Click to view our Accessibility Statement or contact us with accessibility-related questions
Showing 1 of 8 conversations about:
dmh125
13
Jun 5, 2019
bookmark_border
RayFI love comments like these. Digital is digital, right? It's all 1s and 0s and therefore different devices cannot possibly make any difference to sound quality.
Trust me, I used to be firmly in the "digital is digital" camp, until I finally got some decent gear about 7 years ago and actually TRIED it. I was absolutely stunned. USB cables make a difference - a large difference. Who woulda thought? Same with SPDIF cables. These cables are supposed to be transmitting 1s and 0s and it's not that hard, right? Wrong. There is no error correction and a lot of jitter (distortion) does indeed occur from source to destination.
Devices like these clean things up dramatically so that, instead of your sample being 20 notches off target, it is only 5 (I'm making these values up BTW, I don't know what they actually are). Anyone with average or above hearing would hear the difference as more detail, clarity, slam, and imaging focus. The music sounds more alive and "holographic" which, at least for me, adds immense enjoyment to the listening experience. This is the benefit of cleaning up the digital stream, which is what this device does.
The USB inputs on most mainstream DACs is sufficient but not great. Of course this will depend on the manufacturer of the specific device. They simply do not spend the money necessary to clean things up - they spend the money on the DAC portion, and rightfully so. THIS is why a device like this exists. If you actually TRIED a device like this just once with decent cables, you would quickly realize that going "source > U16 > DAC" (for example) sounds noticeably, and sometimes dramatically, better than "source > DAC". If you are using sh!tty cables, or you are listening on your FIIO $60 DAC using headphones you picked up at Best Buy (or heck, even computer speakers) then you probably wouldn't notice much, if any, difference. Once you start getting into the hobby and ACTUALLY TRYING things you THINK are impossible, all of a sudden you realize that you were wrong all along. Trust me, I learned this 7 years ago, and I'm simply passing it on.
I respect the opinions of those that can't (or won't) hear the difference that can be had on the digital side of things. But to sit there in the back of the cave in complete darkness, yelling at me to get my stupid arse back in the cave because sunlight can't possibly exist, while I'm basking in the beautiful warm sunlight, I definitely take issue with. Just like I don't ridicule you for your tastes in food, knowing that everyone tastes differently, you should not ridicule others who hear things differently than you do, and can EASILY hear the benefits of a device such as this.
For the record, my current audio chain is: PC > Gustard U16 > Topping D50 (with linear power supply) > Liquid Spark > Audeze LCD-X. I joined the April drop for the THX 789 amp and it will be coming in August.
Have a nice day. I won't be checking the status of my comment since "enough said."
RayF
22218
Jun 5, 2019
bookmark_border
dmh125I don't dispute your argument in theory, it's jut that for every item "x" they come up with, there is an item x^2 right behind it. In terms of money potentially spendable, there is no upside limit. And for all of that, there is still the quality of the source material to consider. Someday all of the variables will be worked out and standardized. Till then, hope you have extra closet space--you're going to need it ;- )
Related Products
Drop Refurbished
Like-new products you can trustDrop Rewards
Get $5 for every 500 points you earn! Learn more
Drop Keyboard Club
Become a member and expand your keycap collectionCollaborate With Us
For Brands & DesignersFollow Drop