I'm not all in on digital systems because I'm not all in on DACs
We were lucky to have the makers of the @Arion1 speaker line join us in another conversation. One of the points the rep made was he didn't understand what the problem was with digital among audiophiles.
I am in many ways a digital music guy. I have no vinyl and use Roon for all of my playback but this all stops when it leaves my Mytek DAC. I've taken a great deal of care in selecting my integrated amplifier, and my speakers and how they are configured. I rely heavily on OmniMic and Roon's DSP before the DAC... so why won't I just let go and go 100% digital? Why don't I use digital crossovers after my preamp and convert my system to fully active?
The answer is in a series of experiences I've had with digital playback. DAC's can sound wildly different. I'm staring at two right now. A Topping DX3 and a Mytek Brooklyn. One sounds thin and lacking energy and bass while the other sound really good.
The same thing happened to me when I was trying to upgrade from my Theta Casanova. I was looking for a processor that was HDMI friendly and inexpensive. I went through a number of them which had the same problem: Thin and gutless until I got an Oppo BluRay player which sounded better than all of them. Sadly the Oppo DAC/headphone amp was a horrible ear drill to my ears.
So I'm not against digital signal processing or DACs, but within my budget I'm not willing to give up control over the sound of my DAC to a new crossover in the chain without listening.
What are your thoughts?
@nonoise you said... "I'm not a digital guy in that I don't relish the thought of trying out all the different DACs out there. Too many flavors and choices don't get me any closer to the musical truth if they all sound different." You do realize that statement is also applicable to transports, preamps, amps and speakers, yes? Do you have any qualms about auditioning those other components? Why are DACs different?
Happy listening. |
@nonoise My apologies for the delayed response. (Family obligations.) "Now, take into account what you said about DACs being as different as any other component in ones system and I'm back to wondering which one is the most accurate and that designers are voicing them as well, based on their systems, and that's one big monkey wrench I'd rather not deal with. It used to be that DACs had a particular flavor and that was about it. Nowadays, they can make or break a system, adding to the complexity. Ah my point precisely! Each component, be it DAC or speakers or whatever, contribute to a system's sonic signature. But concerning DACs specifically you'd said: "Too many flavors and choices don't get me any closer to the musical truth if they all sound different." For my part, I've never searched for "the musical truth". If one considers it for a moment, there is only ONE musical truth and that is what comes off the instruments themselves, IMHO. I believe the best we can hope to achieve is a reasonable facsimile of a musical performance, a pleasant reminder, but not an exact copy of "the truth". Is it reasonable to believe that a set of speakers, no matter how costly, can reproduce the sound of a full symphony orchestra? That any room in a residence, no matter how well treated, can fool one into thinking they are in a great concert hall? I believe the answers present themselves. So, where am i going with this? Every piece of equipment we choose we hope helps to get us to the best facsimile we can put together. And that includes searching for a DAC that we hope will get us the best result for our investment. (I say "investment" because it's not only money but time we spend in the hunt.) And let's face it, The Hunt is part of why we do this. Looking at it from a 'glass half full' perspective, having so many DACs to listen to, only gives us more opportunities to wander afield... :)
Happy listening. |
