I am currently auditioning my new Devilsound v2.1 DAC, and while it's generally deserves all of the glowing reviews I'm reading, I have some concerns. My first impression was "wow, this is waaay better than that toslink cable coming out of my Mac Pro (Apple Lossless)", which is pretty much what I expected. The difference in clarity, depth, penetration and soundstage were immediately apparent, but as I started trying different kinds of music with it, I noticed a slight "imperfection" that has me concerned.
Since this is my first thread/post I will share my "listening" background: I was into pop, rock, and some motown records in grade through high school, got into higher-end gear and more esoteric rock and world music in college (Klipschorns, metal tapes, etc.), then kind of lost my way when consumer CDs came out and the vinyl went into storage. Then the iPod came along and gave my CDs new life, and now the vinyl and turntable have come out of storage, I think it's a somewhat common story. I am now listening to much more blues/jazz/classical/reggae/jam/bluegrass than before, and rock n'roll still rules my roost.
The Devilsound 2.1 is my first outboard DAC, and I have been comparing it to vinyl when I can find the same mix of the same song on CD and LP, which is not that easy in my collection. As it breaks in a bit, I am finding that it continues to improve in almost every category, but it loses control of the extreme audible low end on some recordings. It is worse than when I turn off the subsonic filter on my phono stage, and it only happens on certain recordings.
I have even ordered another 16-bit adaptive USB DAC that's a bit more versatile to compare with, a Fubar I/O USB DAC/ADC w/their Supplier PSU, that I can use to digitize my vinyl, theoretically. I'm not opposed to keeping both, as the portability of the Devilsound makes it quite versatile in its own right. Overall there are differences when comparing directly to vinyl; the vinyl seems a bit more audible, with more penetration of individual sounds, but the Devilsound seems to have more clarity and depth to the soundstage.
But as thisbenjamin said, I'm not so sure I'm such a "huge fan" of the Devilsound sound so far either. I am hoping that more people will expand on their experiences with the Devilsound v2.1 since I'm relatively new at this. I REALLY like the overall soundstage, and the mids, highs and mid-bass seem accurate and lively enough, but the lowest bass does seem a little loose and uncontrolled to me sometimes, and I've never been "bass shy". I am also wondering if this will correct itself with further break-in.
I am interested in what specific listening experiences anyone has had with their Devilsound v2.1, what they like, and what they don't.
Since this is my first thread/post I will share my "listening" background: I was into pop, rock, and some motown records in grade through high school, got into higher-end gear and more esoteric rock and world music in college (Klipschorns, metal tapes, etc.), then kind of lost my way when consumer CDs came out and the vinyl went into storage. Then the iPod came along and gave my CDs new life, and now the vinyl and turntable have come out of storage, I think it's a somewhat common story. I am now listening to much more blues/jazz/classical/reggae/jam/bluegrass than before, and rock n'roll still rules my roost.
The Devilsound 2.1 is my first outboard DAC, and I have been comparing it to vinyl when I can find the same mix of the same song on CD and LP, which is not that easy in my collection. As it breaks in a bit, I am finding that it continues to improve in almost every category, but it loses control of the extreme audible low end on some recordings. It is worse than when I turn off the subsonic filter on my phono stage, and it only happens on certain recordings.
I have even ordered another 16-bit adaptive USB DAC that's a bit more versatile to compare with, a Fubar I/O USB DAC/ADC w/their Supplier PSU, that I can use to digitize my vinyl, theoretically. I'm not opposed to keeping both, as the portability of the Devilsound makes it quite versatile in its own right. Overall there are differences when comparing directly to vinyl; the vinyl seems a bit more audible, with more penetration of individual sounds, but the Devilsound seems to have more clarity and depth to the soundstage.
But as thisbenjamin said, I'm not so sure I'm such a "huge fan" of the Devilsound sound so far either. I am hoping that more people will expand on their experiences with the Devilsound v2.1 since I'm relatively new at this. I REALLY like the overall soundstage, and the mids, highs and mid-bass seem accurate and lively enough, but the lowest bass does seem a little loose and uncontrolled to me sometimes, and I've never been "bass shy". I am also wondering if this will correct itself with further break-in.
I am interested in what specific listening experiences anyone has had with their Devilsound v2.1, what they like, and what they don't.