Massdrop Airist R2R DAC Review

[MissMarplesexbomb]

Next time i go to a concert maybe i should just measure it instead.

 

[Jimbob54]

Next time i go to a concert maybe i should just measure it instead.

Let me put that a different way. Your favourite band are playing in 2 cities equidistant from you. The measurements of the rooms and performance of the PA systems are known to you One venue has terrible acoustics and abysmal PA system, the other, brilliant per the measurements. But you have never been to either nor know anyone that has. All other things being equal, which would you buy the ticket to?

Transplant that to selecting and purchasing audio electronics......

 

[MissMarplesexbomb]

Do you believe that amp and speaker measurements should also be perfect too ?

 

[Jimbob54]

Do you believe that amp and speaker measurements should also be perfect too ?

I assume you mean should they measure well, as opposed to being measured perfectly comprehensively and accurately?

With (playback) amps- absolutely. What I want from speakers is that they will be appropriate for my room, styles of music etc and be capable of being tamed with EQ to be as neutral as possible to source in my listening position. I've been through this in a previous dialogue with you last night.

I dont want to be some alchemist, wildly mixing and matching components to one day have that eureka! moment.

I'll be honest, the way you seem to be ripping through previous posts and reviews and raising substantially the same points time after time suggests to me either this forum isnt for you, or maybe you are trolling?

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

, or maybe you are trolling?

hmmmmm....

 

[Jimbob54]

Do you believe that amp and speaker measurements should also be perfect too ?

Have a read https://www.audiosciencereview.com/...iew-is-not-listed-wikipedia.15223/post-488218

 

[Veri]

Do you believe that amp and speaker measurements should also be perfect too ?

Do you not believe in a scientific gauging of perfection, maybe? Only experts' opinions should be believed, and subjective ratings? If that is what you believe at least, I don't understand your presence on this forum.

 

[MissMarplesexbomb]

I assume you mean should they measure well, as opposed to being measured perfectly comprehensively and accurately?

With (playback) amps- absolutely. What I want from speakers is that they will be appropriate for my room, styles of music etc and be capable of being tamed with EQ to be as neutral as possible to source in my listening position. I've been through this in a previous dialogue with you last night.

I dont want to be some alchemist, wildly mixing and matching components to one day have that eureka! moment.

I'll be honest, the way you seem to be ripping through previous posts and reviews and raising substantially the same points time after time suggests to me either this forum isnt for you, or maybe you are trolling?

Ok. perhaps the forum is not for me.

I assume you mean should they measure well, as opposed to being measured perfectly comprehensively and accurately?

With (playback) amps- absolutely. What I want from speakers is that they will be appropriate for my room, styles of music etc and be capable of being tamed with EQ to be as neutral as possible to source in my listening position. I've been through this in a previous dialogue with you last night.

I dont want to be some alchemist, wildly mixing and matching components to one day have that eureka! moment.

I'll be honest, the way you seem to be ripping through previous posts and reviews and raising substantially the same points time after time suggests to me either this forum isnt for you, or maybe you are trolling?

Many people prefer Dacs that don't measure well. I'm trying to understand why that is.
This forum does not seem to like differing opinions and continually hammers the same points time after time that measurements are everything.

I suspect that measurements are not everything as different people like different things.
To knock on the head peoples opinions on how stuff sounds to them IS weird and cult like.

 

[MissMarplesexbomb]

Do you not believe in a scientific gauging of perfection, maybe? Only experts' opinions should be believed, and subjective ratings? If that is what you believe at least, I don't understand your presence on this forum.

I don't believe in any such thing as perfection in music or art.

 

[Jimbob54]

I don't believe in any such thing as perfection in music or art.

But we aren't talking about music or art. We are talking about audio equipment. And no such thing as perfection in anything. Still need to have goals to measure anything against

 

[Veri]

I don't believe in any such thing as perfection in music or art.

To be fair, amplifiers and DAC circuits are not art. It's science. It's not up to interpretation. Maybe a funky re-creation of a WOII-era tube amp with proper performance up to 2020 specifications can be seen as art (since a $99 solid state amp nowadays would probably best it hands down)... But that's like paying for aesthetics. Not performance.

 

[Sgt. Ear Ache]

I don't believe in any such thing as perfection in music or art.

we aren't talking about music or art. That is contained in the recording. We're talking about reproducing that recording in our own spaces. I'm not looking for an artistic interpretation of a recording. I want what I hear to be as close to what's contained within the original recording as possible. Perfection in that regard isn't really possible given the way speakers work, but there's no reason not to at least aim in that direction.

 

[Veri]

I want what I hear to be as close to what's contained within the original recording as possible.

Why would we want anything else? Only our interpretation on how to get there seems wholly different...

 

[ElNino]

Many people prefer Dacs that don't measure well. I'm trying to understand why that is.

That's a fair question. My view is that euphonic distortion in the source covers up a lot of other issues with playback systems. For example, if you're using speakers whose crossover doesn't include baffle step compensation, a DAC with prominent second harmonic distortion does tend to cover that up and compensate somewhat, though imperfectly.

For example, I used to think I'd always have tubes somewhere in my system -- I loved how they made my system sound. But eventually, as I got better measuring gear (speakers, amp, and DAC), I found that I didn't need tubes any more. Well-measuring gear sounds natural, realistic and warm without needing something extra to season the mix, and at that point I found that tubes actually diminished what I was hearing.

 

[Jimbob54]

Ok. perhaps the forum is not for me.


Many people prefer Dacs that don't measure well. I'm trying to understand why that is.
This forum does not seem to like differing opinions and continually hammers the same points time after time that measurements are everything.

I suspect that measurements are not everything as different people like different things.
To knock on the head peoples opinions on how stuff sounds to them IS weird and cult like.

But you haven't really asked any questions other than glib ones.

I already gave you a perfectly reasonable answer why you might prefer schiit multibit dacs. In fact there were 2 possible answers :

1. You didn't conduct solid blind AB level matched tests and/or
2. You prefer DACs that add some form of distortion. This one I've raised with you and said is a perfectly reasonable preference.

Has anyone else said different?

 

[Killingbeans]

Ok. perhaps the forum is not for me.

Don't say that. This forum is for anyone who's interested in the psychology and physics behind audio reproduction and perception. As long as you are willing to accept the scientific method as the best tool for analysis, there's no need to leave.

Many people prefer Dacs that don't measure well. I'm trying to understand why that is.

It's an admirable quest. It's been discussed many times here on the site. Most evidence seem to point at things not related to sound quality.

This forum does not seem to like differing opinions and continually hammers the same points time after time that measurements are everything.

Not quite right. Proof is everything, not measurements. If you claim something that contradicts already known evidence, be prepared to present equally strong evidence if you want people to take it seriously.

I don't believe in any such thing as perfection in music or art.

Sure. There's no perfection in the creation of music. But in the reproduction of music you can come pretty damn close.

 

[Jimbob54]

Ok. perhaps the forum is not for me.


Many people prefer Dacs that don't measure well. I'm trying to understand why that is.
This forum does not seem to like differing opinions and continually hammers the same points time after time that measurements are everything.

I suspect that measurements are not everything as different people like different things.
To knock on the head peoples opinions on how stuff sounds to them IS weird and cult like.

Point me to where anyone has knocked an opinion of yours on the head. Unless you have said something akin to "the airist is a better dac than X", no problem with expressing a preference. Don't badge opinion as fact and not expect it to be rebutted is what the usual case is.

 

[Jimbob54]

Why would we want anything else? Only our interpretation on how to get there seems wholly different...

Quoting the wrong guy I think

 

[Veri]

Quoting the wrong guy I think

Woops. Apologies @Sgt. Ear Ache

 

[raif71]

friendly fire