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Do you hear a difference with DAC filters?

Barry_Sound

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Jan 25, 2022
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Hey everyone, my Goldnote DAC with AKM chips offers a couple presets like Sharp Roll-off or Short Delay etc. I just tried them briefly and didnt notice any difference. Do you hear any significant difference between filters?

I might try again when I´m in the mood for critical listening and fiddling around in menus.
 
Do you hear any significant difference between filters?
For me, most of them sound the same. There's a couple outliers where the frequency response effects are noticeable (e.g., NOS), but those are few and far between. Younger ears might extend that a little.
 
Super slow sounds a bit mellower than the rest due to early roll off at 10KHz. It also produces broken sine waves at 10Khz and above due to reconstruction filter allowing images to seep through the audible band
 
Personally I find them absolutely useless. I think I looked into it once.

I trust Amirm's tests, my DAC was tested by him. The advice is on a certain filter that has the best performance: I'm fine with that.

In my opinion, producers, should remove any kind of filters, and already do the best possible calibration with that chip/layout.

Rather than filters, I find EQ much more useful.
 
In my opinion, producers, should remove any kind of filters
Some filter is needed for proper reconstruction. But for 99.9% of applications, a single filter is all that's needed.
 
I have a Rega DAC that I no longer use much at all, only for headphone use. It has five filters. I could never hear any difference between them.
 
Some filter is needed for proper reconstruction. But for 99.9% of applications, a single filter is all that's needed.
yes, I wrote it wrong. They should remove the possibility of changing filters, and, as you say, have a fixed one.
 
Hello
Go back to the default filter and do not worry about it
I also dont hear any differences with my RME dac
Enjoy the music...
 
Be careful. The selected filter / difference is almost unhearable but it can overwrite your listening habits.
The first 'sharp roll off' is excellent for measuring and at first sight seems 'the best' but has strong pre-ringing effect; means some echoes overdrive the sound what causes the echo itself.
Try a clavichord music, it will be incorrect sound.
The opposit, the last 'super slow' or 'NOS like' has early roll-off from 10 kHz - exactly as the acoustic instrument sound.
Personally, I prefer the 'Super Slow'.
When listening other filters, sound seems the same but there is a light bad feeling in the background.
 
What does this mean?


JSmith
There are several 'complicated' records in anyone's CD collection. Usually thought not too good sound-engineer works or simply tiring or fatiguing instruments or etc. Music is excellent but sq is so-so. When I started to use 'Super Soft' filter I realized that these records can be listened with a pleasure, sometimes with a great pleasure and very few remained in a 'really bad recording' status.
It's a long-term effect; the side by side comparsion, immediate switching filters after each other has no any real result.

Clavichord?
I have a lots of early keyboard records and listen it seriously, I could realize the sharp filtering effect after 10 sec. Maybe caused by my personal taste I do not know.
Piano - sharp filter is almost OK for me.
 
but has strong pre-ringing effect; means some echoes overdrive the sound what causes the echo itself.
Try a clavichord music, it will be incorrect sound.
What does this mean?
 
It's a long-term effect; the side by side comparsion, immediate switching filters after each other has no any real result.

If there is a change, how can it not be immediate? What's causing the delay?
Sorry, but you have no proof and what you said isn't making a lot of sense.

I have Rega DAC, Topping E30 and E70, haven't heard any differences with filters. I just leave it on default.
 
I have a lots of early keyboard records and listen it seriously, I could realize the sharp filtering effect after 10 sec.
Could you please describe the controls you used to determine that it was the sound that changed rather than other factors?
 
Hey everyone, my Goldnote DAC with AKM chips offers a couple presets like Sharp Roll-off or Short Delay etc. I just tried them briefly and didnt notice any difference. Do you hear any significant difference between filters?

I might try again when I´m in the mood for critical listening and fiddling around in menus.
If you took or found measurements of the frequency responses of the two, and adjusted one to match the other up to 20 kHz, expect the two to sound the same.
 
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