OceanOfLight
100+ Head-Fier
I’m happy to have "recommended" it to you, especially considering that you like it so much! I really think it’s an amazing cable, particularly given its price.Thanks. Jennifer Galatis is definitely worth checking out. I agree with you about the Black Cat, I have tried it out on a whole group of IEMs and they all sound better. It's my favourite cable at the moment. I have just connected it to the ST7 and will report back tomorrow.
TRN is extremely fast on that front. Yesterday, they dispatched my Medusa in a matter of minutes after I ordered it.The TRN ST7 got here lightning fast for Ali. Literally a week. That's why I ordered again from TRN with the Medusa and Conch. See if history repeats itself? The KZ ZS10 pro 2 took one month to reach me. so it's always hit or miss shipping wise with Ali.
Thank you for your feedback! Plus, now that you let me think of it, from the point of view of a reviewer, having to take into account and testing all the filters of a DAC it's nothing short of a nightmare!I think it depends on the DAC. The RS6 sounds different, the DX300 sound different, most of my FiiO sounds the same, the R8II sound the same.
On DX300, you can circle between filters without looking at the screen. I did that multiple times and almost always land on the D2 (still have no idea what type that is), so I guess filter does make audible and practical difference with that one.
Personally, I don’t play with those filters. I mean reviewing DACs is annoying as is without having to AB all of those filters![]()
![Rolling on the floor laughing :rofl: 🤣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f923.png)
Thanks for the extremely in-depth reply! I’ve read almost everything I found on the web about Low Pass Filters in an attempt to gain a better understanding of the matter. However, there are still many aspects that elude me. I believe this speaks to the inherent complexity of the subject. I also fully understand your perspective. With the myriad variables already affecting our perception of music—such as tips, cables, and DACs, let alone the condition of the ears themself—it’s more than reasonable to seek "stability" by using the same filter and gain settings across all devices — as you do.Some short observations from my side:
The use of filters pretty much depends on the whole chain. The DAP or DAC, Amp, itself, the headphones and their drivability and overall sound signature, and to lesser but still applicable extents, the IEM tip, nozzle filter, cable, and last but not least, the music genre, resolution, and recording quality of the tracks you play. On top of all that there is a minor but sometimes also important (psycho)acoustical aspect, and that's your individual hearing constitution which can change on a daily basis and even can change intra day. That all given that you still have normal hearing... If not, and you typically already lost some higher FQs, the whole game changes and all hardware and software influences may vary and you have to take your individual type of hearing loss into account. Everyone hears different, physiologically, as well as psychologically.
The above is only a very incomplete and short list of factors which nevertheless play a crucial roll for your individual listening experience. In other words, there is no right or wrong, try yourself what suits you best. Jump around with settings or find your "lazy" middle ground and leave it as it is. Me for example, with my equipment and preferences, I mostly use fast roll off linear phase, the standard, basic FIR filter, and high gain... with nearly everything... because I'm also a bit lazy and want to primarily enjoy the music and not sit there and fiddle around 20 minutes before I start a listening session.
I know that was not the answer you hoped for, but for deep technicalities in what filters exactly do, you nearly have to study some books. Yes, it's actually so complicated if you wanna dig deep and you better have some decent physics and maths skills. I just use my ears and then I call it a day... even though I work in the hearing sciences and industry... Lol.
Also, in practice, I approached the matter in a very straightforward manner. After much reading, I did some "needed" practical tests and comparison of the filters, and the one I described above in my post are nothing less that my empiric observations and conclusions. The fact that they may be objectively wrong, right, or even personally "imagined" doesn't concern me much. They are what I personally perceived, and I think at the end of the day that's what matter the most. The fact that something may be objectively right or wrong on an absolute level, does not have the slightest effect on what I can actually hear and can't hear. And, for this same reason, I don't really feel the need to dig any further in the filter's argument since, ultimately, it will not have any effect on the way I perceive filters, and more broadly speaking, music as a whole.
EDIT: So, at the end of the day, I fully agree with you—I just use my ears and call it a day! Listening to music (and to gears) is a very pleasant hobby—no need to make it needlessly more complex than it has any right to be!
![Rolling on the floor laughing :rofl: 🤣](https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f923.png)
Thank you for posting it. I’ve already read it some time ago, but revisiting such a well-written article can’t be a bad idea after all!@OceanOfLight Regarding the digital DAC filter modes:
Someone posted this interesting background article about the filter settings a while ago:
https://addictedtoaudio.com.au/blogs/how-to/how-to-pick-the-best-filter-setting-for-your-dac
Most interesting for me were the facts about the NOS filter (which means no filter or no oversampling):
It will "diminished top frequencies" because without oversampling/filters these frequencies can not be restored from the digital audio data.
It also adds "ultrasonic artifacts"
(The article has a TLDR section which I recommend reading if you play with filters)
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