"Improving" lo-fi digital sources

[sharpi31]

My main system is in my living room, and to be honest I spend as much time listening to lo-fi digital sources (freeview TV, DAB radio, DVD) as I do listening to better ones (CD, BluRay, 24/96 audio via PC).

In my experience, listening enjoyment can be increased with lo-fi sources if true hifi ideals are set aside in favour of warmer & softer sounding components. For example, while teflon coupling caps beat paper in oil with good quality source material (in my system) I'd far rather use PIO with tinny sounding DAB or Freeview material.

Any other suggestions for making lo-fi digital sources sound more pleasant?

[kevinkr]

I would look at designing amplifier stages to follow the component dacs that produce a significant amount of 2nd harmonic - this might or might not warm things up a bit and make the rough edges of low res digital a little more tolerable.

You could use either tubes or transistors in a carefully designed circuit to accomplish this end.

[Mooly]

I agree with kevinkr, and make no apologies for pushing my own amp,
My MOSFET amplifier designed for music.

which does all you ask re digital sources of lets say "a compromised" nature.

Post #107 in the above mentions the "reference points"
As I have said many times before, the blameless perfect amp is of no use if you find 90% of material sounds unacceptable.

[mikesnowdon]

Originally Posted by sharpi31

My main system is in my living room, and to be honest I spend as much time listening to lo-fi digital sources (freeview TV, DAB radio, DVD) as I do listening to better ones (CD, BluRay, 24/96 audio via PC).

In my experience, listening enjoyment can be increased with lo-fi sources if true hifi ideals are set aside in favour of warmer & softer sounding components. For example, while teflon coupling caps beat paper in oil with good quality source material (in my system) I'd far rather use PIO with tinny sounding DAB or Freeview material.

Any other suggestions for making lo-fi digital sources sound more pleasant?

Dont forget most of these low-fi sources are using noisy SMPS supplies. That would be the first thing to look at (suply noise) for any worthwhile audio improvements. A Simple cap multiplier is cheap and should be easy to implement...

See here: Using 3-pin regulators off-piste: part 2

Where any local regulation is used here is a little tweak based on something mentioned in the above page: http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/s...529#post261529

[kevinkr]

Originally Posted by mikesnowdon

Dont forget most of these low-fi sources are using noisy SMPS supplies. That would be the first thing to look at (suply noise) for any worthwhile audio improvements. A Simple cap multiplier is cheap and should be easy to implement...

See here: Using 3-pin regulators off-piste: part 2

Where any local regulation is used here is a little tweak based on something mentioned in the above page: regulator booster - pink fish media

Good point, and in some cases it may be worthwhile to look at repowering the device in question with an analog supply.

[mikesnowdon]

True, if space is available for it and budget allows. There is always the option to go external PSU though...