Not sure if this is software or hardware related.
Hardware. Look for the "Plus"
Not sure if this is software or hardware related.
Any chance we can move the measurement topics/opinions to a thread in that forum?
This thread is about dCS Rossini and computer audio. I'm curious what PeterA, Madfloyd and others heard at Goodwin's yesterday...
There is a lot of misconceptions in what you say. Everyone is welcome in the measurement forum, subjectivists or objectivists. The rules apply to the arguments being made there, not attendance.Isn't that why that forum was created? To give the "O" crowd a place for their measurements / conclusions and minimize said group from disrupting subjective based threads. The specific rules for that forum clearly state that no folks who have "subjective" opinions need apply.
I assume it applies to all members including Amir.
We heard a demonstration of the Magico S7 and Ssubs driven by top of the line Spectral, MIT and the Vivaldi stack all playing CD. It was an extremely good demonstration set up by Peter Mackey, Magico's VP of Global sales and marketing. Unfortunately, we did not compare the Rossini DAC to the Vivaldi, but I can say, that my opinion of the potential of Redbook CD has been forever changed. It was simply outstanding. There is too much to write about now, so I may add something to the S7 thread and I suspect Al M. will write something about the dCS gear here or somewhere else. Suffice it to say, I was extremely impressed by the overall sound of the system.
In this thread the OP reported on specific technical merits of some products like Jitterbug from manufacturer and so there has been a discussion on those. It is not off-topic nor is it against the forum rules. It gives a chance to have a discussion about these technologies without the limits that are in place in the measurement forum.
As far as I could understand the ring DAC from the Rossini is not the same of Vivaldi. Which components of the Rossini stack were being used?
As the OP I confirm your viewpoint, Amir. The measurement issue is completely on-topic on this thread.
However, with respect to this we should not stray too far from the original issues raised -- this thread should not degrade into a general philosophical discussion about objectivst vs. subjectivist views.
There is a lot of misconceptions in what you say.
The Rossini DAC was not used at all. The entire 4-box Vivaldi stack was in action, and it was as spectacular as Peter A. reported -- an entirely new and supreme level of digital playback over anything we had ever heard before. I had heard the Rossini of course, one week earlier, but first I didn't sit in a good spot, and second there wasn't much music played where I would have been able to hear the DAC's superiority over other digital playback (no classical was played, and no jazz either).
I may add some more impressions about the Vivaldi experience later.
Hello Al -
Thank you for attending the event and for the nice write up. I hope it was worth your time. Just a couple of follow up thoughts - There are devices other than the 30k (plus) analyzer from Tektronics, it just so happens that's the unit Gordon settled on. for us, this unit has been an essential tool, something of an everyday workhorse in our stable of test equipment. Also, I'd like to add a correction regarding the Baetis music server. Because this unit runs on a Windows operating system it will allow it's user(s) access to the internet, something I [personally] fine essential. This was something of an oversight on my part.
Enjoy the rest of your year. Peace and happiness to everyone,
Steve Silberman
I was also at the event and concur with Al M.'s descriptions.
Al, I'm curious - having heard the Vivaldi and the Rossini within a short time span, can you compare them? Were the other electronics and speakers the same?
If I might summarize the new digital experience with the Vivaldi stack through the outstanding system that we heard at Goodwin's it would be mainly the following two items on a much higher level than I ever heard before from digital:
1) tonal density
2) timbral micro-resolution
These two together deliver a rather realistic timbral richness, close to what I have thus far only heard from top analog. And all that was just from CD, either Redbook CD or HDCD. No 'hi-res'.
Solo violin in the Reference Recordings HDCD of Sait Saens' Danse Macabre was very convincing, but so was orchestral string sound, french horns etc.
Interestingly, the high frequency resolution from CD was just outstanding, even though also HDCD is bound by the 44.1 kHz sampling limit. At one point Peter A. who sat behind me tapped on my shoulder and said "I have never heard such triangles from digital". He also found a cymbal crash that I had not paid attention to very convincing in its sound and decay through the recorded hall (decay of sound overall was on a top level too). The transparency of sound came close to the best analog I have heard. There was also no high-frequency fatigue as Peter pointed out. It almost appears that the application of the Nyquist theorem to audio was correct all along, we just have never before heard an audible result that would do its theoretical outcome justice.
***
In that large room at Goodwin's the soundstage was just huge. It was fully 3-D, with palpable, layered and precise imaging, great decay and emergence of instrumental sound out of silence as you would hear in a concert hall. It was the best soundstage that I have ever heard. It seemed as good from Redbook CD as it was from HDCD.
If the Rossini Player with clock would get 3/4 of the way where the sound of the Vivaldi stack was I'd be very happy.
If I might summarize the new digital experience with the Vivaldi stack through the outstanding system that we heard at Goodwin's it would be mainly the following two items on a much higher level than I ever heard before from digital:
1) tonal density
2) timbral micro-resolution
These two together deliver a rather realistic timbral richness, close to what I have thus far only heard from top analog. And all that was just from CD, either Redbook CD or HDCD. No 'hi-res'.
Solo violin in the Reference Recordings HDCD of Sait Saens' Danse Macabre was very convincing, but so was orchestral string sound, french horns etc.
Interestingly, the high frequency resolution from CD was just outstanding, even though also HDCD is bound by the 44.1 kHz sampling limit. At one point Peter A. who sat behind me tapped on my shoulder and said "I have never heard such triangles from digital". He also found a cymbal crash that I had not paid attention to very convincing in its sound and decay through the recorded hall (decay of sound overall was on a top level too). The transparency of sound came close to the best analog I have heard. There was also no high-frequency fatigue as Peter pointed out. It almost appears that the application of the Nyquist theorem to audio was correct all along, we just have never before heard an audible result that would do its theoretical outcome justice.
***
In that large room at Goodwin's the soundstage was just huge. It was fully 3-D, with palpable, layered and precise imaging, great decay and emergence of instrumental sound out of silence as you would hear in a concert hall. It was the best soundstage that I have ever heard. It seemed as good from Redbook CD as it was from HDCD.
If the Rossini Player with clock would get 3/4 of the way where the sound of the Vivaldi stack was I'd be very happy.
Excellent report and thank you. Curious why no hi res or SACD? Was it just the recordings you had brought?
Hi Ian,
yes, that was an impressive event, wasn't it? I am glad we all went.
Alas, I cannot compare the Rossini, see this post. The electronics there were Simaudio amplification and Rockport Cygnus speakers.
I plan to audition the Rossini DAC soon.
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