Jason P
11-02-2015, 14:08
Hi all,
Decided to take the plunge and get one of the last silver DACs available to match the rest of the system (Brio-R and Apollo-R). Got it from Moorgate Acoustics who were selling them off for £299 - now a fiver less on the 'Bay, but when S/H versions were fetching much the same I thought that for a few dollars more a new, warrantied version would be the way to go.
Connected all up the other night - Apollo-DAC via SP/DIF using one of the cables that were made by a chap on here many moons ago (forget who it was, but a bloody well made 75ohm cable) and the SBT using the toslink out to the DAC. Powered up, and span some tunes... and... well, TBH it was a bit 'meh'. Very little difference from the analog OP of the Apollo, which has a very nicely balanced 'analogue-y' sound to it. My GF actually preferred the direct out of the Apollo when blind a/b ing it.
Ahh well, distance selling regs and all that... but I thought I'd better get some time on it first so left it playing overnight and the following day.
Blimey - what a difference a day makes, as the song goes. Talk about chalk and cheese - the slight (and I mean slight) opening up of the soundstage that was noticeable on first plugin has really opened up now, and separation, detail and timbre has enhanced massively - it's a real step up from the Apollo outs, and very worthwhile. It still retains the fluid, analogue quality that I like but just 'more of everything', and treble detail has definitely enhanced, without any shrill brightness.
Just goes to show, even though it shouldn't matter to those that measure, burn-in can work wonders. Very happy chap. Just need to get the groovy black stuff sorted now.
Decided to take the plunge and get one of the last silver DACs available to match the rest of the system (Brio-R and Apollo-R). Got it from Moorgate Acoustics who were selling them off for £299 - now a fiver less on the 'Bay, but when S/H versions were fetching much the same I thought that for a few dollars more a new, warrantied version would be the way to go.
Connected all up the other night - Apollo-DAC via SP/DIF using one of the cables that were made by a chap on here many moons ago (forget who it was, but a bloody well made 75ohm cable) and the SBT using the toslink out to the DAC. Powered up, and span some tunes... and... well, TBH it was a bit 'meh'. Very little difference from the analog OP of the Apollo, which has a very nicely balanced 'analogue-y' sound to it. My GF actually preferred the direct out of the Apollo when blind a/b ing it.
Ahh well, distance selling regs and all that... but I thought I'd better get some time on it first so left it playing overnight and the following day.
Blimey - what a difference a day makes, as the song goes. Talk about chalk and cheese - the slight (and I mean slight) opening up of the soundstage that was noticeable on first plugin has really opened up now, and separation, detail and timbre has enhanced massively - it's a real step up from the Apollo outs, and very worthwhile. It still retains the fluid, analogue quality that I like but just 'more of everything', and treble detail has definitely enhanced, without any shrill brightness.
Just goes to show, even though it shouldn't matter to those that measure, burn-in can work wonders. Very happy chap. Just need to get the groovy black stuff sorted now.