darrylfunk
Banned
i take it you volume matched the system? only joking steven.... i know you don't believe in that. 
MDAC First Listen (part XXVII)
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Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
i take it you volume matched the system? only joking steven.... i know you don't believe in that.
The volume was adjusted both with and without the pre so in both cases it was variable.
The "was it level matched?" question clutches at straws. Dynamics are not about level. When I lower the volume three voices don't seem to merge into one lol
darrylfunk
Banned
i beg your pardon... The dynamics are very much about volume.
If they are not related to the volume realm just what do you believe them to be related to?
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
Ok Mr Paxman. I should have said level not volume.
darrylfunk
Banned
oh dear steven, engage brain before typing.
It is one of the available frequencies, you will have to choose 64Fs under Clock Lock options in the menu. It's available on optical output.
At +3dB there is no gain scaling & your approaching the limits of the analogue section PSU rails - if you had balance inputs you could get an extra +6dB, as we are talking about tube electronics, maybe a transformer could help here?
At +3dB you have about 3VRMS output that's HUGH - your Tube amplifier appears to lacks Gain! Are you sure its correctly functional?
Which model do you have and did you DIY build it? maybe an incorrect component value (or is it one of the SE low power units? - what speakers do you use?)
If your using there singled ended designs then its a lack of amplifier power - the highest is only a claimed 8W, no amount of output from the MDAC can help at 3Vrms at +3dB its already well over the industry standard output level.
I've nothing against SE Tube amplifiers... only that its not the job of a DAC to provide such High output levels... I really believe the Amplifier design lacks Gain & maybe depending upon your speakers - power (unless you tell me that you have Horn loaded speakers
John, my tube amp is the SV-300B MKII 20W Push-Pull monoblock and it is functioning correctly as I had it checked before by the shop. It has indeed a low gain input stage and have no balance inputs. This amp usually drive the LS3/5A 11ohm speakers. I do not have a preamp and wanted to avoid using one.
Which transformer is suitable to use between the MDAC and this amp ?
darrylfunk
Banned
steven level is critical to dynamics too.
this is common knowledge clearly you don't engage your brain when coming out with these hilarious gaffs.
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
Yes Jeremy. Anyway this is not the thread for crappy obj/sub stuff and ridicule.
It is an unpleasant nit-picking distraction from the fact that I was asked to compare with and without the pre and give feedback. My methodology is known.
Using the pre is definitely beneficial and by that I don't mean proven beyond all reasonable doubt in an a level matched abx deaf, blind, bound and gagged test which, as well as being nigh impossible to set up, would bore the tits off me.
The tests were hands-on and listening was at a variety of volume levels with and without the pre. I trust that JohnW (and Cereal Killer) will accept my subjective findings just as most on this thread accept his before we place our orders.
If you have issues with such less-than-rigorous methodology, kindly start another thread outlining your 'concerns.'
Dear PFM-ers,
A bit off topic, sorry
Being very happy with the original MDAC, and looking forward to MDAC2, I envisage upgrading my system. The first step is certainly changing my amp (currently CA azur 650a) to a power amp, using MDAC and MDAC2 in the future - as pre.
So far, I have had only one listening session (Cyrus 8a, Xpower, Primare - dont remember the exact ref as I did not like the sound of it - and Quad QSP elite which I liked). All listening was done with my own MDAC, from CD players with optical connections. More sessions are also planned, and the final decision will be made by testing at home, with my speakers (KEF IQ9).
Being still a newbie in this HiFi world, which I am interested in more and more, I am looking for some advice regarding amps, taking into account the coming MDAC2.
I also have questions regarding CD players :
During the listening session I had, especially with Primare equipment, the MDAC indicated that the signal it received from the CD player was 24/192 Other CD players tested showed the usual 16/44.1.
In general, does using digital out (coax or optical) on a CD player bypasses the CD player internal DAC? Is this bypass hardware/producer dependent? To be sure the signal is not changed, is using a CD transport the only solution?
Thank you in anticipation for your inputs. As I do not want to hijack the thread, the Please create a new thread advice is OK!
Pierre
A bit off topic, sorry
Being very happy with the original MDAC, and looking forward to MDAC2, I envisage upgrading my system. The first step is certainly changing my amp (currently CA azur 650a) to a power amp, using MDAC and MDAC2 in the future - as pre.
So far, I have had only one listening session (Cyrus 8a, Xpower, Primare - dont remember the exact ref as I did not like the sound of it - and Quad QSP elite which I liked). All listening was done with my own MDAC, from CD players with optical connections. More sessions are also planned, and the final decision will be made by testing at home, with my speakers (KEF IQ9).
Being still a newbie in this HiFi world, which I am interested in more and more, I am looking for some advice regarding amps, taking into account the coming MDAC2.
I also have questions regarding CD players :
During the listening session I had, especially with Primare equipment, the MDAC indicated that the signal it received from the CD player was 24/192 Other CD players tested showed the usual 16/44.1.
In general, does using digital out (coax or optical) on a CD player bypasses the CD player internal DAC? Is this bypass hardware/producer dependent? To be sure the signal is not changed, is using a CD transport the only solution?
Thank you in anticipation for your inputs. As I do not want to hijack the thread, the Please create a new thread advice is OK!
Pierre
Purité Audio
Trade: Purite Audio
The amps really need to properly drive your loudspeakers ,
Keith.
Keith.
darrylfunk
Banned
you don't change do you - the issue was that you said dynamics have nothing to do with volume (then you said level....) which is as any fool knows complete and utter hogwash. dynamics simply describes the variations of loud and quiet in music. if that ain't relative to the levels i'm a dutchman.
if i'm paxman you are very clearly michael (something of the night) howard....
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To get back to the matter in hand I'm sure nobody would dispute that the pre-amp can only be adding some niceness that isn't present in the recording.
I think your pre-amp is behaving, to some extent, like one of these
or these
which are tools designed to interfere with dynamics, hopefully to good effect. Whether this is a good thing in the context of domestic playback, I'll leave to others to speculate.
darrylfunk
Banned
A ha - compressors, my favorites... Or as they started out...
Levelling amplifiers.
Levelling amplifiers.
Steven Toy
Accuphase newbie
It isn't.
Steven, thank you for trying it without the preamp, interesting result - might be worth investigating why it behaves like that. A direct path from MDAC to power amp has the potential of being more transparent (well, it has to, by definition), however that does not equal better music, as in what we (humans) interpret as music.
Darryl, please avoid unnecessary provocations (in this thread), it was you who started the flame, intentionally. Steven only did what was asked of him, in his own way, using his own methods.
Thank you,
Jiri
Darryl, please avoid unnecessary provocations (in this thread), it was you who started the flame, intentionally. Steven only did what was asked of him, in his own way, using his own methods.
Thank you,
Jiri
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