[Lolito]

Blah, blah, blah,…“it’s the best ever, transformed my system, a bargain at twice the price!” I’ll save you the time of watching the video if you don’t want t. It’s all true..

He is so funny bill murray. not very knowledgable though.

 

[daytrader]

He is so funny bill murray. not very knowledgable though.

He is. Not sure if it’s part of his YouTube persona or he actually has no real technical insight? Either way he is for sure entertaining, a nice contrast to all the medieval scientists with their charts and Sine wave scopes speaking in languages most don’t understand. LOL

 

[Lolito]

I don't know, I think he is just another one full of BS, but like bill murray. After a few videos, is not that funny, it's repetitive. It's like a guy who started purchasing speakers 6 months ago only but already started a youtube channel commenting speakers with a long long experience of 6 months, something like that, with a test tracks from 1995 to 2002, that's all the music he uses for testing. From back when the MTV was something, LOL. Cheap non the less indeed.

 

[PopZeus]

I dunno, there are lots of different types of audiophiles and potential audiophiles out there with lots of different musical tastes, and maybe being inclusive is a better approach. I'm more interested in growing out the hobby. Honestly, part of why I like cheapaudioman is because I listen to some of the same bands he does. I like having him out there as a reviewer despite the rough edges. Fwiw, even he would admit he struggles to articulate his thoughts sometimes.

 

[daytrader]

I dunno, there are lots of different types of audiophiles and potential audiophiles out there with lots of different musical tastes, and maybe being inclusive is a better approach. I'm more interested in growing out the hobby. Honestly, part of why I like cheapaudioman is because I listen to some of the same bands he does. I like having him out there as a reviewer despite the rough edges. Fwiw, even he would admit he struggles to articulate his thoughts sometimes.

Well maybe it’s more than just coffee in that cup?

 

[daytrader]

I don't know, I think he is just another one full of BS, but like bill murray. After a few videos, is not that funny, it's repetitive. It's like a guy who started purchasing speakers 6 months ago only but already started a youtube channel commenting speakers with a long long experience of 6 months, something like that, with a test tracks from 1995 to 2002, that's all the music he uses for testing. From back when the MTV was something, LOL. Cheap non the less indeed.

It’s just that I enjoy the cavalier approach and of late he seems to have gotten more comfortable doing it too.

 

[Lolito]

he is funny though, and honest and you get the point i guess. I just think lot of these reviewers, they do not go very in depth in usability or things not good. Others are more detailed... but yeah, gotta see 10-20 reviews just to get half a picture of X device sound.

100% bill murray

 

[Lolito]

I dunno, there are lots of different types of audiophiles and potential audiophiles out there with lots of different musical tastes, and maybe being inclusive is a better approach. I'm more interested in growing out the hobby. Honestly, part of why I like cheapaudioman is because I listen to some of the same bands he does. I like having him out there as a reviewer despite the rough edges. Fwiw, even he would admit he struggles to articulate his thoughts sometimes.

I hear those bands too, all of them, i have them in my collection. it's just to make fun of him in a nice way. he is a nicest guy, would be a proper best neighbour, right?

Test speakers with marylin manson, nirvana, limp bizkit and then... jamirokai...

 

[Jay_vs]

Is this good? Matrix Audio Element H
https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/333.html

 

[Lolito]

Is this good? Matrix Audio Element H
https://www.matrix-digi.com/en/products/333.html

Looks great, like a proper usb 3.0 port. So instead of usb cleaner, it seems to try to provide a cleanest usb already, not from dirty to clean, but an already clean usb signal from the beginning. I haven't used it though, i can't say if it works or not.

 

[Jay_vs]

Exactly yeah. So the Ares II would receive a nice clean, noise free signal to it's USB input. Surely must be better than a typical USB output from a PC, down a USB cable into a DDC and converted to coax.
I guess, I dunno I'm a bit thick.

 

[Lolito]

unless hat card is just snake oil, on the one hand, on the other hand maybe the ares ill sound the same really with a cleaner usb signal, I really don't know.

 

[Uncle00Jesse]

My amp isn’t balanced. Is the SE performance really that bad compared to xlr?

 

[TheRealDz]

My amp isn’t balanced. Is the SE performance really that bad compared to xlr?

I don't hear any loss in fidelity, but then again I don't have identical cables to make a proper comparison.

It is a few dB quieter though.

 

[AlanU]

My amp isn’t balanced. Is the SE performance really that bad compared to xlr?

If you are close proximity, Single ended RCA is absolutely fine.

SQ wise I find that I can get equal SQ between XLR and RCA. We can be fooled in the higher dB signal delivery of the XLR setup. Also note that balanced true ccts is more more expensive to build so many manufacturers will have XLR interface while using a single ended configuration. Tall tail is no audible volume differences if you swap between RCA and XLR cables.

I'll have to say one of the best SQ I've extracted from my 2 channel was using a single ended cable made by Tchernov. Their Reference interconnect was magical but it surpasses the cost of an Ares ii :O

The most critical thing to worry about is the quality of the cable. It's not a matter of being balanced or single ended. Next time compare a friends. When you compare the two . When using SE cables, increase the volume to match the xlr. You will observe that there is very likely identical dynamics. XLR may possibly have "more potential" in more energy due to the strength of the signal from the get go vs the weaker signal from single ended.