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It finally happened!

It's been quite awhile since I've contributed a post but I think it's about time. Since my last post I have changed several components of my system. I went from Von Schweikert vr4 MKIII Sr to Vandersteen 5A. I got an Aurender N10 streamer. I changed out my Belles Power Modules 350A amp for an Ayre V-5xe. I went to balanced cables from pre to amp. I thought it sounded pretty decent when I put in the Ayre. A couple of months after I visited another member of this site and heard his system. I left frustrated with mine. His was so spacious and airy and just right. I thought mine sounded good until I heard his. I wondered what else I was going to have to do to get there.  Maybe a different DAC? I have an Aqua La Voce S2. Maybe treatments? I just didn't know. Well... I had a 'Duh and a 'Aha' moment. My Belles A28 Reference preamp has selector switches of course on both input and output. When I put in my balanced cables it played and sounded better so I didn't do anything further. Something in my pea brain finally clicked! I needed to set my output switch to Balanced! Automatically better! Then I realized I had another pair of balanced cables and by golly! My DAC has balanced outputs! I hooked them up and set my input to balanced and was blown away! I know someone will think it should have been obvious. It's like I bought a whole new system! 

dadork
inna
8,240 posts
 

Not at all on the same scale, subtle but very noticeable. Nakamichi deck has captured power cord with two prong plug. No difference how to plug it in, right ? Wrong. I once accidentally switched left and right and there was a difference, now I know how to plug it in properly.

steakster
2,166 posts
 

Congratulations!   Every incremental step helps.  It's amazing how they all add up to improved SQ.

It's always a good thing to listen to other systems and/or attend audio shows to get a point of reference.   Of course, listening to live, unamplified music is the best way.      

kennymacc
721 posts
 

Sometime, it does take time, sometime quite a bit of time and experimentation, to figure these things out in our audio systems.  It took me quite a bit of time to get my speaker and listening chair positioning just right (relative to my room's acoustics) before finally nailing it.  Shift a little to the left, then a little to the right, a little more further forward, then a little more further back.  But when I finally got it just right, it made all the difference in the world.  Happy listening.  

richardbrand's avatar
richardbrand
1,363 posts
 

@dadork 

Well done for tracking down those real improvements. 

Balanced operation should be better than unbalanced for at least two reasons - the overall signal voltage is doubled and with two conductors carrying opposite signals, Electro Magnetic Interference should be equal and opposite in each conductor, and cancel out.

The higher signal level may result in higher sound levels too, which nearly always sound better.

Can you comment on what balanced cables you chose, and why?  Out of necessity I recently had to buy cheap XLR cables but am looking to upgrade them.

ronboco
1,111 posts
 

@dadork 

Is the other members room the exact same as yours ? I’m guessing not so it can be a fools errand trying to match someone else’s system. Have you optimized your space ? 

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