Spectral SDR-4000SV

microstrip · May 25, 2016

ack said:
Yeah, I've been saying the same for years.

You are not alone. The best digital I have listened to was always using CD spiners.But from a technical point of vue it is difficult to understand. IMHO this shows that the designer wants to control all aspects of the system, including the way data flows in the system. Should we think that they are using the timing inaccuracies of the optical/mechanical system to improve the sound? Or that the much smaller in electrical terms "noise" coming from a virtual source is subjetively more harmful?

ack · May 25, 2016

microstrip said:
Should we think that they are using the timing inaccuracies of the optical/mechanical system to improve the sound?

Certainly the 4000SL and SV use a clockless custom CD ROM, and it's therefore slaved as well. So, no, not "using" timing inaccuracies per se to improve sound, but eliminating those as well, as best as possible. It also looks to me that the dCS CD ROM is custom, but can't be sure, and the question is, how's that clocked.

squasher · May 25, 2016

PeterA said:
I'll be interested in hearing about your direct comparison of the new Spectral player to your heavily modified Berkeley Alpha DAC.

Heavily modified Berkeley Alpha DAC?!?

Not that I want to hijack this thread, but where can I find info about your modifications? Feel free to point me to the info and I won't derail the conversation anymore.

As an owner of a 1st version Alpha DAC, I'm interested in finding out more info. As an aside, I've recently upgraded to a dCS Scarlatti DAC but still kept the Berkeley.

microstrip · May 25, 2016

ack said:
Certainly the 4000SL and SV use a clockless custom CD ROM, and it's therefore slaved as well. So, no, not "using" timing inaccuracies per se to improve sound, but eliminating those as well, as best as possible. It also looks to me that the dCS CD ROM is custom, but can't be sure, and the question is, how's that clocked.

If they are able to eliminate the timing inaccuracies of a optical reader they could do it also for a SD card reader, or a data stream. DCS also acknowledged in the past that a CD read by their CD transport system sounded better than the same file played through a server or another brand CD transport using SPDIF - if it was not for the need of the very expensive transport and upsampler to get optimal CD quality I would have been tempted by a Vivaldi DAC. BTW, when asked why it sounds better they openly said they do not know why, but that their users also have found it really does ...

Al M. · May 25, 2016

microstrip said:
If they are able to eliminate the timing inaccuracies of a optical reader they could do it also for a SD card reader, or a data stream. DCS also acknowledged in the past that a CD read by their CD transport system sounded better than the same file played through a server or another brand CD transport using SPDIF - if it was not for the need of the very expensive transport and upsampler to get optimal CD quality I would have been tempted by a Vivaldi DAC.

Perhaps you would want to audition a Rossini Player with integrated transport then.

ack · May 25, 2016

microstrip said:
If they are able to eliminate the timing inaccuracies of a optical reader they could do it also for a SD card reader, or a data stream. DCS also acknowledged in the past that a CD read by their CD transport system sounded better than the same file played through a server or another brand CD transport using SPDIF - if it was not for the need of the very expensive transport and upsampler to get optimal CD quality I would have been tempted by a Vivaldi DAC. BTW, when asked why it sounds better they openly said they do not know why, but that their users also have found it really does ...

I am not sure where you are going with the SD card reader??? Are you thinking of buffering internally with an SD card reader (I don't even know what this means)? But if you do, why bother, if you can just slave the CD ROM and be done with it with one clock. And as Al said, perhaps try the dCS integrated players then; the Rossini sounds really good.

microstrip · May 25, 2016

ack said:
Will post details asap. Meantime, I am eager to play this CD I've had for decades, on a cutting-edge player:

Only with the advent of the 30SV have I done it justice at home, but at the same time, the real reason I want to try it on the Spectral is because there is a lot of "digital noise" (for lack of a better term) that I hear when he strikes the keys hard, sort of a woosh before the decaying notes, and I don't know if it's the mastering or true noise from my DAC. It's very interesting what I hear: an initial loud, sharp key strike, followed by a whoosh, followed by note decay; it's as if the key strike raises the noise floor abruptly and then the noise masks the initial note decay with its "whoosh".

The other area of improvement I would expect from the 4000SV is with respect to the rather dry sound from the Alpha, as compared to my analog.

I have found that Chesky classical recordings are extremely dependent on the digital playback system. In a system that its tuned to their "characteristics" they can sound unbelievably good. The Chesky recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Rene Leibowitz (CD66) is one the best orchestral CD classical performances with soloists and chorus I have listened to. Even during loud climaxes the soloists were firmly standing facing us, their individual contributions were easily perceived as part of the group, with the correct staging and dimension. The Rachmaninoff recordings can also sound great, with fine orchestral layering. However in most systems they will just sound reasonable, not exceptional as IMHO they really deserve to be considered. BTW, Quad ESL63's or derivative love Chesky recordings.

Unfortunately many of the Chesky LPs I own are really noisy due to poor quality pressing. This time CD wins!

ack · May 25, 2016

microstrip said:
I have found that Chesky classical recordings are extremely dependent on the digital playback system. In a system that its tuned to their "characteristics" they can sound unbelievably good. The Chesky recording of Beethoven Symphony No. 9 conducted by Rene Leibowitz (CD66) is one the best orchestral CD classical performances with soloists and chorus I have listened to. Even during loud climaxes the soloists were firmly standing facing us, their individual contributions were easily perceived as part of the group, with the correct staging and dimension. The Rachmaninoff recordings can also sound great, with fine orchestral layering. However in most systems they will just sound reasonable, not exceptional as IMHO they really deserve to be considered. BTW, Quad ESL63's or derivative love Chesky recordings.

Unfortunately many of the Chesky LPs I own are really noisy due to poor quality pressing. This time CD wins!

The Chesky Rachmaninoff Piano #2 CD does sound really incredible; as do the LPs I have (marked HQ 180 pressings???), and they are really quiet.

microstrip · May 25, 2016

Al M. said:
Perhaps you would want to audition a Rossini Player with integrated transport then.

Perhaps it is now an affair of the past, but DCS had many reliability problems with CD/SACD mechanisms, resulting in expensive repairs/replacements a few years after purchase. And a good net friend emailed me that the upgrade to Vivaldi series 2 enlarged the gap between the Rossini and the Vivaldi again. Also IMHO the question could be how a Rossini player scores against a Vivaldi DAC series 2 driven by a top server or a microRendu or similar sever cleaning device.

Al M. · May 25, 2016

microstrip said:
Perhaps it is now an affair of the past, but DCS had many reliability problems with CD/SACD mechanisms, resulting in expensive repairs/replacements a few years after purchase.

Important to consider, and I don't have an answer.

And a good net friend emailed me that the upgrade to Vivaldi series 2 enlarged the gap between the Rossini and the Vivaldi again.

That seems less relevant given that you liked the original Vivaldi DAC. Here you might have a DAC that is almost as good, in a chassis with built-in transport, for a lesser price.

MadFloyd · May 25, 2016

microstrip said:
Unfortunately many of the Chesky LPs I own are really noisy due to poor quality pressing. This time CD wins!

Aww, man, I just ordered a bunch of these, wish I knew that two days ago!

ack · May 27, 2016

Things didn't work out with respect to a home evaluation, so no further comments from me on the 4000SV for perhaps some time... If you have a chance, do walk into a store to take a listen, it is really an exceptional player.

MadFloyd · May 28, 2016

Tasos, Did you prefer it to the Rossini?

ack · May 30, 2016

During brief auditions, I did (the DAC), by a very slight margin; so the room for error in my comparison is large. The Rossini player has other advantages (at a price), like hi-rez capability and volume control, but I personally cannot come to terms with the user interface on the faceplate.

PeterA · May 30, 2016

ack said:
During brief auditions, I did (the DAC), by a very slight margin; so the room for error in my comparison is large. The Rossini player has other advantages (at a price), like hi-rez capability and volume control, but I personally cannot come to terms with the user interface on the faceplate.

ack, do you think the Rossini one box player would be a better direct comparison to the Spectral player? I don't think that Goodwins has the one box Rossini player in yet. I would think that the Rossini player would be better than the Rossini DAC plus cable plus transport (from a different brand).

ack · May 30, 2016

I have no idea.

PeterA · May 30, 2016

ack said:
I have no idea.

Do you recall which transport and cable you heard with the Rossini DAC when you directly compared it to the Spectral CDP?

CKKeung · Jun 26, 2016

I would like to share my experience on dCS digital products :

My friends and I visited the dCS dealer in Hong Kong a few months ago.
We spent several hours there, mixing and matching the following gears : Vivaldi transport, Scarletti transport, Paganini transport, Vivaldi DAC, Scarletti DAC, Rossini Player, Rossini DAC, Paganini DAC.
Speaker used was Magico S5 and amps were Constellation Performance Series.

In summary, we found that Rossini DAC and Vivaldi DAC were of a diff league. They are simply more musical/analog. The Scarletti DAC & Paganini DAC had a tinge of "mechanical/digital" character in comparison.
The Vivaldi Transport is super!
We were not impressed by the Rossini Player. Rossini DAC connected to a Paganini Transport gave much better performance, even for red-book cd playback.

Eventually one friend of mine bought Vivaldi Transport+DAC and another friend bought Rossini DAC+Paganini Transport.
Both of them are now very happy.
BTW the Paganini Transport is a discontinued item. It's lucky that the HK dealer had a few new old stock at that time.

ack · Jun 27, 2016

Strange that you did not like the Rossini player, wonder where they went wrong.

PeterA · Jun 27, 2016

Al M. and I heard the Rossini DAC with a Simaudio Moon transport ($2,000) and an MIT digital cable ($4,000). It was superb. Goodwins did not have the Rossini player on hand to audition. I preferred the Rossini to the Berkeley Ref DAC with the same transport and cable and remembering being curious about how the player would compare to the separates.

CKKeung, could you describe why you preferred the Rossini DAC + transport to the Rossini player? How did they sound different?

Spectral SDR-4000SV

VIP/Donor

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor

VIP/Donor

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

VIP/Donor

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

VIP/Donor

VIP/Donor

Member Sponsor

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

Member Sponsor

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Well-Known Member

VIP/Donor & WBF Founding Member

Well-Known Member

Similar threads