevew on May 10, 2023 16:57:52 GMT
This is the issue with running such high end stuff. We can get most of it for relatively ‘affordable’ amounts as such skilled and talented people on here are able to design, make and refurbish to super high standards. To replace a SP10 with arm, like for like with new is probably going to be £20k including cartridge, possibly more. Where as mine from Angus was still a lot of money but ‘affordable’ by comparison. However, once we get to cartridges which have to be either bought new or have them refurbished we are paying the sort of money that fits with a £20k+ turntable, that is, loads. What we need is someone in our group who diversifies into cartridge re tipping and rebuilding😁 Exactly.
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Post by electronumpty on May 10, 2023 20:09:09 GMT
Last year at NWAS we were voted one of the best sounds at the show with a front end that totalled £2400 way more than possible Cool what was it?
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Post by rexton on May 10, 2023 20:15:25 GMT
I'm the other way its 99.5% vinyl and 0.05% digital. I've bagged a few bargains over the years like a pair of Active ATC50's for <£4K and a SME V-12 for <£3K. I have no idea how much these would cost new to replace
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Post by misterc on May 10, 2023 20:19:56 GMT
Last year at NWAS we were voted one of the best sounds at the show with a front end that totalled £2400 way more than possible Cool what was it? Same streaming front end that Oli is now using
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Bigman80
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Post by Bigman80 on May 10, 2023 21:50:23 GMT
Same streaming front end that Oli is now using The Novafidelity X50D?
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