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

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tourmaline /img/forum/go_quote.gif The complete dCS system is one of the best on the market and best sounding systems you can get. But at almost 50.000 dollars/euro's not much people can afford it!

I tried SACD and it sounded the same as Redbook CD, it is probably because of my Magix levitation feet which makes Redbook CD sound very smooth. Maybe Magix converts Redbook CD into SACD!

All my reference classical SACD albums sound very bad, I think it's because of bad recording gear. I bought the same albums as all the reviewers use and the quality of those albums haven't improved much in a couple years of tweaking my system. They are only "high quality" when a single sound is playing, but when there are many sounds playing at the same time they blend together and it gets muddy. Trance music doesn't have this problem because all sounds are mixed together. My 192 kbps trance mp3's from computer are higher quality than classical SACD from my dCS system.

It appears that the Firewire noise from Verdi CD transport compensates for the muddiness of classical albums which makes it appear more transparent. It's similar to using Valhalla interconnect or speaker cable to add fake transparency to the sound. But when messing with the sound it removes low-level detail in the process, I don't like that, I might as well use Toslink from the computer instead because it sounds cleaner without that noise. However, Toslink has more jitter so it doesn't get any better, it only changes the flavor.

dCS should build a new setup that uses an optical connection. In the mean time I will unplug the Verdi and use my computer + Toslink because it gives cleaner sound and more jitter. A transport with an electrical connection isn't worth anything to me, no matter how little jitter it has. I don't think anyone wants to buy my Verdi after reading this thread so I'm going to try a Genesis AES/EBU cable to see if it fixes the noise.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I tried SACD and it sounded the same as Redbook CD, it is probably because of my Magix levitation feet which makes Redbook CD sound very smooth. Maybe Magix converts Redbook CD into SACD! All my reference classical SACD albums sound very bad, I think it's because of bad recording gear. I bought the same albums as all the reviewers use and the quality of those albums haven't improved much in a couple years of tweaking my system. They are only "high quality" when a single sound is playing, but when there are many sounds playing at the same time they blend together and it gets muddy. Trance music doesn't have this problem because all sounds are mixed together. My 192 kbps trance mp3's from computer are higher quality than classical SACD from my dCS system. It appears that the Firewire noise from Verdi CD transport compensates for the muddiness of classical albums which makes it appear more transparent. It's similar to using Valhalla interconnect or speaker cable to add fake transparency to the sound. But when messing with the sound it removes low-level detail in the process, I don't like that, I might as well use Toslink from the computer instead because it sounds cleaner without that noise. However, Toslink has more jitter so it doesn't get any better, it only changes the flavor. dCS should build a new setup that uses an optical connection. In the mean time I will unplug the Verdi and use my computer + Toslink because it gives cleaner sound and more jitter. A transport with an electrical connection isn't worth anything to me, no matter how little jitter it has. I don't think anyone wants to buy my Verdi after reading this thread so I'm going to try a Genesis AES/EBU cable to see if it fixes the noise.

If you want good mastered cd's, buy xrcd, xrcd2 or k2hd cd's! By far better then any standard cd i've heard. K2hd is an evolution of xrcd and has even better low end, the k2hd cd's have rock solid very low bass...and add more detail to the sound as well. So, obviously, with good care and equipment, there is still lots to gain in cd quality! But most have gone the lazy way and turned to sacd! A good mastered k2hd is as good or even better then sacd!

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif There isn't a picture I've been able to find which shows a man facepalming clean through his skull pushing his face out through the back of his head. I will endeavour though, to have one commissioned thus that it might be deployed in future for such threads as this.

You don't have to read or answer in this thread if you don't like it.

 

[tourmaline]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Duggeh /img/forum/go_quote.gif There isn't a picture I've been able to find which shows a man facepalming clean through his skull pushing his face out through the back of his head. I will endeavour though, to have one commissioned thus that it might be deployed in future for such threads as this.

This one's for you:

 

[Patrick82]

I have found that an optical connection sounds better when having a dozen RGC-24 Ground Conditioners plugged into the DAC. Without them it wasn't revealing enough to show the noise from the Firewire connection. But when going past half a dozen RGC-24, the importance of an optical connection becomes more apparent.

My Verdi Encore is in a box beside my bed now. I plugged the Genesis power cord into my computer and surprisingly the computer benefited the most from that cable. I would rather have computer + Genesis than Verdi Encore + stock cable.

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I used a Toslink cable from the Verdi and listened to the Verdi, then I switched to Toslink with computer. Computer + Toslink sounded better than Verdi + Toslink. My Elgar DAC says 16/44.1 when using Toslink from Verdi and 24/44.1 when using Toslink from computer (EMU0404). That might have something to do with it.

I'm using Cary 303/300 transport now and it's worse than the computer too, I have found the reason for it. It's the 16bit output of both CD transports which makes it horribly dull. The computer with EMU0404 gives 24bit output with Toslink, I don't know why. Both high-end CD transports sound like a nightmare with Toslink, but the Toslink from computer sounds amazingly clear and clean.

 

[Patrick82]

I took out Verdi Encore from its box. I was using 9 RGC-24 Ground Conditioners for the Elgar Plus, it sounded little bright and harsh. Then I added one more for the Elgar and one for the Verdi. The sound completely transformed into silky smoothness, I was surprised! 10 for Elgar and 1 for Verdi is the way to go! Earlier in this thread I said the same thing!

Then I plugged in an RCA cable between the Verdi and computer, it made it very bright and harsh similar to without the two extra Ground Conditioners.
Then I switched from CD into the upsampled computer signal, it sounded a little brighter but it's not bad at all, the difference is very small. If the RCA cable is connected between Verdi and computer, I prefer to use computer to listen to music. When the RCA cable is unplugged the CD transport inside Verdi is much better.

I wonder if buying another RGC-24 and using it for the computer will reduce that ground noise which is infecting the Verdi. Based on logic it should be good.

 

[ckoffend]

No offense Patrick, but are you for real with all of this? I have actually read through the entire thread - - - - just waiting to the announcement that this is all just a joke. I mean no offense by this.

 

[HeadphoneAddict]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckoffend /img/forum/go_quote.gif No offense Patrick, but are you for real with all of this? I have actually read through the entire thread - - - - just waiting to the announcement that this is all just a joke. I mean no offense by this.

Fished In!!!

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by ckoffend /img/forum/go_quote.gif No offense Patrick, but are you for real with all of this? I have actually read through the entire thread - - - - just waiting to the announcement that this is all just a joke. I mean no offense by this.

Joke about what?