Originally Posted by
Bigman80
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!
Main system : VPI Scout 1.1 / JMW 9T / 2M Black / Croft 25R+ / Croft 7 / Heco Celan GT 702
Second System : Goldring Lenco GL75 / AT95EX / Pioneer SX590 / Spendor SP2