British Listening Tests

[Soniclife]

A thread to kick of some ideas about listening tests in the UK. This has been inspired by the following post in the Yamaha A-1 Amplifier Review thread that several of us expressed interest in.

If I can find anybody who would be interested in doing it with me I will try to put together a system here where I can compare mine level matched and blind with some of the others I have, such as AudioSynthesis DAX which has Ultra Analog DAC chips which I used to use with my DAT recorder, and RME ADI-2 Pro but I hate doing it on my own and usually end up just listening to music if I put on something I like and forget I am supposed to be comparing stuff.

I'm not suggesting Frank has committed himself to this, but a suitable venue is one of the things to organise, so if anyone else has a suitable room to host please feel free to offer.
It people could detail how interested they are in this, and what kit they would be prepared to bring, and what sort of areas they would be prepared to travel to we can start to get a plan together. A discussion about what is most worthwhile testing probably also needs to take place.

For myself I can bring my Devialet 440 amps, my Rega P9 TT (I don't see the value of doing turntables) and my Dynavector P75 phono stage. Simplistically I can travel to the bottom half of England. I'd be most interested amp tests.

I'd hope anything organised would manage to combine some fun, and some proper tests.

 

[Frank Dernie]

My original thinking was to compare my old Sony DAS702ES, the first commercially available domestic DAC afaik, to modern one(s) and evaluate how much better the much higher spec modern ones are for listening to music.
Last time I did a level matched DAC comparison, 10 years or so ago, I heard no difference, in effect, in as much as when I did think I heard one repeating the test may or may not have resulted in the same result so I came to the conclusion that, for me, there was effectively no difference since any I thought I might hear was inconsistent and so vanishingly small that it was of absolutely zero consequence for enjoying music at home.
Now I quite fancy doing an old verses new test.
I probably could measure them but on reflection am not sure that is worthwhile.
Firstly any test I do won't be the same as others so will probably raise more questions than it answers. We know already that big improvements in the numbers has taken place over the decades but, given that the old ones were already much, much better than reel-to-reel tape and LP, and loads of fans will tell you how much better those two are than digital , I wondered how big the gain in audio quality on typical music the evolution of DACs over the years has been for a typical music lover.
I don't think it is realistic to be confident about the ubiquity of any amp comparison since IMHO it depends on the speaker you are driving. We can try into my Goldmund Epilogs, I already have a Devialet here and whilst they are efficient I suspect they are quite a difficult load since a friend's SET could barely raise a whisper from them.

I would be happy to have the comparison at my house, and I already have old and new DACs, and if @Pluto can make it he has an even older one.
I don't think a "proper job" can be done on many in one day though, so I would suggest Sony v RME as the biggest difference and a couple or more of other interesting ones if time.

 

[Thomas savage]

British listening tests, I wonder if we can sort this out or if after 4 years we are still talking about it and needing extra time ..

 

[Ilkless]

A thread to kick of some ideas about listening tests in the UK. This has been inspired by the following post in the Yamaha A-1 Amplifier Review thread that several of us expressed interest in.

I'm not suggesting Frank has committed himself to this, but a suitable venue is one of the things to organise, so if anyone else has a suitable room to host please feel free to offer.
It people could detail how interested they are in this, and what kit they would be prepared to bring, and what sort of areas they would be prepared to travel to we can start to get a plan together. A discussion about what is most worthwhile testing probably also needs to take place.

For myself I can bring my Devialet 440 amps, my Rega P9 TT (I don't see the value of doing turntables) and my Dynavector P75 phono stage. Simplistically I can travel to the bottom half of England. I'd be most interested amp tests.

I'd hope anything organised would manage to combine some fun, and some proper tests.

I'll be in the UK through winter and early spring. I can probably bring the Fiio X3 ii as both USB DAC and standalone DAP (it has a 3.5mm line out). It measures decently albeit with a low line out voltage. Uses a microSD so anyone with some music stored in such a card (supports FLAC, PCM, mp3, DSD64) could just insert it. I think it is transparent, but I've been second-guessing myself. Also would be a great, rare chance to meet fellow members while I'm there.

 

[Ceburaska]

I’m not far from Oxfordshire, so I am definitely available.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I’m not far from Oxfordshire, so I am definitely available.

I'd like to take part but much more than 1 hour travelling each way makes for a long day. Frank, are you within ~50 miles of Northampton? I could bring a Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital, and even a Raspberry Pi with HiFiBerry DAC.

 

[digititus]

British listening tests, I wonder if we can sort this out or if after 4 years we are still talking about it and needing extra time ..

There will be tests, but no one will ever leave.

 

[Pluto]

There will be tests, but no one will ever leave

With apologies to “The League of Gentlemen”

 

[Frank Dernie]

I'd like to take part but much more than 1 hour travelling each way makes for a long day. Frank, are you within ~50 miles of Northampton? I could bring a Pro-Ject Pre Box S2 Digital, and even a Raspberry Pi with HiFiBerry DAC.

I am 56 miles from Northampton.

 

[AudioSceptic]

I am 56 miles from Northampton.

Thanks.

(Lays out OS map and draws arc with pair of compasses to plan raid.)