A few hours at Oliver's

[YNWaN]

Just want to hear a more modern speaker in the system and see if I can hear any difference in soundstage. I total understand that the presentation will be different but speakers and speaker cables are the last bits I need to fettled. I may only require cables but I like to experiment.

Fair enough, as long as you bear in mind that any differences you hear to the soundstage are likely the result of factors other than the cabinet width.

[Jimbo]

Hey John,

Digital is a tough market IMO. A lot of the stuff I've heard just didn't get it right. Yes, all the detail is there but there was always a glare or brittle sound. Soundstage was always condensed and worst of all it just sounded crap.

Admittedly, I haven't dabbled in the upper echelon of digital but why would you chase a medium that did nothing for you!

The Pi changed this. How they have got it so much nearer to a sound I can accept than some well known companies, i don't know. The price is just ridiculous. Would the pi prove better than modest vinyl systems? Absolutely. If I hadn't already gone a few leagues above the pi with my vinyl setup, I can tell you honestly, I wouldn't have done it now.

An isolation board and probably a more up to date DAC hat will offer better results, so that's where I'll head in the future.

The speaker thing isn't really too much of an issue for me. I am happy, just curious. I've had a fair amount of speakers here and the Pioneers have lasted for good reason. If I can improve the bass control a little more, it'll be a done deal. Speaker cable will help with this. I have a few candidates to try, all DIY but the big spend will come when I finally make my proper lengthed SPOTFIRE speaker cables.

I know where I'm headed, but no harm auditioning a few bits along the way.

To be honest most of the DACs out there are based around sabre or burr brown chips and your just paying for a fancy box or Name! The Pi strips away all the bullshit literally and your left with what matters implemented well and those guys at Allo are obsessed with getting the best sound possible out of the Pi with their gear. Ok the top manufacturers are maybe giving you a better PSU but as you have found there are some cheap as cheats linear supplies out there that do the trick!

[Bigman80]

Fair enough, as long as you bear in mind that any differences you hear to the soundstage are likely the result of factors other than the cabinet width.

I am matey. It's just an excercise in experimentation. It's not costing me anything so why not!

[Bigman80]

To be honest most of the DACs out there are based around sabre or burr brown chips and your just paying for a fancy box or Name! The Pi strips away all the bullshit literally and your left with what matters implemented well and those guys at Allo are obsessed with getting the best sound possible out of the Pi with their gear. Ok the top manufacturers are maybe giving you a better PSU but as you have found there are some cheap as cheats linear supplies out there that do the trick!

Yep, very true. I have been listening a lot today and still not fatigued. Just can't argue with that!

[Bigman80]

Just to confirm on the speaker cable subject, I imported a pair of
Mapleshade Clearview Double Helix Speaker Cable.
No matter how much fair lore I gave the other cables I had around me, the Mapleshades were not being moved, they let the listener see into the soundstage, in a way I had never experienced before.

Interestingly, I was looking at these recently. I wasn't convinced due to the thin gauge and silver plating. Maybe I need an audition