Audio Note Kit DAC 2.1 Build

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by DyersEve726, Oct 12, 2018.

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  1. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
  2. John Mee

    John Mee Forum Resident

    Location:
    West of Carthage
    There are also a few apps for iPhone/iPad (I don't know about other platforms). I use "Decibal X". A friend and I compared it to his Radio Shack SPL meter and it was pretty close. The free version only does Z freqency weighting, but the paid version (I can't remember how much, but I think it was 4-5 dollars) also does A, B and C weightings for you audiologists out there, plus longer recording and some other features....
     
  3. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Considering the cost of my system and the value I place on my hearing, I have no problem spending $70 for the proper tool. It's a drop in the bucket.
     
  4. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I do HT and stereo too. I use a processor like you do. I don't understand the issues with doing both?

    If you get a real dB meter, use the "A" scale, it mainly rolls off base frequencies, that are lees likely to harm your ears. It is really what your are really hearing, minus the bass.

    When you switch over to the "C" scale and there is a lot of bass information present, the meter will jump up and register a higher dB. That is a more linear scale. It is a more accurate representation of sound, as specially above 100 dB's where the ears bass sensitivity becomes flatter, in relation to the midrange.

    Unless you are at those loud volume levels, don't be alarmed about the "C" scale dB reading as being overly loud.

    If you stay with in the dB's that I have previously recommended, with regard to dB SPL and time, as measured on the "A" scale, you should be fine.
     
  5. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    No issue...just that my gear was specifically for home theater and mediocre at best (especially the speakers). The difference between running music through my pre-pro and five channel amp and the Hint (even with internal DAC) was significant. Getting dedicated and purpose built stereo gear was a HUGE improvement.
     
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  6. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    I had the previous model to your UMC-200, the UMC-1.

    All the HT stuff, CD's and Blu-ray's sounded excellent running through it.

    But, for some reason, that I have yet to fathom, to this day, If I ran my Oppo through it, using the same HDMI connection, the music always sounded like crap. The music and any audio on video disks were excellent, go figure.

    For CD's, I would use the Oppo as a transport into the Peachtree iNova, which has on older generation, top of the line, ESS Saber DAC, like the newer one in your Hint.

    They would sound as expected.

    In each case, we are using the same digital information.

    I might be able to have understood it, it the video disk's did not sound as good as they did?
     
  7. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    If I had to write a full review of this DAC, it would hardly have any thoughts on the actual sound. All of my thoughts are on the way it makes me feel and how it has made me appreciate albums from artists that I was previously not thrilled with. Not sure if I have any bluegrass fans on this thread, but the whispering in the track "The Angel of Doubt" by Punch Brothers on All Ashore comes through with such gravitas that it hits me right in my chest, despite its subdued nature within the mix. Almost every album since Punch has left me thinking "how did this brilliant band backtrack so much?"...now I feel completely different. They were executing a vision that they heard in the studio. I'm only now able to hear that vision.
     
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  8. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    I like bluegrass. Do you have "Skip, Hop & Wobble" with Edgar Meyer, Jerry Douglas and Russ Barenberg? If you do, try the track "From Ankara to Izmir" and hear what Edgar Meyer's bass solo does for you with that DAC. I'm thinking it will be pretty good. I love that bass solo. Gives me goosebumps. Goosebumps are about the music and playback makes me feel. That feeling requires good gear and good music.
     
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  9. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    I don't have that one! I know Edgar Meyer was on Goat Rodeo Sessions. I'll give it a listen. Thanks :)
     
  10. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    Edgar Meyer is awesome. And Skip, Hop & Wobble is an awesome CD. I first heard a track from that CD as part of an audio demo. I immediately ordered that CD.
     
  11. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    The iPhone and other Apple iOS devices have an advantage that Apple specs good hardware to begin with (including good microphones) and the developers of SPL meter apps for iOS have an incentive to implement proper correction curves for the different iPhone and iOS devices. The same is not true for the majority of Android devices. If you have an iOS device and a metering app that has properly calibrated the metering app for your iOS device then you may get good results. But if you're using an Android device and using that at a concert to determine if the concert sound it too loud to be safe then please don't. I wouldn't trust any Android app and device to be an accurate sound level meter. I'm also reluctant to trust an iOS device as a sound level meter in that situation. I'd much rather have a proper dedicated sound pressure level meter like the American Recorder device I mentioned.
     
    Last edited: Nov 1, 2018
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  12. Encore

    Encore Forum Resident

    That's what it's all about. Great to hear :righton:
     
  13. Ham Sandwich

    Ham Sandwich Senior Member

    Location:
    Sherwood, OR, USA
    One thing that is exciting about your audio discovery with this new DAC is that you're going to experience a similar epiphany with another change in gear sometime later. May be a year or two from now. May be five years from now. But it will happen again. Audiophiles have had this sort of epiphany happen more than once (I have). These sorts of epiphany experiences are what keep the audiophile juices going. The next change might be a pre-amp, a power amp, speakers, a turntable or turntable component or something. Maybe even a different DAC. But it will happen again. So look forward to that future discovery. This experience will happen again. You're in your early 30s. You've got plenty of time. Don't worry. Just get prepared for another audio enjoyment discovery like this. Don't know what exactly it will be. It will happen. That's a reason why this audiophile gear stuff is fun. The musical discovery along the way is just as fun as well.
     
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  14. Encore

    Encore Forum Resident

    That IS the fun IMO. And why this hobby is addictive.
     
  15. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Happy to report that I feel back at 100% today. Even yesterday, things still didn't sound quite normal. I used a dreaded Q-tip today and got a huge chunk of wax out of my right ear and suddenly all was right again, lol. I know it's frowned upon...but how the hell else are you supposed to get that **** out of there? Is there a product or procedure that I'm unaware of?
     
  16. souladdikt

    souladdikt Forum Resident

    Yes, ear irrigation. Glad you're feeling better.
     
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  17. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Interesting. Looks like just a spray bottle for the ears. Have literally never seen one of these in any of the ear care aisles in the pharmacies I've been to. I'll have to order one. Thanks man!
     
  18. souladdikt

    souladdikt Forum Resident

    The bulb syringe works too. You can pick one up at the drugstore with wax softener. The spray bottle works really well for people like me with excessive wax issues. Prepare yourself to be disgusted.
     
  19. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

  20. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
  21. DyersEve726

    DyersEve726 Schmo Diggy Thread Starter

    Location:
    Michigan, USA
    Just for fun, I did some A/B comparisons between my Nvidia Shield/UMC-200 as transport, DAC, and Preamp into the Hint vs the DigiOne Sig, and 2.1 right into the Hint. Firstly, the former is still a very nice sounding combination. Not bad at all. It's the imaging that is really the big difference. Listening to Dreams from Fleetwood Mac, switching from the 2.1 to the UMC made the vocals clearly move from dead center to the outside of the room, with space in between. The phantom center channel just disappeared. That's wild and super awesome :edthumbs:
     
  22. SandAndGlass

    SandAndGlass Twilight Forum Resident

    They are hard but flexible plastic, They are no meant to "poke" your ears with. they are designed to drag along the ear canal to pull out ear wax, using the ribbed end or the hook end.

    They are designed to give you precise control.

    Ear wax is formed 1/3 the way out from the eardrum and it works its way out the ear canal naturally.

    People will do more harm than good by sticking things in the ear canal. because it can push wax deeper in the ear canal and up against the ear drum, where it does not belong. it can also get impacted along the walls of the ear canal.

    I was trying all of these things before I went to the Dr. and found out that I had a middle ear infection, back in the summer of 2014.

    Once your ears are clear,, you should not have to do anything to your outer ear.

    The doctor looked into my ears with an otoscope, that was all he did on the outside of my ear. He did not do anything to clean it out.

    Once I was off of the antibiotics and the infection was gone. I have not stuck anything inside of my ear canals.

    Q-Tip's in the outer ear, nothing more.

    If you are fine, you should not need to do anything else.

    Your ears will take care of themselves, the way that that they always have.
     
  23. Metralla

    Metralla Joined Jan 13, 2002

    Location:
    San Jose, CA
    Ear - elbow - that's all. :)
     
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  24. rbmitch2

    rbmitch2 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Tucson
    Picked up a pair of the Voshkod 6N23P tubes for my ANK 2.1 a few days ago. Liking what I am hearing very much. A real step up from the Gold Lion's at a very friendly price.
     
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  25. Neiro

    Neiro Forum Resident

    Location:
    UK
    Yes it is a double whammy, a good sound and a good price. Glad you are enjoying them.
     
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