TechDAS Air Force 3 Premium with My Sonic Lab Signature Platinum Cartridge. Output to Gryphon Legato Phono Stage. Stealth Audio Sakra V17 LE balanced cables to BACCH-SP adio. Output BACCH-SP adio DAC to Gryphon Commander Preamp via Stealth V17 LE balanced interconnects. Stealth V17 LE balanced interconnects between Gryphon Commander Preamp and Gryphon Apex Stereo Amp. Stealth Dream 18 Speaker cables, two pair to each Vivid G1 Spirit Speakers. I hope to pass the audition.
I have lots of experience listening with the Legato Phono Preamp directly into the Gryphon Commander Preamp, no BACCH processing. It is quite compelling but I love what the BACCH-SP accomplishes. YMMV.
The electronic music I listen to and enjoy the most creates a wide wide wide soundstage that is also very deep. Electronic Music is intentionally odd and quite enjoyable to me. Unusual textures and effects. You maybe wouldnât have the same affection for it.
Just to be clear, I didnât doubt the quality of your chain (how should I), I just asked for differences between your digital and vinyl path and which sound quality characteristics you hear better from vinyl vs. digital.
What you described was your complete vinyl path (but not the digital) and what you like from electronic music (but not whatâs the sound quality characteristic you like better from vinyl than digital with the same electronic music).
Anyway I assume your digital path is just like the vinyl path (without everything prior to the BACCH).
By the way, I share your appreciation for electronic music, I also like it!
What I recognized after writing my main statements is, that without the kind of DAC tuning I have (not the ones discussed here in the forum), the DAC wouldnât be anywhere close the vinyl rig in terms of enveloping, airy, room filling ambiance and palpable realness. So I realized I have to be careful writing about vinyl/DAC comparisons, as, if I had a standard version of the DAC + the other modifications discussed here, my judgement with any kind of music would be much more disadvantageous (for the DAC).
So finally I then would be with you that then Iâd favor the vinyl path generally.
Oh I understand now.
For digital the difference is a Grimm MU1 as Roon Server and endpoint into a top of the line Stealth SPDIF cable to the BACCH-SP.
Itâs not a huge difference between my digital and Vinyl sound. The vinyl just takes it up an easily appreciable step that gives wire more wire sound, and percussion more relevance. Bass and soundstage improvements as well. It is simply more engaging and enjoyable.
With my Vinyl rig and my Degritter ultrasonic LP cleaner clicks and pops and skips are largely absent. But getting out of a chair every ten to twenty minutes can occasionally make it easy to choose my Gryphon Ethos CD Transport which sounds ever so close to vinyl it would surprise you. Streaming is in last place but I am just ending a five hour listening session of all streaming. For coming in last place itâs still mighty fine.
But in my setup, Vinyl is King, Silver Discs second, then Streaming.
Itâs all about engagement. All three are engaging and extremely enjoyable, but In that order.
If you think you have heard what CD is capable of you are most likely wrong. A Gryphon Ethos, MBL 1621A Transport, and I imagine the DCS gear would really shock and surprise you. The Jayâs Audio and PST transports are less than half the experience. No one believes this until they hear it. I have 5000+ CDs so this seems like a huge win for me.
@aangen, thank you for being more persuasive than I and your encouragement that there is ultimately gold with digital closing most of the gap with vinyl. I look forward to arriving there.
@jazznut response to your commentary woke me up, âSo finally I then would be with you that then Iâd favor the vinyl path generally.â
I am absent minded about BACCH. It always look so complicated. Does the SP require a ton of work?
Sound is sound. The medium is largely irrelevant, at least outside of extreme examples, like paying for a DSD256 file of an old Edison cylinder recording, But even then, if youâre an archivist, that could even make sense.
It would still be interesting what you guys speak of when comparing streaming with CD (same cabling etc. assumed)
As most CD content is available as hires meanwhile, it would be interesting if you compare a CD with streaming CD resolution over an online providerâŠor streaming from local storage but in Flac formatâŠor streaming from local storage in AIF or wav formatâŠor from local storage as hires and AIF/wav?
All that would give quite different results Iâd say. Maybe not as much as the equipment you compare, but a noticeable difference on high resolution setups.
Somehow, from Paul to anybody else, itâs hardly possible to nail whatâs compared.
I am absent minded about BACCH. It always look so complicated. Does the SP require a ton of work?
Setting up an SP is no more complicated than setting up a preamp. You can check out what is involved with their manual.. The SP is another component and simplifies integration with your sources. Creation of the BACCH filters will be a new experience but nothing to be concerned about as the system will prompt you through the process. The BACCH4Mac option (as opposed to the SP) is a bit more complicated because of the use of a Mac Mini and the need to optimally set it up to work properly with the BabyFace and process BACCH filters. Fortunately, Theoretica Applied Physics personnel (quite likely Edgar himself) will personally set things up for you via a remote session and ensure you are good to go.
In either case, once you are set up there is nothing more to do but enjoy the BACCH experience. In the event you change something in your listening room environment, youâll want to create new BACCH filters which only takes a few minutes.
Iâm using their Audiophile+ BAACH4Mac product and love it. That said, if I could get a deal on a used SP ADIO (similar to what @aangen scored) Iâd jump on it simply for the cleaner configuration. I wouldnât expect a significant change in performance, relative to the BACCH4Mac, but I understand that the embedded DAC in the SP is quite nice!
