dsperber
500+ Head-Fier
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2005
- Posts
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- 302
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kiritz /img/forum/go_quote.gif
On another note, I just had the unit upgraded for HDMI. The jury isn't in yet, but so far I think the sound stage for most discs is deeper and wider with HDMI. Switching back and forth from A to HDMI I can actually hear certain instruments move further out from the center to the right of the stage or the left when HDMI is activated. I have pretty educated ears and still don't think I am hearing much difference between HMDI and RCA connections on SACDs other than this, even though I know the DTS output of the SACDs is being converted to 24/96 PCMI. Switching between analogue and HDMI and comparing the effects, I just don't think there is much lost, and actually think there is something gained via HDMI, but this is in terms of sound stage, not other characteristics of the reproduction.
And on the other end of the Realiser, I've decided that my acquisition of an external DAC (Audio-GD NFB9) and the use of optical output from the Realiser going to the DAC, and then XLR connections from DAC to my SRM-007tII/Omega-1 definitely IS superior to my old approach using the Realiser's built-in DAC and sending its RCA headphone outputs to my DBX EQ and then on to my previous SRM-T1S/Omega-1.
In other words, the job done by the NFB9 coupled with the XLR connections (which is at a significantly higher level than was the headphone RCA output of the Realiser, thus requiring both level and tone enhancements by the DBX EQ) allows the "as-is" digital result from the Realiser to eventually reach my headphones in analog form WITHOUT ADDITIONAL TONE CONTROL... and sound BETTER than it did before.
This isn't a subtle difference and improvement, it's significant. But I do attribute some of that to the XLR path now being used, the inherently higher volume level on that XLR path, and the new SRM-007tII amp.
My "original #0001" Realiser cannot be upgraded for HDMI, and I haven't heard what that sounds like to do an A/B comparison. But I certainly HAVE compared my old RCA/DBX-EQ path directly to my new external DAC path. It's apples and oranges kind of, because of the dramatic level increase from the XLR path. But when I've equalized things out and gotten all "volumes" for the three different options set so the comparison is reasonable and possible, the external DAC + XLR connection path to the headphones absolutely sounds the purest, cleanest, warmest, and BEST.
Definitely a worthwhile upgrade of my system.