Soundinista
100+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2007
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Back with my report on the wall-wart ("WW" for short) as alternative to the DPS for the Max+Max Desktop. ("Wall-wart" is actually a misnomer. This is a brick. But I adhere to HeadRoom's terminology.)
In order to avoid any burn-in issues, I used the WW that's been powering my Micro amp, not the one that's been sitting in a box since I got my Desktop. This is the same APS48-ER-125.
I thought I'd let the DT run on the WW for a while before listening critically. So, while I had a meal, I played a DVD and listened casually on the Denon D5000, the digital signal going through the Max DAC. This was an episode of the TV series NCIS. (BTW, I can't recommend this series. It's ordinary TV fare with hardly any redeeming qualities. I got it as a bargain at a second-hand store for the widescreen presentation. However, my expectation for these things is so low (as 99% of TV fare is dismal) that I must confess it actually grew on me somewhat. I like the picture, the rich production and the dynamic soundtrack. So, it's become a minor headphone accessory for me. [Hard-core audiophiles know what I mean!
] If it weren't for the excellent Pauley Perrette and David McCallum, there wouldn't be any actors in it. But...yes, I digress!) According to my plan, there wouldn't be any mention of NCIS in this report. I was just warming up for the real job of listening through episodes of The Sopranos and MI-5, for starters. If the WW cleared the DVD hurdle, it would then be time for those 24-bit Rudy Van Gelder recordings of the Hammond B-3 guys, Jimmy McGriff and Joey and Papa John DeFrancesco to begin with, with Dr. Lonnie Smith waiting in the wings for some more organ mayhem. Then, it would be the time for big bands, etc., etc. At that point, the DX1000 would have been called in for reassurance, of course.
All the trouble I had in mind proved unnecessary, however, I'm sorry to say. I knew there were things I'd notice instantly: noise, compressed dynamics, flabby bass. If the WW showed that kind of misbehavior, I'd pull the plug on the experiment immediately. It didn't. I was pleasantly surprised. There was the promise of a real fight. I got all hopeful. But, half-way into the NCIS episode, I was sure there was something bothering me. The NCIS dialogue is always mildly sibilant on the D5000 – just mildly so. (It's the recording; the phones just mercilessly expose the flaw.) But there was nothing mild about the sibilance I was hearing. Time to replace the WW with the DPS. The sibilance was much reduced; it was mild again. I switched back and forth a couple more times. Nothing subtle about it: the WW gave me more sibilance than I deserved. So, there it was: a clear difference. But then, as I made sure the difference was real, something else emerged. This is subtler and harder to describe. As one of the characters quickly moved from center to left, the sound of her voice collapsed more readily than it should into the left cup. The DPS showed a more natural transition, with the spatial cues more naturally portrayed. There was no doubt in my mind: the WW affected imaging adversely – even if only minutely so. And there is more. As I replayed a long passage to make sure there really was that slight imaging problem, it became clear that the decay following bass slam was shorter with the WW. But this was even subtler than the other effects. Still, for one who values bass as much as I do, this was another major setback.
That's where I pulled the plug on the WW. In view of the fact that time is in very short supply for the hobby, I promised myself I'd stop the test as soon as a single noticeable difference came up. I didn't set out to try and find every detectable difference. So, I was done with my test.
As much as I hate to admit it, the "refinement" thing reared its ugly head and proved the DPS superior to the WW to my ears. Is it $399-superior? All I can say is: If I didn't have these brutally revealing phones, I'd probably live happily with WW as power supply. That's the good news: Even for top-tier phones, the WW can be used in an emergency without causing any major teeth-grinding. Otherwise...
Now, there's major rooting for the Astrodyne here!
In order to avoid any burn-in issues, I used the WW that's been powering my Micro amp, not the one that's been sitting in a box since I got my Desktop. This is the same APS48-ER-125.
I thought I'd let the DT run on the WW for a while before listening critically. So, while I had a meal, I played a DVD and listened casually on the Denon D5000, the digital signal going through the Max DAC. This was an episode of the TV series NCIS. (BTW, I can't recommend this series. It's ordinary TV fare with hardly any redeeming qualities. I got it as a bargain at a second-hand store for the widescreen presentation. However, my expectation for these things is so low (as 99% of TV fare is dismal) that I must confess it actually grew on me somewhat. I like the picture, the rich production and the dynamic soundtrack. So, it's become a minor headphone accessory for me. [Hard-core audiophiles know what I mean!
All the trouble I had in mind proved unnecessary, however, I'm sorry to say. I knew there were things I'd notice instantly: noise, compressed dynamics, flabby bass. If the WW showed that kind of misbehavior, I'd pull the plug on the experiment immediately. It didn't. I was pleasantly surprised. There was the promise of a real fight. I got all hopeful. But, half-way into the NCIS episode, I was sure there was something bothering me. The NCIS dialogue is always mildly sibilant on the D5000 – just mildly so. (It's the recording; the phones just mercilessly expose the flaw.) But there was nothing mild about the sibilance I was hearing. Time to replace the WW with the DPS. The sibilance was much reduced; it was mild again. I switched back and forth a couple more times. Nothing subtle about it: the WW gave me more sibilance than I deserved. So, there it was: a clear difference. But then, as I made sure the difference was real, something else emerged. This is subtler and harder to describe. As one of the characters quickly moved from center to left, the sound of her voice collapsed more readily than it should into the left cup. The DPS showed a more natural transition, with the spatial cues more naturally portrayed. There was no doubt in my mind: the WW affected imaging adversely – even if only minutely so. And there is more. As I replayed a long passage to make sure there really was that slight imaging problem, it became clear that the decay following bass slam was shorter with the WW. But this was even subtler than the other effects. Still, for one who values bass as much as I do, this was another major setback.
That's where I pulled the plug on the WW. In view of the fact that time is in very short supply for the hobby, I promised myself I'd stop the test as soon as a single noticeable difference came up. I didn't set out to try and find every detectable difference. So, I was done with my test.
As much as I hate to admit it, the "refinement" thing reared its ugly head and proved the DPS superior to the WW to my ears. Is it $399-superior? All I can say is: If I didn't have these brutally revealing phones, I'd probably live happily with WW as power supply. That's the good news: Even for top-tier phones, the WW can be used in an emergency without causing any major teeth-grinding. Otherwise...
Now, there's major rooting for the Astrodyne here!
