[Joeoboe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't think there'll be any fundamental changes. The changes in the soft settings, as far as I know, just require a few changes to resistors.

Actually the signal path for Neutral will be quite different, with an entire filter network being introduced. So where the Neutral setting used to be the "cleanest" path that most people preferred, it will now have a bunch of resistors and capacitors introduced. I will be very interested to hear the reviews. I wonder if any of the original 18 are getting another one of these next 30 shipped to compare the sound of the 2 Neutral modes.

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeoboe /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually the signal path for Neutral will be quite different, with an entire filter network being introduced. So where the Neutral setting used to be the "cleanest" path that most people preferred, it will now have a bunch of resistors and capacitors introduced. I will be very interested to hear the reviews. I wonder if any of the original 18 are getting another one of these next 30 shipped to compare the sound of the 2 Neutral modes.

Sounds really scary, although I don't think that would be the case - but then we can wait and see the new board when it is ready..

Quote:

Dear Sandeep, Upgrade version has add a relay instead the jumps so can control the gain by a switch. The sound DIY because need add a bright, so adjust the parts parameter. Kingwa

From what I can understand - I dont see any bunch of resistors or caps being added anywhere.. maybe some change in the values of the components already there.. anyway, lets see the new board when is ready..

 

[RedSky0]

Is it possible to have some comparing and contrasting of the different OPAs (Earth, Moon, Sun) with the Compass? There have been some in this thread, but I would, and I'd imagine other people would appreciate some more since this is the main decision to make once you're deadset on getting one. Thanks

 

[csroc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif For fun, I did play TF2 today with the Compass. Hmm proved two things for me, had no problems playing with Compass. Second, Games sound is so overrated, as long as you can see, you can kill opponents.

I agree with dBs that sound is very important in games, but not all games. Definitely true that TF2 doesn't really rely on sound. FPS single player games often benefit from it for directional cues and Left 4 Dead certainly does as well... just make sure you have L4D set to know you're using headphones and it makes quite a difference.

 

[mbd2884]

Actually L4D, sound was bit distracting I found, I turned down the sound and relied on communication with my gaming buddies. Sound often caused me to overreact to the situation, whereas with friends calling it out, we remained in the situation and completed the mission much faster.

Though I do remember from the old days of CS, that sound was important as you could hear opponent and then wall bang him away, although that was cause of many friendly fire casualties I remember, lots of laughs.

Also to whoever thinks the AD900 bass is lacking, try listening some UB40 and Massive Attack with them through the Compass, right now my right ear is almost feeling a dull pain from too much bass. AD900 plays bass when there is bass to be played, that's how I describe em. Labour of Love 1, 2, and 3 and Massive Attack's No Protection album, then come back and see if you need more bass. In that case, then I suggest an appointment with an ear specialist.

Before my mom got caught up into the whole raving about Groban, Krall, Norah, summer used to almost always be accompanied by UB0 on the front porch when we ate outside, or making ice cream. So when I'm listening to UB40, yeah I feel like its summer, then I look outside, snow everywhere, darn.

Reggae so far sounds good with the Compass. With UB40 I really like the bass guitar the most.

If what Oboe said is true, another reason to be thankful for owning one of the first 18.

And damn, this thread just grows and grows as if the forum has been deprived of forum posts lately.

Drosera, still can't believe how large the Compass is when I see it next to to your Opera. I would have expected the Opera to be much larger
- Also Drosera, since you preferred Compass DAC, just thought, the DACMagic may not be up to to snuff for you either, using the same D/A as the Opera. That the next step for you would be those PCM1704 instead, gotta save more money if you want significant difference for you then it looks like.

 

[Joeoboe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandchak /img/forum/go_quote.gif From what I can understand - I dont see any bunch of resistors or caps being added anywhere.. maybe some change in the values of the components already there.. anyway, lets see the new board when is ready..

The circuit that used to be added for the Soft 1 setting is now assigned to Neutral. If he is not changing the values in that filter , then he must be making the normal (non-jumpered) sound to be inversely proportional to that filter so that he ends up back at neutral. Since we really don't know what the changes are yet in the new version, it is hard to say what any of this means. The one thing we can say is that unless he made an entirely new circuit board, the neutral setting will be passing through a filter that it wasn't before (based on the new jumper settings).

Of course, this may sound better or worse or different, but it is very unlikely it will be identical to the non-filtered neutral sound... so.. I await the reviews!

 

[dBs]

couldnt he just change a single trace route going from the old soft 1 to the current neutral? That would be my approach so as to minimize the amount of altering I would have to do. The new "sharp" setting on the other hand will have an active element in order to alter its Bode plot since a resistor has no effect on that aspect unless its associated with an op amp.

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeoboe /img/forum/go_quote.gif The circuit that used to be added for the Soft 1 setting is now assigned to Neutral. If he is not changing the values in that filter , then he must be making the normal (non-jumpered) sound to be inversely proportional to that filter so that he ends up back at neutral. Since we really don't know what the changes are yet in the new version, it is hard to say what any of this means. The one thing we can say is that unless he made an entirely new circuit board, the neutral setting will be passing through a filter that it wasn't before (based on the new jumper settings). Of course, this may sound better or worse or different, but it is very unlikely it will be identical to the non-filtered neutral sound... so.. I await the reviews!

I think this picture is with the bright mode and 13/19db gain.. but I don't see a relay for the gain.. so maybe the actual board pic will be different.. I am kind of confused now.. did the original Compass come with a bright mode??.

 

[csroc]

No bright mode on the original Compass. I too am curious how much the headphone amp board has changed. Has anyone asked for a pic and an explanation of the new board?

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually L4D, sound was bit distracting I found, I turned down the sound and relied on communication with my gaming buddies. Sound often caused me to overreact to the situation, whereas with friends calling it out, we remained in the situation and completed the mission much faster.

I have the in-game sound turned down as well with the voice communications all the way up... but the sound is still useful, particularly when trying to find the special infected that are lurking around you. I turned the sound down for two reasons though, one was to hear my teammates better when we're using voice and the other was the weapons fire is loud and piercing and was starting to annoy my ears.

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by csroc /img/forum/go_quote.gif No bright mode on the original Compass. I too am curious how much the headphone amp board has changed. Has anyone asked for a pic and an explanation of the new board?

I asked him once about the changes in new board, and his reply I posted above ( saying he only added a relay so that gain can be changed from outside with the help of a switch and changed some values of resistors to accommodate the bright mode) .. maybe I'll ask him if he can give us the pic of the new board, but in the picture I just posted it has bright mode too, so presumably thats the new board, but then I don't see a relay for changing the gains as it will be done by an external switch, also it says 13/19db, which means its not according to the latest specs which is 9/15db..

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Drosera, still can't believe how large the Compass is when I see it next to to your Opera. I would have expected the Opera to be much larger

The Opera is slightly wider than the Compass, but the Compass is deeper. Also, the Compass is slightly better filled with components. But that's what you would expect from Audio-gd.
The Symphony is slightly bigger again than the Opera, but still far from being a monster. It's certainly dwarfed by any of the more interesting Audio-gd DACs.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif - Also Drosera, since you preferred Compass DAC, just thought, the DACMagic may not be up to to snuff for you either, using the same D/A as the Opera. That the next step for you would be those PCM1704 instead, gotta save more money if you want significant difference for you then it looks like.

Meh, I'm not interested at all in the DACMagic. I doubt it will be much of an upgrade over the Compass DAC anyways and it's been reviewed as very analytical and unmusical, exactly what I'm not looking for.
I'm actually most interested in the Reference Two which has the DAC7 chip-pairs (SAA7350 & TDA1547). Apparently its a very organic and somewhat warm sounding DAC. (Although it's hard to find much information about this rarely used converter chip.)
Still, my financial situation has to improve significantly first, before I can realize that particular dream.

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drosera /img/forum/go_quote.gif I'm actually most interested in the Reference Two which has the DAC7 chip-pairs (SAA7350 & TDA1547). Apparently its a very organic and somewhat warm sounding DAC. (Although it's hard to find much information about this rarely used converter chip.)

My Marantz CD player uses those DAC chips, does it mean the reference two share the same sound signature - because on its own the CD17 sound very musical and slightly laid back.. of course its no comparison to Reference two, but I am only talking about the sound signature..

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandchak /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Marantz CD player uses those DAC chips, does it mean the reference two share the same sound signature - because on its own the CD17 sound very musical and slightly laid back.. of course its no comparison to Reference two, but I am only talking about the sound signature..

I don't know, hard to guess. Maybe a similar signature, but better??
I'm also going by the quote on the website that says that it was "Mr. He's long cherished wish" to build a DAC based on this converter chip. That sortof tells me that it should be good too.

Oh well, I'll still have a long time to think about it. In the end it will mainly be the finances that will dictate which DAC I'll end up with.

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Drosera /img/forum/go_quote.gif I don't know, hard to guess. Maybe a similar signature, but better?? I'm also going by the quote on the website that says that it was "Mr. He's long cherished wish" to build a DAC based on this converter chip. That sortof tells me that it should be good too. Oh well, I'll still have a long time to think about it. In the end it will mainly be the finances that will dictate which DAC I'll end up with.

Yeah it seems its going to be quite a historical moment when you finally buy the Reference Two DAC ..

 

[Drosera]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandchak /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yeah it seems its going to be quite a historical moment when you finally buy the Reference Two DAC ..

Yeah, twenty years from now or something. I'll ask Kingwa if he will set one aside for me.

The Great Reference will come, someday.... Until that time I'll keep serenely burning my incense, knowing that one day...