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I've got a Modius, a Modi 3, and a Hel... no 'pops' unless I've got corn in the Whirly... OK, except for the blasted ceiling fan, which pops the speakers with my unprotected amps, including Marantz 4240 and Shuguang SG-845-7... Loxjie is always good though.
I've mostly got good genes (my conclusion), and my prior known death bed appointment was avoided with a surgical intervention at age 12. I think I experienced some morphine withdrawal then, having figured it out later, not something I'd want to repeat.
Mom made it to 95, with arthritis and dementia, I don't think I'll have either of those to her degree, paternal grandfather 96, was still working and fit (minister of a real church), other grandfather and both grandmothers old, blood uncles and aunts mostly old.
Father had a lifelong leaky heart valve (bump-slurp sound), the valve replacements worked well (bump-bump sound) but the drugs to support it for 21 years took their toll on him at 76 (only missed the average by 3 years, though).
I've mostly got good genes (my conclusion), and my prior known death bed appointment was avoided with a surgical intervention at age 12. I think I experienced some morphine withdrawal then, having figured it out later, not something I'd want to repeat.
Mom made it to 95, with arthritis and dementia, I don't think I'll have either of those to her degree, paternal grandfather 96, was still working and fit (minister of a real church), other grandfather and both grandmothers old, blood uncles and aunts mostly old.
Father had a lifelong leaky heart valve (bump-slurp sound), the valve replacements worked well (bump-bump sound) but the drugs to support it for 21 years took their toll on him at 76 (only missed the average by 3 years, though).
Damn- longevity runs in your family. My Mother died at 38 of breast cancer and my Dad at 51 of a heart attack so I may be wise to take SS as early as possible.
So how do you objectively measure with music then ?
A DAC is just a waveform processor. There are other devices down the line that will be needed to get its signals to your ears ..
- a headphone amp / power amp
- a pair of headphones / speakers
So how do you objectively compare when everybody else has different devices in that chain ?
You don't really. You can use measurements to determine if something is flat out terrible, but using measurements as the sole determining factor for purchasing one item over the other is sort of redundant. Magni Heresy for example measures really well compared to the 3+, but the 3+ is Schiit's in-houst architecture, the design that they believe sounds the best real-world using a discrete output stage. The Heresy measuring trivially better doesn't mean it actually sounds better in practice.
Same goes for the Magnius vs Asgard. Aside from balanced output, the Asgard sounds more refined. They're the same price, but the Asgard is using fully discrete components with SE - fewer compromises are made on its core design compared to the Magnius. The idea that all amplifiers especially should sound near identical based on power and measurements is just comically false, this the quality of components and core architectures of a different designs can and do absolutely have an impact on the sound, even if there's minimal to no coloration. Comparing the Asgard 3 to my Magni 3+ (with Sundaras) is interesting because the Asgard 3 is audible smoother and more refined with its presentation. Less sharpness in the highs, more soundstage, and better separation. It's like comparing a $12 Bourbon to a $30 Bourbon. It still tastes like bourbon, but there's more refinement, detail, and smoothness.
I think alcohol is always a funny metaphor because in blind tastings, some cheap offerings often come out unexpectedly ahead. Expensive will not always equal better, definitely not in the audio scene that's for sure.
Key in your other statements is Schiit 'believes' their discrete stuff to have advantages in sound. None of that is really proven. It's just their marketing shtick. Multibit and discrete. Seems to work well for them..
You don't really. You can use measurements to determine if something is flat out terrible, but using measurements as the sole determining factor for purchasing one item over the other is sort of redundant. Magni Heresy for example measures really well compared to the 3+, but the 3+ is Schiit's in-houst architecture, the design that they believe sounds the best real-world using a discrete output stage. The Heresy measuring trivially better doesn't mean it actually sounds better in practice.
Same goes for the Magnius vs Asgard. Aside from balanced output, the Asgard sounds more refined. They're the same price, but the Asgard is using fully discrete components with SE - fewer compromises are made on its core design compared to the Magnius. The idea that all amplifiers especially should sound near identical based on power and measurements is just comically false, this the quality of components and core architectures of a different designs can and do absolutely have an impact on the sound, even if there's minimal to no coloration. Comparing the Asgard 3 to my Magni 3+ (with Sundaras) is interesting because the Asgard 3 is audible smoother and more refined with its presentation. Less sharpness in the highs, more soundstage, and better separation. It's like comparing a $12 Bourbon to a $30 Bourbon. It still tastes like bourbon, but there's more refinement, detail, and smoothness.
I've always enjoyed my modi multibit ( v2 ). Schiit no longer can rely on their supply of Analog Devices chips so the end has come for it. It was an excellent value for $250.
Just bored and reading this thread. I don’t understand why you’d want to distort the sound without a band or musician telling you “ Yeah, we didn’t distort it but feel free to do on your own and change the way we intended the music to sound.”
DACs or CD players with tubes is just ridiculous. It makes no logical sense. ”Let’s listen to some Steely Dan on my new tube modded SACD player!, because I guarantee those two clowns in that band forgot to realize people do in fact like distortion”
Folks…bands already add that in their mix. Like chefs add salt. You’re insulting the chef by adding too much salt to his meal. I’m done venting.
Just bored and reading this thread. I don’t understand why you’d want to distort the sound without a band or musician telling you “ Yeah, we didn’t distort it but feel free to do on your own and change the way we intended the music to sound.”
DACs or CD players with tubes is just ridiculous. It makes no logical sense. ”Let’s listen to some Steely Dan on my new tube modded SACD player!, because I guarantee those two clowns in that band forgot to realize people do in fact like distortion”
Folks…bands already add that in their mix. Like chefs add salt. You’re insulting the chef by adding too much salt to his meal. I’m done venting.
Best to stock your listening room with every available recording studio monitor and car stereo from the past 50 years and make sure you've matched it to each recording so you can hear it as each musician did during his own listening tests.
Best to stock your listening room with every available recording studio monitor and car stereo from the past 50 years and make sure you've matched it to each recording so you can hear it as each musician did during his own listening tests.
