jgenner;518642 Wrote: > > I have recently tried both an external DAC in the 300 and 1200 > price range with my SB 3. Frankly speaking, neither me nor my spouse > have been able to detect more than a very subtle difference to the sound > of the SB 3 connected directly to my Creek Destiny Integrated Amp plus > Power Amp and System Audio Ranger system. > > Thus, I ask myself the question: Don't we (forty-somethings) hear a > difference or is there no sonic difference? At least no difference that > could not be achieved by increasing the volume a little bit? Do we all > only believe that there is a difference to justify the money we spend? > In the latter case, I would be much better of to spend our money on a > second SB 3 or a touch if it was available or, much better - there > really is a difference - to buy more vinyl record? > > Jörg Hi Jörg,
as you have tried these dacs (which ones ?), and according to your findings, I see 3 possibilities: 1. Your setup (speaker placement, room acoustics, amp driving speakers,...) is not optimum to appreciate the main differences 2. You don't know which differences to look for and the listening material (music and passages chosen) is not appropriate to highlight the main differences. 3. Neither you nor your spouse find the differences are worth the money All this can be true to a certain extend, but the "age" argument is not so much a concern, imho. Your ears and brain adapt, and, although you're unable to listen to 16kHz material, your sensitivity to subtle changes in other frequencies (because of the 16kHz content) may become more precise. This is the way I see it. In any case, you're the right person to take the decision, but I don't consider "reasonable" to spend more than 10% of the total system's price on the source (+dac). ;) -- Themis SB3 - North Star dac 192 - Croft 25Pre and Series 7 power - Sonus Faber Grand Piano Domus ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Themis's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=14700 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=75447
_______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list audiophiles@lists.slimdevices.com http://lists.slimdevices.com/mailman/listinfo/audiophiles
