Advice please!

[voodooless]

believed that they hear

That is exactly the problem!

You can also ask the ai about any other audiophile nonsense product and they will also tell you what people believe they heard. Grounding boxes, cables, audiophile network switches… the list goes on.

 

[Joe Smith]

That is exactly the problem!

You can also ask the ai about any other audiophile nonsense product and they will also tell you what people believe they heard. Grounding boxes, cables, audiophile network switches… the list goes on.

I feel like you're missing my point here. I'm just saying that other people have responded or commented re Wolfson similar to our original poster. That doesn't make it "TRUE" in all caps, but it is how others have felt about the same kind of equipment, so if he's having that impression, I'm just saying he's probably not alone in that regard.

 

[antcollinet]

Well, but, I would posit that AI summary comes from various online threads and comments over time - while it may not be "verifiable by measurement," it points to the thought that other listeners with Wolfson dac items believed that they hear a difference and commented somewhere about it - which means at least that our poster is not alone in his belief...

As we know well, AI forms it's answers from it's training set - largely the internet. Since we know that (especially with audio) that training set consists largely of all the typical subjective nonsense and audiophile folk lore spread all over the internet, it is not surprising that that is what it regurgitates.


Please also note the rules we have here for use of AI, particularly relevant for your post - it is not to form the entirety of a post - and you are required to include the prompt and engine you used.

Thanks.

Official policy on use of AI

We have had recent issues come about regarding use of AI in member posts. I personally think this technology can be useful to us. And at any rate, hate having to police members left and right on what they post. That said, here are my thoughts: 1. If you are going to use AI, make it...

www.audiosciencereview.com

 

[voodooless]

I'm just saying he's probably not alone in that regard.

You can collectively be wrong Which is what this industry has been honing their users for, for decades. It is a massive bias that was built up over decades of misinformation.

It’s not that people think that Wolfson sounds warm because they heard it that way, it’s because they saw other people talk about it, read an article, saw a video.. It’s just confirmation bias, and the media massively amplifies this.

 

[Joe Smith]

As we know well, AI forms it's answers from it's training set - largely the internet. Since we know that (especially with audio) that training set consists largely of all the typical subjective nonsense and audiophile folk lore spread all over the internet, it is not surprising that that is what it regurgitates.


Please also note the rules we have here for use of AI, particularly relevant for your post - it is not to form the entirety of a post - and you are required to include the prompt and engine you used.

Thanks.

Official policy on use of AI

We have had recent issues come about regarding use of AI in member posts. I personally think this technology can be useful to us. And at any rate, hate having to police members left and right on what they post. That said, here are my thoughts: 1. If you are going to use AI, make it...

www.audiosciencereview.com

Query was: do wolfson dacs have a different sound that other dacs
Google browser

 

[Joe Smith]

Well, I'll bow out of this...we all know how it will go. Good luck in your quest @Theamoebason !

 

[voodooless]

do wolfson dacs have a different sound that other dacs

Funny thing. My AI says:

Short answer: no, not in any reliable, intrinsic way.

And it actually explains why, instead of output the usual audiophile nonsense.

And the DeltaWave output is also very clear: in a controlled test, it is very unlikely that one would hear a difference.

 

[Theamoebason]

Thanks all for the input.

I'm absolutely all for objectivity on this.

I had an opinion that source A was better than source B

It was explained that it was probably down to mismatched levels.

I was skeptical but following measurement there were mismatched levels.

following adjustment I still thought it was 'better'....however this could simply be down to psychological factors (of which I imagine there are numerous)...to absolutely be certain of this I would think far more in depth analysis would be needed, however it seems a good explanation.

I find it all interesting, I do not have a point to prove.

I am certainly not an 'audiophile' - I love good sound but find the music the most important factor - I have a music degree, not an electrical engineering one, and find the claims I read online quite frustrating regarding $$$ cables or what have you.

I thank everyone on this thread for their time, and happy listening!

Sam

 

[dualazmak]

Okay, so compared the first 60 seconds of the recording.

Indeed, they are not level-matched. They are about 1dB off, which is way too much for a listening test. Otherwise, the two are pretty much the same. The worst differences are 80 db down. Most of the differences are above 20 kHz, likely due to differences in filtering:

View attachment 507442

View attachment 507443


This is the regular AI nonsense based on all the non-technical subjective crap that has been posted for decades.

Yes, I essentially agree, since my analysis using MusicScope 2.1.0 shown in my post #14 tells/shows the same "story" as you pointed.

I also have thought about making the differential difference spectrum (by using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1) which you shared in your above post #18, but I dared not to do that since I am/was not exactly sure about the time-domain (start-up) identicality between the two audio files.

I also agree with your point of "Most of the differences are above 20 kHz, likely due to differences in filtering:" which was/is visually seen in the color spectrum of MusicScope 2.1.0, even though such difference in near-ultrasonic Fq zone is inaudible.

 

[voodooless]

I also have thought about making the differential spectrum (by using ADOBE Audition 3.0.1) which you shared in your above post #18, but I dared not to do that since I am/was not exactly sure about the time-domain (start-up) identicality between the two audio files.

It’s not going to be perfect. It cannot align the tracks perfectly because it cannot do sub sample time alignment. Also the clocks of the two devices are not exactly aligned. So even if you align them perfectly at the start, they will diverge in time at the end. DeltaWave can compensate for both of these.

 

[dualazmak]

It’s not going to be perfect. It cannot align the tracks perfectly because it cannot do sub sample time alignment. Also the clocks of the two devices are not exactly aligned. So even if you align them perfectly at the start, they will diverge in time at the end. DeltaWave can compensate for both of these.

Thank you for the info. Now I learned the nice "role" of DeltaWave in "sound file/track" analysis.

 

[Joe Smith]

Thanks all for the input.

I'm absolutely all for objectivity on this.

I had an opinion that source A was better than source B

It was explained that it was probably down to mismatched levels.

I was skeptical but following measurement there were mismatched levels.

following adjustment I still thought it was 'better'....however this could simply be down to psychological factors (of which I imagine there are numerous)...to absolutely be certain of this I would think far more in depth analysis would be needed, however it seems a good explanation.

I find it all interesting, I do not have a point to prove.

I am certainly not an 'audiophile' - I love good sound but find the music the most important factor - I have a music degree, not an electrical engineering one, and find the claims I read online quite frustrating regarding $$$ cables or what have you.

I thank everyone on this thread for their time, and happy listening!

Sam

Keep enjoying your gear. You may find there’s a new dac you want to try to see if closer (to you) to the sound of your deck.

 

[RexrothPigeon]

AI says this as a summary* - at least a bit of support for what you say you are hearing:

*Querry was: do wolfson dacs have a different sound that other dacs Search tool: Google (browser)

Yes, Wolfson Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) chips were often described as "coloring" the audio signal, typically by introducing a warmer, more "musical," or mid-range-focused sound signature
. While technically modern, high-fidelity DACs aim for absolute transparency, Wolfson chips (particularly popular in older iPods and Audiophile gear) were often favored for having a less clinical or "edgy" sound compared to competitors like ESS Sabre.

Key Aspects of Wolfson "Coloration":

• Warmth and Musicality: They are frequently associated with a warmer, slightly more analog-sounding presentation.
• Midrange Focus: Some users report that Wolfson chips emphasize the midrange, leading to a richer vocal or instrumental presence.
• "Musical" rather than "Analytical": Unlike ESS DACs, which are often characterized as brighter and more detailed, Wolfson chips are often described as prioritizing a pleasant, musical listening experience.

Contextual Nuances:

• Implementation Matters More: The "coloration" is often not solely from the chip itself, but from the surrounding components, specifically the output stage, capacitors, and power supply design.
• Legacy Status: Wolfson was acquired by Cirrus Logic in 2014, and while the chips are considered "legendary" by some, modern DACs have largely surpassed them in measurable performance.

Please no. This is pure slop.

 

[Theamoebason]

Keep enjoying your gear. You may find there’s a new dac you want to try to see if closer (to you) to the sound of your deck.

Thanks Joe

 

[Chrispy]

Keep enjoying your gear. You may find there’s a new dac you want to try to see if closer (to you) to the sound of your deck.

How would that work? You need to try the thousands of dac implementations to see if one is aberrant enought to make a difference to you?

 

[Chrispy]

Keep enjoying your gear. You may find there’s a new dac you want to try to see if closer (to you) to the sound of your deck.

Can't imagine a bigger waste of time than comparing "new to you" dacs.

 

[Joe Smith]

Can't imagine a bigger waste of time than comparing "new to you" dacs.

Everyone’s different…and to each one’s own. People try new things all the time. If not to your liking, return it.

 

[Joe Smith]

I’m finding people on this thread particularly intolerant and annoying today, that’s for sure.

 

[Chrispy]

Everyone’s different…and to each one’s own. People try new things all the time. If not to your liking, return it.

Just such a waste of time/effort/money. You're welcome to your own madness of course. Audiophilia at it's most insane.