Massdrop Airist R2R DAC Review

[pglee]

I do want to try it, but not buy it. And I'd love to blind test it. If this isnt audibly distinguishable, then nothing is.

Then there would be the issue of preference, which would be another story entirely..

It would be nice to have a meetup at some point after COVID to try gear. If you're in the bay area, it may be worthwhile to do a gear swap.

 

[pglee]

Extremely good point. I think we can quickly agree that trying to recreate the experience that was approved in the studio is completely impossible.

A home setup sets a baseline. You can choose to aim for transparency. Be faithfull to the recording itself in stead of the perceptions that led to its creation. Or you can set a baseline with a flavour of your liking.

I have no problem with the latter, as long as people are being honest about it, but I do find most of the hoops and loops, that they jump through in order to add more or less imaginary flavour, to be silly.



If the Airist adds something audible to the playback (like Amir points out, it's a really big 'if'), then why is it a good way to get that effect?

In the studio you simply turn a knob or push a button. There's no need to pull PCBs out of the mixing console and replace them with exotic new ones that can be auditioned until you find the effect you were looking for. I don't see why home audio should be any different.

I do recognize that this massively ineffective chase for a sound signature is what makes 90% of the fun for a lot of people in the hobby, but to me it's just a huge waste of time and effort.

Well, actually, you often don't just a push a button. If you look at any respectable mastering house, they push the signal through thousands of dollars of exotic gear to get the right sound. Honestly though, for me, it's mostly consumerism, GAS (gear acquisition syndrom), and boredom. Sometimes, I need a jolt to get me to listen and appreciate music again.

 

[bunkbail]

But, here's the weird part. I was underwhelmed by the Topping, and I really wanted to listen to the Airist. I kept switching back and forth to convince myself that I was just kidding myself. Eventually, I just conceded. I just really prefer the Airist. I want to listen to it more. It brings out details and an intimacy that I wasn't getting with the D50.

Same here dude. I've been telling myself that the Khadas Tone Board is a better sounding DAC for more than a year now, but I just can help but kept on listening to my (much) worse measuring Audio-gd R2R-11. It is what it is. It just more pleasant to listen to. Like the other members of the forum kept on telling us this, maybe we just like our music signals dirty. And guess what, I don't really mind that.

 

[solderdude]

I guess what most 'more hardcore' ASR members would like to find out for themselves would be to see if they can demonstrate the mentioned differences in proper blind conditions and find out if the preference is 'real' or from knowing what is playing.

Of course the vast majority of folks don't really mind and use what they prefer.

 

[Jimbob54]

Same here dude. I've been telling myself that the Khadas Tone Board is a better sounding DAC for more than a year now, but I just can help but kept on listening to my (much) worse measuring Audio-gd R2R-11. It is what it is. It just more pleasant to listen to. Like the other members of the forum kept on telling us this, maybe we just like our music signals dirty. And guess what, I don't really mind that.

I have no doubt that when a DAC measures well, beyond transparency, it is exactly that, transparent. I also have no doubt that members here and folks elsewhere prefer DACs that are less than transparent per the measurements (this one being a case in point). What I would really love is to have a larger scale DBT of a range of DACs- competent folks set it all up, level matched etc etc.

I fully get the view of many here , that a DAC that isnt transparent isnt well desigend etc etc - I share that view. I also know if I am buying a DAC unseen I want it to be transparent. That isnt the same as saying I wouldnt prefer one with significant colouration/ distortion in a DBT. What I refuse to do is "compare" in anything less than DBT conditions. I think its this bit that riles many and here (another debate going on in "Dac of the year" thread). Unsurprisingly , an expensive exotic DAC "won" based on pure listening- with no indication it was ever measured or tested against peers in DBT.

Its an intractable problem, especially in these socially distanced times!

 

[Jimbob54]

I guess what most 'more hardcore' ASR members would like to find out for themselves would be to see if they can demonstrate the mentioned differences in proper blind conditions and find out if the preference is 'real' or from knowing what is playing.

Of course the vast majority of folks don't really mind and use what they prefer.

Dammit- you beat me!