[Rob Watts]

Ferrites or inductors on digital signals have no downsides; they will either make it sound warmer by reducing noise floor modulation, or have no change at all in SQ.

Not so with analogue.

All ferrites and inductors are non-linear, where the inductance varies with signal current; and this is important because the phase shift then changes with signal level; this creates phase intermodulation distortion; and this is audible because the timing of transients becomes amplitude dependent, and the ear/brain is very sensitive to this.

Now RF is very important to amplifier electronics - and the RF on the OP cables can have an influence on the output amp via the feedback connection. I treat for RF from the OP to ensure that it is mitigated against - and this is done without using inductors or ferrites, as these in the past has had a problem with SQ.

So my advice on RF treatment on the headphone cables is to be extremely careful - brightness, or false perception of transparency, would indicate problems.

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

Rob
What DAW are you going to use to manage your test recordings?

 

[Rob Watts]

Probably Reaper - not that I intend to edit anything!

 

[514077]

Probably Reaper - not that I intend to edit anything!

Just don't fear it.

 

[DaveRedRef-III]

That’s what you think now. Wait till you start recording, you’ll be changing the house around, sound booth, curtains hanging everywhere, falling in love with classic mics...............We will have heard the last of you for 2 years Rob.......at least until you release your first single.

 

[Mython]

That’s what you think now. Wait till you start recording, you’ll be changing the house around, sound booth, curtains hanging everywhere, falling in love with classic mics...............We will have heard the last of you for 2 years Rob.......at least until you release your first single.

What makes you so sure Rob hasn't charted with his first single, during his salad days?


I suspect he did an ACDC cover, called 'DAC in Black' (the 'Chord' progression was obvious)

 

[analogmusic]

Absolutely 44.1 will be supported. The intent is to record at 705 kHz, then later decimate it down to 44.1 - but you could equally just record at 44.1. The decimation will be uniquely aliasing free - from 104.25 MHz right down to 44.1 kHz.

Ok - thank you.

My question is : will Mscaler be able to generate portable files for Hugo2 ? I travel on the road and cannot possibly take an Mscaler with me the way I take Mojo.

say I have a Cd at 44.1KHZ format

Will Davina be able to rebuild the transients, and still output a 44.1/16 bit file?

 

[Rob Watts]

Yes Davina will allow you to take a 44.1 and record at 705.6 as a WAV format. Hopefully, 16 bit 705 kHz will sound as good as 24 bit 705 kHz, as this will reduce file size.

Edit: the OP bit size is an option.

 

[hmartin]

Hi @Rob Watts ,

If you don't mind I have two questions on the upcoming amplifiers that has been on my mind for some time.

Do you have some prediction on the power consumption of the amps? Currently I am running Class A amps that are great, but the power consumption and heat is less nice in the summer.

Will there be Dave class power amps i.e. with 350 dB small signal performance in the audible band or will this be impossible at higher power?

Thanks!

 

[dmance]

The March 2018 HiFiNewsUK magazine reviews the $58k Wilson Alexia 2 loudspeakers and does a full Lab Report (attached) and summary below ...that provides great info for what is needed to match amplifiers to this speaker ...or at least helps me understand why some amps may sound better than others. I wish all loudspeaker and headphone mfrs did this. As well I wish that dac-amp and amplifier mfrs could do likewise - state their ability to drive speakers with these parameters and still maintain total linearity.

I am talking about reliably achieving 'Rob Watts' levels of resolution and transparency when pairing Chord's imminent digital amps with speakers. There is a pissing contest over on the Hugo2 and Qutest forums about dac+amp choices bettering dac-alone for SQ (depending on your choice of headphones). Many voices, many opinions and plenty of intransigent beliefs about what sounds 'better'. There is a frustrating (for me) sense that masses of people still think SQ is a matter of personal preference.

@Rob Watts, So, when the new digital amps come out I hope they are the ultimate in both transparency and speaker drive-ability. I will dread posts by DAVE owners, after a digital amp audition, to state that their tube amps still sound 'richer', 'fuller', and 'more-musical'.

 

[Rob Watts]

Well the for sure they will be the ultimate in transparency, and more refined; but it certainly does not sound soft and overly warm - wood blocks for example sound very sharp and dynamic (much more like wood blocks sound in real life). So you get this mixture of sounding more refined and much faster and dynamic - when the occasion demands.

 

[AndrewH13]

Well the for sure they will be the ultimate in transparency, and more refined; but it certainly does not sound soft and overly warm - wood blocks for example sound very sharp and dynamic (much more like wood blocks sound in real life). So you get this mixture of sounding more refined and much faster and dynamic - when the occasion demands.

Can I come round for tea Rob and have a listen

I'll even bring some biscuits.

 

[Rob Watts]

Only appetite suppression biscuits please!

 

[jlbrach]

Well the for sure they will be the ultimate in transparency, and more refined; but it certainly does not sound soft and overly warm - wood blocks for example sound very sharp and dynamic (much more like wood blocks sound in real life). So you get this mixture of sounding more refined and much faster and dynamic - when the occasion demands.

Bring it on Rob

 

[Triode User]

I am of course intrigued by the delight of the digital amps being dangled in front of us. I seem to remember you (RW) saying that the first implementation would be a 20w with more powerful versions following in due course but since then all has been quiet on that front. Personally I will be particularly interested in a hopeful monoblock version because I really like short speaker cables. I wondered if you have any more snippets to let slip or are your lips sealed?