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  1. Some questions for you: 1) What was the result of the Off-Ramp 4 in use as a transport to your Lampi Dac? 2) I see you use both traditional and ripped files. What do you hear differences wise between ripped files and hard disks spinning on the Denon platter?
  2. This Yellowtec device came out in 2010...it's been around for a LONG time. At the time, it was met with some exceptional reviews on various European forums. Of course, the original Hiface out around the same time? also received incredible feedback and we know it is not exactly much of anything up against better solutions that have come out since then. This does not mean this device is not good as the build quality in photos that I saw look very good. What's strange to me is that while everything I found dates to 2010, Yellowtec's website shows the unit as "new", as in, it's new to the market??? I do know on the Swede forum, they were hands on with what I believe to be a prototype so it could be that only a few were produced then and it was never truly in "production" until now, but I can only make guesses.
  3. My point about speakers is they have a fundamental sound that can never be changed. Made better? Sure! Made worst? Sure! BUT, the fundamental sound is ALWAYS there, so regardless of what you have on the speakers, you're ALWAYS limited by how that speaker sounds tonally and all in all. But I'm coming from a highly diy background where I have heard 100's of different transducers, both on the bench and in a speaker. In other words, NO paper driver is ever going to sound like a low distortion Metal driver, just like NO dome tweeter is ever going to sound like a Raal. So you have these drivers, you know their sound, you put the ones you like most into a design that should work as best possible for them, and the result will be, after a lot of work;), a sound that fills most the compromises of the speaker's limitations. Of course I agree garbage in is garbage out, but I disagree that garbage in, even an HT receiver, is garbage out. I've heard an HT receiver on my speakers and though it was terrible by comparison to my triode amps, it at least made music and was enjoyable...and this is ALL riding on the speaker design, having a very quality speaker that is very capable of revealing front end issues, but is also capable of giving you musical enjoyment even if having to use not such great equipment. My AP2 was not defective. My friend ordered one after I spoke to him about it and he reported more or less identical results. He said that it was excessively aggressive and fake sounding in his 50K system. I could understand why people do like these devices when I heard the AP2 in the system with the Off-Ramp and Overdrive I2S Dac because as I mentioned, the AP2 sounded MELLOW by comparison which was a real shocker to me. Then again, this system was all about detail and had zero soundstage/texture/musicality...and it was coated (i.e. nowhere near as clear as mine...like dropping some clothes over it). I shouldn't talk down on it because it was phenomenal for how it pulled out detail, but that's where it ended. This same system has beaten winning systems at RMAF/CES/etc. shows and it can go against just about anything out there. That's how good it is, but not how good it is to my own ears. I don't like a system that is all detail and even misses the layers/textures/etc. elements, along with soundstage depth. But others may just be wow'd by how much detail their old ears have not heard before in their music collection. I don't want you to take offense or even think the AP2 is "not" better than the Xonar because most would agree, though I do know a person that posted on this forum about how he ditched the AP2 because the Xonar was superior as his transport. I just flat out could not handle the sound, especially when Coltrane's breath was no longer heard and it sounded like his Sax was the mic, and not a mouth blowing into an instrument and producing a sound through a mic. Xonar for me, as I said, is nothing special at all. It's no better than my $50 dvd or any free hand me down dvd/blue ray player...same with the Hiface units. This is why I say with any of these "sources", it is highly system dependent. That you enjoy the AP2 is no different than the 10000's of others out there enjoying theirs too! The battery supply upgrade is supposed to REALLY give the AP2 that next level of sound in all ways better so it's something you may consider getting=send your AP2 back, get your money back, order the battery version instead.
  4. I think all systems vary and all ears vary. That Stello is supposed to be an excellent performer on the low end of these devices. I will get an Off-Ramp 4 loaded and will report back whenever I will have my hands on it for a review, though like you, I have no expectations. I, too, started with USB converters due to the hype and to pass a simple/easy digital, and I still keep one around just because it's very convenient/easy to use. Cheers!
  5. For USB converters, I have heard the Hiface 1, 2, and the Audiophilleo in my system. I have heard the Xonar ST soundcard. I have also compared these to cheap DVD or Blue Ray players. Each has its own sound, but it is "extremely" subtle w/exception of the Audiophilleo which was like adding a big beryllium horn to my ear and blasting it off. To say I did not like the Audiophilleo is an understatement. Between the others, I can say this/that, but it's so subtle as to warrant a discussion. This said, I have heard the Audiophilleo in a system against the Off-Ramp, and it was handily beaten to the extent that it did not belong in the comparison, but the interesting thing was, it did not sound aggressive at all. In fact, it sounded MUCH more mellow than the Off-Ramp because the Off-Ramp portrayed the image in every single adjective you can say BIGGER-BOLDER-STRONGER-CORRECT-etc. etc. But this system was also a polar opposite of my own. Conclusion for me thus far is that if the USB converters are so amazing, why has my $50 circa 90's dvd player with who knows how good the coax out is sounds at least as good, if not better? My system uses ALL front end stuff by the same designer w/exception of the transport. The speakers are the Nomad Ronin, a speaker I found to be so good that even with a mediocre front end on them at the beginning, the sound made me question just what it would take to make a superior speaker. I believe this speaker fills the compromises all speakers have very well and to this day, I still find no reason to have anything different unless money permitted me to have a custom designed Tad based speaker using all Tad top of the line transducers along with a couple of AE Acoustics Apollo upgraded 12's;).
  6. Just as a disclaimer, or what many will state, I do not have any affiliation with Empirical Audio (Steve), nor do I own any of his products or receive any discounts, etc. etc. etc. I felt a need to do some writing because the computer audio world has progressively pushed things ahead much in the same manner that digital has done in well, most subjective genres such as photography. I have been into computer audio for a while now, but have primarily been a lurker on the internet, since computer technology progresses extremely fast, much like any technological device from computers to cell phones to digital cameras, etc. Due to making a mostly finalized system and really wishing to find that perfect solution (aren't we all?), I happened to stumble upon the mentioning of the Off-Ramp in an ongoing discussion about the Audiophellio 1/2 devices. The consensus had the Off-Ramp as being the best device, though some had mentioned though superior, was not such a major difference over the Audiophellio. I figured, I do not have the money for the Off Ramp, especially knowing if I would have gone with the OR4, I would have wanted the nicer clocks and so on which would have then put the price way beyond my budget. So I ordered the Audiophellio with the knowledge that it was close enough to the Off-Ramp according to some, and it also had a 30 day money back guarantee. In the meantime, with all the research I had done on Empirical Audio, I stumbled on this forum and started to do some more reading. I learned that Steve is 150 miles away from me and we set up a date to get together to do a little listening, including my own pre-dac that has been very competitive with 20K+ Dacs, along with of course, the Audiophellio. Yesterday is when we met and now onto "the experience"! Usually when I meet with designers or people with mega buck systems, it's a very tense feeling because especially with designers, they absolutely will not take a word worth of advice or be open to hearing anything but that they know...yes...they know it all!!! In the end, the experience ends up being extremely one sided and you are essentially expected to behave and keep the lips zipped...pfffff!!!! With Steve, and only really the most select few out there, I felt like I could just sit and relax. Not just relax, but we actually interacted, we listened for things, specifics, like a open type of situation where if I was hearing anything odd or not so good, he would go right to it and scratch his head and say, "hmmm...you are right...I need to have a look into what I think is probably this, etc.". Well we never had to go through this since we both were with very similar feelings on the results, but I truly cannot be anymore thankful and appreciative to be around such a world class person not just in the art of the digital side of audio, but in just being a simple open human being. Don't mean to write like this, but the audio world can be such a playground of kids bashing each other over something we need to always keep an open mind about especially if we plan to continue to progress, grow, and learn. Just over appreciative of how Steve was just this kind of character. If you are still awake, we have now reached the testing portion of this write-up of mine:))!!!! Equipment involved was an OR4 that I believe has essentially the full works done to it, if not extensively modded. I have a feeling this resided in Steve's system as basically the reference piece in order to help develop the OR5. Also in the setup was the Overdrive DAC and associated battery pack, though we kept the battery pack off during the session. The OR5 came into the equation, along with the Audiophellio I brought along, and my pre-dac that even in recent times showed the door to some highly exotic new 10K French dac was put into use. Music selected was all excellently recorded stuff, ranging from Vocalists, to highly dynamic instrumentation, to orchestra/symphony, to Jeff Beck, and so on. Unfortunately, I will not have too much to say about these devices because I do not like going into all the audiophile lingo and wordage. But I will say, clearly, how each one did, according to what I heard and not to say I have golden ears, but at least very objective based ears. First up was the OR4. Since we did not have any other transport in the equation for a comparo, I can in the least say the music was absolutely brilliant. Of course the speakers play the biggest factor, but I'll get into something that truly struck me about the digital/jitter a little later. I really found no faults. Next came either the Audiophellio or the OR5. Well lets just get the Audiophellio taken care of because regardless of whether we compared it to the OR4 or OR5, it was VASTLY inferior. Yes, it played the music, but it truly showed its defectiveness by comparison to the OR4/OR5. Lets not make this into some competition or say things like, well the Audiophellio is priced to a specific market while, blah blah blah. Even a person with a lower end system should GLADLY pay the piper to get the sound that either OR4/OR5 give. Which brings me to the OR5. Now this one was indeed just as Steve advertised...the best to date! This said, we are talking about an already beautiful sound with the OR4 and taking it that next step into transparency/detail/soundstage/etc. Woops...wasn't supposed to speak adjectives now was I?) Truly, those that have the OR4, even modded, are missing out on quite a step forward in the OR5. I do not like to say this, because the OR4 truly is that good, but the OR5 is just that much better. My pre-dac has an issue on the right channel. It is something I entirely forgot about prior to bringing the unit out for an audition. It just happened recently and due to not listening to music as much as I should be, I simply have not addressed the issue. But frankly, I still thought the music sounded excellent using the OR5. So unfortunately, not too much to say about this, though that it did still sound the way it did made me know that a device that has taken out many very expensive dacs was still improved by the OR5. It also told me something I has "felt" all along, that being the issue of jitter, again, to be discussed at the end. Now the final and truly unbelievable device, his overdrive dac. This unit is usually coupled to his battery supply, but we let it run without it. Though the OR5 is at this fine point, literally, that paired with a nicer dac, it will definitely get into the contention with other very top notch dacs. I am not absolutely sure I can say it would match Steve's own dac, but I think it's definitely possible especially if one is using a quality enough dac with the OR5. But let me just finalize the listening sessions by stating that this dac of his is absolutely gorgeous. The music with this in the equation is one very last adjective...SUBLIME!!! It simply did everything, and did so effortlessly. This is the true art and how a Computer Audio Dac SHOULD BE! I have not heard any high end made for Computer DACs, but after hearing this one, I would have no problem bringing it into ANY system, cost no object, end of story. Conclusion of the listening session and what I got from it is like this: The modified OR4 was and is spectacular. I could easily live with one for years, but if I had my way, I would use the OR5. I truly feel the OR5 is that that absolute fine line where the OR6 comes around, and how much further can you honestly go. OR4 is already up there, but OR5 is on that fine line of is this it or can we go just that last ounce further and call it a lifetime:)! Similarly stated about the Overdrive DAC, I would have NO problem bringing even the modded OR4 over to ANY cost no object system and seeing if they can even match it. Likewise, I have a hard time believing there is anything or much of anything out there that can contend against the OR5. It's simply THAT GOOD! Ok...soooo...I'm showing some of my enthusiasm. I cannot help myself when things just sound "right". I just absolutely love it when things just do it for me. Put it into the system, use correct playback, sit back, simply enjoy the music. Don't have to say anything...just have to say, yep, that's just it!!! My final notes as I explained I would discuss is about jitter because somehow and some way, Steve is conquering an area that makes the noise floor go bye bye, and the music through. Steve had a transistor amp on the speakers and I am not a transistor person at all, be it any transistor amp period. There's just this certain thing to it that really gets to me. In hearing Steve's system, it is like this clogged line has been drained, and it results in a sound where all those adjectives given to SET amps start to come out. I can see the same result if a person with say, a 1-5K transistor amp and typical transistor based "mid-fi" put in a device from Steve and actually heard what was just a system suddenly becomes something far more understandable, comprehensible, and of course, musical. I hope this is objective enough and also has enough clarity, though feel free to pm me regarding anything but the magic behind this art!
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