[musickid]

Don't forget Ray reported in his mega reviews that the hd800 topped out with blu in the mix and that it was his weakest link. He's now looking for a headphone that is resolving enough to convey what HMS is capable of. Maybe our transducers are then the weakest link. Hello there Ray. Looking forward to your headphone road trip result. Now the hd800 is a very resolving headphone famous for detail retrieval so just think about the implications here. We need a specially designed blu headphone.

 

[seaice]

Don't forget Ray reported in his mega reviews that the hd800 topped out with blu in the mix and that it was his weakest link. He's now looking for a headphone that is resolving enough to convey what HMS is capable of. Maybe our transducers are then the weakest link. Hello there Ray. Looking forward to your headphone road trip result. Now the hd800 is a very resolving headphone famous for detail retrieval so just think about the implications here. We need a specially designed blu headphone.

I think that it is not hard to find better headphones today: My electrostats and Hifiman Susvara are more resolving than the original HD800. (HMS>Dave>external amps)

 

[musickid]

I've noticed a very strange phenomenon occurring today. I was very sure about sound differences for pass thru vs 1M taps white OPSR just after i took delivery of HMS. A few weeks ago i tested this with grappelli/menuhin fascinating rhythm on roon and the difference was huge. Today i'm finding it hard to tell the difference (i.e. a huge variation) with the exact same music but underlying that with white OPSR instead of a stark difference today it just feels warmer and more euphonic, more pleasing to the ear for sure 100% against pass thru (but not that initial huge difference i heard when i just received HMS). Is there some kind of real to life brain burn in going on or neural networks rewiring which is causing this hesitation with pass thru listening tests? Breaking this down one step at a time and would really be interested in Rob's thoughts. Walking through the christmas fare last week the music coming out of the speakers was presenting itself as totally distorted compared to the chord sound i'm now accustomed to that it made me feel uncomfortable. I get the same unpleasant effect with many public/commercial music situations these days, shops and restaurants etc even bars/clubs.

 

[dmance]

I've noticed a very strange phenomenon occurring today (...)

I'm sure (hope) that this varying of the experience is all due (100%) to fluctuations in RF noise coming in thru the mains or your source. So, time of day and all the other variables color the character of the RF noise that gets to your DAC.
If only there was absolute (optical) isolation of the DX interface then we'd have no RF noise and I'm sure the difference between 1M and passthru would plainly obvious. If only...

 

[musickid]

I use optical into mscaler from an imac. I am talking about a neurophysiological effect not one based on hardware RF interference. Two completely different things. What is the DX interface?

 

[ZappaMan]

I've noticed a very strange phenomenon occurring today. I was very sure about sound differences for pass thru vs 1M taps white OPSR just after i took delivery of HMS. A few weeks ago i tested this with grappelli/menuhin fascinating rhythm on roon and the difference was huge. Today i'm finding it hard to tell the difference (i.e. a huge variation) with the exact same music but underlying that with white OPSR instead of a stark difference today it just feels warmer and more euphonic, more pleasing to the ear for sure 100% against pass thru (but not that initial huge difference i heard when i just received HMS). Is there some kind of real to life brain burn in going on or neural networks rewiring which is causing this hesitation with pass thru listening tests? Breaking this down one step at a time and would really be interested in Rob's thoughts. Walking through the christmas fare last week the music coming out of the speakers was presenting itself as totally distorted compared to the chord sound i'm now accustomed to that it made me feel uncomfortable. I get the same unpleasant effect with many public/commercial music situations these days, shops and restaurants etc even bars/clubs.

This is also my experience, I think you get used to it, it trains your brain, then like the ability to speed read a word with lots of incorrect letters correctly, when you listen to non mscaler music, it’s hard to discern the difference.

Strangely on the way home yesterday, I listened to a cd in the car, which I haven’t done in a while, and always sounded good before, but yesterday it sounded very badly distorted, which is similar to your market experience.

 

[musickid]

Market experience...lol....

 

[burbster]

This is also my experience, I think you get used to it, it trains your brain, then like the ability to speed read a word with lots of incorrect letters correctly, when you listen to non mscaler music, it’s hard to discern the difference.

Strangely on the way home yesterday, I listened to a cd in the car, which I haven’t done in a while, and always sounded good before, but yesterday it sounded very badly distorted, which is similar to your market experience.

When I borrowed the Blu MK2 the differences between the three modes were very obvious and noticeable, since I have had my HMS however I have not even tried pass through mode, so just to add my two pennies worth I will try it tonight and report back.

You may well be right ZappaMan with your analogy however the implication there is one could borrow a HMS, get his/her brain trained then simply return it but continue to hear the benefits!!! Certainly a cheaper option.

 

[ZappaMan]

When I borrowed the Blu MK2 the differences between the three modes were very obvious and noticeable, since I have had my HMS however I have not even tried pass through mode, so just to add my two pennies worth I will try it tonight and report back.

You may well be right ZappaMan with your analogy however the implication there is one could borrow a HMS, get his/her brain trained then simply return it but continue to hear the benefits!!! Certainly a cheaper option.

Maybe it’s more noticeable on blu2 because it’s not rfi treated, so upscaling is also bringing about rfi contamination.
Conversely, the delta feels less on mscaler.

 

[musickid]

BLU2 not rfi treated. treason, blasphemy.

 

[burbster]

Maybe it’s more noticeable on blu2 because it’s not rfi treated, so upscaling is also bringing about rfi contamination.
Conversely, the delta feels less on mscaler.

Sounds plausible, cant wait to get home and try for myself now!! I have a sad life I know!

 

[SuperBurrito]

Picked up my HMS on Saturday and have had a bit of time to listen to it. Long story short, it's a fantastic product and brings the Dave to the next level. No way I would want to go without it. Congrats Chord and Rob!

Only problem is that the source is so good I think the rest of my system is now the weakest link.

 

[Triode User]

When I borrowed the Blu MK2 the differences between the three modes were very obvious and noticeable, since I have had my HMS however I have not even tried pass through mode, so just to add my two pennies worth I will try it tonight and report back.

You may well be right ZappaMan with your analogy however the implication there is one could borrow a HMS, get his/her brain trained then simply return it but continue to hear the benefits!!! Certainly a cheaper option.

Of course the three modes on Blu2 are High, Medium and Low MScaling and there is no 'pass through' feature with no MScaling so if the difference on Blu2 options are more obvious than HMS it is all the more baffling. Personally I am not sure that the options on Blu2 are more obvious than HMS and it might just be the way that Blu2 switches between them. For instance on Blu2 switching from Low to Medium to High MScaling, Dave does not appear to have a time lag before locking onto the dual BNC signal but there is a lock on time lag when toggling MScaling options with HMS. I don't quite understand this because Blu2/Dave does have the lock on time lag when first connecting the dual bnc connections. Maybe the way that Blu2 switches between the 3 MScaling options means that the dual bnc signal is not interrupted but is just changed in frequency.

Personally I can hear the clear differences with Blu2 MScaler options and with HMS (I have just tried again) but the only thing I have not compared yet is HMS pass through compared to taking HMS out of the system altogether.

On the subject of RF isolation I don't think it is true to say that Blu2 has none because I am sure the dual BNC outlets are galvanically isolated. Possibly it is better just to say that HMS has more RF isolation than Blu2 and that it is really a matter of degree. Some might even say it is not possible to have too much of a good thing and HMS could have even more and not have suffered.

 

[musickid]

Not sad at all burbster.

 

[Crgreen]

Of course the three modes on Blu2 are High, Medium and Low MScaling and there is no 'pass through' feature with no MScaling so if the difference on Blu2 options are more obvious than HMS it is all the more baffling. Personally I am not sure that the options on Blu2 are more obvious than HMS and it might just be the way that Blu2 switches between them. For instance on Blu2 switching from Low to Medium to High MScaling, Dave does not appear to have a time lag before locking onto the dual BNC signal but there is a lock on time lag when toggling MScaling options with HMS. I don't quite understand this because Blu2/Dave does have the lock on time lag when first connecting the dual bnc connections. Maybe the way that Blu2 switches between the 3 MScaling options means that the dual bnc signal is not interrupted but is just changed in frequency.

Personally I can hear the clear differences with Blu2 MScaler options and with HMS (I have just tried again) but the only thing I have not compared yet is HMS pass through compared to taking HMS out of the system altogether.

On the subject of RF isolation I don't think it is true to say that Blu2 has none because I am sure the dual BNC outlets are galvanically isolated. Possibly it is better just to say that HMS has more RF isolation than Blu2 and that it is really a matter of degree. Some might even say it is not possible to have too much of a good thing and HMS could have even more and not have suffered.

Low is no m-scaling on Blu2, so pass-through.