DAP that leans towards a "warm" sound? - Page 3

let the eq settings "sharing" begin

im interested with my sansa clip sounding like a dx100, or at least a hm602 =)

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dyaems 

let the eq settings "sharing" begin

 

im interested with my sansa clip sounding like a dx100, or at least a hm602 =)

 

lol ;)

Anyone have a good 24 bit ADC and feel like posting a FLAC file grabbed from the 601 along with a lossless source file for comparison?  Might be fun to try and manipulate.  

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mshenay 

No sry, I think the hm 601 had an older nos dac, with 24bit support. Ive played 24bits on my hm at that

The 601 uses a DAC from the early 1990s.  16 bit hardware was still pretty new back then, so its definitely not 24 bit.  So if you record it at 24 bit, any error from the recording is very small compared to the error built into the 16 bit word size. 

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity 


 It can't be replicated by EQ. I know the HM-601 well having one right beside me. Hm-601 plays 24 bit files but down samples them to 16bit, this is truth.

What EQ settings did you try?

wheres my dx100/hm602 eq settings from a rockboxed clip bro?

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity 


I agree with Lee, you won't get the same warmth analog sound HM-601 has by EQing, it's in the DAC and part of why the Hifiman series is so popular. It has a certain essence or lacing over the signature while maintaining all detail still. It can't be replicated by EQ. I know the HM-601 well having one right beside me. Hm-601 plays 24 bit files but down samples them to 16bit, this is truth.

Agree.

You can replicate a straight-forward sound signature, but this won't recreate the overall sound of a player as so much more comes into effect. Whether it's a degree of "good" distortion the player introduces (i.e. like tube amplifiers add distortion which many find favourable), a specific timbre to the sound, detail retrieval, or some other subtlety in exactly how the analog signal is formed via the DAC and amp built into the DAP.

I honestly don't believe I can make my Cowon X7 or Rockboxed iPod 5.5G ever match a DX100's or HM601's overall sound. Signature? Yes. Total presentation? No.

(That said, I'll gladly be proved wrong) 

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity 


I agree with Lee, you won't get the same warmth analog sound HM-601 has by EQing, it's in the DAC and part of why the Hifiman series is so popular. It has a certain essence or lacing over the signature while maintaining all detail still. It can't be replicated by EQ. I know the HM-601 well having one right beside me. Hm-601 plays 24 bit files but down samples them to 16bit, this is truth.

I never realized it down sampled them... seems useless to even ave 24bit files if they aren't being played at 24 bits xD [n my hifiman is sittin next to me poor guy]

Still, I got my Hifiman Hm 601 USED for $125...

Rockbox a clip+, engage the dither and you've got a very portable warm player. If it's not your main squeeze, it may be enough.

Quote:

Originally Posted by H20Fidelity 


I agree with Lee, you won't get the same warmth analog sound HM-601 has by EQing, it's in the DAC and part of why the Hifiman series is so popular. It has a certain essence or lacing over the signature while maintaining all detail still. It can't be replicated by EQ. I know the HM-601 well having one right beside me. Hm-601 plays 24 bit files but down samples them to 16bit, this is truth.

No one ever thinks the placebo effect applies to them, but  it always does:

http://tom-morrow-land.com/tests/ampchall/index.htm

And a warm sounding DAC is just a silly idea, and sampling down 24 bit files to 16 is face palm helmet territory:

http://people.xiph.org/~xiphmont/demo/neil-young.html

Yes, I know: you can hear this stuff. People have - honestly! - claimed this for decades, but whenever their $10,000 CD player and $20,000 valve amp have been blind tested they've been unable to tell them from a playstation and a cheap receiver amp with some simple EQ. I understand that you feel otherwise - but looking at from the outside, what would you rationally believe when every claim of unique "warm" etc amps and sources has been debunked when tested in the past?