I’ve been lurking on this and Matrix topics for a while, and like many have made various optimizations over time with the goal of maximizing the SQ performance of my DS.
As Ted and others have observed, the differences described here are (completely) system dependent and, in my experience, range from subtle (do I hear a difference) to dramatic (I can’t believe there’s such a difference).
Baseline is pretty typical:
20-amp dedicated line > Oyaide beryllium-plated outlet > Shunyata HC power cable, PS8, Defender set >
standard wifi router > standard in-wall CAT7 > ~$50 Audioquest ethernet > DS with Bridge II > BHK Preamp (top-spec cryo Tungsram 6922) > Focal SM9 studio monitors & JL Audio F112v2
DS and BHK on AC12 power cables
I do remove the BHK, and one set of interconnects, from the system for maybe 40% of my listening. Suffice it to say I haven’t decided yet if I should keep the BHK (I have no other sources) but it’s definitely still here.
Upgrade – impact – improvement from 1 to 10 (compared to immediately previous config) // comments
- Addition of PSA P5, stock cable, to existing Oyaide outlet on dedicated 20-amp line - darker background, cleaner transients, better dynamics – 6/7. This is a big upgrade for the DS, totally worth it, up there with the AC12. In my case I can run my whole system on it, which doubtless increases the impact. Previous power equipment was the .
- Addition of EtherRegen, standard PS, plugged into wall outlet not P5, between wall ethernet and DS BridgeII - startling clarity, the ‘brightest’ I’ve heard the DS ever sound, more apparent high-end energy, detail – 4/5
- Addition of Antipodes EX (Roon Core and Roon Endpoint) on Van den Hul MainsStream power cord into P5, Curious USB cable to DS, EtherRegen between wall and EX, same ethernet cable - dramatically different sound, particularly compared to the EtherRegen>Bridge: warm, mellifluous, full-bodied with swing. Not without detail but definitely a romantic presentation – 8/9 // Bridge II still installed but no ethernet connected.
- Addition of Antipodes P2 reclocker, connected to EX with Curious USB, running PSA AC12 HDMI into the DS HDMI input – 4/5 // this restored the level of detail I heard with the ER > BII; and restored the tonal balance I was used to with the BII. Definitely the best of both extremes. I preferred the AC12 HDMI to the stock PSA HDMI but it was a tiny difference.
- Addition of a separate Roon server (standard W10 PC), re-configuring EX as Rendered only – quieter background, smoother – 3/4. This was primarily a usability upgrade (10/10) as the EX as Roon Core with my library was brutally slow.
- Addition of very minimal acoustic treatment (6x 3’x8’ thick felt panels suspended on the front wall and one side wall – NO RATING // even this minimal acoustic treatment was a wholesale difference which impacts sweet spot listening dramatically. Easily as big of a difference as adding the EX, but had a much larger impact on the overall sound of the system. Acoustics are larger order of magnitude changes than everything else here.
- Plugging the EtherRegen (still between the wall ethernet and the EX) standard power supply into the P5, via a Van den Hul MainsStream instead of the stock IEC cable – slightly reduced noise floor – 2/3.
- Removing the Bridge II (keep in mind nothing was connected) – Jury is still out. Maybe 2/3. I found in this instance that removing the unused bridge was at best akin to turning off a fan in and adjacent room or adjusting my listening position a bit. However, it makes me feel very virtuous, technically I could sell the thing so it’s worth doing to recoup some small portion of the cost of all of this other gear.
Observations:
- Everything matters, sadly.
- Acoustics first. As noted if you haven’t address at least the basic acoustics of your room you’re only starting to hear tweaky changes such as some of those discussed. I can’t speak to more rigorous acoustic treatment but I can imagine the value proposition continues to be better than a lot of the change I’ve made here.
- If I had it to do again, I would spend money on my digital transport chain before I spent money on the BHK. Controversial? I guess so. But there it is. If I had to choose in my system between the Antipodes and BHK (which are comparable in cost) I would definitely keep the Antipodes.
- Can you optimize while keeping the convenience of the Bridge? Sure. The P5/AC12 make a big difference, and the EtherRegen (as well as other switches, swapping ethernet cables) could well get you pretty far while spending less money than a dedicated renderer.
Notes: Obviously these steps were not performed in a pre-planned / optimized way. With hindsight I would have done acoustics first, then given you much more consistent reports on impacts, and regularly returned to the base configuration to validate my findings. I’m lucky enough to be employed right now, so I didn’t have time to do that.