Wow, what a review. How does the Bushmaster compare to your Pioneer/Zu Jerry?
Wow, what a review. How does the Bushmaster compare to your Pioneer/Zu Jerry?
Jerry
Hifi: IPL transmission line floorstanding speakers, Squeezebox Touch, Denafrips Ares 11 DAC, DCB1 Pre-amplifier, Croft Series 7 power amp.
Custom Hifi cables HA10SE headphone amplifier and Hifiman HE-400 headphones.
AV system: LG 55B7, Denon AVR -x2300w receiver, Quad 12L (front) 11c Centre and 11L rear . Velodyne DD15 subwoofer.
Listening now...
Various "reference albums" all in High Resolution format, the albums so far have included Pink Floyds Dark Side Of The Moon (SACD release), Sgt Peppers (24bit 44.1KHz FLAC release) and I am now on Peter Gabriel's So (24bit 88.2KHz release).
The Bushmaster has now had around 40-50 hours run in time and it is showing, the higher mid frequencies seem to have calmed down a tad and the overall composure of the device seems to be more in control what is being thrown at it.
Have to say Sgt Peppers shocked me, I thought I had heard that album through and through but no the Bushmaster revealed very subtle nuances I had not heard previously, Pink Floyd's DSOTM disappointed me, from a recording perspective it wasn't brilliant, currently Peter Gabriel's So sounds slightly "congested, on the track Don't Give Up though there was a good sense of timing and bass extension, detail as well on Kate's voice was good, with a nice level of positioning, right now on the track Mercy Street the double tracked vocals are very apparent and a real sense of "air" about the mix as it should be, the reverse reverb after the middle eight is right there, it wasn't before, it was just a thing in the mix but now its part of all the musical experience... Question was the So album recorded at different studios? The Bushmaster seems to be reflecting that it was as tracks on the album mix wise are chalk & cheese.
Back to where I first started from, the Kate Bush tune Among Angels (24bit 96KHz FLAC release), woh what's going there, really, really musical now, reverb on the vocal now apparent a lot more, as is the piano sustain, which is now a real significant part of it all, there is that much detail you can hear the piano strings harmonics quite clearly.
String section now sat nicely in the back of it all, is that a Harp I heard then, yes there is definitely something else in that tune now I hadn't heard previous.
Back to Misty now, real depth and bass to the intro piano and the drums are more prominent with ride cymbals clearer, bass drum kicks more now, you feel it, bass coming up with the brushed snares really in the mix now, that bass is controlled and deep.
Another thing is the sense of space and absolute bottomlessness the air in mixes have, it just goes down and down into nothing, more instrumentation happening that I hadn't heard before in the tunes, even with my FiiO E17 DAC, HiFiman EF2A Beyer Dynamic DT1350 headphone set-up for work.
Thing is here...
I can improve this experience (I have some mains upgrades coming and a Squeezebox PSU upgrade from Dave), but I just don't know where to go from this point, and if my system (Leema Pulse Mark II Amp, Celestion SL6S's on Custom Design stands, home brew Belden 89259 audio Interconnect and digital Interconnect, with THE Belkin speaker cables recommended here) warrant any more significant expenditure and divorce proceeds.
And anybody wavering on the Bushmaster DAC purchase I wouldn't waver at all for £189 it's a bargain and that is only with around forty hours burning in time.
Squeezebox Touch -> Beresford Bushmaster DAC -> Leema Pulse Amplifier -> Celestion SL6S
http://www.definedlight.com
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Ha ha!! - wot a question
The thing is -- Pioneer PL71/Zu103 and .... what?
With my Trichord Dino NCPSU 'stage the sense of space with the Bushmaster is a bit better. Dynamics at the LOUD end are cleaner and free-er with the DAC. Presence and vibrancy in the mids of both are very, very good.
But .... swap out the Dino/NC for a Ming Da 2006 phonostage (£1.6k rrp), like I did for a review a few weeks ago, and the ambience/soundstage just explodes in an awesomely virtuosic 3D extravaganza. .
Tbh - I've never heard any digital come close to that.
Was that realistic, a true representation of the recordings? Dunno.
Was it marvellous? YES !!
But realistically, the analog front end, even Ming-Da-ed, was not as transparent or detailed, I was just blown away by the sheer ambience of the thing!
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Russell do you have 'Scratch my back' by Peter Gabriel? I have it (but only on 16/44) and it's so well recorded it's the first thing I put on when I try new kit.
Jerry
Hifi: IPL transmission line floorstanding speakers, Squeezebox Touch, Denafrips Ares 11 DAC, DCB1 Pre-amplifier, Croft Series 7 power amp.
Custom Hifi cables HA10SE headphone amplifier and Hifiman HE-400 headphones.
AV system: LG 55B7, Denon AVR -x2300w receiver, Quad 12L (front) 11c Centre and 11L rear . Velodyne DD15 subwoofer.
Covenant - I haven't go that album, I will endeavor to though, especially if the recording is that good.
Webby - When I get back from the Gt Harwood Charter Fair for the Jubilee, I will try some standard red book specification music, you any specific things you want me to try (if I have them)
Squeezebox Touch -> Beresford Bushmaster DAC -> Leema Pulse Amplifier -> Celestion SL6S
http://www.definedlight.com
Russell,
since you mentioned it: If you listen really closely and attentively to “Within you without you”, what do you hear in the right channel between the 3:44 and 3:47 time marks? Guess you really need the ears of a cat and a very revealing headphone, but I remember the first time I heard this detail, I really thought the ghost of George Harrison was standing directly behind my right shoulder.
I used to think I knew this song and the whole album quite good, but I had not realized this detail until I heard it for the first time via the Bifrost DAC, a matching headphone amplifier and good headphones. Guess it would not be discoverable at all with loudspeakers.
Werner.
Last edited by Werner Berghofer; 10-06-2012 at 11:32.
Mac OS X iTunes → Schiit Bifrost DAC → Yamaha AX-592 → Triangle Zays XS Grand Angle | AKG K712 Pro headphones | my last.fm profile
Location: gone
Posts: 11,519
I'm gone.
Does Werner have shares in Schiit?
How about another pic of some Schiit gear, Werner? You haven't posted one on this Beresford review thread for ages.
EDIT: ... oops, my mistake. That was a pic of a Weiss DAC.
... no, I don't have any shares in Beresford Inc.
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[QUOTE=Russell Turner;334887]Covenant - I haven't go that album, I will endeavor to though, especially if the recording is that good.
Just a word of warning, it's just P.G singing with an orchestra in the background so very different to his usual stuff.
Jerry
Hifi: IPL transmission line floorstanding speakers, Squeezebox Touch, Denafrips Ares 11 DAC, DCB1 Pre-amplifier, Croft Series 7 power amp.
Custom Hifi cables HA10SE headphone amplifier and Hifiman HE-400 headphones.
AV system: LG 55B7, Denon AVR -x2300w receiver, Quad 12L (front) 11c Centre and 11L rear . Velodyne DD15 subwoofer.