I realize that this video is 1.5 years old and many of your target audience is younger and more constrained in terms of budget. I am 70, have been an audiophile for 55 years and have cycled through a ridiculous amount of gear. Interestingly, my current system follows your formula with $10k each for amp and speakers, and $2k each for turntable, streamer and DAC. My main source is Roon streaming through an innuos Zen MkIII, a Denafrips Pontus II DAC, into a Luxman L509x feeding Magico A3s. This is by a large margin the best sounding system I have ever owned, and superb in ways I never experienced before. My last system used a PrimaLuna EVO 400, Focal Kanta 2s, and a Chord TT2/MScaler combo, and while good, it allocated way too much for the digital source. Thanks for the masterful reviews and I hope your subscriber growth continues apace.
I've watched a handful of Tarun's videos and they were fine, but this one really stands out for me. I think this broad-subject video is the best overview of sources I've ever seen. Now I need to go watch the speaker and amplifier overviews. Thank you Tarun!
Thank you Andy. That is extremely kind of you to say. You may also want to take a look at my video on speaker setup if you haven’t already. It is an important aspect to get right and is part of a series. ruclips.net/video/VHOYXjVJKKY/видео.html
Greetings from Boston! Big fan of your videos! Bought Rega P3 + Ortofon 2M Black and Chord Mojo + iPhone 12 Pro Max + Amazon Music HD 24bit/192kHz as my analog and digital front ends and very very happy!
I love your videos, Tarun. I'm not an engineer but you've got a knack for explaining things in a way that won't be off-putting to technical folks, but is understandable to beginners. Well done. Cheers! Tom
Excellent advice as always. When I got started 35+ years ago, I had a source (then a cassette deck), a receiver, and...very good (for the time). headphones. This allowed me to save up and get much better speakers than I would have been able to afford earlier, as they are certainly the most important component. Today, I would advise people to buy a better used turntable than you could afford new. There are a lot out there, and this would start you on the ladder a few steps up.
Totally agree that turntable purchase is a long term relationship. I've had my Linn LP 12 and Ittok since 1987! But the sub chassis has been upgraded twice, the bearing twice, PSU upgraded and the Ittok has had new ceramic bearings and complete rewiring. The Linn is modular and therefore great as you can start at below £1000 and upgrade.
Yep speakers first, since the speaker/room integration is key to a good sound and no changes to electrical components will help you if you have the wrong speaker in the wrong room
More than that, ported/sealed speakers have one category of sound vs those of us who love omnidirectional/open baffle/bipole/dipole speakers. And selection of speaker influences your amp choice.
Really enjoying your insight and presentation style. As a young man I cut my teeth on Leak, Heybrook, Quad & Technics products, some 40 years on I have again become interested in Hi fi and your videos are helping me understand the current landscape. Ironically my first investment will probably be in hearing aids so I can again hear the nuances of specific products. Keep it coming !
Hello Tarun, I have watched this several times over the years and found the commentary on DACs very interesting, namely the rate of technology changing and the 80/20 rule. It would be interesting one day to see an update on this subject to see if you feel things ave evolved since. All the best, John
I bought a Project 6 turntable in '94 as part of a hi fi system that include an Audiolab 8000A and Hi Fi worlds KLS3. I still have the Project 6, I use it now with a Hegal Rost/Quad Z2 set up using a Goldring 1042 cartride and Rega PS. The marriage analogy is very true!
A turntable has been a constant since my first system in 1978. Garrards and Pro-jects have been my choice. I've always based my systems around the amplifier, as that's the heart of a system. The speakers are the soul of your bundles. Dacs are little contentious with me. Generally speaking, unless you're willing to spend fortunes, they are a much of a muchness. The major benefit of Dacs is the flexibility to connect multiple sources. I only use my Dac to connect the TV to the amp. My current system: Leema Pulse MK1 Dali Rubicon 2 Exposure CD 2010 Pro-ject Classic with a ClearAudio Concept MM cartridge Cambridge DacMagic 100 Cables are also contentious: Merlin Chopin I/C (Amp to CDP) Atlas Equator 2.0 speaker cables The rest are Chord Crimsons and an ancient set of Chord Chrysalis. You can see where I prioritise my components.
Fantastic advice. At present I have: Naim Uniti Atom and Focal Aria 926 speakers. I like the convenience of the streaming but miss my CD's but more importantly to me the Romance and different sound of Records. To expand my system I have just ordered an Audio Lab 6000CDT. Once I can audition a Turntable I will be looking at the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO with the Project Phono Box DS2 (Returning back to Vinyl after 20+ years). Thank you for enlightening us with your knowledge and experience.
Really well put together, comprehensive overview. I had approached my system in a similar manner, searching for a dac that was well reviewed but not overpriced. Had settled on an Airist R2r, which had a bit of controversy from what I found out later...measured poorly, but really love it. Made a big difference from the cheaper dac I was using. My system hovers in the 1k (retail US) zone, and am primarily digital.
Hi John, most R2R DACs don’t measure well due to producing higher levels of distortion. The reality is that the distortion is still most likely within acceptable limits. Once you get THD+N down to below 0.1% it gets pretty meaningless. The nature of the THD is more important. I bet your DAC has mostly 2nd order harmonic distortion and it is below the threshold where it matters. That is why it sounds so good. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 That’s what I remember reading relative to R2R’s, that those second order harms actually give it that pleasing distortion or “analog” nature. Same reason -in part -why the amps made by Nelson Pass sound so good. A down-the-road dream to get one of those as well! Thanks again 🙏🏼
Great advice thanks. I've been away from HiFi for years and went into AV at the budget end many years ago. Bored of my music sound through AV I bought a second hand Roksan K2 amp with a processor input for the pre out of the AV. Then my wharfedale 10.1 speakers were struggling with bass. So bought some wharfedale 230 floorstanders from a local friend. My old Arcam CD62 started playing up so changed to a Marantz CD6007 (first new component in years). Then I wanted to add a DAC and went with a Topping E30 (you should review this, for £110 its blown my mind). My Old REL Q150 sub via high level to the K2 has come alive, I dont hear it its just an extension of my floorstanders. The sound out of this rag tag collection is actually amazing especially with Hi Res on Qobuz using Bit Perfect via the Topping and the new CD player, I keep listening to favourite CDs hearing things I've never heard before. I cannot believe how far HiFi sound has come in 20 years or so. I keep looking at my speakers though, but when you integrate 5.1 keeping the surround signature linear is important, maybe the Wharfedale Evo 4.4s are next on my list. I will be having a demo on those though first.
Another great video Tarun. It’s food for thought for me. I’m at the point of potentially upgrading CD, Amp and speakers in one go. I do stream, but CD is my preferred medium. Was looking at £1.4K cd, £2k amp and £4.5k speakers. Might have to rethink the CD now……
Thank you Neil. This video was intended for beginners with entry level systems. As the budget goes up the ratio can change based on the use case scenario. However, the overall objective is the same, to get everything in your system to the same level of performance 😊
About DACs, I totally agree, I think a good reference is what manufacturers are implementing in their integrated amplifiers. Usually they put a lot more budget into their amps and in particular the preamplifier components to work around the inherent shortcomings of the chip. Why should you do it very different as a consumer? I also was really thinking about trying an R2R dac and felt that I needed to make a choice here between natural sound with distortion (and smoother more 3 d presentation) vs a more 2d presentation with more detail and resolution. My conclusion (as still a young audiophile finding my way) was the same. First it is just not worth the investment. Chip dacs will improve a lot over the next years, especially with this renewed interest in R2R, they will further up their game and AI seems to be also very promising in this respect. Second, with respect to R2R and their acclaimed more natural/analogue sound you could also easily solve that by adding a decent (tube) pre amplifier to make it sound smoother and more holographic and than you keep the resolution. This might be a little bit more expensive in the short term, I say little because R2R dacs are inherently more expensive than their chip counter parts, but in terms of longevity this is certainly the more economical choice. As you say it your equipment (amps and speakers/headphones) has a much bigger impact on the sound. In the end this whole DAC R2R vs Chip discussion is mainly fuelled by ChiFi companies sending there products to YT channels. They want you to keep on investing in their greatest and latest and I don’t blame them, they are making great products and dacs are cheaper than ever. But I also noticed that on forums and in comment sections the focus is a lot on the sound of these dacs standalone. They almost never talk about how they match with their equipment, in particular which preamplifier synergies they notice. I think the value of pre amplifiers in this respect is underestimated, especially in terms of longevity.
Thank you Gerard for watching and your insightful comments. This is exactly the kind of discussion I was hoping for as it would help better inform newcomers in understanding choices. 😊👍
I always look forward to your well thought out and helpful videos on this hobby. Regarding turntables- over the years I’ve been through Older Thorens models (TD-145 & TD-160) and the Rega Planar 3. It’s tempting to purchase used models, however, the amount of knowledge and precision required to achieve a good set-up never allowed me to really hear the benefits of vinyl. It wasn’t until I purchased a new Fluance RT-84 with a cartridge already fit which required minimal adjustments that I achieved a satisfying result. Additionally, regarding streamers, replacing my Mac-mini running bit perfect with a lower cost dedicated streamer with a built-in DAC provided immediate improvements. It really surprised me that the dedicated circuitry of a streamer could result in much greater transparency streaming Tidal. Cheers!
Excellent. Back in September 2021... my audio technica table stopped working. In all honesty... I'm happy it did. Lol I swore never buy a plastic, low budget table again. I went shopping for a table that I'd hope would last 10+years. Went with technics 1200gr. I don't know enough about DACs to know how their technology will change. I thought yrs ago...there's no where else for phones to go lol. So, I'm hesitant to spend $2000+ on a dac. But, I probably will at some point.
Great vid! Looks like ya hit another one outta the park. My main source is my turntable, and since I bought it about 10 - 12 or so yrs ago, I’ve slowly done a ton of mods and upgrades to it taking it to entirely new sonic levels. I somewhat recently bought a newer but very similar turntable, but actually kinda prefer my older one. Now that I’ve also upgraded the rest of my system over time, I’m finally pleased with my rig and lack my previous “upgraditis” at least for now, but I’m certainly not done with my HiFi journey as of yet. It’s too much fun. Thanks, Tarun!
Sorry, I meant to also mention the costs of certain parts of my system, since that’s what this vid is about. I spent aprox 1/3rd of the total cost of my system on my speakers, a bit more than 1/3rd on my amp and preamps, and a bit less than the other 3rd on my turntable, including upgrades, and misc things like cartridges, cables, etc. That certainly didn’t happen overnight either. I’ve also spent probably more than my entire system’s value on vinyl over the past 25-30 yrs. It seems like speakers have come a long way in getting the most bang for your buck over the past 10 yrs or so, and it’s luckily somewhat difficult to buy a truly awful pair of speakers. The same seems to be the case as far as DACs go, as you mentioned.
Great subject matter Tarun. Got back into audio a few years ago and decided to spend decent money on each component and hope that once and for all I don't need to upgrade....so far so good.
The information about the CD player just saved me a bund of money! I was seriously considering putting out for the Audiolab 6000 CDT. But if I can get away with a 100€ BluRay Player using the optical digital output into the Audiolab 6000a play - well, why not!
Wonderful recommendation on said Rega P3 ( it’s the one in which I’ve mentioned to friends as the best place to start......, and stop in some cases ) DAC which those made by Pro-Ject | Aune are highly recommended | I tend to lead others towards using Mac Mini’s or a Bluesound Node 2i used as music server type of devices, as investing $2.600 on a dedicated server like an Aurender or Lumin, in some homes isn’t likely to be a reality. Good one as always......, keep them coming.
Good info mate , i just bought a cd player a denon dcd600ne 32 bit nice sound out of it for 250 quid , was using my dvd player for a while which sounded phenomenal compared to the old sony cd i had , got a pretty good amp and speakers built bespoke 100 watt and 50 watt a side speakers also built by the same man sounding very nice indeed :)
Wow, DAC....a very well covered topic. Im new to zero's & one's. I have a question, that hopefully you can shine some light on: Previously, I always had cd player hooked up directly to preamp. Now I recently purchased Cambridge Audio Azur 851N (love the British hifi). I noticed that this unit still had digital out(s). The streamer already has built in DAC & superior performance....so why there would be a need for additional digital outputs? I mean...does it ever end😃? Thank you in advance.
It never ends Arek but everybody has to draw a line somewhere. The digital outs are so you can connect external DACs of even better quality. Check out my review about the Denafrips Ares II. That would be the kind of external DAC to consider if you wanted to upgrade in time. 😊👍 ruclips.net/video/bb-O8JF24PI/видео.html
Hi Tarun, I totally agree with starting with the two turntable manufacturers you have mentioned for reasons you've said. We are living in very special times as far as cost affective hifi that is of high quality is concerned. DAC's are a good example with the Mojo and even the Qutest. I have the 2Qute and as old as it is, it is still an amazing DAC to start with and holds up well against affordable DAC's. There are a multitude of speakers under 2000 that are simply breathtaking at this price bracket from the likes of Klipch, Wharfedale, KEF, Dali, Focal etc and they are just a small selection of great manufacturers. Even though I have a CD player I totally agree with what you've said about that format, but I would still add a fine external DAC to tweak the sound to my liking. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Tarun and I'll look forward to your next video. Oh and well done for getting 18000 subscribers in 1 year. Brilliant effort.
Thank you Steve, much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights. It was exactly the kind of feedback I wanted from audiophiles to benefit newcomers. 😊👍
Excellent trilogy Tarun, many thanks and I'm sure any newcomers to the Audiophile / HiFi world will greaty benefit from your 100% accurate 'Tips' trilogy. As I've mentioned before I'm a true vintage person and when I put my system together in the late 80's the rule of thumb I followed was ca. 40-50% of the total cost on speakers, 30-40% on amplification and the rest on source. It stood me well at that time although a couple of recent upgrades (like a second amplifier to Bi-Amp and the superb Rega P3 have upset the financial balance a little, but certainly not the audio balance.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I agree with 90% of what you said. The only thing is that a CD player really just isn’t a CD player based on what kind of DAC it has in it or it’s connections to an amplifier much like conventional blu ray or DVD players. My point is that high end CD players have a different information retrieval system. An example is Cyrus audio with its servos technology. What it does is that it gathers all the information off the cd right away without using any error correction system, which as we know any auto correct or error correction systems do cause sound anomalies and timing issues in your music. Mainly though, these high end CD players are more noticeable in a high end headphone system, not so much to the outward listener. I’m a headphone guy and it is mainly because I can achieve a very elite listening experience for a fraction of the price of what most loud speakers setups cost to do correctly with no shortcuts. Anyway. I love your channel and I think you are a very savvy listener. Appreciate you, brother. Thank you for listening. :)
Thank you Nephilim. Good points well made. The PS Audio transport stores the data in a buffer. This video is aimed at beginners. They shouldn’t be concerned with going out and getting fancy CD transports and just use their Blu-Ray player. It makes a decent transport. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 you are absolutely right. Taking of course the economical route for beginners the blu ray transport for outward listening is the best bet for the dollar. Anyhow, just a side note I wanted to tell you just how much I love the cyrus CD i complete with the PSXR-2 (unique intelligent power supply.) One of my most beloved audio pieces that compliment my headphone rig. :)
Great video! Some mobiles phones have really good DACs as well and can play 24b FLACS without any issues in case you would like to connect them to an integrated amp.
Hi Tarun I only discovered your channel recently, I really like your clear and friendly delivery. I play mostly vinyl (on my pro-ject 2xperience with 2M bronze) through KEF LS50 speakers. The rest of my system is vintage Meridian - 551 amp and 506.24 CD player (all recently serviced and recapped). I was interested by your comments re DAC’s - would the DAC in my 506.24 still stand up to modern equipment? Could I improve it with an external DAC?
Thank you Mike. Very nice system you have there. The 506.24 was a great CD Player in it’s day. I am sure that the modern equivalent will no doubt be better. As you are probably aware, there is a lot more to the sound of a cd payer, or DAC for that matter, than the digital part. It would be interesting to see at what level you would need to pitch things to notice an improvement. If it was me, I would look at something like a Denafrips Ares II or a Chord Quetest and see how it sounds 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, I acquired a Chord Mojo DAC... it took a bit of work to equalise the gain through my Meridian 551 but I can now do direct A-B testing direct from the 506.24 onboard DAC and through the Mojo. I’ve tried various CD’s and I honestly can’t tell the DACs apart. It’s not what I expected at all! It could be my ears not being fine-tuned or experienced enough to be fair. Or maybe the speakers or room setup masks any subtle difference. My vinyl setup still sounds better to my ears but the CD is still very good. So contrary to your recent DAC roundup (the one with the Mojo, Qutest and Denafrips Ares) my 20 year old Meridian appears equal to or perhaps better than the Mojo!
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes! But you said in the video that DACs have advanced so much more than speakers, turntables and amps (which are mature technology) that even quite modest modern DACs will wipe the floor with DACs from even quite recently. So what gives!? Or (more likely) what have I misunderstood?
@@voxish99 DAC have definitely improved a lot. Especially at the budget end. The fact that a £399 DAC today is as good as the DAC in a CD Player costing thousands from years ago illustrates that pretty well.
From my teaching and experience, concentrate your money, on parts that transform energy, mechanical to electrical and visa-versa (turntables and speakers). Changing energy will always be the weak link. While I have digital sources, analog provides the most satisfaction for me. One of the best ways to get best bang for the buck is stylus shape. For example, the ortofon 2m red is pretty cheap and the 2m black multiple times more in price with the same motor. While it may seem crazy to spend so much more for the same motor, the better stylus shape tracks the grooves so much better, the cost difference actually makes alot of sense. It can bring performance closer to the performance of a moving coil cartridge without having to spend more for the cartridge, preamp, etc. Can you get a moving coil for similar price of the 2M black? Yes but it will not have as good of a stylus shape or refined motor and you can't replace the stylus in a moving coil cartridge like you can on a moving magnet cartridge. Regarding digital, I have a computer that I have converted to a music server with a high end audio card. It allows you up-sample which tends to minimize pre-ringing, the most annoying part of digital sources. It can also play pretty much any digital format. While not as good as my friends lampizator dac, it is not embarrassing either. And as I said, analog is more important to me than digital. Your point about having a balanced system is key. Maximize musicality first. And that means to listen to what sounds most like music to your ears, no one elses. Good and accurate thoughts. Thank you.
Enjoying your videos Tarun! Spending a lot of money on a turntable? I used to have the Revox direct drive turntable - now succeeded by a Pro-ject Classic with Ortofon MC cartridge. A good source component and I must have some 200 albums. Then the question: how often did I listen to it over the past couple of months? The digits on one hand suffice as I am happy with my discrete ladder DAC- Holo Audio Spring - attached to a MacMini, Roon software, connected to ATC pre amplifier and active 50s. You are right with the ‘diminishing returns’ and that your basis should be of a sufficient quality. I think my turntable meets the brief there and is enjoyable when called upon. Vinyl experience is just very different to digital.
Hi Tarun very well explained indeed. In the case of DACS there seems to be a sea change with the coming of Chinese players like Aune,Toppings ,Denafrips in to the market.Just superb products they offer for much less money.
Excellent and to the point. A google chromcast audio puck into a sml and a decent CD player or transport could be a good set up for my budget limit. But like you say that trickle down tech in a few years could be really interesting.
On my journey into digital a Chromecast Audio was my second step after Bluetooth from my phone. It was a revelation. However looking at even an inexpensive dac/streamer was leaps ahead of the the Chromecast. If I were you I'd check out something like the Raspberry Pi based Allo Digital Boss. You can even cast to it from your phone. For much less than £200 you will open the doors to a new world. When I first used that device I was using an old pair of Sony home theatre speakers and the improvement in imaging, separation and even bass response was very significant indeed. I now have a pair of active speakers that cost, new, well over £1000 and the Allo was a great match - to my ears and brain at least!
I agree with Justin. Not all DACs are equal nor can age be the criteria. My oldest DAC is a DPA Bigger Bit. Allied to a TEAC/Esoteric transport of yesteryear-- they were sold under both brand names-it gives my system one higher end much more setup a run for the money or more correctly the sound. As usual it is the music that matters not the tech. Tarun, I enjoy your videos no matter the subject.
Very good advice. I tested on same system, Linn akurate DS from 2011 (streamer/dac) vs Macbook pro+audirvana+RME adi dac 2 fs. Result was really almost the same. Noticed that if I use wifi for the mac, 5ghz is better than 2.4ghz. At this time I use an Auralic Aries G2 ( replace the mac and audirvana) feeding the RME dac. The result is same as a Naim Ndx2 and outperform The Linn akurate DS. ( System BW 804D3 + Cayin H80a). The RME dac is a real bargain at his price point. Noticed also that a Macbook gave better results vs PC.
Hey Tarun, good afternoon! I've pulled the trigger on the bluesound node2i, for my Musical fidelity m6si paired with my Boston acoustics m350, the interface from the node 2i is absolutely great! And the options for streaming services is spot on with Amazon music HD as well! Which is a bit cheaper than Tidal! But for the sound quality it's good but not great! I heard my bookshelfs Boston acoustics m25 which I carried around from dealer to dealer to hear what to get..they sounded next level with Naim xs3 Ndx streamer combo! Open and so musical great air and separation between instruments etc..but way out of my price league( the Musical fidelity was the closet competition its sounds more full-bodied in the bass area thus giving everything in the sound a good fuĺl presentation.. sorry for all the rambling..but what could be the best way to go? I can still return the bluesound node 2i.. should I connect a good external dac like the Ares or Topping d90 for better sq, or maby a used Naim n dac? But the streaming quality is also a factor in sq?! Or should I go for something like the Cambridge audio 851n? Thanks do much in advance! Keep up the great work!
Hi Mr C, it seems clear that the DAC in the Node2i is not up to the standard of the rest of your system. It is a good unit for the price. If you like the Blu Os interface (which I think is very good) I would go for an external DAC. The Denafrips Ares II is my current favourite under £1,000 but I haven’t heard the D90. The Cambridge Audio interface is not as slick as the Blu Os but there streamers are reputed to have a better DAC than the Node 2i. However, I doubt they will be up to the standard of the Ares II but couldn’t say for sure. It may be worth auditioning the CA streamer. If it gives you what you are looking for then fine but if it doesn’t the external DAC would be the way I would go.
Very interesting take on DAC's that makes a lot of sense. I also agree about turntables, they are mechanical items and you really do get what you pay for. I think you need to double your budget to get the sound quality you expect. I just sold a Thorens 309 Turntable that I just found very dissapointing despite trying different carts etc. Switched in an old Technics SL7 Linear tracker with super rare P205C MK3 cart leaves it for dead! Some of the vintage gear can sound amazing! I'm now saving up for a £2500-£3000 deck I think to be where I want to be :)
Hi Tarun, Really appreciate how you bring the science into your reviews and tips. Also hoping you can throw a few pointers in my general direction? Finally bought a flat just over a year ago, it’s lovely, but there is no choice as to which room is the lounge, or the augmentation of the room. I know how my hifi sounded before, and it became considerably worse on moving. The room structure is concrete with wooden flooring, and off centre along a width-wise wall is a sofa sized alcove which dictates the layout of the room. So about as bad as it can be. I can still accommodate the equilateral triangle, and have reached a point where I have a good soundstage, just the speakers come way into the room and the walls are alive with reflections. I position sofa cushions for evening listening, after finding that these on 1st reflections, were pretty much as good as my weekend at Wicks experimenting with a giant bag of rockwool. I thought all my prayers would be answered when I heard about the Dutch & Dutch 8C’s, and after some months managed to get hold of some. With their front wall bass coupling, cardioid dispersion, and stunning reviews, these should have been the solution to all my issues. They did sound incredibly clear, and oh so full range, but I didn’t like them one bit. So much so, that it was a joy to come back to my very humble system which I now understand to be rolled off on the highs…something it turns out I like. I would still like more full bodied bass though. System: PMC FB1 speakers tilted slightly and toed in a lot, 6mm OFO copper cables, TagMclaren 60i integrated, chord cables, Squeezebox touch, Raspberry Pi running LMS and a rug that fits inwards of the speaker positioning. After the D&D’s I figured I like my speakers, so went to my local PMC and Naim dealer with my whole system. Was surprised my speakers were better than the PMC 5 23’s they has set up. Found the Uniti Atom didn’t cut it. The Naim ND5 XS 2 streamer with my amp made a marked improvement. Then threw in the Supernait 3 for good measure, but found the improvement only incremental. Detail and authority were brought up in both cases, but the overall sound was still pretty much the same (no fuller bass). I’m now getting a home trial over the weekend, and will likely take the streamer. Wondering now if there are better 2nd hand options and noticed a Hagel H160 for £1400. To add the to the mix, I also have a very thick rug like yours ordered which I ordered in a very large size intending to place the speaker on top de-coupled. (This may well be a bad idea). Would love to hear your thoughts of upgrade routes that might deliver a fuller bass, whilst maintaining or bettering the brilliant soundstage I currently get (you have to listen past the reflective walls) Cheers, Richard
Hi Richard, sound like you have a tricky room. Speaker positioning is paramount. Good sound is 70% down to speaker positioning. The next 20% comes from treatment. This is not necessarily panels on the walls, although they can be beneficial. You can fill the room with enough soft furnishings to bring the reverb time down. Bass issues are more difficult to fix. They are a product of room dimensions, shape and construction. DSP can help reduce peaks but I would not drop them by more than 3dB as you risk introducing phase issues with your speakers beyond that. If you are not going to fill your room with bass traps, I would deploy active bass management. Two small, fast subwoofers strategically placed with help even out the bass response in the room as well as extend the bass and give better perception of dynamics. I would consider two REL T5s or BK Electronics XLS200s. Your system deserves a better streamer and DAC. The Naim stuff is good but pricey. I think the Hegel H160 will be a good upgrade of amp and DAC.
Hey ya Tarun. Thanks ever so much for sharing all of your knowledge with us. I loved your description of the relationship with a turntable. Well, I‘m married with my Linn LP12 since I was 15 (bought it used back in 1986) and will love it till I die. A whole different story with my DAC, a Lindemann Limetree Network: a very fresh love story, got it for a good year now. Does it‘s job quite well, but I think about getting a iFi power supply… could it really upgrade the sound of a 1000£ DAC? Aand one more question: why haven’t you ever reviewed any Linn gear? Thanks a lot for your work here and keep it going. Cheers from Switzerland Mario
Hi Mario, thank you for the kind works of support. Although, I haven’t tried your DAC, I would expect an improvement in SQ using the iFi over a standard switch mode power supply. I don’t current have a contact at Linn but I am sure I will get to review their products in time 😊👍
Very well done. I can agree with you on 95% of your comments. I don't find a cell phone to be any good as a streamer. The reason is poor sound quality even when not using the internal DAC. My recommendation is to re purpose an old laptop or get an inexpensive "fanless" PC. They can be had on Amazon for very little money. My reasoning is you get a far more robust and stable USB output, often time at USB 3.0 specs. I have not had any experience with a Raspberry π, so I can't comment. I also heartily recommend a bit perfect software player. I use Audirvana and love the results. It not only sounds better, but in consolidates my streaming service libraries into one user interface. I use Tidal and Qobuz. Audirvana does not currently work with Spotify or Amazon. These days I still listen to vinyl, but I find streaming to be convenient and the audio quality to be quite good to my old man ears. I very much enjoy and agree with your thoughts and attitude towards the hobby. Thank you.
Thank you Eholmwood. I use an old Toshiba Notebook running bit perfect software (J River) in my second system with great results feeding into an Audiolab DAC. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Hi again Tarun. I have a random and honestly a very basic question, slightly embarssing too. Perhaps I know the answer but struggling to elucidate in my mind. Good quality amps give a different type of sound, or let's say different sound signatures. Some are airy at the top, some lush in the mids, some come with heavy bottom end. I have experience of using multiple amps and can easily pick up the differences. When we talk about the DACs we again talk about similar things, with a little more emphasis on resolution and separation. My question is what are the real differences between amplifiers and DACs of the same stature, given my comments above. Thanks a lot!
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Then what is the point of adding a DAC on top of a high quality amplifier? In other words what value a DAC adds to the overall system if the amplifier is already of good quality?
Great balanced perspective, as usual! I like that you make this accessible to people who don’t have (or don’t aspire) to a 15k system. I think your point of DACs is well taken - it’s a bit like buying a computer. You can use it for 5 or 10 years but by then it will be grossly outdated and outperformed. That begs the question then - do you buy a good integrated with an in-built DAC? Most manufacturers, even at the upper mid-level (Hegel, Lyngdorf, NAD Ms, etc.) build one-box solutions which have very good DA and AD conversion. Sources I believe will become obsolete even faster; the old Aurelic streamers are already obsolete and that will no doubt change most drastically. So what are we do about integrateds? I suppose buy the best you can afford, and aware that in a few years you might need a new DAC? I will say I love the NAD M10/M33 but with integrated transport they will look dated in a few years, and I know I’ll be rushing to a buy a better streamer/source.
Well said Alex. I would love to see streaming amplifiers over a certain price have a modular construction. The point where it is probably economically viable for manufacturers to do that is around £2K. A manufacturer could future proof their amps by providing plug and play modules as the technology advances 😊👍
A great trilogy, thanks Tarun! As a budding audiophile, and a new hobby for me, I thought that I was gaining some audio knowledge, but some of the technical aspects in your vid left me scratching my head...Oh well, I guess Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say! Keep up the interesting videos👍
Good advice...I am using a raspberry pi fitted with a DAC HAT from Pifi Dac v2.0. The sound is definitely better than my computer. With lower noise floor and better clarity and separation.Do you think using a dedicate DAC such as SMSL sanskrit MKII will improve the performance of my computer over the Pi. The reason I ask is, because I have connected a Hard drive to the Pi with all my music from the PC and playing it through the Pi. Will the same music playing from the PC via a dedicated DAC give a better performance than the Pi. Thanks In Advance. P.S. Keep up the good work. really enjoy your videos.
I haven’t heard the Sanskrit but I would not expect it to be much better than what you have. Better to wait until you can get something around the £300 mark as a DAC upgrade. 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for advice . Being from India it's very hard to get products. And is also not same with UK price. You have to pay some extra money..The reason I am saying this is because I have seen your video on amplifier cost thousands pounds...which are much costlier here... Therefore can you some amplifier which will be an upgrade to my existing Yamaha AS500..will Rega Brio be a substantial upgrade,as it's available here but no way to demo it.... But it's cost is almost 700 pounds here... Can you do a full tour of your system and settings in upcoming videos..... Thanks again for your... response... really appreciate your effort and time... Happy advance Diwali to you and your family
Happy Diwali to you too Meeraj. I did a video on my system when I started the channel last year. Link below... ruclips.net/video/WRLexTI1ZM8/видео.html I think the Brio will only be a slight improvement over the AS500. I would go for the Rega Elex R even if you have to wait to get it. 😉
Hi Tarun, yet another great video, thank you. You’re absolutely on the nail with dacs. I trialled a Qutest and could not hear an improvement which justified the £800 difference from the dac I had. The Mojo on the other hand provided a similar improvement but for less than half the price. Thank you for your help with sourcing the correct connectors for the Mojo. Currently agonising on turntable upgrade from Pro-Ject Essential 3 fitted with acrylic platter, OM20 stylus (which was a big improvement on the OM10) and base model Pro-Ject phono amp. Planar 3, 6 or 8? The turntable will be paired with Naim Nait 5si, Kef LS 50 meta and Kef KC-62. I do not intend buying another turntable after this purchase. I love my current system (which includes Naim CD5Si and Node 2i) but am hoping for a little more from my vinyl. Any suggestion gratefully received.
Thank you Gibbo. I am probably not the best placed to advise on turntable upgrades as I am a little out of touch but I would consider the Rega Planar 6 a sensible upgrade to the Pro-Ject Essential III 😊👍
Enjoyable discussion on DACs. I went from a top end ASUS STX 2 internal sound card to a Gustard DAC-X20Pro to the Matrix Sabre Pro DAC and then the upgraded MQA version. Each time there were very audible improvements. A friend has a modified Lampizator R2r which we compared favourably with the Matrix Sabre Pro, the former being a little better. The MQA version is another step up so another comparison would be interesting. I use the Matrix Element H with an external 50W Ultra-low Noise Linear Power Supply to connect to the DAC via Matrix's own USB cable. One thing that I could speak about a lot is the impact that processing power (CPU) also has on the sound quality. I have not read about this anywhere but I can assure audiophiles that this is yet another variable to consider if using a computer as a source...and potential cost. I have noticed improvements every time I upgraded my CPU / RAM speed (and graphics card!) and recently changed from a 16 core to an 18 core (i9-7980XE S/H) and even I was surprised at the improvement even this made. I have progressed to using Adam Audio SV3s monitors and am very pleased with them. I have made one final improvement to my system and that is a linear power supply for the SH3 Superhub. BTW I listen / watch mainly You Tube sources these days and these improvements are still very discernible but I enjoy the music primarily but can still appreciate the effort that goes into productions (Charlie XCX / Sophie for example) from the aural evidence that a higher quality system provides.
Congrats on your 18k subscribers, Tarun! I'm as nostalgic for cassette decks as anyone of my advancing years would be, but the revival's going to hit a brick wall when the newbies start adding up the cost of a few type II and IV cassettes...
Of all the various music mediums we now have, cassettes surely have the least shelf life. Having just played through about 200 cassettes rescued from a cupboard in my house, only about 60% played acceptably.
Great suggestions again, Tarun. I’d equate ROI of DACs to digital cameras, minus the lenses if it’s SLR of course. An entry level digital camera today will be much better than a camera 10 years ago. Unlike analog technology, digital technology will keep leaping forward every few years. Besides, the motherboards in DACs with custom circuits do age and break down. When they do, no HiFi repair shop will touch them. I know because my Wadia DAC from 2014 finally lost significant output volume in the RCA out and would cost too many man hours to troubleshoot. So I replaced it with a $350 Airist R2R DAC and it was a huge improvement in sound. I’m resisting the urge to audition more expensive current DACs because as you said, it quickly becomes a diminishing return. I feed the R2R DAC with a Music Fidelity CD transport and Wadia iPhone/iPad internal DAC by-passer. The converted analog signal is passed to a PrimaLuna tube amp then to the Proacs, with high quality cables in between. The resulting sound is good enough for another 5+ years at least, at which point I’ll replace the DAC with a newer budget DAC in a future generation. I still prefer Redbook over other digital sources, especially going through an AES/EBU connect.
Great video! Your knowledge of DACs is impressive (at least to me who knows little about them). I also think your advice on turntable selection is good. Both Rega and Project make good turntables for the money as far as I know from doing some research and listening tests a few years back. I think I would go for something like the Project Debut Canon as a minimum though or more expensive if you can afford it to avoid upgrading later. I believe you can hear the difference in sound quality as you go up in price (I settled on a Clearaudio Concept in the end and never looked back.
Hi Jim, you will definitely hear differences in sound quality as you go up in price on turntables in particular. People just need to start somewhere and the £250 region is a good place for newcomers. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences. Your support is very much appreciated 😊👍
Well done again with your video.. But I would like to say that I'm a great believer in when someone wants to come into HiFi systems I would for sure put them on to the budget systems where they can g for everything in the second hand lines !! Except Stylus... this is the only new item you really need to use when starting from zero.. but each to their own.. but where money comes into it .. go for something second hand & enjoy even if you make mistakes .. because Vinyl records are unrepairable if you damage them.. so I hope this is just my way of budgeting HiFi.. Paul
Thank you Paul. Used is a good way to go for newcomers as long as they are buying from a reputable source with some kind of comeback if thing go awry. For those comfortable buying and selling 2nd hand, they can try a bunch of different stuff to gain experience without losing too much in the transaction and then final settle on what suits. 😊👍
Another cracking episode, if I may wax à la Wallace and Gromit! Very careful but accessible explanations which put things in perspective, both technologically and economically. I will admit that after shopping a while for both DACs and streamers, there was a pretty strong consensus on forums that DACs had "settled" enough to spend big money (thousands) on them, especially compared to streamers. I was still skeptical. As you point out, if history is a guide, the common wisdom (among audio shopaholics, ahem) is probably false, and since DACs have to interact with other digital source inputs, it would make sense that they would be at least *comparably* unstable. In my system, I would estimate I hedged my bets by spending about 8% of my budget on the DAC and it does a very good job. The only other thing to mention about DACs might be that tube DACs can be had at reasonable prices, and this offers even the more modest system the chance to make some tonal adjustments to the overall sound without having to radically increase the costs elsewhere in the system.
Thank you DH. Excellent explanation and analysis. I am hopeful that DACs will at least sort out a standard I2S interface if nothing else in the next few years. I am not totally convinced about delta-sigma either. I hope some genius will find a better solution. Maybe I am being optimistic. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
What are your thoughts on Cambridge Audio? I’m running what some might call “British old school”. An 851a, a Dac Magic Plus and a Graham Slee Phono Stage. Really loving the sound so far.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the comment - the Dac was $250 US so I think I’m ok for a bit. Going to budget up for a speaker upgrade....currently SVS Ultra Bookshelves to.....yet to be revealed. Maybe something with a beryllium tweeter. 🤔 Thanks for your analytical and intelligent words on this vast topic of two channel audio!
Tarun, I enjoy watching your videos as I learned a lot from them. Noticed in last few videos what it looks like the Triangle Genese trio behind you. If it is, are you planning to do a review in the near future? I have the triangle titus ez and planning to upgrade to the triangle Gaia Ez floor standing. But at the same time also reviewing the Quartet and Trios since they are available at a good price.
Thanks for the video Tarun. I've been using a Chromecast Audio as a streamer since it was introduced 5 years ago. The rest of my system has gradually improved over time, and I'm wondering if it's worth upgrading to a dedicated streamer? My current system: Tekton Impact Monitors
Hi Peter, I haven’t heard the Audioengine or Nord streamers. The Chromecast is surprisingly good. My guess would be that you would get a small but significant improvement in sound. I would try one and make sure you can return it if it doesn’t improve things as you expected. 😉👍
Firstly let me say i do enjoy and value your videos ......so i find it very Interesting that you say don't buy a cd player ..ive been using a BR player to play cds until this year and have bought a 2nd hand standalone cd player (Musical Fidelity A5 CDP) without changing anything else pre/amp or speakers and the music i listen to is much better to my ears from the dedicated cd player than what i was using, to try and quantify the improvement i'd say much warmer/musical plus better attack & decay....
The BR player should only be used as a optical transport. It needs to be fed into an external DAC. That is why the A5 CDP sounds so much better. Good DAC and excellent analogue stage on that MF player. No wonder you are happy. 😉👍
Thanks for the info. Very informative. I was wondering. When you say a 1000 for the speakers and a 1000 for the amplification, as an example. If I am working with separates, should the amp cost a 1000 and then should I add another 1000 for the preamp, or can the 1000 cover both? Thank you in advance.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Well, how about 7500 then? lol Suppose the speakers were 7500 Euros. Would you pay 15000 or 7500 for the amp and preamp combo?
I'm binge watching your videos! :) Would you kindly recommend how much to spend on components for a headphones only system, if the budget is £1500-2000? So how much to spend on the cans, the headphone amp, the DAC and the streamer (if it is worth buying a streamer, rather than just streaming from a PC. I am using TIDAL. Thanks a million! :)
Hi Stefan, I would decide on a pair of headphones you really like first. Spend at least half the budget on them as they will have the biggest influence on sound. Then get a DAC/amp that is capable of driving them and be a good sonic match for them. I wouldn’t worry about getting a streamer if you are happy using your PC. That is something to consider later down the line to squeeze some extra performance out of your system. I can’t give you specific suggestions as I am not much of a headphone listener but I would be happy with a Chord Mojo and some Sennheiser HD660S. Thank you for watching. I appreciate your support 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, but that makes little sense to me. You tend to suggest 10-20 % on a DAC and 40-45 % on amp and the same on the speakers. This makes sense. However, a headphone costing e.g. £500 is more high-end than a set of speakers costing the same. So, if you think a DAC costing about £500 is a good match for a set of speakers costing £2500, then the same DAC ought to be good enough for a headphone costing maybe £500-1,000. Do you see my point? Also, you did not mention a headphone amp at all. How come?
@@stefanhansen5882 the Chord Mojo is a DAC and headphone amp. It punches well above it’s weight so the allocation of funds needs to be adjusted accordingly. I am not much of a headphone listener in fairness, there will be others who are better placed to advise you about headphone amps. I was just sharing what I would use 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks. I will keep researching. As a former sound engineer, I listen on headphones 90 % of the time, since I live in a normal house, which - compared to a good control room - has terrible acoustics. Only when I buy my own house will I listen a lot of speakers, since I see no reason to listen on good speakers in a poorly designed room.
Hi, love your channel. The most down to earth, logic and sincere reviews and tips. You hit a note there on the old dacs having a hard time competing with newer ones. Recently bought a small cheap streamer ‘advanced acoustics wtx pro’ for 350€. Tried a second hand Rega dac-r (costs double that of the streamer new) as an upgrade and found that the improvement was about 10%. In my opinion to little for the money. I’ll be trying a linear psu now. Thinking of trying teddy pardo usb psu. It would be noce of you to review some of their grear. Supposed to be great value,
I'm really enjoying your channel Tarun. Just thought I'd flag up a cheap streamer I've been pairing with my Audiolab 6000A - I picked up an Allo digione, raspberry pi 4 and the Allo PSU all for about £200. I'm amazed at the improvement it has made running Volumio to streaming both from Spotify and my local pc serving up FLACs vs the Chromecast audio I was using before. Perhaps worth checking out as a cheap (and not too complex) route into (better sounding) streaming? I did A/B testing versus the blue sound node 2i and I think the Allo digione was actually better, assuming you have a reasonable DAC to feed it to.
Thank you Ben. I have heard good things about the Allo products. Not sure where to get one from but would love to take a look at it at some point. Thank you for the suggestion and for sharing your experiences 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 You can just buy them from Allo direct. I paired mine with a slightly higher spec Pi4 than they sell (4gb vs 1gb) I was surprised by how much of a difference introducing their Nirvana SMPS PSU made. I think they offer a good streaming option for those who already have a DAC to hand.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 By the way, your review of the Argon 1s was very interesting - did you get a chance to try them with your 6000A? I'm considering them as an upgrade from my prehistoric B&W 600S3s (paired with a Rel T5i)
Thank you Tarun, well explained. Interested to hear your thoughts around streamers in detail - rPi hat based streamer against boutique streamers. Thank you again.
Really good, on point, advice. Enjoyed the series, and yes, I went back and watched the other two first. I’m struggling with both digital and analog sources; particularly the DAC/streamer issue. I think I’ll probably bite on the Schiit Bifrost or something similar (but no wall warts). I was considering the Cambridge streamer/DACs, but it’s a big investment for someone who is not currently streaming. I don’t know of any way of using digital inputs from my iPhone, and I managed to blow up two channels on my Yamaha AV amp the one time I tried streaming Stevie Ray Vaughn at max volume. It seems the Yamaha had a hard time driving my vintage AR-2ax speakers, although I still don’t understand why, must have been the impedance curve on the bass or drums. But I digress. I will use the phone to stream into my Radio Shack MPA-250 (125 wpc), rated down to 4 Ohms into my vintage Cerwin-Vega DX7 speakers also rated at 4 Ohms capable of handling 255 Watts. I make sure to watch the ‘clipping’ LED when I set the volume. The speakers are capable of volume levels one shouldn’t be in the with unless you’re hanging out with your friend ‘Max.’ :-)
Hi Tarun, while your advice is to spend as little as possible on a DAC, most reviewers including you say that the Denafrips Ares II is absolutely amazing. So I would love your five cents on my next investment: At the moment I am using the internal DAC of the Wiim Mini streamer into a Denon PMA 520AE (250€ new 8 years ago) into Canton Karat 720 speakers from 1990 (150€ used on ebay, today would cost about 800€ factoring in inflation). The combination sounds pretty good to my ears and when I listened to a combination of Exposure 2010 with last generation ATC SCM7s yesterday (A/B listening in same room, source was a 4000€ Hegel CD Player), I couldn't hear that much of a difference actually - not so much that it made me spend a couple thousand euros for sure. I have been thinking about what to invest in next and after considering 4000€ investments into all kinds of systems, I am now considering keeping at least the speakers or maybe even the amp, because I feel that the DAC is probably the weakest link. I have appointments with dealers tomorrow and the day after where I will listen to various other systems (among them also the Acoustic Energy AE1s after I heard you rave about them but also more expensive gear). So my question is: what do you think about upgrading my DAC to an Ares II with the option of building on that later? Or do you have any other recommendations? Love your videos and your advice would be greatly appreciated. Best wishes, Christian
Hi Christian, I seems you have a fairly balanced system. Upgrading can be tricky. By all means go for the Aries and upgrade the rest later However, I ask ask yourself two questions first: 1. What do do want to achieve by upgrading? 2. What speakers will move you in that direction and work well in your room? If you struggle, check out some of my Patreon tiers and I would be happy to walk you through the process 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, thanks for your response. I have since listened to more speakers and am now „cured“ and no longer think that my system sounds great. Actually I could use your help and would love to have a videochat but didn’t quite get the Patreon tiers. Would we be able to make a video call if I sign up for 1 month of „Consultancy“? I couldn’t afford this for more than a month unfortunately.
@@tubesticker Hi Christian, that is how the consultancy works. You only sign up for as long as you need it. I will send you a bunch of questions in preparation of our video call. These will help me assess your current system, setup and possible issues. They will also help me determine your needs, wants and come up with some options depending on which direction you want to take your system. That way we will be able to get the most of our video chat. One call and a few emails is normally enough. I don’t anticipate you needing to be on the Consultancy tier for more than a month.
Hi Tarun, having grown up at the time when Ivor Tiefenbrun stalked the halls of hi-fi emporiums in this land, I disagree with you on the importance of the source and in particular, turntables. Ivor's argument is that you re-mortgage your house to buy your turntable and put a minimalist amp and speakers on the end of it to have the most satisfaction from listening in the long term. Whole volumes were written in the press at the time and the argument was, do you spend equal money on each part or bias it to the source? After all, once the information is lost, you're just amplifying distortion. So, Rega 3, A&R A60, Audiomaster MLS4 vs Linn Sondek LP12, NAD 3020, AR17. When I finally upgraded to the Linn I understood what all the fuss was about. If you're considering vinyl, my advice would be to listen to the most expensive turntable you can find and work down until the sound vs cost works for you. If you go the other way, you may end up never realising just how amazing the format can be. I bow to your expertise on the DAC side, but I will say that the difference between mid level (£300ish) and entry level high end (£1,000plus) CD players is chalk and cheese. It's a comparison I make daily in my two listening rooms. All the best, Mark
Thank you Mark for sharing your experiences and insights. I was a young man around in the Ivor Tiefenbrun era and do remember him being the leading advocate of the source first approach. I agree that spend as much as you can on a turntable and you won’t need to change it often. The DAC game has changed in the last 10 years. £300 DACs just ifffer so much performance and improvements are still happening at a fast pace. Once again, thank you for posting I wanted different perspectives as that is exactly what will benefit viewers most. 😊👍
Mark...I am from the time of the vinyl only world. The current vinyl fad will be gone when people like me are gone. No one who wants the best, non deteriorating sound medium will be buying turntables. Young people are purchasing vinyl like it's the new hula hoop. There are many stories of them hanging the albums on the wall as vintage objet d'art and don't own a turntable and never will. CD's are an older technology but a half century newer than vinyl. Streaming will be the choice for most audiophiles sooner than anyone now thinks.
I've noticed on eBay that there are people listing and selling job lots of miscellaneous LPs - say 12 for £30. But the buyer chooses the LPs for you... and then the punter ends up with any old stuff, maybe some mixed Showaddy, Mantovani, Ken Dodd and Nana Mouskouri - the vinyl equivalent of some mixed Oasis and Robbie Williams CDs. But oddly only about 1 in 10 buyers grumbles! It took me a time to get my head round this, but it's actually trendies buying LPs to put on their trendy little shelves under their trendy little turntables. Audiophiles will always retain a fascination for turntables, but I think the industry is milking a trend at present - witness the countless versions of Rega Planars on the market. Umpteen brands - same basic turntable. Ultimately I can't see this will last.
David and Big Ma(😀), I agree. My interest in vinyl is really just nostalgic. I bought and re-built a Sansui SR222 MkII for my office system, as it was the first turntable I owned. It has a new MDF plinth and base, replacing the original chipboard and hardboard items. It has silver litz tonearm wiring going to silver plated phono sockets with Mogami/Nakamichi RCA cables of my own making to a vintage NAD 3240 amp. Sounds better than a Rega 3 I had for a couple of weeks and looks stunning. However, I listen to CDs exclusively on my main system. Just for fun, I listen to FM radio, also in my office system, on a NAD 4020A. Again it has new proper RCA sockets and is fully recapped with Elna Silmic II electrolytics. Oh, and I also bought and recapped a Yamaha cassette deck so my wife can play her Christmas tapes. The office CD player is slightly newer vintage being a NAD C541i. So much fun and not a network/streamer/discreet DAC anywhere to be found! Anyway, back to Claire Martin, "Believin' It" on a Linn CD. Have a good even all.
Thanks for another excellent video. In an earlier video you explained that all of your music is on a USB drive attached to a Toshiba notebook. I'm old fashioned and still play CD's picked from the shelf, but in your set up does it matter in terms of sound quality the type of laptop you use? In short I'm thinking of switching over to a similar set up. Thanks.
Generally the simpler the device the better as they tend to generate less electrical noise. That is why the Notebook works well. You don’t need a powerful processor but I wouldn’t be too concerned. If you have an old laptop, just use that. It is useful to have the settings optimised for audio. This is a good article on how to do that... bandzoogle.com/blog/20-ways-to-optimize-your-windows-10-pc-for-music-production
Personally I would invest more in my record deck if that is going to be a medium that you are interested in. I have gone through many mid priced turntables over the years and if I had bought a Linn LP12 in the beginning I would have saved thousands of pounds.
Totally agree that getting the best turntable you can afford will be a wise longterm investment, the scource is fundamental in any hifi system, if you don't resolve information at the source it is gone forever, and expensive amps and speakers are pointless if you don't feed them a top quality signal. Ultimately if people are interested in a genuinely musical and longterm system, a visit to a dealer who is capable of understanding this and demonstrating the hierarchy of a hifi system i.e. source first is essential, otherwise a lot of money and time will be wasted buying and swapping components without any real understanding of what actually makes a musical difference. Every thing sounds different especially speakers, which in terms of system hierarchy are the least important part of any hifi system, that should be obvious to anyone who has had a competent demonstration of the fundamental importance of the source.
Hi Tarun, thanks for another informative video. I have a Hegel H90 paired with MA Silver 200s and use the built in streamer and DAC for Tidal Hifi and Amazon Music HD. Would I hear a big difference with something like a Bluesound Node 2i, or would I need a separate DAC before hearing a significant difference?
Hi David, the inbuilt DAC on the H90 is better than the DAC on the Node 2i. The Bluesound will give you more functionality as a streamer but for sound quality, stick with your Hegel 😊👍
I try to follow the "buy once cry once" approach to audio especially, but everything in life, or I just end up spending more $! I think one must discuss diminishing returns, which kick in at different points for different gear, which you cover well. Don't forget the issue of the point of no returns! Digital sources diminishing returns -> no returns kicks in hard at around 2k US, and past that it's looks, build quality, etc, vs audible (vs measurable...) improvements, and there's nothing wrong with that either, but bits is bits and human hearing remains the same regardless of changes in measured improvements in digital sources.
The law of diminishing returns kicks in at different points for different individuals. For most people who are not used to listening to a decent hifi system a £500 system may be sufficient. Well healed audiophiles who have spent decades developing their listening skills and have a dedicated, treated listening room may not be able to live without their £200,000 system. Ask Michael Fremer. I suppose I was trying to give most people new to the hobby some general guidance 🤔Thank you for sharing your perspective 😊
I think for me, the real question is how much are you prepared to lend me Tarun? Okay, joking apart.... I think each part of the system is equally important. Unless one is really well off, then each time you upgrade one of the key components, you should buy the best you can afford - but don't fool yourself that the system will be instantly transformed by a wonderful new turntable or wonderful new speakers. I've noticed in recent years that there seems to be a shift back to speakers as the most important part of a good system. I agree with this - and with you Tarun. The best source and amp in the world aren't so hot if one doesn't have the right speakers for the room - and the acoustics, decoupling and placement sorted out.
Your comment about the acoustics is so on par. I don't know how many Guttenberg videos there are out there about not blaming the speakers until one troubleshoots placement and room acoustics!
One of the reasons I selected a Schiit Gungnier Multibit is that they designed several of their DACs for upgradability. If they make improvements, upgrades can be handled at home by the owner. It also sounds very good couple to an Audiolab 6000CDT.
I paid £2250 for my EMT 950, about 10 years ago now. I would not be happy with a Rega Planar 10, never mind a 3. My vinyl deserves better than a boring belt drive turntable. I agree with you about spending a lot less on digital sources than other sources. I paid £20 for my Philips 1990's CD player. If I wanted a DAC I wouldn't spend more than £100 on one. A Topping DAC would do for me.
Hello Tarun, nice video as always your method of explaining various components in order of importance is well received. I do notice that you have an interesting pair of Triangle Genese Trio speakers in the background, I hope you are planning to evaluate them at some point?
Hello, I’m a newbie on your channel from the States. I’ve watched a couple of your videos now and enjoy your presentation. I agree with your price to performance model. Currently, I’m using a BlueSound Node 2i to do streaming and DAC servicing. My electronics are vintage McIntosh separates and my speakers are Revel F36. I’d like to get an external DAC. Using your 80/20 model, would you mind offering a DAC you think I should consider?
Thank you for watching Steve. My shortlist of DACs would be... Chord Mojo Denafrips Aries II RME ADI-2 Which one will depend on the sound signature you want and the functionality. Hope this helps 😉
Thanks so much for the reply. I’ve been sniffing the Denefrips for a while. My speakers are very revealing, especially when playing digital. The r2r DACs appeal because of the “warmer sound”. I’m a little unnerved by the availability of the device. In the US, it can only be bought from one dealer in Singapore. I’ll check out your other recommendations as well. As you say other there...Cheers!
As a beginner, I find myself wondering which component has a bigger effect on the overall sound of a hi-fi system: power amp, pre-amp, or DAC? On which should I invest more money? Should I get a decent, albeit sub $1000, power amp (Parasound Classic 2125v2 or Schiit Vidar for example) and spend a little more ($500-$1000) on a DAC (Burson Swing, Burson Composer, Topping D90, Denafrips Aries 2) OR ...spend a little more on a power amp or integrated amp (Hegel Rost, Hegel H90, Naim Nait 5si, Schiit Ragnarok) and buy a $129 Ifi Zen Dac and be done with it (for now)?
My advice is that it all matters but not to the same extent. Spend the most on speakers, a little less on power amps, a little les on the preamp DAC. Making sure that there is good synergy between components in vital.
Very helpful and timely video as I'm currently considering whether I need a dedicated desktop DAC or not. Would appreciate your advice. Which DACs will go well with the PMC 25.26 speakers and Rega Atheos integrated amplifier? I have the Chord Hugo 2 which I hook up with the system but it's not a permanent part of the setup. I keep hooking and unhooking it from the system as I also use it with my headphones. Should I keep doing this or is it worth getting a desktop DAC? If it is, which DAC would you recommend. I also plan to upgraded my turntable (which requires that I need to be more careful about where and how much money I spend). I currently have an old Rega P3. I'm thinking about the R6. Will it match well with the speakers and amp I mentioned above? Many thanks!
I would stick with the Hugo 2 unless you are fed up with switching. I would suggest and upgraded cartridge and tone arm on the P3 before changing the base 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 one more question, Tarun. Do I need a high end SACD player when I can simply connect my (not expensive) bluray player with the Hugo 2 using a coaxial or optical cable? What are the merits and demerits of both? Many thanks!
Hi @@petrolhead007 , I use a £200 Sony Blu-ray player as a transport into my Chord DAC. Works really well. Of course, an audiophile transport will improve things a little but at considerable cost. Both optical and coaxial have their +/- Optical is impervious to noise along the cable but the transmitter and receiver can add noise if poor quality. Coaxial can be really good if you have a good transport with accurate timing (clock) but the cable and connectors need to be 75 ohm (BNC not RCA) otherwise the change in impedance can add timing errors. In the end it all comes down to implementation 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Some very good and detailed information - thanks for that. Which Chord DAC do you use? I've seen Chord Mojo in your videos. How do I use the Mojo in DAC only mode? Will appreciate recommendations for optical and coaxial cables, fitting the criteria you mentioned.
Solid advice for beginners. Still listening to my Heybrook tt2ii/Rega rb300 turntable from 1984. I got married in 1993;-) So, Tarun. Rather than geeking out over DAC pre/post ringing ( which I can clearly hear from some vinyl), When are you going to deal with acoustic ringing in your ROOM? (My wife mentions it listening to your presentations) Let's have an episode/ demo on how much to $pend on room treatments, please! From a British audiophile who enjoys your shows :-)
Hi Tarun....sorry if this is a dumb question...my main sources are CD, SACD and streaming via blutooth from my phone....I've had my system for years without a DAC....would adding one be of benefit? Where does it go in the system?
A very good question really. It can benefit the sound if it is better quality than the internal ones inside your components. It would from the digital output of your devices to your amplifier. Your CD and SACD will need digital outputs (usually coaxial or optical TOSLink) for that to work 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks so much for the reply....I will just get a Bluetooth capable DAC to improve the sound of my streaming from my phone...connect to DAC wirelessly..then DAC into control amp...
Great content. My speakers are $6k and all the other components match. However, looking for a dedicated streamer. Currently use ipad off usb into my dac. Cant really find many dedicated streamers that dont cost $$4k. Any suggestions?
Hi Alan, there a +/- to each. Optical is impervious to noise along the cable but the transmitter and receiver can add noise if poor quality. Coaxial can be really good if you have a good transport with accurate timing (clock) but the cable and connectors need to be 75 ohm (BNC not RCA) otherwise the change in impedance can add timing errors. USB in theory should have reduced timing errors due to the asynchronous nature but it needs to be handled by a separate interface and this needs to be up to scratch. In the end it all comes down to implementation 😊 Thank you for watching 😊🤔
Looking and sounding better every video - you're getting the hang of this! Compare it to one of your first couple if you don't believe me:D Keep up the good work dude.
Thank you @@yyams I am enjoying the journey and it is great to learn new skills in an area I had no idea about before I started. I mean filming, lighting, editing, social media. I had never done any of it. Thank you once again for your support 😊👍
I think the source is the most part of a hifi system because once data is lost, it can never be recovered. Also, a source is probably doing the hardest job, creating the audio signal. I feel CD is here to stay for quite a while because lots of people have CD collections and having a pure copy of the source data is surely the optimal setup for sound quality. KISS philosophy. The industry naturally prefers and wants to encourage streaming because it saves them money and gives them more control of the data. Streaming has a few advantages, mainly convenience but quite a few drawbacks. I bought a Jay’s audio transport and DAC at nearly £6k cost and the amount of data I get off CDs is staggering. [Many reviews attest to their being one of the best CD transport and DAC combos for the money in the hi-end arena.] This has also improved with vibration damping tweaks. Those not wanting to spend that much might do well to follow Tarun’s advice and use a Blu-ray player as a transport along with a good modern DAC, as there are lots of good ones around these days. I have over 4000 CDs so can justify my exotic CD setup 😉
When I got back into CDs I wanted a stand-alone device to play them. I bought an old Maratz DV3002 DVD player and replaced the laser mechanism (degrades over time). Was about 50 bucks including the replacement part. It has a shitty internal DAC, but I use the coax digital output to my DAC, so the DVD player is used as a CD transport only and I benefit from the quality sound of the DAC I already have.
My next upgrade would probably be a DAC so this video is of particular interest to me! At present I have the Denon DA-300USB DAC. Now it sounds great so should I upgrade? How much better could my system sound with a better DAC? My amp is the Audreal XA 6950 Hybrid Integrated amp, it has tubes on the pre-amp side and solid state on the output stage. Its a £1700 amp but reviews said it compares well to many amps up to £4000. My present speakers are the Tangent Spectrum X6 Floorstanding Speakers, they sell for around £600. They sound good to me but I guess they are one of the weak links in my present system. I hope to upgrade them to the Revel F35 Speakers sometime in the next 12 months. Now I'm not going to spend a small fortune on a DAC, I am happy to buy 2nd hand (in fact most of my system is 2nd hand) ; I do like the tube sound so have been looking at the Musical Paradise MP-D2MK2 DAC. It can often be picked up for around £500 (2nd hand) on the bay! Now would that be a wise upgrade or would I be better to spend that £500 on a higher speaker upgrade , possibly the Revel F36's?? Any opinions much appreciated! :)
Hi Chris, I am not familiar with the Musical Paradise DAC so will leave that for someone else to comment upon. I would upgrade your speakers first as it is most likely the weakest link. Then you can get a better DAC and fully appreciate the benefit it brings 😉
Tarun thanks for the informational insight. Would you advise use of the internal DAC in the Iotavx sa3 or would a stand alone be noticeably better? Using a Audiolabs 6000 CDT and Q acoustics 3050's. Thx
@@abritishaudiophile7314 While waiting for the new DAC (as per your kind recommendation), I put a higher end power cord on the Iota vx sa-3. The original 18 ga. zip wire replaced by 10 ga. wire. Quite noticeable improvement in attack and sustain; more texture. Iota should recommend this replacement, as it reveals a superior product.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun. Thanks for guiding me through the DAC selection. SMSL SU9 is providing unanticipated clarity. All frequencies are punchy and better defined. I wonder how much 'equipment burn-in' is really 'brain burn-in', because I felt I had to adjust in order to hear the fine details. I'm blown away; thank you again Tarun.
I was hoping you would go full Swiss Toni. "Buying a turntable is like making love to a beautfiul woman. You need to make sure she plays 12" but is happy with a 7", and maintains a consistent speed. You need to know if she's high maintenance, and if her belt is likely to loosen over time...". (love the channel, helped me with an MF A1 purchase!)
I'm a digital format kind of audiophile. My bottom line is if you are new in the hobby and want to have your first system and your budget is 100 spend 60 on the speakers 30 on the amps and 10 on dacs and cables. That is the way I spent my money when built my setup. My music library is composed of 6000 albums all flac format and hifi streaming so no need of cd transporter.
The best advice I've heard regarding turntables is to "treat them as an instrument." Think of the analogy like this; If the turntable is an instrument, then a cartridge represents the "skill" of the musician playing that instrument. A master pianist may be capable of providing an incredible musical experience for you, but when you give them a $50 Casio keyboard to use then you're not going to hear their true potential. Likewise, any given cartridge deserves a table capable of showing off its capabilities. Take the LP60 and Planar 2 for example. Both use the same exact cartridge (despite Rega's claim otherwise...) but the Rega is able to extract every ounce of performance from that cart, resulting in a much more refined sound than the LP60. This is with a budget cart but this definitely holds true when considering more sophisticated cartridges. This is why I'm a firm believer in investing in the best _deck_ your budget allows, even if you have a less than stellar cartridge.
![Chino Pacas - Modo Capone (with Drake & JOP) [Video Visualizador Oficial]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Zoc75M8Swhc/mqdefault.jpg)
I realize that this video is 1.5 years old and many of your target audience is younger and more constrained in terms of budget. I am 70, have been an audiophile for 55 years and have cycled through a ridiculous amount of gear. Interestingly, my current system follows your formula with $10k each for amp and speakers, and $2k each for turntable, streamer and DAC. My main source is Roon streaming through an innuos Zen MkIII, a Denafrips Pontus II DAC, into a Luxman L509x feeding Magico A3s. This is by a large margin the best sounding system I have ever owned, and superb in ways I never experienced before. My last system used a PrimaLuna EVO 400, Focal Kanta 2s, and a Chord TT2/MScaler combo, and while good, it allocated way too much for the digital source. Thanks for the masterful reviews and I hope your subscriber growth continues apace.
Thank you Don. Much appreciated 😊👍
I've watched a handful of Tarun's videos and they were fine, but this one really stands out for me. I think this broad-subject video is the best overview of sources I've ever seen. Now I need to go watch the speaker and amplifier overviews. Thank you Tarun!
Thank you Andy. That is extremely kind of you to say. You may also want to take a look at my video on speaker setup if you haven’t already. It is an important aspect to get right and is part of a series.
ruclips.net/video/VHOYXjVJKKY/видео.html
Great video! I like your low-key, straightforward, no BS approach. Cheers
Thank you Lee 😊👍
Thank you Tarun. Another great bit of advice 👍😎
Thank you Rob. Much appreciated 😊👍
Greetings from Boston! Big fan of your videos! Bought Rega P3 + Ortofon 2M Black and Chord Mojo + iPhone 12 Pro Max + Amazon Music HD 24bit/192kHz as my analog and digital front ends and very very happy!
Thank you. Very kind my friend. Really nice digital and analogue front end 😊👍👍
I love your videos, Tarun. I'm not an engineer but you've got a knack for explaining things in a way that won't be off-putting to technical folks, but is understandable to beginners. Well done.
Cheers! Tom
Thank you Tom. Much appreciated 😊👍
Excellent advice as always. When I got started 35+ years ago, I had a source (then a cassette deck), a receiver, and...very good (for the time). headphones. This allowed me to save up and get much better speakers than I would have been able to afford earlier, as they are certainly the most important component. Today, I would advise people to buy a better used turntable than you could afford new. There are a lot out there, and this would start you on the ladder a few steps up.
Excellent. Thank you Tim 😊👍
Totally agree that turntable purchase is a long term relationship. I've had my Linn LP 12 and Ittok since 1987! But the sub chassis has been upgraded twice, the bearing twice, PSU upgraded and the Ittok has had new ceramic bearings and complete rewiring. The Linn is modular and therefore great as you can start at below £1000 and upgrade.
Excellent advice. Thank you my friend 😊👍
Yep speakers first, since the speaker/room integration is key to a good sound and no changes to electrical components will help you if you have the wrong speaker in the wrong room
More than that, ported/sealed speakers have one category of sound vs those of us who love omnidirectional/open baffle/bipole/dipole speakers. And selection of speaker influences your amp choice.
Thank you for watching and commenting jules153😊
Really enjoying your insight and presentation style. As a young man I cut my teeth on Leak, Heybrook, Quad & Technics products, some 40 years on I have again become interested in Hi fi and your videos are helping me understand the current landscape. Ironically my first investment will probably be in hearing aids so I can again hear the nuances of specific products. Keep it coming !
Thank you Steve. Much appreciated 😊👍
Hello Tarun, I have watched this several times over the years and found the commentary on DACs very interesting, namely the rate of technology changing and the 80/20 rule. It would be interesting one day to see an update on this subject to see if you feel things ave evolved since. All the best, John
@@jondu-sud274 thanks John 😊
I bought a Project 6 turntable in '94 as part of a hi fi system that include an Audiolab 8000A and Hi Fi worlds KLS3. I still have the Project 6, I use it now with a Hegal Rost/Quad Z2 set up using a Goldring 1042 cartride and Rega PS. The marriage analogy is very true!
Thank you Chris 😊👍
A turntable has been a constant since my first system in 1978. Garrards and Pro-jects have been my choice.
I've always based my systems around the amplifier, as that's the heart of a system. The speakers are the soul of your bundles.
Dacs are little contentious with me. Generally speaking, unless you're willing to spend fortunes, they are a much of a muchness. The major benefit of Dacs is the flexibility to connect multiple sources. I only use my Dac to connect the TV to the amp.
My current system:
Leema Pulse MK1
Dali Rubicon 2
Exposure CD 2010
Pro-ject Classic with a ClearAudio Concept MM cartridge
Cambridge DacMagic 100
Cables are also contentious:
Merlin Chopin I/C (Amp to CDP)
Atlas Equator 2.0 speaker cables
The rest are Chord Crimsons and an ancient set of Chord Chrysalis.
You can see where I prioritise my components.
Thank you for sharing 🙂
Fantastic advice. At present I have: Naim Uniti Atom and Focal Aria 926 speakers. I like the convenience of the streaming but miss my CD's but more importantly to me the Romance and different sound of Records. To expand my system I have just ordered an Audio Lab 6000CDT. Once I can audition a Turntable I will be looking at the Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO with the Project Phono Box DS2 (Returning back to Vinyl after 20+ years). Thank you for enlightening us with your knowledge and experience.
Thank you Mark. I would both expect both of those sources to work well with your Naim/Focal combo 😊👍
Really well put together, comprehensive overview. I had approached my system in a similar manner, searching for a dac that was well reviewed but not overpriced. Had settled on an Airist R2r, which had a bit of controversy from what I found out later...measured poorly, but really love it. Made a big difference from the cheaper dac I was using. My system hovers in the 1k (retail US) zone, and am primarily digital.
Hi John, most R2R DACs don’t measure well due to producing higher levels of distortion. The reality is that the distortion is still most likely within acceptable limits. Once you get THD+N down to below 0.1% it gets pretty meaningless. The nature of the THD is more important. I bet your DAC has mostly 2nd order harmonic distortion and it is below the threshold where it matters. That is why it sounds so good. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 That’s what I remember reading relative to R2R’s, that those second order harms actually give it that pleasing distortion or “analog” nature. Same reason -in part -why the amps made by Nelson Pass sound so good. A down-the-road dream to get one of those as well! Thanks again 🙏🏼
Hey Tarun ! Always something to learn from your videos ,keep it up 👌
Thank you Anand. Very kind of you to say 😊👍
Great video, we enjoy this interaction as well. Not only knowledgeable, you’re also friendly and enthusiastic guy
Thank you buddy 😊👍
Love your videos Tarun. Keep them coming. Ive had the Marantz HD-DAC1 for the last 4 years though I use the Hegel H80 built in DAC as well.
Thank you spyingpoodle (love your name). I appreciate you watching and your support 😊👍
Great advice thanks. I've been away from HiFi for years and went into AV at the budget end many years ago. Bored of my music sound through AV I bought a second hand Roksan K2 amp with a processor input for the pre out of the AV. Then my wharfedale 10.1 speakers were struggling with bass. So bought some wharfedale 230 floorstanders from a local friend. My old Arcam CD62 started playing up so changed to a Marantz CD6007 (first new component in years). Then I wanted to add a DAC and went with a Topping E30 (you should review this, for £110 its blown my mind). My Old REL Q150 sub via high level to the K2 has come alive, I dont hear it its just an extension of my floorstanders. The sound out of this rag tag collection is actually amazing especially with Hi Res on Qobuz using Bit Perfect via the Topping and the new CD player, I keep listening to favourite CDs hearing things I've never heard before. I cannot believe how far HiFi sound has come in 20 years or so. I keep looking at my speakers though, but when you integrate 5.1 keeping the surround signature linear is important, maybe the Wharfedale Evo 4.4s are next on my list. I will be having a demo on those though first.
I hope the demo goes well James. Thank you for sharing your experiences 😉
Another great video Tarun. It’s food for thought for me. I’m at the point of potentially upgrading CD, Amp and speakers in one go. I do stream, but CD is my preferred medium. Was looking at £1.4K cd, £2k amp and £4.5k speakers. Might have to rethink the CD now……
Thank you Neil. This video was intended for beginners with entry level systems. As the budget goes up the ratio can change based on the use case scenario. However, the overall objective is the same, to get everything in your system to the same level of performance 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks Tarun
About DACs, I totally agree, I think a good reference is what manufacturers are implementing in their integrated amplifiers. Usually they put a lot more budget into their amps and in particular the preamplifier components to work around the inherent shortcomings of the chip. Why should you do it very different as a consumer?
I also was really thinking about trying an R2R dac and felt that I needed to make a choice here between natural sound with distortion (and smoother more 3 d presentation) vs a more 2d presentation with more detail and resolution. My conclusion (as still a young audiophile finding my way) was the same.
First it is just not worth the investment. Chip dacs will improve a lot over the next years, especially with this renewed interest in R2R, they will further up their game and AI seems to be also very promising in this respect.
Second, with respect to R2R and their acclaimed more natural/analogue sound you could also easily solve that by adding a decent (tube) pre amplifier to make it sound smoother and more holographic and than you keep the resolution. This might be a little bit more expensive in the short term, I say little because R2R dacs are inherently more expensive than their chip counter parts, but in terms of longevity this is certainly the more economical choice. As you say it your equipment (amps and speakers/headphones) has a much bigger impact on the sound.
In the end this whole DAC R2R vs Chip discussion is mainly fuelled by ChiFi companies sending there products to YT channels. They want you to keep on investing in their greatest and latest and I don’t blame them, they are making great products and dacs are cheaper than ever. But I also noticed that on forums and in comment sections the focus is a lot on the sound of these dacs standalone. They almost never talk about how they match with their equipment, in particular which preamplifier synergies they notice. I think the value of pre amplifiers in this respect is underestimated, especially in terms of longevity.
Thank you Gerard for watching and your insightful comments. This is exactly the kind of discussion I was hoping for as it would help better inform newcomers in understanding choices. 😊👍
@Fat Rat 'Octave Records'who cares if its not music you don't like. I do commend PS audio though for trying to push the industry.
I always look forward to your well thought out and helpful videos on this hobby. Regarding turntables- over the years I’ve been through Older Thorens models (TD-145 & TD-160) and the Rega Planar 3. It’s tempting to purchase used models, however, the amount of knowledge and precision required to achieve a good set-up never allowed me to really hear the benefits of vinyl. It wasn’t until I purchased a new Fluance RT-84 with a cartridge already fit which required minimal adjustments that I achieved a satisfying result. Additionally, regarding streamers, replacing my Mac-mini running bit perfect with a lower cost dedicated streamer with a built-in DAC provided immediate improvements. It really surprised me that the dedicated circuitry of a streamer could result in much greater transparency streaming Tidal. Cheers!
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Bruce. I also greatly appreciate your support 😊👍
Excellent. Back in September 2021... my audio technica table stopped working. In all honesty... I'm happy it did. Lol
I swore never buy a plastic, low budget table again. I went shopping for a table that I'd hope would last 10+years. Went with technics 1200gr. I don't know enough about DACs to know how their technology will change. I thought yrs ago...there's no where else for phones to go lol. So, I'm hesitant to spend $2000+ on a dac. But, I probably will at some point.
Thank you my friend 😊👍
Great vid! Looks like ya hit another one outta the park. My main source is my turntable, and since I bought it about 10 - 12 or so yrs ago, I’ve slowly done a ton of mods and upgrades to it taking it to entirely new sonic levels. I somewhat recently bought a newer but very similar turntable, but actually kinda prefer my older one. Now that I’ve also upgraded the rest of my system over time, I’m finally pleased with my rig and lack my previous “upgraditis” at least for now, but I’m certainly not done with my HiFi journey as of yet. It’s too much fun. Thanks, Tarun!
That’s great Nick. Turntables are tweaker’s paradise 😊👍
Sorry, I meant to also mention the costs of certain parts of my system, since that’s what this vid is about. I spent aprox 1/3rd of the total cost of my system on my speakers, a bit more than 1/3rd on my amp and preamps, and a bit less than the other 3rd on my turntable, including upgrades, and misc things like cartridges, cables, etc. That certainly didn’t happen overnight either. I’ve also spent probably more than my entire system’s value on vinyl over the past 25-30 yrs.
It seems like speakers have come a long way in getting the most bang for your buck over the past 10 yrs or so, and it’s luckily somewhat difficult to buy a truly awful pair of speakers. The same seems to be the case as far as DACs go, as you mentioned.
Thanks Nick 😉
Great subject matter Tarun.
Got back into audio a few years ago and decided to spend decent money on each component and hope that once and for all I don't need to upgrade....so far so good.
That is great filofilo. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
Hi Tarun that was a really helpful video it helped me sort out future upgrades, many thanks for that.
Thank you for watching and commenting Rob. I appreciate your support 😉👍
The information about the CD player just saved me a bund of money! I was seriously considering putting out for the Audiolab 6000 CDT. But if I can get away with a 100€ BluRay Player using the optical digital output into the Audiolab 6000a play - well, why not!
Thank you for sharing 😊
Loving your common sense and logic behind the 80/20 rule Tarun :)
Thank you JS 😊👍
Wonderful recommendation on said Rega P3 ( it’s the one in which I’ve mentioned to friends as the best place to start......, and stop in some cases ) DAC which those made by Pro-Ject | Aune are highly recommended | I tend to lead others towards using Mac Mini’s or a Bluesound Node 2i used as music server type of devices, as investing $2.600 on a dedicated server like an Aurender or Lumin, in some homes isn’t likely to be a reality.
Good one as always......, keep them coming.
Thank you for watching and sharing NosTubes58. I appreciate your support 😊👍
Good info mate , i just bought a cd player a denon dcd600ne 32 bit nice sound out of it for 250 quid , was using my dvd player for a while which sounded phenomenal compared to the old sony cd i had , got a pretty good amp and speakers built bespoke 100 watt and 50 watt a side speakers also built by the same man sounding very nice indeed :)
Sound like you have put together a very nice system. Thank you for watching and commenting 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 cheers man, thankyou , and keep the vids comin we need good stuff like this , :)
Wow, DAC....a very well covered topic. Im new to zero's & one's.
I have a question, that hopefully you can shine some light on:
Previously, I always had cd player hooked up directly to preamp.
Now I recently purchased Cambridge Audio Azur 851N (love the British hifi). I noticed that this unit still had digital out(s). The streamer already has built in DAC & superior performance....so why there would be a need for additional digital outputs? I mean...does it ever end😃?
Thank you in advance.
It never ends Arek but everybody has to draw a line somewhere. The digital outs are so you can connect external DACs of even better quality. Check out my review about the Denafrips Ares II. That would be the kind of external DAC to consider if you wanted to upgrade in time. 😊👍
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Very good videos! Love your channel.
Thank you Oscar 😊👍
Hi Tarun, I totally agree with starting with the two turntable manufacturers you have mentioned for reasons you've said. We are living in very special times as far as cost affective hifi that is of high quality is concerned. DAC's are a good example with the Mojo and even the Qutest. I have the 2Qute and as old as it is, it is still an amazing DAC to start with and holds up well against affordable DAC's. There are a multitude of speakers under 2000 that are simply breathtaking at this price bracket from the likes of Klipch, Wharfedale, KEF, Dali, Focal etc and they are just a small selection of great manufacturers. Even though I have a CD player I totally agree with what you've said about that format, but I would still add a fine external DAC to tweak the sound to my liking. Thanks for sharing your thoughts Tarun and I'll look forward to your next video. Oh and well done for getting 18000 subscribers in 1 year. Brilliant effort.
Thank you Steve, much appreciated. Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights. It was exactly the kind of feedback I wanted from audiophiles to benefit newcomers. 😊👍
Excellent trilogy Tarun, many thanks and I'm sure any newcomers to the Audiophile / HiFi world will greaty benefit from your 100% accurate 'Tips' trilogy. As I've mentioned before I'm a true vintage person and when I put my system together in the late 80's the rule of thumb I followed was ca. 40-50% of the total cost on speakers, 30-40% on amplification and the rest on source. It stood me well at that time although a couple of recent upgrades (like a second amplifier to Bi-Amp and the superb Rega P3 have upset the financial balance a little, but certainly not the audio balance.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Keith 😊👍
Wonderful information that everyone who truly loves the audiophile community should know. :)
Thank you buddy 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I agree with 90% of what you said. The only thing is that a CD player really just isn’t a CD player based on what kind of DAC it has in it or it’s connections to an amplifier much like conventional blu ray or DVD players. My point is that high end CD players have a different information retrieval system. An example is Cyrus audio with its servos technology. What it does is that it gathers all the information off the cd right away without using any error correction system, which as we know any auto correct or error correction systems do cause sound anomalies and timing issues in your music. Mainly though, these high end CD players are more noticeable in a high end headphone system, not so much to the outward listener. I’m a headphone guy and it is mainly because I can achieve a very elite listening experience for a fraction of the price of what most loud speakers setups cost to do correctly with no shortcuts.
Anyway. I love your channel and I think you are a very savvy listener. Appreciate you, brother. Thank you for listening. :)
Thank you Nephilim. Good points well made. The PS Audio transport stores the data in a buffer. This video is aimed at beginners. They shouldn’t be concerned with going out and getting fancy CD transports and just use their Blu-Ray player. It makes a decent transport. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 you are absolutely right. Taking of course the economical route for beginners the blu ray transport for outward listening is the best bet for the dollar.
Anyhow, just a side note I wanted to tell you just how much I love the cyrus CD i complete with the PSXR-2 (unique intelligent power supply.) One of my most beloved audio pieces that compliment my headphone rig. :)
Thank you @@Nephilim-81
Great video! Some mobiles phones have really good DACs as well and can play 24b FLACS without any issues in case you would like to connect them to an integrated amp.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Gus 😉
Hi Tarun
I only discovered your channel recently, I really like your clear and friendly delivery.
I play mostly vinyl (on my pro-ject 2xperience with 2M bronze) through KEF LS50 speakers. The rest of my system is vintage Meridian - 551 amp and 506.24 CD player (all recently serviced and recapped).
I was interested by your comments re DAC’s - would the DAC in my 506.24 still stand up to modern equipment? Could I improve it with an external DAC?
Thank you Mike. Very nice system you have there. The 506.24 was a great CD Player in it’s day. I am sure that the modern equivalent will no doubt be better. As you are probably aware, there is a lot more to the sound of a cd payer, or DAC for that matter, than the digital part. It would be interesting to see at what level you would need to pitch things to notice an improvement. If it was me, I would look at something like a Denafrips Ares II or a Chord Quetest and see how it sounds 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, I acquired a Chord Mojo DAC... it took a bit of work to equalise the gain through my Meridian 551 but I can now do direct A-B testing direct from the 506.24 onboard DAC and through the Mojo.
I’ve tried various CD’s and I honestly can’t tell the DACs apart. It’s not what I expected at all!
It could be my ears not being fine-tuned or experienced enough to be fair. Or maybe the speakers or room setup masks any subtle difference. My vinyl setup still sounds better to my ears but the CD is still very good.
So contrary to your recent DAC roundup (the one with the Mojo, Qutest and Denafrips Ares) my 20 year old Meridian appears equal to or perhaps better than the Mojo!
@@voxish99 thank you for the update Mike. Very interesting. Just shows how good that old Meridian CD player is 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Yes! But you said in the video that DACs have advanced so much more than speakers, turntables and amps (which are mature technology) that even quite modest modern DACs will wipe the floor with DACs from even quite recently. So what gives!? Or (more likely) what have I misunderstood?
@@voxish99 DAC have definitely improved a lot. Especially at the budget end. The fact that a £399 DAC today is as good as the DAC in a CD Player costing thousands from years ago illustrates that pretty well.
From my teaching and experience, concentrate your money, on parts that transform energy, mechanical to electrical and visa-versa (turntables and speakers). Changing energy will always be the weak link. While I have digital sources, analog provides the most satisfaction for me. One of the best ways to get best bang for the buck is stylus shape. For example, the ortofon 2m red is pretty cheap and the 2m black multiple times more in price with the same motor. While it may seem crazy to spend so much more for the same motor, the better stylus shape tracks the grooves so much better, the cost difference actually makes alot of sense. It can bring performance closer to the performance of a moving coil cartridge without having to spend more for the cartridge, preamp, etc. Can you get a moving coil for similar price of the 2M black? Yes but it will not have as good of a stylus shape or refined motor and you can't replace the stylus in a moving coil cartridge like you can on a moving magnet cartridge. Regarding digital, I have a computer that I have converted to a music server with a high end audio card. It allows you up-sample which tends to minimize pre-ringing, the most annoying part of digital sources. It can also play pretty much any digital format. While not as good as my friends lampizator dac, it is not embarrassing either. And as I said, analog is more important to me than digital. Your point about having a balanced system is key. Maximize musicality first. And that means to listen to what sounds most like music to your ears, no one elses. Good and accurate thoughts. Thank you.
Thank you for sharing your experiences and insights J Ked. Great advice for newcomers 😊👍
Enjoying your videos Tarun!
Spending a lot of money on a turntable? I used to have the Revox direct drive turntable - now succeeded by a Pro-ject Classic with Ortofon MC cartridge. A good source component and I must have some 200 albums. Then the question: how often did I listen to it over the past couple of months? The digits on one hand suffice as I am happy with my discrete ladder DAC- Holo Audio Spring - attached to a MacMini, Roon software, connected to ATC pre amplifier and active 50s.
You are right with the ‘diminishing returns’ and that your basis should be of a sufficient quality. I think my turntable meets the brief there and is enjoyable when called upon. Vinyl experience is just very different to digital.
I agree with you Wouter. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Hi Tarun very well explained indeed. In the case of DACS there seems to be a sea change with the coming of Chinese players like Aune,Toppings ,Denafrips in to the market.Just superb products they offer for much less money.
Very true Rajnish. Thank you for watching 😊
Excellent and to the point.
A google chromcast audio puck into a sml and a decent CD player or transport could be a good set up for my budget limit. But like you say that trickle down tech in a few years could be really interesting.
On my journey into digital a Chromecast Audio was my second step after Bluetooth from my phone. It was a revelation.
However looking at even an inexpensive dac/streamer was leaps ahead of the the Chromecast.
If I were you I'd check out something like the Raspberry Pi based Allo Digital Boss. You can even cast to it from your phone. For much less than £200 you will open the doors to a new world. When I first used that device I was using an old pair of Sony home theatre speakers and the improvement in imaging, separation and even bass response was very significant indeed. I now have a pair of active speakers that cost, new, well over £1000 and the Allo was a great match - to my ears and brain at least!
Excellent advice Colin. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
@@andrewwilson8273 interesting thanks. I also have a pair of actives around that price point
Great series, Taryn. Very useful advice.
Thank you for watching and commenting. Much appreciated 😊👍
I agree with Justin. Not all DACs are equal nor can age be the criteria. My oldest DAC is a DPA Bigger Bit. Allied to a TEAC/Esoteric transport of yesteryear-- they were sold under both brand names-it gives my system one higher end much more setup a run for the money or more correctly the sound. As usual it is the music that matters not the tech. Tarun, I enjoy your videos no matter the subject.
Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences Daniel 😉👍
Very good advice. I tested on same system, Linn akurate DS from 2011 (streamer/dac) vs Macbook pro+audirvana+RME adi dac 2 fs. Result was really almost the same. Noticed that if I use wifi for the mac, 5ghz is better than 2.4ghz. At this time I use an Auralic Aries G2 ( replace the mac and audirvana) feeding the RME dac. The result is same as a Naim Ndx2 and outperform The Linn akurate DS. ( System BW 804D3 + Cayin H80a). The RME dac is a real bargain at his price point. Noticed also that a Macbook gave better results vs PC.
Very interesting. Thank you for watching and sharing 😉
Hey Tarun, good afternoon! I've pulled the trigger on the bluesound node2i, for my Musical fidelity m6si paired with my Boston acoustics m350, the interface from the node 2i is absolutely great! And the options for streaming services is spot on with Amazon music HD as well! Which is a bit cheaper than Tidal! But for the sound quality it's good but not great! I heard my bookshelfs Boston acoustics m25 which I carried around from dealer to dealer to hear what to get..they sounded next level with Naim xs3 Ndx streamer combo! Open and so musical great air and separation between instruments etc..but way out of my price league( the Musical fidelity was the closet competition its sounds more full-bodied in the bass area thus giving everything in the sound a good fuĺl presentation.. sorry for all the rambling..but what could be the best way to go? I can still return the bluesound node 2i.. should I connect a good external dac like the Ares or Topping d90 for better sq, or maby a used Naim n dac? But the streaming quality is also a factor in sq?! Or should I go for something like the Cambridge audio 851n? Thanks do much in advance! Keep up the great work!
Hi Mr C, it seems clear that the DAC in the Node2i is not up to the standard of the rest of your system. It is a good unit for the price. If you like the Blu Os interface (which I think is very good) I would go for an external DAC. The Denafrips Ares II is my current favourite under £1,000 but I haven’t heard the D90. The Cambridge Audio interface is not as slick as the Blu Os but there streamers are reputed to have a better DAC than the Node 2i. However, I doubt they will be up to the standard of the Ares II but couldn’t say for sure. It may be worth auditioning the CA streamer. If it gives you what you are looking for then fine but if it doesn’t the external DAC would be the way I would go.
Very interesting take on DAC's that makes a lot of sense. I also agree about turntables, they are mechanical items and you really do get what you pay for. I think you need to double your budget to get the sound quality you expect. I just sold a Thorens 309 Turntable that I just found very dissapointing despite trying different carts etc. Switched in an old Technics SL7 Linear tracker with super rare P205C MK3 cart leaves it for dead! Some of the vintage gear can sound amazing! I'm now saving up for a £2500-£3000 deck I think to be where I want to be :)
Thank you for watching and sharing Angi 😉
Hi Tarun,
Really appreciate how you bring the science into your reviews and tips. Also hoping you can throw a few pointers in my general direction?
Finally bought a flat just over a year ago, it’s lovely, but there is no choice as to which room is the lounge, or the augmentation of the room. I know how my hifi sounded before, and it became considerably worse on moving. The room structure is concrete with wooden flooring, and off centre along a width-wise wall is a sofa sized alcove which dictates the layout of the room. So about as bad as it can be.
I can still accommodate the equilateral triangle, and have reached a point where I have a good soundstage, just the speakers come way into the room and the walls are alive with reflections. I position sofa cushions for evening listening, after finding that these on 1st reflections, were pretty much as good as my weekend at Wicks experimenting with a giant bag of rockwool.
I thought all my prayers would be answered when I heard about the Dutch & Dutch 8C’s, and after some months managed to get hold of some. With their front wall bass coupling, cardioid dispersion, and stunning reviews, these should have been the solution to all my issues. They did sound incredibly clear, and oh so full range, but I didn’t like them one bit. So much so, that it was a joy to come back to my very humble system which I now understand to be rolled off on the highs…something it turns out I like. I would still like more full bodied bass though.
System: PMC FB1 speakers tilted slightly and toed in a lot, 6mm OFO copper cables, TagMclaren 60i integrated, chord cables, Squeezebox touch, Raspberry Pi running LMS and a rug that fits inwards of the speaker positioning.
After the D&D’s I figured I like my speakers, so went to my local PMC and Naim dealer with my whole system. Was surprised my speakers were better than the PMC 5 23’s they has set up. Found the Uniti Atom didn’t cut it. The Naim ND5 XS 2 streamer with my amp made a marked improvement. Then threw in the Supernait 3 for good measure, but found the improvement only incremental. Detail and authority were brought up in both cases, but the overall sound was still pretty much the same (no fuller bass).
I’m now getting a home trial over the weekend, and will likely take the streamer. Wondering now if there are better 2nd hand options and noticed a Hagel H160 for £1400.
To add the to the mix, I also have a very thick rug like yours ordered which I ordered in a very large size intending to place the speaker on top de-coupled. (This may well be a bad idea).
Would love to hear your thoughts of upgrade routes that might deliver a fuller bass, whilst maintaining or bettering the brilliant soundstage I currently get (you have to listen past the reflective walls)
Cheers,
Richard
Hi Richard, sound like you have a tricky room. Speaker positioning is paramount. Good sound is 70% down to speaker positioning. The next 20% comes from treatment. This is not necessarily panels on the walls, although they can be beneficial. You can fill the room with enough soft furnishings to bring the reverb time down. Bass issues are more difficult to fix. They are a product of room dimensions, shape and construction. DSP can help reduce peaks but I would not drop them by more than 3dB as you risk introducing phase issues with your speakers beyond that. If you are not going to fill your room with bass traps, I would deploy active bass management. Two small, fast subwoofers strategically placed with help even out the bass response in the room as well as extend the bass and give better perception of dynamics. I would consider two REL T5s or BK Electronics XLS200s.
Your system deserves a better streamer and DAC. The Naim stuff is good but pricey. I think the Hegel H160 will be a good upgrade of amp and DAC.
Hey ya Tarun. Thanks ever so much for sharing all of your knowledge with us. I loved your description of the relationship with a turntable. Well, I‘m married with my Linn LP12 since I was 15 (bought it used back in 1986) and will love it till I die. A whole different story with my DAC, a Lindemann Limetree Network: a very fresh love story, got it for a good year now. Does it‘s job quite well, but I think about getting a iFi power supply… could it really upgrade the sound of a 1000£ DAC? Aand one more question: why haven’t you ever reviewed any Linn gear? Thanks a lot for your work here and keep it going.
Cheers from Switzerland
Mario
Hi Mario, thank you for the kind works of support. Although, I haven’t tried your DAC, I would expect an improvement in SQ using the iFi over a standard switch mode power supply. I don’t current have a contact at Linn but I am sure I will get to review their products in time 😊👍
Very well done. I can agree with you on 95% of your comments. I don't find a cell phone to be any good as a streamer. The reason is poor sound quality even when not using the internal DAC. My recommendation is to re purpose an old laptop or get an inexpensive "fanless" PC. They can be had on Amazon for very little money. My reasoning is you get a far more robust and stable USB output, often time at USB 3.0 specs. I have not had any experience with a Raspberry π, so I can't comment. I also heartily recommend a bit perfect software player. I use Audirvana and love the results. It not only sounds better, but in consolidates my streaming service libraries into one user interface. I use Tidal and Qobuz. Audirvana does not currently work with Spotify or Amazon. These days I still listen to vinyl, but I find streaming to be convenient and the audio quality to be quite good to my old man ears. I very much enjoy and agree with your thoughts and attitude towards the hobby. Thank you.
Thank you Eholmwood. I use an old Toshiba Notebook running bit perfect software (J River) in my second system with great results feeding into an Audiolab DAC. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences 😊👍
Hi Tarun, I really enjoy your content and you seem to be good lad. Have a nice Sunday mate and keep them videos coming. Cheers Jan
Thank you Jan. You too, I hope you are doing something fun and/or relaxing. Thank you for watching and commenting 😊👍
Hi again Tarun. I have a random and honestly a very basic question, slightly embarssing too. Perhaps I know the answer but struggling to elucidate in my mind. Good quality amps give a different type of sound, or let's say different sound signatures. Some are airy at the top, some lush in the mids, some come with heavy bottom end. I have experience of using multiple amps and can easily pick up the differences. When we talk about the DACs we again talk about similar things, with a little more emphasis on resolution and separation.
My question is what are the real differences between amplifiers and DACs of the same stature, given my comments above.
Thanks a lot!
I am not sure there are any differences when it comes to sound quality. The same rules apply 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Then what is the point of adding a DAC on top of a high quality amplifier? In other words what value a DAC adds to the overall system if the amplifier is already of good quality?
Great balanced perspective, as usual! I like that you make this accessible to people who don’t have (or don’t aspire) to a 15k system. I think your point of DACs is well taken - it’s a bit like buying a computer. You can use it for 5 or 10 years but by then it will be grossly outdated and outperformed. That begs the question then - do you buy a good integrated with an in-built DAC? Most manufacturers, even at the upper mid-level (Hegel, Lyngdorf, NAD Ms, etc.) build one-box solutions which have very good DA and AD conversion. Sources I believe will become obsolete even faster; the old Aurelic streamers are already obsolete and that will no doubt change most drastically. So what are we do about integrateds? I suppose buy the best you can afford, and aware that in a few years you might need a new DAC? I will say I love the NAD M10/M33 but with integrated transport they will look dated in a few years, and I know I’ll be rushing to a buy a better streamer/source.
Well said Alex. I would love to see streaming amplifiers over a certain price have a modular construction. The point where it is probably economically viable for manufacturers to do that is around £2K. A manufacturer could future proof their amps by providing plug and play modules as the technology advances 😊👍
A great trilogy, thanks Tarun! As a budding audiophile, and a new hobby for me, I thought that I was gaining some audio knowledge, but some of the technical aspects in your vid left me scratching my head...Oh well, I guess Rome wasn't built in a day, as they say! Keep up the interesting videos👍
Yes, sorry about that Marc. Went in a little too deep on the DAC section. I was supposed to be keeping things simple in this series 🤔😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 No worries Tarun, I'll have to raise my game! 😊
Good advice...I am using a raspberry pi fitted with a DAC HAT from Pifi Dac v2.0. The sound is definitely better than my computer. With lower noise floor and better clarity and separation.Do you think using a dedicate DAC such as SMSL sanskrit MKII will improve the performance of my computer over the Pi. The reason I ask is, because I have connected a Hard drive to the Pi with all my music from the PC and playing it through the Pi. Will the same music playing from the PC via a dedicated DAC give a better performance than the Pi.
Thanks In Advance.
P.S. Keep up the good work. really enjoy your videos.
I haven’t heard the Sanskrit but I would not expect it to be much better than what you have. Better to wait until you can get something around the £300 mark as a DAC upgrade. 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for advice . Being from India it's very hard to get products. And is also not same with UK price. You have to pay some extra money..The reason I am saying this is because I have seen your video on amplifier cost thousands pounds...which are much costlier here... Therefore can you some amplifier which will be an upgrade to my existing Yamaha AS500..will Rega Brio be a substantial upgrade,as it's available here but no way to demo it.... But it's cost is almost 700 pounds here...
Can you do a full tour of your system and settings in upcoming videos.....
Thanks again for your... response... really appreciate your effort and time...
Happy advance Diwali to you and your family
Happy Diwali to you too Meeraj. I did a video on my system when I started the channel last year. Link below...
ruclips.net/video/WRLexTI1ZM8/видео.html
I think the Brio will only be a slight improvement over the AS500. I would go for the Rega Elex R even if you have to wait to get it. 😉
Hi Tarun, yet another great video, thank you. You’re absolutely on the nail with dacs. I trialled a Qutest and could not hear an improvement which justified the £800 difference from the dac I had. The Mojo on the other hand provided a similar improvement but for less than half the price. Thank you for your help with sourcing the correct connectors for the Mojo.
Currently agonising on turntable upgrade from Pro-Ject Essential 3 fitted with acrylic platter, OM20 stylus (which was a big improvement on the OM10) and base model Pro-Ject phono amp.
Planar 3, 6 or 8? The turntable will be paired with Naim Nait 5si, Kef LS 50 meta and Kef KC-62. I do not intend buying another turntable after this purchase. I love my current system (which includes Naim CD5Si and Node 2i) but am hoping for a little more from my vinyl. Any suggestion gratefully received.
Thank you Gibbo. I am probably not the best placed to advise on turntable upgrades as I am a little out of touch but I would consider the Rega Planar 6 a sensible upgrade to the Pro-Ject Essential III 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, thank you very much for taking the trouble to respond, it’s greatly appreciated. 😃👍
@@gibbolp7618 you are most welcome 😊👍
Enjoyable discussion on DACs. I went from a top end ASUS STX 2 internal sound card to a Gustard DAC-X20Pro to the Matrix Sabre Pro DAC and then the upgraded MQA version. Each time there were very audible improvements. A friend has a modified Lampizator R2r which we compared favourably with the Matrix Sabre Pro, the former being a little better. The MQA version is another step up so another comparison would be interesting. I use the Matrix Element H with an external 50W Ultra-low Noise Linear Power Supply to connect to the DAC via Matrix's own USB cable. One thing that I could speak about a lot is the impact that processing power (CPU) also has on the sound quality. I have not read about this anywhere but I can assure audiophiles that this is yet another variable to consider if using a computer as a source...and potential cost. I have noticed improvements every time I upgraded my CPU / RAM speed (and graphics card!) and recently changed from a 16 core to an 18 core (i9-7980XE S/H) and even I was surprised at the improvement even this made. I have progressed to using Adam Audio SV3s monitors and am very pleased with them. I have made one final improvement to my system and that is a linear power supply for the SH3 Superhub. BTW I listen / watch mainly You Tube sources these days and these improvements are still very discernible but I enjoy the music primarily but can still appreciate the effort that goes into productions (Charlie XCX / Sophie for example) from the aural evidence that a higher quality system provides.
Hi John, thank you for sharing your experiences 😉
Congrats on your 18k subscribers, Tarun!
I'm as nostalgic for cassette decks as anyone of my advancing years would be, but the revival's going to hit a brick wall when the newbies start adding up the cost of a few type II and IV cassettes...
Thank you buddy.
Let’s see how much legs it has ...😊
Of all the various music mediums we now have, cassettes surely have the least shelf life. Having just played through about 200 cassettes rescued from a cupboard in my house, only about 60% played acceptably.
Great suggestions again, Tarun. I’d equate ROI of DACs to digital cameras, minus the lenses if it’s SLR of course. An entry level digital camera today will be much better than a camera 10 years ago. Unlike analog technology, digital technology will keep leaping forward every few years. Besides, the motherboards in DACs with custom circuits do age and break down. When they do, no HiFi repair shop will touch them. I know because my Wadia DAC from 2014 finally lost significant output volume in the RCA out and would cost too many man hours to troubleshoot. So I replaced it with a $350 Airist R2R DAC and it was a huge improvement in sound.
I’m resisting the urge to audition more expensive current DACs because as you said, it quickly becomes a diminishing return. I feed the R2R DAC with a Music Fidelity CD transport and Wadia iPhone/iPad internal DAC by-passer. The converted analog signal is passed to a PrimaLuna tube amp then to the Proacs, with high quality cables in between. The resulting sound is good enough for another 5+ years at least, at which point I’ll replace the DAC with a newer budget DAC in a future generation.
I still prefer Redbook over other digital sources, especially going through an AES/EBU connect.
Thank you for posting this CJ. Very insightful and will help many who read it 😊👍
Great video! Your knowledge of DACs is impressive (at least to me who knows little about them). I also think your advice on turntable selection is good. Both Rega and Project make good turntables for the money as far as I know from doing some research and listening tests a few years back. I think I would go for something like the Project Debut Canon as a minimum though or more expensive if you can afford it to avoid upgrading later. I believe you can hear the difference in sound quality as you go up in price (I settled on a Clearaudio Concept in the end and never looked back.
Hi Jim, you will definitely hear differences in sound quality as you go up in price on turntables in particular. People just need to start somewhere and the £250 region is a good place for newcomers. Thank you for watching and sharing your experiences. Your support is very much appreciated 😊👍
Well done again with your video.. But I would like to say that I'm a great believer in when someone wants to come into HiFi systems I would for sure put them on to the budget systems where they can g for everything in the second hand lines !! Except Stylus... this is the only new item you really need to use when starting from zero.. but each to their own.. but where money comes into it .. go for something second hand & enjoy even if you make mistakes .. because Vinyl records are unrepairable if you damage them.. so I hope this is just my way of budgeting HiFi.. Paul
Thank you Paul. Used is a good way to go for newcomers as long as they are buying from a reputable source with some kind of comeback if thing go awry. For those comfortable buying and selling 2nd hand, they can try a bunch of different stuff to gain experience without losing too much in the transaction and then final settle on what suits. 😊👍
Another cracking episode, if I may wax à la Wallace and Gromit! Very careful but accessible explanations which put things in perspective, both technologically and economically. I will admit that after shopping a while for both DACs and streamers, there was a pretty strong consensus on forums that DACs had "settled" enough to spend big money (thousands) on them, especially compared to streamers. I was still skeptical. As you point out, if history is a guide, the common wisdom (among audio shopaholics, ahem) is probably false, and since DACs have to interact with other digital source inputs, it would make sense that they would be at least *comparably* unstable. In my system, I would estimate I hedged my bets by spending about 8% of my budget on the DAC and it does a very good job. The only other thing to mention about DACs might be that tube DACs can be had at reasonable prices, and this offers even the more modest system the chance to make some tonal adjustments to the overall sound without having to radically increase the costs elsewhere in the system.
Thank you DH. Excellent explanation and analysis. I am hopeful that DACs will at least sort out a standard I2S interface if nothing else in the next few years. I am not totally convinced about delta-sigma either. I hope some genius will find a better solution. Maybe I am being optimistic. Thank you for watching and sharing 😊👍
What are your thoughts on Cambridge Audio? I’m running what some might call “British old school”. An 851a, a Dac Magic Plus and a Graham Slee Phono Stage. Really loving the sound so far.
Very good amp and phone stage. The DAC is the weaker link but if you like the sound I wouldn’t change it. It is all about system synergy 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the comment - the Dac was $250 US so I think I’m ok for a bit. Going to budget up for a speaker upgrade....currently SVS Ultra Bookshelves to.....yet to be revealed. Maybe something with a beryllium tweeter. 🤔
Thanks for your analytical and intelligent words on this vast topic of two channel audio!
Tarun, I enjoy watching your videos as I learned a lot from them. Noticed in last few videos what it looks like the Triangle Genese trio behind you. If it is, are you planning to do a review in the near future? I have the triangle titus ez and planning to upgrade to the triangle Gaia Ez floor standing. But at the same time also reviewing the Quartet and Trios since they are available at a good price.
Hi pauljetli, very imminent 😉 Thank you for watching. I appreciate your support 😊👍
Thanks for the video Tarun. I've been using a Chromecast Audio as a streamer since it was introduced 5 years ago. The rest of my system has gradually improved over time, and I'm wondering if it's worth upgrading to a dedicated streamer? My current system: Tekton Impact Monitors
Hi Peter, I haven’t heard the Audioengine or Nord streamers. The Chromecast is surprisingly good. My guess would be that you would get a small but significant improvement in sound. I would try one and make sure you can return it if it doesn’t improve things as you expected. 😉👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks.
Firstly let me say i do enjoy and value your videos ......so i find it very Interesting that you say don't buy a cd player ..ive been using a BR player to play cds until this year and have bought a 2nd hand standalone cd player (Musical Fidelity A5 CDP) without changing anything else pre/amp or speakers and the music i listen to is much better to my ears from the dedicated cd player than what i was using, to try and quantify the improvement i'd say much warmer/musical plus better attack & decay....
The BR player should only be used as a optical transport. It needs to be fed into an external DAC. That is why the A5 CDP sounds so much better. Good DAC and excellent analogue stage on that MF player. No wonder you are happy. 😉👍
Thanks for the info. Very informative. I was wondering. When you say a 1000 for the speakers and a 1000 for the amplification, as an example. If I am working with separates, should the amp cost a 1000 and then should I add another 1000 for the preamp, or can the 1000 cover both? Thank you in advance.
Thank you Khalid. I was thinking more of integrated amps at around the £1k mark. Pre powers are still uncommon at this price point 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Well, how about 7500 then? lol Suppose the speakers were 7500 Euros. Would you pay 15000 or 7500 for the amp and preamp combo?
I'm binge watching your videos! :) Would you kindly recommend how much to spend on components for a headphones only system, if the budget is £1500-2000? So how much to spend on the cans, the headphone amp, the DAC and the streamer (if it is worth buying a streamer, rather than just streaming from a PC. I am using TIDAL. Thanks a million! :)
Hi Stefan, I would decide on a pair of headphones you really like first. Spend at least half the budget on them as they will have the biggest influence on sound. Then get a DAC/amp that is capable of driving them and be a good sonic match for them. I wouldn’t worry about getting a streamer if you are happy using your PC. That is something to consider later down the line to squeeze some extra performance out of your system. I can’t give you specific suggestions as I am not much of a headphone listener but I would be happy with a Chord Mojo and some Sennheiser HD660S. Thank you for watching. I appreciate your support 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks, but that makes little sense to me. You tend to suggest 10-20 % on a DAC and 40-45 % on amp and the same on the speakers. This makes sense. However, a headphone costing e.g. £500 is more high-end than a set of speakers costing the same. So, if you think a DAC costing about £500 is a good match for a set of speakers costing £2500, then the same DAC ought to be good enough for a headphone costing maybe £500-1,000. Do you see my point? Also, you did not mention a headphone amp at all. How come?
@@stefanhansen5882 the Chord Mojo is a DAC and headphone amp. It punches well above it’s weight so the allocation of funds needs to be adjusted accordingly. I am not much of a headphone listener in fairness, there will be others who are better placed to advise you about headphone amps. I was just sharing what I would use 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks. I will keep researching. As a former sound engineer, I listen on headphones 90 % of the time, since I live in a normal house, which - compared to a good control room - has terrible acoustics. Only when I buy my own house will I listen a lot of speakers, since I see no reason to listen on good speakers in a poorly designed room.
Hi, love your channel. The most down to earth, logic and sincere reviews and tips.
You hit a note there on the old dacs having a hard time competing with newer ones. Recently bought a small cheap streamer ‘advanced acoustics wtx pro’ for 350€. Tried a second hand Rega dac-r (costs double that of the streamer new) as an upgrade and found that the improvement was about 10%. In my opinion to little for the money.
I’ll be trying a linear psu now. Thinking of trying teddy pardo usb psu. It would be noce of you to review some of their grear. Supposed to be great value,
Thank you Alex. Very kind of you to say. I am not familiar with Teddy Pardo. I wonder where they are made? Once again, thank you for your support 😊👍👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 I believe TP is British since they were used with Naim by some.
I'm really enjoying your channel Tarun. Just thought I'd flag up a cheap streamer I've been pairing with my Audiolab 6000A - I picked up an Allo digione, raspberry pi 4 and the Allo PSU all for about £200. I'm amazed at the improvement it has made running Volumio to streaming both from Spotify and my local pc serving up FLACs vs the Chromecast audio I was using before. Perhaps worth checking out as a cheap (and not too complex) route into (better sounding) streaming? I did A/B testing versus the blue sound node 2i and I think the Allo digione was actually better, assuming you have a reasonable DAC to feed it to.
Thank you Ben. I have heard good things about the Allo products. Not sure where to get one from but would love to take a look at it at some point. Thank you for the suggestion and for sharing your experiences 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 You can just buy them from Allo direct. I paired mine with a slightly higher spec Pi4 than they sell (4gb vs 1gb) I was surprised by how much of a difference introducing their Nirvana SMPS PSU made. I think they offer a good streaming option for those who already have a DAC to hand.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 By the way, your review of the Argon 1s was very interesting - did you get a chance to try them with your 6000A? I'm considering them as an upgrade from my prehistoric B&W 600S3s (paired with a Rel T5i)
@@BenShreeve I didn’t have the 6000A here at the same time but tried with my Iota VX SA3. I suspect they will work well with the 6000A though 😉👍
Thank you Tarun, well explained. Interested to hear your thoughts around streamers in detail - rPi hat based streamer against boutique streamers. Thank you again.
Thank you for watching and your suggestion Gireesh 😉👍
Really good, on point, advice. Enjoyed the series, and yes, I went back and watched the other two first. I’m struggling with both digital and analog sources; particularly the DAC/streamer issue. I think I’ll probably bite on the Schiit Bifrost or something similar (but no wall warts). I was considering the Cambridge streamer/DACs, but it’s a big investment for someone who is not currently streaming. I don’t know of any way of using digital inputs from my iPhone, and I managed to blow up two channels on my Yamaha AV amp the one time I tried streaming Stevie Ray Vaughn at max volume. It seems the Yamaha had a hard time driving my vintage AR-2ax speakers, although I still don’t understand why, must have been the impedance curve on the bass or drums. But I digress. I will use the phone to stream into my Radio Shack MPA-250 (125 wpc), rated down to 4 Ohms into my vintage Cerwin-Vega DX7 speakers also rated at 4 Ohms capable of handling 255 Watts. I make sure to watch the ‘clipping’ LED when I set the volume. The speakers are capable of volume levels one shouldn’t be in the with unless you’re hanging out with your friend ‘Max.’ :-)
Thank you Jeremiah. Sounds like to you have a good plan. It is earlier to damage a speaker with an underpowered amp than one that is too powerful 😊👍
Hi Tarun,
while your advice is to spend as little as possible on a DAC, most reviewers including you say that the Denafrips Ares II is absolutely amazing. So I would love your five cents on my next investment: At the moment I am using the internal DAC of the Wiim Mini streamer into a Denon PMA 520AE (250€ new 8 years ago) into Canton Karat 720 speakers from 1990 (150€ used on ebay, today would cost about 800€ factoring in inflation). The combination sounds pretty good to my ears and when I listened to a combination of Exposure 2010 with last generation ATC SCM7s yesterday (A/B listening in same room, source was a 4000€ Hegel CD Player), I couldn't hear that much of a difference actually - not so much that it made me spend a couple thousand euros for sure. I have been thinking about what to invest in next and after considering 4000€ investments into all kinds of systems, I am now considering keeping at least the speakers or maybe even the amp, because I feel that the DAC is probably the weakest link. I have appointments with dealers tomorrow and the day after where I will listen to various other systems (among them also the Acoustic Energy AE1s after I heard you rave about them but also more expensive gear). So my question is: what do you think about upgrading my DAC to an Ares II with the option of building on that later? Or do you have any other recommendations? Love your videos and your advice would be greatly appreciated.
Best wishes, Christian
Hi Christian, I seems you have a fairly balanced system. Upgrading can be tricky. By all means go for the Aries and upgrade the rest later However, I ask ask yourself two questions first:
1. What do do want to achieve by upgrading?
2. What speakers will move you in that direction and work well in your room?
If you struggle, check out some of my Patreon tiers and I would be happy to walk you through the process 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun, thanks for your response. I have since listened to more speakers and am now „cured“ and no longer think that my system sounds great. Actually I could use your help and would love to have a videochat but didn’t quite get the Patreon tiers. Would we be able to make a video call if I sign up for 1 month of „Consultancy“? I couldn’t afford this for more than a month unfortunately.
@@tubesticker Hi Christian, that is how the consultancy works. You only sign up for as long as you need it.
I will send you a bunch of questions in preparation of our video call. These will help me assess your current system, setup and possible issues. They will also help me determine your needs, wants and come up with some options depending on which direction you want to take your system. That way we will be able to get the most of our video chat. One call and a few emails is normally enough. I don’t anticipate you needing to be on the Consultancy tier for more than a month.
Hi Tarun, having grown up at the time when Ivor Tiefenbrun stalked the halls of hi-fi emporiums in this land, I disagree with you on the importance of the source and in particular, turntables. Ivor's argument is that you re-mortgage your house to buy your turntable and put a minimalist amp and speakers on the end of it to have the most satisfaction from listening in the long term.
Whole volumes were written in the press at the time and the argument was, do you spend equal money on each part or bias it to the source? After all, once the information is lost, you're just amplifying distortion. So, Rega 3, A&R A60, Audiomaster MLS4 vs Linn Sondek LP12, NAD 3020, AR17. When I finally upgraded to the Linn I understood what all the fuss was about.
If you're considering vinyl, my advice would be to listen to the most expensive turntable you can find and work down until the sound vs cost works for you. If you go the other way, you may end up never realising just how amazing the format can be.
I bow to your expertise on the DAC side, but I will say that the difference between mid level (£300ish) and entry level high end (£1,000plus) CD players is chalk and cheese. It's a comparison I make daily in my two listening rooms.
All the best, Mark
Thank you Mark for sharing your experiences and insights. I was a young man around in the Ivor Tiefenbrun era and do remember him being the leading advocate of the source first approach. I agree that spend as much as you can on a turntable and you won’t need to change it often. The DAC game has changed in the last 10 years. £300 DACs just ifffer so much performance and improvements are still happening at a fast pace. Once again, thank you for posting I wanted different perspectives as that is exactly what will benefit viewers most. 😊👍
Mark...I am from the time of the vinyl only world. The current vinyl fad will be gone when people like me are gone. No one who wants the best, non deteriorating sound medium will be buying turntables. Young people are purchasing vinyl like it's the new hula hoop. There are many stories of them hanging the albums on the wall as vintage objet d'art and don't own a turntable and never will. CD's are an older technology but a half century newer than vinyl. Streaming will be the choice for most audiophiles sooner than anyone now thinks.
I've noticed on eBay that there are people listing and selling job lots of miscellaneous LPs - say 12 for £30. But the buyer chooses the LPs for you... and then the punter ends up with any old stuff, maybe some mixed Showaddy, Mantovani, Ken Dodd and Nana Mouskouri - the vinyl equivalent of some mixed Oasis and Robbie Williams CDs. But oddly only about 1 in 10 buyers grumbles!
It took me a time to get my head round this, but it's actually trendies buying LPs to put on their trendy little shelves under their trendy little turntables. Audiophiles will always retain a fascination for turntables, but I think the industry is milking a trend at present - witness the countless versions of Rega Planars on the market. Umpteen brands - same basic turntable. Ultimately I can't see this will last.
David and Big Ma(😀), I agree. My interest in vinyl is really just nostalgic. I bought and re-built a Sansui SR222 MkII for my office system, as it was the first turntable I owned. It has a new MDF plinth and base, replacing the original chipboard and hardboard items. It has silver litz tonearm wiring going to silver plated phono sockets with Mogami/Nakamichi RCA cables of my own making to a vintage NAD 3240 amp. Sounds better than a Rega 3 I had for a couple of weeks and looks stunning. However, I listen to CDs exclusively on my main system.
Just for fun, I listen to FM radio, also in my office system, on a NAD 4020A. Again it has new proper RCA sockets and is fully recapped with Elna Silmic II electrolytics. Oh, and I also bought and recapped a Yamaha cassette deck so my wife can play her Christmas tapes. The office CD player is slightly newer vintage being a NAD C541i.
So much fun and not a network/streamer/discreet DAC anywhere to be found! Anyway, back to Claire Martin, "Believin' It" on a Linn CD. Have a good even all.
Thanks for another excellent video. In an earlier video you explained that all of your music is on a USB drive attached to a Toshiba notebook. I'm old fashioned and still play CD's picked from the shelf, but in your set up does it matter in terms of sound quality the type of laptop you use? In short I'm thinking of switching over to a similar set up. Thanks.
Generally the simpler the device the better as they tend to generate less electrical noise. That is why the Notebook works well. You don’t need a powerful processor but I wouldn’t be too concerned. If you have an old laptop, just use that. It is useful to have the settings optimised for audio. This is a good article on how to do that...
bandzoogle.com/blog/20-ways-to-optimize-your-windows-10-pc-for-music-production
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi, thanks for taking the time to reply and the link to the article, that's very helpful.
Personally I would invest more in my record deck if that is going to be a medium that you are interested in. I have gone through many mid priced turntables over the years and if I had bought a Linn LP12 in the beginning I would have saved thousands of pounds.
Thank you for sharing your experiences 😊
Totally agree that getting the best turntable you can afford will be a wise longterm investment, the scource is fundamental in any hifi system, if you don't resolve information at the source it is gone forever, and expensive amps and speakers are pointless if you don't feed them a top quality signal.
Ultimately if people are interested in a genuinely musical and longterm system, a visit to a dealer who is capable of understanding this and demonstrating the hierarchy of a hifi system i.e. source first is essential, otherwise a lot of money and time will be wasted buying and swapping components without any real understanding of what actually makes a musical difference. Every thing sounds different especially speakers, which in terms of system hierarchy are the least important part of any hifi system, that should be obvious to anyone who has had a competent demonstration of the fundamental importance of the source.
Hi Tarun, thanks for another informative video. I have a Hegel H90 paired with MA Silver 200s and use the built in streamer and DAC for Tidal Hifi and Amazon Music HD. Would I hear a big difference with something like a Bluesound Node 2i, or would I need a separate DAC before hearing a significant difference?
Hi David, the inbuilt DAC on the H90 is better than the DAC on the Node 2i. The Bluesound will give you more functionality as a streamer but for sound quality, stick with your Hegel 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks Tarun!
I try to follow the "buy once cry once" approach to audio especially, but everything in life, or I just end up spending more $! I think one must discuss diminishing returns, which kick in at different points for different gear, which you cover well. Don't forget the issue of the point of no returns! Digital sources diminishing returns -> no returns kicks in hard at around 2k US, and past that it's looks, build quality, etc, vs audible (vs measurable...) improvements, and there's nothing wrong with that either, but bits is bits and human hearing remains the same regardless of changes in measured improvements in digital sources.
The law of diminishing returns kicks in at different points for different individuals. For most people who are not used to listening to a decent hifi system a £500 system may be sufficient. Well healed audiophiles who have spent decades developing their listening skills and have a dedicated, treated listening room may not be able to live without their £200,000 system. Ask Michael Fremer. I suppose I was trying to give most people new to the hobby some general guidance 🤔Thank you for sharing your perspective 😊
I think for me, the real question is how much are you prepared to lend me Tarun?
Okay, joking apart.... I think each part of the system is equally important. Unless one is really well off, then each time you upgrade one of the key components, you should buy the best you can afford - but don't fool yourself that the system will be instantly transformed by a wonderful new turntable or wonderful new speakers. I've noticed in recent years that there seems to be a shift back to speakers as the most important part of a good system. I agree with this - and with you Tarun. The best source and amp in the world aren't so hot if one doesn't have the right speakers for the room - and the acoustics, decoupling and placement sorted out.
You are right my friend. Everything matters. It is just that cheap DACs have got so good in recent years 😉
Your comment about the acoustics is so on par. I don't know how many Guttenberg videos there are out there about not blaming the speakers until one troubleshoots placement and room acoustics!
One of the reasons I selected a Schiit Gungnier Multibit is that they designed several of their DACs for upgradability. If they make improvements, upgrades can be handled at home by the owner. It also sounds very good couple to an Audiolab 6000CDT.
Thank James. Another brand on my radar 😉
I paid £2250 for my EMT 950, about 10 years ago now. I would not be happy with a Rega Planar 10, never mind a 3. My vinyl deserves better than a boring belt drive turntable.
I agree with you about spending a lot less on digital sources than other sources. I paid £20 for my Philips 1990's CD player. If I wanted a DAC I wouldn't spend more than £100 on one. A Topping DAC would do for me.
Thank you for watching and sharing Lin 😊👍
Hello Tarun, nice video as always your method of explaining various components in order of importance is well received. I do notice that you have an interesting pair of Triangle Genese Trio speakers in the background, I hope you are planning to evaluate them at some point?
Thank you Nick. I hope I won’t keep you waiting to long 😊👍
Hello, I’m a newbie on your channel from the States. I’ve watched a couple of your videos now and enjoy your presentation. I agree with your price to performance model. Currently, I’m using a BlueSound Node 2i to do streaming and DAC servicing. My electronics are vintage McIntosh separates and my speakers are Revel F36. I’d like to get an external DAC. Using your 80/20 model, would you mind offering a DAC you think I should consider?
Thank you for watching Steve. My shortlist of DACs would be...
Chord Mojo
Denafrips Aries II
RME ADI-2
Which one will depend on the sound signature you want and the functionality. Hope this helps 😉
Thanks so much for the reply. I’ve been sniffing the Denefrips for a while. My speakers are very revealing, especially when playing digital. The r2r DACs appeal because of the “warmer sound”. I’m a little unnerved by the availability of the device. In the US, it can only be bought from one dealer in Singapore. I’ll check out your other recommendations as well.
As you say other there...Cheers!
I’m happy with my topping d90, it has 30 day return period from apos.
That’s another I’ve looked at. I’m also looking at the Schiit Bifrost 2. What kind of sound signature does the Topping produce?
As a beginner, I find myself wondering which component has a bigger effect on the overall sound of a hi-fi system: power amp, pre-amp, or DAC? On which should I invest more money?
Should I get a decent, albeit sub $1000, power amp (Parasound Classic 2125v2 or Schiit Vidar for example) and spend a little more ($500-$1000) on a DAC (Burson Swing, Burson Composer, Topping D90, Denafrips Aries 2)
OR
...spend a little more on a power amp or integrated amp (Hegel Rost, Hegel H90, Naim Nait 5si, Schiit Ragnarok) and buy a $129 Ifi Zen Dac and be done with it (for now)?
My advice is that it all matters but not to the same extent. Spend the most on speakers, a little less on power amps, a little les on the preamp DAC. Making sure that there is good synergy between components in vital.
Very helpful and timely video as I'm currently considering whether I need a dedicated desktop DAC or not. Would appreciate your advice.
Which DACs will go well with the PMC 25.26 speakers and Rega Atheos integrated amplifier? I have the Chord Hugo 2 which I hook up with the system but it's not a permanent part of the setup. I keep hooking and unhooking it from the system as I also use it with my headphones. Should I keep doing this or is it worth getting a desktop DAC? If it is, which DAC would you recommend.
I also plan to upgraded my turntable (which requires that I need to be more careful about where and how much money I spend). I currently have an old Rega P3. I'm thinking about the R6. Will it match well with the speakers and amp I mentioned above?
Many thanks!
I would stick with the Hugo 2 unless you are fed up with switching. I would suggest and upgraded cartridge and tone arm on the P3 before changing the base 😊👍
@@abritishaudiophile7314 not fed up - Should not be that spoiled 🙂.
@@abritishaudiophile7314 one more question, Tarun. Do I need a high end SACD player when I can simply connect my (not expensive) bluray player with the Hugo 2 using a coaxial or optical cable? What are the merits and demerits of both? Many thanks!
Hi @@petrolhead007 , I use a £200 Sony Blu-ray player as a transport into my Chord DAC. Works really well. Of course, an audiophile transport will improve things a little but at considerable cost.
Both optical and coaxial have their +/-
Optical is impervious to noise along the cable but the transmitter and receiver can add noise if poor quality.
Coaxial can be really good if you have a good transport with accurate timing (clock) but the cable and connectors need to be 75 ohm (BNC not RCA) otherwise the change in impedance can add timing errors.
In the end it all comes down to implementation 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Some very good and detailed information - thanks for that. Which Chord DAC do you use? I've seen Chord Mojo in your videos. How do I use the Mojo in DAC only mode? Will appreciate recommendations for optical and coaxial cables, fitting the criteria you mentioned.
Solid advice for beginners.
Still listening to my Heybrook tt2ii/Rega rb300 turntable from 1984. I got married in 1993;-)
So, Tarun. Rather than geeking out over DAC pre/post ringing ( which I can clearly hear from some vinyl),
When are you going to deal with acoustic ringing in your ROOM?
(My wife mentions it listening to your presentations)
Let's have an episode/ demo on how much to $pend on room treatments, please!
From a British audiophile who enjoys your shows :-)
Thank you Carlito. The problem is not my room but the 3.5mm conversion required to record on my iPad Pro 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314
🧐 Interesting.
I enjoy the show and your insights.
Thanks Tarun!
I enjoy your balanced presentation. I have a older Linn.system. Turntable Integrated amp speakers and cables. I thoroughly enjoy it.
Thank you Ken. I bet that old Linn system sings 😊
Hi Tarun....sorry if this is a dumb question...my main sources are CD, SACD and streaming via blutooth from my phone....I've had my system for years without a DAC....would adding one be of benefit? Where does it go in the system?
A very good question really. It can benefit the sound if it is better quality than the internal ones inside your components. It would from the digital output of your devices to your amplifier. Your CD and SACD will need digital outputs (usually coaxial or optical TOSLink) for that to work 😊
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks so much for the reply....I will just get a Bluetooth capable DAC to improve the sound of my streaming from my phone...connect to DAC wirelessly..then DAC into control amp...
Great content. My speakers are $6k and all the other components match. However, looking for a dedicated streamer. Currently use ipad off usb into my dac. Cant really find many dedicated streamers that dont cost $$4k. Any suggestions?
@@alexlopez-u3i thank you. Check out WiiM and Eversolo 😊
If USB is preferred over coaxial, where does optical ( Toslink) fit in? Thanks for the great content!
Hi Alan, there a +/- to each.
Optical is impervious to noise along the cable but the transmitter and receiver can add noise if poor quality.
Coaxial can be really good if you have a good transport with accurate timing (clock) but the cable and connectors need to be 75 ohm (BNC not RCA) otherwise the change in impedance can add timing errors.
USB in theory should have reduced timing errors due to the asynchronous nature but it needs to be handled by a separate interface and this needs to be up to scratch.
In the end it all comes down to implementation 😊 Thank you for watching 😊🤔
Looking and sounding better every video - you're getting the hang of this! Compare it to one of your first couple if you don't believe me:D
Keep up the good work dude.
Thank you. I was way out of my comfort zone with this video/filming gig. Making baby steps. Thank you for your support 😊👍
I really wish you wen' a southener, I'd come help you out at first, until you're readto go it aloneL)
Thank you @@yyams I am enjoying the journey and it is great to learn new skills in an area I had no idea about before I started. I mean filming, lighting, editing, social media. I had never done any of it. Thank you once again for your support 😊👍
I think the source is the most part of a hifi system because once data is lost, it can never be recovered. Also, a source is probably doing the hardest job, creating the audio signal. I feel CD is here to stay for quite a while because lots of people have CD collections and having a pure copy of the source data is surely the optimal setup for sound quality. KISS philosophy. The industry naturally prefers and wants to encourage streaming because it saves them money and gives them more control of the data. Streaming has a few advantages, mainly convenience but quite a few drawbacks.
I bought a Jay’s audio transport and DAC at nearly £6k cost and the amount of data I get off CDs is staggering. [Many reviews attest to their being one of the best CD transport and DAC combos for the money in the hi-end arena.] This has also improved with vibration damping tweaks.
Those not wanting to spend that much might do well to follow Tarun’s advice and use a Blu-ray player as a transport along with a good modern DAC, as there are lots of good ones around these days. I have over 4000 CDs so can justify my exotic CD setup 😉
Great advice. Thank you buddy 😊👍
Very good discussion
Thank you 😊
When I got back into CDs I wanted a stand-alone device to play them.
I bought an old Maratz DV3002 DVD player and replaced the laser mechanism (degrades over time).
Was about 50 bucks including the replacement part.
It has a shitty internal DAC, but I use the coax digital output to my DAC, so the DVD player is used as a CD transport only and I benefit from the quality sound of the DAC I already have.
Well done buddy 👍
This was wonderfully helpful.
Thank you Jonathan 😊👍
Excellent advice as usual 👌🇬🇧
Thank you Jen 😊👍
My next upgrade would probably be a DAC so this video is of particular interest to me! At present I have the Denon DA-300USB DAC. Now it sounds great so should I upgrade? How much better could my system sound with a better DAC? My amp is the Audreal XA 6950 Hybrid Integrated amp, it has tubes on the pre-amp side and solid state on the output stage. Its a £1700 amp but reviews said it compares well to many amps up to £4000. My present speakers are the Tangent Spectrum X6 Floorstanding Speakers, they sell for around £600. They sound good to me but I guess they are one of the weak links in my present system. I hope to upgrade them to the Revel F35 Speakers sometime in the next 12 months. Now I'm not going to spend a small fortune on a DAC, I am happy to buy 2nd hand (in fact most of my system is 2nd hand) ; I do like the tube sound so have been looking at the Musical Paradise MP-D2MK2 DAC. It can often be picked up for around £500 (2nd hand) on the bay!
Now would that be a wise upgrade or would I be better to spend that £500 on a higher speaker upgrade , possibly the Revel F36's?? Any opinions much appreciated! :)
Hi Chris, I am not familiar with the Musical Paradise DAC so will leave that for someone else to comment upon. I would upgrade your speakers first as it is most likely the weakest link. Then you can get a better DAC and fully appreciate the benefit it brings 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Thanks for the feedback Tarun :)
Tarun thanks for the informational insight. Would you advise use of the internal DAC in the Iotavx sa3 or would a stand alone be noticeably better? Using a Audiolabs 6000 CDT and Q acoustics 3050's. Thx
I would get the internal DAC out of your signal path Dave. It is not very good. Any external DAC from £200+ will be much better 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 While waiting for the new DAC (as per your kind recommendation), I put a higher end power cord on the Iota vx sa-3. The original 18 ga. zip wire replaced by 10 ga. wire. Quite noticeable improvement in attack and sustain; more texture. Iota should recommend this replacement, as it reveals a superior product.
Thank you for the update Dave. Pleas let me know what you think of the new DAC 😉
@@abritishaudiophile7314 Hi Tarun. Thanks for guiding me through the DAC selection. SMSL SU9 is providing unanticipated clarity. All frequencies are punchy and better defined. I wonder how much 'equipment burn-in' is really 'brain burn-in', because I felt I had to adjust in order to hear the fine details. I'm blown away; thank you again Tarun.
@@dbrodbro1 hi Dave. I am so pleased it worked out. I suspect it is both us and the equipment burning in 😊👍
I was hoping you would go full Swiss Toni. "Buying a turntable is like making love to a beautfiul woman. You need to make sure she plays 12" but is happy with a 7", and maintains a consistent speed. You need to know if she's high maintenance, and if her belt is likely to loosen over time...".
(love the channel, helped me with an MF A1 purchase!)
I'm a digital format kind of audiophile. My bottom line is if you are new in the hobby and want to have your first system and your budget is 100 spend 60 on the speakers 30 on the amps and 10 on dacs and cables. That is the way I spent my money when built my setup. My music library is composed of 6000 albums all flac format and hifi streaming so no need of cd transporter.
Thank you for watching and sharing Benjamin 😉
The best advice I've heard regarding turntables is to "treat them as an instrument." Think of the analogy like this; If the turntable is an instrument, then a cartridge represents the "skill" of the musician playing that instrument. A master pianist may be capable of providing an incredible musical experience for you, but when you give them a $50 Casio keyboard to use then you're not going to hear their true potential. Likewise, any given cartridge deserves a table capable of showing off its capabilities. Take the LP60 and Planar 2 for example. Both use the same exact cartridge (despite Rega's claim otherwise...) but the Rega is able to extract every ounce of performance from that cart, resulting in a much more refined sound than the LP60. This is with a budget cart but this definitely holds true when considering more sophisticated cartridges. This is why I'm a firm believer in investing in the best _deck_ your budget allows, even if you have a less than stellar cartridge.
I love that analogy. Thank you for sharing David 😊👍👍