Can you hear a difference between the top analog preamp and a straight wire? Listening test

[pma]

Can you hear a difference between the top analog preamp and a straight wire? Test files can be downloaded from dropbox:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

The files are level matched and time aligned. In case you are interested in the test, please download the files, listen to them and tell us your impressions. In case you hear a difference, it would be nice to post a result of the ABX test, like with foobar2000 ABX comparator. Have fun!

 

[Sokel]

Did it.
No,I can't.

 

[Blumlein 88]

No for me. I thought maybe I did where it gets loud around 21-24 seconds. In an ABX, I scored 11 of 20 focusing on that short segment.

 

[pma]

Thanks for your comments, @Sokel and @Blumlein 88 .

 

[voodooless]

I can't hear a difference and will be very surprised if anyone can pass an ABX.

Spoiler

I guess L is the pre-amp?

 

[pma]

Thank you. Let’s disclose it later .

 

[MaxwellsEq]

Does it depend on the brand of wire?

 

[wwenze]

I call unfair if the ADC is the bottleneck

Or if my DAC is the bottleneck
Heck, my DAC and speaker is going to be the bottleneck isn't it.

But my DAC and speaker doesn't matter if we do the analysis digitally. So goes back to the first paragraph.

For example if a bad preamp is noisy I can probably check the spectrum during the quiet parts of the music for higher HF content. But if the ADC noise is worse than the preamp by 20dB then it is probably impossible.

And if we can't even see a difference in the digital data, there goes all hopes of hearing it.

 

[pma]

Does it depend on the brand of wire?

That’s it! That is the real bottleneck!

 

[pma]

I call unfair if the ADC is the bottleneck

E1DA Cosmos ADC. Is there any better one?

 

[Tio]

Can you hear a difference between the top analog preamp and a straight wire? Test files can be downloaded from dropbox:

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

The files are level matched and time aligned. In case you are interested in the test, please download the files, listen to them and tell us your impressions. In case you hear a difference, it would be nice to post a result of the ABX test, like with foobar2000 ABX comparator. Have fun!

Can not hear any difference. I use laptop > 7zh zero 2.

 

[Blumlein 88]

E1DA Cosmos ADC. Is there any better one?

You used a cheap and dirty ADC. Like nothing costing as much as at least a cheap economy car? Oh, this is probably much worse than the wire, and I don't even know the wire.

/s

 

[pma]

I feel ashamed.

 

[Gorgonzola]

Got a few examples of "top analog preamp"? How about Benchmark, Schiit Kara, Topping D90 or A70 Pro? I suspect you say 'yes' to these: any others specifically?

 

[Sokel]

I feel ashamed.

No wonder I heard no difference,it was not resolving enough

Ok,seriously,I took a second try replicating what other members did but still nope,no difference.

 

[pma]

This is the preamp.

 

[pma]

Got a few examples of "top analog preamp"? How about Benchmark, Schiit Kara, Topping D90 or A70 Pro? I suspect you say 'yes' to these: any others specifically?

You better try to pass the test .
//... I love superstitions ...///

 

[Sokel]

This is the preamp.

View attachment 372918

I would bet good money that an Alps is in the scheme,don't ask why.

(I feel the same about preamps)

 

[Newman]

This is the preamp.

View attachment 372918

So when you say ‘top’ preamp, was your tongue in cheek?

 

[pma]

So when you say ‘top’ preamp, was your tongue in cheek?

No, of course not. It performs as well as the BIG NAMES. And definitely better than any opamp based preamp with respect to bandwidth and slew rate. Not that it would be as much much imporant.