Maybe that was a bad example. I should have said component types do effect the sound. Even solder types and wire effect the sound. I think silver can make things sound bright. Copper can sometimes warm things up.
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Regarding level matching how does one decide the frequency that you match to - 1Khz is often mentioned but if two components arenât exactly matched in frequency response they will, by definition, sound different. My system sounds different from day to day and Iâve not worked out why.
Pink noise is a good way to level match. Use a good Decibel meter or measure the output with a scope.
Some say white noise however when we listen to white noise, it appears to us to increase in level by 3dB per octave.
A more âhuman-friendlyâ distribution of energy results when we filter white noise so that it loses 3dB per octave (going upwards). Each octave then contains the same amount of energy as the next one â so it sounds naturally âbalancedâ. Well, this is precisely what pink noise is.
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Welcome to the audiophile world. Most of the time itâs our own brain / mood. Can also be the power, temperature, humidity etcâŚ
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Excellent advice/me tooâŚ
Cheers.
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And, I will add (as I have noted previously) that I tend to validate my perceived improvements once and for all with the âput it back the way it wasâ test.
Meaning, after extended âA/B testingâ (in the vernacular, not the fundamental test method type of A/B testing), critical listening and kicking back and just enjoying the music over time, I will revert back to the system before a change (where practical) and see if I truly miss the new status quo. If I prefer the old status quo at this juncture, then I declare the latest upgrade to be ineffective in the current context.
I find this help to keep me from fooling myself and actually taking an overall step backwards in sound quality over time.
FWIW.
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I am glad that I dont seem to be able to tell the difference in the smaller tweaks that others fuss over so much. Fuses, different cord caps and outlets, even the EMI absorber sheets and power cord absorber rings.
If it sounds better itâs a keeper. If no better (or worse) itâs a goner. How do I tell if it sounds better? Itâs easy. I close my eyes, clear my head and smile. Life is good.
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Ok, after you edited, I understood. No direct Mk II experience but more than Vmax found it brighter. Maybe jan or feb I have a chance.
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Could you repeat that a little slower and louder please?
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I do wonder if thereâs an expectation that because someone has bought at MKII to replace a MKI that the MKII will seamlessly slip in to their system and there wonât be any perceived issues. It is a different piece of gear. How many of us have demoâd something and after X period of time and determined itâs just not a good fit? The HoloAudio May DAC was one of those components for me. I simply didnât like it in my main system. To me it didnât have a particular pace, head bounce, and toe tapping I look for in any audio gear. Could I have tweaked other components? Swapped tubes in the Pre or Amps? Changed XLR cables, or power cords? Sure. Did I want to? No, I had enough invested already in bits and pieces and wasnât in the mood.
Could it be that the MKII isnât going to work out for some?
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It is very possible that it is less forgiven than DS so it will shine in many systems and may just not work in a few.
MK2 also went through three FW updates, and each one sounded significantly different from each other. Also, in my system the break in period has had vast sound changes as well. So, if you have it make sure it has a good five hundred hours of break in before you give a final verdict. I have had some sonic changes that made me scratch my head often.
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This is what I observed during the beta as well.
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The original DSâs voicing was to me definitely left (warm) of center so if you have spent years voicing your whole system around it a more âneutralâ sounding Mk II may not work for you at least initially. I never went to all of the effort to voice my entire system around the DS so when I changed to the La Voce S3 and then the Holo May KTE the changes were not that dramatic. Maybe part of that is because my Verity speakers are to the warmer side so the tiny steps of the three DACâs towards âneutralâ were not as noticeable and could be easily fixed by changing the brand of NOS 6SN7 tubes in the preamp. I think that the three DACâs all have a similar voicing profile but thatâs my ears in this particular system. I can and have lived with all of them for some time now. Also as was said earlier a new firmware could change things again then some will like it and some will complain.
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Yeah really system dependent. I just hooked up the MKII and the balance is great. Canât wait to see what happens after 300-400 hrs of burn in.
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Look fellas
For 95% of users the MK2 is an upgrade in sound over DS/MKI
it just is
And Iâm not saying The DSD MKI still isnât a relevant DAC even without a MOD (S)
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When you say 300-400 hours, you mean effective time of listening (playing music) or simply being switched on, in you experience?
Sorry to hear about your expensive (and absolutely most important) priorities, Good luck!
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In my case it was a continuous stream of music. The Pre and Amps donât need to be on while not listening.
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During last days I always had my âbetaâ unit turned on, while I normally use to switch it in stand by mode after a listening session. This is a wonderful vacation week for me and Iâm listening to music almost 10 hours a day, each time I forgive to keep it âpermanently in play modeâ.
In that case 20 days would be enough to reach the right burning in, in my case (poor forgetful repeat offender) Iâm afraid I need almost an entire season until next spring time! How sweet it is the waiting, anyhow!
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I tend to think during standby only a portion of the hardware getting break-in, not all. Mine started sounding great the past weekend and I had it since mid November (although it was sent back to PSA for a couple weeks to find a cure). Thatâs seven weeks with 10 hours usage more or less per day; hence 500 hours usage.
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I cooked ours with 24x7 streaming.
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