luckybaer

If you want the same general tonality as what you have now, both LIM and OG will disappoint you. It's the reason I decided to just stick with my Yggdrasil GS despite the fact that I've heard technically better DACs

@ChaChaRealSmooth tbh, I’m likely to stay put. Makes more sense. I’m happy where I’m at. There’s no compelling reason to change.

@ChaChaRealSmooth a Yggdrasil GS or A1 is a great idea! That’s your upgrade path. The Yggdrasil really is much better than Gungnir.

Usually with both. But it's easier to connect a new dac into my headphone rig, so that's where I usually start.

Gotta use both. Headphones for detail retrieval, and can let you hone in on different aspects of the FR more easily to determine the capabilities/qualities of the sound reproduction. Speakers for things like soundstage, layering, realism in an open space. A really good DAC will retain its character on speakers as it does on headphones.

What @Merrick said.

LiM >>> OG, IMHO

Oh yes, Blues For Allah also sounds great. I haven't heard the MoFi Mars Hotel.

FWIW, the 24/96 version of the 2015 remasters from HD Tracks is very loud and compressed sounding. I have VanHalen and 1984 in 24/96 and they aren't as pleasant as the 24/192 versions. @Merrick @YMO @DigMe @Walderstorn @roshambo123

The 24/96s came out first and are different transfers IIRC. Same mastering, but they didn't just take the 24/192 and convert it to 96 for whatever reason, they did a whole other transfer and botched it.

I love unplugging subs. 2.0 or burst

One of the reasons i have two.

@YMO @Riotvan One day, I'll splurge on some great tower speakers and see if I miss my subs.

Meh... after a few days, something wasn't quite right. A veil seemed to be present - very slight veil. Went back to my passive Khozmo.

I spent an embarassing amount on some test equipment ;/ should have bought more music myself tbh.

Curiosity.

@Sqveak Wait is 6-8 weeks from Schiit, so I guess I thought, "What the Hell?"

In case you lose the bid: https://superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/fs-schiit-jotunheim-2-black-with-dac.12235/

I upgrade from a Modi1 to a Bifrost2. The enhancement in sound surprised me.

Bifrost is great. Magnius...not so much

I would go Bifrost 2 + Vali 2 for the main set up and Magni 3 for the nightstand. Or think outside the Schiit and try a Liquid Spark with that Modi of yours.

Also kinda brings Random Access Memories to mind; it sounds really good for how limited the dynamic range on the CD is.

I think we need to distinguish between works with legitimately lower dynamic range versus compression of dynamic range that is affecting the music quality. It's myopic to simply judge a work by its dynamic range, much like judging a DAC by SINAD.

@GoodEnoughGear - I agree. But I also think that if two versions of a recording are available and one has higher measured DR, I see no reason why I shouldn’t favor it. I often think this why the vinyl version is preferred by a lot of people.

I would guess is it's mostly a vestige of when different car brands in the US had more product differentiation. Now days they're all similar enough (features, build, pricing, etc.) I don't see the point to it either but if it sells, it sells.

It used to be Cadillac > Buick > Pontiac > Chevy. But for trucks it was only GMC > Chevy.

and no one knew what Oldsmobile was... kind of between buick and pontiac I guess. I always thought of GM as Caddy = rich people; Buick = people wanting to seem like rich people; pontiac = sporty younger poeple; chevy = practical poeple; oldsmobile = nursing home people

no I actually agree with that. super controversial, but the things that made most difference for me (in order):
- upgrading power distribution block
- power cables
- better usb cable
- interconnects

The distribution block upgrade is huge, I'd suggest doing that before any more/other power cable upgrades. Ideally one that does star grounding.

@pure5152 I haven't considered upgrading USB cable. I have Audioquest Forest USB cables to Gungnir Multibit and ModiMB. Which USB cables have you tried?

@pure5152 I have a PS Audio Dectet for my main system; Pangea Audio Octet Premier SE for my secondary system. They did make a difference.

yeah, noticed the same thing. was extremely subtle and heard it only in the sub-bass, but sounds like it might have slightly more foundation. could just be placebo, though, as I'm pretty sure I'd have a hard time distinguishing in a blind test.

@dematted maybe placebo, but I picked CDs that always sounded thin, like some Fleetwood Mac stuff I have. Was skeptical. Now…?

Some cable do have better noise rejection and immune to RFI/EMI and hence sound better. No placebo I guess

@Cryptowolf @Thad E Ginathom I reorganized speaker wire to the main and subs. Organized power cords. Interconnects done earlier.

I recabled my system with all World’s Best interconnects and a reasonable power chord to my amp. All cables are shielded and I think the shielding may be what helped in my setup.

@Cryptowolf I think shielding having an impact makes sense. There’s a lot of shit in my basement, so blocking interference may help.

@neogeosnk I have a couple of Pangea cords. They connect my power strips to the wall outlet. Can’t recall model - too thick for my liking with rack components. Need flex.

I will order some cables from Cullen as they look good and are very well priced.

@neogeosnk I found Patrick Cullen to be very helpful. He has a lot of orders now, so be patient. He quotes a 3-week turnaround.

Very excited to hear what you think of them! I have been tempted many time to grab some vintage Polk monitors with the peerless tweeter, but have not checked out their new stuff much.

@Inoculator L100 replaced Polk RT25i, so a leap forward. A bit more forward than my Dynaudio Evoke 10. I like them so far. Good compliment to Evoke 10.

@YMO NYD been a big deal (more than just getting sf'd) for the ethnic Asian side of my clan. I always looked forward to good food, fireworks, and family gathering at New Year's.

It was only a big deal with my cohorts, but my inlaws love it. Biggest food day of the year

Big deal? No. But I do enjoy marking the passage of time and embracing the energy of new beginnings.