840C and MHDT Havana

Xenithon,

I'm glad you had a chance to audition the 840C in your system with your music. Reading through your preliminary impressions I think you have probably heard what your are going to get with the 840C. Your statement that its an enigma is right on target. There is much that is very good with this player, but there are a few things that are just plain odd. That being the case, it will work for some but not others as I said previously. I'll be looking for your impression with other players you may have a chance to audition.

I bought an 840C about a year ago. There is certainly a burn in, but I'm not sure it takes all of 200 hrs. Its difficult for me to say exactly how long it took for the 840C, because I replaced my pre after I had less than 100 hrs on the 840C, so there was some burn in required for that piece too. As far as the "dryness/glare/sheen" I think sheen is probably apt. As far as dryness, I suppose it could be in the wrong system, but I think the 840C is capable of remarkable sweetness with the right source material. Glare as a descriptor would be way off base in my opinion. This is a smooth sounding piece, not digital sounding as I think of digital sounding, but not analog sounding either. My 840C replaced a NOS filterless dac (Audio Mirror) that I liked quite a bit. I would say the 840C betters the AM in most areas although it does not match the dynamics and bass of the AM. The 840C is a good match for you if you are looking for detail, imaging, and lack of congestion on complex passages. If presentation of tympani makes or breaks your assessment, then the 840C may not be for you.

Xenithon,

The "sheen" with the 840C is something that is just there that I don't hear in live music. It would seem this should be very objectionable, but I don't find it so. Apparently the virtues of the 840C are strong enough that I am willing to overlook this oddity. One of those virtues is a complete absence of listener fatigue. My current set up with the 840C permits(invites) me to listen for longer periods than my schedule allows. There is less fatigue than with the NOS filterless AM DAC I used previously. As you can see, I like this player. I'm in no hurry to replace it, and when I do, it will likely be with a player costing significantly more than the 840C.

Xenithon, I thought a few more comments on the 840C might help clarify my experience. With regard to the AM having better bass and dynamics than the 840C, it might be helpful to know those are primary strengths of the AM. So while the 840C is certainly not weak in those areas, it does not match the AM. For instance, listening to the Lopez-Cobos Mahler 3rd first movement with the AM, the tympani exhibits that jump or attack factor, to an extent not present in the 840C. However, one does not get far into the first movement before the 840C distinguishes itself above the AM in handling complex orchestral passages with far less congestion than the AM and also in spatial presentation. It could be argued that the 840C errs slightly on the side of politeness.

With regard to fatigue, my experience with the 840C parallels my experience with live performances. I was quite done after hearing live performances of the Mahler 7 and Shostakovich 4. No more music please, I was more than ready to go home. My point is that some listener fatigue is a natural consequence of the music, and is not artificially induced by electronics run amuck, where one has had enough after 20 minutes of relatively benign music. The 840C does not shorten my attention span. It parallels my experience with live music. This is the first digital source I've had for which that is true. For that reason alone, I will be cautious about replacing my 840C. After all, that's why I'm in this hobby. It's about the music.
A few comments on presentation of female vocal. Listening for instance, to Kathleen Battle singing the part of Gabriel in Haydn's Creation evokes the goose bumps. What a pure, sweet voice! Frederica von Stade singing Mahler's Songs of a Wayfarer is also emotionally moving. At the other extreme, I have a few recordings with problematic (ear piercing) soprano parts that have been rendered listenable, even enjoyable, on the 840C.

Finally, regarding the "sheen," it occurred to me that maybe the sheen is something not quite convincing about the considerable "air" in the 840C presentation. Maybe that is what bothered Dtc. The 840C is not a perfect player, and will not be everyone's cup of tea. No doubt, it will be a good player in some systems and not right for others. The only way to know for sure is to arrange for a long audition in your system.

Xenithon and Dtc,

It would seem we are all hearing pretty much the same thing on the 840C. X, please keep us posted on your progress.

Xenithon,
Sorry things didn't turn out well on the Havana.

I should give you another thing to think about on the 840C. I ordered some new power cords including one for the 840C. Last night, while I was installing the PC's, I temperarily took my Audio Magic Mini Digital power supply out of service and plugged the 840C directly into the wall. Oh my, the difference was not subtle, and not good! It may be that the 840C is especially sensitive to AC line noise. Based on what I heard last night, I would not be at all satisfied with my 840C without the power supplied through the mini-digital. You might want to start there before you start tube rolling.

Also, I use balanced silver IC's to my pre-amp. I've wondered if some high quality coppers might be a better choice.