Rob Watts
Member of the Trade: Chord Electronics
- Joined
- Apr 1, 2014
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The Relics I copied to my mobile was the 1996 version. I actually haven't compared it to the original.
Hi Guys
Been through some interesting times last couple of weeks. My normal store did not stock Chord gear so I went to another retailer I know, but then I heard pretty close to the final version of my new speakers and they will be costing even more than the maker thought because he also needs to build a uber stand. To ensue I do not run out of money I reluctantly had to cancel my order. Then my normal retailer contacted me and said he can get the Chord stuff in and I can fix him up money wise when I fully pay for the new speakers - I have already paid a lot of the cost of the new speakers - so great - I can get TT2 and M-Scaler.
They arrived, but the guy at my normal store is really busy so the technician I know who works up the road picked it up. He will build the initial cables etc. As a normal DA he was MIGHTY impressed - his exact words - very sweet.. He didn't try the M-Scaler because he needs a pair of BNC connectors (some may already be in the M-Scaler box - he hasn't opened the box yet). He wasn't connecting to the speakers direct yet - he wants build a 4A power supply before trying that (see below)..
Interestingly he tried a power supply he makes (it does 1 amp) and thought it better. Strange - he has read all of what Rob has written about the power supply and could not figure out why. Anyway he contacted me and asked would it be OK to build a 4A one - I said OK so we will see. Will try one on the M-Scaler as well.
A couple of issues for Rob:
1. He uses an Aurilac Aries as a source and at first just got junk out of it. He shut it down then started it up and it seemed to work OK.
2. Where are the huge captivators in the TT2 - in the DAC case or the SWPS you plug into it? If its in the SWPS then my tech is really scratching his head - it should not have made the difference he heard - they should have stopped any hash from the SWPS - if its in the DAC itself then there may be some SWPS hash may radiating in the case.
Altogether very encouraging and interesting. But the tech has to find time from his normal work to build the cables - so more to come when cables built etc.
Thanks
Bill
That to me sounds exactly like the false transparency one gets with more noise floor modulation from RF noise...
I'll be curious about your listening tests against the DS, as the Watts and Ted Smith design concepts are antithetical: RW in the PCM domain, and TS in the DSD one. I hope you'll consider reporting your results to us.Hi All
Well I will be struck dumbfounded. Rob is 100% correct. My tech took the measurement - the supplied SWPS is exactly as Rob said it was. He tried the disconnecting test - no difference. My tech put it through every instrument he had and it is exactly as Rob said - flat - the same as a battery. Even when power is removed a light connected to the SWPS took a while to dim - this is one special supply. He put his power supply through the same tests - there was a very small residual. Yes - Rob hit it with hole in one - its exactly as he said - 'That to me sounds exactly like the false transparency one gets with more noise floor modulation from RF noise'. My tech has never seen a SWPS like this - every SWPS used in Audio equipment he has measured were full of high frequency hash. The first one I saw was when I took my Off-Ramp down to his shop and the maker Steve Nugent said it had a very good SWPS - considering his engineering background we though he was right - but for a laugh my tech put it on the oscilloscope and it was full of hash. We looked at each other - he said you want me to build a linear supply - and I just nodded. It made a huge difference. Every device I have that uses a SWPS (eg the Uptone Regen) I have replaced with a linear supply and the difference was clearly audible. My tech is kept busy building supplies all the time - he gets at least two orders a day.
The SWPS Rob uses though is simply in another league - all I can say is I tip my hat to Rob - never before have I or my tech have seen a SWPS like this. My tech hopes other manufactures don't figure out how you do it otherwise his orders will decline rapidly.
Rating out of 10 - 11 - its that good.
Simply amazing.
Its Christmas time so my acquaintances are a bit busy - but in the new year will talk to my dealer who does GTG's every now and then. We will have a (hopefully) blind test of the TT2 with M-Scaler vs a number of other DAC's such as the Direct Stream and Gradinote with and without the linear supply. Regardless of the result at the end will reveal the SWPS tests and that it is better than the linear supply.
It should prove interesting and educational. If Rob wants to come on out for it he is most welcome - as is anyone reading this. It will be on the Gold Coast here in Australia so you can combine it with a holiday if desired.
Thanks
Bill
I'll be curious about your listening tests against the DS, as the Watts and Ted Smith design concepts are antithetical: RW in the PCM domain, and TS in the DSD one. I hope you'll consider reporting your results to us.
Hi Rob
A question if I may?
Rob will of course respond on his own, but here are some links for when he's discussed these topics in the past (in fact, these posts were the input into the experiments that I documented in my crazy long review)
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/cho...-official-thread.831343/page-87#post-13696537
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-dave.766517/page-627#post-13881243
https://www.head-fi.org/threads/chord-electronics-dave.766517/page-627#post-13882837
Please note: all these discussions (and my tests) were with a Blu2. Rob incorporated additional RF management into the Hugo mScaler, based on these various learnings. I'm looking forward to getting my HMS soon, so I can compare with the Blu2.
The RF hygiene I discussed is audible, but it is VERY minor impact compared to the remarkable impact of the mScaler itself (I consider the mScaler as important a transformation in music as the advent of the CD...it makes things audible that you'd never be able to hear before)
Ray
Thought it might be the case. Paul from PS podcasts, tends to sound like sunshine and emotion every day. Which is why I look forward to your reviews.Of course. But since it's getting close to Christmas likely early next year sometime. Actually I do not think the DS will be the strongest competitor - a few DAC's likely to be there have bested it in careful listening tests.
Thanks
Bill