Modding the DirectStream DAC MKI

The load on the transformer (e.g. the input and output impedance) set it’s bandwidth - The TSS will be designed around the JT-11SSP-7MPC’s specs. The JT-11SSP-6M is close, but doesn’t handle as high of levels as well and has a narrower bandwidth (with the same load)

Yes, there will be more HF noise that gets thru with the Jensens instead of the Edcors in the DS. On some wideband systems this won’t be a problem, on other systems, the sound will be noticeably worse as the noise will add distortion that will be worse than simple inband noise.

I’m skeptical about the 6M fitting between the boards without shorting something. Do some careful measurements and 3D planning before you buy them unless you might have other uses for them.

My ears. The specs. They also cost a lot more so this shouldn’t be too surprising. The Jensen is flatter over a broader frequency band and has the deviation from linear phase clearly documented. Jensen seems to be one of the only (perhaps the only) audio transformer manufacturers that goes for a Bessel response: i.e. a response that looks purely like a delay. This preserves the shape of the waveform (over the audio band.)

This is probably more related to your speaker placement, toe-in, etc. and cables than the difference between Windom and Snowmass. Of course which ever you like best is entirely up to you, but some experimentation might lead to a different conclusion.

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That’s an interesting thought. The repositioning/equipment angle suggests that the emergent EQ of Windom is different than that of Snowmass, so I should move things around to look for the emphasis in bass that I enjoy with Snowmass. Makes sense and I’ll give it a shot, though my position options may compromise other sound features like soundstage given the limited space I have.

For anyone curious, I was using this track to test.

(I play it from TIDAL/Qobuz, but Spotify is easy to share)

The opening two musical bars has a lot of bass power, slam and depth with Snowmass. The bass sound is also smoother, with overtones/harmonics that gently envelop my MLP and smooth out the sound.

On Windom, the overtones/harmonics are diminished, so the bass seems less full – and the bass sound itself has ripples like what you might hear in a bass test tone.

Again, as others have commented, it’s likely situational to me, but it’s helpful to have test cases that easily reproduce an observation. This case seemed like such an obvious difference for me. I’d be curious what others can hear with this test track.

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I don’t doubt what you’re hearing. I tried it on Qobuz with Windom. I got some serious full room shaking bass in the first two notes. The rippling I heard was in the mix in that the tom drums are alternating channel. Absolutely no ripple from bass drum slam but the left to right Tom-Toms are starting with the same beat as the first two bass drum slams. I think you are getting more resolution in Windom and it is separating the Tom -Toms not a smeared together mix of instruments or but separate miking of the drums. The bass drum is centered but coming out equally left and right speakers. Those Toms they ripple purposely.

The line array speakers i use let you hear how music is recorded. It is even easy to tell which singer is in a booth and which ones singing are not by the space and echo around them. As well as separate the instruments. I can even get height differences as well as width and depth. Best is single miking with stereo.

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Good point and thanks for checking! I went back and alternated between Windom/Snowmass this morning, playing the first few bars.

It’s definitely not sounding like an EQ item, more likely to do with what you’re suggesting – a mingling of sounds that are producing the overtones. Following the exercise, I now think Windom sounds cleaner, perhaps more analytical than Snowmass. None of it sounds wrong, just that I prefer the Snowmass sound. There’s a real palpable punchiness in the various drum hits.

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I meant a single mike head with left and right portions. Like trinity Sessions recording. They give you huge spatial aura.

The recording of the Trinity Sessions was a bit more complicated. The “single” mic used was a Soundfield surround Ambisonics microphone with four microphone capsules (that is, four microphone channels in one physical microphone housing mic) and Ms. Timmins was singing into a second mic of the same type and there was a speaker amplifying her voice near the recording mic.

35 years ago when the recording was made, the mics were ~ $15,000 each.

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Worth every penny for those microphones. Where did you get the tidbits on how they recorded the album?

Great Recording. Thanks for the share.

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YW. Posted it in the wrong topic though. Deleted it and posted it there, where I meant to share it.

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Well it has a large spatial sound to it. Lol so it was appropriate for the single mike thread drift.

A number of pro mags have done articles on it as it is popular and its a fun story.

They had all sorts of challenges, including outside sounds, convincing the church they were a family singing group, members of the public wandering in, etc. The church is the star of the recording - soft stone and wood often sounds wonderful.

There are plenty of article on-line describing the Ambsonics surround sound system and the control devices into which the microphones were plugged if anyone is curious.

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Edcor must’ve whipped up a batch just recently. I ordered my XS4400s 2 days ago and they shipped today! -No kidding.

I ordered mine about a month ago from a European supplier, told mid Jan

Same for me. Order placed on 12/04 Friday and shipped today, 12/07 Monday.
They must be scratching their heads why in the world xs4400 orders spiked.

I ordered mine on 11/07/ and received them 12/05 , I hope to get them installed this week :crossed_fingers:

WOW that’s quick, they obviously tooled up to meet the demand.

Now if I can just find where I packed my solder station away.

Listening to that very recording now with its haunting sonics. As Vmax indicated a huge spatial aura. Thanks elk for the mic insights.

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I re-listened to the Trinity Sessions last night. First time since adding a P20 and changing to HDPLEX 300.

Oh my it was way way way better. I kept hearing sounds through the forward wall. I swear i never new were in the recording. Loving this low low soundfloor. I swear the church if it had a basement one could hear mice in it.

Ordered mine on Dec 2nd and today they took the way home! :blush: