GoodSoundClub - Romy the Cat's Audio Site

In the Forum: Didital Things
In the Thread: Really Expensive DACs?

Post Subject: I do differently.Posted by xandcg on: 12/11/2015

Paul S,

I usually do not compare source components (or amplifiers or cables or etc.) in this fashion, DAC vs DAC, CDT vs CDT etc. unless I feel two (or more) of then (may) be too similar, like Lampizator and AN UK DACs I like. I prefer to focus integrally on the sound it put out and compare them with what I think it should sound, or what I think is sounding right whenever what the source is.

I mean, I don't care (sound-wise) how much it cost or how fancy are the parts. We are talking about a market where the dealers usually buy the products from the maker with around 40% discount, so high margins everywhere, and the clients want to buy it more expensive yet. The Golden Gate as far I know had been created to full fit they client wishes. I never heard that model, so I can't talk anything about it but it may be a outstanding one, I don't know.

Otherwise I don't have technical knowledge to make statements about projects, but I think most of the expensive/fancy parts goes indeed to the analog stage and power supply. The AN UK Fifth Element/Force use the entire M9 phono stage in the analog stage, and that is the most expensive phono stage from AN UK, until the M10 come out.

Sorry, but IMHO I do not see the patch you are as proper way to find out what you want, at least this way not work for me. But at same time I do not follow the rules, mostly because the way I started in audio.

I will explain a bit in order you have a idea of how I think audio, from how was initiated:

I am from Brazil with 33yo, in my teenagers (90's) my country was complete close for imports, unless for national interest. The best audio products we was available was basically some old Quasar and Marantz electronics we can buy on used market and some well made national clones, also old at this point. The national market was very little and crap only, but those well made clones was very good compared of what we used to have in general, specially the JBL loudspeakers clones.

In 1994 (IIRC) we was allowed importing again but the things that entered in the market went to be ever more crappier, then I hold my old stuff. At some, point around the end of 90's those audio products become too ageing and dead in 2000. Still I couldn't find anything with at least a OK sound in the market and I was not aware a "audiophile" did exist until 5 years ago. In others worlds I lived around 10 years without listening to music at any form because I couldn't find anything with a at least a OK sound plus I was convinced there nothing good any more to listen to.

The interesting fact about that were when my audio still was working properly I did several discoveries, mostly by accident, of how I could make that thing sound better:

1 - one day I turned the system on and the sound was too dark, really dark. I thought it was a problem with the tweeters until a few days later I found my father behind the loudspeakers. I find out he was swapped the loudspeakers cables for unknown reason but now the sound come back to the 'normal'. At that point I found out that cables can make some differences and start to test almost any loudspeaker cable I was able to find. Needless to say only zip cable was in the market so I was looking around on my entire city (Rio de Janeiro) for different brands of loudspeaker cables, then interconnects, then plugs, then wall outlets etc. with no clue of what I was doing, of course.

2 - Later that, one day I come from school and turn the sound on. I was tons of coins in my pocket and just put that on the top of the receiver. Immediately the sound become better, with more clarity, and I failed to understand why, or what was responsible for that, until the time I leave. I take the coins back to my pocket and the sound become worse.

I didn't know why that happened, but now was in need to find out what I can place on the top of the electronics to make it sound better, again with no clue of what I was doing. So I tried almost anything I found. Coins, rocks, keys, kitchen utensils, ashtrays, unknown things I found on the streets etc.

At some point I had a suspended CD player on the celling, coins on the top of electronics. All the craziest experiments I could try I did.

Needless to say how was the situation when someone come to my audio room and ask why I had so many crazy stuff around the system, but ever worse was I trying to explain why, without any sort of real explanation to make.

At the end I become very sensible to any sort of audio. The system should sound exactly how I think is should sound (or better) or I can't listen to it, at least for an extended period of time.

The good is, I did all those experiments without any sort of influence, I was completely alone but with a good friend whom already is dead. There was no audiophile BS, no price tag, no brand, and several times ever a product didn't exist.

The reference I used for was live recordings where I was there in person. Garage bands from friends, some pirate recordings from shows etc.

What I mean, I have a sound in my mind and I think the system should sound like that (as possible), so I fail to see a point on treat the components as a DAC, as a turntable, as a CD player or how much it cost, or if it use fancy parts - I see all of then just as a source. It should sound like that one thing I have in mind whenever it is.

At this point I think there are need for everything, using everything, and costing anything, if it will help me to find the sound I think is the right one. The only way we can really know if the Golden Gate, any others DAC make sense will be testing it.

I do personally think the Lampizator is one of the more realistic DAC on the market. Ever the cheaper ones share the same qualities, but the bigger ones add more, go perfecting it according the level up.

If you know AN UK well, Lampizator works in a very similar way. Basically same sound on any level, and more the level up it become better. Again, the basic sound, or sound signature, don't change. They are very honest at this point I think.

Best Regards.
Alexandre.

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