dcfis
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Dec 24, 2005
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http://www.amazon.com/Panasonic-DVDS...&s=electronics
Very Impressive! I visited my Father for a week over christmas and he picked this up for strictly for the HDMI output for his TV and because it was cheap. I was there a week and listened to it alot.
My Setup:
Plugged it into a loaned DAC1 via 75 ohm digital then decent RCA to my Stax 3030 system. The synergy was very very good. So much so my grumbling non audiophile parents who whine about how much I spend on audio were inquiring what it would take to assemble their own such listening station- and their seriously considering it. My mother who is a big music lover (live and concert) said It was heaven. That might not mean much to yall but having her listen for two hours straight was something special as she tired of my home systems (Maggie and triangle) and My friends whopper ML Oddessey system in minutes.
Compared to:
My impressions as compared to the Toshiba 3960, Toshiba 2200, AH Njoe Tjoeb(opamp and NOS tube upgrade) mainly. I picked up the 3960 for some modding and the cheapness. I havent been impressed with the RCA outs of that thing on any of my systems but It was pretty good out of digital to the DAC1. Better in tone and presentation (blackness around instruments and slightly better soundstage than the other two players). It however has some shrillness and nastyness in the upper midrange extending into the highs. That is already a sensitive area when paired with the 3030 system. The other two players are much more mellow and seem less detailed than the 3960 on the stax though there is plenty of detail there I dont prefer them on the Stax but do in the home systems. The njoe tjoeb has a way of presenting the players and filling in the blackness to seem natural on the big rig but blurring on the stax.
The DAC1:
The DAC1 has been an improvement on every player I have auditioned, but it has its own very set width and depth of soundstage. It always has great focus and space between players but can actually narrow some players soundstage if that its strength. It has a great attack but can cut down on the weight on the trailing end of notes. Having said that it is the best DAC Ive ever had extended seat time with. Too bad I have to give it back to my friend and have to find my own 1K.
Stax 3030:
I love this system. Its very detailed and airy slightly brite but non fatiguing. It responds really well to sources but you have to work to get a detailed yet full well rounded sound from top to bottom. But it will do that very well. I feel that the soundstage and its depth is almost unlimited in scaleability. I also love my stax 001s and their mellower smooth sound and have given up every other phone as these cover the bases really well. The best would be to morph these two together for the ultimate. I know what that is and nope I cant afford it.
52S strenghts:
Im picking one up as It instantly wowed me and stood the test of a week of listening on a ton of material and for hours at a time. Some players initially wow me but in time I sift through the material to find weakness that I cant live with. Some just dont impress me and others floor me twice- first with the sound then with the pricetag. The 52S Didnt floor me what it did was ground me in sanity. I showed me that I could be really happy with a modest system with each component complementing the others strenghts or weaknesses. The strength here is that this player out of the digital out had the widest and deepest soundstage Ive heard out of the DAC1. It also had a peculiar and pleasing way of soundstaging the depth without the feeling that you were on the front row with the center monitor turned right at you and being overbearing. You were on the front row for sure but the "room" and "space" were also presented in great detail. This was a great synergy with the Stax and I keep commenting to myself that the 52S constantly helped the Stax with the things it found difficult (smooth and tame the highs ever so slightly and fill in a little bit of low end texture) while not heaping on extra servings of the midband and overemphasizing separation. The RCA outs of the 52S were not as detailed and lacked the superb soundstage though the general flavor was still there just thicker and more diffuse. Overall a pleasant suprise thanks to Dad.
Well when I get mine Im going to see if I can recreate the majic with the Central station, DA10 and any other DACs I can round up, if not I guess Ill be forced to save pennys for the DAC1. Might take a bit sinve Vinnie twisted my arm into an imod 4th gen for the 001s on the go (be interesting to see how that works with the 3030 as well.) Hope the mini review was helpful I didnt see any mention of it anywere. I liked it but as always YMMV
Very Impressive! I visited my Father for a week over christmas and he picked this up for strictly for the HDMI output for his TV and because it was cheap. I was there a week and listened to it alot.
My Setup:
Plugged it into a loaned DAC1 via 75 ohm digital then decent RCA to my Stax 3030 system. The synergy was very very good. So much so my grumbling non audiophile parents who whine about how much I spend on audio were inquiring what it would take to assemble their own such listening station- and their seriously considering it. My mother who is a big music lover (live and concert) said It was heaven. That might not mean much to yall but having her listen for two hours straight was something special as she tired of my home systems (Maggie and triangle) and My friends whopper ML Oddessey system in minutes.
Compared to:
My impressions as compared to the Toshiba 3960, Toshiba 2200, AH Njoe Tjoeb(opamp and NOS tube upgrade) mainly. I picked up the 3960 for some modding and the cheapness. I havent been impressed with the RCA outs of that thing on any of my systems but It was pretty good out of digital to the DAC1. Better in tone and presentation (blackness around instruments and slightly better soundstage than the other two players). It however has some shrillness and nastyness in the upper midrange extending into the highs. That is already a sensitive area when paired with the 3030 system. The other two players are much more mellow and seem less detailed than the 3960 on the stax though there is plenty of detail there I dont prefer them on the Stax but do in the home systems. The njoe tjoeb has a way of presenting the players and filling in the blackness to seem natural on the big rig but blurring on the stax.
The DAC1:
The DAC1 has been an improvement on every player I have auditioned, but it has its own very set width and depth of soundstage. It always has great focus and space between players but can actually narrow some players soundstage if that its strength. It has a great attack but can cut down on the weight on the trailing end of notes. Having said that it is the best DAC Ive ever had extended seat time with. Too bad I have to give it back to my friend and have to find my own 1K.
Stax 3030:
I love this system. Its very detailed and airy slightly brite but non fatiguing. It responds really well to sources but you have to work to get a detailed yet full well rounded sound from top to bottom. But it will do that very well. I feel that the soundstage and its depth is almost unlimited in scaleability. I also love my stax 001s and their mellower smooth sound and have given up every other phone as these cover the bases really well. The best would be to morph these two together for the ultimate. I know what that is and nope I cant afford it.
52S strenghts:
Im picking one up as It instantly wowed me and stood the test of a week of listening on a ton of material and for hours at a time. Some players initially wow me but in time I sift through the material to find weakness that I cant live with. Some just dont impress me and others floor me twice- first with the sound then with the pricetag. The 52S Didnt floor me what it did was ground me in sanity. I showed me that I could be really happy with a modest system with each component complementing the others strenghts or weaknesses. The strength here is that this player out of the digital out had the widest and deepest soundstage Ive heard out of the DAC1. It also had a peculiar and pleasing way of soundstaging the depth without the feeling that you were on the front row with the center monitor turned right at you and being overbearing. You were on the front row for sure but the "room" and "space" were also presented in great detail. This was a great synergy with the Stax and I keep commenting to myself that the 52S constantly helped the Stax with the things it found difficult (smooth and tame the highs ever so slightly and fill in a little bit of low end texture) while not heaping on extra servings of the midband and overemphasizing separation. The RCA outs of the 52S were not as detailed and lacked the superb soundstage though the general flavor was still there just thicker and more diffuse. Overall a pleasant suprise thanks to Dad.
Well when I get mine Im going to see if I can recreate the majic with the Central station, DA10 and any other DACs I can round up, if not I guess Ill be forced to save pennys for the DAC1. Might take a bit sinve Vinnie twisted my arm into an imod 4th gen for the 001s on the go (be interesting to see how that works with the 3030 as well.) Hope the mini review was helpful I didnt see any mention of it anywere. I liked it but as always YMMV
