The first time that I’m aware of people quitting from working at the manufacturing jobs in China in any meaningful numbers is with the recent slow downs in production causing decrease in overtime. I think that is pretty telling.
It’s an Album. Tycho is the Artist, Epoch is the title.
I’m not going to get into semantics with with you wobblewobble. Yes, I am a admitted PS Audio Fanboy. If my Stellar Stack sounded like crap, I would have returned it well within the the 30 day trial. I don’t buy anything based on reviews. I’m a technology person first, and an Audiophile 2nd. It’s always the electronics and how it’s deployed that peaks my interest in a product. Now I know there are those that are in the other camp that could care less about what’s inside the box but what comes out and into their Speakers and I guess Headphones (
).
As to the Gentleman who you referenced, I don’t know his work and would never be Stupid enough to attack ANY recording Engineer and their methods. Having met Gus Skinas and heard his Sonoma DSD Mastering System, I now have the Reference Standard as to how well 5 channel audio can be done. The day up in his Studio blew my mind, man. It’s permanently etched into my brain…really is.
I’m not big on serious Headphone setups and every one I’ve heard sound great but will never equal or better a pair of good loudspeakers that can be driven hard or in my case Apartment friendly volumes. This is just my personal opinion and by no means does not apply to everyone.
I must disagree on some finer points in your post. Firstly, there is price parity for PS Audio gear here is Australia when you add in GST and customs charges. Secondly, the warranty backup that I have had from the Australian distributor is EXEMPLARY (yes, shouting for effect). There is no trade in here that I am aware of but I can’t see how an international distribution system would allow for that.
I go direct without the attenuator to my Merrill Audio Thor monoblocks and it’s the “blackest” background I’ve ever had in my listening room.
Just had another awesome listening session with my DS. The best sounding DAC I’ve heard for anywhere near it’s price. What was it again that was supposed to convince me, and everyone who owns it, that it’s not very good? What was that measurement again? It’ll come to me. Let me go back and listen again I’m sure I’ll hear it. I’ll get back on this after another listening session. So I forgot should I not enjoy it anymore because because some guy named Omware said it’s Bad? But if it sounds good is it good? I’m so confused. Wait a minute I think Omware might be a dresser. That explains it…
So? If there is one thing I have discovered in my 40 plus years buying audio gear is that distortion numbers tell me nothing about how an amp or preamp sound. Zero. Nada! I just don’t care about distortion numbers.
Devialet amps might measure very well, but they sound antiseptic. They are boring and sometimes a bit too digital in the upper frequency range.
I bought and kept the DirectStream because it was the smoothest most detailed and resolving DAC I had tried.
You and Amir need to spend more time listening to music rather than listening to gear.
This forum has a lot of measurements on it. https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/modi-2u-and-d30-dac-deconstructing-amirs-hack-job-part-ii.6449/
They call into question Amir’s methodologies.
That’s a pretty hilarious thread. Pretty interesting that he couldn’t reproduce Amir’s results.
There is more in Part I. https://www.superbestaudiofriends.org/index.php?threads/yggdrasil-a2-measurements-deconstructing-asr-amirs-hack-job.6442/
It is a consistent theme that Amir gets 60hz (and harmonics of 60hz) in his measurements of “inferior” DACs and other devices.
Oh no.
My biggest issue with audio gear is there is so much of it and no where to compare it (anymore).
PS Audio gives a great 30 day, no questions asked return policy. I suggest you use it and compare the DS DAC with ASR’s best rated DAC. With a great pair of headphones and one other person, it isn’t hard to do a single-blind semi-scientific comparison.
And that doesn’t mean everyone will hear the same thing in a blind test. My friend LOVES the extra distortion my TT pushes out, even on extremely quiet LPs with no pops or clicks, while I prefer the SACD. He actually prefers distortion, says the sound is more natural and lifelike.
So, instead of defending or attacking the ASR review, test it. Amazon has a 30 day return policy as well.
I also use Shunyata cables and a Venom UK6 with my Devialet. If you read the start of this you will understand why, and I was easily persuaded by a home loan.
Ted said that he designed his ultimate DAC, but the product ultimately designed for PSA involved compromise. That’s usually the case. He said he would have liked to have used better transformers, but price did not permit.
The 5x markup is often referred to in the normal retail distribution model. It should be lower in direct sales.
I do find it repeatedly very difficult to decide what gear I should buy be it electric guitar, amps or hifi.
There was usually no proper way to compare all gear which might be of interest.
Listening to a set in a shop or anywhere else did also never really helped me further as the room, the gear, the rack and the cables and the power would always be less or more different than what was going on at home.
Going for reviews and buy unheard proved to be a dead end street for me too. A thing that helped was advise by someone who knew my home, knew the music I like and who had the possibility to hear a lot of gear to be able to provide advise based on that. Oh well, part of the fun is trying to find gear that pleases me as much as possible. And finding a trusted dealer is an other…
I previously used Quad amps. You might call them lifeless and boring because they have consistently measured better than the competition. Both Quad and Devialet are Class A hybrid amplifiers. What the Class D part brings to the party is transient speed. That has been observed of many Class D amplifiers. It puts the kick into a lot of music, my preference being classical and jazz. You can do that with Class A/B, but it usually involves very big, heavy and expensive equipment.
I did have a Naim unit in my office. I now have Bluesound, another Class D hybrid.
I agree, the markup should change. Demand will be the final arbiter on this.
Amir seems to lack intellectual honesty and integrity. He’s been caught in numerous lies on his forum. He’s been banned from virtually every other forum due his poor character, but he likes to play the persecuted savior and claim he’s been banned because people don’t like his message. He will never acknowledge the fact that he is unwelcome due to his poor character and intellectually dishonest debate tactics. Everyone but his group of followers recognize this fact.
One of his many agendas is to discredit DAC manufacturers who criticize and/or don’t support MQA. He is an MQA sell-out. This is made obvious by simply reading through his now locked MQA thread. How his followers are able to twist their mind into ignoring this fact is quite astounding. His most active and loyal followers (eg., Sal1950, Hugo9000, Blumlein 88) happen to be the most vocal MQA critics on the AS forum, and somehow they’re able to give their leader at ASR a pass in this ultimate of betrayals.
According to CC at AS, we know that Bob Stuart has personally contacted industry insiders with requests to “change the attitude of the membership”.
“They (MQA/BS) used to call me to tell me that and ask how we could change the attitude of the membership.” -CC
“I’m not suggesting direct payments, but hey, even I’ve been asked if there was anything that could be done for me. As in, “Is there anything we can do for you?” During a conversation about @Archimago’s article.” -CC
“Who was asking?” -lucretius
“BS” -CC
Read through Amir’s comments and pathetic defenses of MQA and Bob Stuart in the MQA thread and it should be obvious what went down. Again, the cognitive dissonance on display from his followers in this regard is astounding. He has deceived them in one of the grandest betrayals conceivable, and they look the other way.
Yup. I’d pick Naim over Devialet any day of the week, in fact, I auditioned them back to back with B&W speakers and it wasn’t even close. To me, after speakers, Amps are the most important item to audition. DAC however is a lot more subtle and needs long audition to hear a difference, hence “maybe” measurements could help.