There is another channel with almost the same philosophy of unbiased content and easy to understand explanations of digital audio: the Hans Beekhuyzen Channel. It's always nice to have two such channels to follow 😀
I'm a fan of your content, but I do want to clarify that there are those of us that can use affiliate links AND still be unbiased. I agree 100% that there are biased reviewers out there praising gear that comes from specific retailers, but I hope people know that having affiliate links does not immediately make a reviewer biased. Keep the great content coming! 🙂
My new favorite hifi channel. I am missing a bit about your background, how did you obtain your immense amount of knowledge on audio? Are you an audio engineer of some sort?
He doesn't really have a background, it's all just "his opinion" with little to no objective material. Slanders actual engineers whenever they disagree with him
Fucking awesome content! I ofc wondered why you included the music in your videos (which of course adds something that other reviews don’t have). Really hope you don’t get any copyright strikes (knocking on my wood table rn) - a lot of youtubers that create content about certain bands’ music have had that experience recently. Keep up the good work, your channel is already getting bigger and bigger by the week. Congrats!
Hi, I am normally not subscribing on YT channels, BUT..when I came a cross this video, so honest and to the point, you leave me no excuse not to subscribe!....and I like your music choices
4:25 This is one of the primary reason why I love your reviews and a lot of reviewers missing it, Thanks for the great content and keep it up can't wait to see more of your videos
Dude, I'm also following most(if not all) YT "stars" and I can tell you for sure: don't change your approach for this channel and you'll never need to lick someone's a$$. Massive like and sub!
Great stuff - Asking you to throw a bone to folks who may be beginners in the hobby. 1. I will appreciate when you break down terms or simplify references. Or at least explain why they are important. 2. While I understand you not wanting to put in affiliate links, a link to products you mention for purchase is appreciated. While many people may know everything on your desk and how it fits into the audiophile world, some of us do not. Hollow May? Halo May? As a non-Brit, assume some of us are new and may not catch when you make a short-handed reference. 3. I read a long time ago an article from John Atkinson of Stereophile that his job was not to say what is good or what is bad but show how it compares to other products. To expand on that, while there are good and bad products, audio products today are about fit. If everyone wanted the same thing, there would be just a few products. To me, audio products are like bicycle seats. It's about the right fit. 4. You said you want to talk about things that interest you. Along with that, think about your audience as well. Sure, many of us are here for the entertainment value to hear you talk about equipment we may never afford or be interested in. Many others will come because they are interested in a specific product and you are the 4th of 10 videos they will watch about that product. While there are many reviewers who will talk about the tonal characteristics and how a product measures, from my perspective I want to know is this worth my money or is there something else that has a bigger bang for the buck. "The Bifrost 2 is a fun DAC with a lot of slam..." It compares with? At this price point you'd have to go up to X to do better? It's really good for EDM, Rock, Pop, but you may miss the detail for Classical and Jazz. Everything will have pros and cons. Every reviewer will have their pros and cons about a product in isolation. Be more than just unbiased. Like a bicycle seat, the product you are reviewing might be a good fit for someone. The question is: out of the 10 videos I will watch on the Arya, what will I get from yours that will make me want to come back to hear more? A measurement curve that shows a slight peak at 5k? You have a ton of potential. I've subscribed and will soon join your patronage. (Just wish you had a $5 tier). I value your insights and I know others will as well. I hope you take my comments as they are intended as supportive as I think others can learn a lot as well.
1: This has been suggested before and is a good idea, though a tad tricky. I don't want to explain each term in every video else they'll all be an hour long, but it would be important and useful to explain what the terms mean. I'll probably in the near future make a video essentially explaining what various terms mean as a bit of an "Audiophile Glossary". 2: I do usually link to the products in the review itself, but you're right, a section at the bottom of the description with the other gear on my desk could be useful. I'll go through and add that. 3: I couldn't agree more. Audio and music are both incredibly subjective, and its incredibly important to look at products from a bit of a third person perspective sometimes. I didn't really like the LCD-X much, but I can 100% understand why others would and I try to talk about those differences. Comparing products and explaining the pros and cons not just for me but for anyone that is watching is the key to being a good reviewer IMO. This is also why i've not spoken about my preferences in sound signature too much, because realistically it shouldn't matter. What I like isn't actually important. Describing individual aspects of the product's character so that a viewer can make a decision for their own tastes is the key. 4: I'll always try to talk about how a product performs for the money, what are the alternatives, is it 'worth it' etc, so that won't be an issue. But as to reviewing certain products, if a lot of my audience is keen to hear about a product, chances are i'll be interested to try it too, because if something is unique, said to be exceptionally good, or just great value etc, then i'll likely be interested in it. But I won't be reviewing things just because they're in high demand. There are quite a few products where people get hyped up over them and I cannot for the life of me see why people are at all interested in them. So there will be things which I don't review for that reason. At the end of the day I am doing this for fun, and so products that are of interest to me personally are what will get reviewed. 5: The BF2 review was a bit tricky, because I almost don't consider it as a linear upgrade/downgrade from other dacs. There are a few products like this. MOST products its typically a case of being overall better or worse than the competition, and they can be directly compared, but then there are some things like the bifrost 2, or the HD800 for example, where they are simply so different or unique in sound signature that its no longer really a question of better/worse. This can make it tricky to compare, and so I do my best to describe the characteristics of the product as a whole and what music or other gear I felt it went well with, so that the viewer can then make an informed purchase decision. But as to whether the bifrost 2 is better/worse or compares with other stuff, the simple answer is it doesn't. I'd quite happily have a BF2 alongside another dac as a flavour choice. And the HD800 for similar reasons I can't bring myself to sell because even though I have other headphones like the susvara which are truly excellent, the HD800 brings a unique signature that nothing else replicates. Thank you for subscribing
@@GoldenSound 1. Not for everything of course. While much of your audience may be regulars and pros. There will be a lot of people who are for the first time. You can explain a term and then refer people to a video that explains it in depth. I agree. My point is it is like having a classroom where all your students could be at a different grade level. Just be aware. 2. I would suggest more than what is on your desk. If you give a review for the LCD-X and at the end say how it compares to Focal Celestee or ZMF Aeolus or whatever in the $1000 class, perhaps link to your reviews or at worst a place to buy. Assume not all of us know if you make a reference to a product we know what it is. Pain in the ass I know, just a suggestion to do it sometimes if it is easy. 3,4, Great. 5. BF2 was just an example. Say $200 Modius, just where does it fit compared to Topping or SMSL and what a step up or step down may look like.
Really appreciate your take, and learning a LOT from your videos. One request, please, when you mention gear by name, slow down. ("AHB, what now?") Some of us are only encountering this for the first time. Wouldn't hurt if you sad it once or twice more too.
Hey GoldenSound appreciate the focus on real world scenarios and I enjoyed your clocking video as it's something I've been delving into lately as I gear up for my first 'real' system I guess. Will be joining your patreon shortly and subsequent discord. Cheers
Thank you! Glad you're enjoying the vids, and thank you very much for the support :D Do join the telegram chat once you're on the patreon! It's much more active than discord atm
Your doing Amazing Honest reviews and I love the music you show in the comparisons on the DACs. I love when you show the quality of the components used inside and how they test!. Keep up the great work. I was looking at the D1se or Ares II,,Gustard A18, but now have the Holo Audio - Spring 3 DAC in mind thanks to your video's. Your thought's? I also have Oppo BDP-95 thinking of using that dac for streaming Amazon. Thank you.
I came to your channel from Z's link on your MQA video. Instantly, you reminded me of gamer's nexus in your approach of the subject. Un biased news and repports on subjects. Love it.
I think one of my favorite funny things about this channel is that almost every time you mention a product being great, high-quality or well-designed, you glance over at the Holo May. Makes me wanna fork over the 5k for it even more lol
Congratz on the 1k sub, superb video as usual. I'm surprised you won't even use affiliate links, you must really love making these videos! I'd love to see controversial topics being covered in the future, as you sound like you are not afraid to do so
Definitely! I'm looking forward to testing some interesting stuff. I've been working on a couple which some might consider controversial, including one showing that digital cables make a measurable difference in performance. Not huge, but measurable. That's been....quite surprising.
I'm super glad to hear that making the content is enjoyable for you, I feel that that should ultimately be the main priority for any content creator. Thanks for the amazing reviews and stay safe!
Very nice set up on your audio workbench. Zeos’ Halo May review is awesome and very unusual. Respect both of you as reviewers and personality. Simple set up at my end . Denon old but a beast CD player ... Feeds a balanced Grace DAC that feeds balanced Little Bear XLR switch box. The box feeds a ‘789 and a Loxji 20 amps. 🎧..650’s and 400i 2020. Great video cheers 🥃
One of the only youtubers producing good, clean content with integrity. So much stuff is overproduced quickly with very little depth. Glad I found you, looking forward to long video lineage. :)
Thank you for your videos! Having a great time watching them. It would be great to see two things if you don't mind: -A list of your equipment so it's easier to find the stuff and read about it. -The biggest confusions I have today are: 1)AQ Jitterbug and similar filters - are they doing anything? Some people swear they hear the difference. Some say they are simply a scam. It'd be great if you could cover it 2)Same thing on linear power supplies. Some say they do a huge difference. But some others.. well, you see the picture :-) If you could cover it or have any good info to share - I will happily learn from your knowledge. Thanks and good luck with this channel!
I'm really glad you started making TH-cam videos about audio at the time I started to interest in audio. Your reviews are great and I love your explanation videos. Some critiques: there are terms in your explanation videos (and reviews but that's ok) which beginner like me don't understand. I don't *really* know what jitter is e.g. Maybe a video about these foundations would be great so that we beginners don't have to search dozens of videos ourself which maybe aren't good
That's a good point. I might make a video discussing/explaining some of the audio related terms/phrases so that newer people to the hobby can understand them better.
People like u and ASR are suddenly popping up on TH-cam. Yes! Whatever the reason, yes! P.s. if u want to test any of my chi-fi gear, you're welcome to any of it
I think this is great content. I would have no issues for you to use links, honesty is something you prove over time. @13:49, I now exactly what you mean, and I agree.
You are a true journalist! A dying breed. Great story on the MQA! You are the new old journalist for today's audio world, on the largest media platform. Welcome to the elite group of leaders. Now comes the hard part of keeping your audience engaged. Very nice start. Good luck with keeping the momentum.
I think i heard a while ago that the main factor in burn in was pads conforming to your head. Would make sense since hd800 pads are tiny and hifiman pads are thick
Yeah I can definitely see that being the case. What i'll probably do to control for that is get two sets of pads. Measure with set A, swap to set B and burn-in, then swap back to set A and measure again. That way any differences will be due to change in the driver only.
Yeah, pads play a huge role, as they compress, the treble will calm down. with planars generally have that grain to them, it definitely becomes more noticeable against a new hp. Another example is the DT1990 which gets noticeably less edgy as pads wear.
oh yeah and gr research nx studio. my somewhat attainable dream system would be (without hearing it) roon-hqplayer-dirac-holo cyan-random amp-nx studios-dual sealed 12 rythmik servo subs..
Thanks for sharing, great to see you come from a different angle as Audiophile! My question would be: as your DAC tests are based on headphones and not actual Speakers, can be test results still apply to them as well (of course if all other components in hifi chain is well setuped and just replacing DAC)? Do linear external power supplies having similar effects in your headphone setup ( i'm a noob, never use headphones)! Thanks!!
Love your videos. Would love to hear your opinion on more esoteric things like the effect, if any, of usb cables, ethernet cables and audiophile ethernetswitches.
Your reviews are amazing so far! What software for playing audio do you use? It look's like the Rune Audio player/endpoint. Or do you use the Roon audio player/endpoint.
Digging it. Subscribed. I got here after checking the MQA video. Which kinda messed my listening experience a bit. I didn't REALLY care for MQA. I have some Campfire Dorado 2020 IEMs, am a TIDAL subscriber, and got an ifi xDSD because it's very versatile, sounds excellent and has bluetooth for on the go. I never had the possibility to really compare MQA to a non MQA song of the same master - I simply liked how it sounds, regardless of "master" or "hifi". What do I do now, kind sir? :))) Now that it's pretty much confirmed MQA is worse than 16 bit flac/cd :))) ?
I have more faith in your reviews; don't feel like you are trying to sell me something. Your common sense no nonsense approach makes things clear. You have a very good speaking voice 👍👍 What are you like on traps? ✌✌
I love you. Please keep keeping it fucking real real. all these old white dudes that just give their opinions with their 70 year old ears that don't even know what digital audio is lol
I've watched all your videos, I really enjoy the topics and how well you describe things. Guess I'm signing up to be a Patreon... One amp I'd love to see you review is the Burson Soloist 3X, 8wpc class A amp that apparently drives Susvara well but it's much smaller than you'd think for an 8wpc Class A amp thanks to it's fancy 170khz switching power supply.
Thank you for being a patron! :D I really appreciate the support and am glad you're enjoying the videos. Definitely join the private chat, its quite active (link is on patreon/subscribestar). I'd definitely love to try some burson stuff. I might shoot them an email and see if they'll lend me the Soloist for review. Unfortunately I don't know anyone personally that has one so can't borrow from them
Hi, really like your reviews. I've noticed you have speakers, but haven't heard you talked about them. Do you strictly review with headphones? I am in the market for near field speakers/monitors for listening to music while working and was curious what you use.
I'd be more than happy to review them, they certainly look intriguing. But would need someone who owns them or the manufacturer to lend me a pair to review.
@@tomk9326 I’m simply listening through fiio m11 with oriolus BA300s and phantom headphones (modified) with all my research LSA is the way to improve my headphones when budget allows. One thing I’ve wondered. What difference does desktop amp/dac make to sound over portable? I’ve seen reviews of the topping a90 and wonder if that would produce better sound than my motu 828 mk3? I look forward to your future reviews. Good to hear a Brit doing these reviews, I’m up in Cumbria. Keep up the good work.
1st of all. Great channel, great videos, I love it. 2nd 21:30 Zen DAC needs to be avoided like the plague. They are so lacking in feature that you can't even have a complete Zen Stack working, for normal windows PC is a mess with mic. and communication device vs default.... just don't. 5 yo SMSL M7 offers more overall. There are alternatives on the market depending on the price you are willing to pay from $140 MX3 to $10.000 Dave that can do the job without the stupid iFi limitation. I bet people at iFi are mocking customers at this point. "Hey 200 people got our entire stack this month. Just wait until they realize they can't use the entire line working together :)) Idiots!"
"They are so lacking in feature that you can't even have a complete Zen Stack working, for normal windows PC is a mess with mic. and communication device vs default.... just don't." Can you elaborate further on this? I've been using an iFi Zen stack for months with zero issues.
@@D6isD6 it is really simple actually: 1st: on windows pc you got audio, and communication device. For example you can talk to someone on Discord, using on board audio card, and output music on dac via USB. Sounds cool but that means if you using Zen Dac you can't use discord, and have to plug and unplug stuff. 2nd Zen Stack Has Zen blue, Zen DAc, Zen Can , and phono pre. You connect phono pre via RCA to can, DAC via 4,4mm to Can and You got the Blue that suppose to connect to the DAC, and provide BT connection to the stack... except it can't. Both 1st and 2nd issues are consequences of 1 major flow: lack of fibre optic input on the DAC. In fact my Zen Dac will be retired after only 4 months of use (in my audiosetup), vs 5 yo SMSL M7 that will still remain in use with my PC.
Just discovered you today and your content is exactly what I've been after! Probably can't send anything over since I'm from overseas but would you be interested in tube amplifiers?
Speakers I actually love most are the ones that weren't reviewed, and everything that was I didn't love. I stopped trusting all the reviewers and stopped wasting money.
Seems like the algorithm blessed the MQA video
Congratulations on 10k subs
Your videos are phenomenal, you deserve the best!
There is another channel with almost the same philosophy of unbiased content and easy to understand explanations of digital audio: the Hans Beekhuyzen Channel. It's always nice to have two such channels to follow 😀
I'm a fan of your content, but I do want to clarify that there are those of us that can use affiliate links AND still be unbiased. I agree 100% that there are biased reviewers out there praising gear that comes from specific retailers, but I hope people know that having affiliate links does not immediately make a reviewer biased.
Keep the great content coming! 🙂
I love your channel! I want to know the story behind the framed album/waveforms on your wall
It looks gorgeous!
Your analysis of MQA which was shared with me by a friend gained my subscription.
My new favorite hifi channel. I am missing a bit about your background, how did you obtain your immense amount of knowledge on audio? Are you an audio engineer of some sort?
He doesn't really have a background, it's all just "his opinion" with little to no objective material. Slanders actual engineers whenever they disagree with him
Subbed because of your MQA video
Best hifi channel on TH-cam. Bar none.
When I discovered this channel I thought that already has thousand of subscribers. I'm sure they will come soon. Keep up the good work!
Fucking awesome content! I ofc wondered why you included the music in your videos (which of course adds something that other reviews don’t have). Really hope you don’t get any copyright strikes (knocking on my wood table rn) - a lot of youtubers that create content about certain bands’ music have had that experience recently. Keep up the good work, your channel is already getting bigger and bigger by the week. Congrats!
Thank you for the fantastic content! Please provide the demo playlist. :)
Hi, I am normally not subscribing on YT channels, BUT..when I came a cross this video, so honest and to the point, you leave me no excuse not to subscribe!....and I like your music choices
4:25 This is one of the primary reason why I love your reviews and a lot of reviewers missing it, Thanks for the great content and keep it up can't wait to see more of your videos
Dude, I'm also following most(if not all) YT "stars" and I can tell you for sure: don't change your approach for this channel and you'll never need to lick someone's a$$. Massive like and sub!
Great video! It would be cool to see an updated setup tour as well as a review of your RME DAC/amp!
Great stuff - Asking you to throw a bone to folks who may be beginners in the hobby.
1. I will appreciate when you break down terms or simplify references. Or at least explain why they are important.
2. While I understand you not wanting to put in affiliate links, a link to products you mention for purchase is appreciated. While many people may know everything on your desk and how it fits into the audiophile world, some of us do not. Hollow May? Halo May? As a non-Brit, assume some of us are new and may not catch when you make a short-handed reference.
3. I read a long time ago an article from John Atkinson of Stereophile that his job was not to say what is good or what is bad but show how it compares to other products. To expand on that, while there are good and bad products, audio products today are about fit. If everyone wanted the same thing, there would be just a few products. To me, audio products are like bicycle seats. It's about the right fit.
4. You said you want to talk about things that interest you. Along with that, think about your audience as well. Sure, many of us are here for the entertainment value to hear you talk about equipment we may never afford or be interested in. Many others will come because they are interested in a specific product and you are the 4th of 10 videos they will watch about that product. While there are many reviewers who will talk about the tonal characteristics and how a product measures, from my perspective I want to know is this worth my money or is there something else that has a bigger bang for the buck.
"The Bifrost 2 is a fun DAC with a lot of slam..." It compares with? At this price point you'd have to go up to X to do better? It's really good for EDM, Rock, Pop, but you may miss the detail for Classical and Jazz. Everything will have pros and cons. Every reviewer will have their pros and cons about a product in isolation. Be more than just unbiased. Like a bicycle seat, the product you are reviewing might be a good fit for someone. The question is: out of the 10 videos I will watch on the Arya, what will I get from yours that will make me want to come back to hear more? A measurement curve that shows a slight peak at 5k?
You have a ton of potential. I've subscribed and will soon join your patronage. (Just wish you had a $5 tier). I value your insights and I know others will as well. I hope you take my comments as they are intended as supportive as I think others can learn a lot as well.
1: This has been suggested before and is a good idea, though a tad tricky. I don't want to explain each term in every video else they'll all be an hour long, but it would be important and useful to explain what the terms mean. I'll probably in the near future make a video essentially explaining what various terms mean as a bit of an "Audiophile Glossary".
2: I do usually link to the products in the review itself, but you're right, a section at the bottom of the description with the other gear on my desk could be useful. I'll go through and add that.
3: I couldn't agree more. Audio and music are both incredibly subjective, and its incredibly important to look at products from a bit of a third person perspective sometimes. I didn't really like the LCD-X much, but I can 100% understand why others would and I try to talk about those differences. Comparing products and explaining the pros and cons not just for me but for anyone that is watching is the key to being a good reviewer IMO. This is also why i've not spoken about my preferences in sound signature too much, because realistically it shouldn't matter. What I like isn't actually important. Describing individual aspects of the product's character so that a viewer can make a decision for their own tastes is the key.
4: I'll always try to talk about how a product performs for the money, what are the alternatives, is it 'worth it' etc, so that won't be an issue. But as to reviewing certain products, if a lot of my audience is keen to hear about a product, chances are i'll be interested to try it too, because if something is unique, said to be exceptionally good, or just great value etc, then i'll likely be interested in it.
But I won't be reviewing things just because they're in high demand. There are quite a few products where people get hyped up over them and I cannot for the life of me see why people are at all interested in them. So there will be things which I don't review for that reason.
At the end of the day I am doing this for fun, and so products that are of interest to me personally are what will get reviewed.
5: The BF2 review was a bit tricky, because I almost don't consider it as a linear upgrade/downgrade from other dacs. There are a few products like this.
MOST products its typically a case of being overall better or worse than the competition, and they can be directly compared, but then there are some things like the bifrost 2, or the HD800 for example, where they are simply so different or unique in sound signature that its no longer really a question of better/worse.
This can make it tricky to compare, and so I do my best to describe the characteristics of the product as a whole and what music or other gear I felt it went well with, so that the viewer can then make an informed purchase decision. But as to whether the bifrost 2 is better/worse or compares with other stuff, the simple answer is it doesn't.
I'd quite happily have a BF2 alongside another dac as a flavour choice. And the HD800 for similar reasons I can't bring myself to sell because even though I have other headphones like the susvara which are truly excellent, the HD800 brings a unique signature that nothing else replicates.
Thank you for subscribing
@@GoldenSound
1. Not for everything of course. While much of your audience may be regulars and pros. There will be a lot of people who are for the first time. You can explain a term and then refer people to a video that explains it in depth. I agree. My point is it is like having a classroom where all your students could be at a different grade level. Just be aware.
2. I would suggest more than what is on your desk. If you give a review for the LCD-X and at the end say how it compares to Focal Celestee or ZMF Aeolus or whatever in the $1000 class, perhaps link to your reviews or at worst a place to buy. Assume not all of us know if you make a reference to a product we know what it is. Pain in the ass I know, just a suggestion to do it sometimes if it is easy.
3,4, Great.
5. BF2 was just an example. Say $200 Modius, just where does it fit compared to Topping or SMSL and what a step up or step down may look like.
Really appreciate your take, and learning a LOT from your videos. One request, please, when you mention gear by name, slow down. ("AHB, what now?") Some of us are only encountering this for the first time. Wouldn't hurt if you sad it once or twice more too.
Hey GoldenSound appreciate the focus on real world scenarios and I enjoyed your clocking video as it's something I've been delving into lately as I gear up for my first 'real' system I guess. Will be joining your patreon shortly and subsequent discord. Cheers
Thank you!
Glad you're enjoying the vids, and thank you very much for the support :D
Do join the telegram chat once you're on the patreon! It's much more active than discord atm
c. 16k subs and rising - keep up the great work, loving the content
You've just get me subbed after 2.5 minutes. Appreciate you taking the time and efforts to educate us.
Your doing Amazing Honest reviews and I love the music you show in the comparisons on the DACs. I love when you show the quality of the components used inside and how they test!. Keep up the great work. I was looking at the D1se or Ares II,,Gustard A18, but now have the Holo Audio - Spring 3 DAC in mind thanks to your video's. Your thought's? I also have Oppo BDP-95 thinking of using that dac for streaming Amazon. Thank you.
I came to your channel from Z's link on your MQA video. Instantly, you reminded me of gamer's nexus in your approach of the subject. Un biased news and repports on subjects. Love it.
Cool. It was your review that made me make choice I did. Other reviewers pointed me to it but you made it clear to understand thanks
You are becoming my most favorite audio-reviewer very fast. Great job, keep it up! :)
I think one of my favorite funny things about this channel is that almost every time you mention a product being great, high-quality or well-designed, you glance over at the Holo May. Makes me wanna fork over the 5k for it even more lol
Congratz on the 1k sub, superb video as usual. I'm surprised you won't even use affiliate links, you must really love making these videos! I'd love to see controversial topics being covered in the future, as you sound like you are not afraid to do so
Definitely! I'm looking forward to testing some interesting stuff. I've been working on a couple which some might consider controversial, including one showing that digital cables make a measurable difference in performance. Not huge, but measurable.
That's been....quite surprising.
Thanks
Your descriptions are excellent. Your "love" for music/gear is very apparent. I enjoy your videos very much'
Mr. Pete------->
aging hippie
Congrats on 1k, Golden! (well a little more now but point still stands)
Cheers for answering my question, appreciate it. Will be interesting to see what testing digs up =].
I so, so agree! bias in any forms in this hobby are kiilers. It feels you have a very clear mind and i love it !
Keep up !
On your way to 2k and beyond! TH-cam Hi-Fi reviews needed you. I hope you continue. I get soo much out of your videos it is crazy!
amazing channel my friend, best and most accurate reviews I've ever seen really.
I'm super glad to hear that making the content is enjoyable for you, I feel that that should ultimately be the main priority for any content creator. Thanks for the amazing reviews and stay safe!
Very nice set up on your audio workbench.
Zeos’ Halo May review is awesome and very unusual.
Respect both of you as reviewers and personality.
Simple set up at my end .
Denon old but a beast CD player ...
Feeds a balanced Grace DAC that feeds balanced Little Bear XLR switch box.
The box feeds a ‘789 and a Loxji 20 amps.
🎧..650’s and 400i 2020.
Great video cheers 🥃
Love your approach. I hope you continue to grow!
absolutely fabulous... looking forward to the ride on this channel. Cheers!
One of the only youtubers producing good, clean content with integrity. So much stuff is overproduced quickly with very little depth. Glad I found you, looking forward to long video lineage. :)
Thanks for this great content, you have become one of the select group of audio kit reviewers i now listen to. thanks .
Thank you for your videos! Having a great time watching them.
It would be great to see two things if you don't mind:
-A list of your equipment so it's easier to find the stuff and read about it.
-The biggest confusions I have today are: 1)AQ Jitterbug and similar filters - are they doing anything? Some people swear they hear the difference. Some say they are simply a scam. It'd be great if you could cover it 2)Same thing on linear power supplies. Some say they do a huge difference. But some others.. well, you see the picture :-)
If you could cover it or have any good info to share - I will happily learn from your knowledge.
Thanks and good luck with this channel!
Poor lil' Cavalli hybrid was waiting patiently for you to pick him like "um...excu.....um..sir?....hey what about me?!" lol
I wondered about the music use. Annnnnd patreon support incoming! The best on TH-cam. ❤️
Love you approach - you hit the suite spot of what I look for in reviews. You come across very competent and credible.
You are very, very good at this. :)
I'm really glad you started making TH-cam videos about audio at the time I started to interest in audio. Your reviews are great and I love your explanation videos. Some critiques: there are terms in your explanation videos (and reviews but that's ok) which beginner like me don't understand. I don't *really* know what jitter is e.g. Maybe a video about these foundations would be great so that we beginners don't have to search dozens of videos ourself which maybe aren't good
That's a good point. I might make a video discussing/explaining some of the audio related terms/phrases so that newer people to the hobby can understand them better.
If you are interested Hans Beekuyzen does pretty good videos on jitter. His accent can be thick sometimes
@@jctai100 ok thx
Great Work. The most informative reviews on the NET.
People like u and ASR are suddenly popping up on TH-cam. Yes! Whatever the reason, yes!
P.s. if u want to test any of my chi-fi gear, you're welcome to any of it
"You have to be a bit more gentle." _bats £5000 headphones_
Either trust fund Brit or has a very very nice job.
informative and practical alternative to entertainment flavor of zeos. keep making good videos!
Great content. This is the best science centric audio channel currently. Keep it up!
I think this is great content. I would have no issues for you to use links, honesty is something you prove over time.
@13:49, I now exactly what you mean, and I agree.
20x growth in 4 months is pretty phenomenal looking back, that's amazing.
You are a true journalist! A dying breed. Great story on the MQA! You are the new old journalist for today's audio world, on the largest media platform. Welcome to the elite group of leaders. Now comes the hard part of keeping your audience engaged. Very nice start. Good luck with keeping the momentum.
Still looking forward to the beats pro review.
amazing videos. hope you keep doing them so I can watch and enjoy. thanks
"I like this 'cause it's cool"
based goldensound, absolutely based
I got that TC Meter in the studio - uber nice device!
So jealous of your gear! :D
Awsome reviews, recently discovered your channel.
I think i heard a while ago that the main factor in burn in was pads conforming to your head. Would make sense since hd800 pads are tiny and hifiman pads are thick
Yeah I can definitely see that being the case.
What i'll probably do to control for that is get two sets of pads.
Measure with set A, swap to set B and burn-in, then swap back to set A and measure again. That way any differences will be due to change in the driver only.
Yeah, pads play a huge role, as they compress, the treble will calm down. with planars generally have that grain to them, it definitely becomes more noticeable against a new hp. Another example is the DT1990 which gets noticeably less edgy as pads wear.
oh yeah and gr research nx studio. my somewhat attainable dream system would be (without hearing it) roon-hqplayer-dirac-holo cyan-random amp-nx studios-dual sealed 12 rythmik servo subs..
Watching now, great videos. I notice you have a dorm, me too. Great source, would like to hear thoughts.
SOTM
For Schiit products, i highly recommend you allow two full days burn-in before you review them and check them out with speakers too.
Thanks. Waiting for the Demo playlist (I guess after exposing the MQA scam, it's going to be a Deezer or Qobus playlist?)
Thanks for sharing, great to see you come from a different angle as Audiophile! My question would be: as your DAC tests are based on headphones and not actual Speakers, can be test results still apply to them as well (of course if all other components in hifi chain is well setuped and just replacing DAC)? Do linear external power supplies having similar effects in your headphone setup ( i'm a noob, never use headphones)! Thanks!!
your reviews are great, mate.
I've subbed my fellow brit. 👍
Quite surprised to see John Frusciante and Carpenter above your desk ;)
Love your videos. Would love to hear your opinion on more esoteric things like the effect, if any, of usb cables, ethernet cables and audiophile ethernetswitches.
Your reviews are amazing so far!
What software for playing audio do you use? It look's like the Rune Audio player/endpoint. Or do you use the Roon audio player/endpoint.
i saw haywyre and I'm INSTANTLY happy
Looking forward to a schiit Modi Multibit review. And comparison to other DACs.
Nice one mate!
It would also be great to learn how you volume match with the ADI!
Loved the video! Any chance we can get Tidal list for the test songs ?
Thanks love your videos.
You have reviewed many dacs. Maybe it's time to review some streamers and music computeres. Maybe DIY
Digging it. Subscribed. I got here after checking the MQA video. Which kinda messed my listening experience a bit. I didn't REALLY care for MQA. I have some Campfire Dorado 2020 IEMs, am a TIDAL subscriber, and got an ifi xDSD because it's very versatile, sounds excellent and has bluetooth for on the go. I never had the possibility to really compare MQA to a non MQA song of the same master - I simply liked how it sounds, regardless of "master" or "hifi". What do I do now, kind sir? :))) Now that it's pretty much confirmed MQA is worse than 16 bit flac/cd :))) ?
I have more faith in your reviews; don't feel like you are trying to sell me something. Your common sense no nonsense approach makes things clear.
You have a very good speaking voice 👍👍
What are you like on traps? ✌✌
I also experienced weird bass during my first hours with Sundara
I love you. Please keep keeping it fucking real real. all these old white dudes that just give their opinions with their 70 year old ears that don't even know what digital audio is lol
I've watched all your videos, I really enjoy the topics and how well you describe things. Guess I'm signing up to be a Patreon...
One amp I'd love to see you review is the Burson Soloist 3X, 8wpc class A amp that apparently drives Susvara well but it's much smaller than you'd think for an 8wpc Class A amp thanks to it's fancy 170khz switching power supply.
Thank you for being a patron! :D I really appreciate the support and am glad you're enjoying the videos.
Definitely join the private chat, its quite active (link is on patreon/subscribestar).
I'd definitely love to try some burson stuff. I might shoot them an email and see if they'll lend me the Soloist for review. Unfortunately I don't know anyone personally that has one so can't borrow from them
Love your videos! Do you have plans on reviewing the Denafrips Ares II?
I'm sorry. You didn't have to answer my mest question. I was just giving you shit cause I want to watch your mind blown review of them 😂
😩
Hi, really like your reviews. I've noticed you have speakers, but haven't heard you talked about them. Do you strictly review with headphones? I am in the market for near field speakers/monitors for listening to music while working and was curious what you use.
Will you be reviewing Kennertons/LSA? I tend to find the popular reviewers don’t compare them against Chifi
I've also heard good things about those and agree, they don't seem to get much coverage with reviewers.
I'd be more than happy to review them, they certainly look intriguing. But would need someone who owns them or the manufacturer to lend me a pair to review.
@@tomk9326 I’m simply listening through fiio m11 with oriolus BA300s and phantom headphones (modified) with all my research LSA is the way to improve my headphones when budget allows. One thing I’ve wondered. What difference does desktop amp/dac make to sound over portable?
I’ve seen reviews of the topping a90 and wonder if that would produce better sound than my motu 828 mk3?
I look forward to your future reviews. Good to hear a Brit doing these reviews, I’m up in Cumbria.
Keep up the good work.
1st of all. Great channel, great videos, I love it.
2nd 21:30 Zen DAC needs to be avoided like the plague. They are so lacking in feature that you can't even have a complete Zen Stack working, for normal windows PC is a mess with mic. and communication device vs default.... just don't. 5 yo SMSL M7 offers more overall. There are alternatives on the market depending on the price you are willing to pay from $140 MX3 to $10.000 Dave that can do the job without the stupid iFi limitation. I bet people at iFi are mocking customers at this point. "Hey 200 people got our entire stack this month. Just wait until they realize they can't use the entire line working together :)) Idiots!"
"They are so lacking in feature that you can't even have a complete Zen Stack working, for normal windows PC is a mess with mic. and communication device vs default.... just don't."
Can you elaborate further on this? I've been using an iFi Zen stack for months with zero issues.
@@D6isD6 it is really simple actually:
1st: on windows pc you got audio, and communication device. For example you can talk to someone on Discord, using on board audio card, and output music on dac via USB. Sounds cool but that means if you using Zen Dac you can't use discord, and have to plug and unplug stuff.
2nd Zen Stack Has Zen blue, Zen DAc, Zen Can , and phono pre. You connect phono pre via RCA to can, DAC via 4,4mm to Can and You got the Blue that suppose to connect to the DAC, and provide BT connection to the stack... except it can't.
Both 1st and 2nd issues are consequences of 1 major flow: lack of fibre optic input on the DAC. In fact my Zen Dac will be retired after only 4 months of use (in my audiosetup), vs 5 yo SMSL M7 that will still remain in use with my PC.
what's the DAC in the video, not the ADL? link to the maker pls.
Demo music playlist: TBD
Please also include a Spotify link to your playlist if you have one!
Just discovered you today and your content is exactly what I've been after! Probably can't send anything over since I'm from overseas but would you be interested in tube amplifiers?
my man using a 100W speaker amp for IEMs isn't that gonna freakin burn them lol
Did you DIY the card frames of the songs over your screens? If so what program did you use to render the soundwaves?
Any news about a review of hqplayer or pggb? Archimago came to conclusions that seems to differ from yours.....
A G502 Lightspeed? Very nice.
Speakers I actually love most are the ones that weren't reviewed, and everything that was I didn't love. I stopped trusting all the reviewers and stopped wasting money.
How do you run iems on the benchmark 2, how do they not get fried with all that power?
what studio monitors are you using?
have you done a review on the BENCHMARK AHB2 POWER AMPLIFIER ?