I had a temperature a few weeks ago and ended up going into self-isolation before the nationwide lockdown started. All fine now, but we've now been in lock down for a few weeks and that's not helped my Hi-Fi upgrade itch one little bit.
I've been looking at the digital side of my system. I had been looking at getting a new DAC as although I like my Bryston BDA-1 a lot, it is an old DAC and I've really been wondering about getting something a little more modern - especially something with a better USB input. I'd been serious considering a Denafrips Pontus DAC.
I also became interested in some alternative pre-amp options - to replace my Schiit Saga. Nothing wrong with the Saga, I just fancied a change. I was particular taken by a recent review of the icOn4 pre-amp so was seriously considering getting one.
But if I'm honest, I was baulking a little at the price of both the Pontus and the icOn4. And then I spotted an ex-display PS Audio Stellar Gain Cell. It seemed to give me exactly what I was looking for. A high quality modern DAC and Pre-amp all in one, and at a price I could afford. I ordered it and it arrived a few days ago.
At the same time I've been wondering about getting a Bluray player and screen to occasionally watch operas on my main system. So I also picked up a cheap reconditioned Pioneer Bluray player at the same time. I'd been considering replacing my Rega CD play, and wondered if the Bluray could both provide me with an occasional video source, and also replace the Rega for CD playing.
So first the disappoints:
Firstly, I naively thought I could use the HDMI audio only output of the bluray player to feed the i2s input of the PS Audio DAC stage. Well no. I couldn't. Reading up on the issue, I realised that the HDMI out of the Bluray is just spdif any way, so I might as well just use the optical out.
Second, the USB from my Melco to the PS Audio just doesn't want to play ball. I may need to do a bit more fiddling with the settings because I think this should work. I'd been using a Haylide Bridge with my Bryston DAC. It's not really a problem with me because I'm still happy with streaming via my Moon 180 MiND. I was just curious to try the Melco via a modern USB input. Hey ho.
The pluses:
The sound is excellent and getting better. The track that really cemented my thoughts on the new preamp/DAC was the last track of Jocelyn Pook's Flood CD. It start with drops of water in what sounds like a cave. Then there is really quiet singing and some other sounds such as a fly past by swifts. With the new combination each element was clearly define and sounded exactly right. The subtly of the singing was clearly discernible.
Out of interest, I switch the CD from my Rega to the Bluray player. I'd been doing that through the morning and the Bluray consistently had a thinner sound. It sounded like some upper mids were missing and the lower range frequences didn't meld as well with the highs. With the Pook track this was very apparent. I could hear all the sounds, but struggled to hear what was being sung, and each element in the music just didn't fit together. It was as if the cave water pool sounds had nothing to do with the other sounds being played. Also some of the sounds just sounded like tuneless squeals. Switching back to the Rega, and everything came back together. The voices seem to be coming out of the cave behind the water sounds. Every sound so beautiful melded into the mix. I haven't heard this track sound so beautiful before. I was spell bound.
This is the first time I've really heard the effect that a decent CD transport makes. The idea of replacing the Rega with a cheap CD player has gone completely out of the window.
So I'm very pleased with my new purchase. My wife's pleased with the reduction of boxes in my Hi-Fi (I'll be taking the dedicated headphone amp out too as I rarely use it, and the one in the PS Audio will be fine for occasional use). I think I'll move the bluray player to my office system - to replace the very cheap DVD player there. I've got a few bits of kit that I'll need to put up for sale once I've decided what I'm selling - and what I'm moving into the second office system (the Saga has already gone that way).
That's the itch scratched for a while then .....