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Topic: Different SACD player has more noticeable sound difference than external DAC (Read 1509 times) previous topic - next topic
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Different SACD player has more noticeable sound difference than external DAC

Over the weekend, we brought together our gears and run experiment with HDMI-I2S on a few external DACs to hear the comparison among:
Oppo 105 SACD Player XLR output
Oppo 105 HDMI-I2S to S.M.S.L. D400EX - XLR Output
Oppo 105 HDMI-I2S to Denafrips Venus II 12th - XLR Output
Oppo 105 HDMI-I2S to PS Audio DirectStream DAC Mk1 - XLR Output
Technics SL-G700 SACD Player XLR output
Pre-Amp: Denafrips Athena
Amplifier: Two Mark Levinson 333 Bi-Amp
Speakers: A Pair of B&W N801
Room: Acoustically treated
Playback is level match with pink noise track so both SACD Disc and DSF file playback are the same volume SPL.
We took note so the pre-amp volume setting are different for each playback

Observations:
Slight sound characteristic differences among 2/3/4 (HDMI output)
#1 the sound is distinctly different
#5 the sound is distinctly different

Why we notice more audible difference between 1) and 5) , and very slight among 2/3/4?

Re: Different SACD player has more noticeable sound difference than external DAC

Reply #1 –
Was it ABX test? How did you switch between sources, and how did you synchronize tracks for playback? Can you tell us more about how the test was conducted?
TAPE LOADING ERROR

Re: Different SACD player has more noticeable sound difference than external DAC

Reply #2 –
I2S is PCM, isn't it?
Do the players then switch to the CD layers of the SACD?

Re: Different SACD player has more noticeable sound difference than external DAC

Reply #3 –
Quote
Playback is level match with pink noise track so both SACD Disc and DSF file playback are the same volume SPL.
The actual program material has to be level matched.   I assume you weren't comparing the sound of pink noise?
 

Re: Different SACD player has more noticeable sound difference than external DAC

Reply #4 –
If levels are equal on pink noise and different with other material, then that is enough to know they don't reproduce equally.