zottel
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Apr 27, 2025 at 11:24 PM
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zottel

Friend, Male, from Franconia, Germany

Pyrate Contributor

Hah! Just thought I hadn’t heard that treble fuckery since I switched to ASDM7EC-super. And correct, a restart had changed the modulator. Mar 4, 2025

zottel was last seen:
Apr 27, 2025 at 11:24 PM
    1. zottel
      zottel
      Hah! Just thought I hadn’t heard that treble fuckery since I switched to ASDM7EC-super. And correct, a restart had changed the modulator.
      1. HotRatSalad likes this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        Proud of myself! :)
        (Context: HQPlayer)
        Mar 4, 2025
        HotRatSalad and RestoredSparda like this.
    2. zottel
      zottel
      Finally found an acceptable offer in Europe and ordered a ROG Ally with Z1 Extreme for use with HQPlayer. :)
      1. wbass likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. SoupRKnowva
        SoupRKnowva
        I would have guessed you’d be able to get a 7840u mini pc for less, but maybe not
        Mar 1, 2025
        zottel likes this.
      4. zottel
        zottel
        Performance would probably be similar. But in a quick search, one mini pc with that CPU I found was € 800, one was € 550.
        The Ally was around € 800 originally, I believe, it’s only so cheap now because a new model is available, and it seems to have been built in much higher quantities than the average mini pc.
        Mar 1, 2025
        SoupRKnowva likes this.
      5. zottel
        zottel
        And I wouldn’t have found this CPU in the jungle of AMD CPUs myself. :) I only had first hand accounts that a 7735HS doesn’t manage to provide what I want to do with HQPlayer (though possibly not configured ideally), and that a Z1 Extreme does.
        Mar 1, 2025
        SoupRKnowva likes this.
    3. zottel
      zottel
      Damn, stacking lossy encryption is so horrendously bad!
      1. zottel
        zottel
        Just tried my Bathys on USB instead of AAC BT on a f‘ing 128 kbit/s podcast—it was a quality leap! I hadn’t expected it to be so large on already bad material.
        Jan 21, 2025
        theveterans and Gazny like this.
    4. zottel
      zottel
      I really like the mastering and overall sound quality on Noga Erez’ albums, each a very good job indeed.
      1. Cryptowolf likes this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        Especially the latest, The Vandalist, is exceptional, IMHO, gives me the feeling that every distortion I hear is intentional.
        Dec 16, 2024
    5. zottel
      zottel
      Ordered a Klipsch Detroit BT speaker, hoping it will be good enough to enjoy music with it in the bathtub or on the terrace.
      1. gsanger likes this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        To have a reference, I tried music on my old Bose Revolve+ for the first time since a long time, had been using it exclusively for podcasts. I hadn’t expected it to be so bad.
        Nov 29, 2024
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Weak mids, reduced treble, focus on upper and mid bass, but that bass is so muddy and undefined that I’m really scratching my head how I could ever think this sounded good. That was the very beginning of my audiophile journey, sure, but still …
        And that thing cost some 280,– € or so!
        Nov 29, 2024
      4. zottel
        zottel
        In fact, it’s so bad that I’m wondering if the speaker might simply be defective. It’s nearly six years old, after all, and might simply not have aged well.
        Nov 29, 2024
    6. zottel
      zottel
      Podcast tip: “Rose-Colored Headphones”
      1. zottel
        zottel
        The two hosts examine albums by popular artists that are deemed to be bad and take a positive attitude towards them.
        A wide variety of genres, very knowledgeable hosts, often very funny, nerdy, at times absurd. In one word: Great.
        Nov 3, 2024
    7. zottel
      zottel
      First impressions of the Holo Red: =:-O I’m shocked by the difference with the Zen Stream. I hadn’t expected it to be so easily detectable.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. Ash1412
        Ash1412
        What setup do you have with the Zen Stream? I'm finding exclusive mode NAA and changing out the PSU for an iPower both help smooth it out versus running stock PSU with AIO mode DLNA
        Oct 12, 2024
        zottel likes this.
      3. zottel
        zottel
        @Ash1412 Actually, I forgot to switch back to exclusive mode after I did a firmware update yesterday, will have to try that. Though I didn’t hear much of a difference between AIO and exclusive mode, a little maybe.
        I have a 15V iPowerX PSU I bought with the Zen in a bundle.
        Oct 12, 2024
        Ash1412 likes this.
      4. Ash1412
        Ash1412
        Adding on to all that nervosa I also found wifi warmer than my (powerline) ethernet. I do USB which is bright by default so I consider any extra warmth a benefit.
        Oct 12, 2024
    8. zottel
      zottel
      Found a used Holo Red, should be here tomorrow with a bit of luck.
      1. zottel
        zottel
        If only my damned ISP could finally fix the constant connection issues me and some neighbours have been experiencing for three weeks now, I could test with streaming, too, not only local files. :/
        Oct 11, 2024
        Thad E Ginathom likes this.
    9. zottel
      zottel
      Just found that To Dream Is To Forget by Hidden Orchestra is music that scales well with better gear. :)
      1. FlySweep and atomicbob like this.
      2. atomicbob
        atomicbob
        One great album.
        Sep 27, 2024
        zottel likes this.
    10. zottel
      zottel
      Got me a used RTX 2060 for CUDA offload in HQPlayer. Now I can use all SDM modulators on my old i3—and damn, does ASDM7ECv2 sound great!
      1. roderickvd, crenca, atomicbob and 3 others like this.
      2. Ti_Leo
        Ti_Leo
        Graphic cards for audio?!! But come to think of it, it makes total sense...
        Aug 3, 2024
    11. zottel
      zottel
      The Neo iDSD (+HQPlayer) is paradise. I don’t think I’ve ever been so emotionally touched by music since I’m into the hobby.
      1. TheIceman93
        TheIceman93
        Are you talking about the original Neo iDSD? I've tried the Neo iDSD 2 and I was super impressed with it. As a DAC only, I actually liked it more than the Bifrost 2/64. The built in headphone amp is really quite decent as well.
        Jul 5, 2024
        zottel likes this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        It’s the original one, yes, which I got for cheap. It’s a great package, sounds totally great alone already, I would be more than happy with it. But paired with my Meier Jazz FF amp (which has a little fuller and more natural sound, resolves better and has more power) and HQPlayer, it’s spectacular, IMHO.
        Jul 5, 2024
        roderickvd likes this.
      3. zottel
        zottel
        I think it’s the first time that I have a DAC that doesn’t at least have some tendency towards insipidity. Compared to what I had before, there’s especially a bit extra oomph in lowest registers, which helps to get the best out of my HEDDphone Two. Perfect! :)
        Jul 5, 2024
        roderickvd likes this.
    12. zottel
      zottel
      Just snatched a B stock iFi Neo iDSD with full warranty etc for € 460,–. Yes, I know that the iDSD 2 is out, but for the price …
      1. Lyander and HeyWaj10 like this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        Will give me a lot to play with in terms of comparing the DAC native and with HQPlayer to the DACCORD and the D-6, and the amp with the Jazz FF.
        Jul 2, 2024
      3. HeyWaj10
        HeyWaj10
        I personally really liked the Neo iDSD, even just with redbook FLAC (didn't try any DSD files with it). To me, it was the first DS dac that I felt satisfied with, having R2R qualities. IMO, it was the price (a bit outside my budget at the time) and the looks that turned me away from it. Look forward to your impressions!
        Jul 2, 2024
        zottel likes this.
      4. Lyander
        Lyander
        Never gotten ears on this one, would be curious to hear your thoughts on it vs the other iFi stuff that might be more known elsewhere! Pricey it definitely is, but hey if it sounds grand...
        Jul 2, 2024
        zottel likes this.
    13. zottel
      zottel
      The Courage of Others by Midlake: Perfect music for a melancholic evening.
    14. zottel
      zottel
      HQPlayer does “something” to the signal even when staying in PCM and with filter and dither set to “none”.
      1. View previous comments...
      2. zottel
        zottel
        Yes, there’s digital volume reduction going on, also going from 16 bits to 32 bits. But switching DAC bits to 16 in HQPlayer doesn’t remove the effect, and digital volume reduction using Roon doesn’t cause the effect.
        Jun 30, 2024
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Anyway, after listening to the D-6/HQP for some weeks, I wanted to compare to the DACCORD again. It remains the same: D-6/HQP at DSD256 >> DACCORD/HQP at 192 > DACCORD at 44.1 >>> D-6 at 44.1
        Jun 30, 2024
      4. Cellist88
        Cellist88
        I don’t understand the obsession with Hqplayer. I always feel something very artificial in the sound.
        Jun 30, 2024
        JK47 likes this.
    15. zottel
      zottel
      Just stumbled over the band Lawn Dogs and their album Lost Dogs. Amazing! And phenomenal sound quality.
      1. Cryptowolf, rhythmdevils and Qildail like this.
    16. zottel
      zottel
      Listening with the Clear Mg for the first time since a while. Completely different from the HEDD2, but I really enjoy it right now.
      1. Cryptowolf, Qildail, Jinxy245 and 2 others like this.
      2. zottel
        zottel
        Not as natural and “real” by far, kinda artificial in comparison to what I got used to over the last few months, but totally great.
        Jun 7, 2024
      3. zottel
        zottel
        Some change every now and then helps a lot to enjoy music more again, IMHO.
        Jun 7, 2024
    17. zottel
      zottel
      Suddenly hearing treble distortion in the SMSL D-6 + HQPlayer that wasn’t there before.
      1. Cryptowolf likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. wbass
        wbass
        Do you have the HQP volume at -3 dB? That’s the recommendation.
        May 24, 2024
        zottel likes this.
      4. zottel
        zottel
        Ok, I just found that I had accidentally left HQPlayer in PCM mode instead of SDM, which means the DAC’s filters aren’t circumvented, and quite some extra sizzle on this particular DAC. I had experimented with that before.
        That explains it. And shows once again how much influence the filters have.
        May 24, 2024
        Riotvan likes this.
      5. zottel
        zottel
        Correction: There’s still quite some edge where I first noticed it: Bach’s Matthäus-Passion in the Harmonia Mundi recording with Raphaël Pichon and Pygmalion. I now think it’s simply the recording, and I just didn’t notice with my previous DAC and its mild treble. The edge I found in OTHER recordings, though, was me leaving HQPlayer at PCM.
        May 24, 2024
        Riotvan likes this.
    18. zottel
      zottel
      SMSL D-6 is here! Flat and boring in PCM, but with HQPlayer DSD256 that goes unchanged to the DAC, it sounds grrreeeaat!
      1. Cryptowolf likes this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. crenca
        crenca
        The truth is, you probably have a $2K dac at least! (probably more ;) )
        May 10, 2024
        Cryptowolf and zottel like this.
      4. zottel
        zottel
        I think so, too. I wish there was a simple D/S DAC with a chip that supports not getting in the way, together with a great “rest”, i.e. clock, USB interface, output stage, PSU, and whatever else I might have forgotten.
        May 10, 2024
        crenca likes this.
      5. crenca
        crenca
        Holo could make such a DAC - a "Cyan" (i.e. decent USB, decent discreet output stage, decent power suply, etc.) with a good modern AKM for $1300, maybe less...too bad they probably won't
        May 10, 2024
        zottel likes this.
    19. zottel
      zottel
      New Focals! Closed and open, light-weight, Bathys platform. Nice to see a manuf. add new models at the LOW end of the lineup for a change.
      1. Ziva, Kolohe, Qildail and 4 others like this.
      2. View previous comments...
      3. Rustin Cohle
        Rustin Cohle
        @ColdsnapBry I snagged mine for like $350 open box (effectively new) at headphones.com. It's probably $400+ over there right now.
        May 8, 2024
        ColdsnapBry likes this.
      4. zottel
        zottel
        SG Akustik in Germany still have b stock Elegia (not Elex!) for less than € 500,–. Probably better value, yes, if you’re not specifically looking for a light-weight HP.
        May 8, 2024
      5. zottel
        zottel
        Actually, not even b stock, but you have to accept a magazine subscription, which IIRC doesn’t include extra costs if you cancel it on time, though. And you can get another 20% off if you send them any old working headphone or loudspeakers in return. X-)
        May 8, 2024
    20. zottel
      zottel
      Has anyone heard the SMSL D-6? Thought I’d maybe try it to play around with HQPlayer a bit more and not spend tons of money.
      1. zottel
        May 5, 2024
        crenca likes this.
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  • About

    Gender:
    Male
    Location:
    Franconia, Germany
    Gear List:
    iFi Neo iDSD, Meier Corda Jazz ff
    HEDDphone Two, HD650
    Bathys
    Dynaudio Music 5
    Roon, HQPlayer, Holo Red