XXHighEnd

Ultimate Audio Playback => Phasure NOS1 DAC => Topic started by: 2glory on December 29, 2013, 02:40:29 pm



Title: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on December 29, 2013, 02:40:29 pm
I really thought tubes somewhere in my system was a must to get me to the 3d musical state. When I installed the full Phasure system I realized how distorted/noisy and colored my Lamp L5 was. Telling the many Lamp owners about what I discovered is like trying to sell Obamacare to the general public in the US!!

Grading 1-10 between Lamp L5 and a full Monty Phasure setup. 10 being top grade and 1 lowest grade.

Bass

P 9

L 3

Midrange

P 7

L8

Top end

P 8++

L6

Dynamics

P  no number high enough LOL

L 3

Noise/distortion and coloration

P 9

L 3

Musicality

P8

L8

Musically convincing

P 8

L 6

Support by manufacturer

P 10+++

L 1


DSD 128 was IMO a great sound with the Lamp. The main reason I test drove the P was to hear if it could do RB as good as 128. Well it can if you have the great recordings of FIM/MA and other well done recordings. This brought me to the sale of the POS Lamp and the install of the complete P system. P 10 L 0

Well done Peter and thanks for all your fast replies to my most stupid questions and not so stupid questions.    =8^D



Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: esimms86 on December 29, 2013, 07:37:16 pm
2glory, I've never heard the Lampizator 5 and, having previously owned an NOS1, I agree that the Phasure is completely in a class by itself, but I don't know that I'd characterize the Lampizator as a a POS. It received high marks in many categories in your own evaluation, after all. In comparison to the Phasure, the consensus is that there are no other DACs that measure up.

BTW, I live in Massachusetts where we had "mandatory" health coverage(you can pay a penalty to opt out) long before Obamacare was even in the talking stage.

Esau


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: PeterSt on December 29, 2013, 07:39:56 pm
Super nice Glory. Also for the response in general which not so many do these days. Fun to read as well.

Ok, I see that I don't need to respond to each email anymore (can spare a few pluses there :swoon:) but that we need to work on the midrange. So, before I come up with the midrange version (no joke I guess) what about you dialing a few things in there ? Start with Unattended. Haha.

But really, I enjoyed those few emails you sent. It's only that before I could reply to one, 4 new were already there. :wacko: With photos. :grazy:
Great customer you are, really.

All the best and thank you for this,
Peter


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on December 29, 2013, 08:30:41 pm
86,

Well POS is a little extreme but you see the grades and Inhave not hit  Unattended yet as my mouse/key board is USB. Mid range gets better??
When I plug in my other M/K with cable nothing works so trying to figure out why!

So with so much distance between P/L what is a better term than the  L is a POS? L is a DA - distortion box? Yea that's better!!



Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: acg on December 29, 2013, 10:51:27 pm
Hi Glory, nice read mate.  The thing that I usually find when the midrange is lush and beautiful is that the bass AND the top end are lacking, and are not diverting attention from the mids.  That you score the Phasure so well in all departments to me really reinforces how well it produces the mids.

Cheers,

Anthony


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on January 01, 2014, 01:51:22 am
So here we are listening to Dave Matthew's Crush that is very well known to me by my many times playing it over the last few years. During some of the complicated passages the presentation stays focused and each musician/singer is not lost in a lumped up and crammed display of confusion. It's as if there is now a hearing of a full band play together in harmony and reason and not disjointed.

So now I change my thought to Lamp is a POS when I hear such glory and truth!!! HA HA!!

A new found joy in music playback this Phasure guy is giving out!!!

More to come!


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on January 03, 2014, 03:47:50 am
I have heard the Rodger Sanders full system at RMAF a few times. How does he get that SQ with stool IC/AC and SC cables? No PC! All wall direct with lamp cord wire! Enter another room with $60K of wire and it sounds/feels like a fake pair of nannies.

Well we have on hand an $8K Teo Ref. RCA IC and a $3K Teo STD RCA  IC and a Swisscable XLR $1.2K IC. Back and forth we go. Ref. Sounds a little fuller than the STD but not by much. The Swiss is quieter and a little bit more open on the top but not by much.

So Mr. Phasure seems to render IC wire in my system to be a small difference between different brands. Anyone else have this happen??


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: PeterSt on January 03, 2014, 08:14:51 am
Hey hey,

All I can tell about it is that I myself am not into cables at all and use shoe lashes similar to what's provided with the NOS1. So that could be a reason (I thus never listen/judge/tune through expensive cables). But I think interlinks sure can make a difference.

That the USB cable shouldn't make a difference is more explicit (meant to), and a by now known phenomenon. They can, but then it should be about implied (different) ground loops.

I'm actually curious myself what others find about interlinks and whether they make less of a difference with the NOS1. I never heard anything explicitly about that.

Peter


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: manisandher on January 03, 2014, 11:11:54 am
I have heard the Rodger Sanders full system at RMAF a few times.

If I wasn't going for the BD-Design Orelinos, I would definitely try an all Sanders amp/speaker setup. I've already got his Magtech amp and rate it very highly. I haven't heard his full system in person, but every report I've read about it suggests it's truly world-class.

And I really like his business model. Superbly engineered products, from someone who really knows what he's doing. Order directly from him. Very competitive pricing - no middle-man to pay off. If you don't like it, return it for a refund. Sound familiar???

I really think this is the only way high-end audio can survive. The expensive audio outlets/dealers will be left to supply branded 'audio jewelry' only.

Mani.


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on January 03, 2014, 05:14:37 pm
Mani,

What was so shocking about the Sanders system was how the bass fit into the whole picture. Seemless presentation it is. Deep/tight and fast!

Will snag his amp on the 'Gon when it comes up. I need lots of power to drive my Pioneer/TAD speakers.

Next test is AC cables on the Dac. Right now I have a Stage 3 Minatour on it. Stage 3 makes IMO the very best AC cables. Have a Gover Huffman super duper tripped out cable coming to hear.


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: Scroobius on January 03, 2014, 11:01:31 pm
Quote
That the USB cable shouldn't make a difference is more explicit (meant to), and a by now known phenomenon

I have tried a couple of different (supposed high quality) USB cables borrowed from a friend some time ago but I could not hear any difference.

Quote
I'm actually curious myself what others find about interlinks and whether they make less of a difference with the NOS1.

When I used to have the single ended GC amp I had RCA unbalanced interlinks to NOS1. They were diy simple design using very fine quality silver wire with cotton covering. Those interconnects made a very significant difference and were better than a number of commercial i/c's I tried.

This year I built the bridged GC amp which is used in balanced operation. So I built some balanced i/c's (of similar construction to the previous RCA's) but this time with fine copper wire which I thought would be OK (I still find it difficult to believe in silver wire from an engineering stand point). I just could not get the sound how I like it and I ended up re-building the i/c's with the same fine silver wire as before (more money!!!). The result was sound quality significantly improved in the same way as before.

For sure i/c's make a very significant difference in this system. I have tried the same diy silver i/c's in other systems and they really do sound excellent. When I sold my AN DAC I was also persuaded to sell my silver i/c's because they sounded so good in the purchasers system (much better than his expensive ic's). I have also heard them in another two systems with similar results.

The main point of the above is that the improvements the i/c's make in my system also apply to other none NOS1 systems and the character of the sound change is similar in all the systems with very different amps and front ends. That was the most interesting aspect.

By the way the build of the i/c's are simple twisted pair but with very fine materials care to get consistent spacing etc. Really nothing special or exotic but with surprise results.



Cheers

Paul





Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: pedal on January 04, 2014, 05:28:18 am
Paul,

Same here. My balanced DIY i/c of silver and cotton was a major upgrade of SQ, compared with mass produced copper/Polyethylene of same conductor size. NOTE: The silver/cotton is unshielded.

However, my experiences tells me that the improvement is because of the cotton dielectric. The Polyethylene (or even worse - PVC) smears the presence region.

I guess high grade copper or silver doesn't differ much SQ-wise, but silver is better suited, since copper corrodes when exposed to air in a typical DIY cotton construction.


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: Scroobius on January 04, 2014, 09:02:10 am
Hi Pedal,

Agree with your observations, my i/c's also are unshielded it seem your i/c's could be similar construction to mine. I also found plastic (including ptfe) is a bad thing. I posted elsewhere about my experiences with plastic in speaker cables - to my ears plastic is a very BAD thing.

Cheers

Paul


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: Scroobius on January 04, 2014, 09:51:49 am
Quote
If I wasn't going for the BD-Design Orelinos, I would definitely try an all Sanders amp/speaker setup

Hi Mani - After your post I have been reading up the Sanders web site (with which I was not previously familiar). Interesting to note that Sanders uses transmission line bass units with his stats. As you know (and have heard!!) I now use transmission lines (one of the big changes in my system in 2013) and have now built 3 types. I am a convert to properly designed and implemented transmission lines.

Also interesting is that the designer of my speakers (IPL) reckons that transmission lines with the correct drive unit are very fast and can match well with horns. This is something Nick & I are considering trying year with the horns in his system........... watch this space. Maybe this would be "poor mans" Orelo's.

But the Sanders speakers do look interesting.

Cheers

Paul





Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on January 31, 2014, 06:22:53 pm
Now running Unattended and Q1.

A re work of my number scale on the midrange section Vs.
The tube Lamp Dac is now...

P 9
 
L 6

What  happened ?

Well the now running Phasure running in Unattended mode/Q1 has so changed the SQ that the Lamp has fallen off into a sink hole. The mid-range on the P is so big and natural without tubes it's mind boggling.

Want to go higher in SQ!!! Thoughts?


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: PeterSt on January 31, 2014, 06:53:58 pm
Hey, that's not fair ! You let the Lampizator drop !
Ok, all is relative ... :yes:

Aready tried the RAMDisk (IMDisk) ? That could bring another few steps.

Peter


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: PeterSt on January 31, 2014, 07:29:11 pm
Btw, the RAMDisk text is in here : XXHighEnd PC - First steps to good SQ (http://www.phasure.com/index.php?topic=2787.0) (Playing from RAMDisk section).


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on February 04, 2014, 04:57:14 pm
Can any owners please comment how this Phasure guy can do wall to wall sound.? A SS so real and big I've never heard before in my set up. The background singers have never sounded so real with each singer having their own space on the SS.

Is it the Dac? XXHE?


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: CoenP on February 04, 2014, 09:27:33 pm
Redbook eh?

I'd say you need both for the best experience.

regards, Coen


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: acg on February 05, 2014, 04:31:20 am
Can any owners please comment how this Phasure guy can do wall to wall sound.? A SS so real and big I've never heard before in my set up. The background singers have never sounded so real with each singer having their own space on the SS.

Is it the Dac? XXHE?

XXHE and the NOS1 are a team 2glory...a symbiotic relationship!!


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on April 14, 2014, 06:13:23 pm
So I have read about the Clock mod and cap mod and I do have a thought about all that.

Take the cheap A$$ PC AC cable off and place a Dynamic Design Heritage/Nebulas or Stage 3 AC Zyklop cable on it and hear the sound change in the whole system turn for the better. Better bottom end? Yes!!  Do the same on the NOS1. Better bottom? Yes. Now place both on Star Sound Sistrum SP-1 stands. Focus and better deeper bottom end!!

What AC cables are being used by those who have done the mods or those who use the full Monty Phasure set up?

I for one would not want to change the design of the NOS1 with any mods on the inside but that is just me so come vacation here for free :)


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on April 14, 2014, 06:31:06 pm
So I have read about the Clock mod and cap mod and I do have a thought about all that.

Take the cheap A$$ PC AC cable off and place a Dynamic Design Heritage/Nebulas or Stage 3 AC Zyklop cable on it and hear the sound change in the whole system turn for the better. Better bottom end? Yes!!  Do the same on the NOS1. Better bottom? Yes. Now place both on Star Sound Sistrum SP-1 stands. Focus and better deeper bottom end!!

What AC cables are being used by those who have done the mods or those who use the full Monty Phasure set up?

I for one would not want to change the design of the NOS1 with any mods on the inside but that is just me so come vacation here for free :)


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: 2glory on September 20, 2014, 04:17:08 am
NOS1a in the crib. Ha why own a TT when you can have the NOS1a. A Music box it is!! Only have 3 hours on it and I feel the $$$ spent was/is well spent. More to come as my system warms up from sitting idle for two weeks.


Title: Re: Now I get it
Post by: PeterSt on September 20, 2014, 09:24:33 am
:) :)