Hi Anatoliy,
It's a good thing you spoke up. Now I know what you meant.
The RTX-6001 makes an excellent DAC. I had a chance to try it about a month ago.
-Chris
It's a good thing you spoke up. Now I know what you meant.
The RTX-6001 makes an excellent DAC. I had a chance to try it about a month ago.
-Chris
Thus my comment.
Reservation regarding the “best” (comparing to which?)
Not me Jeremy, sorry
Only please check the “why” .
How many are not DDA, how many are not to be played back though one of the “direct to USB” turntables.
I feel like I am living in another universe than the one in which you have gained such experience.
George
George,
While it is subjective, my opinion is that vinyl offers the best on a lot of albums. I have compared multiple pressings and multiple CD releases of the same albums. I kind of enjoy comparing them; but I don't go spending lots of $ to do it, it just happens. Consistently it's very obvious that the guys who could master really well are almost always the first ones to do the first pressings. This has nearly as much to do with why vinyl is so liked over CD/dig, over any other factor. While I really enjoy the sound, fact is the quality masters in the digital realm are much less frequent. There are some good guys out there doing work, like Bruce Brown at Puget Sound, but there just is not the same amount of guys doing good work anymore. Most of them are asked not to do good work due to loudness wars etc, so it hardly matters if they are even capable of it.
Then there are "audiophile" pressings that are really bad of a lot of bands... MoFi anything is not good that I've heard (although sometimes the original is horrific so the MoFi is the best for the album). They're a crutch for bad stereos. It seems sad but there are a lot of disappointing new releases of old music. Yet there are some new bands putting out stuff that sounds pretty darn good for pop~ish. Really though it is tough for them. Timbre isn't as good on new stuff, the good new stuff. And I will say a lot of new bands know they should lay it down on tape, but not all can deal with the expense... They still do it. Some do it for a few albums then don't anymore etc.
I have to agree it's criminal how many POS turntables are sold. They're stepping stones hopefully. It shouldn't take anyone more than a minute to figure out they're junky and to upgrade when they can. What I see is parents trying to help their kid's desire to listen to vinyl... and not wanting to spend at least $300 to get an entry table so they get a horrid POS for $99.
I am getting around to building a new preamp. The phono stage I have now is better than the turntable and cartridge. (Old mid fi belt drive, modified platter and arm, Denon 103s.)
So I have in the past built diamond buffers that seem up to the task, so the issues are switching, volume control and buffer before and after the control?
I do have some fairly nice Russian ceramic silver plated rotary switches but suspect I may want to do all the switching including volume control with relay banks.
Open for suggestions, also where do I put the 709?
So I have in the past built diamond buffers that seem up to the task, so the issues are switching, volume control and buffer before and after the control?
I do have some fairly nice Russian ceramic silver plated rotary switches but suspect I may want to do all the switching including volume control with relay banks.
Open for suggestions, also where do I put the 709?
Thanks Jeremy
That’s exactly my own experience, thoughts and conclusions too.
>Edit: I am referring to old recordings and old vinyl pressings, not new recordings/ pressings
I have nothing against low priced, low quality turntables.
I only have a lot against the fabricated trend toward vinyl comeback “because it sounds better”.
I have and will continue to discourage people with no vinyl records to play who ask my advice for what vinyl playback set should they purchase and I do it regardless of price and quality level they suggest.
I will concur only if someone will say “there are only a few CD releases of the music I am interested in”.
Till now, I haven’t had the pleasure to hear that. They only want to buy the trendy equipment and they will purchase a few pressings just to complete the prescribed scenario.
George
as a relay driver
or alternately, as a LED driver to modulate with the signal 🙂
Cheers
Alan
I stocked up on the metal can version when I got the end of life notice. That was about three years ago. The plastic ones are still available.
I would hate to tell you how old mine are. I bought a bunch much earlier in time, like when they were better than many others in the 70's.
-Chris
-Chris
There are some parts that I have done what I estimated to be a lifetime buy to ensure availability.
For 709s it was 6 pieces. They are used in General Radio sound level meters. External compensation means 741s won't replace them.
First lifetime buy I did was on solder terminal strips of the type used in hand wired vacuum tube gear. Only lasted two years as folks here who had never seen then found out how useful they are. Fortunately Mouser now sells an imported version.
The average life on a large scale sound system is 8 years some folks think. Mine run 20 years or until someone considered knowledgable screws things up. I have some systems going on 40. Seems solid state amplifiers before the fan cooled designs pretty much only need service every 20 years or so.
Of course now that everything is DSP or microprocessor based, useful life is dropping.
For 709s it was 6 pieces. They are used in General Radio sound level meters. External compensation means 741s won't replace them.
First lifetime buy I did was on solder terminal strips of the type used in hand wired vacuum tube gear. Only lasted two years as folks here who had never seen then found out how useful they are. Fortunately Mouser now sells an imported version.
The average life on a large scale sound system is 8 years some folks think. Mine run 20 years or until someone considered knowledgable screws things up. I have some systems going on 40. Seems solid state amplifiers before the fan cooled designs pretty much only need service every 20 years or so.
Of course now that everything is DSP or microprocessor based, useful life is dropping.
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Recently completed DIY DAC from obsolete parts and a lot of infuence from the DIY audio members contributions over the years.
It features Bobely’s discrete all jfet/fet IV converters and shunt regulators as built very nicely by Les Bordelon from mostly boards I stuffed, and collected and matched the parts for.
45 pounds and 2 chassis.
8 x PCM 1704 K DAC chips
24/192 USB and spdif inputs
Separate left, right, dac R core transformers
Separate positive and negative hexfet bridges with Mark Johnson’s CRC snubbers
200,000 uf of CLC filtering
10 x Jung super regulators as +/- 31 VDC and +/- 11 VDC preregulators
10 x +/- discrete jfet/fet shunt regulators for each phase and dac
Matched idss 2SK389/2SJ109 cascoded input stage
Idss matched second stage 2SK170/2SJ74 cascoded
2SK216/2SJ79 90 ma bias at 24VDC output stage
Direct coupled with dc servo, teflon, Richards’ RTX, and polystrene caps
Silver wire, Blackgate caps, with Dale and the dreaded naked bulk foil Vishay resistors.
JC - it does sound much better than the analog outputs of the OPPO, how is your discrete version coming along?
It features Bobely’s discrete all jfet/fet IV converters and shunt regulators as built very nicely by Les Bordelon from mostly boards I stuffed, and collected and matched the parts for.
45 pounds and 2 chassis.
8 x PCM 1704 K DAC chips
24/192 USB and spdif inputs
Separate left, right, dac R core transformers
Separate positive and negative hexfet bridges with Mark Johnson’s CRC snubbers
200,000 uf of CLC filtering
10 x Jung super regulators as +/- 31 VDC and +/- 11 VDC preregulators
10 x +/- discrete jfet/fet shunt regulators for each phase and dac
Matched idss 2SK389/2SJ109 cascoded input stage
Idss matched second stage 2SK170/2SJ74 cascoded
2SK216/2SJ79 90 ma bias at 24VDC output stage
Direct coupled with dc servo, teflon, Richards’ RTX, and polystrene caps
Silver wire, Blackgate caps, with Dale and the dreaded naked bulk foil Vishay resistors.
JC - it does sound much better than the analog outputs of the OPPO, how is your discrete version coming along?
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Ticknpop, I like your approach. It is also what I am trying to do, over time. I too think that virtually EVERYTHING is important, and it is best to do it 'right' rather than rationalize that parts that cheaper or easier to get, but considered less 'ideal' for the purpose of just getting something to work or measure OK. A good example might be: Mylar vs polystyrene. Mylar can measure pretty well with standard tests like harmonic, or IM. But when you measure DA, there is a world of difference. It's best to put the highest quality parts in, because you never know what might show up in actual listening quality.
As far as digital design is concerned. I am still trying to understand why different type D-A's, even of the best quality of each type, might sound better than the other types in some situations.
Of course, I try to avoid standard IC's for the I-V converter. It is interesting that most manufacturers using the same (or similar) D-A models, use different IC's for the analog section. Also the preference for linear power supplies over switching power supplies.
I realize that many will not agree, but I believe in 'informed consensus' of active listeners who compare things openly, and they lead me to what might be more important in audio quality, beyond measurement alone.
Of course, I try to avoid standard IC's for the I-V converter. It is interesting that most manufacturers using the same (or similar) D-A models, use different IC's for the analog section. Also the preference for linear power supplies over switching power supplies.
I realize that many will not agree, but I believe in 'informed consensus' of active listeners who compare things openly, and they lead me to what might be more important in audio quality, beyond measurement alone.
I have a pair of DACs here, and one sounds great with a bipolar I/V, and the other sounds great with a fet input. Neither sounds good when the parts are switched between them.
I also agree that everything has to be attended to or results will suffer, no shortcuts unfortunately. And it is interesting that once something has been pointed out, and you go fix it on your system, that you will tend to require the same treatment from there on to any other systems you play with...
I also agree that everything has to be attended to or results will suffer, no shortcuts unfortunately. And it is interesting that once something has been pointed out, and you go fix it on your system, that you will tend to require the same treatment from there on to any other systems you play with...
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