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What electronic audio products you want tested most

What electronics audio product you like to see tested more

  • Power and Integrated Amplifiers

    Votes: 623 55.2%
  • Headphone Amplifiers

    Votes: 181 16.0%
  • Home Theater AVRs

    Votes: 301 26.7%
  • Home Theater Processors

    Votes: 198 17.5%
  • DACs

    Votes: 349 30.9%
  • Streamers

    Votes: 258 22.9%
  • Combo DAC and Headphone Amplifiers

    Votes: 233 20.6%
  • Phono preamp

    Votes: 105 9.3%
  • DSP (digital signal processors)

    Votes: 371 32.9%
  • Vintage audio products

    Votes: 267 23.6%

  • Total voters
    1,129

LearningToSmile

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Any portable headphone DAC/amps competing in the same space as the already tested Topping nx4. Particularly iFi Hip DAC(does it perform like the rest of the iFi products? better? worse?) since it seems to be the most popular choice in the segment currently and the measurements would be valuable.
 
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BDWoody

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Would love some double blind tests done by ear only of dacs.

So far, those haven't turned up an identifiable difference. I believe the last one I saw @amirm set up for himself was with the TotalDac some time ago... Even with its crap numbers, he couldn't differentiate between it and (I believe) a Topping.

I'll see if I can find it in that epic thread.

Edit: Can't find it quickly, but this might give an idea of whether our host believes the effort would be worth it.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-totaldac-d1-six-dac.8192/page-85#post-221357
 
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So far, those haven't turned up an identifiable difference. I believe the last one I saw @amirm set up for himself was with the TotalDac some time ago... Even with its crap numbers, he couldn't differentiate between it and (I believe) a Topping.

I'll see if I can find it in that epic thread.

Edit: Can't find it quickly, but this might give an idea of whether our host believes the effort would be worth it.

https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...-totaldac-d1-six-dac.8192/page-85#post-221357

This might be a stupid question but if you can't here the difference between dacs what good are measurements to you ?
 

BDWoody

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This might be a stupid question but if you can't here the difference between dacs what good are measurements to you ?

Not stupid at all.

It's more to verify competence and identify features than to make a judgment call on the sound quality. These are engineered devices, not meant to be instruments with their own contribution to the end result that comes out of your speakers (generally speaking...not talking about boutique stuff).

The levels of noise and distortion can be measured to an accuracy far beyond what any human is capable of hearing, so if it measures as sonically transparent, it is sonically transparent. If one competent DAC can be readily differentiated from another in any non-pathological conditions, something is likely broken or not set up properly.

Different filters can make subtle differences that some may hear. So far I haven't heard anything that make me notice those differences, let alone prefer one over another.
 
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Matias

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Amplifiers are still there always first place. I agree.
 

MatteoS

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hello

I would like the review of
Musician Pegasus R2R DAC
that should be a best version of denafris Aries II
best regards !
 

robwpdx

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Hello,
I would like to see a Driverack PA2 test, if possible.
Best regards,

I have a PA2 and I'm willing to deliver it to Audio Science Review. How much time would be needed?

The DBX PA2 has a pair of analog inputs, 48kHz sampling, proprietary 16 bit conversion (dbx Type IV™ Conversion System) and 3 pairs of analog outputs. The DSP can be programmed to act as a crossover between the outputs, and an 8 band parametric EQ which can be used for room EQ or other purposes. It also has other features which don't apply to accurate home listening. There are YouTube user manuals out there.

Here is the start of a test plan.

Pair the PA2 to a tablet or computer with their graphical app

1 With the system in 1 in 1 out mode, flat, measure the frequency response. Then measure harmonics, say at 1kHz, and noise across the range.

2 With the system in 1 in 3 out mode (sub+mains, biamped) measure the frequency response and phase response across each output. Measure harmonics for tones around the crossover frequencies.

3 With the system in 1 in 3 out mode, auto EQ the room. Then measure for only the Driverack, the frequency and phase response across each output.

4 With the system in 1 in 1 out mode, use one of the 8 parametric EQ filters. Scan phase response. Inject a tone at various points around the filter and measure harmonic distortion. Try this for high pass, low pass, peaking and cutting, at various Q, including maximum Q.

5 My favorite feature. I do not know how to test their subharmonic synthesizer. Perhaps if you put in a tone, it will generate the corresponding subharmonic tone(s). If so, measure the undesired harmonics in relation to the 1 or 2 synthesized subharmonics at various subharmonic control settings. Perhaps Audio Precision has some experience with this use case, or DBX themselves.
 
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BsdKurt

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I have a PA2 and I'm willing to deliver it to Audio Science Review. How much time would be needed?

The DBX PA2 has a pair of analog inputs, 48kHz sampling, proprietary 16 bit conversion (dbx Type IV™ Conversion System) and 3 pairs of analog outputs. The DSP can be programmed to act as a crossover between the outputs, and an 8 band parametric EQ which can be used for room EQ or other purposes. It also has other features which don't apply to accurate home listening. There are YouTube user manuals out there.

Here is the start of a test plan.

Pair the PA2 to a tablet or computer with their graphical app

1 With the system in 1 in 1 out mode, flat, measure the frequency response. Then measure harmonics, say at 1kHz, and noise across the range.

2 With the system in 1 in 3 out mode (sub+mains, biamped) measure the frequency response and phase response across each output. Measure harmonics for tones around the crossover frequencies.

3 With the system in 1 in 3 out mode, auto EQ the room. Then measure for only the Driverack, the frequency and phase response across each output.

4 With the system in 1 in 1 out mode, use one of the 8 parametric EQ filters. Scan phase response. Inject a tone at various points around the filter and measure harmonic distortion. Try this for high pass, low pass, peaking and cutting, at various Q, including maximum Q.

5 My favorite feature. I do not know how to test their subharmonic synthesizer. Perhaps if you put in a tone, it will generate the corresponding subharmonic tone(s). If so, measure the undesired harmonics in relation to the 1 or 2 synthesized subharmonics at various subharmonic control settings. Perhaps Audio Precision has some experience with this use case, or DBX themselves.
Please send a private message to @amirm to discuss measuring the DBX PA2.
 
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Foxxy

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The Elac Element amp. The special thing is that is has an interesting sub DSP part as well as being a BASH amp.
And it's small and easily shipped, too
 

Koeitje

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Feanor

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I voted for Amplifiers.

I'd like to see one of the Pass Labs Xs series amps tested, say the Xs300 ... https://www.passlabs.com/products/xs300/ -- not likely to ever happen, though. Talk about "Wretched excess" :facepalm:
.
1597853077088.png
 

Head_Unit

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What would I like to see tested. Hmm, let me answer not quite in keeping with the thread:
- From another thread, a comparison of amplifier clipping spectra (maybe like 1, 3, 6 dB into clipping or something). In particular, with an eye towards seeing if tube amps really have a "more benign" clipping signature or if that is just an old myth.
- I would really like to see multichannel data collected during noisy movies scenes, to put evidence or de-myth-ify the assertion that "all the channels never hit the peak at once, so it's OK that the power droops in an AVR if you drive more and more channels continuously." Personally having seen stuff like Terminator 2 and U-571 (this latter in Universal's mix theater) I find it hard to believe that all channels NEVER EVER peak simultaneously.
- I'd like to see noise modulation tests, and the (Denon???) test where a small high frequency rides on a very very low frequency, to sweep through all the output bits of a DAC. OR some explanation why those tests are no longer relevant.
 

TankTop

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Parasound please, A23+ as this is an amp in most people’s budget. Of course I wouldn’t mind seeing the JC1 or JC5 either.
 

MSTARK

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Lampizator DAC. Amber 3? I don’t know if they have anything cheaper.
 

MSTARK

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A friend has one locally but with so much to do, I don't feel like pestering him for it.
No problem. I just though it would be interesting to give Lampizator a closer look. I’ve heard a lot of hype from people I trust but never heard one in person. Lapizator implements old and forgotten tube designs with today’s technologies as far as DACs are concern. I’ve exchange emails with owner long time ago before his brand became a household brand. He was much more approachable then. And I almost pulled a trigger on his original (I think) tube dac but felt that it was overpriced. Today, almost everything on his website seems to be aimed at selected crowd with money to burn. I don’t mind paying premium for something “different” and original but I feel that it might be a bit overhyped.
 

gfinlays

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I'd like to see a re-test of the Bluesound Node 2i. It would seem the original unit tested was potentially faulty, considering a test conducted by a German hi-fi magazine allegedly measured a SINAD of 108dB and Bluesound's claimed spec is 110dB.
 
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