Windom: Sound Impressions

Really? The LP-S at 1000 Ohms? I run mine at 333 on my XP-17 and it sounds wonderful.

I haven’t the faintest idea. But give it a listen and see for yourself if you haven’t checked the newer version. I trust my ears, and just as much as the original Windom had a somewhat metallic fatigue-causing harshness compared to Snowmass, the updated one has none of it, while providing the greater musical involvement touted for Windom. All comments relative to my system.
After all, why did they make the update if it makes no difference?

The loading might be a little different on different phono stages. My brothers Boulder 1008 also works best with 1000 ohm. My Mare works flat out 47k ohms with the Benz. It doesn’t matter. You have to find the right setting on your particular phono preamp. When you go low on the setting, you get duller sound, when you go higher on the setting you get livelier sound.

I heard some pretty good Rega’s, but then you might be better off with Windom and the DSD.

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For sure.

They made the update because some people were having loading issues I believe. In particular - for a Mac I believe. But it doesn’t matter. My windom or system never sounded harsh or exhibited the sounds you are portraying. I’ll prob just stay where I’m at. Did the same with snowmass 3.0 - as I felt that there was no reason to move since it sounded so great.

Who made the Mingus recommendation? Listening now. Thank you. I love it when peeps give music recommendations.

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I have a Rega RP10 with a Soundsmith Zephyr MIMC cartridge playing into a phono stage no one here would recognize but it is quite stunning. Last night I listened to an audiophile LP and I was quite impressed with what I heard. I immediately played a Qobuz version of the same album through the DSD Sr. The digital did sound cleaner and leaner, if I had not just listened to the LP I would have thought this is as good as it gets. But the LP is better. Happily I can listen to and enjoy both. Happily you get to have your own opinion and conclusions. But for me, time and again when I listen to both, I prefer the LP over digital. It’s very, very close these days. Hooray!

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I do find it a bit interesting that those who prefer Snowmass don’t prefer Redcloud, Huron, Yale, etc even more as they are all a move in the same general direction. Is there something special about the jitter/noise of Snowmass?

Speaking for myself, Windom was the first that really removed some of the grunginess from the DS that made it less competitive in some dimensions to my other PCM-based DACs and occasionally bummed me out.

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It must be very system dependent. The variations between the various DS/DSJ upgrades is nothing compared to the variety of our systems.

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Today is one of my ā€žpraise the Tedā€œ days.

Not particularly Windom, but the whole DAC once more. After all those years still an open, airy door to the.music with the best price/performance factor of any equipment I experienced.

Sais while listening to this gorgeously sounding contemporary classical quartet recording.

I enjoy Caroline Shaw’s works. Perfect for Windom.

I think that is very true, dancingsea.

I heard a track from the Monks Dream Mofi ONE STEP at the NY Audio Show on Saturday. Sounded amazing but i’m willing to bet if I just get the SACD for 1/4 the cost of the one step that the sound will be on par with the one step going through my DSD DAC, Memory Player and rest of my system chain. Your description of how it sounds above Lon also kinda confirms it. The piano sounded just like u describe when I heard the one step.

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I’m back to Windom, after reverting to Snowmass for a couple of days. I think I’ll be here until the next FW update. I’m not sure what has changed, but, I now favor Windom. It’s soundstage is much better, and, high frequency is cleaner. Back to back listening sessions got me here.

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Traitor!:cowboy_hat_face:

Whoa… Nice!

Based on your comments here, I assume you’ve done the ultimate upgrade of your Cary? I’ve been revisiting my vinyl, and realize that much of what I was attributing to the DSD may indeed be the ultimate Cary in combination with the Stellar PP3.

My vinyl has never sounded this good — depth, detail and dynamics galore. The DSD with Windom fits right in!

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I got it modded. Hexfreds/mundorf caps/direct coupled and things I can’t remember. A nice upgrade. This was prior to them naming the upgrade. I think going direct coupled was a very nice bump for me

I’m really happy with Windom. I’m back to just spinning discs and not ā€œlistening to the OSā€ and occasionally I’m startled by the sound quality of a disc or a detail suddenly noticed with unprecedented clarity. Yesterday I listened to duet recordings of Ella Fitzgerald with Joe Pass that had a ā€œsolidityā€ I’d not sensed before. Not a HUGE change from Snowmass 3.06 but a noticeable and welcome one.

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