velasfloyd
Member
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2019
- Messages
- 84
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- 139
Hi everyone!
I will try to make this post short: Based on everything I have learned here, I will do my blind test with all the equipment I have. And I wanted to share it here.
Purpose: I want to confirm that every good dac is transparent and every good amp is just needed if a headphone needs more power. It is stated here almost every day but I want to convince myself with my own ears. Stop all the BS from other forums, subjetive reviewers, fancy words, etc etc.
I also was in the way of "want to upgrade to the next". But thanks god I found this forum.
Equipment to test:
- Burson Soloist SL
- SMSL SP200
- SMSL SU-8 v2
- Xduoo xd-05
- Shanling M5s
- cayin N3
- iPhone 7 plus
headphones for testing:
- Beyer Amiron Home
- Senn HD-650
Procedure:
I found this miracle:
Initially, I was watching the MC-102, but the problem of that unit is that it has a button than gets in 2 different states, so I can know which one I am listening. The pro version in the image is far more interesting, as the main unit has buttons without memory and so I can switch back and forth without knowing which one I am listening, I only can know if I see some leds (I dont use the colorful control unit, it is not necessary).
I will connect 2 devices and listen to my music, pressing the button several times so I can blindly change the source, and then want to find out if I am able to find differences. I will use my favorite music (no special testing tracks) as I consider this is what I do care to listen. the music is on ALAC 44.1/16 ripped from my own cd collection.
Every comparison will last close to 1 hour, or until I find a clear difference. I will be updating the thread with the results.
I know the volume is important and I will be matching it with my own ears. I have kind of a capable ears so I trust I will be doing quite right. I know I should be using a multimeter for this, but I dont want it to be extremely complicated (someone can teach me how to measure volts from 3.5mm connector, because I actually have a multimeter at home).
I will do one comparison per day, So I can be more effective.
TEST 1: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs SMSL SU-8 + Burson Soloist SL ( amp comparison)
SP200 is the super THX and is on the better measured units here, should be "clinical". the Soloist SL is class A amp so should be "warm"....
result: NO DIFFERENCE
after almost 1,5 hours trying to listen different songs.... I was not able to find any difference between them, with both Amiron and HD-650, both sounds great...... AMAZING
TEST 2: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs iPhone 7 plus with apple dongle
due to my first result, this time I wanted to listen a difference!! so I tried the more extreme test. My very best option agains my worst. SU-8 and SP-200 are state of the art devices and the iphone does not even have a headphone output, so I used the normal dongle.
result: NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Now...I am in chock... I was 2 hours trying to find something, passed through all my different music, tested low and high volumes.... listen carefully some changes in the bass, voices.... whatever!! but I could not find anything....... both options sounded exactly the same for me. I am 33 years old and I am kind of an amateur musician so my ears should be better trained than a "normal" person like my mother for example. Still I was not able to find a difference.
Before this test I did a comparison by memory and of course the SMSL stack sounded a lot better..... now I understand my brain play obscure games with me.
I still have more tests to do, I will update the thread. I know understand the matrix effect. Thanks and sorry for grammar mistakes, english is not my first language.
update:
TEST 3: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs Shanling M5s
result: NO DIFFERENCE
TEST 4: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs Xduoo XD-05
result: NO DIFFERENCE
update 2
TEST 5: Shanling M5s vs Xduoo XD-05
result: NO DIFFERENCE.... small ultra minimum difference in favor of Xduoo, may be, at hight volume
as always I listened close to 1 hour and found no difference. then, after this, for the first time in all this tests I put the volume very high, no way I could normally listen to music in this way as I would damage my hearing... and it is uncomfortable. But at this high level (I remembered the subjective tests Amir always do, and he always mentioned to test at "earing danger levels") I was able to tell a small, very small and subtle difference being the Xduoo a little better.
This was, again, very subtle and very minimal, no way I could tell both apart in a abx test. It is needed an instant switch to tell it, and also could be just a mistake of level matching.
Due to this extremely minimal difference at higher volume, I could repeat every test in this mode but:
- I will not, I want to take care of my ears
- even if I find new differences, they are so minimal than the tests are not worth.
and this difference... if it exists and not a level mistake, it is related to precision, clarity, or in other words I found that Shanling was little bit distorted compared to Xduoo. I mean, no way at all this difference has something to do with soundstage, air, space, imaging, presentation, clinical, brighter, warm bla bla bla bla bla bla
I will try to make this post short: Based on everything I have learned here, I will do my blind test with all the equipment I have. And I wanted to share it here.
Purpose: I want to confirm that every good dac is transparent and every good amp is just needed if a headphone needs more power. It is stated here almost every day but I want to convince myself with my own ears. Stop all the BS from other forums, subjetive reviewers, fancy words, etc etc.
I also was in the way of "want to upgrade to the next". But thanks god I found this forum.
Equipment to test:
- Burson Soloist SL
- SMSL SP200
- SMSL SU-8 v2
- Xduoo xd-05
- Shanling M5s
- cayin N3
- iPhone 7 plus
headphones for testing:
- Beyer Amiron Home
- Senn HD-650
Procedure:
I found this miracle:
Initially, I was watching the MC-102, but the problem of that unit is that it has a button than gets in 2 different states, so I can know which one I am listening. The pro version in the image is far more interesting, as the main unit has buttons without memory and so I can switch back and forth without knowing which one I am listening, I only can know if I see some leds (I dont use the colorful control unit, it is not necessary).
I will connect 2 devices and listen to my music, pressing the button several times so I can blindly change the source, and then want to find out if I am able to find differences. I will use my favorite music (no special testing tracks) as I consider this is what I do care to listen. the music is on ALAC 44.1/16 ripped from my own cd collection.
Every comparison will last close to 1 hour, or until I find a clear difference. I will be updating the thread with the results.
I know the volume is important and I will be matching it with my own ears. I have kind of a capable ears so I trust I will be doing quite right. I know I should be using a multimeter for this, but I dont want it to be extremely complicated (someone can teach me how to measure volts from 3.5mm connector, because I actually have a multimeter at home).
I will do one comparison per day, So I can be more effective.
TEST 1: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs SMSL SU-8 + Burson Soloist SL ( amp comparison)
SP200 is the super THX and is on the better measured units here, should be "clinical". the Soloist SL is class A amp so should be "warm"....
result: NO DIFFERENCE
after almost 1,5 hours trying to listen different songs.... I was not able to find any difference between them, with both Amiron and HD-650, both sounds great...... AMAZING
TEST 2: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs iPhone 7 plus with apple dongle
due to my first result, this time I wanted to listen a difference!! so I tried the more extreme test. My very best option agains my worst. SU-8 and SP-200 are state of the art devices and the iphone does not even have a headphone output, so I used the normal dongle.
result: NO DIFFERENCE!!!!!
Now...I am in chock... I was 2 hours trying to find something, passed through all my different music, tested low and high volumes.... listen carefully some changes in the bass, voices.... whatever!! but I could not find anything....... both options sounded exactly the same for me. I am 33 years old and I am kind of an amateur musician so my ears should be better trained than a "normal" person like my mother for example. Still I was not able to find a difference.
Before this test I did a comparison by memory and of course the SMSL stack sounded a lot better..... now I understand my brain play obscure games with me.
I still have more tests to do, I will update the thread. I know understand the matrix effect. Thanks and sorry for grammar mistakes, english is not my first language.
update:
TEST 3: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs Shanling M5s
result: NO DIFFERENCE
TEST 4: SMSL SU-8 + SMSL SP200 vs Xduoo XD-05
result: NO DIFFERENCE
update 2
TEST 5: Shanling M5s vs Xduoo XD-05
result: NO DIFFERENCE.... small ultra minimum difference in favor of Xduoo, may be, at hight volume
as always I listened close to 1 hour and found no difference. then, after this, for the first time in all this tests I put the volume very high, no way I could normally listen to music in this way as I would damage my hearing... and it is uncomfortable. But at this high level (I remembered the subjective tests Amir always do, and he always mentioned to test at "earing danger levels") I was able to tell a small, very small and subtle difference being the Xduoo a little better.
This was, again, very subtle and very minimal, no way I could tell both apart in a abx test. It is needed an instant switch to tell it, and also could be just a mistake of level matching.
Due to this extremely minimal difference at higher volume, I could repeat every test in this mode but:
- I will not, I want to take care of my ears
- even if I find new differences, they are so minimal than the tests are not worth.
and this difference... if it exists and not a level mistake, it is related to precision, clarity, or in other words I found that Shanling was little bit distorted compared to Xduoo. I mean, no way at all this difference has something to do with soundstage, air, space, imaging, presentation, clinical, brighter, warm bla bla bla bla bla bla
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