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What electronic audio products you want tested most

What electronics audio product you like to see tested more

  • Power and Integrated Amplifiers

    Votes: 633 55.2%
  • Headphone Amplifiers

    Votes: 181 15.8%
  • Home Theater AVRs

    Votes: 307 26.8%
  • Home Theater Processors

    Votes: 199 17.3%
  • DACs

    Votes: 349 30.4%
  • Streamers

    Votes: 262 22.8%
  • Combo DAC and Headphone Amplifiers

    Votes: 236 20.6%
  • Phono preamp

    Votes: 106 9.2%
  • DSP (digital signal processors)

    Votes: 379 33.0%
  • Vintage audio products

    Votes: 269 23.5%

  • Total voters
    1,147

BobbyTimmons

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Measuring speakers is much more involved. Most likely would have to be done outside in the air 10 ft or so to eliminate ground plane reflection. So time of year depending on where you live would be a problem then there shipping it’s not that bad shipping amp or dac sized dimensions. Getting into tower speakers size and weight would cost a few hundred one way.
Sure, speakers would be the most difficult to test (and I wouldn't know how, personally) - but they are also the most decisive component in any hi-fi system. So...
 

Grandzoltar

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Sure, speakers would be the most difficult to test (and I wouldn't know how, personally) - but they are also the most decisive component in any hi-fi system. So...
Agreed I love seeing graphed frequency plots on different axis. Not very many sites do objective tests. With how big ASR is getting Amirm might have to source a speaker guy to take up that challenge. But he offers this valuable service just on donations. I tip my hat to him it’s very commendable what Amirm does for the hi fi community.
 

BobbyTimmons

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Agreed I love seeing graphed frequency plots on different axis. Not very many sites do objective tests. With how big ASR is getting Amirm might have to source a speaker guy to take up that challenge. But he offers this valuable service just on donations. I tip my hat to him it’s very commendable what Amirm does for the hi fi community.
Although I only just started posting today, I've been reading here for ages, and it's a great forum.

The only thing is - I'm not sure differences between different DACs are actually audible? In my opinion, the main thing for a DAC is its reliability (how long it lasts) and its connections.

On the other hand, for speakers - the important thing is how it sounds, as there are vast audible differences between different speakers, and that is where we would benefit from some help.
 
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Gringoaudio1

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The value of testing older equipment is not so much to romanticise, but to get an idea of whether it makes sense to replace them with something of more recent design, or not. My hunch is that for example modern amplifiers may include more modern manufacturing technology but do not necessarily deliver better sound quality, since many older designs were already good enough.
Here in the Netherlands, and I am sure in the UK as well, Quad amplifiers have always been very popular with those who were looking for sensible designs that delivered excellent performance for a quite reasonable price. Since they were largely built from discrete components they can still be maintained/refurbished without too much difficulty , so there are still many around. Therefore, the question is whether it still makes sense to use them, or do more modern designs offer increased sound quality. I am sure the same question can be asked with a number of North American or Japanese designs. My parents for example had a Luxman R50 receiver: how does if compare with more modern designs?
I’d love to know how good my old Hafler stuff is compared to my snooty friend’s NAIM is!
 

Grandzoltar

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There is an article floating around here at what point is distortion audible. It’s not about wether the dac sounds different. It’s about how it stays true to the source. So when it converts the signal it does not add any distortion to the sound. If I make a 3,000 dollar investment it’s going to be on something that measures extremely well audible or not. It’s surprising how many companies get away with these mediocre measurements.
 

pozz

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Is there no way to test speakers? - as speakers are possibly the most important component of a hi-fi's sound?
There is a speaker testing system made by Klippel which the forum is slowly funding with donations. Given that it will cost at least $70k to install it's going to take a while before those kinds of reviews appear.

We have several member who are very capable of creating reliable loudspeaker measurements using their own rigs. We could try to organize something informally.
 

fairx

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Apr 17, 2019
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I vote for Dac, headphone amp and combination of both.

However there's no DAP vote option? This is what I want most since there's so many portable player out there and very little information, most reviewer resort to simple subjective valuation instead.

I live in remote area and there's no source of audition unless I go to capital city (KL) or neighbors Singapore. Buying solely online without knowing much about is a huge gamble for me.

But at least I have a good (reference) example of desktop combo at home already, thanks to ASR (topping D10 and Jdslabs O2)
 

Blur

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Anyone out there willing to supply Amirm with an Ayer QB-9 DAC? This DAC is often referenced as the best DAC regardless of cost by many professionals.
 

Ivanovich

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Hopefully, we’ll be seeing the Hypex Fusion Amp reviewed very soon!

For those unfamiliar, the Fusion Amp is extremely capable plate amp, with built in mono, 2- or 3-way; analog XLR and RCA in, ADC; digital in via AES, RCA, Toslink; DSP for XO and PEQ; DAC; and Class D amp functions, all built in.

What measurements would be of interest to you for this sort of kit?
 

dejv

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Since it's not an alternative in the vote, I would like to add that I'm really interested in DAC's with integrated preamps, and even though I selected "Power and Integrated Amplifiers", I'm only interested in the former.
 

VMAT4

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Very interested in a write up of the NAD C658.
 

phoenixdogfan

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There is a speaker testing system made by Klippel which the forum is slowly funding with donations. Given that it will cost at least $70k to install it's going to take a while before those kinds of reviews appear.

We have several member who are very capable of creating reliable loudspeaker measurements using their own rigs. We could try to organize something informally.
Obviously, not as long as you thought!
 

phoenixdogfan

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I'd like to see the Dutch & Dutch 8cs, the Kii 3s, the JBL 4367s, the Gradient 1.4s and the Revel Performa 228Be's tested. One of those will be my endgame I'll wager.
 
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