Antoine's system

[Waiski]

Uuh. Didn't notice the colour codes when reading from phone screen. Very well documented

[Antoine]

Haha no problem! And I think I know why you asked but wouldn't be able to answer your question in the topic you started with 100% certainty but I don't think the digital out can have a variable volume control. I never tried.

I do know that it's not possible to apply crossover filters to the digital output and that you can't select variable or fixed while one can do both for an analog mono or stereo pre-out.

[Waiski]

You read me right. I found from Devialet page that it is possible to connect sub into analog or digital output. I'm planning to connect digital amp before sub and doing crossover digitally. Why I'm doing that is because Devialet's analog out & crossover fuctionalities are not good enough for me. I think most probably also you would benefit using digi out to dspeaker. I need to test that but need to know if digi out is variable or not... I don't have the digi amp yet.

Could you test it, please?.... correction... just noticed that dspeaker takes only toslink... so you can't test it... I assume.

[Antoine]

Correct, the DSpeaker only has a Toslink digital input so can't test it without a converter which I don't have.

[Hifi_swlon]

Looking forward to hearing about the SMS-200. Well, ok, maybe not looking forward to pending the outcome

I'd only change if there was a significant leap. If so, might be a good time to switch and sell the rendu before others catch on.

[Antoine]

Hi Hifi_swlon, I understand what you mean.

Thus far it's not going as I planned. Yesterday evening I've listened to music all evening using the SotM SMS-200 and it sounded great but so did the mR. With any difference I though I heard or felt I wasn't sure though whether it was a result of the SOtM or the new Pro upgrade. I think I haven't "lived" with it long enough yet to know it through and through, in effect I haven't established a solid enough baseline. I really didn't expect this up front and usually have no issues like these even when comparing a cable or something. I probably simply need more time with the Pro.

There was one aspect I didn't like but even that is fully inconclusive as it could be because of the above but just as easy the residual/returning effects of a cold I had the week before last. I think today, after some more listening, I'm going to decide whether I keep the SOtM in the system or switch back to the microRendu and install the SOtM again in a few weeks, just to establish a more solid baseline with the Pro first.

Of course I could also do some short A/B tests (switching from one to the other in one session) now but I -really- dislike doing that plus I feel for me personally these are not reliable in gauging the performance of something newly introduced to the system. I prefer "living with" for a while but if differences are too small I might have to resort to short A/B tests. On the other hand I then may feel that it's not worth the hassle anyway and just sell one of both devices.

I do feel strongly that my results, if any come from all this, are applicable largely to a system having the Mutec in the chain as I think the Mutec affects the 'scale' and perhaps also the character of the change. I'm too lazy, but more importantly dislike A/B'ing too much to test without Mutec but suspect changes will then be bigger/different when the device is connected directly to Devialet's USB input.

[Confused]

Reading the above reminds me why I have my 'rule' of trying to leave at least a month between changes, preferably two or three months. Indeed, I have been doing much listening today, and I have to say that the system is sounding quite superb. So I start thinking, is this the addition of the LPS-1, or is the Pro indeed improving with a few weeks use? Curiously, I did much listening yesterday, and I am sure that today it is actually better than yesterday. It can send you crazy this stuff! At least in my case I've got away with introducing the LPS-1 so soon after getting the Pro, as everything is sounding so good. I now plan to change nothing until we are well into 2017, at the very least!

[Antoine]

Hi Confused, I have a very similar rule: never change more than one thing at a time. I only break that rule when I'm sure something is better like when I added the PH PSU replacing the Chinese Ebay LPSU and other lower grade PSU's. Anyway, I guess I should expand my rule with the time slot parameter you've added!

Personally I've deemed my Pro to be broken in, just to get that out of the way. To rule out other day-to-day differences because of ones mood, hearing abilities and possible external influences I like to 'live with' changes for a while before making up my mind as these influences are then averaged out more.

To not go crazy like you said I tend to do as little A-B comparisons as I can.

[Hifi_swlon]

I now plan to change nothing until we are well into 2017, at the very least!

Looking forward to reading yours and Antoines latest exploits on the 2nd Jan

[Soniclife]

I now plan to change nothing until we are well into 2017, at the very least!

Looking forward to reading yours and Antoines latest exploits on the 2nd Jan

Ha, what's the chance of either of them sticking to that rule all through Christmas