[pedalhead]

Good stuff, MB. Interesting to hear your USB cable listening results as well.

I'd agree that the X Infinity dac, from a sound quality point of view, is top notch and is certainly well up there with the likes of the DAC212.

Did you notice any slight bump around 7 to 10kHz on the Pulse?

 

[miceblue]

Good stuff, MB. Interesting to hear your USB cable listening results as well.

I'd agree that the X Infinity dac, from a sound quality point of view, is top notch and is certainly well up there with the likes of the DAC212.

Did you notice any slight bump around 7 to 10kHz on the Pulse?

Yeah I was surprised about the results myself, hahaha. I thought I nailed down the signature of the 10G Split, but evidently maybe not.

7-10 kHz? Maybe a little yeah. Compared to the Yggdrasil, I think the treble region in general seems a bit boosted and somewhat grainy. The Yggy is pretty silky smooth up on top there.

 

[pedalhead]

Cheers yeah that's my impression of the Yggdrasil as well... super smooth but still detailed. I hear a slight bump in that region on the Pulse compared to the (ruler flat) DAC212. It's not necessarily an unpleasant thing as it does give the Pulse a slightly increased sense of "air", but if one is after a totally neutral dac then I'd suggest the Pulse isn't it. It's also clearly not just an ESS9018 thing as the DAC212 uses the same chip.

It'll be interesting to see if you hear any differences between the two generations of the sabre chip.

 

[nudd]

Another member in the meet today has an X Infinity but with the older ESS 9018K2M chips I believe and he thought that DAC chip sounded slightly more warm compared to the more analytical AQ2M chip that my X Infinity has. I didn't do the comparisons myself though so take that with a grain of salt.

Another member thought the 9018K2M X Infinity sounded similar to the Benchmark DAC2 HGC/LightSpeed 10G/cryogenic-treated power cable/vibration-resistant feet.



 

 
How can you tell if it is an old chip or not? I thought Casey said the Infinity were all aq2m chips?
 
Also I seem to recall that Larry felt the new chip sounded warmer?

 

[Madeupword]

Feeling rather prideful to be an Infinity owner.

 

[mscott58]

How can you tell if it is an old chip or not? I thought Casey said the Infinity were all aq2m chips?

Also I seem to recall that Larry felt the new chip sounded warmer?

Agree. I think all Infinities had the newer chip. Cheers

 

[marflao]

Hmm... seems I spend $22 too much then.

 

[snip3r77]

I've got the 10G split and also using the Regen, and the addition of each piece of the system has been a noticeable upgrade. 

I'm considering the the uptone . does it provide significsnt improvement all across the board ?

 

[FayeForever]

Thanks for the impression, good to know the promising result.
Yeah the Rag/Yggy is huge, and you won't believe how much heat Rag is outputting.

 

[atsq17]

That...was very interesting to do.

MacBook + Audirvana Plus (no upsampling, hog mode, integer mode) + CD rips
LightSpeed 1G cable
Pulse X Infinity (powered by LPS4; warmed up for at least 4 hours; Femto Time Mode) or Yggdrasil (not sure what the power cable was; already warmed up and hot-transported to the meet via uninterruptible power supply)
KabelDirekt Pro Series RCA cable
STAX SRS-2170 (powered by LPS4)

For me, (warmed up) Yggdrasil > X Infinity with the 1G cable, but only slightly. I still hold my opinion that the X Infinity is one of the finest Delta-Sigma DAC implementations I've ever heard. My MacBook wasn't recognising the Yggy with the 10G Split cable, so I ditched that and used a single 1G cable instead¹, in which the Yggy was instantly recognised.

From what I heard, the Yggy has a narrower soundstage, but a soundstage that's deeper and offers better instrument separation and layering than the X Infinity. In terms of dynamics, the Yggy also sounds slightly more dynamic, offering a deeper, more pronounced bass with some warmth, and treble that sounds smoother and not as grainy. Switching from the Yggy to the X Infinity, the soundstage and layering seems to get flattened in terms of depth, but seems wider and slightly taller. The bass also becomes slightly less present and the highs have a kind of etchy sound that many describe for Delta-Sigma DACs.

Still, after these tests, I'm not complaining about the X Infinity's sound at all and I'm quite happy with it. Comparing the two side-by-side was a fortuitous experience for me since not everyone gets to compare a, in my opinion, very high-quality Delta-Sigma DAC to an equally, in my opinion, high-quality R-2R DAC. Both DACs are excellent. It will be interesting to put the Multibit Gungnir in the mix for future comparisons.

Another member in the meet today has an X Infinity but with the older ESS 9018K2M chips I believe and he thought that DAC chip sounded slightly more warm compared to the more analytical AQ2M chip that my X Infinity has. I didn't do the comparisons myself though so take that with a grain of salt.

Another member thought the 9018K2M X Infinity sounded similar to the Benchmark DAC2 HGC/LightSpeed 10G/cryogenic-treated power cable/vibration-resistant feet.

¹ I did a 10-trial blind test between the 10G Split cable and a $50 Supra cable and failed it pretty bad (5/10 I think), but hopefully I can do another test later under more ideal listening conditions, and with more time.
http://www.custom-cable.co.uk/supra-usb-cable-usb-a-usb-b.html

iPad Mini + Neutron music player
Lightning Apple Camera Connection Kit
LightSpeed 10G Split (power coming from LPS4) or Supra
Pulse X Infinity
HE-560 with 4-PIN XLR balanced cable

When doing A/B tests between the 1G and Supra cable, I thought the 1G sounded pretty similar to the Supra, which I later tested and failed to distinguish between the 10G Split.

 
 
If you still have it set up and have access to an Audiophilleo 1 or 2, I find that it tops any USB cable (I have the 10G working). 
 
I find that the 1G is actually a low end cable that is easily poorer than the 2G and the 10G. I find it to be devoid of body and bass. It makes things sound really thin. 
 
Would be really cool if you managed to try the test with an Audiophilleo or at least a better USB cable than the 1G. 
 
Thanks for your findings though. Really interesting stuff. 

 

[uncola]

if anything that makes me want that Supra cable 

 

[mscott58]

I'm considering the the uptone . does it provide significsnt improvement all across the board ?

It's a bit like the proverbial "window cleaner" audiophile product, taking everything that is good and making it even more clear and better defined. For example when a note appears and then recedes, with the Regen the distance it is going is further, like the depth is deeper and the peak is a bit sharper. It's kind of hard to describe and I'm not doing a good job here. Will work on my wording better when I do my review. In the meantime I suggest going to the Regen thread here and also over to "CA" as there's been a ton of discussion of the Regen over there with those "computer-focused" audio types. Cheers 

 

[germay0653]

I'm considering the the uptone . does it provide significsnt improvement all across the board ?

It did with my setup but that's me.  If I get anything, subjectively, over 5% - 10% improvement I consider it significant. With the REGEN in my system there is more detail, pinpoint imaging and better timbral accuracy.  I was pleasantly surprised at the improvement and would be disappointed if it were taken out of my system.  It's well worth the price paid.  Now I have to wait for the new power "whateveritis" that Alex and John have cooked up.

 

[doctorjazz]

Use it with the Geek Out Special Edition, get improvements similar to those described.

 

[germay0653]

Anybody see the ad in the latest TAS issue with a picture of the new Sire DAC?  Sure is a sweet looking chassis!!