New beta firmware 7.1.3 released

[moreno1973]

With 7.1.3 Voice of Diana Krall is just superb. ...

I'd not heard of Diana Krall outside of hifi forums, but she does seem to crop up an awful lot when people are comparing systems… is she a 'go to' test track?

I have many CD with better sound quality than CD with Krall but these CD usually are hard to buy and Cost a lot of money like Japanese XRCD or K2HD discs. Krall CD are cheap and You can buy it anywere plus Your wife or girlfriend will like this music

[Mikeeo]

Had a listen tonight with a couple of albums I know well. To my ears, the softening I was hearing with SAM enabled seems to be much reduced.  I hadn't got used to the D200's sound enough to say more generally about the change in sound, but the softening was something that bothered me and was very apparent, so I'd be very surprised if the new firmware didn't at least have a SAM update. Well, now I can brace myself for the big reveal too....... 

Hi,

Please describe the softening effect that you experienced. For me SAM in general added not only better bass but more important clarity and coherence in the other areas av the music spectrum.

Best/Mike

Well, it's, er, a slight softening...

Not sure how to describe it better, but I'll try….

I find that without SAM, the detail in the upper frequencies is very sharp, and precise and the 3d soundstage is wide and again, precise.

With SAM enabled, I sense a drop in detail/clarity, and everything seems somehow 'smoothed' in the treble.  The soundstage isn't as wide or precise as it was. I get extra depth to the bass but only if its there in the recording which I guess is expected - I sometimes notice very little change with SAM enabled other than that softening and soundstage shrink. Well, that was with 7.1.1 anyway, which is what my unit came with, and I've only had it a couple of weeks. With 7.1.3 I didn't notice that 'softening' or 'difference' so much when I engaged SAM - based on only a few tracks obviously. 

Apologies, describing sound isn't my strong point.

Many thanks! I think I know what you mean but to my ears this softening is better coherence that gives better clarity and insight as well as better dimensional reproduction. As the sound in general becomes less offensive (more coherent) that may be perceived by some as softening. I think SAM delivers some of the treats what an active system would deliver.
I'm happy for you that softening is less with 7.1.3 as after reading your post have to agree that now I have more clarity and even better dynamics ie less forced reproduction which for me means more analogue.

Keep on enjoying/Mike

[Mikeeo]

I just installed it and I think my coffee tastes better

Coffee always tastes better in the morning while listening to music !!!!

Yup. In bed listening to Phantoms with Coffee #1 first thing
Stroll Downstairs switch to D200 for Coffee #2
Life can be hard 

Our Jura espresso machine is hooked up by a JPS power cable, very clean and dynamic cups of java

Life is hard in a sweet way/Mike

[PhilP]

With 7.1.3 Voice of Diana Krall is just superb. ...

I'd not heard of Diana Krall outside of hifi forums, but she does seem to crop up an awful lot when people are comparing systems… is she a 'go to' test track?

I have many CD with better sound quality than CD with Krall but these CD usually are hard to buy and Cost a lot of money like Japanese XRCD or K2HD discs. Krall CD are cheap and You can buy it anywere plus Your wife or girlfriend will like this music

I must admit that I'm not a fan of Diana Krall finding her style too middle-of-the-road and saccharine.

Compare for example Holly Cole's version of Temptation (and other tracks) on her album of the same name with Diana Krall's Temptation on 'The Girl in the other room'....

[moreno1973]

Hifi_swlon

With 7.1.3 Voice of Diana Krall is just superb. ...

I'd not heard of Diana Krall outside of hifi forums, but she does seem to crop up an awful lot when people are comparing systems… is she a 'go to' test track?

I have many CD with better sound quality than CD with Krall but these CD usually are hard to buy and Cost a lot of money like Japanese XRCD or K2HD discs. Krall CD are cheap and You can buy it anywere plus Your wife or girlfriend will like this music

I must admit that I'm not a fan of Diana Krall finding her style too middle-of-the-road and saccharine.

Compare for example Holly Cole's version of Temptation (and other tracks) on her album of the same name with Diana Krall's Temptation on 'The Girl in the other room'....

Well. This is just a matter of our preferences. Krall is just a good singer with very good marketing. Plus she is a nice looking lady. But there are tons of fantastic jazz singers all around. I like some from Japan nad Far East. There is a great pleasure to hear Their sweet voices and classical versions of some standards...

[moreno1973]

I am just listening to Vangelis - Alexander OST. With 7.1.3. this music sounds just outstanding. Never before in my system I heard so controlled bass, soundstage and natural but nice timbres. There is no harshness, no fatigue even with loud listening!

I remember listenening this CD with Sonus Faber Evolution + Devialet 240. It was just fantasctic experience (without SAM - it wasn't ready for Evo). Now with 200 and Auditor M I have in my room sound that poses a bit similar scale and musicality.

[PhilP]

Well. This is just a matter of our preferences. Krall is just a good singer with very good marketing. Plus she is a nice looking lady. But there are tons of fantastic jazz singers all around. I like some from Japan nad Far East. There is a great pleasure to hear Their sweet voices and classical versions of some standards...

Yes, I'm sure you're right and I agree about the marketing. I just get fed up with people demoing Diana Krall when there are IMHO much better singers around   If you have any recommendations of Japanese/Far East singers then it would be greta if you could post them on the 'What are you listening to..." thread. Thanks.

[Dr Tone]

Noticing more sibilance.

Well we have our first person who doesn't like it but at least ever audiofool term known to man has now been used in this thread.

[Hifi_swlon]

Noticing more sibilance.

Well we have our first person who doesn't like it but at least ever audiofool term known to man has now been used in this thread.

What does that mean?

[Dr Tone]

Noticing more sibilance.

Well we have our first person who doesn't like it but at least ever audiofool term known to man has now been used in this thread.

What does that mean?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sibilant