New Linear Power supply upgrade for DMP A-6

And for the most part it's still civilised. You go on some forums, and the knives are out if you stray from the evangelical line.

(BTW, aren't you using an RME ADI-2 FS with your DMP-A6 ?)

 

I couldn’t agree more. I once made the mistake of joining a Forum dealing with, of all things, prosumer Espresso Machines (another ridiculously expensive vice of mine). You’d think that these caffeine-addicted hipsters would be chilled, but the vitriol over brand loyalty was scary. Those beansters be crazy!

I do USB out to a separate DAC, but it’s the Eversolo Z8. It was a bit of an impulse buy as I was returning an A6ME and had just read the ASR testing on it. Personally, I love it and insist on convincing myself that they’d a microscopic improvement in soundstage/separation over the A6 DAC. In fairness, I’m pretty sure that this cost-justification strategy wouldn’t stand up to close a/b inspection, but it makes me happy!

 

I see you've put your ASR "parafoudre" into your message.

In truth, I've put kit into my system, and left it for years, before switching back to the old. Lo and behold, the old was equally good if not better than the replacement, so I think there's something in ABX testing, but there's also the emotional part of it where most people don't want to be wrong. I'm going to try the RME dac with the DMP-A6, but I haven't done it yet.

I bought my DMP-A6 from Audiophonics, and itched to buy the ME, but 440 € struck me as a lot for, at best, marginal gains. When I asked Audiophonics, I was angling for switch/upgrade for the price difference, their response was laconic, and basically said, the ME might be an upgrade. So I've let that idea go, but the A6 LPSU options are still there, as well as, using a volume control in the analogue domain.

 

It is, I’ve owned and used both. Very happy with the improvements of the ME and the gold accents.

 

I agree guys. Sometimes people can be over passionate about something and that can have the propensity to escalate in to flame wars.

 

These are the kind of messages that express no mutual respect and generate flame wars.

 

The important point is that the power supply is not ‘listened to’ in isolation, a ‘boutique’ power supply may measure slightly better in isolation but we don’t listen to the power supply but to the output of the component it is powering.
A really poorly designed component ‘may’ benefit from a better power supply, but why would one be using such a poorly designed component in the first place.
Linear power supplies are ( for the most part) just another way of parting the ill-informed from their cash.
Keith

 

Respect!
The guy posts complete rubbish.
Keith

 

In the Dac world, I wouldn't particularly argue, especially since I can be in no way considered an engineer. I know that I have been very much impressed by the addition of over engineered LPSU's to cheap Classe D amplifiers.

 

So what? Convince, instead of humiliating, him, if it is of such importance to you.

 

Pot and kettle then.

 

I am sure you purchased two identical components, exchanged the power supply of one and then compared them unsighted.
That is how I compared power supplies to Weiss and Metric Halo equipment some twelve years ago.
Thankfully now because of ASR there are actual measurements to weed out poorly designed product.
Keith

 

It is important to me that unsubstantiated tosh isn’t propagated.
I would very much like to see more and more listeners gaining some technical knowledge so they can separate fact from marketing.
Once a belief is held it is extremely difficult to convince, realisation only occurs when the individual makes the unsighted level matched comparisons for themselves.
I understand that actual knowledge may diminish the fun /hobby aspect for some.
Keith

 

The FiiO R7 and F9 have the ability to add a linear powersupply and then switch between both. So it is possible to really compare the influence of the powersupply.
I saw comparisons, and they concluded that the powersupply makes a pretty noticable difference.

I personally like my ME because I do not have the urge to upgrade to an external DAC. (May be justified or not) . I also like the orange light.
The internal DAC has may benefits, most of all I can switch between music and USB-DAC from my windows desktop and I have just one power switch for DMP and the 2 amlifiers. I don't have to touch the A6 at all. Goes on and off totally automatically and I can select music as I want to from the desktop.

Before I bought the DMP A6-ME I tested the SMSL DP5 - and that has a really nice DAC inside. It even uses a trick to improve the soundstage, something what a single sabre chip can apparently do. But the handling was not good and the company was not supporting the firmware.

For me the handling is of high importance, and the combination I have here is just perfect. I also have the little DAP Shangling M1s and it is very very good. I can compare it directly with the ME and a difference is there, but not large. Mainly the M1s has more noise floor and the ME has a bit wider sound stage. But the sound of the M1s is totally enjoyable with good planar headphones.

 

Quote,
‘The FiiO R7 and F9 have the ability to add a linear powersupply and then switch between both. So it is possible to really compare the influence of the powersupply.
I saw comparisons, and they concluded that the powersupply makes a pretty noticable difference. ‘

I read these’ comparisons’ all the time, always conducted without the very minimum of controls ie unsighted and level matched.
They have literally zero validity.
You have to understand that it is not in the audio industry’s interest to actually state the truth, or encourage unsighted level matched comparisons.
Imagine every you tube influencer stating that when compared unsighted there was absolutely no difference, imagine a magazine stating that the new improved component sounded exactly the same as the previous model under unsighted conditions…
More or less the whole industry is built on a lie which encourages to perpetually ‘upgrade’ never quite reaching that audio nirvana.
Keith

 

An attitude that should be respected, even when convinced otherwise, but offending counteracts that noble goal. Would it be unjustified to ask why you are supporting an industry that you criticise, exempli gratia, selling Weiss and Tembaqui DACs instead exclusively the best measuring smsl and topping devices?

 

I have them on the site ( we used to be Weiss distributors) , and if a customer insists I would sell one, but I always tell them that a, there won’t be any improvement in SQ and b, their money would be better spent elsewhere, which is always loudspeakers and the room.
Why should a fallacy be respected, unsubstantiated nonsense has to be called out, to stop it spreading.
Keith

 

An opinion is not a fallacy or unsubstantiated nonsense. A verdict like that is offending and will convince nobody. Instead it will lead to bad blood and will degenerate your goal to the proverbial fight against windmills.

 

Anecdote purely anecdote where is the evidence Richard.
Just unsubstantiated nonsense.
Keith

 

Why are you asking me for evidence, since i tend more to your side in the spectrum of opinions, regarding this matter. All i am trying to say is, different opinions should be treated as such and with mutual respect. Just because somebody has an opinion based on false assumptions, it's not a carte blanche to offend.