[Stormfriend]

Just a quick update.  For the first 50 hours or so of playback from the internal memory the sound was very thin and had a slight edge, although it did seem detailed.  The detail may just have been the elevated treble response though.  After 72 hours the bass filled out and now it's sounding really good and is a pleasure to listen to rather than a chore.  I've not had a chance to compare it to anything as I've not had a suitably quiet mains supply at the right times, but will do so next week.
 
Given how much it changed when playing back it seems that recording burn-in, which I started with, may not help playback sound quality, so I'm going to leave it on playback from the SD card until next week now to give that a similar duration before comparing them.  Can I just say for the record - I hate burn-in!
 
I've also noticed that formatting the SD card takes a couple of seconds, whereas formatting the internal memory takes more like 30 seconds.  I've not measured them to see if it adds up, but I wonder if the 2GB file limit is linked to the way the internal memory is laid out, as compared to the SD card?
 
One other thing: on recording to the SD card the Sony was pulling about 100mA according to my linear PSU, whereas on playback it's pulling so little power the VDU doesn't register anything at all. This is outputting via optical from internal memory.  The NiMH batteries are lasting longer than I mentioned earlier too, presumably because of the lower power draw, so that's really nice.  I haven't measured them yet, but I'll see how much juice I can get out of one set of batteries next week.  The batteries also claim to get better after a few recharge cycles, so I may be gaining in both ways in that regard.
 
It's a long old process...

 

[zilch0md]

Again, you are so thorough!  Were you a QA engineer in another life?
 

 

[Stormfriend]

I've been away on holiday so haven't done much testing.  I took the Sony with me to record some audioscapes but ended up using my camera instead, mostly because it was blowing a gale whilst I was there.  The weather has improved notably now I'm back at work, which is par for the course.
 
Over the last few days just using it to listen to music I've not noticed any difference between storage media, nor between my Macbook and the Sony when using optical out on both.  I'm wondering if the optical out on both is a little rolled off and lacking in detail, but that might just be the USB connection [on the Mac] having more noise in the treble, so the jury is out on that one.  I've also switched to the Mjolnir on a stack of mains filters, just for a change.
 
As discussed in the Hugo thread I've now discovered that my Sony can output 24/192 over optical, so either I was being a dunce before or something changed.  Either way I'm happy with the outcome as I can now play my one album at that bit rate - yay!

 

[zilch0md]

  [snip]
 
As discussed in the Hugo thread I've now discovered that my Sony can output 24/192 over optical, so either I was being a dunce before or something changed.  Either way I'm happy with the outcome as I can now play my one album at that bit rate - yay!

 
LOL
 
Still, that's good to hear - that the optical out can actually handle 192.  Thank you again for all of your efforts in testing and reporting the use of the D100 as a DAP.
 
Mikie

 

[Stormfriend]

It's been a little while since I reported on the D100 and its been playing merrily away in the background for much of that time.  The batteries in playback mode are lasting a good amount of time and I don't really notice them now, just switching over to the next set of rechargeables every now and then.  In terms of simplicity it beats my Mac hands-down (especially Amarra) and the remote control is a godsend, so it's become my primary music source.  It's basically a high capacity CD player, which is what I wanted.
 
I'm still experimenting with other outputs on the Mac however, in part because the treble on the Sony is so clean it feels as though something is missing (probably just noise), but variations with my mains supply are rendering the experiment somewhat void. For example I had a great listening session with the Mac/Halide Bridge today and the amount of texture I was getting was fantastic.  A few hours later I started listening to the same tracks on the Sony and it just didn't compare.  But then I swapped back to the Mac and that sounded exactly the same as the Sony, i.e. worse than the earlier session, so I've basically hit a moving limit on the resolution of my system.  I really need to get that battery powered amp!

 

[zilch0md]

Wow!  I know exactly what you mean about the simplicity of playing from a Sony recorder (from my 3.5 years with the PCM-M10), but the thought of also having a card reader and  DAC with wireless remote, or if you're using Optical Out, at least a card reader with wireless remote, is very appealing - especially with your having gone experimenting with it to incorporating it into your everyday system. 
 
And, just for clarification, are you using the D100's Line Out or Optical Out?  
 
Either way, can you list the entire chain, please, starting with what file formats you're loading to the microSD cards, all the way to your speakers or headphones?
 
Again, thanks for all of your reports!
 
Mike

 

[Stormfriend]

My 'final' set-up was Sony PCM-D100 -> Chord Hugo -> Earmax Pro (RCA/Mullard) -> HD800, with sysconcept optical cable, Cardas Golden Reference interconnects and Cardas Clear Light headphone cable.  That wasn't a set-up I was perfectly happy with however as the Earmax lacks a little in low end grunt; it's just the best combination I have at the moment as I go slowly off the grid.
 
However, the Earmax was running on an Isotek Syncro -> RSA Elgar -> Airlink BPS2240 -> PS Audio P3, with nothing else attached.  The fact I use all of that and still get mains quality variation shows you how bad my mains supply is.  On Sunday, after my last post, I swapped out the Airlink balanced transformer and put in a Furman linear filter instead.  I was expecting a slight increase in PRaT, which I got, but the treble also extended upwards significantly.  It seems all my previous comments about treble roll off stemmed from one part of my mains filtration system affecting one component in the chain.  The Airlink hadn't had that effect in a less complicated set-up, so I wonder if it just wasn't happy being fed by the Elgar?
 
If anything the system errs ever so slightly to the bright side now (possibly the RCA tube which I put in to extend the treble), so what can I deduce about the Sony?  Not a lot, except to say that it's not the weakest link.
 
Yesterday evening I got a Grado extension cable to connect the HD800s to a 3.5mm socket (the old adaptor from my HD650s was a poor connection) and plugged them directly into the Sony.  The sound wasn't half bad.  There's a little sting in the treble but that could be the new cable, so I'll leave it playing for a while and then compare the Sony to my iPad and Samsung phone.  At least this way there's no mains supply to worry about, even if it's a temporary solution. I'm now talking to RWA about battery powered amps and if I get one of those I will finally get some consistency.

 

[zilch0md]

Your posts are wonderfully dense with information!  Thanks!  

 

[alexanderino]

... I wonder if the 2GB file limit is linked to the way the internal memory is laid out, as compared to the SD card?

 
It is the result of incorrect implementation of the WAVE container format specification (which holds the PCM audio stream). According to the spec, the maximum is 4 GiB; however, not all programs reliably detect over 2 GiB, hence the general consensus to stick to that ceiling.
 
BTW, I picked up a PCM-D100 yesterday, thanks to being given an offer I couldn't refuse. In one word, it is superlative.

 

[Reignfire]

I did an hour or two with PCM-D100 last weekend with an intention to AB it side by side with DX90. i paired D100 in SD3+TWau (unamped) and played a couple of dsd and flac tracks. With DSD, SQ is almost at par with Hugo+AK240 but with flac files, they sounded almost the same with DX90. I will do a more comprehensive AB this weekend.

 

[Reignfire]

Pros: Purist looks. High quality recording. Seamless and dummy-friendly UI. Replaceable batteries. DSD playback

Cons: Not a fan of AA batteries, it makes the D100 heavy. i prefer replaceable lithium batt like DX90. Not supporting ALAC and other Apple-related formats

 

[zilch0md]

^ Thanks!

 

[mrksgrn]

New D100 owner here, Fitear TG334 straight into headphone out. I guess I should really get an amp/dac as the headphone out is extremely loud for sensitive IEMs. I surmise full sized cans shouldn't have this problem.
 
Does anyone have further impressions regarding the optical line-out? How much of a step up would it be over the headphone out?

 

[zilch0md]

I have never heard the D100, but from what I've read here and at a recording forum (www.taperssection.com), the built-in headphone amp is not as good as purpose-designed portable headphone amps.  That's pretty vague, I realize, but when you think about it, the headphone amp in the Sony recorders is really meant to be just for monitoring or playback of recordings while still "in the field."  The Line Out and Optical Out allow increased audio quality for those who still want to use the recorder as a transport.
 
Mike

 

[audionewbi]

A good friend of mine who has extensive experience with audio products still recommends D1 much higher than D100. Problem with D1 is that it is huge, 4GB of internal and yea....