Dave, Now if you could just convince Amir to include some version of this spec. in his reviews! If I recall, he has a very good system, although I do not know if his speakers are pulled out from the front wall and he has balanced room conditions. This could be a great, consistent test measurement for him: Does he excitedly pull-out different recordings to listen to. He will know if he is disappointedly going through the motions vs. going through a re-discovery. We can trust him to tell us the truth on that. If he does not add a meaningful listening spec. to his repertoire, he will be the Julian Hirsch of our time. And it is a shame because, like J.H., he appears to be a dedicated, nice guy.
Yes, that would be a nice addition and round out his 'reviews'. I hope he would entertain this, but I am skeptical that this would happen. This is why-I think that he probably has a confirmation bias where he would only be able to enjoy components that measure well, and would not let himself hear good music from poorly measuring equipment. I desperately would like to be proven wrong about this, but my sense is that he would not really be able to make this jump to honest subjective impressions despite his measurements. Maybe if he listened first?? Still, a listening impression is not quantifiable and I think this fact would be hard for him to report. I love that he is enthusiastic and really tries to evaluate but sadly I think he doesn't see the forest for the trees.
I guess this begs the question. Are you trying to get to the point where you become “paid” so your reviews are always good and you don’t review anything you “don’t like” like shuff…? I guess the most truth channels are the ones whom have just started or don’t have the ad revenue. Most vids start out this way and I normally jump to the next non biased personas. But for what its worth, keep up your the good work. Enjoy sharing your experience. The purity of new channels are nice while they last. 😊
I want to get to the point where I am paid, but I never want to sacrifice my integrity. I just want to make some bank doing it! My selling feature is my integrity, and I hope that my enthusiasm and honesty will be of value to people watching. I desperately want to trash some components, once I get through the actually really good amplifiers I am playing with now I hope to check out some vintage receivers and get the actual truth about them.
Dudes not even Greek, he's American. He changed his channel name so many times, i keep getting tricked into watching it for a second. Something about him just rubs me the wrong way.
Yeah, I haven't dove into his crazy digital setup yet, I know that it can get complicated when you are trying to clean up and isolate a digital signal, with switches, isolators, clocks etc. LPs are complex enough, but physical and easy to intuitively understand!
Yes, there is quite a bit of ear tickling on some channels. They will make you feel good when they review a component you've bought for example. Personally, it raises red flags when I see all positive reviews almost 100% of the time from some of these audio component reviewers. You are also right on the money about knowing who and when these people (channels) are totally biased. Good on you Dave! Keep going. You can just tell when the passion for this great hobby comes from the heart. Wish there were more reviewers like you on RU-vid. God bless.
Hello Firebottle! Thanks for the kind words. With a little thought and observation it's not hard to figure out who is telling the truth. In fact, there are many youtube videos that will help you to identify when someone is being truthful! Thanks for watching :-)
Hi Carl, I don't think Thomas is a dealer at all, he has the Galion brand. I don't think he has created a high power amplifier yet, his amps are great at providing wonderful sound, value and flexibility.
Hey Carl, thanks for watching! Yes, speaker placement is very critical, and also free! Always experiment with the placement of the speakers, and of your listening position as well. An open mind is always appreciated as well ;-)
Well said, thank you for sharing & yes, you are right, you dont find very, very rarely serious reviewers talking about their review methodoligy. Unfortunately bias is a key element for many of us audiophiles. I try to close my eyes and not looking at (new) gear and listen to my 4 key reference songs (vocals / complex live concert recording / Jazz with clear instrument placements / electro- hires recording with larger frequence range ). After 1-2 days i go to my 2nd chain and listen same recordings in same order Then wating 1-2 days, playing it again in my changed System. Than bringing in my wife she noticies aber changes. 😊 thanks a lot!
That's a great process, hope it helps you choose components that give you long term satisfaction! Having a selection of tunes that you know well is helpful in parsing out what sounds good to you. Enjoy the music, thanks for watching.
4:44 - This is why I don't like much when reps talk too much at shows when demoing.. We are very susceptible to suggestion. I noticed the differences in the images very easily without the guidance. ( pretty keen recognition ability with dyslexia )
That's the job of the reps, and it makes for great entertainment if you understand that you are not getting a level playing field to audition! Awesome that you were able to easily pick out the visual differences, do you find that you have that ability with audio, too?
From the wall outlet, I cover the outlet with a carbon fiber cover; plug a Tripp Lite Isobar (no cable plug-in unit); i place an obsidian crystal pyramid touching the Tripp Lite; and have silver cables with NCF filter terminals. Each makes a noticeable difference in clarity. I have a no-name silver wired power distributor.
Marginal gains! I've heard some comments recently about optimizing everything and getting great sound from your existing products, thanks for bringing this up.
Great content, starting at 6.00 :) I love the chat between you guys talking in terms that only an Audiophile understand. I share the journey you have done regarding AC power (and power cables) and had similar reaction = Where did the noise went which I did not hear before?!?!?!? It will let every note and nuance breath with better separation plus an added sense of depth and realism... But I was able to reach this kind of elevation with a power conditioner called Supra MD08DC and this is really cheap. I am very curious what this Puritan has to offer x 5 the price :) Was that the "Amazing" speakers by Bob Carver? Nice... :) Cheers!
Hi Martin, thanks for watching! Supra sounds interesting, not sure if I can get a hold of one near me but I'll look out for it. Yes, Carver Amazing speakers, no plans to change them they do what I like!
Hola Dave, Hope you enjoyed sun, tapas and tinto! Had to smile quite a few times during the video especially where it reminded me of myself when I find something that removes sonic obstacles creating a truer sound. More realistic, clearer or background removing tension from the notes. Always amazing! It can take a week or more until my mind understands what I hear. This builds listening comprehension resulting in a deeper enjoyment of music 🎶. Enjoying the ability to hear music, silence, nature and the interactions. Zack
Thanks Zack. Sun and heat were very welcomed, nice to be away and nice to come home as well! I've got a line on a power conditioner from another company, hope to be reviewing this soon.
There are no shortcomings in state of the art audio measurements. We can measure every parameter of audio way beyond the thresholds of human hearing. The problem is audiophiles still ignore or remain unaware of the basic tenants of psychoacoustics which clearly demonstrate that we can't reliably compare an aural memory to real time aural stimulus. If we make comparisons with a delay between samples of two seconds or more that are not time synchronized, level matched and blind we will perceive differences whether there are any or not. THIS has been demonstrated in controlled test after controlled test. We already know why people hear differences, even dramatic ones in flawed comparisons. We don't need better measurements. We need better listening tests that account for how human hearing and aural memory actually work. And we need audiophiles to put their egos in their back pockets and stop thinking this is about their listening skills. How we hear, process and set sound to memory is the result of millions of years of human and mammal evolution. You can't will it away or defeat it with "audiophile experience."
@@tothemax324 actually a musicologist can give an in depth explanation of what makes a Beethoven symphony great. But that doesn't matter. You are conflating art with science. A sound wave is what it is regardless of how we react to it emotionally.
Hi Scott, thanks for watching and for your thoughtful comment! I disagree that we can measure every parameter, because we still have components that measure great but do not sound the best, and components that measure the same but sound differently. Your comments on the problems of 'Audiophiles' is a bit dismissive of the experience of probably 80% of self proclaimed audiophiles who have systems set up well with enough resolution that allows them to consistently hear these differences. I wish you an awesome audio journey, I encourage you to keep listening with an open mind.
@@davelistenstohifi to say that anything measures "great" but does not sound "best" is to conflate objective measurement with subjective preferences. Nothing measures "great." Things just measure as they are. "Great" is an inherently subjective label that a person has to attach. As for things measuring the same but sounding different...1. most things don't measure the same. 2. Objectively discerning what sounds different by ear requires blind level matched protocols. It's normal to perceive differences where none exist in sighted comparisons that are not level matched, time synchronized and quick switching. I do have an open mind. Part of having an open mind includes being open to the possibility that we are not human tape recorders and can be quite mistaken about what we think we hear.
@@tothemax324 What definition did you look up? "The word musicology literally means "the study of music," encompassing all aspects of music in all cultures and all historical periods." So it is all encompassing. Calling me irrational based on your misunderstanding of the word is....irrational.
I recently purchased a used PS Audio P600 regenerator and had some insane reduction in noise in my system. ESPECIALLY on my phono stage. All the comments on the benefits of eliminating or reducing noise in your system are SPOT ON!! Well done guys. 🎉
Hey ABX, thanks for watching! Glad to hear that you had a positive experience with the PS audio regenerator, sounds like it is a real solution to the power problem.
Hi Dave. You've really brought back some good memories from the late 80s-early 90s, when I was listening to my own Carver silvers. At the time of purchase I had them set up in a huge loft apartment with 13 foot ceilings. The more room you give them to breathe, the more they reward the listener with depth. I still kick myself for selling them. Young and foolish days! Have a great vacation. Salut from N.B.
I have my speakers about 9 feet from the front wall, that space really helps the depth so I can imagine what high ceilings would do as well! profitez bien de vitre systeme au NB ;-)
Just found this channel. Love it! Purely a subjective hobby. All down to personal preference and taste. No right or wrong. Every room is different and how the system or component synergizes with each other with a given speaker and interacts within that given room. At the end of the day, if your system triggers an emotional response or an upgrade that does this, enjoy it, its already doing its thing for you.
Yes, and I encourage people to try different components and setups. The more you hear the better your ability to judge and know what you like. As you said, no right or wrong, emotional engagement is key!
Finally! A reviewer with enough experience to describe the different nuances between dacs and different components that listens through a stereo setup. I love listening through headphones, but a good stereo valve rig is hard to beat. Great work dave! Loved this review. Subscribed
@@davelistenstohifi That's what it's all about in the end, isn't it? I've been researching all I can find about either the Puritan 136 or the 156 for a while now. They seem to be the REAL DEAL. I find them to be on the expensive side, but I guess it's the price to pay for good audio.
I have the recent Brio from 2024. Excellent unit. No hum or noise. Vocals are clear and realistic. Good tight bass and smooth treble. I could not be happier.
I PLAY PUBG FL1: (Fixed minimum phase fast roll-off) FL2: (Linear slow roll-off) FL3: (Apodizing Apodization Filter) FL4: (Minimum phase fast roll-off) FL5: (Minimum phase slow roll-off) FL6: (Linear fast roll-off) FL7: (Brickwall Mixing Filter what one would be the best for gaming
Totally agree, the best you can do as a reviewer, is to state your taste, that way people will have a reference point. Keep up the reviews but most of all keep it real.
I had the Brio for a short time. Nice sound. But the build was not tight. Put a constant hum in my speakers and a loud one that made my headphone amp unusable. No previous amp had done that. Had to send it back for a replacement. The second one was the same. Ended up with an Arcam that was dead silent.
That's odd that you had the same experience twice, something in your system just didn't jive with the Brio. It was very quiet in my system, no issues. Do you still have the Arcam?
The model that replaced the one you are reviewing has been discounted the last i looked as it will likely be replaced with a refreshed model. I use a competitor to it, a keces e40 made in taiwan. The keces for me specs out better in some regards, has better build and been used over 3 yrs without an issue. Check it out sometime. I have driven Focal, MA, Triangle and now Dali Opticon 1s with excellent results.
@@davelistenstohifi I don't think they build for others but are a small firm that started in power supplies and conditioners I believe. They have a phono stage, a dac, and the small integrated and a more powerful amp, still in a more compact form than competitors. Well regarded by users but still fairly unknown. If you want a small form factor integrated and don't need tons of power, the E40 is a heck of a fine sounding product. Originally discovered it thru a Soundnews review. Of course there's better, or even different, always is but IMO, it holds it own with those costing significantly more, even in an 8.5 X8.5 inch square aluminum frame at 10 lbs. The other amp I have is a Hegel h160.
@@davelistenstohifi Depends on the speakers too I suppose, some speakers not enough of a difference to note and some were well over a grand. One thing after listening to the Hegel for a time, say days and switching to the Keces, I noticed a little graininess but that's going completely cold on the Keces. Within a half hour that graininess isn't there so it could be more a warm up thing. On the tiny Opticon 1s, I notice the Hegel is livelier, perhaps a bit more resolution but more emphasis on note strikes versus more rounded edges on the Keces. I bet some wouldn't notice as much if any difference and the Hegel is 4X more powerful and 4X the weight. Some of that difference could be from the internal dac vs the Topping D70s as well. The Hegel has a bit more high end extension but the KecesE40 simply amazes me what it can do within its limits. For its internal parts, the sum exceeds what one should expect. Only 13.2K microfarads in 2 caps, simply astounds me as to the bass, within SPL limits. When it reaches its limits, it wimps out versus hard clipping. They're business is also power conditioners and power supplies. Now dacs and amps. Really underrated. Might even be a low cost alternative to tube amps as it presents a bit warmer than some class AB but controls bass well. It has been measured to have a damping factor around 150 while the under a grand and some over seem to have anywhere from 45 to still under 80. I tried a MF m2si and its bass was flabby and too much grain in the upper mids but it had power. I seem to notice difference in amps, real or imagined I can pick it up, sometimes subtle, sometimes not. Cheap amps sound cheap and 2D, no real coloration that real life instruments have. So, good designs give good results, IMO. Hard to make me want to spend more on an amp that fits in-between it and the Hegel in size and power. Doubt I could really achieve better for my needs. Guess I'm a Fanboy as long as the Company maintains its quality. Used it pretty much full time 3+ years now no blips. Plus, at its cost, when it goes, easy enough to replace. If the Hegel has an issue I would be compelled to repair it. Not perfect, but what a find. I like it better than the Rega Brio and that's no slouch.
@@davelistenstohifi One other thing, if a speaker is hard to drive and needs current, an amp like the Hegel would be better. I had the Definitive SM45 a few years back and it sounded dull and lifeless on lower powered amps and needed the Hegel to bring out the best it could do. Perhaps the current capability and/or lift in the upper mids the Hegel seems to do by comparison. The difference was noted at lower and moderate volumes. Def techs seem to need power, but on my other speakers, no issues. A Dali Menuet SE sounded good on the Keces but it took everything it had, throwing off alot of heat. So, caveat is stick with speakers that stay at or above 4 ohms, Opticon 1s, no issues but its also 4 dB more sensitive in actual measurements. So just stay within the little amps limits.
Thank you for this, great walk too! Curious if you guys will get into the Ethernet side of things as well. Just a few tweaks there can make an incomprehensibly profound difference for clarity and realism 🙏🏼
Im glad you and Loic have joined up. Two different perspectives. “The Odd Couple”. I prefer vinyl over streaming or digital music myself. Looking forward to the review. Happy listening!
Good discussion. I've found reviewers who have similar taste to me. I spent the money to buy what they recommended and in some cases I didn't like the gear. A couple of them I did have the same positive experience they described and I continue to take their advice
Yes, so much of this is subjective and personal, and there's room for many tastes. Find someone whose tastes mirror your own and use that as your guide, that makes for helpful content!
Well, there must be something else going on because there is no way I can hear up to 22K but I did hear a difference in the filters. Something to look into, for sure.
Hey Temmple, great question! The big TAD setup I found to be big and bold, dynamic and powerful. Like an iMAX screen. To me, musical is more intimate and natural. The Daniel Hertz system was very detailed and revealing, and supremely impressive for a 3-box (amp and 2 speakers) system. I found that, to my ears, it lacked intimacy and warmth. Of these systems, the smaller TAD setup with the CE1TX and Evolution amps was the most musical in my opinion.
What a great idea to focus on a few rooms that had a real impact on you. I appreciate that you recognize that it’s ultimately not about how a system sounds, but how the music makes you feel. Looking forward to the next video to see the recap of the rest of the show. Dig the new theme music as well!
Thanks for watching StephenC, great to know that strangers are understanding what I am talking about ;-) The theme music will have to do for now, made by machines for humans.
