[tim3320070]

I guess a debate did open up......

 

[Dynobot]

What would head-fi be without a senseless debate?
 
 

 

[eucariote]

Lavry dacs have adjustable playback image control- designed to introduce crossover between l&r channels to better resemble speakers.  You can also adjust the pic to further separate the signals, which opens up the soundstage considerably.  And if you want variety (or want to hear the original mix) you can set the thing to neutral.  And the dac itself is superb and has a high quality built-in headphone amp.

 

[khaos974]

Lavry dacs have adjustable playback image control- designed to introduce crossover between l&r channels to better resemble speakers.  You can also adjust the pic to further separate the signals, which opens up the soundstage considerably.  And if you want variety (or want to hear the original mix) you can set the thing to neutral.  And the dac itself is superb and has a high quality built-in headphone amp.

It's also butt ugly
I can only hope they release a better looking DA12.

 

[korzena]

Thank you all for the recommendations and helpful tips! You gave me a whole lot of work as I will have to research them now!

 

[korzena]

First thing with the Squeezebox touch is to do some tweaks.  On its own via wifi it can sound a bit thin and a little tipped up in the lower treble.  It's soundstage width and depth are a bit less than a good computer direct source.  But when you start to tweak it it gets better.  Here is a great link on the steps you can take.  I just messed with the first few and things are quieter, smoother, more balanced, and helped soundstage and depth.  If you can go direct connect Ethernet it should be even better.  I am not at the moment.
 
http://soundcheck-audio.blogspot.com/2011/01/soundchecks-squeezebox-touch-toolbox-20.html
 
The PS audio is good via coax and has a good musical sound with slight upper bass warmth and a bit of a forwardness in the upper mids that is pleasant.  Slightly veiled and the highs are not as sweet or extended when compared to the Blue Circle.  Also imaging is more  of the wall of sound live type presentation versus pinpoint imaging but very likeable.
 
As for the Blue Circle, I like it better than my Benchmark, my Lavry, the PS Audio, the Wyred 4 Sound, the Eastern Electric, the Ayre, the Tranquility and some others I have heard.  I am not saying it is better, just that I preferred it.  It is a very musical dac.  And it does imaging well especially with the Halide Feeding it.  I may be going to USB only solution soon and will sell it but only after I hear the Halide dac later in the year.  And any other contenders that come up at RMAF in Oct.
 
 
 

I've done most of these tweaks to SB (including switching to ethernet connection) sometime ago, however to be honest, I haven't noticed differences in sound quality. Maybe because I haven't used a digital out/external DAC, but only the built-in DAC...I don't know..
 
 

 

[Dynobot]

Quote:

I've done most of these tweaks to SB (including switching to ethernet connection) sometime ago, however to be honest, I haven't noticed differences in sound quality. Maybe because I haven't used a digital out/external DAC, but only the built-in DAC...I don't know..
 
 

Using a Dac helps with the mods, however Soundchecks mods are not night/day differences in sound.
 
There are other mods based on priority settings that could also help....
 

 

[korzena]

An experienced audio/DAC reviewer suggested me Havana tube DAC for its wide soundstage and great depth. These qualities have been indeed confirmed by individual reviews on head-fi and other forums. I've been also told that tube rolling is essential for this DAC. This will require additional research from my side (again more reading!)
I hope this DAC with the right tube will also provide dense enough sound as adding some weight/body to the sound is the second most important thing I am looking for.

 

[gregorio]

Please recommend a DAC with wide soundstage, very good depth and holography (price up to $1200).

That depends on what you mean by a wide soundstage and very good depth. If you are looking to get the full soundstage and depth which exists on the recording, as created by the producer, then what Willakan and Head Injury have said is absolutely accurate and you should look at the Benchmark and the Lavry. If however, you want to change the soundstage and depth which exists on the recording and experience something different to the intentions of the producer, they you may want to look at a less accurate type of DAC like a NOS DAC. NOS DACs create quite a lot of distortion and it's possible that you may perceive this as a wider soundstage or as having more depth. Be warned though, it's just as likely that this additional distortion will be perceived as something other than wider soundstage or depth.

G

 

[korzena]

Quote:

Quote:

Please recommend a DAC with wide soundstage, very good depth and holography (price up to $1200).

That depends on what you mean by a wide soundstage and very good depth. If you are looking to get the full soundstage and depth which exists on the recording, as created by the producer, then what Willakan and Head Injury have said is absolutely accurate and you should look at the Benchmark and the Lavry. If however, you want to change the soundstage and depth which exists on the recording and experience something different to the intentions of the producer, they you may want to look at a less accurate type of DAC like a NOS DAC. NOS DACs create quite a lot of distortion and it's possible that you may perceive this as a wider soundstage or as having more depth. Be warned though, it's just as likely that this additional distortion will be perceived as something other than wider soundstage or depth.

G

Gregorio,
Thanks for your words of caution.
For me the most important is enjoyment from listening the music, and I like the "deep", "wide" and "rich" sound. If it is possible to have both - accuracy and the qualities I look for in the sound, that would be perfect! However at my price point (up to $1200), I am afraid that accuracy may mean more sterile and analytical sound which I am not the fan of.
Also from descriptions people give, I feel Havana would be more to my taste than Benchmark or Lavry, even if it is less accurate.
 
 

 

[gregorio]

Gregorio,
Thanks for your words of caution.
For me the most important is enjoyment from listening the music, and I like the "deep", "wide" and "rich" sound. If it is possible to have both - accuracy and the qualities I look for in the sound, that would be perfect! However at my price point (up to $1200), I am afraid that accuracy may mean more sterile and analytical sound which I am not the fan of.

$1,200 is plenty enough to expect a DAC to perform perfectly accurately within the limits of human hearing. At this point, any sterility or analytical sound you hear is down to what the producer/mastering engineer have done or intended with the recording. Although of course your cans/speakers will play a part in this too.

I personally look for transparency (linearity) from the digital chain, so I can hear the music as intended by the artists who created it. But I'm aware there are some who seem to believe the intentions of the artists and therefore the music itself are irrelevant, while the sound of their electronic components is the only (or main) consideration.

G

 

[korzena]

Quote:

Quote:

Gregorio,
Thanks for your words of caution.
For me the most important is enjoyment from listening the music, and I like the "deep", "wide" and "rich" sound. If it is possible to have both - accuracy and the qualities I look for in the sound, that would be perfect! However at my price point (up to $1200), I am afraid that accuracy may mean more sterile and analytical sound which I am not the fan of.

$1,200 is plenty enough to expect a DAC to perform perfectly accurately within the limits of human hearing. At this point, any sterility or analytical sound you hear is down to what the producer/mastering engineer have done or intended with the recording. Although of course your cans/speakers will play a part in this too.

I personally look for transparency (linearity) from the digital chain, so I can hear the music as intended by the artists who created it. But I'm aware there are some who seem to believe the intentions of the artists and therefore the music itself are irrelevant, while the sound of their electronic components is the only (or main) consideration.

G

I look for something that sounds more natural and life-like to me. My goal is not to change the sound that was intended by the artist. I just want to enjoy the music. People have different perception and they so interpret the music in different ways. I think this is my way it should be. Everyone picks something that is good for them
 

 

[tim3320070]

Quote:

Gregorio,
Thanks for your words of caution.
For me the most important is enjoyment from listening the music, and I like the "deep", "wide" and "rich" sound. If it is possible to have both - accuracy and the qualities I look for in the sound, that would be perfect! However at my price point (up to $1200), I am afraid that accuracy may mean more sterile and analytical sound which I am not the fan of.
Also from descriptions people give, I feel Havana would be more to my taste than Benchmark or Lavry, even if it is less accurate.
 
 

Currawong's Ref-1 is for sale for under $1000 which would impress I bet. It's anything but sterile but it's not colored, just real sounding IMO.
 
 

 

[Willakan]

I would personally avoid AudioGd gear - they design to some incredibly dodgy criteria to my mind. Besides, the Benchmark is cheaper and a known "perfect"* source.
 
*Perfect in the sense that it exceeds every threshold of audibility in everything by stupidly large amounts, such as it would have to do what it does several measurable orders of magnitude worse before there are audible problems.

 

[Dynobot]

Amazing.
 
Actually almost sickening.