CHANGSTAR: Audiophile Headphone Reviews and Early 90s Style BBS

  • December 31, 2015, 11:18:46 AM
  • Welcome, Guest
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  
Pages: 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 ... 17

Author Topic: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs  (Read 20792 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #40 on: October 07, 2014, 04:37:17 PM »
Quote from: hans030390 on October 07, 2014, 12:46:21 AM
Still the JKSPDIF thing. I would like to try others. I want to move away from what the JK uses, as I believe it is known for causing overshoot in the signal.

It should be fine. Probably goes for some overshoot to have a straighter line. JK moved on to the Ciunas no? Not sure if that is much better, probably slightly. But I thought the Ciunas converter was pretty good. Only thing it lacked as plankton vs. OR5, but OR5 had huge advantage of i2s.

Thinking about picking up M2Tech Evo and maybe modifying the Sigma11 PS to 9V. Perhaps adding Hynes regulators to it. Will send you converters when I do.
Logged

Clemmaster

  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +10/-1
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 239
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #41 on: October 07, 2014, 04:58:13 PM »
Hans, I can lend you my Ciunas Converter if you wanna try it.
Logged

Hands

  • Pizza the Hutt
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +331/-8
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1591
  • Master of Revelatory Bird Calls and Fine Art
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #42 on: October 07, 2014, 05:41:45 PM »
Clem, have you been able to compare it against the JK (I think I have Mk3, but I've never been able to confirm) or other converters? I might be curious. Shoot me a PM. And, yeah, Marv, probably is fine.

One thing I found interesting is my JK came with an RF attenuator, 15dB I believe. I think this is to help reflections, but I might be wrong. I forgot to use it at first with the Classe and, honestly, was very underwhelmed. Flat, lifeless, grainy sounding. Put the attenuator back on when I remembered, and it made a huge, positive difference.

I hadn't noticed any changes to that degree on other DACs. Not sure what's up, but now I'm curious to try other solutions to see if I'm limiting the Classe or if the JK just doesn't work well with it. I am really digging the sound in most ways, but I want to smooth out the top a bit. I could just use something a bit more relaxing, haha. (Again, probably just my ears being odd.)
Logged
The other master and I invite you to visit our digital museum of fine art and revelatory bird calls: https://www.facebook.com/SchrodsonkMuseum

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #43 on: October 07, 2014, 05:46:08 PM »
Digital connections are all tricky and stuff. Using random cables, wires, connectors, etc. There's probably something measurable to it (like keeping the ohm-age right), but futzing around is more fun.
Logged

Hun7er

  • Biggest Flipper since the Dolphin
  • Powder Monkey
  • *
  • Brownie Points: +0/-13
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 20
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #44 on: October 07, 2014, 06:09:08 PM »
Anybody tried Berkeley Alpha USB ?
Logged

Hands

  • Pizza the Hutt
  • Mate
  • Pirate
  • ****
  • Brownie Points: +331/-8
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1591
  • Master of Revelatory Bird Calls and Fine Art
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #45 on: October 07, 2014, 06:23:01 PM »
Quote from: marvey on October 07, 2014, 05:46:08 PM
Digital connections are all tricky and stuff. Using random cables, wires, connectors, etc. There's probably something measurable to it (like keeping the ohm-age right), but futzing around is more fun.

I know a lot of people swear by ohm matching, or try to, with BNC jacks to reduce reflections and such. The Classe just has an RCA coax jack input. Maybe switching it out for BNC would help. I'm also curious how the AES digital input sounds, as I imagine with a good converter, you'd have less to worry about there vs. a mixture of BNC at 75ohm and rca coax doing who knows what.

Either way, just adding that attenuator made me curious how else the DAC would react to source changes. Hoping I can smooth that top end out, as I said, 'cause then I'll be sold.
Logged
The other master and I invite you to visit our digital museum of fine art and revelatory bird calls: https://www.facebook.com/SchrodsonkMuseum

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #46 on: October 08, 2014, 03:44:01 PM »
Quote from: Hun7er on October 07, 2014, 06:09:08 PM
Anybody tried Berkeley Alpha USB ?

Yes. Berkeley Alpha USB was more or less on the level of stock OR5 with variances depending upon quality of PC side components and use or ASIO, WASAPI, etc. YMMV.
Logged

DaveBSC

  • Best Korean Sympathizer
  • Able Bodied Sailor
  • Pirate
  • ***
  • Brownie Points: +222/-50
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 2092
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #47 on: October 08, 2014, 09:04:54 PM »
Design wise the Alpha is much closer to what the OR6 will be than the OR5, so it's interesting that they're so similar sound wise. The Berkeley uses XMOS, USB power for the receiver side, AC power for the output. The two halves are electrically separated by an ADuM chip, Steve says he has a better solution than that in the OR6. The 6 will also require the Dynamo LPS instead of the wall-wart that comes with the 5, so the price is going up significantly.

From what I've read, the Evo is very good sounding but very clumsy to use with the Evo clock and PS. Without that stuff, meh. I don't have any personal experience with it though. The CI Audio Transient is supposedly pretty nice, and has I2S over HDMI like the OR. The battery powered Audiobyte Hydra does too, but I have no idea if that's any good or not.

Logged

Marvey

  • The Man For His Time And Place
  • Master
  • Pirate
  • *****
  • Brownie Points: +555/-33
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 6698
  • Captain Plankton and MOT: Eddie Current
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #48 on: October 08, 2014, 09:49:20 PM »
Indeed, the M2Tech solution is clumsy. Made much easier if your DAC only takes 16/44 tho!
Logged

Anaxilus

  • Phallus Belligerantus Analmorticus
  • Pirate
  • **
  • Brownie Points: +65535/-65535
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 3493
  • TRS jacks must die
    • The Claw
Re: Sonic Frontiers SFD-1mk2 Vintage DAC for $750 That Stomps Most Modern DACs
« Reply #49 on: October 08, 2014, 10:02:50 PM »
Hail Hydra!

Logged
"If you do not change direction, you may end up where you are heading." - Lao Tzu

"The Claw is our master. The Claw chooses who will go or who will stay." - The LGM Community

"You're like a dull knife, just ain't cuttin'. Talking loud, saying nothing." - James Brown
Pages: 1 2 3 4 [5] 6 7 8 9 10 ... 17
« previous next »