[gregorio]

@CiptoH , @gregorio , you guys should really take this discussion to the audio science forum or PM, otherwise you risk shutting down the entire thread.

Agreed. Hopefully after my last post he won’t just repeat the same thing yet again.

And, if he does still want to argue the actual facts/science of digital audio (bit depth, dynamic range, etc.), then hopefully he’ll start a relevant thread in the Sound Science subforum, rather than hijack this one any further.

G

 

[sup27606]

Agreed. Hopefully after my last post he won’t just repeat the same thing yet again.

And, if he does still want to argue the actual facts/science of digital audio (bit depth, dynamic range, etc.), then hopefully he’ll start a relevant thread in the Sound Science subforum, rather than hijack this one any further.

G

Thank you

 

[AnalogEuphoria]

This thread is about “can you hear a difference,” and the vast majority of those polled can. You have usurped this thread in the name of Lord Amir and Topping. What you call science is not science. Science is not certainty; it is not a body of knowledge, it is an approach. The hubris and authority you lot speak with is why most forums find your conversation unwelcome, not the fact that you share measurements or discuss research. I dont mind the measurements in Stereophile; i think they add value. I like Goldensound as well. His reviews are great (though I strongly dislike the GoPro taped to the head style). Both of them find a way to discuss research without hubris, dismissiveness or a sense of authority that is unnecessary and undesirable. That is obvious in the way you scoff at 80% of those polled in this very thread and hijack it with your agenda.

We have all heard this propaganda 8 million times. Why repeat it again? We are on Headfi as a choice. The echo chamber of ASR is a better space for your message. I dont think you will convert any folks here. People are here to talk about their experiences and share opinions. I personally think measurements and research can add a ton to such conversations, but in conversation not condescension…

To be fair poll name should have written as "Do you think you can hear a difference" because no one ever wants to prove it when they say they do hear a difference.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

@CiptoH , @gregorio , you guys should really take this discussion to the audio science forum or PM, otherwise you risk shutting down the entire thread. During heated discussions, we all get carried away sometimes, thats all right, but now it’s time to put a brake.

This is a thread where I personally am more interested in hearing different people’s experiences with diverse DACs, even if its subjective.

Okay. Here is some relevant input for the thread and supporting of my vote that I can here the difference between DACs.

I have a Chord Hugo MScaler and Chord Hugo TT2 that I have been pairing with a Ferrum Orr + Hypsos amp to drive my headphones. You can see in my profile the headphones that I own. I recently bought a Mjolnir Carbon Estat amp and needed to connect it to the 3pin XLR outputs from my TT2 instead of the Orr.

I had to decide what to do with the Orr. I have a Hugo 2 / 2go just sitting idle and decided to pair them to see what would happen. I really liked the sound. It was clear and crisp along with some nice warmth delivered by the Orr. Then, I decided to repair the TT2 to see which I liked better. There is a huge difference in sound quality. Much bigger bass response with the TT2 and a smoother sound that is much more pleasant as opposed to the harsher Hugo 2. This is listening with my Susvara.

I was going to put this Ferrum Orr and Hugo 2 in my bedroom as a desktop, but I decided not to do it after this listening experience. Instead, I am going to buy another DAC to pair with the Orr. I am going to buy a Holo May.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

To be fair poll name should have written as "Do you think you can hear a difference" because no one ever wants to prove it when they say they do hear a difference.

Nah, it should be written "are there any people actually typing in this thread or is it just artificial intelligence bots messing with your mind?"

I can absolutely hear the differences between certain DACs.

 

[Luke Skywalker]

Okay. Here is some relevant input for the thread and supporting of my vote that I can here the difference between DACs.

I have a Chord Hugo MScaler and Chord Hugo TT2 that I have been pairing with a Ferrum Orr + Hypsos amp to drive my headphones. You can see in my profile the headphones that I own. I recently bought a Mjolnir Carbon Estat amp and needed to connect it to the 3pin XLR outputs from my TT2 instead of the Orr.

I had to decide what to do with the Orr. I have a Hugo 2 / 2go just sitting idle and decided to pair them to see what would happen. I really liked the sound. It was clear and crisp along with some nice warmth delivered by the Orr. Then, I decided to repair the TT2 to see which I liked better. There is a huge difference in sound quality. Much bigger bass response with the TT2 and a smoother sound that is much more pleasant as opposed to the harsher Hugo 2. This is listening with my Susvara.

I was going to put this Ferrum Orr and Hugo 2 in my bedroom as a desktop, but I decided not to do it after this listening experience. Instead, I am going to buy another DAC to pair with the Orr. I am going to buy a Holo May.

Your gear collection is mind blowing. Like $100,000+. I can’t even estimate

 

[TheFrator]

After listening to the Sennheiser IE600 for a week and running it exclusively off the Apple dongle, I took away an impression that this IEM had no imaging whatsoever (I even made a post on r/headphones about it). The song I was using was Reflection by Tool where in the intro, every piece of the drum kit is in a different spot. I came to expect this imaging because my LCD-5 paired with Oor and Bifrost 2 rendered the song so. So on a whim this past weekend I hooked up the IE600 to my desktop chain, and bam! The imaging was back. I then tried the Apple dongle to Orr via a 3.5mm to RCA cable (i.e. dongle is only a DAC now) and again the imaging was non-existent and all the drums are in one overlapping blob in front of me. So it wasn't the Orr adding the imaging- it's something the Bifrost 2 is doing.

Imaging to me seems like a binary criteria- either it's there or it isn't. Not something subjective like bass texture or treble airiness. So my conclusion is that the Bifrost 2 is doing something to the digital signal that the DAC in the Apple dongle isn't. I want to believe all DACs are the same... I really wanted to but this to me has been a major revelation.

 

[theveterans]

After listening to the Sennheiser IE600 for a week and running it exclusively off the Apple dongle, I took away an impression that this IEM had no imaging whatsoever (I even made a post on r/headphones about it). The song I was using was Reflection by Tool where in the intro, every piece of the drum kit is in a different spot. I came to expect this imaging because my LCD-5 paired with Oor and Bifrost 2 rendered the song so. So on a whim this past weekend I hooked up the IE600 to my desktop chain, and bam! The imaging was back. I then tried the Apple dongle to Orr via a 3.5mm to RCA cable (i.e. dongle is only a DAC now) and again the imaging was non-existent and all the drums are in one overlapping blob in front of me. So it wasn't the Orr adding the imaging- it's something the Bifrost 2 is doing.

Imaging to me seems like a binary criteria- either it's there or it isn't. Not something subjective like bass texture or treble airiness. So my conclusion is that the Bifrost 2 is doing something to the digital signal that the DAC in the Apple dongle isn't. I want to believe all DACs are the same... I really wanted to but this to me has been a major revelation.

Hence why I still have the BF2 as my main even after hearing DACs many times its price. Its tonality and staging abilities with respect to price (OG BF2's price) is very hard to beat IMHO. Sure it may lack the sheer resolution of those $XXXX USD DACs but tonality is right up there with them IMO (imaging/staging arguably).

 

[sup27606]

Okay. Here is some relevant input for the thread and supporting of my vote that I can here the difference between DACs.

I have a Chord Hugo MScaler and Chord Hugo TT2 that I have been pairing with a Ferrum Orr + Hypsos amp to drive my headphones. You can see in my profile the headphones that I own. I recently bought a Mjolnir Carbon Estat amp and needed to connect it to the 3pin XLR outputs from my TT2 instead of the Orr.

I had to decide what to do with the Orr. I have a Hugo 2 / 2go just sitting idle and decided to pair them to see what would happen. I really liked the sound. It was clear and crisp along with some nice warmth delivered by the Orr. Then, I decided to repair the TT2 to see which I liked better. There is a huge difference in sound quality. Much bigger bass response with the TT2 and a smoother sound that is much more pleasant as opposed to the harsher Hugo 2. This is listening with my Susvara.

I was going to put this Ferrum Orr and Hugo 2 in my bedroom as a desktop, but I decided not to do it after this listening experience. Instead, I am going to buy another DAC to pair with the Orr. I am going to buy a Holo May.

That actually goes in line with what I have read in other forums about Chord devices. Did you use the TT2 in conjunction with MScaler?If so, I wonder if that smoothness in the TT2 is partially contributed by the Mscaler. There are a few Youtube reviews saying that Qutest (which uses similar components as Hugo 2) when coupled with MScaler, became less harsh. Thank you for your impressions.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

That actually goes in line with what I have read in other forums about Chord devices. Did you use the TT2 in conjunction with MScaler?If so, I wonder if that smoothness in the TT2 is partially contributed by the Mscaler. There are a few Youtube reviews saying that Qutest (which uses similar components as Hugo 2) when coupled with MScaler, became less harsh. Thank you for your impressions.

Yes, with the MScaler. I did not separate the mscaler from the TT2 since I have had them paired together already and I just wanted to do a quick A/B test.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

Hence why I still have the BF2 as my main even after hearing DACs many times its price. Its tonality and staging abilities with respect to price (OG BF2's price) is very hard to beat IMHO. Sure it may lack the sheer resolution of those $XXXX USD DACs but tonality is right up there with them IMO (imaging/staging arguably).

My modest little Modi multibit has kept me happy. I've had the Bifrost 2, the original, in my cart numerous times when it was available but I never went through with the purchase. I know it would be a fantastic DAC but I listen to the Mimby and I'm happy.

 

[Sampajanna]

Glad to see that after a few days away this thread is back on track and our posts are not getting unnecessarily dissected Happy listening to the trolls as well!

I have an HMS+TT2 in my 2nd office system and my findings are very similar to yours. I upgraded it from the Qutest and was huge difference. I would agree that the smoothness is indeed due to the HMS.

 

[HiFiHawaii808]

My modest little Modi multibit has kept me happy. I've had the Bifrost 2, the original, in my cart numerous times when it was available but I never went through with the purchase. I know it would be a fantastic DAC but I listen to the Mimby and I'm happy.

The Modi Multibit is a good DAC. If it meets your needs, you should indeed stay with it. I've owned both the Mimby and Bimby and I can say that the Bifrost 2 multibit is a good step up in quality. If you upgraded, I do not think you would be disappointed.

 

[Runrunsmithfly]

The Modi Multibit is a good DAC. If it meets your needs, you should indeed stay with it. I've owned both the Mimby and Bimby and I can say that the Bifrost 2 multibit is a good step up in quality. If you upgraded, I do not think you would be disappointed.

It works for me. I'm retired and with the prices going up in the grocery store every day it's hard to justify spending $800 on a new Bifrost 2. You get what you pay for and there's no doubt that any Bifrost would be an upgrade. I'm physical media guy and i have a Marantz CD-80 that i use a lot. Love that single crown sound too. I have other hobbies too that I spend money on plus a road trip coming this fall. So much to do and so little money $$$, lol.

 

[lokhanglee]

Yea different DACs yield different sound.