Macca's Lash Up 2: Lash Harder

[struth]

a screenshot of roons gubbins

[Audio Al]

I like the word " Gubbins "

[Macca]

I've read that the RME is fiendishly complex with its gubbins.

[Macca]

had another long listen last night, got through quite a few albums.

Boston-eponymous debut
Dire Straits eponymous debut
ZZ Top - Eliminator
Daft Punk - Random Access Memories
Donald Fagen - The Nightfly

I notice that on the Dire Straits, first tune 'Down To The Waterline' those cymbal shimmers in the intro sounded metallic rather than 'shushy' as they were before. This is really the big difference, the sound with the Oppo is crisper across the board and offsets the slight softness of the Krell. So it's a much more balanced sound even though it is still too smooth to be entirely neutral.

With ZZ Top I noticed the bass is a little bit soft - but I know what is causing this and I can fix it*. Likewise with Daft Punk although the system did give a good rendition of the bass on that one, sounded like the bass in a fancy club system, which is how it's supposed to be.

'The Nightfly' was monumental. Hard to get a system together that make this album sound bad (although I have managed it a couple of times), can't fault it with this set up though.

I'm appreciating more what the Krell can do now. It is 'velvety' in character but now I have that crispness back what was a problem turns into a positive. It's ideal for a long, relaxing session of listening to music, it never gets too much but all the detail is there. Maybe the top-end is still a little recessed but I think now this is a frequency response issue rather than one of quality. My room is over-damped, I knew that already. So I think a little EQ will sort that out. Going to have another look at getting that RME DAC.

*before the Oppo arrived I'd swapped the Spotfire interconnects for the Klotz MC500 in the hope of opening up the top end a little (it didn't) and I forgot to change back to the Spotifres. The Spotfires are noticeably better in the bass.

[Gazjam]

Oppo’s are great, Best Buy I’ve made in a very long time.

Does yours have an HDMI input Martin?

[Macca]

It has HDMI output but not input.

[Gazjam]

Ah..ok.

Just asking as you can plug a TV box into it which would give you Services like YouTube, which is another great music source played thru the hifi.

[Macca]

Thee is a usb input so could use that I suppose. But I already have an entirely separate sound system for the TV.

[Gazjam]

Just a thought that popped into my head.

Main thing is you found your CD player, room for funsies too with an external Dac.
Enjoy the journey man, it’s what it’s all about.

[Macca]

new arrival - Philips Black Tulip 280 Pre-amp:



Will be partnering with the 380 power amp on the TV system