EverSolo Z8 DAC & Amp Review

[Nutul]

This one,

Sony MDS-JB730

Sony MDS-JB730 High end MiniDisc deck. Has same mechanism as MDS-JE520 (MDM-5D). ---------- Content adapted from: MiniDisc.org page, service manual Manuals [ Sony MDS-JB730 User Manual ENG FR] [ Sony MDS-JB730 Service manual] Repair Photos Submit your own! Edit...

www.minidisc.wiki

Bought somewhere 2000-2001, don't remember exactly when,
but it still works flawless with recording as well as playback.

Ouch... that's a deck. Now I understand. I have two portable ones (MZ-R91 and MZ-NH900), but none of them - while having optical input for recording - offers optical out...

 

[AdrianusG]

Ouch... that's a deck. Now I understand. I have two portable ones (MZ-R91 and MZ-NH900), but none of them - while having optical input for recording - offers optical out...

Oh cool,

I also have this one (ms702) but have not used it for a very long time, but probably still works (after charging, that is!)

Sharp MD-MS701 / MD-MS702

Sharp MD-MS701 / MD-MS702 Released simultaneously as the MD-MS701 and MD-MS702, they are almost identical except for color differences. Uses a proprietary lithium-ion rechargable battery, so it may be difficult to find a modern replacement. The minidisc.org site claims the

www.minidisc.wiki

 

[Janck O'Neill]

Hi, and welcome
If you haven't already, it's worth looking around the site and reading some of the introductory articles and the recurring comments and themes that come up.
Consider what you are asking about: transfer of digital data (moving numbers around, not audio .. not until you get to DAC output). That doesn't have a sound. A USB => Optical adapter does not change the data, unless it's broken, so there is no impact. You get better ground isolation, but that only matters if you have ground noise, which is really obvious and you clearly don't.
The most likely, although unpalatable at first, explanation is expectation bias - we change something so we expect a difference so we hear a difference ... it's annoying, but true.

Connect your Z8 directly by USB and just listen to music for a week. After that time your brain will have adjusted and you'll be OK again.

It's worth thinking about what could, as you ask, be going on otherwise to make a difference. You will find that there are no credible explanations.

Welcome to ASR

You were right - it’s been almost two weeks, and I’ve really grown to like the Z8. Now I’m actually afraid to hook up the Hegel, in case it turns out it still sounds better.

 

[Purité Audio]

It can’t sound ‘better’ it might sound different if the hegel is adding audible distortion ( which I doubt).
Keith