My AMP8 MKII has about 50h of burn-in and I can confirm it has the warmest and analog sound of the bunch. I don't find the DX240 to be bright but it is energetic and vivid. Like @TheRH mentioned the bass still very smooth.
In my experience, typically the minimum phase, hybrid or no-oversampling (not available on DX240) give a slightly warmer experience. Minimum phase filters have little to no pre-ringing, while linear phase has equal parts pre and post-ringing effect. Hybrid is more like an MQA filter if I recall, with a small amount of pre-ringing and more post-ringing effect.
Slow-Roll-off also give a slight treble roll-off that is measurable. The fast-roll off filters have more ringing, which is good for certain things but may not be for others.
See ESS datasheets attached:
I personally typically use the Linear, Fast-Roll off. It's typically the most standard filter but may not always be the most musical. This is mostly a try and see what you like the best activity.
Well all of those are over 23-25Khz in frequencies, and any of the ringings antialiasing effects are below the floor noises of -120Db.
So, unless you are capable of listening as good as a bat, and crank the volume as loud as 120Db….then you will hear the differences obviously.
However, Aliasing is always a part of the sigma delta topology. The reason why you would hear more from Cirrus DAC chips is because their antialiasing isn’t working as well as intended
How so ? Because aliasing is basically the mirrored parts of a certain spectrum and it informations (out of the meaning full and or NyQuist frequencies) are mirrored back into the meaningful spectrum of 20-20Khz. This creates a certain saturation of a certain frequencies within, which results in a sound signatures changes.
When it is correctly working, most of the time, you barely hear the differences, but the overall signature will remain as the core of each unique modulations and Oversampling topology. This is why AKM and ESS don’t really have any obvious changes in sound signatures. When they do, the best kind of pcm to observe it would be Redbook standards
Yea for most people, they probably won't hear any differences between filters. I'd say some of the linear vs minimum phase can be heard pretty easily if you pay attention to how the end of each note sounds, like how the string pluck resonates, or how sound decays. very subtle...
The roll-off filter changes are very subtle, and many times beyond the audibility of hearing for some people, especially who can't hear past a certain frequency (roll-off is subtle and starts roughly around 15KHz or even past 20KHz or to Nyquist frequency). In the case of the 9038Pro, as whitigr mentions, the rolloff occurs above 20KHz.
I think people tend to consider the minimum phase filters as more smooth and "musical". They are typically considered more "analog".
Yea for most people, they probably won't hear any differences between filters. I'd say some of the linear vs minimum phase can be heard pretty easily if you pay attention to how the end of each note sounds, like how the string pluck resonates, or how sound decays. very subtle...
The roll-off filter changes are very subtle, and many times beyond the audibility of hearing for some people, especially who can't hear past a certain frequency (roll-off is subtle and starts roughly around 15KHz or even past 20KHz or to Nyquist frequency). In the case of the 9038Pro, as whitigr mentions, the rolloff occurs above 20KHz.
I think people tend to consider the minimum phase filters as more smooth and "musical". They are typically considered more "analog".
I agreed, this is the correct way to spot it. I often tell people that it is not because I have a hearing of a whale or a bat, but just know what to listen to. With ESS and AKM, they changes after the selection in 2 seconds afterward or so, the transitions is not an obvious stall or changes in signatures as Dx300, which makes it a lot harder to spot if you don’t know what to look for
Ok for the minimum phase filters to obtain a warmer analog sound, but which one to choose to have the best smooth result ?
- Fast Roll-Off ? / Slow Roll-Off ? / Hybrid Fast Roll-Off ?
Ok for the minimum phase filters to obtain a warmer analog sound, but which one to choose to have the best smooth result ?
- Fast Roll-Off ? / Slow Roll-Off ? / Hybrid Fast Roll-Off ?
Anyone with the Amp3Mod -- did you have trouble getting it to fit inside? The orange capacitor on mine seems to be too large and is above the notch making it not fit into my player. Tried to slightly move it to the side and down a little bit but I still cant get this thing to fit in. I havent tried bruteforcing it because I'm worried it wont fit and I won't be able to get it out
Anyone with the Amp3Mod -- did you have trouble getting it to fit inside? The orange capacitor on mine seems to be too large and is above the notch making it not fit into my player. Tried to slightly move it to the side and down a little bit but I still cant get this thing to fit in. I havent tried bruteforcing it because I'm worried it wont fit.
Anyone with the Amp3Mod -- did you have trouble getting it to fit inside? The orange capacitor on mine seems to be too large and is above the notch making it not fit into my player. Tried to slightly move it to the side and down a little bit but I still cant get this thing to fit in. I havent tried bruteforcing it because I'm worried it wont fit and I won't be able to get it out
Helpful images! I'll try to use some tools and see if I can re-arrange the capacitor to make it not protrude so high up. I'm a little concerned about the leads touching too. Not a lot of space in there! I may need to do some isolation work as well.
Helpful images! I'll try to use some tools and see if I can re-arrange the capacitor to make it not protrude so high up. I'm a little concerned about the leads touching too. Not a lot of space in there! I may need to do some isolation work as well.
I have a faint memory of maybe pushing it down a bit. But it is an inaccurate memory retrieval possibly.
Also it takes a little more screwing in than the others. The seating has to be rather accurate.
Managed to do a quick fire listen to some other amps. Hot swapping.
Amp8mk2, Amp8EX, Amp8, Amp1mkii
Ended up putting the amp3MOD back in.
The others all have their strengths and particulars.
Hard to choose between Amp3MOD, Amp8EX and Amp8mkii personally. Amp1mkiii has more top end than i prefer (amp1mkiii more top end?, amp8mk2 more low end?, Amp8EX a good taste of low/middle/top?, amp3MOD more mids?).
And the other later amp8 variations top the earlier amp8 imho.
Saw the amp9 box - tempted to take it apart again and see if it fits if i take off the rubber protection…another day perhaps…
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