Recent content by Alexander Gödde

Have you read the explanation for the "Clever Little Clock" and the encoding of time information in the audio stream at recording time.? It's about as insane as audiophoolery gets...

Gustav Mahler. Died in 1911 while writing his 10th symphony, age 50, was still innovating at that point, and better at orchestrating than ever. I sometimes imagine a Mahler symphony processing WWI, taking in ragtime music or some of the nascent proto-jazz, parodying Nazi marches, or him writing...

Nice to see the manufacturer here to answer questions - and react so quickly to suggestions. I'll keep this on my radar. Not that I really need it, but it is an interesting project. Great to see more DACs with integrated DSP! There's already the Qudelix 5K, the new Fiio KA17 and a couple of...

Most of today's (non esoteric) DACs and amps are clean. That part of things is solved. With headphones frequency response is most likely everything, but it's complicated. There is the fact that people have different HRTFs (head-related transfer functions), i.e. that the shape and size of our...

Unfortunately, most of today's HiFi press is bonkers.

- Moondrop Blessing 2 Dusk, with EQ to bring the bass to lower treble response in line with the Dusk 2 DSP Default tuning. Now just well-rounded with really precise imaging. Before was hazy but fun. - Audeze iSine 10 with oratory1990 (Harman) EQ setting. Effortless, smoother than the Dusk, great...

It did at one time (came with the 2.0 firmware update), but I can't find the option anymore (may just be me, but even if so, it's at least bad UI).

It's a dongle DAC, so less a competitor to the Topping D50 and more one to the Qudelix 5k. Unlike the 5k it has a display, but the 5k includes a battery, Bluetooth and a differential output which provides double the voltage of the Neutron DAC. The Qudelix app is legendary for its range of...

For something even worse, from the same site: https://www.enjoythemusic.com/magazine/equipment/0424/LessLoss_BlackGround_For_Speakers_Review.htm Sheer lunacy, including the auditioning "protocols". Especially funny is the suspected incompatibility with another tweako device from Synergistic...

In concert you can feel the low notes on the basses as well as things like kettle drums. Unlike with Pop or Rock there's not constantly a lot of bass, but to get the proper impact your speakers should be able to go deep and loud.

A symphony orchestra can get really, really loud, and playing it back at low volume you lose both detail and impact. My speakers can get close to the volume, but then my neighbours in the apartment below can hear what symphony I'm playing.

I just spent way too much time on the Synergistic Research site and I that has left me angry and doubting humanity. The people who run this are either deluded beyond any hope of salvation or criminals who have lost all regard for decency. The nonsense claims they make should be illegal. But hey...

The E3 are a much better headphone sound-wise. In comparison the Aeon 2 Noires are hazy and severely lacking in dynamics/punch. It's not really close either. The only advantage the Noires have is that for me the comfort is considerably better. I appear to have a very large head, so the...

I'm in the third month of my honeymoon phase with the E3. They are amazingly tuned and realistic in how they present recordings.

Been a while since I first posted a list, and a lot of changes since then. These are the ones that I use at least occasionally (very occasionally in a lot of cases): AKG K240 Sextett AKG K280 AKG K371 Beyerdynamic Custome One Pro Beyerdynamic T70p Creative Aurvana Live Dan Clark Audio Aeon 2...