Based on my success with the M700’s replacing my older Ayre 200 wpc amp, I decided to try the SGCD. TheGain Cell DAC had a lot to live up to - I have a 10-tube BAT V5i Pre and a tube California Audio Labs Alpha tube DAC to replace.
The PreAmp
I have several sources I routinely use: 1) 2) Sony HAP Z1-ES 1 TB hard driver player (using unbalanced RCA) 2) Marantz UD7007 Universal player (using the balanced inputs & the coax input an an additional option) 3) Xfinity TV (using the optical input) 4) MacBook pro using either BitPerfect or Amarra through USB
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First off, the Sony HD player converts everything to DSD, then does the D-to-A conversion (kind of like the PS DS). Interestingly, it’s analog outputs single ended/RCA sounds the same as Balanced, so I’m keep it hooked it up RCA. The Sony sounded very good through the SGCD – even better than through the 10-tube BAT. The BAT was always very musical, but I now realize it had too much bass bloat, and help make everything sound kind of similar. Through the SGCD I got more detail, along with rhythm and pace and sound stage distribution. Everything was in more focus, yet INCREASED musicality. I am now listening all over my musical catalog since I got the SGCD.
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I tried the universal Marantz player both single ended and balanced to the SGCD, and the balanced sounded WAY BETTER. I may have lost some of the glow of tubes, but not much really.
DAC
- I also have the Marantz hoked up via COAX input to the SGCD. This gives my music more detail and a little better focus, and depending on the source track, COAX could sound better than the balanced outputs. It gives me a choice.
I tried all three filters, and actually didn’t notice anything I could mention… I did notice later that Filter 1 seems to be less fatiguing after an hour of listening, so there it stays
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Xfinity – I use to have my cable go HDMI into my TV, then PCM digital out to my CAL Alpha tube DAC. That sounded good for years. Now I have the optical going into the SGCD, and I am getting better bass and much clearer vocals from TV – with all the impact of fully balanced - SCORE!
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Finally, the USB output - from 16/44 to 24/96, 24/192, and DSD – all sound AMAZING through the SGCD. In many cases it sounds much better than the Sony HAP Z1-ES’s analog outputs.
Overall, I’m keeping SGCD… and thinking of trying a DS in the future. The SGCD is an amazing value for a fully balanced preamp, with a killer DAC inside of it.
Things I wish it did:
a) if the HDMI input could also be configured to accept PCM BITSTREAM from a regular HDMI cable, like from a BluRay player. I understand it is really a I2S digital input, but it would be so much better it it could also be used for a regular player
b) showed the bit rate in addition to the word length
c) holding the volume down would make the volume go down faster, like when I go from a non-compressed CD with volume of 50 to TV where 15 is loud enough
That’s it! Thanks to everyone who developed and built it!