Altmann Tera Player - Page 71  

Well, TBH, I see quite a few people who prefer the supposed lesser quality of an iPod video w/a Wolfson chip over the clean signal a 7G classic w/a Cirrus chip produces. So, I guess the middle road approach may work more than I've realized. As good as the clip+ and clipzip tested I've always despised their sound. And Rockbox didn't save them for me.The devices looks also influence my opinion greatly I'd say. Buy the SQ was "meh" AFAIC.

I truly do wish to try this player out. I'm not sure I'll splurge on it, but if the SQ is that much to my liking I'd be darn tempted!!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by tds101 

Well, TBH, I see quite a few people who prefer the supposed lesser quality of an iPod video w/a Wolfson chip over the clean signal a 7G classic w/a Cirrus chip produces. So, I guess the middle road approach may work more than I've realized. As good as the clip+ and clipzip tested I've always despised their sound. And Rockbox didn't save them for me.The devices looks also influence my opinion greatly I'd say. Buy the SQ was "meh" AFAIC.

 

I truly do wish to try this player out. I'm not sure I'll splurge on it, but if the SQ is that much to my liking I'd be darn tempted!!!

I've become one that prefers the iPod Video sound, actually. It's certainly not light-years better than the Cirrus iPods like many of the Wolfson fan-boys would have you believe, but there's something to its sound that I find very pleasing. If I sit down at home to just listen and do nothing else, that's the source I prefer.

I equate the 7G's nice flat signal via line-out as being pretty similar to the Clip Zip sound...and that's not a bad thing at all. My Zips still have a home for me as my portable, and I am certainly hanging on to them....they're just not my absolute favorite sounding player now. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by skamp 


Actually, that observation is perfectly compatible with my theory: only people who are extremely likely to be affected by expectation bias and who have drunk the kool-aid would spend so much money on a DAP that is so lacking. No-one else in their right mind would even consider it. Your opinion was already made before you even placed the order!

You know, playing devil's advocate again, my own opinion is already pretty much made as well, before I've even heard the TP, so I'm probably as much biased as you, just in the opposite direction, I'll give you that. But that's because of a personal observation that's both objective and subjective: my perfectly transparent gear, combined with a EQ to my liking, sounds already awesomely good, so I cannot for the life of me imagine any improvement that couldn't be gained from some cheap, voodoo-free DSP.

I don't doubt that your $840 DAP sounds good to you, or to a number of people. I only doubt that the reason has objective grounds, and it really bugs me to see people spend so much money for no good reason. I probably care too much, but hey, this is the internets!

Thing is Skamp you obviously have no experience with said gear. You  can spew all the objectivity you want. For all your knowledge you lack wisdom. Until you try the gear out for yourself, I take your opinion with a grain of salt. Always better to have first hand experience than none at all.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skamp 


Speakers aside, yup, I would say that. I make an exception with speakers because I know nothing about those and I have no idea what money can buy in that area. I still would have strong suspicions no matter what, though. $50k is insane unless there is a lot of custom work with very, very special features.

It all comes down to this: can TOTL owners even ABX a $40 Clip+? Probably not. It sounds outrageous, I know, but it's the sad reality. I do understand how freakin' hard it must be to accept when you've spent so damn much money on audio gear.

It's not hard for me to accept that I've spend so much money on audio gear. Its just hard for me to accept that I've wasted so much money and time with crappier audio gear before coming to the realization that there is much better out there. Even the voodoo DAPs you mention. My Sansa Fuze and iphone4 are toys in comparison to my Studio V 3rd ANV, RWA AK100 and even my former DX100. I'm not biased because I feel these units are clearly better. They just are to my ears. I'm all for saving money and if I could get the same sound quality with lesser gear then I'd do it to save money for sure. But to think your Clip and Denon 2000s are high fidelity is quite naive and in that, that is your own bias and placebo effect at work.

Quote:

Originally Posted by skamp 

Andy: we're simply not looking for the same thing, so most of our debate in kinda moot. What I want is gear that is perfectly neutral, perfectly transparent, perfectly "high fidelity". Any improvements that I want over that, will come from an EQ and possibly some DSP, not to mention headphones.

What you want, I believe, is something that just sounds better no matter why, and you're willing to spend a lot of money for it. If someone else tells me that's exactly how they feel, then my arguments won't hold much weight with them.

It's just that I assume that when properly informed, most people would spend their money more objectively.

As for credibility: I've already established the transparency of my much cheaper gear. Since transparency is all I want, the TP can't possibly beat that. So no, I don't really need to listen to it before forming an opinion.

The only thing that might change my mind is if I listened to the TP, confirmed that it sounds different via proper ABXing (i.e. that it is NOT transparent), and decided that it is indeed more pleasant than anything else I've heard. In that case, I wouldn't be interested so much in buying the TP, but rather trying to establish the nature of that difference and figuring out how to reproduce it with cheaper, much more usable gear.

Feel free to lend me your TP if you care so much about changing my opinion I'd gladly listen to it with an open mind as much as possible, and I'd perform some proper measurements while I'm at it.

How would you know the Tera player transparency can't possibly beat your O2 combo? The UHA6 MKII has already been stated to be even more transparent than the O2 combo with Op Amp 209. Personally for me it was overboard in transparency but some like that type of sound. I need to have balance with my sound. I felt the UHA6 MKII lacked dynamics to properly do justice to that hyper transparency it gives. While the O2 amp is just aggressive and stretched thin. Lacking much depth to its sound and had too much width in comparison to its depth (so not well balanced IMO). I sold the O2 to fund  the Tralucent T1 amp because I felt it is the better sounding Amp and is more balanced than the O2.

Also your comments on EQ. On better gear I don't find the need to EQ. I absolutely hated using EQ. It's just a waste of time. Means your gear is crap IMO. If I have to use EQ to get enjoyment out of any of my gear it is not for me and goes up for sale. I've been this way since getting the Studio V as I've never been tempted to use EQ on it. I felt the same way on the Rocoo BA which has EQ presets but it sounds best on its "natural preset". The same in regards to the DX100. It sounds best with EQ off on all my gear.

Sansa's okay. I merely like it's performance at the price point. When someone says Hi-Fi is expensive and they cant afford it, I show them that.

Quote:

Originally Posted by tds101 

Well, TBH, I see quite a few people who prefer the supposed lesser quality of an iPod video w/a Wolfson chip over the clean signal a 7G classic w/a Cirrus chip produces. So, I guess the middle road approach may work more than I've realized. As good as the clip+ and clipzip tested I've always despised their sound. And Rockbox didn't save them for me.The devices looks also influence my opinion greatly I'd say. Buy the SQ was "meh" AFAIC.

 

I truly do wish to try this player out. I'm not sure I'll splurge on it, but if the SQ is that much to my liking I'd be darn tempted!!!

I prefer the iPod Video as well. Many have pointed to the Wolfson DAC being a bit more warm than the Cirrus Logic DAC's. I agree and like the difference. I find the iPod Classic more analytical and the iPod Video more warm, both good for different reasons and for different uses. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by Achmedisdead 

I've become one that prefers the iPod Video sound, actually. It's certainly not light-years better than the Cirrus iPods like many of the Wolfson fan-boys would have you believe, but there's something to its sound that I find very pleasing. If I sit down at home to just listen and do nothing else, that's the source I prefer.

 

I equate the 7G's nice flat signal via line-out as being pretty similar to the Clip Zip sound...and that's not a bad thing at all. My Zips still have a home for me as my portable, and I am certainly hanging on to them....they're just not my absolute favorite sounding player now. 

 

I used to have the D2000's and I don't think my Clip Zip could power them at all. The so called legendary bass was nothing more than a title to me. They were okay, but not nearly as good as I wanted. Bass was "meh" to me. My current setup can't even be as bad as the D2000's were with the ZO2 on RED. that's just because it's done better. But the Tera Player with ZO2 and AS-1's or AS-2's is unreal. I don't do it too much though. I was also a bit more of a basshead then. Now I have learned to appreciate a more balanced sound. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by lee730 

I'm all for saving money and if I could get the same sound quality with lesser gear then I'd do it to save money for sure. But to think your Clip and Denon 2000s are high fidelity is quite naive and in that, that is your own bias and placebo effect at work.

Well I have to admit once I modded my Denon 5000s into open-back cans they were the best sounding Headphones I've heard yet. Extremely detailed and balanced. The extra sub bass the Denons had worked wonders with that mod. Before the mod I did not really like them at all. The sub bass was way overbearing. Even more so than the Denon 2000 and 7000s. It would vibrate my skull lol. But the mod completely changed them. Not the same can after the mod. It cleaned it up and brought focus to the entire presentation. The sound stage was much bigger and the vocals opened up once the drivers could breathe. To be honest not even the W3000 ANVs sounded as good as them.. Kinda wish I'd sold the W3000 immediately and just kept those Denons.... I was a victim of the new toy novelty and hype machine (FOTM) :(
 

Email Charles. I have no clue but considering people own them around the world I'm sure someone has run into this before

Quote:

Originally Posted by ace8888 

Question... does anybody know if I can directly charge the altmann using 220v power outlet?

Quote:

Originally Posted by skamp 


Nope, but there's no reason to believe in an idea that has no objective basis whatsoever and for which there is absolutely no proof.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Straw_man

Quote:

Originally Posted by smial1966 

I'm corresponding with my contact at ARCAM about sending my Tera Player to him for comprehensive measurement analysis. I'm just awaiting reassurance that it won't be opened up voiding the warranty. More news soon...

 

 

Here's my conjecture FWIW and you can pass this on to your ARCAM contact as from a fellow ex-audio professional. S-D DACs suffer from noise modulation and if he can come up with a way to measure the Tera Player's relative lack of noise modulation then that will be the measurement which confirms its subjective superiority. No need to void the warranty but an Audio Precision System 2 probably can't do the measurement. It can make a stab at it though as it does have multitone waveform generation.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenman345 

Email Charles. I have no clue but considering people own them around the world I'm sure someone has run into this before

Quote:

Originally Posted by ace8888 

Question... does anybody know if I can directly charge the altmann using 220v power outlet?

The Tera Player is charged with DC 5v (USB standard) not AC. Just make sure specs of the transformer is more than 500mA so as not to tax it too much.

I use an iPhone charger which converts my country's 220V into USB voltage. Works fine