Stereophilus

I think the Darko article is saying the issue of “digital noise” is directly linked to “good sound”. Or in other words, in a digital source, high frequency electrical noise entering the DAC (eg, from a server or streamer) contributes to increased jitter (equating to reduced sound quality). Wifi modules can increase noise on the digital output (of a server or streamer) if implemented poorly. The Auralic unit is a good example of a manufacturer acknowledging that Wifi modules generate more noise, but engineering their product to minimise the effect of this noise on the output, to improve sound quality.

This was the thread: As per that thread, my opinion would be to use low noise power supplies into the Ethernet optical converters for best results.

@Assisi Cant believe these are up for sale... one of the few speakers I would look at selling my PMCs for.

Most renderer software packages can do the first “unfold” of MQA. So, if like me, you have a non-MQA DAC, but stream Tidal MQA’s via Roon, then Roon does the first unfold in the software. It’s not the whole enchilada, but it gives you something to compare to standard Tidal redbook flac. From what I’ve heard, the difference is negligible anyway. I too wholeheartedly recommend the Gieseler Groß DAC. I compared it to my Mola Mola DAC and found it to be very close in tonal colour and transparency. I still rate the Groß slightly behind the Mola Mola DAC and the Playback Designs Merlot DAC on absolute performance, but when you consider its price point (at 1/6 and 1/4 the cost respectively) its value cannot be ignored.

Aurealis make excellent jumpers customised to your needs and very reasonably priced. Geoff is excellent to deal with and usually happy to answer questions via email. https://www.aurealisaudio.com.au/

Out of interest, is that all you listened to? For me the best part about getting to spend some money is getting to “test drive” all the possible options. I know some people prefer to just get it over with ASAP, which can work as well, but it leaves a lot more to chance.

Yes, the 8 ohm tap was what you heard. The Mola Mola amps were brand new that day and not yet burned in. They have opened up a lot and the treble is sweet and extended now.

Yes the lower fan speed was better for noise, but I always had a lingering doubt about the extra heat leading to some of the failures I experienced. My experience would suggest the MB2se has some significant impedance variations across the audible range. PMC don’t publish this data, and also refuse to release it when asked (I know because I asked). The local wholesaler for PMC (who intervened and took over my email questions to PMC UK) basically told me to get a solid state amp and promptly refused to continue further discussions with me. Despite the terrible customer support from PMC, the MB2ses remain excellent speakers. Due to the assumed variances in impedance they represent a difficult load to drive well. If starting out fresh I would follow the advice they gave me and go with solid state amplification.

So... The original post referenced an article on Wifi streaming and electrical decoupling. The tweak i employed was to optically decouple my ethernet link to my audio system, as per a further reference in the article... Did you actually take the time to read the article and my original post? Or did you see the words "ethernet tweak" and decide to launch into your vitriole?

I should elaborate further on my experience with the ref150 on my MB2se speakers. I lived with this combination for around 2 years until i moved on to the Mola Mola Kaluga monos. Firstly, what i liked: using the 8 ohm tap the midrange was rich and liquid. The soundstage was wider than with any other amp i have used and the imaging had that holographic quality. There were however negatives. The 8 ohm tap lacked bass and there some occasionally audible treble distortions. The 4 ohm tap improved this, but the mids became flat and lifeless. The ref150 runs hot and uses fans for cooling. These fans are audible during low level listening. During my 2 years with the amp i went through 4 blown fuses and 1 blown tube due to a capacitor failure. To sound its best, the ref150 needed around 1 hour to warm up. Some people will live with those compromises, and some are obviously speaker specific issues.

Depending on your musical tastes, the Audio Research D450 would be a great match. The ref150, great as it is, lacks some low end control on that 12” bass driver. The D450 retains the AR house sound, whilst adding significant bass weight.

I’m very happy with the Mola Mola Kaluga monos. Transparent and extended. Fast and detailed. They remain my choice. There is nothing wrong with the thick, languid sound of the AR amps. It just wasn’t for me.

A good percentage of people still believe the “bits are bits” mantra so often repeated the annals of audiophile debate. There is now strong evidence to support the fact that the transmission and processing noise at source and dac contribute to timing errors (jitter) in the analog output of the DAC. In my view, based on my own listening experiences, the “bits are bits” argument is dead in the water. This thread, however, is not the place for that debate. I would respectfully ask that anyone with experience or interest in Ethernet network tweaks for audio equipment contribute here. Those without interest or experience can debate their theories elsewhere.

Yeah, I’ve had a dig around. That forum is full of the people who believe in measuring equipment over listening to music. I am the opposite.

This list would suggest that my LG G7 phone DAC is amongst the best measuring DACs in the world! Gosh, if it only one measurement could tell us everything we needed to know, how simple choosing the best DAC would be...