HiFi Subjectivist ¦ Audio Forum ¦ NVA User Group

Denafrips Ares II is in.

Believe the hype.

More later.

Topping D90MQA for me. Best I’ve heard, fantastic detail and imagery. I turn all the Pre amp stuff off, sound better that way, and I don’t bother with the Pre amp gubbins

TheMarlin wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 12:49 am Topping D90MQA for me. Best I’ve heard, fantastic detail and imagery. I turn all the Pre amp stuff off, sound better that way, and I don’t bother with the Pre amp gubbins

How do you control volume ?

I turn the knobs my my P90SA, same as any other source.

To better explain what I mean....., there are Pre amp controls on the Topping D90. Plus Bluetooth. It’s a complicated unit with lots of features, but I just need it to be a DAC, that’s all. My Node 2i can take any Bluetooth or Airplay duties (very rarely used), don’t need that on the DAC. So I turn all those unnecessary features off (D90). It sounds way better for it.

It then exits an analogue signal to my P90SA, and out via my power amp and speakers.

I don't know if this is going to help my cause with the Purestream DAC or not. But I like the immediacy and focus of the DAC, it just does not get tone right. Now a lot of my cabling seems to be a bit forward and vibrant sounding, so a friend of mine brought over some Analysis Plus interconnects and it moved the sound closer to what I want. So I was able to get a trial on some of the darkest and richest cabling I have experienced which is Wireworld. So I have a pair of the Silver Eclipse XLR interconnects coming and the Silver Electra power cord. They are scheduled to deliver Monday, which makes it a better kind of Monday than most since I get to play with audio gear after work.

I've had good experiences with DH Labs cables. Also American-made.

Fretless wrote: ↑Sat Mar 13, 2021 5:11 pm I've had good experiences with DH Labs cables. Also American-made.

I will keep an eye out for some DH Labs. With just needing one set I can shop the used market and get a fair price on some.

DH Labs Cables - aren't they on the forward side? well that's what I've read anyway.
Analysis Plus is a cable I would like to try, I don't mean their top of the range, but here's some used https://www.usedcable.com/speaker-cable ... ables.html

There is another forum member who found DH Labs to be too bright for his system.
I think they are highly transparent but retain a smoothness that doesn't turn clarity into edginess.

(Now that's what I call proper Hifi jargon!)

Fretless wrote: ↑Sun Mar 14, 2021 8:41 am There is another forum member who found DH Labs to be too bright for his system.
I think they are highly transparent but retain a smoothness that doesn't turn clarity into edginess.

(Now that's what I call proper Hifi jargon!)

+1
There are three types of DH Labs cables in my digitjal chain and their tranparity is the ideal match for the transparancy ofn the NVA kit and cables in the rest of the system.