Random musings on hifi components from 20+ years of upgraditis

dave48

One other aspect is stereo imaging vs. musicality.  I found the Audiolab M-DAC into the cheap Atoll class A Monoblocks and Rega RS5s is amazing for the cost.  The whole system was only about £1,200 but it was the first time I felt I’d got excellent stereo imaging.  The other of my systems is the Lyngdorf with Kef Reference 205/2.  This images really well (after quite a lot of fiddling with the setup).  Particularly on vinyl it’s an eye opener.  But you do have to sit in the sweetspot.

Is imaging or musicality more important?  Both - musicality I put top, but when it images well, it’s a massive bonus.  Downside is bad recordings really sound bad.

I’m a big fan of Rega speakers - I got a pair of RS3’s and they sound ridiculously good for the £150 I paid for them.

dave48

This is something I’ve thought about quite a bit.  But I haven’t tried it yet.  I did put in a separate power spur for the room where the Lyngdorf is.  Did that help?  I am not convinced.  Having studied physics I like to think a super-clean power supply should help.  Many years back I got talked into buying an extremely expensive 8 way power adaptor with different filters for different types of components (HMS Energia) and some seriously thick mains cables from Audio Agile.  Did they make a difference?  I don’t think so.  They look nice though.

dave48

My thinking exactly.  They are really excellent.  Can control them from an iPad (iPeng), possible to synchronize them throughout the house.  I’ve got everything running on a Synology NAS with Logitech Media Server.  Sorted. Works perfectly with Deezer & co.  It seems insane they didn’t continue the product line.

larkone

Agree with that as an owner of RS7s (driven by a Lyngdorf) for my main system and a RS1s with a Vulcan sub for the kitchen. Always overlooked but their PRAT is rarely matched in others at the same price.

Re your dedicated power supply for the Lyngdorf - they make a big thing about their power supply and how it can deal with brown supplies etc. so that is why you probably did not notice a difference. From their site:

This level of accuracy in signal processing is achieved by an advanced power supply, which delivers a correct and stable voltage to the output stage even in locations with very poor and fluctuating mains power. Together with effective grid noise elimination, this removes the need for an external mains filter or power conditioner.

dannnielll

I get the impression that this obsession with clean AC power is a USA construct. And probably linked with the much higher currents and lower voltage flowing in their domestic houses. Our European mains I suspect is a lot cleaner, although the UK Ring main does not help. Take as an example,say one had an 500 watt amplifier required to give a peak power and coming from a marginally defective socket with a 1 ohm contact resistance. The instantaneous current demand in 220v system will be 2amp and 4 amp in the US.
So the power supply drop by 2 volts in Europe and 4 volts in the USA. .. But 2v is less than  1%  and 4v  is 4% of the supply . Then 100ms later, during a pause, the voltage level in the US amplifier increases by 4%.... That is putting demands on regulation not required in Europe. The same effect will occur when motors, fridges, fan ovens washing machines switch in and out

dannnielll

"I suspect all DACs do sound the same or at least similar, but it it not the DAC you are listing to, or more accurately the DAC-Chip. Rather you are hearing all the support equipment attached to the DAC-Chip. A DAC has one simple job - convert numbers into voltages. If there is a difference in the sound quality, it is not what it does with the numbers, but rather what it does with the voltages"
Steve, I agree with the above with a few caveats. Even a simple capacitor or a resistor after the DAC sub system can  utterly change the sound. However DACs are no longer simple Chips. Even prior to the D to A bit they can have all manner of digital filtering ,pre emphasis etc and these parameters can be selected by jumpers on the chip. So it would be possible to have two DACs using exactly the same chip, exactly the same analogue output, but sounding different ,because a different length internal filter has been selected.

dave48

RS7s plus the Lyngdorf is a tempting idea.  I was once sorely tempted by a pair on eBay but didn’t bid.  I equally was very close to going for a pair of RS10s - thankfully they were a very, very long car drive away so I didn’t go for it.

Jampot90

Rumbled! The improvement in TV pic was in Texas when I was visiting family

Jim

Rob Sinden

Hi Dave

Thanks for sharing your findings.

My advice to anyone upgrading is to look at the weakest link and address that.

When you have good equipment, by far the biggest problem is typically the room. In most rooms some sounds will be heard 4 times louder than others because of the room’s acoustics. This makes a hifi so inaccurate that it seems crazy anyone would look to change say a DAC or amp before trying to fix these problems.

I see you have tried RoomPerfect and like its effect. I’m glad you came across this technology; I understand there are many independent high-quality retailers in Germany.

In the UK, HiFi stores are typically much more interested in looking after their suppliers than offering their customers the best performance possible. For the UK consumer, a trip abroad would probably be a good idea?

Khazul

I find it anchors the central sound much better for people sitting off center, or in a typical somewhat acoustically asymmetric room.