dCS Verdi Encore CD transport with DSD upsampling - I like my computer better!

[Patrick82]

People complained of my crappy source, so I borrowed money from the bank and upgraded from my Benchmark DAC1 to dCS Elgar Plus DAC and dCS Verdi Encore transport (DSD upsampling, Firewire and word clock). But it sounded bad because I didn't hear the sound of real life anymore, it was flat and boring.


Computer transport is great

The 100 times more expensive CD transport sounded worse than my tweaked computer. Even my 192kbps mp3's sounded better than SACD! After I put Magix levitation feet under the Verdi it got smoother with more low-level detail, but it still sounded worse than my levitating computer because it sounded too flat, smooth and neutral. So I kept listening to my computer instead because it's both heavier and sharper than neutral which makes it sound more like real life (the heaviness is from fat Valhalla power cord and the sharpness is from jitter).


Problem with noise through cables

My computer is connected to my DAC with a cheap Toslink and it sounds very clean. But with the Verdi, I noticed problems with the Firewire connection. Whenever the Verdi was turned on it made my system sound bright, harsh and edgy. When I put the Verdi in standby it was smooth and clean again. To further test this, I connected a stock RCA cable from the computer to the Verdi. There was horrible brightness! My system isn't grounded anywhere and the ground noise from the computer went through the RCA cable.

I also tried to listen to the DSD upsampled computer signal through the Verdi... It got smoother but it was worse overall. Having the computer isolated from the audio system gave better sound even when using 44.1kHz and cheap Toslink.


Conclusion: So, the 44.1kHz computer with Toslink sounds better to me than the 100 times more expensive dCS Verdi Encore with DSD upsampling. I also get the best sound with the Verdi turned off!

Nobody wants to buy the Verdi from me now after this review, so I guess I'm going to keep it, it may come useful in the future somehow. I think I'm going to wrap the Firewire cables in ERS Paper to see if it makes a difference.

 

[randerson3024]

What computer set up and software are you using? I would like to hear this - or -attempt to recreate your experiment.

Siltech fireware cables also make a dramatic improvement; however, they are expensive, and you may not want to spend that much given your experience with dCS. I have dCS at home and Esoteric on the ship, and I can tell you that dCS must be set up properly or it can sound awful, it took many sessions and tweaking for me to take the plunge. I have never given serious consideration to computers as reference sources, so I am very curious. I will keep an open mind. Reference quality playback from a computer would be a great asset given my extensive travels.

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by randerson3024 /img/forum/go_quote.gif What computer set up and software are you using? I would like to hear this - or -attempt to recreate your experiment. Siltech fireware cables also make a dramatic improvement; however, they are expensive, and you may not want to spend that much given your experience with dCS. I have dCS at home and Esoteric on the ship, and I can tell you that dCS must be set up properly or it can sound awful, it took many sessions and tweaking for me to take the plunge. I have never given serious consideration to computers as reference sources, so I am very curious. I will keep an open mind. Reference quality playback from a computer would be a great asset given my extensive travels.

How do I set up the dCS properly? I used the Elgar Plus as the Master Clock like the manual said.

I use Foobar with Kernel Streaming. I use EMU0404 soundcard with cheap Toslink from eBay.


Nordost Valhalla power cord

The computer sounds better just because of the modded Nordost Valhalla power cord, other tweaks aren't really needed. To make it sound like real life, the Valhalla needs to be short, fat and nude.

It needs to be short because otherwise it makes it sound too smooth and thin. It needs to be fat so that it can increase the weight of the music.
It doesn't work with another cable than Valhalla because they don't veil the signal like Valhalla does, Valhalla makes the power supply malfunction, it sounds similar as cold capacitors except Valhalla sounds smooth instead of harsh.
The Valhalla needs to be unshielded because the EMI makes it bright and the Valhalla conductor makes the brightness smoother, but the longer the conductor is the more veiled it gets and the more clarity is lost, it tones everything down, it just makes it sound weak and thin. But when using a fatter cable to increase the smoothness instead, the clarity remains! The fat cable increases the body of the music by making the sounds longer and fuller. And since the EMI makes it bright, the fat Valhalla cable turns that brightness into smooth whiteness. The fat cable also reduces low-level detail in the process, but this also gives the illusion of a blacker and cleaner background. There are many things that happen at the same time and it's very complex.

An unshielded Valhalla power cord gives the illusion of transparency, dynamics and realism. When I modified it to half the length and double the fatness I got a bigger effect of this flavor. I also spread out the conductors to let EMI enter the cable more easily.

http://www.head-fi.org/forums/f21/tr...r-cord-258842/


Vibration isolation

The computer sounds very bright which could be solved with power conditioning and ERS Paper, those tweaks improve low-level detail, but for the transports they make it sound grey, dry and lifeless. I get the best sound when the computer is nude and the input power cable doesn't have any shielding at all.

To fix the brightness while boosting up the low-level detail it needs Magix levitation feet, it makes it sound clean, smooth and full because there is longer attack and decay. It doesn't make it sound grey like ERS Paper does, that's why it's a great tweak.
The biggest improvement came from putting one Magix under the PSU. And a further improvement came from putting Magix under the computer case.

In my system, vibration isolation is 95% of the sound. I tried Feet of Silence under the computer case but I couldn't hear what they said in movies anymore, but with Magix I don't have a problem. I need Magix under every component because otherwise I get a headache from the brightness.


After I tweaked my computer with fat Valhalla power cord and Magix levitation feet I got smooth and clean whiteness that was both heavy and sharp. Normally you can either get heaviness/smoothness or thinness/sharpness, but getting both at the same time isn't easy. My computer sounds far more amazing than any other transport I have ever tried. I can't tweak the sound the same way with a CD transport because there is too little jitter to work with, and the sound also gets worse from the spinning disc and vibrating power supply inside the same chassis. With the computer it's easy, I just separate the PSU and harddrive from the mainboard. I don't like how the vibrations affect the sound because there's a different form of brightness, it sounds harsh all over like something is putting the music in a blender and mixing it up. But with EMI, it sounds like the music is made thin and edgy instead. Smoothening out the edginess with Valhalla power cord it makes it sound white and clean. I'm in love with Valhalla power cord for my computer.

 

[jlingo]

Man I feel sorry for you. I love my DCS and Esoteric, but I'm using it with home speakers setup though, never really bothered trying them with my headphone since the DCS stack is simply a bit too big.

Oh you can try to post on ebay, I'm sure there will be people out there who are interested. DCS customer service is outstanding.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif People complained of my crappy source, so I borrowed money from the bank and upgraded from my Benchmark DAC1 to dCS Elgar Plus DAC and dCS Verdi Encore transport (DSD upsampling, Firewire and word clock). But it sounded bad because I didn't hear the sound of real life anymore, it was flat and boring. Computer transport is great The 100 times more expensive CD transport sounded worse than my tweaked computer. Even my 192kbps mp3's sounded better than SACD! After I put Magix levitation feet under the Verdi it got smoother with more low-level detail, but it still sounded worse than my levitating computer because it sounded too flat, smooth and neutral. So I kept listening to my computer instead because it's both heavier and sharper than neutral which makes it sound more like real life (the heaviness is from fat Valhalla power cord and the sharpness is from jitter).

 

[vcoheda]

still looking for the holy grail, i see.

 

[neilvg]

Take the plunge and buy an NWO 3.0GO. I'd like to see what you say.

Neil

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Take the plunge and buy an NWO 3.0GO. I'd like to see what you say. Neil

Without mods, NWO 3.0GO was worse than my 20 Euro DVD player b/c there was too little jitter to work with and everything sounded smooth and neutral.

VRDS Neo transport mechanism gives jitter no chance, so I ripped it out and replaced it with the cheap DVD player transport, which is sitting on top of the NWO chassis on Magix levitation. Now I got more shaprness and attack, but I ended up losing weight.

Then I noticed those tubes connected with little tube pins and solder joints. That's where the weight is leaking out! I ripped out the tube sockets and hard wired my double thickness Valhalla power cable to the tube pins directly. The Valhalla cables are levitating the tubes inside the chassis, and the weight was back. But now EMI was making sound harsh again, so I wrapped the tubes and Valhalla with ERS paper. Bingo! Both sharpness and weight.

I listened to music for 1000 hours straight without food or water or going to bathroom in pure ecstasy. I had nirvana and nothing better to look forward to

I unplugged the NWO and ripped off all cables. I reconnected my computer source and use NWO as a listening chair b/c the lower height is putting me closer to Earth's Schumann resonance, which is making me feel edgy and irritated, which is making sound edgy and well defined again.

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by neilvg /img/forum/go_quote.gif Take the plunge and buy an NWO 3.0GO. I'd like to see what you say. Neil

Based on what others have said about it I wouldn't like the flavor of NWO, Esoteric or EMM Labs.

I think my dCS Elgar Plus DAC is an okay upgrade compared to my Benchmark DAC1 because it filled in some missing information in the music. But it messed up the synergy so I had to remove everything from my system and start building it up around the Elgar. The Elgar is now my favorite DAC just because of the 2/6vrms output switch at the rear. 2vrms was worse than using an external amplifier, but 6vrms was better! I have my K1000 plugged to the XLR outputs of the Elgar and I get better sound than ever. I don't need a pre-amp and amp anymore, I just use the digital volume control. It's great.

But with the Verdi transport, I wish dCS would make one with ST Glass output instead of Firewire.

 

[randerson3024]

You may want to check this system out, I heard it yesterday in Singapore, and it just blew me away. Associated system components were Avantguarde speakers and Air Tight electronics. You could probably buy the transport and DAC for less than you paid for the dCS. Here is the link:
REIMYO CDT-777 CD Transport

I can't get over how musical this system is!

 

[Patrick82]

Where do I buy Siltech Firewire cables from? I searched around and couldn't find anything.

 

[randerson3024]

You can contact Youngblood Systems in Oklahoma City, (405) 721 5654. Ask for Harold, he is also the dCS guru I was referring to in my PM to you as well.

 

[randerson3024]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Where do I buy Siltech Firewire cables from? I searched around and couldn't find anything.

Sloppy me, I did not notice that you are in Sweden. I am not sure how an overseas transaction would work for you, but I have had products from this dealer sent to other foriegn countries.

Siltech cables are priced better here in Singapore than in the United States. If you can't find a good deal, PM me, and maybe we can figure out a way to get some sent to you either by me, or by the local dealer. I do know there are tariffs in Singapore for overseas credit card purchases. The local dealer here is Norman Audio, ask for Wee (I don't remember his last name).

Good luck.

 

[randerson3024]

Avalon Audio - Sweden http://www.avalonaudio.com

Tel: +46 8 158443
Mobile:
Fax: +46 8 158443
Email: info@avalonaudio.com
Address:
Döbelnsgatan 53
Stockholm
Sweden

 

[neilvg]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Based on what others have said about it I wouldn't like the flavor of NWO, Esoteric or EMM Labs.

That's funny, because what most people end up saying about it is that it is the most bad-a.s.s. player they have ever heard. There have been few comments in terms of tangibles other than these kinds of superlatives. Regarding Esoteric or EMM, I didn't recommend THOSE to you.

Neil

 

[vcoheda]

it better be bad a.s.s for 30K.

pat, give the dCS combo some more time. from all accounts, it seems like a top notch system.