SR-71 and Classical Music

[dshea_32665]

I primarily listen to classical music and love my SR-71. One of the great features that I have noticed since upgrading to this amp, is that many of the recordings that have been converted from analogue no longer have the slight hiss in the background. This has been a major bonus for me since so much of my CD collection is from older re-mastered recordings (1960's and 1970's). Without the hiss, the clarity and presentation are incredible. This hiss was never that bad with my previous amp, but I still knew it was there.

In addition to sharing this observation with classical music listeners who might be considering this amp, I was wondering, how does Ray do this without losing high range detail?

(Of course maybe this is simply the mark of a higher end amp since I haven't had the opportunity to listen to any other amps in this price range or higher).


cheers,
dshea

 

[Jorg]

 

[cpw]

I think it really is indicative of build quality. Congrats on your amp.
CPW

 

[saxphile]

That is interesting. I don't know if amplifiers can selectively filter out stuff you don't want to hear, but high end amps do usually have a lower background noise level (esp. for low impedance cans like Ety ER-4).

What was your previous amp?

 

[john_jcb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshea_32665 ............. This has been a major bonus for me since so much of my CD collection is from older re-mastered recordings (1960's and 1970's). ......... cheers, dshea

Sort of on subject. I was given quite a few classical recordings from the same era on vinyl and after a good cleaning I am amazed at how good they sound through my speakers. The music is so involving and the soundstage is as if you were there. Now back to your regularly scheduled program

 

[dshea_32665]

I was using a Pimeta amp. I still really love this amp which has a more airy background as if you are standing in an open room with the musicians. This airiness though did have the hiss presence I have been referring to. The SR-71 is more like you are in a sealed vacuum with its blackness and you just experience pure music in an ideal state. It is as if the blackness sucks up all the hiss. It is amazing.

With my pimeta, I was tending to to gravitate to my DDD recordings because they really made my computer/piccolo setup sound so incredible. Now, I don't even think about going to all of my ADD recordings which are equally satisfying.

Has anybody else experienced this elimination of high frequency hiss from older recordings with higher end amps? Or is this unique to Ray's amps?

dshea

 

[gaboo]

I did listen the SR-71, but did not experience the hiss reduction you mentioned.

IMO a good amp will not add or remove hiss. Maybe you previous amp/source was hissy when driving cans?

 

[cpw]

If the source and the CDs are the same, it stands to reason that the hiss was noise floor, no?
CPW

 

[gaboo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by cpw If the source and the CDs are the same, it stands to reason that the hiss was noise floor, no? CPW

An ideal amp cannot lower the noise floor of the source! What can happen in real life is (a) non flat freq response, so the hiss is amped less than the music, (b) the source drives the amp easier than it can drive the cans themselves because the amp has higher input impedance; in the extreme case, the amp eliminates clipping, which may sound like small pops, but some may mistake them for hiss...

Btw, most of the pre-1960 recording have hiss in the recording itself.

 

[Jahn]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshea_32665 I was using a Pimeta amp. I still really love this amp which has a more airy background as if you are standing in an open room with the musicians. This airiness though did have the hiss presence I have been referring to. The SR-71 is more like you are in a sealed vacuum with its blackness and you just experience pure music in an ideal state. It is as if the blackness sucks up all the hiss. It is amazing. With my pimeta, I was tending to to gravitate to my DDD recordings because they really made my computer/piccolo setup sound so incredible. Now, I don't even think about going to all of my ADD recordings which are equally satisfying. Has anybody else experienced this elimination of high frequency hiss from older recordings with higher end amps? Or is this unique to Ray's amps? dshea

This is the way it is between the hiss RA-1 and the black SR-71. I just A/B'd like crazy to make sure.

 

[kunwar]

the hiss is definitely a turn off when listening to older recordings especially Violin, some of the finest Fritz Kreisler recordings which are now being remastered sound beautiful with a lowered noise floor.
then again the atmosphere mostly can only be conveyed if that certain hiss is present.
Though on one of the older DALI electrostats , it is almost non-present and can sound wonderfully beautiful.

Kunwar

EDIT: something that does bother me is that the amp smooths out the recording too much. not alwasy desirable although on very edgy music it would work wonders

 

[SportaJoe]

The SR-71 is more like you are in a sealed vacuum with its blackness and you just experience pure music in an ideal state. It is as if the blackness sucks up all the hiss. It is amazing.


Hey Dshea You should write more reviews

 

[dshea_32665]

The hiss I am referring to is, in my understanding, caused when these analogue recordings where transferred to digital. I am not talking about the loud hiss and noise of really old recordings, 1950's and before. I am talking about the slight hiss noise that enters when you can tell the track has started but the musicians haven't started playing yet.

Maybe all I am talking about is the difference a component makes when it has a major blackness quality, which is something that has been used to describe a number of high quality amps and DACs. Remove the blackness and you get a slight airy hiss instead. Maybe that is all this is.

dshea

 

[gaboo]

Quote:

Originally Posted by dshea_32665 I was using a Pimeta amp. I still really love this amp which has a more airy background as if you are standing in an open room with the musicians. This airiness though did have the hiss presence I have been referring to. The SR-71 is more like you are in a sealed vacuum with its blackness and you just experience pure music in an ideal state. It is as if the blackness sucks up all the hiss. It is amazing.

You've just experienced an amp with lower noise floor than your previous amp. SR-71 did not remove anything; it just added less add noise. Compare the output of your source and the output of your amp. You'll see what I mean.

Quote:

Has anybody else experienced this elimination of high frequency hiss from older recordings with higher end amps? Or is this unique to Ray's amps? dshea

I had an experience today that is related to yours, but wrt to sources: going from tbsc to 1212m the perceived hiss went down considerably. I was listening to Jacqueline du Pré / Saint-saëns - Cello Concerto no. 1.

I suspect that human perception of hiss is quite non-linear. The difference in noise floor between these two cards made a dramatic difference in perceived hiss at roughly the same listening level.

On music that doesn't have hiss recorded into it, the noise floor difference between the cards is not obvious.

 

[Budley007]

I've had hiss and no hiss with different headphones on the same amp. My guess is the combo.

...and some recordings couldn't be helped at all.