AlfaGTV's den

[Gazjam]

Cool...
This dac sounds bettter all the time.

24/96 from the Transporter over AES and native DSD from the Oppo over hdmi.

Sorted.

[struth]

Cool...
This dac sounds bettter all the time.l

24/96 from the Transporter over AES and native DSD from the Oppo over hdmi.

Sorted.

What dac Gary?

[AlfaGTV]

Grant, i believe Gary is referring to the discussed Audiobyte Black Dragon.
It has got capabilities beyond the advertised one's and sounds really, really convincing!

[Gazjam]

Yeah,
Mike said earlier he was very impressed with it and I think I may have found the upgrade for my Young without selling a kidney.
Connectivity and future proofing built in too.

[AlfaGTV]

Seems im in a "vintage" period:

Technics SL-P1200, almost 15kg of a CD-player!

I honestly think it sounds really nice!

[jandl100]

I had one of those Technics vintage CDPs for quite a while.
You're right - they do sound good!

[AlfaGTV]

Today the Black Dragon were taken on a trip!
It got the chance to replace an MSB Signature DAC V with matching Powerbase. As the MSB has got the Galaxy Clock and Analog input along with the stepped attenuator it normally works as a preamp.
That meant the Audiobyte Black Dragon was to use its digital attenuator and act as digital pre i this short, but educational test!

To cut to the chase, the Audiobyte got to go home, not in shame, but with an honourable loss in its baggage!

The MSB adds resolution, soundstage width, height and depth as well as a bit more control in the bottom octaves. It does play a smidge less bass though which may give it a head start in todays system which edged on the bassy side.

Both of them play music, not hifi, and were very enjoyable to listen to!
The Black Dragon does not do much wrong, it remains a highly recommended component for anyone in need of a versatile very good sounding DAC.

As a bonus is has a good, but not exceptional, level adjustment and a very decent headphone output and costs reasonable money.
(You would need to double its cost, not two or three times, but four times to get close to the cost of the MSB rig)

Good fun on a sunday afternoon!

Oh, the power amp was MSB's 200W stereo item, speakers Lawrence Audio Penguin and cabling was Jorma Prime. A Kemp distributor provided power and all units were grounded with Entreq equipment.
All in all a very, very well put together system for the guys and gals with bigger paychecks than mine!

[AlfaGTV]

I listen to quite a lot of music using headphones. I have had a few other variants than these, such as Sennheiser HD-650/HD-598, Denon AH-D7000, Hifiman HE-300 etc etc.
But these are the ones that are currently in circulation:

From left:
Philips SBC HP910, my first earopener that headphones and computers can really make some pleasant noise! Bought new around 1998-99?
Denon AH-D2000, my go-to cans! They are robust, sound good and get you up and going! A little lacking in finesse, but do everything well enough.
Sennheiser HD700, very new to me! Hoping these will change my aversion towards Sennheisers! They are on their way!
Philips Fidelio X2, the kings of my throne, currently! Smooth, detailed and warm, but still well balanced. Excellent imaging very enjoyable!

This is good clean fun, listening through phones! I want my headphones to sound like good speakers in a good room! And a the moment only the Denons and the Fidelios do that. To me, the Sennheisers still have a peculiar voicing even if these are way better than anything ive heard from them before. (Listening to HD800 at some hifi show doesnt cut it, and what i heard wasnt so spectacular at that time)

[AlfaGTV]

My local dealer (that didn't sound quite right?) turned out to have in store a phono stage that i've been eyeballing for a while. Last time one was for sale was in may on this very forum, but i missed that one.

This one did not slip through my hands though:

Tom Evans Audio Design, The Groove 20th Anniversary

I had expected a subtle, but obvious improvement in phono playback.
The change was anything but subtle, i can tell you!
I have heard quite a lot of phono stages in reasonably known contexts, even the Master Groove in my friends system.

There is no doubt that the Groove and microGroove it replaced, are voiced in a similar manner, but the improvement was way bigger than i would have thought possible.

Soundstage grew to be humongous, if the recording demanded it, or a small jazz club it that was the subject. Bass is deeeep and extremely well defined without loosing power. And the resolution and depth is simply stunning. But the difference that is most staggering is the silence... I have always imagined vinyl playback would easily be detected in between songs and most often during, as vinyl playback has surface noise and of course some clicks and such.

It is gone! I dont know where it is hiding, but i dont want it back!
The silence is deafening so to speak as you may turn the volume way up before you know whats coming out of the speakers.
I have quickly learned this as i have shocked myself and my better half a few times already.

I have, for a fact , got a whole new vinyl collection that sounds as if someone has been through every record and exchanged it for a mint condition first pressing!

How can vinyl playback even be bettered from this?

[petrat]

That phonostage seems like a real result, Mike

You're even more hopeless than I am..

Haha ... just read this whole thread, and that's exactly what I was thinking, too

Love the Technics cd player, btw.