Not upset at all but I've seen such behavior directed at other people who are giving the right advice but getting at all too many times for years. And like I said, only the skeptics will lose in this game and be stuck in mid-fi land convinced with their own convictions.
I'll wait for others to respond to the cradle to grave question before I respond to you
Ok all good.
To be clear I'm not a sceptic. If I can see solid information showing results I will believe it. If I can't be shown it then the other person is just persuing an interesting alternative with limited base or merit.
So far I've seen no conclusive supporting evidence. Just claims.
Anyways: what's your amp/dac, and what % volume are you getting up to with cradle to the grave?
A&K Kann Alpha, Centrance M8V2, Xduoo XD-05, iFi MQ1S-2.5mm and former version with 4.4.
Volume level is with all not the issue .. while clipping is !!!
Amps with no clipping issue are Monolith Thx887, Less BX2+, M17(DC 12V enhanced mode only)..
Ok all good.
To be clear I'm not a sceptic. If I can see solid information showing results I will believe it. If I can't be shown it then the other person is just persuing an interesting alternative with limited base or merit.
So far I've seen no conclusive supporting evidence. Just claims.
Anyways: what's your amp/dac, and what % volume are you getting up to with cradle to the grave?
Diablo stealth SE close to max and 4.4 stealth low gain 3 o clock less from max
Diablo susvara 4.4 1:30 less from max but (but I'm not happy with the cable, poor blacks)
Hugo 2 Stealth (deep blue/purple) and Susvara (light purple)
Soekris dac1321 + phonitor one susvara max vol (touch quieter than I wanted)
Soekris dac1321 + phonitor one stealth (2 o clock less than max)
Dacmagic 200m + stealth. Hard to tell the volume since it's a free wheeling pot. But the blacks could be better and lacks a bit of density vs the others but it's wide (since it lacks density)
Dac magic 200m phonitor one stealth, A bit more refined but slight of a noise hump on the mids
Dave stealth -7db to -4dB great
Dave Susvara -5 to -2dB lacks mid bass
Diablo stealth SE close to max and 4.4 stealth low gain 3 o clock less from max
Diablo susvara 4.4 1:30 less from max but (but I'm not happy with the cable, poor blacks)
Hugo 2 Stealth (deep blue/purple) and Susvara (light purple)
Soekris dac1321 + phonitor one susvara max vol (touch quieter than I wanted)
Soekris dac1321 + phonitor one stealth (2 o clock less than max)
Dacmagic 200m + stealth. Hard to tell the volume since it's a free wheeling pot. But the blacks could be better and lacks a bit of density vs the others but it's wide (since it lacks density)
Dac magic 200m phonitor one stealth, A bit more refined but slight of a noise hump on the mids
Dave stealth -7db to -4dB great
Dave Susvara -5 to -2dB lacks mid bass
Focus less on the quality of the audio eg the blacks and so on.
Listen only for DISTORTION or clipping.
Turn the volume pots till it clips or distorts or until you run out of volume/gain.
Your not testing sound quality in this case remember your testing what the dac/amp can handle when pushed to the absolute limits.
If I recall my hpa4 protection cut happened about 0.0db (ran fine at -3.0db but I lost the balls to go higher again)
As a sidenote the audio was perfect. Black as night, sharp as a pin etc. All the fancy audiophile words.
Ofc I'll mention if there's distortion and clipping but there isn't any.
For throughness, the only time I thought it was clipping, it was a steaming buffer issue because I kept rewinding to the challenging parts and it pooped on me. But trying it again at the same volume without being hard on the player, it's all fine.
What's your objective doing 0.0dB in the fist place? Does it go above 0.0dB?
Ofc I'll mention if there's distortion and clipping but there isn't any.
For throughness, the only time I thought it was clipping, it was a steaming buffer issue because I kept rewinding to the challenging parts and it pooped on me. But trying it again at the same volume without being hard on the player, it's all fine.
What's your objective doing 0.0dB in the fist place? Does it go above 0.0dB?
The monolith THX 887 is 2x6W at 32ohms and set to max vol output .. (I don't know how much power is still available at 20 ohms) but with the DCA Stealth, depending on the fun I am looking for and the DSD I am playing, I can be between 45% to 75% of the volume level of the DAC ( SMSL SU-9 or Fiio M17 via 4.4mm in LO mode) ...
With the Heddphone, it can be a bit more than 5 to 10% over the Stealth... I think I never had the monolith 887 in protection mode with the HEDDphone One and the DCA Stealth.
With the THX 887 I have no distortion at any vol level ... while with a A&K Kann Alpha and 12V "available" .. I get monstrous distortion passed 120/150 volume level with all my headphones and IEM.
"Don't try again at the same volume. Go LOUDER. As loud as you can."
Omg.... This is exactly why I'm unfazed by ppl who say I dunno what I'm talking about because it's my turn to say thats not how to bench something. This is exactly the same wonky tests like golden sound's mqa takedown and putting audio signals in the unsafe zones.
"Don't try again at the same volume. Go LOUDER. As loud as you can."
Omg.... This is exactly why I'm unfazed by ppl who say I dunno what I'm talking about because it's my turn to say thats not how to bench something. This is exactly the same wonky ass tests like golden sound's mqa takedown and putting audio signals in the unsafe zones.
Not quite you are missing the point.
You aren't testing for quality sound. Your testing for limitations of your amp (as long as your headphones don't distort of course, but I doubt stealth will.
it's the equivalent of redlining the engine in your car And finding the rev limiter. If you can.
the purpose is to identify any potential power/current limitations with your gear when you load it up to orcsvove it's maxim potential. That's all. A basic max performance test. It's nothing fancy (apart from a beautiful track of course)
it also shows you how hard you can push your gear, so you don't over-step that limit in future.
Not quite you are missing the point.
You aren't testing for quality sound. Your testing for limitations of your amp (as long as your headphones don't distort of course, but I doubt stealth will.
it's the equivalent of redlining the engine in your car And finding the rev limiter. If you can.
the purpose is to identify any potential power/current limitations with your gear when you load it up to orcsvove it's maxim potential. That's all. A basic max performance test. It's nothing fancy (apart from a beautiful track of course)
it also shows you how hard you can push your gear, so you don't over-step that limit in future.
Yes and no. How would you like it backed up? (Apart from all the DATA we have given you in the form of equipment, result, volume levels recorded at etc)
Could probably replicate it with a repeating frequency wave for scienticians I guess?
But this is more an informal test designed to stress the system.
If you don't like or agree with it don't do it. You can only gain a better personal understanding of your equipment by doing this. If you don't see a benefit to it, go back and play with your power conditioners some more. You won't loose any more or less time.
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at all too many times for years. And like I said, only the skeptics will lose in this game and be stuck in mid-fi land convinced with their own convictions.
