2 hours ago, audiodyna said:

Thank you for sparing two hours for me to enjoy such wonderful sound.

Compare with what I heard in the same room five years ago, this is a giant leap.

Since you are so happy with what you have now, why not spend more time to enjoy your music?

 

 

Time has become a valuable commodity these days. I hope to have more time in this room as we approach the Christmas break.

 

Thank you for the visit, Choew. While it was short, I hope the journey was worth it.

I’m thrilled to share that I’m in the process of getting a demo MSB Cascade sent over! I can’t wait to dive in and hopefully be blown away by what they have to offer. It’s exciting to see that they’re staying in this space!

44 minutes ago, AccMagi7s said:

I’m thrilled to share that I’m in the process of getting a demo MSB Cascade sent over! I can’t wait to dive in and hopefully be blown away by what they have to offer. It’s exciting to see that they’re staying in this space!

 

Will you be able to let it go back??? 🙂

 

It can not be unheard. Are you going to audition the Varese or Wadax?

The Wadax was on the table, but it had gone quiet lately due to the constant rain every weekend. I doubt anything will happen since his motivation has waned.

 

I’m uncertain if I will enjoy dCS. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and whether the setup has the right synergy. dCS is very clean and offers extremely high resolution. I’ve heard it in other setups, and while I was initially excited, I often ended up either walking away or lowering the volume after a few tracks.

2 minutes ago, AccMagi7s said:

The Wadax was on the table, but it had gone quiet lately due to the constant rain every weekend. I doubt anything will happen since his motivation has waned.

 

I’m uncertain if I will enjoy dCS. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and whether the setup has the right synergy. dCS is very clean and offers extremely high resolution. I’ve heard it in other setups, and while I was initially excited, I often ended up either walking away or lowering the volume after a few tracks.

Hi Chanh,

Sorry for been gone quiet. Busy week ends with kids sport. Season almost over, after the 7th September should have bit of breath. Still need bit of help to box it cause my back got worse since we last spoke.

 

Will give you a ring tomorrow.

 

 

13 minutes ago, AccMagi7s said:

The Wadax was on the table, but it had gone quiet lately due to the constant rain every weekend. I doubt anything will happen since his motivation has waned.

 

I’m uncertain if I will enjoy dCS. It ultimately comes down to personal preference and whether the setup has the right synergy. dCS is very clean and offers extremely high resolution. I’ve heard it in other setups, and while I was initially excited, I often ended up either walking away or lowering the volume after a few tracks.

 

To my ears, DCS has a house sound that I can never get accustomed to - as you say very clean. Some people love it. 

Have not heard the Varese yet, maybe it will be at the Melbourne show.

56 minutes ago, AndreaB said:

Hi Chanh,

Sorry for been gone quiet. Busy week ends with kids sport. Season almost over, after the 7th September should have bit of breath. Still need bit of help to box it cause my back got worse since we last spoke.

 

Will give you a ring tomorrow.

 

 

Sounds great, Andrea. I would be very keen to listen to QBuz connecting directly. Esoteric from Brodric was very eye-opening and jaw-dropping. I like to do it right and am informed about the future requisition strategy.

10 hours ago, dcathro said:

 

To my ears, DCS has a house sound that I can never get accustomed to - as you say very clean. Some people love it. 

Have not heard the Varese yet, maybe it will be at the Melbourne show.

This topic is undeniably controversial and often veers into personal and emotionally charged territory for those who are passionate about it. I remember Choew’s comment about how my previous setup sounded more HiFi, whereas he perceives my current system as having greater musical and emotional presence in the soundstage. This perspective, like many others regarding Magico, tends to skew towards the HiFi end of the spectrum. I've experienced similar feelings about dCs over the decades, both in my own environment and in others’. A specific group of audiophiles even considers Accuphase to be too smooth and Gryphon to have a sound that's too dark. 

What I’ve learned over the years is that synergy is what truly matters. Each component has its own character, but the final outcome reflects the owner’s preferences. There’s no absolute right or wrong here—it's personal. I’ve come to appreciate our individual tastes. Think of our setups like a gourmet dish; the balance of ingredients is crucial. Too much of one can overwhelm the others, and that goes for audio components as well. I firmly believe that a preamp and power amp do not have to come from the same manufacturer. Rooms are different, and just because something sounds incredible in a manufacturer’s lab doesn’t mean it will perform at that level in someone else’s space. 

This was exemplified in my visit to Addicted to Audio in Victoria, where the M7s sounded disappointing, despite the staggering price tag exceeding $2 million. I left feeling let down and communicated my frustration to Joe and Dan. The overall experience was lacking—too much vital information was missing, and the room itself was sound-dead.

When the M7s were finally delivered to my home, my electronics were nowhere close to those at A2A, yet they performed astonishingly. The soundstage was three-dimensional, with more micro-dynamics, added depth, and a far broader spectrum, all achieved with significantly lower-cost electronics.

In summary, synergy is the critical element in our audio pursuits.

When discussing synergy, I clearly recall Choew mentioning that his experience with the M9s was noticeably less musical compared to the M7s in this setting.  @audiodyna,  I encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences from the M9s to enlighten the readers.

 

In my view, it seems that the upstream electronics may have been too clean, coupled with the transparent cables, which we've all noted can transmit the incredibly low noise ratio signals too clearly. This results in an overall sound that feels almost razor sharp. It's worth noting that the electronics partnered with the M9s are consistently top-notch, with price points ranging from $500k to $1 million. So, they should sound absolutely extraordinary, right?

It's actually unfair to compare an apple and a orange in view of the different equipment, size of the room and individual preferences.

 

My friend in Hong Kong has all the financial backup to buy all the good stuffs, but the room he placed the system is not as good and acoustically ideal like Chanh's.

Not only that, he is physically not fit to do tuning due to old age and laziness.

The set up was mainly done with the assistance of the staffs of the distributor.

Within the short time spent in setting up, it doesn't have the optimum result like what Chanh put in his system.

 

The system was tuned towards more dynamic contrast instead of more musicality basing on his personal taste.

 

I had in many occasions encountered scenarios of lower model outperformed the higher ones.

The Wilson Watt Puppy I heard in Malaysia many years ago put the Grand Slamm to shame just because it was perfectly set up with the right equipment.

The Watt Puppy was driven by CJ 275 watt power amp in a decent sized room, whereas the Grand Slamm was struggling with the Ongaku in a big room.

 

Anyway, hifi needs good effort (and of course good money) to get the best result.

 

11 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

my electronics were nowhere close to those at A2A, yet they performed astonishingly.

 

Perhaps  your electronics are better than  some retailers would have you believe. 

16 hours ago, TP1 said:

 

Perhaps  your electronics are better than  some retailers would have you believe. 

I disagree. Their equipments are up up there, Tasso. If I had to pinpoint the issue, it’s definitely the room. With what they have in that space, I believe the M7s could perform at a significantly higher level in my room. However, I can’t invest in everything at once right now. I need to prioritise what’s most relevant and fits within a responsible budget for lasting enjoyment.

 

So DAC will come first them power amps….! 

On 17/8/2025 at 9:25 PM, dcathro said:

To my ears, DCS has a house sound that I can never get accustomed to - as you say very clean. Some people love it. 

Strange, I always found the DCS house sound to be quite a rich sound.

 Very good at micro-detail and texture but also a lot of colour in the sound and far from clinical.

I definitely did love the Paganini DAC that I owned but definitely don't begrudge anyone who has different tastes to mine.

 

On 18/8/2025 at 8:11 AM, AccMagi7s said:

What I’ve learned over the years is that synergy is what truly matters. Each component has its own character, but the final outcome reflects the owner’s preferences. There’s no absolute right or wrong here—it's personal. I’ve come to appreciate our individual tastes.

I absolutely agree, synergy and personal preferences are paramount and goes a way to explain different opinions about various DACs.

I personally find the Esoteric sound can be more on the clean side but definitely not wrong or bad.

2 hours ago, Martykt said:

Strange, I always found the DCS house sound to be quite a rich sound.

 Very good at micro-detail and texture but also a lot of colour in the sound and far from clinical.

I definitely did love the Paganini DAC that I owned but definitely don't begrudge anyone who has different tastes to mine.

 

I absolutely agree, synergy and personal preferences are paramount and goes a way to explain different opinions about various DACs.

I personally find the Esoteric sound can be more on the clean side but definitely not wrong or bad.

 

When exploring audio equipment, it's essential to consider the overall system rather than focusing solely on individual components. I'm curious if the dCS equipment has been paired with valve preamps and power amplifiers. Additionally, the selection of interconnects, speaker cables, and even the specific brands and models of speakers can significantly impact sound quality. Achieving the right synergy between components is crucial, as it creates a more enjoyable listening experience by ensuring a harmonious balance of tones.

 

With that in mind, I would like to know which components you have found to work well with the dCS DAC or CD transport in your experience, Marty. Understanding our differing perspectives could provide valuable insights, and I believe there are meaningful reasons behind our individual preferences.

5 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

 

When exploring audio equipment, it's essential to consider the overall system rather than focusing solely on individual components. I'm curious if the dCS equipment has been paired with valve preamps and power amplifiers. Additionally, the selection of interconnects, speaker cables, and even the specific brands and models of speakers can significantly impact sound quality. Achieving the right synergy between components is crucial, as it creates a more enjoyable listening experience by ensuring a harmonious balance of tones.

 

With that in mind, I would like to know which components you have found to work well with the dCS DAC or CD transport in your experience, Marty. Understanding our differing perspectives could provide valuable insights, and I believe there are meaningful reasons behind our individual preferences.

My Paganini DAC was connected to tube pre and 845 monoblocks.

I also found a similar presentation from the DCS Rossini connected to Electrocompaniet amplifiers.

 

Another thing I've noticed is different people tend to focus on different aspects of the sound which can highly effect their preferences.

I'm genuinely blown away by my Accuphase CD player—it's truly exceptional! Realising now, I might have taken its excellence for granted. Could it be that the M7s have never failed to impress me? 

 

 

Edited September 19, 2025Sep 19 by AccMagi7s

The  M7' s are capable of revealing so much more than lesser speakers - by an incredible margin.   And the fact that the Accuphase SACD transport  reaches new heights under this intense scrutiny  says a lot.   I must admit that I have also reverted  to  playing SACD's and CD's  a lot more these days.

good to read of the rediscovery of the silver disc... accuphase has always made some lovely disc players over the years... 

 

i recently purchased a marantz sacd 10.. its been a revelation for me on just how good the silver discs are .. to point driven me to upgrades across all my other formats... vinyl and streaming... 

Hi there Sandgropers! 

 

I'm planning to catch up with an audio mate from Adelaide during the first weekend of October. There are only a few spots available since the place is a bit tight and not very fancy. 

 

It's good to put work aside sometimes. 

Today, I had the opportunity to revisit Addicted to Audio in Perth. It had been some time since my last visit, and I was thoroughly impressed. It was the best I have heard in this room, and clearly the Goldmund has enabled me to identify weaknesses in my current power amps. 
 

Perhaps visiting A2A is a mistake?!😞

I think so. The Gryphon rug is much better.

14 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

Today, I had the opportunity to revisit Addicted to Audio in Perth. It had been some time since my last visit, and I was thoroughly impressed. It was the best I have heard in this room, and clearly the Goldmund has enabled me to identify weaknesses in my current power amps. 
 

Perhaps visiting A2A is a mistake?!😞

Or is it mainly the Goldie Pre Amp , be worth carting home if you can for a thorough soundout ! 
At least manageable compared to the heavy Goldie monos weight.

 

How did the additional Audiophile Grade Carpet behave that you tried not long ago ?

 

 

It appears consistent that the desire to rearrange the setup is inevitable once I visit a configuration that offers more than what I previously enjoyed. I must state that it was a revelation the moment I entered that room. I have heard excellent sound quality from a foreign setup, but it is often at the expense of other preferences. In the case of these Baby Goldmund components, I was there continuously, and the proprietor kept entering and exiting multiple times, which made me wonder if I had been there excessively long. Indeed, I was there for approximately 90 minutes. 

 

Returning home with fresh sonic impressions, I soon realised the motivation to shuffle and rearrange my own setup once again. 

 

Absolutely, Volker! It would be fantastic to have those Goldmund amps here in my familiar surroundings. Still, with their hefty price tag, it might not always make sense to make such a request.

 

Edited September 28, 2025Sep 28 by AccMagi7s

3 hours ago, AccMagi7s said:

It appears consistent that the desire to rearrange the setup is inevitable once I visit a configuration that offers more than what I previously enjoyed. I must state that it was a revelation the moment I entered that room. I have heard excellent sound quality from a foreign setup, but it is often at the expense of other preferences. In the case of these Baby Goldmund components, I was there continuously, and the proprietor kept entering and exiting multiple times, which made me wonder if I had been there excessively long. Indeed, I was there for approximately 90 minutes. 

 

Returning home with fresh sonic impressions, I soon realised the motivation to shuffle and rearrange my own setup once again. 

 

Absolutely, Volker! It would be fantastic to have those Goldmund amps here in my familiar surroundings. Still, with their hefty price tag, it might not always make sense to make such a request.

 

looks nice and clean!

I spent the day thoroughly evaluating three different phono stages for my turntable setup. I compared them directly within just a few minutes of switching from one to the next, using the same two records throughout to keep the test consistent: 

 

1. The Sheffield Drum Record - Improvision

2. The Best of Dire Straits & Mark Knopfler

The lineup started with the Wavac, followed by the AudioFlight, and finished with the AudioNet PAM G2, which was connected to its own external power supply. 

 

This exercise has been incredibly educational, serving as a valuable reminder that expensive gear doesn’t automatically guarantee better performance or seamless synergy within a system.