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CHORD M-Scaler Review (Upsampler)

Rate this product:

  • 1. Poor (headless panther)

    Votes: 358 88.2%
  • 2. Not terrible (postman panther)

    Votes: 13 3.2%
  • 3. Fine (happy panther

    Votes: 7 1.7%
  • 4. Great (golfing panther)

    Votes: 28 6.9%

  • Total voters
    406

Guettel

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We are not but you seem intent in convincing us otherwise. This is silly as we have already said what is required to convince us: ears only, controlled listening tests. Anything else involves non sound factors which don't last past the immediate AB tests you are doing.
Heavens, no. It couldn't be more obvious that no one here is going to be convinced that a piece of gear might sound good. I simply was agreeing with someone's post who said he was glad he kept the MScaler.
 

Guettel

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If by “I did” you mean: you skipped though the modes and heard a difference, you actually did not. It’s clear that the modes are not level matched. Therefore a simple switching isn’t sufficient to compare.
Phew, thank heavens I didn't do that. You sound like an expert who's measured the MScaler output levels. Precisely how different are the levels as one switches through the modes?
 
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amirm

amirm

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I did and would.
You did? Why haven't you already outlined that test and keep arguing with words??? Let's see the documentation of how you performed such a test.
 

voodooless

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Phew, thank heavens I didn't do that.
So what was your protocol?
You sound like an expert who's measured the MScaler output levels. Precisely how different are the levels as one switches through the modes?
It’s all in the first few pages of the thread. No need to perform any more measurements.
 

Guettel

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You did? Why haven't you already outlined that test and keep arguing with words??? Let's see the documentation of how you performed such a test.
Apologies, no documentation exists except the sales receipt for the gear I bought that to me sounded fantastic.
 

NiagaraPete

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Apologies, no documentation exists except the sales receipt for the gear I bought that to me sounded fantastic.
Man you were not only SOLD but you drank the purple kool-aid.
 

voodooless

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So the comparison was done in-store. What did you compare? How was it done? How were levels matched?
 

voodooless

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Just waiting on those level difference data.
Why? As I recall, they were large enough to be significant. I don’t see the relevance anyway, since since you claim this method was not used in your comparison.

Edit: looked it up. Seems like I remembered not exactly right: so the bypass mode does also lower level, which means it’s not a true bypass. The impracticality of switching is in the fact that it takes far to long to be useful.

In any case, none of this is relevant since this comparison wasn’t even used..
 
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amirm

amirm

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Apologies, no documentation exists except the sales receipt for the gear I bought that to me sounded fantastic.
No need to apologize. It was pretty clear to us that you had not done a proper sound evaluation. Such a test as I explained to you yesterday requires level matching and repeating 10 times to make sure you are indeed hearing such a difference. Fortunately, I have setup such a test in my careful listening tests as I explained in the review:

CHORD M-scaler and Hugo 2 Listening Tests
Conveniently, the switch between bypass and 2X upsampling was seamless. So I used that to perform listening tests. I say some because the button cycles to higher rates and there, it causes a glitch/pause which completely throws off your mind. Going by forward mode of bypass to 2X, I detected no difference at all. Nothing changes as far as tonality, soundstage, etc. I captured a couple of samples for you to listen as well:

You can listen right in the dropbox or download them. If you are sure there is a difference, go ahead and say which one is M-scaler bypass and which is 2X.

No one has reported hearing a difference that you say is so obvious. The power of brain is incredible in manufacturing differences that are not audibly there. We ALL "hear" it. The difference being that we know the conditions of the test dictate that far more than audio differences if you are not careful.

Let's step back and think why this device would make such a difference as you report. There is no AI or any kind of intelligence in this box. It is simple interpolation to get you more samples while describing the exact same signal. It has no ability to determine what is missing. Given this, why would it make your youtubes sound better? It can't by any explainable technical reasoning. So to the extent you think there is an easy audible difference to be had, then the arrow of what is suspect points at faults in your listening tests.
 

ahofer

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I put him on ignore, he's lying, badly, about what he came here to do (as shown in my link from the other thread), so there's no point. I suggest y'all do the same.
 

Guettel

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Why? As I recall, they were large enough to be significant. I don’t see the relevance anyway, since since you claim this method was not used in your comparison.

Edit: looked it up. Seems like I remembered not exactly right: so the bypass mode does also lower level, which means it’s not a true bypass. The impracticality of switching is in the fact that it takes far to long to be useful.

In any case, none of this is relevant since this comparison wasn’t even used..
Correct. Bypass was not used because the signal is still running through the processor so you can't know if it's a "straight wire" bypass.
 

voodooless

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Correct. Bypass was not used because the signal is still running through the processor so you can't know if it's a "straight wire" bypass.
So once again: how were levels matched? How was it done? Why not just tell us? Why do we have to ask this simple question at least three times, to only be greater with deflection?
 

Guettel

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I put him on ignore, he's lying, badly, about what he came here to do (as shown in my link from the other thread), so there's no point. I suggest y'all do the same.
I accept your resignation.

What I came here to do was simply agree with that previous poster who said he was glad he kept the MScaler, nothing more.

It's all of you who seem to have a problem with someone who simply wants to own gear they like.
 

Guettel

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No one has reported hearing a difference that you say is so obvious.
Many, many people, whose reviews can easily be found, have reported hearing an obvious difference.

This is indeed what made me want to listen for myself and see if I heard a difference too.
 

Guettel

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So once again: how were levels matched? How was it done? Why not just tell us? Why do we have to ask this simple question at least three times, to only be greater with deflection?
It doesn't matter how they were matched (an SPL meter at the 60degree triangle at the perpendicular from the apex) because to me it sounded substantially better regardless of absolute or relative sound pressure level.

If you A/Bed and couldn't hear it, no big deal. Buy gear you like and I'll buy gear I like.
 

Guettel

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Let's step back and think why this device would make such a difference as you report. There is no AI or any kind of intelligence in this box. It is simple interpolation to get you more samples while describing the exact same signal. It has no ability to determine what is missing. Given this, why would it make your youtubes sound better? It can't by any explainable technical reasoning. So to the extent you think there is an easy audible difference to be had, then the arrow of what is suspect points at faults in your listening tests.
I like many things that can't currently be explained. So do you.
 
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