[kilkil]

Impression thread for this weekends Nashville - Center Hill Lake: Whiskey-Fi / Head-Fi Meet

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/nas...ke-whiskey-fi-head-fi-meet-nov-7-2020.933739/


NEXT MEET, May 15, 2021:

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/nas...e-whiskey-fi-head-fi-meet-may-15-2021.947386/

 

[Mshenay]

The view here is always beautiful I'm loving the fall colors this time of year too!

Running the Mjolnir Audio Stax SRM 007tA with the Bricasti M3H Network Direct Streamer and a few Electro Stats

Really impressed with the First Watt F1!!!!! There's a weight and body in the low's on Ether 2 and Ether CX that's really stunning

Love the simplicity and overall pleasing tonality and detail from the iFi Zen Can running 4.4mm balanced out! Zen can even has a 4.4mm Bal Out too which pairs nicely with the Loxjie P20 both running the new iFi XPower Switching Power Supplies
It'll even stage 1 MQA Un-Folding allowing for full 192/24 bit playback when possible on Android

Always enjoy hearing the Oppo PM-1, liked it's even tonality with the M3H's nuanced headphone stage

SMSL SU-9 Pairing nicely with the Auris Eutrerpe via Analog in! Love how well the K501 pairs with a nice linear tube amp and transparent well defined DAC.

Excited to have the DT 177X Go in for review too! Another excellent pair with iFi Zen Can!!

 

[kilkil]

Thanks for the great time.
I've taken a few photos myself:

 

[kilkil]

Day 2 of meet. Substituted Bricasti M3 into my system:
Schiit Yggdrasil A2 -> Tortuga Passive LDR Preamp -> Pass Labs XA 160.8 -> Sound Labs Prostat 922

We tried the M3 in as a DAC - Streamer using the Tortuga and without the Tortuga (directly connected to the Pass amps via xlr).

Yggy is what i'm most familiar with as I have one in my home system and my office system. I love female vocals and this is where the Yggy won my heart. My favorite artist Lisa Hannigan, has beautiful vocals that are more forward/more emphasized on the Yggy vs the M3 (tested track "I Don't Know" from Sea Sew album).
The next song "Crayola doesn't make a color for your your eyes" by Kristin Andreassen, I also preferred Kristin's voice and body percussion on the Yggy. It felt as the M3 was missing something.
The next track "Chocolate Chip Trip" by Tool, really emphasized what M3 does excellent, the drums are more beautiful. While Yggy emphasized mid range (particularly female vocals) excellently, the M3 draws my focus to lower frequencies.
Track "These Bones" by The Fairfield Four has beautiful bass singer vibrato. The M3 was definitely preferred for this track.
"Ballad of the Runaway Horse" on Rob Wasserman Duets album. Jenifer Warnes vocals were pristine and brought to the forefront on the Yggy and the M3 brought the bass to the forefront.

Overall, i think the M3 is a great DAC and was nice to hear it in my system.

Tortuga passive pre vs M3 as a preamp. I was thinking that the tortuga was the week point in my system and listening to the M3 as a preamp seems to enhance the bass response vs the tortuga. I hate to admit, but now i need to add a preamp into my system.

I tried to add Bricasti M3 into my Logitech Harmony remote and it doesn't seem to be supported (i didn't do an extensive search to see if there was some method to add it).

 

[Mshenay]

Did some listening with M3H Direct Stream also functioned as the Pre-Amp for the Mono Blocks and Yggy Gen 2 with Coaxial In, we listened to M3H exclusively on Direct Stream thru Network and with and without the Tortuga Pre, for M3 the additional pre only softened bass

Yggy has a Balanced Passive LDR-3X Tortuga Pre Amp which is a noticeable weak point, as the Tortuga Pre sitting between M3 and the Power Amps softened the lows

speakers are SoundLab Prostat 922 with Pass 160.8's Mono Blocks

More or less, Yggy has a richer tonality with a full bodied bass - it draws attention to the lows and has a sweet richness that's apparent in the mid-range. Female Vocals are espically lush and bellls/Xylophone has a more natural harmonic profile. Percussion tho sounds a little off, too much emphasis on the kick drums without enough presance and energy in Snares and toms

M3H had a more linear tonality with better bass texture and detail, vibrato in singers with low registers was far more vivid and REAL and percussion was very much on point , overall there was better dynamic contrast and tactility but we missed some of that beautiful lush tonality, espically with female vocalists.


Track list included;
Rob Wasserman - Ballad of the Runaway Horse
Linel Hampton - Bye Bye Blues
Lisa Hannigan - I Don't Know
Tool - Chocolate Chip Trip
Emad Sayyah - Groove Your Life
The Fairfeild Four - These Bones

In terms of prefferance my buddy LOVES female vocals and that's where his focus goes, myself my focus tends to gravitate towards bass and I have a very lot tolerance for soft, loose or emphasized lows

By the same token he is less tolerant of drier vocals,

The only time we both felt Yggy was noticeably less detailed was with "These Bones" there was an obvious lack of vocal vibrato and texture in the Bass Singer's voice.

I'll also add that personally I feel my DAC or the DAC of any Hi-Fi system should at it's core be linear and transparent. M3H functions as my refferance because I feel it embodies this mindset fully and I've not heard another DAC as transparent, natural and detailed as it is. That said, I did appreciate what Yggy is able to achieve while also adding in that slight touch of lushness.

 

[kilkil]

Based on my impressions of the m3, it inspired me to upgrade my tortuga passive pre to a Pass XP-30.
Just finished setting up new preamp. Control unit isn't viable under the TV, which completely messed up my plan. I put the preamp in front of the TV and it definitely wasn't pretty seeing all the wires. I moved the controller to the fireplace hearth, where only where I sit can see it. As for sound, I really want to test with the m3 again (Makiah you need to bring the Bricasti again soon). I think the bass is improved. I'm thinking my system just wasnt
the best with a passive pre. I put the tortuga passive pre in the tape loop. It is a slight degregation in sound, though minor.

 

[Cool Jazz]

Wow...nice pre!! And the system was already a lot of fun!

The whole meet was super fun too. Some folks really missed out! These get togethers never fell to be just a ton of fun. It takes effort to get the stars all aligned to let the time to be available to go, but the reward of visiting with folks, learning things you didn't know and listening to equipment you don't get to have around is really a cool opportunity. Such a good day it was!

Thanks to each that was lucky enough to be there for so much fun. And for sure, thanks a ton for the gracious hosting Tom!

CJ

 

[kilkil]

CJ,
Thanks. I'm sure i went overkill on the Preamp. My thought was by going to essentially the best, I never have to upgrade.

I love the meets and hanging out with folks that actually appreciate music and great sound. I always have a great time.

 

[kilkil]

NEXT MEET, May 15, I just created the thread.

https://www.head-fi.org/threads/nas...e-whiskey-fi-head-fi-meet-may-15-2021.947386/

 

[kilkil]

More changes to my system....
Since i upgraded my amp and pre in my main system, they either need to be sold (I'm really lazy to post ads) or moved to my office system. So to the office they go. My office system was Yggy-A with Unison USB to the Dynahi to the Quad 2905. I replaced the Dynahi with the Tortuga and Pass XA-30.5.
I know the Dynahi (with Alps RK40) was never designed as a speaker amp, especially with the tough load of the Quads, though it did an great job powering the Quads at near field listening levels. The new setup is so much more enjoyable, more authority across the range. I almost don't want to leave the office.

 

[Mshenay]

More changes to my system....
Since i upgraded my amp and pre in my main system, they either need to be sold (I'm really lazy to post ads) or moved to my office system. So to the office they go. My office system was Yggy-A with Unison USB to the Dynahi to the Quad 2905. I replaced the Dynahi with the Tortuga and Pass XA-30.5.
I know the Dynahi (with Alps RK40) was never designed as a speaker amp, especially with the tough load of the Quads, though it did an great job powering the Quads at near field listening levels. The new setup is so much more enjoyable, more authority across the range. I almost don't want to leave the office.

Hey man that's awesome!!!

I'm stoked to hear the XA 30.5 is working well down there!

 

[Wildcatsare1]

Day 2 of meet. Substituted Bricasti M3 into my system:
Schiit Yggdrasil A2 -> Tortuga Passive LDR Preamp -> Pass Labs XA 160.8 -> Sound Labs Prostat 922

We tried the M3 in as a DAC - Streamer using the Tortuga and without the Tortuga (directly connected to the Pass amps via xlr).

Yggy is what i'm most familiar with as I have one in my home system and my office system. I love female vocals and this is where the Yggy won my heart. My favorite artist Lisa Hannigan, has beautiful vocals that are more forward/more emphasized on the Yggy vs the M3 (tested track "I Don't Know" from Sea Sew album).
The next song "Crayola doesn't make a color for your your eyes" by Kristin Andreassen, I also preferred Kristin's voice and body percussion on the Yggy. It felt as the M3 was missing something.
The next track "Chocolate Chip Trip" by Tool, really emphasized what M3 does excellent, the drums are more beautiful. While Yggy emphasized mid range (particularly female vocals) excellently, the M3 draws my focus to lower frequencies.
Track "These Bones" by The Fairfield Four has beautiful bass singer vibrato. The M3 was definitely preferred for this track.
"Ballad of the Runaway Horse" on Rob Wasserman Duets album. Jenifer Warnes vocals were pristine and brought to the forefront on the Yggy and the M3 brought the bass to the forefront.

Overall, i think the M3 is a great DAC and was nice to hear it in my system.

Tortuga passive pre vs M3 as a preamp. I was thinking that the tortuga was the week point in my system and listening to the M3 as a preamp seems to enhance the bass response vs the tortuga. I hate to admit, but now i need to add a preamp into my system.

I tried to add Bricasti M3 into my Logitech Harmony remote and it doesn't seem to be supported (i didn't do an extensive search to see if there was some method to add it).

Your Quads grew!!!! What are those beautiful speakers?

 

[kilkil]

Your Quads grew!!!! What are those beautiful speakers?

Thanks. You need to hear the sound labs.

 

[Wildcatsare1]

In my past life I had big Soundlabs, love their sound, but I haven't heard

 

[kilkil]

In my past life I had big Soundlabs, love their sound, but I haven't heard

I remember you talking about having them. I'm looking forward to hearing your impressions.