Digital Sound and Reality
Hi ims,
Interesting that in both cases (talking about the fast diodes and rhodium plated cables) people mentioned to you that the sound will become "dry"! This can imply for example that many people are looking for a much less transparent sound that I am looking for.
On the other hand, the "PCM63P-Y" is the richest sounding Chip that I know, while still delivering excellent clean sound. So what is the case we are dealing with? Let’s see:
I can tell for sure that all my devices (CD Transport, DAC/Pre, Power-Amp, Loudspeakers) are built around the same philosophy of “no colouring” devices, fast reacting /"on the spot" sound, as if you could “touch” or “move” the sound with your hand. The instruments are appearing realistic. For checking the HiFI, I sometime play through the system a music excerpt with an "attack" which is sounding very loud, after which comes a moment of recorded-silence (or pianissimo). I am listening to the echo. It must feel real. This is of course only one aspect, but it can give you some idea.
Do you want to know if your HiFi can deliver this extreme sounds levels different? Use for this a simple trick: Borrow a German shepherd to your listening room and make him Bark (be friendly to him however). Listen to this fantastic effect – and listen also to the room; you might discover that your HiFi is much too nice, much less clear then you think, much too civilized, not having any real power… (If it is to hard to find one, don’t go over board and just clap your hands…).
You will try now to solve the problem, and the next sound check might show you that your HiFi is now strong but shouting… not good, of course, so you will have to see how to overcome this. I am using a strong Power-Amp, which after its modification deliver some 240-260 RMS into 4 Ohm per Channel. It should have a high enough damping factor (what is enough?) so it can deliver a Timpani attach or Grand-Cassa (the Bass Drum) with all its “might”. So as you see, I am not talking here about “reproduction” of music by listening to its shadow; rather I am talking about true energies which have to “fly” in the room.
A wonderful friend built for me several years ago a 2-Way Loudspeakers & Active Subwoofer, all built in a real maple wood cabinets, while each wooden “wall” is about 4 cm thick. The idea was to have no extra resonance, if only possible. We were also wishing to use the simplest membranes, made of cardboard and to have minimum parts in the build-out (no build-in) electronics. It took him 3-4 years to be happy with the results… a long process as you see.
These are surely not the best loudspeakers you can build or buy for money, but even the newest WADIA is far from showing them their limit (A friend wanted to try them 2 month ago). So again, the “principia” is No Limits, if only possible.
Technically speaking, there are only limitations... I can give you a simple example: There is only 1 Pick from the 3 YM3623b Input Receivers which I have, that will deliver the sound – stage correctly, without being too dry so it will not “kill” the atmosphere and you will get the feeling of the concert-hall.
There are so many things that influence the sound – everything actually. Therefore, we should try at least to use the most reliable components available. Rhodium, fast diodes, all belong to the sound-concept I have.
Let me finish with an anecdote: While monitoring at home a studio recording several years ago, I thought that the Violins in a certain place are sounding not exactly natural as I remembered it. Well, the sound engineer told me, he did not touch the Mixing Board during the recording. We had no explanation for this so I suggested recreating the session (it is all saved on the Hard Discs units, includes the control-slides position in any second of the recording). We met again in the studio (about half a year after the recording was done) and let the PC rerun the session: We found out that the engineers forgot to shut down an extra support-microphone which was open for approximately 10 seconds before on a solo-violin passage and remained open for several more seconds. We corrected this by re running this session on the multi-track while shutting-down the extra mic. in “real time”.
I am telling you all this to encourage you to listen to good digital sound. At that time I was monitoring the Master-Tape at home with PCM63P-J, not even with the “Y”… Well, digital technique is something I can live with quite well.
Have a nice weekend too!
