[lexor]

Can anyone give a plausible explanation of how the SD card, whose digital output is exactly the same regardless of manufacturer, could possibly affect the final analog signal?

 

[Dopaminer]

  Can anyone give a plausible explanation of how the SD card, whose digital output is exactly the same regardless of manufacturer, could possibly affect the final analog signal?

It affects the way in which the brain perceives the sound waves created by the final analog signal.  
 
Also known as placebo, and no less real than as if the SD could affect the final analog signal.  
 
Enjoy! 
 

 

[Dopaminer]

After much thought, and consideration about this Gas problem (gear acquisition syndrome) I've contracted,

I thought I'd ring the Sony shop, big mistake the guy tells me there's only one left for order, (whether he is a good salesman and there's a big pile behind him, I don't know) so like a fish on a hook, I'm reserving this thing.
(a friendly warning to others don't read these forums it is a trap,
get out while you still can)

Hey don`t worry about it, the fear/risk is overblown.  I should know, I`ve been a patient in the Astell&Kern thread for months.  GAS is treatable, if you really feel you need to.  I have found that through managing my GAS, I can live a normally healthy lifestyle.  The key is to balance your GAS with POOP*. 
 
(*POOP : Pride Of Ownership Placebo)

 

[audioxxx]

Hey don`t worry about it, the fear/risk is overblown.  I should know, I`ve been a patient in the Astell&Kern thread for months.  GAS is treatable, if you really feel you need to.  I have found that through managing my GAS, I can live a normally healthy lifestyle.  The key is to balance your GAS with POOP*. 

(*POOP : Pride Of Ownership Placebo)

I need a lot of POOP to level this purchase out, what I don't understand is why I can't be content with what I've been using, it sounds fine, but I keep going back for more.
Live long, and enjoy the tunes.

 

[harmonix]

Can anyone give a plausible explanation of how the SD card, whose digital output is exactly the same regardless of manufacturer, could possibly affect the final analog signal?

EMI/RFI getting picked up by various circuits in the system. The card will generate noise as well - all cards have microcontrollers in them. Software doesn't have to obey physical laws but hardware does....

 

[audioxxx]

^this seems like a plausible explanation to me.

Before this is to late for me to turn back, is there anyone out there regretting the purchase due to lack of grunt, or for what reason?

Please come forward now, I have put a deposit down and have 3 days to back out of the purchase.

Also does anyone know the output impedance of the headphone out?

 

[jonstatt]

EMI/RFI getting picked up by various circuits in the system. The card will generate noise as well - all cards have microcontrollers in them. Software doesn't have to obey physical laws but hardware does....

 
While I would definitely put SD card audible difference into the placebo box, I decided on the Lexar 128GB SDXC as not only is it fast for copying the files to it (95MB/s) but it comes bundled with a USB 3 reader which is handy.....and currently half price in the UK on Amazon. (oops must have ordered one of the last ones, now only sold by 3rd party sellers)

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

Its not placebo, I have actually blind tested myself (with help of someone) and passed 5 for 5. I have compared about 20 sd cards, and I chose the two with most different sound to use in the blind test, just to make sure I win lol, but still shows that I can consistently hear the difference between sd cards blind 

 
 
btw blind test was with lexar 600x 32gb and Toshiba Exceria 32gb, lexar is bright and thin, toshiba is dark and smooth, I'm talking difference in tonality, even though frequency balance can change at least perceptually from this, its hard to explain, they are very small changes but they are still considerable for me once I've heard them.

 

[jonstatt]

  Its not placebo, I have actually blind tested myself (with help of someone) and passed 5 for 5. I have compared about 20 sd cards, and I chose the two with most different sound to use in the blind test, just to make sure I win lol, but still shows that I can consistently hear the difference between sd cards blind 

 

 
Well I have a few micro SD cards around, I may bite and try this myself at some point. Don't suppose the Lexar was one that you tried? I think it's one of the rarer ones because it had a premium price until recently.

 

[T.R.A.N.C.E.]

   
Well I have a few micro SD cards around, I may bite and try this myself at some point. Don't suppose the Lexar was one that you tried? I think it's one of the rarer ones because it had a premium price until recently.

 
Blind tested lexar 600x 32gb and Toshiba Exceria 32gb, I actually prefer the Lexar out of these two, but I have different favorites in each capacity for sd's. The one concrete thing I found was that 8gb always sounds better than 16gb which always sounds better than 32gb of the same make, I only tested one 64gb card so I can't properly comment on them, and I haven't tested 128gb.

 

[Duncan]

As much as I don't want to admit this after my earlier condemnation, I dug my old Sony HD1 player out of retirement and listened to it, and other than a noisy headphone out (no real surprise considering it was driving the SE846!) it did remind me of what I like about Sony players...

I think I will have to demo this when it hits these shores

 

[jonstatt]

Ok, so the running in aspect of the ZX2 is not a load of crap at all. I was very sceptical about this, but I have been proven wrong. I am naturally a sceptic and I get very disturbed and wound up by the industry that promotes that even short expensive HDMI cables can improve your pictures, or even worse, after a running-in period!!
 
I received my ZX2 yesterday and immediately compared it to my ZX1 which of course is well "run in". I held off posting yesterday because I was a little disappointed. Firstly I noticed some kind of background static (I am not referring to the noise when you first plug-in the headphones), admittedly only audible when no music was playing and secondly, I was almost having to convince myself there was a real difference between the two.
 
I left the ZX2 running overnight so, it's had about 12 hours of continuous use. And then repeated the same comparison with the same tracks. I was expecting to find the same, underwhelming difference with my AKG 3003 IEMs, but to my astonishment, the background static had completely gone and the sound signature had changed. I realise now it is pointless for me to post any kind of sensible review until more hours have passed.
 
However, I will say this for a 12 hour comparison. I will sum up the difference as the ZX1 sounds lazier, or to use a more audiophile term (joke), thinner. I know this is a strange word to use, but imagine like you are only giving 80% to a gym workout. The dynamics are a bit less, the fullness is a bit less, the bass extension is a bit less. I am not noticing much or any difference in separation or soundstage yet, but to be honest, in previous "high end" equipment auditions I have found this much more related to the headphones than to the source/amp equipment.
 
The net result of this improvement with the ZX2 over the ZX1 is I find my mind drifting off to issues with work or home much less and my attention remains engaged on the music.
 
I was going to sell my ZX1 next week, but now this "running in" thing has got me intrigued , I am going to hold out a bit longer so I can do another comparison after some more hours are clocked up on the ZX2.
 
Out of interest, has anyone found any good articles on why POSCAP or similar types of capacitors do change as they age?

 

[harmonix]

   
While I would definitely put SD card audible difference into the placebo box, I decided on the Lexar 128GB SDXC as not only is it fast for copying the files to it (95MB/s) but it comes bundled with a USB 3 reader which is handy.....and currently half price in the UK on Amazon. (oops must have ordered one of the last ones, now only sold by 3rd party sellers)

Try this experiment - on your home audio system - insert a desktop PC into the main power bus that runs everything else.
Turn it on while you play music. Let us know what you think...

 

[harmonix]

  Ok, so the running in aspect of the ZX2 is not a load of crap at all. I was very sceptical about this, but I have been proven wrong. I am naturally a sceptic and I get very disturbed and wound up by the industry that promotes that even short expensive HDMI cables can improve your pictures, or even worse, after a running-in period!!
 
I received my ZX2 yesterday and immediately compared it to my ZX1 which of course is well "run in". I held off posting yesterday because I was a little disappointed. Firstly I noticed some kind of background static (I am not referring to the noise when you first plug-in the headphones), admittedly only audible when no music was playing and secondly, I was almost having to convince myself there was a real difference between the two.
 
I left the ZX2 running overnight so, it's had about 12 hours of continuous use. And then repeated the same comparison with the same tracks. I was expecting to find the same, underwhelming difference with my AKG 3003 IEMs, but to my astonishment, the background static had completely gone and the sound signature had changed. I realise now it is pointless for me to post any kind of sensible review until more hours have passed.
 
However, I will say this for a 12 hour comparison. I will sum up the difference as the ZX1 sounds lazier, or to use a more audiophile term (joke), thinner. I know this is a strange word to use, but imagine like you are only giving 80% to a gym workout. The dynamics are a bit less, the fullness is a bit less, the bass extension is a bit less. I am not noticing much or any difference in separation or soundstage yet, but to be honest, in previous "high end" equipment auditions I have found this much more related to the headphones than to the source/amp equipment.
 
The net result of this improvement with the ZX2 over the ZX1 is I find my mind drifting off to issues with work or home much less and my attention remains engaged on the music.
 
I was going to sell my ZX1 next week, but now this "running in" thing has got me intrigued , I am going to hold out a bit longer so I can do another comparison after some more hours are clocked up on the ZX2.
 
Out of interest, has anyone found any good articles on why POSCAP or similar types of capacitors do change as they age?

I think it hits a "dumb phase" between 20-50 hours. Starts showing it's stuff around 100 and IMHO full break in @ 150-200 hours... then compare

 

[Whitigir]

I think it hits a "dumb phase" between 20-50 hours. Starts showing it's stuff around 100 and IMHO full break in @ 150-200 hours... then compare

I observed a little different....

0-5 hours....dumb phase....it sounded harsh, thin, cold
5+ hours, I heard the bass improved after every hour, like more power, more depth, more decay......
25+ hours, I heard mids opened up some air, vocal do the same, and become thicker
50+ hours, the bass is no longer changing, but mids, vocals, highs, soundstage.....these three takes turns and shine
100+ hours, the vocal became clearer, more details and space.....even had some sibilances...
125+ hours, the sibilance is gone, lower-high shown fuller body, and soundstage start getting larger
175+ hours, the soundstage has even more depth, width, and 3D images is starting to show better
200 hours.....stablelized ....no changes so far at 250 hours....

I had been listening to it...like I said, new IEMS or DAPs....to observe the changes through burn in is a privillage