Sample Test - Primare i35 with DM36 DAC Versus Sonnet Pasithea
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- Опубликовано: 21 авг 2024
- This is an interesting one! We have de Primare i35 with the new DM36 DAC board ánd Prima streaming board. We test the internal dac ánd the analog input. For that we use the Alpha Audio PC with Mutec and Sonnet Pasithea... how big will the difference be? Let's find out!
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Terrific song by Anathema! I have not heard of that band before so thank you (apparently I've been living under a rock, lol). Hard to tell which sounds better over the internet. I am pretty sure the R2R Pasithea does in room, but that is besides the point. The streamer/dac of the Primare i35 sounds very good, avoiding the extra cost of separates; and for those looking for a one box solution (save phono-preamp), this Primare i35 is a very good value (now $4500 in the U.S.).
4500$ is a very good deal.
I use a Primare Pre35 Prisma with the DM35 fitted and to be honest it sound absolutely fine for our needs. I have heard the DM36 can be a bit analytical but listening to it on my tablet it's hard to tell. I use analogue 95% of the time and my wife uses the CD35 transport and streaming services, so it's not really an issue for me. Also the £800 to upgrade to the DM36 on top of the £4,000 I paid for the Pre35 Prisma makes an external DAC look more feasible.
P.s The Primare i35 is class D and I use my Primare Pre35 with a class A/B power amp and it sounds sublime.
thank you, which power amplifier do you use?
@@reinhardhahn986 I use a Musical Fidelity M8 500s, if I could have bought a new Primare A32 when I got the Pre35 Prisma I would have gone for that, but unfortunately they were discontinued by then. Having said that, the MF is a brilliant amp which has been very impressive with its quality of sound and suits the Pre35 down to the ground.
Thanks, that's a good option
I prefer the internal streamer/dac because there seems to be more room acoustic and it’s open and fresh for my taste.
I prefer the external Dac tad smoother and bit richer more oomph. You can hear his voice deeper more chesty on the first track.
Via my tablet and Bluetooth headphones not a huge difference. Internal dac sounded a bit thinner but maybe a tiny more spacious. Via analog input a little more organic, the voices more rounded .
Excellent quality 👌🏻
Listening just on an iPad Pro with no headphones it seems that the analog out sounded much smoother and more pleasing. Maybe with headphones it feels different but it is very obvious that the sound is different.
To my ears the Internal DAC sounds edgier a bit colder and maybe a bit more open, on the other side the Pasithea sounds warmer, more rounded but at the same time more organic especially with human voices. Both DACs will suit different tastes
You nailed it.
To me the internal/Dac opens up the soundstage more, perhaps more 'accurate'? The analog input sounds more 'pleasing' and smoothing slightly. Can't say I prefer one over the other, depends on the track.
Nice one, TX!
Are the tweeters still linear at the recording angle? I suppose that beyond 12kHz it must be a vertiginous drop?
Greetings from Sweden!!! The Primare i35 sounds truly exellent! But which dac module sounds best to you? Some prefer the DM35 over the DM36. Have you done a proper a-b test?
Unfortunately we couldn't do an A B test.
@@TheAlphaAudio Ok! Thanks for the answer. But do you think the DM36 is worth the extra money? It's not cheap
@@kentmanfrido5367 hard to tell... I think the difference is not huge. Both are very decent dacs. If your system is very revealing you will hear a difference for sure.
My pre35 Prisma has the DM35 fitted, Primare want me to spend another £800 to upgrade to the DM36. So my wallet thinks the DM35 sounds just fine.
@@madmeister407 sure. Dm35 is fine!
So no need to buy an external Streamer/DAC😅
How about the pre out into the Pass vs Pasithea into the Pass😬
Yes, If you have an amplifier without all that fuss, you will be good for years. Grtz Phil
oops ...I was just enjoying the music and forgot it was a comparison
Haha! Nice!
It's much harder to tell the difference with closed eyes. Pasithea seams to be a little bit smoother in the first track but I can't say the it's a much better DAC than the internal . Personal preferences, like always.
For a Sopra 2, do you think a primary or a larger AVM would be a good choice? a michi x3 also an alternative? Unfortunately it is not currently possible to listen to these devices yourself. or even a better idea? Thank you very much
@@reinhardhahn986 the higher series of AVM match very well. Michi X3 is - in my opinion - not a great match.
Thanks for your opinion, I have a Primare i35 on Sopra 1 and I think it fits well, although if you don't know the difference, that doesn't mean much. However, I'll try to hear a big avm on sopra 2. a Primare i will also Tracy
By the way, thank you for your high quality videos, which are not sales events
Quite a huge difference. Pasithea/Mutec combo is much more musical, organic and 'real'.
ESS vs R2R. The winner is the second, Sonnet Pasithea.
But.. Why do not you use a complex, orchestral theme with great dynamics? From CD, SACD or FLAC and not from Qobuz or other streaming services -> loudness war as FM radio.
I like this kind of music... that's why to be honest. 🙂
@@TheAlphaAudio
Good choice, same here. 👌
Just now, with very good sound and interpretation!
Reiner, Chicago SO - Bartok - Concerto for Orchestra (1956) Vinyl x2, The Franklin Mint Recording Society 1981, US
DR Peak RMS Duration Track
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DR13 -0.06 dB -19.19 dB 9:59 01-Concerto For Orchestra - I. Introduzione; Andante non troppo; Allegro vivace
DR14 -5.78 dB -24.88 dB 6:00 02-Concerto For Orchestra - II. Giocoso delle coppie; Allegretto scherzando
DR15 -0.07 dB -20.58 dB 7:59 03-Concerto For Orchestra - III. Elegia: Andante non troppo
DR13 -2.01 dB -22.49 dB 4:17 04-Concerto For Orchestra - IV. Intermezzo interrolto; Allegretto
DR13 -0.06 dB -17.63 dB 9:03 05-Concerto For Orchestra - V. Finale: Pesante; Presto
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Number of tracks: 5
Official DR value: DR13
Hi wonderful sound indeed well captured by the recording I guess that you rate AD converter on the GrimmUC1 superior to the one in the Grace M108 ? if so it must be something really special
The uc1 is much better
@@TheAlphaAudio hi thank you very much for the very kind reply
I asked because on principle i like to keep a chain as simple as possible
I am very admired by the recording of this system
kind regards gino
@@gino3286 thanks! I agree with a shorter path. But the AD Converter of the Grace - even with Dante - is not very good. The UC1 is much smoother and natural sounding. The analoge part of the Grace is very good though.
@@TheAlphaAudio thank you very much again A great performance for the UC1 for sure Grace is a big name in studios
The second track is shockingly bad. Sound quality of the kit is great though.
I just like the track. 🙂
This amplifier distorts the beginning of every tone, the transients. That sounds completely different over Pass.
What are you talking about? This amp doesn't distort.
The measurements show no distortions.
But my ears hear that the very first edges don't sound natural. There are currently no measurements for this.
But the first edges are particularly important for our hearing.
Pass can do that, that's why Pass sounds so good. (and also Soulnote A1, A2 or VMV A1)
Music examples for transients: Dakota Suite "The Night Just Keeps Coming" or a well-recorded live atmosphere.
For technicians: Suboptimal negative feedback is to blame. The transient behavior of the control loop destroys the acoustic transients.
When we finally have a measurement for this, amplifier construction will develop rapidly.
@@kirkengel9880 I didn't hear them as well during the test period. And I play with a Pass pre and power daily.
Maybe we hear things differently.
I examined 136 amplifiers over the last 7 years. 120 with global negative feedback, all distorted the transients audibly.
16 without global feedback reproduced perfect transients but had other audible distortions. This is a dilemma.
There are only a few developers worldwide who have recognized the problem, Nelson Pass, Menno van der Veen, Hideki Kato, Thomas Sillesens and a few others.
The cheapest amplifier for getting to know perfect transients is the Chinese VMV A1 for 650 euros.
Try to pay attention to the beginning of the notes, not the end.
The moment when the stick touches the sheet metal or the fingernail tears the guitar string. Or pay attention to the many striking transients in Dakota Suites Music. Clapping hands or applauding is also a good indicator.