i don't, cos nothing exists in isolation..... and i no longer pay that much attention to these auditions due to the many variables at play e.g. unfamiliar rooms and its acoustics / unfamiliar components and cables etc make these listening sessions confusing to see the least..... many systems in the shops do not even come close to what i think is reasonable performance and of cos i cant depend on their setup to make up my mind.......
then how do i go about listening and buying audio gear?
the only way that matters is a home audition ... but if that is not possible what's next?
reviews by personalities close to my heart and inclinations are always useful ..... I would then have a short-list of stuff that i shouldn't ignore e.g. B&W 802D, vivid giya G2, wilson audio sophia etc......
sometimes i even buy on gut feel too, which is what i did for the nuforce DAC 9....
a few months back I was very close to buying the W4S DAC 2 which is a 24 bit / 192 kHz capable DAC with multiple inputs..... unfortunately i wasn't able to sell my MSB Link 3 DAC and since i'd promised myself the new could only come after the old was gone, i had to postpone the upgrade........ till now i am still holding on to the MSB.....
since then there have been many new wannabees in the market........ calyx, burson, nuforce to name a few but not all fit my requirements........... and my DAC must-haves are
- 24 bit / 192 kHz chipset
- AES/EBU input
- true balanced outputs
- multiple inputs
- usb input
- less than S$2500
this means that even the very promising and popular calyx is not in my short-list as it does not have an AES/EBU input.......
after a few futile attempts to sell the MSB, i'm convinced that it will be staying ..... firstly i was not keen to sell it at a "lelong" price and then no one is interested to buy it at my price..... after all its technology is a decade old (even though it can be upgraded by MSB) and there's no usb input (again an upgrade is available)....... without an usb input, it's safe to say any modern DAC is doomed to fail....
once my previous stance to buy only when the old is gone is no longer valid, i again scowled the market for a suitable DAC........
this time, i caught news of this newbie from nuforce...... other than the full features offered, what piqued me is the no over-sampling, no up-sampling chipset and no negative feedback used in the analogue circuit...... all seems very promising but do the nuforce guys know what they are doing? when everyone else is fighting the numbers game with upsampling and higher sampling frequency, these guys are going the opposite way ..... will the DAC 9 be like a breathe of fresh air? judging by how good their amps are being received, maybe they do know what they are up to.....
when i knew that the DAC 9 has hit the local market, i didn't rush down to Audio Iconic immediately; better to cut myself some slack and ask if i really wanted a new DAC......
it was until this week that i could find time to visit the shop and listen ...... compared with nuforce cd player, the DAC 9 sounded bigger and richer......... however it was also obvious that the DAC 9 has a higher output and this gives it a big advantage when the volume match was not done strictly........ maybe i have to trust my instincts when the showroom audition was not conclusive......
in the end, i bit the bullet and bought the DAC 9 on gut feel......... at that moment, i could only hope my choice is right .....
after about 60 hours of playing time and a few listening sessions, there's no doubt it's better than the MSB .... i am experiencing a big soundstage that can extend beyond the edge of the loudspeakers, richer and deeper low-frequency extension, more details and musical textures in the midrange and a more extended treble.....
now i can forget about being critical and start to enjoy the music ...... which is what the hobby is all about: MUSIC.....
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