Firkling in a time of lock down

[ReggieB]

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 .....

[walpurgis]

I had a temperature a few weeks ago and ended up going into self-isolation before the nationwide lockdown started.

Thie has probably occurred to you, but I'd suggest not assuming you had coronavirus unless you were tested positive. You may have had something else and still be vulnerable.

[ReggieB]

I doubt I had coronavirus, but at the time the recommendation was to self-isolate if you had a high temperature. So I followed the protocols and did just that. I was symptom free 7 days later - just in time for the start of the lockdown.

I am very aware of still being vulnerable to the virus. I'm a voluntary responder for the ambulance service (hence me wanting to keep to the protocols).

[walpurgis]

Ah. Good lad.

[hifinutt]

ah very interesting to read your thoughts . as part of my experimentation with class d i have been looking at the ps audio m700 , these are designed to be matched with the ps audio gain cell .

https://www.stereophile.com/content/...ower-amplifier

The Stellar M700 are fully balanced, ultra-linear high current amplifiers based upon a Class D ICE module amplification stage. Each amp pumps out 350 watts per channel into 8 ohms (doubling to 700 watts into 4 ohms), with very low levels of distortion and noise. In operation, the M700 are totally silent when no music is playing, and never get much more than slightly warm to the touch. In addition to the output stage, the M700 also use ICE switching power supplies, which (paraphrasing PS Audio Development Engineer, Darren Myers) use multiple stages of passive and active filtering circuits that when combined, reject high frequency noise much more effectively than linear regulators.

A partial description from the PS Audio website: "The Analog Cell is a zero feedback, balanced, Class A, MOSFET input stage. The design closely mirrors the sonic characteristics of a vacuum tube..."

https://positive-feedback.com/review...ck-amplifiers/

i think the gain cell dac has this analog cell too



good to read how you get on ,

[ReggieB]

Well Phil, I'm still thoroughly pleased with the Stella Gain Cell. It goes to show the difference a modern DAC makes over what was a well respected but now long in the tooth Bryston DAC.

However, I'm also please with the performance of the analogue side of things - which says the Stella's pre-amp stage is sounding better than the Saga.

Fortunately the Saga added a bit of magic to my office system, where it's greatly improved the sound from a Quad 303 and Heybrook HB1 combo. I really must learn to get rid of some of my stuff - but a lot of it's gone into my office system, or even been passed on into my father's hi-fi.

I'm also impressed with the PS Audio build quality, and have to admit to a little pride of ownership having such a classy bit of kit in my system.

The class D amps sound interesting, but I can't seem me moving on from my Beard P35 any time soon. Still love it.

[hifinutt]

great , thanks rob

[Gazjam]

Yup, PS Audio make great kit, good choice Rob.

Well Phil, I'm still thoroughly pleased with the Stella Gain Cell. It goes to show the difference a modern DAC makes over what was a well respected but now long in the tooth Bryston DAC.

However, I'm also please with the performance of the analogue side of things - which says the Stella's pre-amp stage is sounding better than the Saga.

Fortunately the Saga added a bit of magic to my office system, where it's greatly improved the sound from a Quad 303 and Heybrook HB1 combo. I really must learn to get rid of some of my stuff - but a lot of it's gone into my office system, or even been passed on into my father's hi-fi.

I'm also impressed with the PS Audio build quality, and have to admit to a little pride of ownership having such a classy bit of kit in my system.

The class D amps sound interesting, but I can't seem me moving on from my Beard P35 any time soon. Still love it.

[ReggieB]

Thank you.