@Paul and @tedsmith
I had been in Germany last nine days. While there I had downloaded Pauls Qobuz Demo list and returned home last night and settled in for a listen. I had had assembled a Tidal HiFi version of Paul’s Picks so had a great memory of the 3.06 versions of the songs from then but gave the Qobuz versions a whirl between firmware’s.
Alexander Leaving
Much more textures in Cohen’s voice the bass of his voice past was always over powering . Now the windom version makes it more human not the overpowering bass but better individual tones and distinct timbre. Sharon Robinson and Cohen blend better on the Windom version. Both firmware versions were separate voices but Windoms increased mid bass and low bass and cleare highs gave more distinction but also togetherness the perfect blend amazing. My system has 8 twelve inch bass drivers Cohen’s songs had always been overpowering because of how deep it came across as the instrument in his songs. Windom let’s me appreciate him as a human vocalist Not just lyricist and not this overpowering super human deity presence. Very enjoyable.
The Tennessee Waltz Allan Taylor voice and guitar work is so much clearer and flushed out with Windom. The acoustic reverb of the recording space size and the ambiance individuals echoes are more fleshed out as is his hands on the guitar neck and micro details as he shifts his body. You can feel him relax at the end of the song like seeing him settle his body while sitting on the stool. those details I did not feel in Snowmass.
Organ Concerto
Jazz nut nails this piece well with the description. Since this has no instrument miking and likely miked from one position. The feeling with Windom is more of sitting in the venue and taking it in. The separation of instruments in the space and location of organ pipes relative to the orchestra was more definable with Windom.
Overall it was my first time hearing Pauls playlist Solely on Qobuz versus Tidal HiFi. I had done some individual Qobuz rendering of some of the songs but had not taken timing to transfer. thanks for sharing entire list. I think many of attributes and differences is the Windom experience versus just streaming services. But I also found I gained more of an appreciation for Daft Punk with Windom. In past Snowmass releases I found myself disliking the in your face electronic wizardry of Daft Punk Within and the Jean-Michael Jarre selection I was able to listen to the individual electronica effects in a musical and vocal blend better in Windom. . I can now appreciate this type music with Windom where Snowmass was more the Gee Whiz bang and i felt overpowered.
The last song I went to was Welcome to the Machine. That was a 1 AM the cool weather in DFW and clean Power experience made it a music listeners dream. But wholly cow with Windom it sounded less like a recording and more of the sensory experience than I have ever had with Pink Floyd.
Extremely well done having a break from listening while in Europe and coming back to Windom absolutely anything I listen to is a treat.
Prior to Windom I was thinking maybe I should experiment with more Linear Power Supplies in my NAS chain and different HDMI and ethernet cable. i was even planning monoblock upgrades… The whole Windom experience and the overall level of improvement and balance it has brought has left me feeling I don’t need to try and squeeze more this minute. Maybe time to ride the Plateau awhile, at least until the next mountain top.
Thanks Paul and Ted letting me hit some synchronicity.