I switched back to the iPod Photo after using the Overture in both my portable rig and work rig (Denon UD-M31 > B&W LM1) for the last two weeks, and I have to say, the swap confirms my impressions:
The Overture (fed by an iRiver iHP-140 or USB from my computer) gives me a performance increase on about the same level as the SR-71's performance increase over the iPod's internal headphone amplifier. In other words, the improvement is significant, immediately apparent and not subtle in any respect. This is an improvement that does not need careful listening or back-to-back testing, and unless you're deaf, you will hear the improvement 100% of the time in double-blind testing.
The difference is there in both my portable and work rig, but it's the work rig that benefits more from it. My work rig sounds muffled being fed by the iPod instead of the Overture. I've lost that 3d soundstaging that the Overture brought. There were times with the Overture where I just had to stop working and listen to the music, and, as modest as the work rig is, it gave me the illusion/satisfaction of a realistic soundstaging. I think it's the clarity and presentation of detail that the Overture brought that makes the difference. The additional resolution really is necessary to create the illusion of a real soundstage.
With the iPod back as source, the work rig suddenly sounds like background music again. Gone is the surprisingly compelling and attention-grabbing musical listening experience. Adjectives that come to mind - flat, dull, uninvolving. And this is a rig I was really really happy with before the upgrade.
In the portable rig, the impact of the Overture is more subtle, as there is no 3d, almost realistic, soundstaging with headphones. But it's a similar comparison, in that the sound going back to the iPod is muffled. My Sensaphonics 2X-S are suddenly back to being a bit too laid-back, and I wonder where the clarity and realism went. It's like looking through a window that hasn't been washed in a few weeks. Pull out the Windex (Overture) and suddenly the world outside looks so better.
Okay, some criticisms about the Overture: it's not the smoothest DAC I own. Actually, this bothered me a lot in my portable rig, because the Sensaphonics and SR-71 were suddenly resolving all this more detail and it wasn't as smooth as I was accustomed to from the iPod or any of my other sources. Listening to the iPod again, it is clear to me that the internal DAC is smoother than the Overture. But otherwise, it's not nearly as good.
Overall, this didn't bother me as much in the work rig, as the speakers were kinder on the harsher presentation than the Sensaphonics, which is surprising, because B&W tweeters, at least on their cheap stuff, aren't that great for smooth highs.
I think time and burn-in have smoothed out this aspect of the Overture for me, and it does not bother me anymore in my portable rig. But it did bother me so much that I looked hard for something to alleviate it. I tried using the Coda as the amp, I also tried the Etymotic ER4P-24 (P to S adapter) in front of the Sensaphonic, but both made me lose a bit of the performance increase that made the Overture/iRiver better than the iPod. Anyway, I guess I got used to it.
There's an awful lot I like about the iPod that I'm going to miss (but those are more criticisms of the iRiver than anything else.) Regardless though, except for occasional situations, such as my upcoming vacation, the iPod Photo 60 gigs is going to start gathering dust.
Best regards,
-Jason
The Overture (fed by an iRiver iHP-140 or USB from my computer) gives me a performance increase on about the same level as the SR-71's performance increase over the iPod's internal headphone amplifier. In other words, the improvement is significant, immediately apparent and not subtle in any respect. This is an improvement that does not need careful listening or back-to-back testing, and unless you're deaf, you will hear the improvement 100% of the time in double-blind testing.
The difference is there in both my portable and work rig, but it's the work rig that benefits more from it. My work rig sounds muffled being fed by the iPod instead of the Overture. I've lost that 3d soundstaging that the Overture brought. There were times with the Overture where I just had to stop working and listen to the music, and, as modest as the work rig is, it gave me the illusion/satisfaction of a realistic soundstaging. I think it's the clarity and presentation of detail that the Overture brought that makes the difference. The additional resolution really is necessary to create the illusion of a real soundstage.
With the iPod back as source, the work rig suddenly sounds like background music again. Gone is the surprisingly compelling and attention-grabbing musical listening experience. Adjectives that come to mind - flat, dull, uninvolving. And this is a rig I was really really happy with before the upgrade.
In the portable rig, the impact of the Overture is more subtle, as there is no 3d, almost realistic, soundstaging with headphones. But it's a similar comparison, in that the sound going back to the iPod is muffled. My Sensaphonics 2X-S are suddenly back to being a bit too laid-back, and I wonder where the clarity and realism went. It's like looking through a window that hasn't been washed in a few weeks. Pull out the Windex (Overture) and suddenly the world outside looks so better.
Okay, some criticisms about the Overture: it's not the smoothest DAC I own. Actually, this bothered me a lot in my portable rig, because the Sensaphonics and SR-71 were suddenly resolving all this more detail and it wasn't as smooth as I was accustomed to from the iPod or any of my other sources. Listening to the iPod again, it is clear to me that the internal DAC is smoother than the Overture. But otherwise, it's not nearly as good.
Overall, this didn't bother me as much in the work rig, as the speakers were kinder on the harsher presentation than the Sensaphonics, which is surprising, because B&W tweeters, at least on their cheap stuff, aren't that great for smooth highs.
I think time and burn-in have smoothed out this aspect of the Overture for me, and it does not bother me anymore in my portable rig. But it did bother me so much that I looked hard for something to alleviate it. I tried using the Coda as the amp, I also tried the Etymotic ER4P-24 (P to S adapter) in front of the Sensaphonic, but both made me lose a bit of the performance increase that made the Overture/iRiver better than the iPod. Anyway, I guess I got used to it.
There's an awful lot I like about the iPod that I'm going to miss (but those are more criticisms of the iRiver than anything else.) Regardless though, except for occasional situations, such as my upcoming vacation, the iPod Photo 60 gigs is going to start gathering dust.
Best regards,
-Jason
