Ok here we go.
Firstly, the listener preference isn't the important thing so nobody should feel they've chosen the wrong track. Differences and magnitudes are what count here.
B - Straight CD rip made using EAC. Probably as 'reference' as we can get for this test.
A- Same CD but via the following:
- Meridian 200 Cd player
- Analogue output taken to CD input of Quad pre
- Output of Quad taken from power amp out and into ADC to create digital file.
So effectively we have a straight rip against a chain of three components including the full path of the Quad. All tone controls were set flat.
Mr T, Grenadier and Tony L (previously) have listened to these files and there are differences identified. Indeed there should be given the path as none of these devices are perfect. The differences are however described as small.
What's interesting are the magnitude of the difference and that was the reason for doing this in the first place. I think that comments such as 'strangle the music', 'seriously restricted bandwidth' and 'make singers sound like they are face down on the carpet' needed to be challenged and hopefully this test does just that.
For complex, active pre amps, these things are actually very decent even stock.
The one used for the test had a recap and uses OPA134/2134 devices but is otherwise standard. It uses the original 4066 cmos switching (now changed).
Thanks for that Rob, and very interesting indeed - food for thought aplenty.
You know I'm very happy with the results I get from both my FM2 and FM3 tuners - both very capable of superb sound. I don't know where I went wrong with the 33 and 34 I owned way back in the day, but there is certainly very little wrong with your 34 - that much I do know. Perhaps the OPA 134 has made the difference? Having played around with those in the past and found them to be excellent devices (ultra low noise/distortion and designed for audio use) I'm inclined to think they are the answer here.
Davy