andrew.levine

Hi Art,<br /> <br /> > Of course you hear the same at the end of your chain.<br /> <br /> Is that so?<br /> <br /> > Your using the same equipment to record and to listen.<br /> <br /> I use my ears to compare what I hear live (with no ADC-DAC involved when I don't use headphones to monitor the recorded stream) with what I hear in the studio. My benchmark is the sound & feel of the real performance in the real space.<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi icebreaker,<br /> <br /> > Andrews implications/ remarks that Pro Audio gear is superior and cheaper than consumer gear<br /> <br /> I said that the box I talked about is less expensive than the Paganini. Obviously, since I have not yet had the chance to audition the latter (double blind), I can not comment on sound quality.<br /> <br /> > not all of us think they are wasting their money as Mr. Levine did<br /> > when he implied the MH ULN-8 was as good as it gets<br /> <br /> What I said is that as a recordist I know what the acoustic event I am tracking sounds like live, and that's what I want to hear when I work on my recordings in stereo or surround. I try to recreate the sonics as they were (or could / should have been :-).<br /> <br /> > We don't need pro audio guys saving us "unwary" consumers/audiophiles.<br /> > At least not in this thread. ;^)<br /> <br /> I have understood that much ;-)<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi Clay,<br /> <br /> > it is considered rather poor form here to throw in a comment<br /> > about a completely different product, esp. along with the acknowledgement<br /> > that you'd never heard the product under review.<br /> <br /> I was merely using one box that I personally know to relate with regards to functionality & pricing of the DAC under discussion. Since I have not heard the Paganini I quite obviously can't compare it's sound with what I know.<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi Chris,<br /> <br /> > I don't want the comments following the review of dCS components to drift [...]<br /> <br /> well, I felt they were appropriate, but obviously that is not the issue here.<br /> <br /> > There is plenty of room in the forum for this discussion.<br /> <br /> I'd appreciate it if you pointed me in the "right" direction--if there is any interest in the readers of this forum regarding my thoughts on the matter.<br /> <br /> > Also, I don't want this to turn into the Blumlein advertisement<br /> <br /> Neither do I. I just thought I'd do the questioner a favor, and since I don't know how else to contact him or her I took the chance.<br /> <br /> > Note: I unpublished your post [...]<br /> <br /> I'd have thought a personal reply would have been more appropriate than a public display, but then this is your forum.<br /> <br /> > Lastly, I find it very odd that you're using yourself as a reference [...]<br /> <br /> I didn't intend to cite myself as a reference. I just didn't want to restate my original writing.<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi again Elp,<br /> <br /> > I've discovered your blog entry just after posting, and agree with most of it<br /> > (and with the fact that I tend to belong to several categories, in different times).<br /> <br /> Me too.<br /> <br /> >> Did I say that? No, and if I did it is not true.<br /> > Without being too insightful that's not so hard to deduce from your 2 preceeding posts.<br /> > But that's ok, I misunderstood, and I apologize.<br /> <br /> No problem.<br /> <br /> > You're also not mentioning the question of the needs. At this price tag, I would more gladly pay for the Alpha dac,<br /> > than something that provides me with an awful lot of functions I would never use.<br /> <br /> True. I was just contrasting the price of the ULN-8 with the Paganini.<br /> <br /> > On another ground, is there no way to buy "your" music outside iTunes and the mp3 club ?<br /> <br /> Certainly :-) Most of the releases have been issued as CDs and now and then I attempt to get into the HDtracks-distribution. Currently my label is too small to be considered.<br /> <br /> Here are a few things I'm hoping to release in better than CD quality and 5.1 soon:<br /> <br /> http://surround.blumlein.net/ac3/040829.ac3 (William Byrd: Mass for four voices - Kyrie eleison)<br /> http://surround.blumlein.net/ac3/051116_Goldefaden.ac3 (Duo KomplementAir #1)<br /> http://surround.blumlein.net/ac3/051116_Reger.ac3 (Duo KomplementAir #1)<br /> http://surround.blumlein.net/ac3/060527_Mahler.ac3 (Gustav Mahler: 5th symphony - Adagietto)<br /> <br /> Oh yes, this was a fun project too :-)<br /> <br /> http://ijmf.blumlein.net/<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi Elp,<br /> <br /> > Ah, the old argument : I can't buy it so it can't be good !<br /> <br /> Did I say that? No, and if I did it is not true.<br /> <br /> What I did say is that I know what happens at the concerts & sessions I record, and that is what I want to hear, which is what I get--and more--using the ULN-8. And I am glad it is in the affordable bracket of pricing (which of course is highly subjective) because for me it is a must have.<br /> <br /> > audiophile products are outrageously overpriced.<br /> <br /> IMHO "you get what you pay for" is true for the lower half of the price range while the upper half is dominated by "they take as much as you can pay". Not that I don't estimate the amount of R&D that goes into many fine tools nor the difficulty of affixing a price tag to a finished product.<br /> <br /> > most audiophiles investing even the 6k$ for the UNL-8 would want it [...] <br /> > to look like something that can be shown, and not a cold war styled product.<br /> <br /> According to my blog-entry on the sonophiles (http://sonophile.blumlein.net/) this is attributable to the "Touch&Feel"-component. I personally care foremost about what I hear, then again I don't mind the design of the ULN-8. It's handling is functional and the metering outstanding.<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi Thomas,<br /> <br /> I have not had the chance to try out any gear by dCS. Also my budget is limited to the price of top pro audio gear--which strangely enough is less expensive than a lot of high-end audio equipment. My listening forays into that realm have not impressed me so far though, and I know that the people who develop & build the tools I use daily always strive for the optimum.<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine

Hi Chris,<br /> <br /> after reading your review and coming to the point where you state the price of the Paganini DAC (17,999 US$) I pause. The best sounding device I have ever heard, Metric Halo's ULN-8 (http://tinyurl.com/ye9q8tb) retails for 6000,- US$. It is the heart of my 5.1 mixing & mastering space (http://levingroom.blumlein.net/) and I hear all there is to hear in my recordings, which I know for a fact because I did them and was in the same space at the time the music was created :-)<br /> <br /> So you can get three ULN-8's for the price of one Paganini, and that'd give you 24 channels of 92.5 dB gain mic-pres (or separate line-inputs), ADC, DAC, analog sends, three front panel controls etc. Which means that if you need "only" stereo you could feed 12 pairs of loudspeakers all over your house, remote controlled from one to three locations. How is that for the bargain of the century? And don't get me started on the 80 bit signal path and flexible DSP-matrix ;-)<br /> <br /> BTW, the ULN-8 is the same machine as the Sonic-branded 305 (http://tinyurl.com/ykhwnen)…<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> blumlein records - Andrew Levine<br /> (who has been lucky to beta-test the ULN-8 from late 2006 on)

It's OK being a sonophile (http://sonophile.blumlein.net/). Musing over a 60 kHz peak tends more towards the geeky… :-)

I ran SpectraFoo while playing back the files in my studio and there is a consistent peak at 60 kHz, slightly varying in level but always there.

Hi there,<br /> <br /> I was wondering about the 60 kHz peak when playing back the 24/176.4 FLAC of Happy Soccer Striker. Not that I could hear it ;-)<br /> <br /> Regards,<br /> <br /> Andrew