19-Dec-2016, 10:35
I haven't exactly gone from Expert to Pro but going from 200 to Od'A has definitely resulted in less sibilance. Whether that is because of going mono or because the amplification method is better I can't say. Let me try to get a grip on this my way:
Less sibilance would mean to me that the amplifier 'rounds things off' a bit. This would then automatically mean it is less transparent to the source. But the Od'A is more resolving so that theory doesn't add up. Unless you can hear more into the music because the sibilance doesn't 'cover it up' (add noise that's more prominent than the music so it takes 'centre stage')
The Od'A also sounds more natural, meaning it adds more body to instruments and voices. This again could be because of the lack of sibilance but it could also be because the 200 was struggling a bit with the C1's. The C1's need power and the 200 just didn't cut it. SAM made a difference in the lower registers but the Od'A doesn't need SAM to almost give the same powerful lows. That probably explains why people with bigger speakers, who would also have bigger amplifiers, didn't notice as much of a difference as those with smaller (lower sensitivity?) speakers.
I did set up my Od'A with the 10.something firmware at first but changed back to 9.something when I made some changes to the config. 10.whatever did sound more forward but I only used it when the amp was brand new and I haven't since so it's hard to tell if that makes a difference. But I do remember people saying 10.whatever was a bit bright when it first came out and was used on Experts only.
Has anyone tried firmware 9 on a Pro? No idea if it works but worth a try.
Having said all this; this afternoon I played a few Bruce Springsteen songs. I turned the bass up by 4 dB and the treble down by 2 dB. It's not ideal but still very enjoyable. I'm no purist; I'm an enjoyist, if there is such a word.
Less sibilance would mean to me that the amplifier 'rounds things off' a bit. This would then automatically mean it is less transparent to the source. But the Od'A is more resolving so that theory doesn't add up. Unless you can hear more into the music because the sibilance doesn't 'cover it up' (add noise that's more prominent than the music so it takes 'centre stage')
The Od'A also sounds more natural, meaning it adds more body to instruments and voices. This again could be because of the lack of sibilance but it could also be because the 200 was struggling a bit with the C1's. The C1's need power and the 200 just didn't cut it. SAM made a difference in the lower registers but the Od'A doesn't need SAM to almost give the same powerful lows. That probably explains why people with bigger speakers, who would also have bigger amplifiers, didn't notice as much of a difference as those with smaller (lower sensitivity?) speakers.
I did set up my Od'A with the 10.something firmware at first but changed back to 9.something when I made some changes to the config. 10.whatever did sound more forward but I only used it when the amp was brand new and I haven't since so it's hard to tell if that makes a difference. But I do remember people saying 10.whatever was a bit bright when it first came out and was used on Experts only.
Has anyone tried firmware 9 on a Pro? No idea if it works but worth a try.
Having said all this; this afternoon I played a few Bruce Springsteen songs. I turned the bass up by 4 dB and the treble down by 2 dB. It's not ideal but still very enjoyable. I'm no purist; I'm an enjoyist, if there is such a word.
Lifetime Roon, Mac mini, int. SSD, ext. HDD, tv as monitor, key board and track pad on bean bag as remote,Devialet 200, Od'A #097, Blue jeans speaker cable,
Dynaudio C1 MkII.
Jim Smith's GBS.
Northern NSW Australia.
Dynaudio C1 MkII.
Jim Smith's GBS.
Northern NSW Australia.
