[Asterix]

Anyone notice this?

 

[mysticaldodo]

I found it to be quite sterile actually.

 

[Enverxis]

me too, although on some music I can see where your getting at.

 

[Asterix]

the odd harmonics are easy to hear on every recordings, especially with headphones. It sounds completely alien and unmusical.

 

[Jahn]

eek. i was warned a bit that my personal preference wouldn't match well with the 1212, and the 0404 would be more my speed. but i don't think it was due to any robotic garbling - more because it was "sterile" as mentioned above. my 0404 was just on all cylinders last night, listening to Zemo's audiophile test songs - beautiful stuff!

 

[lan]

I find many digital sources to sound digital.

This includes all soundcards. I guess different people have different tolerances for it.

 

[Asterix]

Quote:

Originally Posted by lan I find many digital sources to sound digital. This includes all soundcards. I guess different people have different tolerances for it.

I understand using a tube dac helps one get away from this as much as possible. I think this is probably going to be my next purchase, as the odd harmonics are starting to bug me. I can hear these strange harmonics in the music and it's really wierd.

 

[recstar24]

i hear the lure of vinyl coming around - asterix, fix up your table, get a nice phono stage, plug that badboy into your luxman, and then listen and come back on all your harmonics, you have a vinyl rig dude, if you want all the harmonics and for it to sound right and the way it is supposed to be, you should be listening to your vinyl rig.

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asterix I understand using a tube dac helps one get away from this as much as possible. I think this is probably going to be my next purchase, as the odd harmonics are starting to bug me. I can hear these strange harmonics in the music and it's really wierd.

Tube Dac's have their own problems b/c they make even-order harmonic distortions. Most people find these distortions to be pleasing compared to odd-order, but all these distortions mask detail and the original event.

Just the other day, I listened to a VERY highly regarded tubed DAC section, and while it sounded quite good and "musical," the even-order veil and blanket would get on my nerves over time. What we want is an extremely clean DAC with lowest harmonic distortions of any kind, but unfortunately, these tend to run $$$ like Meitner DAC..

 

[mysticaldodo]

But I think it would be suitable for classical. I'm using the Azur which is a punchy (not harsh) source and found that it overemphasis the lower ends. I also find strings to have more texture through the EMU 1212M although this is based on listening good to acceptable quality recordings from the 1980s (didn't check whether it was remastered). On the Azur, it seem slightly smoother.

 

[mysticaldodo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Asterix I understand using a tube dac helps one get away from this as much as possible. I think this is probably going to be my next purchase, as the odd harmonics are starting to bug me. I can hear these strange harmonics in the music and it's really wierd.

Did you mod your sound card? Maybe the hardware itself has some problems? I don't find it to be unnatural or overly digital sounding, just maybe flat and little colouration (very obvious with electronic music)

Another thing? what is ADAT optical out? How is it different from a typical optical out from normal CDP players?

 

[Mr.Radar]

ADAT is a profession digital audio standard. It allows for 24/192 output (which is possible with SPDIF, though not part of the standard, which only requires 24/96 capability) as well as uncompressed surround sound (up to 8 individual channels, or 7.1) compared to only stereo for uncompressed sound on SPDIF.

 

[Aman]

Quote:

Originally Posted by recstar24 i hear the lure of vinyl coming around - asterix, fix up your table, get a nice phono stage, plug that badboy into your luxman, and then listen and come back on all your harmonics, you have a vinyl rig dude, if you want all the harmonics and for it to sound right and the way it is supposed to be, you should be listening to your vinyl rig.

I agree.

Anyway, I noticed this as well when I did a demo of the 0404 and the M-Audio Delta 24/96. The M-Audio sounded neutral, and the 0404 sounded digital - I'd go for neutral, so that the other components can "flavor" the sound as they will - since everything starts with the source, you want it to be as PERFECT for you as possible. To be safe, I went with the neutral sound, since anything else can help alter the sound to my best possible tastes easily.

That said, I like the better realism, warmth, and air of vinyl, so you may want to take a look at that. Oh yeah, and your tube amp isn't going to do much for the sound in this regard. Especially since it is vintage, that thing needs to be powering warm sources like they were designed to thirty or so years ago.

 

[Jahn]

verrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry interesting. i pulled out the 3960 for the meet coming up, and decided to do a bit of head to head with the 0404 (my Solo has two inputs and a switch selector to flip back and forth) and dammit i like both!

the 0404 is definitely not as smeary, and the 3960 seems to be more lush. through both tho, the cans with the Solo still sound real - so that means both sources are up to snuff to be resolving enough for Ol' Joe Grado.

keep in mind this might be in part to the ICs - the audioquest diamondbacks (Solo) are warm ICs, and the fidaudio IC breakout (0404) is crystal clear.