End Game Digital (2023)
- Thread starter Alex S
- Start date
Rick_F
pfm Member
Utter rubbish.
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I have often said on this forum and elsewhere that there is no end to this game. Yes, some equipment may be endgame to some but there will be always be something new and superior developed and introduced to the masses, or perhaps niche group in appropriate time. The more important aspect of the game is people being happy with their systems and refrain from (frequently) replacing their equipment with new gear that is allegedly superior in areas of sound quality or whatever.
The current gear and speakers that I have are all endgame to me and I have no urge to replace anything, mainly because I am happy with the sound of the system, partly because I have run out of money for the hifi and for the fact that there is no end to the game. Still many unexplored gear which i have no more urge to go and listen.
As for endgame digital, I am happy with my ancient Chord qbd76 which is holding up very well. It's endgame for me. I also have the Luxman DA-06 which serves as a backup for me to switch to when I get a little bored with the Chord
The current gear and speakers that I have are all endgame to me and I have no urge to replace anything, mainly because I am happy with the sound of the system, partly because I have run out of money for the hifi and for the fact that there is no end to the game. Still many unexplored gear which i have no more urge to go and listen.
As for endgame digital, I am happy with my ancient Chord qbd76 which is holding up very well. It's endgame for me. I also have the Luxman DA-06 which serves as a backup for me to switch to when I get a little bored with the Chord
Alex S
carbon based lifeform
I thought Keith did sell the Mola-Mola.
Alex S
carbon based lifeform
I am. Headphones/streaming added bonuses that would be useful. Part of any expensive strategy would be to gain one box and lose up to four others.
Yes, OP is asking about DAC but I thought streamer is also part of digital which is in the title of this thread.
Based on my limited experience, there is a noticeable difference in sound quality with different laptops (running ASIO and FOOBAR software) used as a streamer feeding the DAC. I have neglected a quality streamer all this while and have been using a laptop in the hifi system all these years but that's about to change soon. I have placed an order for the Lumin U2 Mini and will likely have it by end of this month.
uncl_nigel
pfm Member
The next thing to compare is file format and source (NAS or online)
With the dCS and Roon, there is a hierarchy...
flutteringwow
She called me baby, like an old romantic
Alex S
carbon based lifeform
My point exactly
I’ve quoted both since Keith doesn’t sell streamers, I get the point now, and I don’t use one. I do have a Stack Audio Link2 that I bought on a whim and it does nothing bad routing a MacBook through the detox, but nothing audibly good either.
I use a 2021 MacBook Pro with Audirvana and Qobuz. I am still not convinced that the likes of Auralic will do anything with the dacs I have. For example, Audirvana on ‘extreme’ ie shutting off potential computer noise, sounds no different to the Qobuz desktop app, and as I say, the detox does nothing.
I’m also happy with USB rather than Ethernet, I use Amazon Basics or Fasgear cheapo cables, don’t believe in fancy USB cables. I might look at Innuos at some point.
John Phillips
pfm Member
I have listened to all three combinations but not all at proximal times. I choose to not go there but for today's end-game you can go well beyond Dave + M Scaler's receding state of the art in digital reconstruction filtering. You can offline process your music files with a much bigger digital filter and stream the processed versions bypassing whatever's in your DAC.
PGGB does this and knocks puny 1 million tap DAC filters into a cocked hat. By a factor of times 1,000 or more. And by pre-processing the entire music file you don't need any pesky proprietary windowing algorithm.
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
I understand it must be difficult if you have read and believed manufacturers marketing, the only way to be convinced is to perform an unsighted ( level matched if necessary) unsighted comparison for yourself.
@AlexS we do ‘sell’ the Tambaqui but I always tell potential customers that it will not improve their sound quality if they already use a transparent dac.
Keith
Nagraboy
Ausculta fili
Did you notice any significant difference over your previous Quad CDP?
kernow
pfm Member
Yeah, the dac section is no comparison tbh, loads better. I always wanted a wadia cdp or dac, and this is probably the closest I could get. I'd like to try the matching ion unit but the company is defunct so I'll just stay with the dac. Well, "decoding computer".
Uses bezier curve math and stuff, the original paper they released was pretty interesting. If you read some reviews it was a killer dac for the original price, but for the 1200-1400 now it's superb. I only mainly use it for Spotify but I'd love to hear it with Spotify hifi when that comes out in 2037
Alex S
carbon based lifeform
Interesting. I see the software is $1000 which puts me off a bit. One reason I've not bought a streamer is they are at least one half computer and my computer is better than any of them. I do believe in good power supplies and that switchers introduce noise and that's why Innuos and their Sean Jacobs PSUs interest me. Also, with streamers more than dacs, obsolescence seems to be an issue. I certainly like the dCS approach with software and hardware upgrades, software for free afaik.
I know - I saw it more as a dac than a streamer. I would pass (and have passed) any blind test identifying the various dacs I have.
linnfomaniac83
I bet you can’t wheelie a unicycle!
I’d look at the current Linn Klimax DSM… £30k is a nice round figure and they will release upgrades every few years to keep it endgame.