Bake off in sunny Ilford anyone?

probably not. The last thing I want to do is spend the whole time swapping boxes. I'd rather stick pins in my eyes frankly. with this in mind I think we should strictly limit what is brought to say a couple of amps/sources. For starters, I'll leave the AR at home. The Berning is the amp we should be listening most to on the day.

 

I think it is worth hearing the DEQ for all those who say it is a bad DAC

 

I have one with the partnering 8000 mic and have difficulty detecting it in circuit when used flat - just a tad fuzzier than the direct feed. If used, it sits in the tape monitor loop and comes in handy when over EQ'd pop and dance music sets the room a boomin. I also use it to correct material where the studio team have either been half asleep, under the influence of various substances or just plain deaf before recording to open reel tape (Revox B77). The thing is incredibly cheap for what it does.

 

Well I know a lot of people think it is a sh*t DAC. WM for one I thought it was good for the money but with the simple mod I have done so far it is truly amazing. and.. it can only get better with an improved PSU

I use mine as the DAC so I give it a digital feed. If I were to use the analogue inputs I would mod these in a similar way. Perhaps you could bring yours along for an a/b comparison? I have deactivated the main outputs on mine now. Use them both purely as a DAC.

The main difference I noticed was much less distortion. The normal output stage has quite a bit I found. When I got a Django it really unveiled it and I found the distortion annoying.

 

I'm taking delivery of a rather nice Sony CDP X3000ES Cd player next week which has coax outputs so I'll try a direct digital feed into the DEQ. My regular Naim player has no digital out.

Bringing it along could be a problem as I'm taking the train and perhaps it would be better to do a separate session for it. Trying out all the different setting and methods for measuring the room can take a wee while

you can read my thoughts on the machine and those of some other PF bods here:

http://www.pinkfishmedia.net/forum/showthread.php?t=16710&highlight=DEQ2496

Rob.

 

As I said, use them purely as a DAC. Just to hear the sound quality. The other things are 'free' lol. I think the modded DEQ I have at the moment competes with anything below £5K. I can only guess at what the PSU upgrade will do. Only downside is it must be used with a passive transformer based preamp. But to me that’s no downside, they are the best anyway

I would hold a bake-off myself when I do the other mods but my room is only big enough for two people!

 

Hi,

It's has the S&B transformers.

SCIDB

 

By all acounts your diet has been a great success. Taking nothing away from that, the thought of you prancing about in a leotard still seems a mistake! Don't do it julian!!!

 

Brave words Tenson. Brave words.

 

Have to say, having been there and done that, very brave words indeed young Simon

 

I only said I think it does. You will be there to have a listen though, right? Think of this though - How many £5k DACs use an output stage that costs over £240 in parts? As that is about what the S&B transformers cost. With a PSU upgrade as well I see no reason it is 'brave'

by the way, its not a competition, you can make up your own mind.

 

I've yet to hear ANY CDP/DAC with transformers or Valve stages that sounds as good as the hype that surrounds them. A fully discrete stage far outperforms them, (when correctly implimented)
The colourations are just far too much too take captain

 

I have removed my past messages and this one as now you changed what you said it really puts the whole thing out of context

 

Or the vast majority of customers Simon, please don;t foget to add that little snippet

 

I can see another internet myth building up.

 

Wm is full of them.

 

Of course it's not a competition - I haven't made any claims at all. TBH I'm just looking forward to the music and the company. Oh and the samosas!

But how many £5K dacs have you tried recently in your system at home?

 

I think it will need to spread it's wings a little Neil before we start to worry ;-)

 

Samosas? Room for a little (but hungry) one?

 

There's always room for one more Nick. If nothing else, I'd like to see what happens when you and S&M are in the same room .

Just rememeber, we all like a clean fight .