[Ragnar-BY]

Guess I need to source some DSD files and do some A/B testing against PCM to see if there is a worthwhile difference in my rig.

Free files for testing right from the professional recording studio:
http://www.2l.no/hires/DXD-DSD/index.html

Great store for buying DSD/DXD albums:
https://www.nativedsd.com/

 

[ThanatosVI]

I buy most of my flac albums. 1) because I think it sounds better locally and 2) I fear streaming services will delete the album (which has happened more than I’d like) or the services will close down and all will be lost

After seeing many loved albums removed or temporarily unavailable on streaming platforms I also started to hoard all my favourite music on CDs again.

 

[Bonesy Jonesy]

It is with great sadness that I report this is proving to be 100% true.

I've been testing normal CDs and SACDs for the past couple of days using my old Wadia CD player from 1998, along with a friend's 18k Esoteric SACD stack. The results aren't even close; SACDs, and in some cases regular CDs, seem to destroy streamed and locally stored digital files quite handily. The staging and imaging in particular are so much better and things tend to sound a bit "tighter" overall. Streamed files especially felt quite "flat" and 2-dimensional by comparison.

The obvious problems are that SACD seems to be a dead/dying format, while streaming is quite the opposite. Streaming is also infinitely more convenient. Are there any SACD lovers out there that can speak to sourcing and availability of modern releases? Do labels still make SACDs? Buying into SACD as a format seems more than a bit foolish at this point, but the bump in both quality and performance is undeniable.

Needless to say, I'm going to stay far away from vinyl. CDs seem to be a better "middle ground" choice.

Yes, a lot of streamers sound flat and not realistic which is a trait for not very good digital sources (which is most of them).

I have a number of Original Master Recordings on HybridSACDs and it trounces on both redbook CD format and digital files from my Macbook through my Chord DAVE even though I am only playing them through my Chord Blu.

However, my now TOTL analogue TT source / set-up even beats my Hybrid SACDs unless it is a very poor quality record. I imagine though playing through a dedicated TOTL SACD Player, it would be a very close contest.

For ease of use, convenience, speed, quality of playback etc. I would reach for my best Hybrid SACDs. In reality though, over the past 5+ months I have been using my TT set-up and I have only played both a small number of my Hybrid SACDs and CDs to directly A to B compare the quality of the vinyl I am playing. I haven't as yet played a single SACD or CD listening to the complete album in isolation. However, maybe one day this may change when I have the finances to buy a dedicated SACD Player !

 

[ufospls2]

And to think transport chain and signal chain is off topic....

It's not that it is offtopic. It's that you incessantly harp on the exact same thing repeatedly for months on end in multiple threads, are not open to other people (not yourself) having different ways of doing things and opinions, and actively deride anyone with other views opposed to yours with cheap, snide, passive aggressive remarks, similar to the one above.

You may have super hearing to hear all of your signal chain and transport chain modifications, but you are entirely tone deaf when it comes to reading a room and co-existing with others.

 

[BassicScience]

Mostly are too general. Why not just share music that can expose, bring out Susvara's at its best?

0.2 cents

That's entirely fine, on occasion. His suggestion was making it "mandatory" to include a music recommendation with each post here.

Regarding the existing music threads being "too general", why not create your own thread then?

 

[801evan]

It's not that it is offtopic. It's that you incessantly harp on the exact same thing repeatedly for months on end in multiple threads, are not open to other people (not yourself) having different ways of doing things and opinions, and actively deride anyone with other views opposed to yours with cheap, snide, passive aggressive remarks, similar to the one above.

You may have super hearing to hear all of your signal chain and transport chain modifications, but you are entirely tone deaf when it comes to reading a room and co-existing with others.

I mean it only took over a year to see the truth...the truth being one doesn't need a speaker amp or anything more than 2w ( and that 2w has lottts of headroom)...and that's not coming from me, it's from the speaker amp crew.

 

[BassicScience]

I mean it only took over a year to see the truth...the truth being one doesn't need a speaker amp or anything more than 2w ( and that 2w has lottts of headroom)...and that's not coming from me, it's from the speaker amp crew.

There aren't many people, myself included, saying that you "need" a speaker amp to enjoy the Susvara. However, I believe the clear majority of posters to this thread who have tried a speaker amp have noted distinct improvements in resolution, soundstaging, and bass response. If you don't hear it that way, no problem. But why continuously campaign against people even trying it for themselves? It's not a particularly expensive proposition, especially compared to what some headphone amps cost these days.

 

[OCC7N]

That's entirely fine, on occasion. His suggestion was making it "mandatory" to include a music recommendation with each post here.

Regarding the existing music threads being "too general", why not create your own thread then?

I am sorry you understood me literally.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

one doesn't need a speaker amp or anything more than 2w

One doesn’t need Susvara also. AirPods are good enough to hear all the words in a song, why one should bother with something better.

 

[801evan]

One doesn’t need Susvara also. AirPods are good enough to hear all the words in a song, why one should bother with something better.

Because to date, my advice hasn't fried any Susvaras. Speaker amp susvara fatality is over a dozen at this rate.

 

[mtoc]

tbh, in the old days, some original he6 did got fried connecting to giant speaker amps, volume set to 100% since day one, it's ok, they will replace them within the warrant (don't mention the accidental thing on your side)

 

[musicinmymind]

There were instance when HE-6 blew up when connected power amp and with POW! POP! sound from preamp on/off.
When connected HP directly connected to speaker amp not just vol, even specific order in which audio equipment turned off or on, matters.

 

[Articnoise]

Yet ahb2 owners have moved on to a puny 10k usd 2w amp. Wasn't the ahb2 objectively and subjectively transparent beyond hearing acuity and one of the few that can feed the current hungry,power hungry Susvara? Hmm.

I don't understand what you're talking about. It is certainly very transparent and powerful, but from what I understand, not everyone likes its tonality/sound signature. It has nothing to do with lack of power.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

Speaker amp susvara fatality

There is no fundamental difference between a headphone and a speaker amplifier. If a person has a minimal understanding of safety rules, and the amplifier was not found in the trash, then everything will be ok.

 

[Ragnar-BY]

When connected HP directly connected to speaker amp not just vol, even specific order in which audio equipment turned off or on, matters.

Specific order of powering on (and off) connected equipment is a right thing in general. It’s better be done like that all the time, no matter headphones or speakers are used. Those POP! sounds can easily damage twitters as well as headphones.