Lost.

[Digipat]

Hello
I used to listen to my very good Olive 4HD. Such a good sound quality. But the Olive is almost unusable due to software problems.
I decided to use a NUC + Roon/my music library/Qobuz.
This is physically next to the Olive and my best hifi set, as I would like to use a USB dac between the Nuk and my amps.
I have been looking around and I was hesitating between SMSL SU8 V2 and RME ADI2-DAC. Rather different I have to confess.
I have a Swissonic DA24/192 between my TV and amp, and I had compared Qobuz on TV-toslink-Swissonic-preamplifier etc. TO Olive-preamp-etc.
There was a rather small difference but especially present at low level (rather high quantity of noise).

Today I thought I could test NUK-HDMI cable-TV-Toslink-Swissonic-etc.
Compared to olive. Then I was astonished to discover I could not see a single difference. I did blind listening with my family. Tested Diana Krall, Brad Meldau, Liszt Faust Symphony, Vivaldi Stabat Mater, Eminem, Gounod Requiem. A lot of tests. Even tests of sample frequencies...
How could it be?
I only see few possibilities.
- the files I used were so bad that anything behind could not be different one to another. No
- all my family was drunk. No
- a part of the rest of the hardware is weak.
- I live in a glass appartment. No.
Oh yes, once we were astonished by a big difference. But it was a 24bits/96 against a 16bits file. (Whereas I thought 24 bits were not of a big difference!)

So, as I have searched on the web something "real" about DACs testing. But I do not trust sellers advices or reviews I can read in a magazine with an incredibly funny emphatic language about things that reviewers imagine they ear.

SO

1- Thank you very much for this rather scientific and unique site!
2- But according to my tests all DACs are audibly the same. No difference in dynamics, stage, etc. Who could convince me that my old Olive against new rather cheap DAC is just a null match due do to unfortunate circumstances?
3- Who did blind tests here or on internet?
4- has someone eared the ESS hump?

 

[M00ndancer]

1- Thank you very much for this rather scientific and unique site!
2- But according to my tests all DACs are audibly the same. No difference in dynamics, stage, etc. Who could convince me that my old Olive against new rather cheap DAC is just a null match due do to unfortunate circumstances?
3- Who did blind tests here or on internet?
4- has someone eared the ESS hump?

As a newcomer to this site I'll try to explain it as far as I can.

1 - That's why I love this site. Lot's of objectivists, and people that really know their stuff.
2- That's what I have learned from this site. Unless there is something really wrong with the DAC, almost every DAC sounds the same. (There are a few really bad apples, but not many)
3 - Some have done it here on the site and I can recommend reading the article series from @Archimago on his site
4 - Not sure what you're asking. Eared as in heard it or as in tested it in an ABX environment? Either way I don't think you can hear it but I have not done any test on it so take my subjective thought about it wit a grain of salt.

 

[Digipat]

Thank you.
I'll read Archimago.
About the "ESS hump", it is a big subject here. I have to admit it is a bit confusing for a newbie like me.

 

[frogmeat69]

Thank you.
I'll read Archimago.
About the "ESS hump", it is a big subject here. I have to admit it is a bit confusing for a newbie like me.

I think it is outside our range of hearing, but still, it's a flaw that shows up and seems to bug folks. Some units like Gustard X26 don't have the hump, some one there did good.

 

[Digipat]

Thanks frogmeat69.

 

[TuneInSoul]

Since English is not my first language, I hope you can understand.
It Maybe because the time gap is too long between the time that you heard the first sound and the second one.
You forgot the signature of the previous sound, then found no difference.

 

[Digipat]

Since English is not my first language, I hope you can understand.
It Maybe because the time gap is too long between the time that you heard the first sound and the second one.
You forgot the signature of the previous sound, then found no difference.

I understand what you wrote but I don't think so. I listen to both sources simultaneously. With approximately a difference of 2 sec between them so I ear the same thing rapidly. (I switch on the preamplifier from one source to another)

 

[Digipat]

3 - Some have done it here on the site and I can recommend reading the article series from @Archimago on his site
.

No post of him... but found his blog!

 

[M00ndancer]

No post of him... but found his blog!

That's the one.

 

[Zek]

But according to my tests all DACs are audibly the same. No difference in dynamics, stage, etc.

Maybe your stereo system are not enough revealing.

 

[Digipat]

Maybe your stereo system are not enough revealing.

It is the question I was thinking about before reading you... but I mainly do not think so. The rest is McIntosh C46/MC402 and BC acoustique Act A4 in these tests. It should be of good level.