my Audio-gd Roc first impressions (post 100 hours burn in)
Apr 27, 2010 at 5:57 AM Thread Starter Post #1 of 30

TigzStudio

Member of the Trade: Norne Audio
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Just wanted to say this amp is AMAZING. It now has about 100 hours on it. I have only been testing it as a preamp (xlr out) balanced to my krk rokit 8's via Cambridge DacMagic for the most part.... but let me tell you I have never heard music so close to LIVE ever. My room is completely acoustically treated by the way (ATS acoustics). Speakers are set in perfect position for the room, laser level aligned to my earlobes
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and in a perfect equilateral triangle. Anyway, comparing directly to the Saffire Pro 24 dsp and EMU 0404, the Dacmagic+Audio Roc as preamp = night and day. It destroys the Saffire and EMU. I recently went to a live show of a Norweigen band called "Woodleg Odd", very tiny venue compared to their usual shows... so you are up close and personal. I purchased their CD with the songs performed that night, and let me tell you I was re-living the live experience in my home studio the next days! Thats how good it is
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I feel like there is a drummer in the room, a singer in the room, and guitar....etc.

As far as headphones go, just WOW. Granted, I have only been able to test Sony MDR 7506's SE'd out of the Roc, but it is the best I have ever heard those headphones. Norah Jones has been singing me to sleep every night since the amp has started to burn in.
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Audio-Gd is not just another FOTM, it is the real deal. So far im extremely happy with the money I spent on the Roc.

I want to save my detailed headphone based impressions once I get my Beyer DT 880 (600 ohms) in the mail and also recabled with a 4-pin XLR. Stay tuned!
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btw I have absolutely no affiliation with this company, just a happy head-fier and Audio-gd customer.
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 6:02 AM Post #2 of 30
Sounds like you are really enjoying it =D
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 10:41 AM Post #3 of 30
They are really designed for balanced operation. So with the retermination of your headphones it will get even better
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Apr 27, 2010 at 10:55 AM Post #4 of 30
So the sound is better if it passes through Roc as a preamp than straight from the DM?
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 11:11 AM Post #5 of 30
Quote:

Originally Posted by .Sup /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So the sound is better if it passes through Roc as a preamp than straight from the DM?


I will try straight from the DacMagic later today and let you know my impressions.
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 3:54 PM Post #8 of 30
Quote:

Originally Posted by .Sup /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So the sound is better if it passes through Roc as a preamp than straight from the DM?


From my experience it should be better as the pre-amp out of my compass give more bass impact,life and sound more natural than directly from the dac-out, i was only using the latter and when trying from the pre-amp it was like a dac upgrade thought i was expecting to be worse as it had a element on the' signal but sometime more are better.
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Directly from the dac i found the sound more detailed but too dry/harsh so it seam the pre-amp add some warmth and make the sound more effortless/softer but its kinda hard to compare as the sound level are difficult to match however you can easily hear the difference.

And you can also easily control the volume and use bit perfect.

I have one question : do using the balanced out to the krk with balanced gear bring a significant improvement over the unbalance rca ?
 
Apr 27, 2010 at 4:23 PM Post #9 of 30
Quote:

Originally Posted by TigzStudio /img/forum/go_quote.gif
I will try straight from the DacMagic later today and let you know my impressions.


Be careful that volume on the KRKs isn't set too high when connected to DM without any other controller in between.

@Omega: no idea if balanced improves the sound over RCA as I have always had my KRK connected with balanced cables. Usually balanced gives a higher SNR output but for me its important I can use longer cables without degrading sound quality. There should also be less distortions because of the structure of a balanced cable(my KRKs are dead silent). I don't see any advantages in using RCA unless of course you don't have a balanced source then you're stuck with unbalanced out.
 
Apr 28, 2010 at 7:05 AM Post #11 of 30
Ok! So I sat down for a couple hours and did some A/B comparisons with the Audio-gd ROC in the chain as a preamp, and without it as a preamp just straight from the DacMagic to the KRK's

Between each song test i gave my ears 1.5 to 2 minutes of pure silence.
Keep in mind I typed these words in a text file as I was listening to the songs, and then went through afterward to fix some grammer a bit. So this is how I felt as I was listening to the music at the exact moment not after the recording ended
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.

Up first with the Audio-gd Roc:

My audio chain:
Saffire Pro 24 DSP --> DH Labs Coax -->
Cambridge Audio DacMagic --> DH Labs Balanced XLRs --> Audio-gd Roc as Preamp --> BetterCables Balanced XLRs --> KRK Rokit rp8 g2's






Norah Jones - "Strange Transmissions" (listened to this track tons of times, reference track test)

Bass impact is very clean and crisp, cymbals immensely detailed down to every little reverb heard, vocals amazingly real and clear, all distinct and separate. Drum and mid bass from drum is very realistic and in your face. When you hear the drummer hit it harder u know it and feel it.

Diana Kral - "The Girl in the Other Room" (Vocal / Instrument seperation test, another reference track)

Vocals = Perfection, never heard them like this. Hear the trail and reverb on her voice with utmost detail. Symbols once again super crisp and perfect.
At around 1:30 mark it feels like the piano is being played in front of you, you can picture the piano's dimension. Also the cymbals at that point are scary real.


Tori Amos - "Enjoy the Silence" (vocal test)

This is a vocal only track with some light piano.
You hear every detail, her voice sounds so natural and real its like she is in the room with me. You hear every breath she takes and the size of every breath, you can almost tell her vocals were recorded in a controlled room with very little reverb.


Joss Stone - "The Chokin' Kind"

Vocals in this track come across totally realistic once again, I can hear every single time her lips touch together and the details of he breathing. Her voice can get a little ear piercing, but thats how it is on the track imo.


Sublime - "Santeria" (24 bit) - Drum impact test

All I can say it you feel the drums, the drummer is in the room with you. Vocals are very nice and seperate as well. Everything in this track sounds great, I can find no faults whatsoever. It makes you want to just start moving, very involving. Did I mention DAM! the DRUMS!
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Amel Larrieux - "For Real" (seriously well mastered recording & sexy vocals test lol)

I have probably tested this track 400+ times on different systems, this is the best I have heard it. period!
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All I can say is I get lost in this track, just find myself listening even tho I was trying to analyze it. For those that haven't checked out Amel Larrieux I highly recommend her albums, I think the "Bravebird" album is
like one of the best mastered cds I have heard.






Now the test without the Audio-gd as preamp (basically dacmagic only)

Saffire Pro 24 DSP --> DH Labs Coax -->
Cambridge Audio DacMagic --> BetterCables Balanced XLRs --> KRK Rokit rp8 g2's




Norah Jones
Less involving, drum impact still felt but it seems more artificial if that makes sense.

Diana Krall
Everything seems warmer, seems like you cant hear the fine details as well. Feels like the sound surrounds you, but with less seperation.

Tori Amos
Voice is still very nice, but a little less involving again. Piano a bit less involving.

Joss Stone
Definitely can tell the trebel piercing ability of her voice is toned down. Instruments feel smaller, her voice is still big but less involving.

Sublime
Drums still have good impact but its more of a blurred impact. Once again I feel it is more fatiguing. Seems like less seperation between instruments/vocals etc.

Amel Larrieux
Definitely the treble seems to have gone down some notches, and everything more blurred again. Don't get me wrong it still sounds good but just once again less involving.



CONCLUSION:

Over all I can tell you there is most definitely a dicernable difference between the two setups, having the Audio-gd Roc in the chain comes out on top by imo a decent margin. Without the Audio-gd Roc the music is still nice but just does not have the LIVE quality of the Roc that I prefer. Straight out of the Cambridge with no Roc, the music seems to blur together a little more with reduced treble a bit. Bass impact / Drum Impact is still powerful yet once again not as live or it is missing that liveliness.

The Audio-gd as a preamp in my chain seems to bring on the seperation, detail and live quality that I love.


Ultimately,
Audio-gd Roc in the chain = WOOOOHOOO live in my studio!
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Stay tuned for my headphone impressions probably this weekend it will be SE'd impressions of the dt880 (600 ohm) and then I will post the recabled 4-pin XLR balanced impressions later once I get it done.
 
Apr 28, 2010 at 10:08 AM Post #12 of 30
So I went back through an hour or two later and reconfirmed that all my previous impressions still stand. I only wish I had a way to go from the saffire to the audio-gd Roc as preamp to speakers to compare against the DacMagic.
 
Apr 28, 2010 at 10:24 AM Post #13 of 30
Quote:

Originally Posted by TigzStudio /img/forum/go_quote.gif
So I went back through an hour or two later and reconfirmed that all my previous impressions still stand. I only wish I had a way to go from the saffire to the audio-gd Roc as preamp to speakers to compare against the DacMagic.


Doesn't the saffire have balanced outputs?
 
Apr 28, 2010 at 1:20 PM Post #14 of 30
I needed the cables, just placed an order for some mogami's. Will be here by Friday....hopefully my 880's will be here Friday too
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Apr 29, 2010 at 2:25 AM Post #15 of 30
Very nice review! I too love the ROC and my Reference 5 was shipped today so should be here in a couple days. I can't wait to try the ACSS and see what all the talk is about. I will run it all balanced to the ATH W5000 with 4 pin Moon Audio Black Dragon cable. With any luck this will end my journey for a while.
 

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