[haloxt]

tswise, all the components (including the wiring and gold-plated connectors) inside the compass were selected because of their believed good sound, and I'm pretty sure there's no DBT backing up any of it. If you get so angry at people for not doing DBT why don't you just buy a $100 dac and amp because there's been no DBT proving a difference between $100 dac/amp and $10,000 dac/amp. Did you know that the hdam's used in the compass have more distortion than virtually all audio opamps? Do your research, sell your compass, buy an emu 0202 and stop harassing us. It'll be good for your ulcers because obviously you can't tolerate unscientific people.

 

[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by adiZero /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just a quick question, can I use my turtable setup as source and then use the headamp section in the audio gd?

Yes, IF you have a phono stage for your turntable. Then you can plug it into the Line In and turn on Super mode to use the headphone amp section by itself.

 

[tswise]

gold alloy plating is great for connectors not due to sound quality but because gold doesn't tarnish or corrode.

you have over 1,000 posts in an "audiophile forum" in under a year and you don't this? really?

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tswise /img/forum/go_quote.gif gold alloy plating is great for connectors not due to sound quality but because gold doesn't tarnish or corrode. you have over 1,000 posts in an "audiophile forum" in under a year and you don't this? really?

Actually Gold is an excellent conductor, better than copper and just a hair better than silver, you are correct though it resists corrosion far better than any other metal (except titanium). The jacks used in the Compass are billet (solid copper) with 24 karat gold plating. A big step up from the usual 2 dollar a pair crap (brass billet with thin 10K plating) you usually see at this price point.

Peete.

 

[tswise]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pricklely Peete /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually Gold is an excellent conductor, better than copper and just a hair better than silver, you are correct though it resists corrosion far better than any other metal (except titanium). The jacks used in the Compass are billet (solid copper) with 24 karat gold plating. A big step up from the usual 2 dollar a pair crap (brass billet with thin 10K plating) you usually see at this price point. Peete.

Right, if it wasn't an excellent conductor it wouldn't do much good covering the ends of A/V cables and connectors. I just don't claim to hear any difference between gold alloy-plated copper connectors and bare copper or silver alloy-plated connectors. I just prefer the gold ones because I know they aren't going to tarnish - which would definitely impact sound quality!

 

[aristos_achaion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by n0ah /img/forum/go_quote.gif so the compass is both an amp and dac? are compass owners content with both or find one to be a weaker link and bringing in an outside amp or dac into the setup? looking for both an amp/dac for newly aquired denon 7000's.

Well, I've never owned another DAC and only dabbled with other amps, so take my impression with a grain of salt. However, for a newbie's introduction (which is what it seems designed to be), it's worked great...it's taught me a thing or two about amp quality, noisy signal (or lack thereof), and build quality (built like a tank, from quality parts). I definitely don't feel a pressing need to upgrade either, other than curiosity and upgraditis.The only real issue I've had with it has been heat generation...if I forget to turn it off when I'm done, my room starts feeling like a sauna! Then again, the computer's 750W PSU and two big monitors might contribute to that some, too...

 

[aristos_achaion]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tswise /img/forum/go_quote.gif DBT can cause significant problems when pie-in-the-sky $10,000/m cable fanatics are forced to replace their laughable descriptions with objective analysis.

I don't want to get into a DBT flamewar here, especially since it's clearly disallowed by this forum's rules. I'd be happy to discuss this on the Sound Science forum. Suffice it to say that, while such a study would be interesting, I doubt it is logistically possible.

Quote:

this place needs more DBT and a lot fewer nonsense adjectives.

Again, it would be better if the DBT discussion took place in the Sound Science forum. The adjectives aren't nonsense, by the way...you just don't have the experience to know what they mean yet. There are (admittedly subtle) audible differences that inspire these adjectives. If you'd keep an open mind, you'd eventually discover them.

 

[MadMan007]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pricklely Peete /img/forum/go_quote.gif Actually Gold is an excellent conductor, better than copper and just a hair better than silver, you are correct though it resists corrosion far better than any other metal (except titanium). The jacks used in the Compass are billet (solid copper) with 24 karat gold plating. A big step up from the usual 2 dollar a pair crap (brass billet with thin 10K plating) you usually see at this price point. Peete.

I've ignored the DB silliness in this thread but I just had to post a big WTH? in reply to this especially since you're such a well-respected member of this forum especially in DIY areas Peete. In terms of electrical conductivity silver > copper > gold. This can't be contested it's pure scientific fact and I'm very surprised that you of all people wrote it. The reason for gold plating on connectors is to resist corrosion so that over time with no maintenance it maintains what conductivity it has better than others but that's all.

 

[haloxt]

tswise, you are very critical of claims that cables make a difference when people haven't done dbt's to prove these claims. Why don't you apply the same degree of criticality to your own choice in buying the compass? Just because it is well-built and uses quality components doesn't mean it will last longer than other things, in fact since it is much more overbuilt than dbt has ever proven to be beneficial to sound, and gets hot inside, there is a greater chance of something failing and will be harder to repair. Did you buy the compass solely because it was well-built and has quality parts and so it will likely have a long life? Or because you think these things somehow improve the sound quality, in which case you should apply the same measure to yourself and prove it by dbt? It has a worse RMAA score than dac/amps many times cheaper, and no dbt has proven the overbuilt design of the compass as being a benefit to sound quality. You tell people they're wrong about buying cables until they've done dbt's, but if you apply the same measure to yourself then you are wrong about buying the compass until you've done dbt's.

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMan007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I've ignored the DB silliness in this thread but I just had to post a big WTH? in reply to this especially since you're such a well-respected member of this forum especially in DIY areas Peete. In terms of electrical conductivity silver > copper > gold. This can't be contested it's pure scientific fact and I'm very surprised that you of all people wrote it. The reason for gold plating on connectors is to resist corrosion so that over time with no maintenance it maintains what conductivity it has better than others but that's all.

I had originally thought of gold as a detrimental choice but some further research proved otherwise. I was in the camp that said gold was a poor choice as a conductor for years but I no longer believe that is true. Mundorf uses a silver/gold (1%) hybrid in it's hook up wire which I shall be rewiring my reference system with once the 8 ft of wire I bought arrives. By all accounts it's been received extremely well in the Audiophile community (among the DIY community as well but a much smaller percentage of such). As always keeping an open mind about things allowed me to soften my stance and listen to others experiences......have a look at the cables using gold as a conductor (expensive as hell) but the results are very very promising. IMO at least

Peete.

 

[MadMan007]

That's fine and I'm not being close minded. Saying "gold can be useful in audiophile cables" is different from saying "Gold is an excellent conductor, better than copper and just a hair better than silver" which is simply false.

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MadMan007 /img/forum/go_quote.gif That's fine and I'm not being close minded. Saying "gold can be useful in audiophile cables" is different from saying "Gold is an excellent conductor, better than copper and just a hair better than silver" which is simply false.

Sorry I didn't mean to say you were being close minded but rather I was being close minded about it until I heard and read different accounts which got me thinking about it quite a bit (last year early on...Jan or so).

Peete.

 

[MadMan007]

Nah I didn't really think you meant it I just figured I'd say it anyway...if something works well it works well. I think it was just the usual thing that happens when reading typed sentences on the internet - you know what you mean and type out your thought without pontificating all the details but the more literal way to read it is not what you mean. At least I hope it was not what you mean

It could simply be that conduction (in the electrical design sense) is not the only quality that matters for a cable. In fact I'm pretty sure we know that. That doesn't make gold a 'better conductor' in the EE sense though which is how your statement reads

Perhaps I should have said that first.

 

[Currawong]

Guys, how about you stop arguing about irrelevant nonsense and focus on contributing useful info?

Quote:

Originally Posted by n0ah /img/forum/go_quote.gif so the compass is both an amp and dac? are compass owners content with both or find one to be a weaker link and bringing in an outside amp or dac into the setup? looking for both an amp/dac for newly aquired denon 7000's.

I'd say the Compass is a better DAC than headphone amp, especially with higher impedance headphones that I've tried with it. If someone were buying just a DAC for the money, I'd see if Audio-gd is still making the DAC-200, which is the Compass DAC with a far better power supply and other upgrades.

 

[Pricklely Peete]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Currawong /img/forum/go_quote.gif Guys, how about you stop arguing about irrelevant nonsense and focus on contributing useful info? I'd say the Compass is a better DAC than headphone amp, especially with higher impedance headphones that I've tried with it. If someone were buying just a DAC for the money, I'd see if Audio-gd is still making the DAC-200, which is the Compass DAC with a far better power supply and other upgrades.

Been a slow week...but you are right. I feel the DAC section is the star of the show. I'm using the DAC to feed the upgraded C-2C and find it very very good for the Comp system. The upgraded C-2C is clearly a superior head amp and so it should be.

Peete.