What external DAC to improve the Ultra?

[Smartplug]

lol

Afraid? I don’t bite. lol

 

[timfrommass]

Afraid? I don’t bite. lol

Yea I’m a little afraid to go to some weirdo’s house who fabricates stories to try and win internet debates.

If you really want to prove your golden ear take a video and be done with it. You won’t. It’s fine.

 

[Smartplug]

Yea I’m a little afraid to go to some weirdo’s house who fabricates stories try and win internet debates.

If you really want to prove your golden ear take a video and be done with it. You won’t. It’s fine.

This tells me you’re not confident to face me and afraid of loosing. Let’s meet face to face and do blind folded. This will settle this once and for all. Are you up for a challenge?

 

[timfrommass]

This tells me you’re not confident to face me and afraid of loosing. Let’s meet face to face and do blind folded. This will settle this once and for all. Are you up for a challenge?

No I’m not “up for a challenge” I didn’t claim to do anything. You made this wild claim. Burden of proof is on you.

There’s an easy way to do it that doesn’t involve me going out of my way to meet an internet weirdo. Just do it if you’re so hot to prove your point. I’ll wait.

 

[Smartplug]

No I’m not “up for a challenge” I didn’t claim to do anything. You made this wild claim. Burden of proof is on you.

There’s an easy way to do it that doesn’t involve me going out of my way to meet an internet weirdo. Just do it if you’re so hot to prove your point. I’ll wait.

Afraid? Your non believer so I’m here to prove you wrong otherwise face the challenge. Chicken!

 

[timfrommass]

Afraid? Your non believer so I’m here to prove you wrong otherwise face the challenge. Chicken!

lol the only one afraid here is you. You know you can’t prove what you’re claiming, you know there’s virtually zero chance that we live remotely close to each other, and you know there’s zero chance I’m going to the home of an internet weirdo. So you know that there’s no way you’ll be forced to prove your claim, because I know there’s zero chance you’ll have someone take a video of you doing it. Because you can’t, and you didn’t. You made it up.

I’m very done now.

 

[Smartplug]

lol the only one afraid here is you. You know you can’t prove what you’re claiming, you know there’s virtually zero chance that we line remotely close to each other, and you know there’s zero chance I’m going to the home of an internet weirdo. So you know that there’s no way you’ll be forced to prove your claim, because I know there’s zero chance you’ll have someone take a video of you doing it. Because you can’t, and you don’t. You made it up.

I’m very done now.

You know what I don’t like is all talk no action like yourself. You said in controlled environment you can’t tell difference. I disagree with you and willing to do this blindfold in practice and not in theory. This is why I want to settle this face to face to prove you wrong.

 

[adias]

@WiiM Team : Is there a moderator around here?!?

 

[freaknout]

This just shows there's as-yet-unmeasurable qualities to real music in real space. Digital has come a long way since it was "perfected" in 1982 but it still lacks the immediacy and reality of a good analog front end. Maybe it's a symmetry of coils translating wiggles into current that's then sent to more coils to create more wiggles (soundwaves).
I'll miss this when I move next year but my digital system is close enough to be involving & satisfying.

View attachment 12486

I recognise those shoes!

 

[Aquarius]

What do you think makes them sound different?

Better DAC-chip with even better analog output-stage. Better powersupply and a true balanced differential topology would also make a difference.

The Ultra has en extraordinary value for money and good sound, but to say that it its impossible to make a better DAC is nonsense. Both the Pro and Pro Plus had very good measurements aswell, but the Ultra is better than both of them.

 

[QuarryHunslet]

@WiiM Team : Is there a moderator around here?!?

Yes, there is.

 

[Kiddwad57]

That article of Archmago’s really is pretty cool and may be useful…

 

[alpha_zulu]

That article of Archmago’s really is pretty cool and may be useful…

I read it yesterday. It‘s long but very interesting!

 

[harkpabst]

... and a true balanced differential topology would also make a difference.

This is one fine example.

Does a balanced connection sound better than an unbalanced connection? No, it doesn't. But depending on the entire surrounding, other equipment in the chain and even nearby devices not related to audio at all (but causing interference) it can make a clearly audible difference to the better.

My electronic lighter causes a pulse that interferes with the coaxial connection between my TV and my fully digital amplifier!

 

[Kiddwad57]

I read it yesterday. It’s long but very interesting!

Yes, indeed! I re-read it and for others who may be interested, the summary sorts it out fairly succinctly. That jump from the $10 dac to the $2k dac, never mind the $20k dac, is pretty huge and I’m looking forward to a more real world comparison that includes the $200 - $500 dollar range.

I’m curious as to what a two party, blindfolded dac showdown would look like as a scene in a movie…agreeing on the equipment, the source, the recorded material. The cables. The operator. Sweaty foreheads with blindfolds. What drama!

 

[onlyoneme]

You could never tell the difference in a blind test between two well designed dacs or amplifiers. This kind of thing has been proven and is academic at this point to anyone who chooses to accept science

Let's focus on your previous statement:
"But if it measures well it’ll sound the same as the rest of the perfect sounding dacs"
Why do you expect two well measuring DACs to sound the same?

two well designed dacs

What is it? How are they defined?

This kind of thing has been proven

Really? Where?

and is academic at this point to anyone who chooses to accept science

Sort of argumentum ad verecundiam in eristic, don't you think?

 

[adias]

Let's focus on your previous statement:
"But if it measures well it’ll sound the same as the rest of the perfect sounding dacs"
Why do you expect two well measuring DACs to sound the same?


What is it? How are they defined?


Really? Where?


Sort of argumentum ad verecundiam in eristic, don't you think?

We should not feed thes posts. I bet most of these people do not understand the incomplete modeling math behind SINAD, THD, IMD, etc. They have no clue that a sparsely populated measurement matrix leaves a ton of information out. Very much like saying that a 0-60 MPH time defines a performance car.

 

[Mr Ee]

Very much like saying that a 0-60 MPH time defines a performance car.

Have you never played "Top Trumps"?

 

[MrMan]

This tells me your ear is lacking in structure of hearing things. They surely do you can google this subjective reviews from people who owned both. I have 3 akm and 3 ess blind folded 50 times zero error I can guess which one.

Can you describe the characteristics of each and which ‘sound signature’ you prefer?

 

[merifon]

Why do you expect two well measuring DACs to sound the same?

Someone could ask: "Why do you expect they should sound so different to make you sure really detect?
Especially if the comparison takes ages to switch from one to another device and get the same track listening point...