[markl]

I've spent quite a bit of time researching and monkeying around with those selectable filters on my Sony SACD player. These filters purport to "enhance" Redbook CD playback in various ways. As you owners know, telling the difference between these filters can be very difficult because their effects are subtle, even through my Sony R10's.
In reality, these filters are NOT Sony's attempt to "tweak" and "distort" CD sound to make it "whiz-bang" or whatever. They're not like those stupid and usless extra modes you get with a lot of HT gear, for example. In reality, all CD players have to incorporate some kind of digital filter, but, as I've read, there are apparently a million ways to skin that particular cat.
The advent of 24-bit processors expands the possible permutations of digital filters even wider. Maybe the engineers at Sony just couldn't make up their mind which scheme worked best, so decided to offer a selection (5 total). Essentially, the different filters differ in terms of the way they crunch the digital bits and process them for transformation into an analog signal.

Here's some info that may be of interest regarding filters 1 and 2. Sony describes these as "slow roll-off" filters and imply that they carry MORE information at the frequency extremes. However, according to Stereophile's measurements, these two filters in particular actually begin roll off frequency response BEFORE 20 KHz. The two "brick wall" filters (Standard and Filter 3) actually have more information at a higher db in the upper frequencies than the "slow roll-off" Filters 1 and 2. Also, the frequency response of Standard and Number 3 are flatter than 1 and two, but drop off rapidly after 22Khz and 26 Khz respectively. This really caught my attention because I never liked Filters 1 and 2 and constantly switch back and forth between "Standard" and Filter 3. I suspect that the roll-off of the highs in 1 and 2 are in some way audible to me.

Time and again, I've gravitated to Filter #3. Everything seems to get "clearer" and more "immediate" via this particular filter. I use Filter 3 75% of the time and Standard for the rest.

So, long way of asking a relatively simple question: which filter do you use and why?

markl

 

[Vertigo-1]

My 9000ES has two filters...I forgot what they were called, but essentially one rolled off the highs and softens the sound in all frequencies, while the other is the normal mode and leaves all the sharp details in. I prefer the detailed one of course.

 

[kato]

I have an sacd 333es and for the moment use SR325s directly from the player's cd output.

Whilst to my ears the effects of changing from one filter to the other are not immediately noticable, I have found that over an extended listening period I prefer filter 1 - it seems to tame some of the harshness of some redbook cds. However, tomorrow I may prefer another setting - I think the preferred filter setting is one of those subjective audio things that keeps audiophiles busy and retailers happy.

 

[franktalk]

Hey Kato. Before you catch this disease and start spending big bucks stop where you are. I was very happy with my Grado 325's and my Sony S560D with adjustable headphone output. I should have stopped there because it is still a combination that I often go back to. Seriously, this is a relatively inexpensive hobby - yes that's how I see it - and so I don't really mind too much having spent the money but the basic goodness of your present set up should not be lost in all of it.

Enjoy.

 

[kato]

Well, I may have already caught the bug. Although I am, for the most part, satisfied with the SR325s, I still wonder if I should have "chinned up" to the RS-1s. In addition, I want to purchase a new integrated amp and the choices are bewildering.

With regard to my current setup, I am fairly convinced that the left channel of the SR325s is "weaker" than the right in terms of clarity. It just seems that the sound from the right of the soundstage is not as clear and the instruments not as distinct. Alternately stated, its like the left side is from a cheaper set of headphones. For example, on "Friday Night in San Francisco" (SACD) the guitarist on the right (or even in the center) always seems to be more distinct and clear than the one on the left. Unfortunately, I am not sure of a way to test this. Perhaps, I will bring home a demo pair of SR325s to check. Since the difference is subtle (i.e. no buzzing, static, or physical damage) I am not confident that sending them back to Grado will do any good (I don't have any experience with Grado, however my suspicions are that they will indicate there isn't anything wrong and send them back to me).

Cheers.

 

[kato]

Sorry, the following sentance in the previous post should have referred to the "left" instead of the "right". So:

"It just seems that the sound from the right of the soundstage is not as clear and the instruments not as distinct."

Should read:

"It just seems that the sound from the left of the soundstage is not as clear and the instruments not as distinct."