27-Sep-2015, 13:01
Back in the late spring / early summer I was having very many issues with 8.x.x firmware and SAM V2. Once I finally got a system that worked OK, I vowed that I would not mess around with anything for a couple of months at least. This is a vow I kept, with respect to firmware swaps and similar. (and stayed in back to "just enjoy the music" mode, to use the cliché) I have reported on this elsewhere, but this was after many firmware updates, correspondence to Devialet re SAM V2, and Devialet updating the KEF Blade SAM profile, following the introduction of 8.0.0 and SAM V2.
Anyway, last weekend I decided that I would try running 7.1.3 / SAM V1 again. This was just out of interest, I have got very used to how everything sounds with 8.1.3 SAM V2, and with SAM set to about 40% this appears to sound OK. So what was it like back on 7.1.3beta SAM V2? Well using the notoriously unreliable method of aural memory, my view was that SAM V1 had a better bass impact. Running SAM V1 for a short while, I can in fact confirm this is true, but perhaps not to the extent I thought. But here is the thing, going backward is quite interesting sometimes. Maybe there is a touch more bass impact with the old SAM, but overall the bass sounded a little crude in comparison to what I have become used to with 8.1.3 / SAM 2. Plus, it didn't really stop there, with some tracks, 7.1.3 was maybe a touch harsh in comparison to what I now used to with 8.1.3. I perhaps hadn't noticed some improvements going forwards to 8.1.3 SAM 2, but going backwards it seems much easier to spot what has gone. These differences are relatively minor of course, and the language I have used in this post will exaggerate things a touch in my efforts to explain, but these things are difficult to describe accurately in words. But in conclusion, I would say in my system 8.1.3 SAM 2, with SAM wound down below 50% is the best yet. I did try some SAM 1 vs SAM 2 REW curves, there were some differences between them but to be honest, the conclusions from just listening provided far more affirmation than looking at the graphs. As an example, moving the microphone 2 feet to try the effect of an alternative listening position provides far more differences in the curves that switching between SAM V1 and V2.
In fact looking at the curves leads to a different conclusion, in that I need to forget all about SAM 2 and start doing a bit of research into room treatments etc, or perhaps fine tuning speaker positioning to best suit SAM 2. But for now, I'm going back to "just enjoy the music" mode, I've had enough already!
Anyway, last weekend I decided that I would try running 7.1.3 / SAM V1 again. This was just out of interest, I have got very used to how everything sounds with 8.1.3 SAM V2, and with SAM set to about 40% this appears to sound OK. So what was it like back on 7.1.3beta SAM V2? Well using the notoriously unreliable method of aural memory, my view was that SAM V1 had a better bass impact. Running SAM V1 for a short while, I can in fact confirm this is true, but perhaps not to the extent I thought. But here is the thing, going backward is quite interesting sometimes. Maybe there is a touch more bass impact with the old SAM, but overall the bass sounded a little crude in comparison to what I have become used to with 8.1.3 / SAM 2. Plus, it didn't really stop there, with some tracks, 7.1.3 was maybe a touch harsh in comparison to what I now used to with 8.1.3. I perhaps hadn't noticed some improvements going forwards to 8.1.3 SAM 2, but going backwards it seems much easier to spot what has gone. These differences are relatively minor of course, and the language I have used in this post will exaggerate things a touch in my efforts to explain, but these things are difficult to describe accurately in words. But in conclusion, I would say in my system 8.1.3 SAM 2, with SAM wound down below 50% is the best yet. I did try some SAM 1 vs SAM 2 REW curves, there were some differences between them but to be honest, the conclusions from just listening provided far more affirmation than looking at the graphs. As an example, moving the microphone 2 feet to try the effect of an alternative listening position provides far more differences in the curves that switching between SAM V1 and V2.
In fact looking at the curves leads to a different conclusion, in that I need to forget all about SAM 2 and start doing a bit of research into room treatments etc, or perhaps fine tuning speaker positioning to best suit SAM 2. But for now, I'm going back to "just enjoy the music" mode, I've had enough already!
