[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif The Stello DA100 and Electroaccompaniet EC1 also sounded just like each other and were slightly ahead of the AMB, Apogee and Cambridge,

Great meet!

Your DAC comparison results are fairly typical of doing quick-switch A-B comparisons during "meet conditions." The unfamiliar equipment/cable/music combined with near-subliminal stress of "blind testing" and time constraints tend to homogenize results.

However, comparing DAC's in one's own familiar system using music one knows well without any time-constraints in stress-free atmosphere will yield more meaningful results. Using a good speaker setup will also amplify differences more IME.

 

[wiatrob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sherwood /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...Wiatrob's Cavalli compact hybrid. Heard this through an RS-1, and it sounded fantastic. Grados love tubes, and this little amp had tubes in spades. Looked like a fun design, and bill executed it well. If I still had any dynamics, I'd be looking into it...

I just cut rosewood end and detail panels for it... Naaman's stuff sent me straight into finish-it-all mode!

 

[vcoheda]

Quote:

Originally Posted by wiatrob /img/forum/go_quote.gif

KGBH. me want

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great meet! Your DAC comparison results are fairly typical of doing quick-switch A-B comparisons during "meet conditions." The unfamiliar equipment/cable/music combined with near-subliminal stress of "blind testing" and time constraints tend to homogenize results. However, comparing DAC's in one's own familiar system using music one knows well without any time-constraints in stress-free atmosphere will yield more meaningful results. Using a good speaker setup will also amplify differences more IME.

I agree.

I did say that I suspected our procedure could be faulty in a few ways. What you did not include in your quote were my mentioning:

(1) Listening fatigue had set in (it was 5 o'clock at the end of the meet)
(2) lack of time
(3) discrepancy between different inputs and
(4) discrepancy between earlier detailed comparisons that provided different results than the big comparison (where D10 optical matched Pico USB, and D10 line out not as good as D10 headphone out).

There was also the:

(5) different varieties of interconnects used for digital and analog connection among the various DACs, and
(6) not always using the best output of the DACs (1/8" out instead of XLR on Apogee for example) because of lack of inputs on the preamp.

When the volume matched well when switching between two DACs we were more likely to feel that they sounded the same. And, when the volume or sound quality was different, the order we listened to the DACs seemed to make a bigger difference in which we liked more.

 

[Brighten]

Yeah, I would have thought the Pico would have been up there with the Stello and what not...

Thanks for the impressions guys!

Best. ****. Ever.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craiglester /img/forum/go_quote.gif When was this.. I had no idea it was going on. Darn. I'd have very much liked to have talked to people about the Orthos, as I'm about to start hacking a pair together this week. Not that any of My gear would have found much of a place there. Heh One pair of old stax Electrets and a potential ortho project. :/

CRAIG, I AM SO SORRY!

This was a private gig at my house, and we were doing personal invites to people we knew, and we somehow just missed you. I feel REALLY bad about that. I don't know how it happened, because we were all straining our tiny little brains to pull out a list of names that we knew would be safe to invite.

We wont forget you again.

On 2/1/09 I did post in my 11/9 mini-meet thread that we were meeting again on 2/14. I'm sorry we didn't do a better job rounding up the invitees.

 

[wiatrob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L /img/forum/go_quote.gif Great meet! Your DAC comparison results are fairly typical of doing quick-switch A-B comparisons during "meet conditions." The unfamiliar equipment/cable/music combined with near-subliminal stress of "blind testing" and time constraints tend to homogenize results.

The stress was less than subliminal - it was palpable. However, the blind/stress/meet tests did show some differences. - We all thought these initial results should lead to further, more detailed examination (as you suggested) of the components - maybe playoff style.

 

[wiatrob]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craiglester /img/forum/go_quote.gif When was this.. I had no idea it was going on.

Feel free to ping me about orthos (I have been listening to dBels for two weeks...) - I apologize - someday I'll know all the players here in town...

 

[craiglester]

Hey it's ok.. I just thought I'd missed the announcment (ahh I guess I did miss it). No worries. I'm usually just there as the resident sceptic/bargain basement guy

I'm sure I'll see you all at this summers annual Statewide meet, wherever that might be. (I think we can safely say it won't be at Singlepower eh?)

must say I'd be interested to have heard all those orthos though. Might give me an idea what I should be aiming for with my SFI K240 transplants.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by craiglester /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hey it's ok.. I just thought I'd missed the announcment (ahh I guess I did miss it). No worries. I'm usually just there as the resident sceptic/bargain basement guy I'm sure I'll see you all at this summers annual Statewide meet, wherever that might be. (I think we can safely say it won't be at Singlepower eh?) must say I'd be interested to have heard all those orthos though. Might give me an idea what I should be aiming for with my SFI K240 transplants.

I'll always have my Smegma SFI for you to hear as the benchmark.

 

[sundrop66]

Hello all, I'm Barry aka sundrop66, the guy in some of the pictures with the "I void warranties" t-shirt.

Thanks to wiatrob for inviting me, HeadphoneAddict for your hospitality and to everyone else at the meet for happily putting up with my noob questions. I had a great time and learned a lot.

I'm now forever ruined...dynamic headphones (with the exception of the K1000s) just won't do it for me any more. I've spent a good part of the rest of the long weekend learning more about electrostatics!

I'm looking forward to participating in more meets and contributing where and when I can. Thanks for the first hit off the crack pipe...

Cheers!

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sundrop66 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hello all, I'm Barry aka sundrop66, the guy in some of the pictures with the "I void warranties" t-shirt. Thanks to wiatrob for inviting me, HeadphoneAddict for your hospitality and to everyone else at the meet for happily putting up with my noob questions. I had a great time and learned a lot. I'm now forever ruined...dynamic headphones (with the exception of the K1000s) just won't do it for me any more. I've spent a good part of the rest of the long weekend learning more about electrostatics! I'm looking forward to participating in more meets and contributing where and when I can. Thanks for the first hit off the crack pipe... Cheers!

Yep, it was nice having you here to indoctrinate - welcome to head-fi, and sorry about your wallet.

 

[Brighten]

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeadphoneAddict /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yep, it was nice having you here to indoctrinate - welcome to head-fi, and sorry about your wallet.

True that.

 

[Keithpgdrb]

wow, pretty nice intro to electrostats! is there anything that was missing?

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Yeah, nobody took the time to listen to the HE60's that were in the flight case under the coffee table.