[les_garten]

Thats a good point.
 
I also don't think he would be "foolin'" with the SW unless he was getting something substantial from it.
 
He's pretty pragmatic about his gear and what he chooses.  Sometimes he looses, like in the original C-2 where he had that Neutrik knock-off and Cura had his way with him.  On the BS Continuum, you have AMB and Cavalli, and Gilmore and A-GD in my opinion on one end and ALO and RSA on the other, with others falling along these two extremes.
 
So back to my point, if he wasn't getting something substantial from the SW changes, he would leave it alone.
 
Quote:

Typically I'd agree with you, but given that many people (even on the chinese forum) said its a substantial difference, I'm inclined to think so. Thing is, if this was a hardware change like new caps, or better power supply, I'd say forget it because such changes make marginal differences. However, because the change is to the DSP algorithm I feel the possibility for change is substantial as the data is being manipulated; phase, etc all changes. FYI I do not own any A-GD product at the moment.

 

[Currawong]

I wouldn't sweat it over the DSP, except maybe on a big speaker rig.  There are definitely improvements if you're the kind of person who pays attention (as most of us are), but it's not going to change the overall sound signature of the DAC or anything that dramatic.

 

[SilverCans]

Quote:

I wouldn't sweat it over the DSP, except maybe on a big speaker rig.  There are definitely improvements if you're the kind of person who pays attention (as most of us are), but it's not going to change the overall sound signature of the DAC or anything that dramatic.

Have you upgraded to V5 yet? 

 

[IPodPJ]

I think he mentioned in the other thread that he did.
 
But you don't need big speakers to hear the difference the upgrade makes, that's for sure.  My girlfriend who doesn't really pay much attention or notice the tweaks I make to my system immediately noticed there was a difference in the way my system sounded from across the room when she walked in the front door.
 
I'm not sure what Currawong is specifically thinking of when he says overall sound signature, but to me that would include detail, soundstage, and tonal balance all of which have changed since the upgrade.  Maybe it makes less of a difference in the Ref-1.  I also wonder if the new upgrade brings the sound closer to that of the NFB-7.

 

[Currawong]

Yes, I went from V1 to V5 in my Reference 1, so I can't comment how it will compare to the V4.  The reason for my previous comments is, the change fixed some weirdness with how instruments sounded (see Regal's comments in other threads, if you can find them) and possibly improved the imaging.  However, what Yikes and The Monkey described compared to the PWD I theorise doesn't have to do with the DSP but factors such as the choice of capacitors used.  I could be completely wrong, however, so consider it just a theory.  Maybe sokolov, once he gets his Ref 7, could compare it to Pricklely Peete's modded Ref 1 (once he gets the DSP upgrade), where he replaced most of the main caps with Nichikons and the like, as that would give us a better idea.

 

[Yikes]

also if Kingwa shipped Jude the chip, then Jude will have an opportunity to listen with the v4 and get it's measure, then install v5 and see how significant the change is.



iPodPJ tends to wear his heart on his sleeve. He gets caught up in his own enthusiasm for changes in his system. It sometime seems that everything makes a huge improvement, when in my personal experience improvements are seldom so dramatic. v5 may indeed make a significant difference, but I for one doubt that it's all that significant.



Also please remember that I auditioned only in my big speaker rig, which does throw a significantly greater soundstage than any headphone based rig. I even said that the difference was most significant in the areas of Image and Soundstaging. I believe that I even questioned if the difference would be as noticeable with a Headphone based rig. I do agree with the Monkey in that using the v4 vs v5 thing to totally discount our opinions is a mistake, partially discount, sure, but not totally.

 

[Happy Camper]

Quote:

What are you?  A Stock Holder?
 
You mean like Sony,Beyer, Stax, A-T, Grado, etc, etc
 
Everybody's gear who gets reviews here has to be a sponsor?
 
 

 
I can do without fanboy defensive caveats in a loaner thread when no fluffing should be allowed. This isn't the sponsor forum. None of your examples are using the membership to sample wears and provide feedback. I am very honored to have been selected to listen to this piece of gear and want to be left to my own and others that are in the program to comment without posturing from the most vocal supporters.
 
Stock holder indeed.

 

[les_garten]

Quote:

/img/forum/go_quote.gif




 
I can do without fanboy defensive caveats in a loaner thread when no fluffing should be allowed. This isn't the sponsor forum. None of your examples are using the membership to sample wears and provide feedback. I am very honored to have been selected to listen to this piece of gear and want to be left to my own and others that are in the program to comment without posturing from the most vocal supporters.
 
Stock holder indeed.

 
 
 
LOL, I knew you'd like the Stockholder line!
 
I've been called Fanboi by you and a Hater of A-GD by others.  Just depends on hat you are reading at the time I suppose.  One user here had KW so wound up at me, that KW made a post stating he had never had a Foreigner treat him so bad!   He apologized to me later when it was explained what the other user was doing and how he was interpreting what I posted.   The early Compass threads and REF1 threads were a load of Fun!  I call it fair and balanced.  I lambasted an A-GD product issue just a week ago or so.  So accusing me of Fluffing is not accurate.  I call em as I see'em.
 
You want to talk about    "None of your examples are using the membership to sample wears and provide feedback."
 
I'll litigate that one, my Example:  Grado.
 
Grado Loaner Program by a Moderator here who writes ad -copy for their website, i"n effect".  He also has access to Grado that nobody else I know has.  Has access to products before they are released, etc.
 
This is just one example.
 
I don't care whether A-GD opens a Forum thread or not. It would be better for most if us if he did. I find it strange when folks start attempting to rev up the revenue bandwagon though.  Isn't there enough commerce going on here already?
 

 

[Happy Camper]

Tryin to keep it fair and balanced but I'd still go fishin with ya. I should have said fanboy's les, not you directly. The emphasis was intended to be plural. Les, there is too much commerce on what was a community of critics using their own money to share their impressions. Marketing product to the community should have some guidelines that allows us to express our conclusions without turning the thread into a debate/. I realize I am but one opinion so I will go back off watch and chill. Irie.

 

[les_garten]

   Gotcha!       d*_*b   
 
Quote:

Tryin to keep it fair and balanced but I'd still go fishin with ya. I should have said fanboy's les, not you directly. The emphasis was intended to be plural. Les, there is too much commerce on what was a community of critics using their own money to share their impressions. Marketing product to the community should have some guidelines that allows us to express our conclusions without turning the thread into a debate/. I realize I am but one opinion so I will go back off watch and chill. Irie.

 

[RedBull]

Any chance to comment Ref. 7 and Lavry DA11?  both seems to be pretty in the same price range.  Curra?
 
I don't see Lavry DACs to be very popular these days.

 

[SilverCans]

Jude has a Lavry so he'd be able to compare when he gets it. Hopefully he get the V5 too, whose in charge of ordering/tracking the v5 upgrade?

 

[IPodPJ]

Based on what's inside the Ref-7, it's closer to the Lavry Gold DAC than the DA11.  The Lavry Gold is a unit I'd really like to audition.

 

[RedBull]

Quote:

Jude has a Lavry so he'd be able to compare when he gets it. Hopefully he get the V5 too, whose in charge of ordering/tracking the v5 upgrade?

Thanks, I'll ask him when I have a chance, but not sure he has auditioned both tho.
 
Quote:

Based on what's inside the Ref-7, it's closer to the Lavry Gold DAC than the DA11.  The Lavry Gold is a unit I'd really like to audition.

Sometime what's inside doesn't mean what it sounds. 
Implementation means everything.  In theory, the smallest the THD the better the sound, no feedback system = better sound, Class A = better sound. 
I've found a system which has higher THD, WITH feedback system and NOT class A, but sound waaaaaaaaay superior than the more 'ideal' system, so that's where I'm coming from. 
 
I'd prefer real impressions than reading technical parts and %.  But thanks for your comment PJ.

 

[dukja]

I have not heard DA11 but owned DA10 for a few days.  With my gears and to my ear, there is absolute no comparison between DA10 and Ref1/7 even just with V3 DSP.  DA10 sounds edgy and rough and Ref1's sound is the other extreme of the spectrum: accurate focus, transparent, clear, detail without any trace of "digitized" sound.  I am glad that DA10 found a new owner very soon.  It is probably the only gear that I owned less than a week.  Maybe some people enjoy it a lot, but it is definite not my cup of tea.