Not sure why you are fearful of "so many units". Without the Aria and the amplifier nothing would be "hitting" your speakers. So it is only the Sugar Cube - 1 unit that may be of concern. By all reports in this thread, myself included, the Sugar Cube is transparent to the source. I leave mine engaged all the time and absolutely treasure what it does (or doesn't do).
Due to my TT being remotely located, I have mine going through a Parasound HALO JC3 JR pre-amp to the Sugar Cube to a Parasound HALO HINT 6 integrated amp. I have noticed ZERO difference with the SC in or out out the chain. Believe me I have tried. I have now digitized 600+ LP's through it. ranging from 70 plus year old vintage LP's to MoFi Ultra Discs. Other than the clicks being gone, I hear no difference so I leave it in the circuit at all times. You can easily test this theory by using the BYPASS function where the signal is not processed by the SC. You can also use the Monitor Clicks switch to see what information is being removed by the SC's processing of the LP. You should hear clicks only in this mode and no music.
Excuse my ignorance, but does this conversion to digital, change the “sound”. I don’t care about the digital aspect, I just want to hear what I’m already hearing, minus the clicks. If that’s what the end result is, I’m in.
Not to put words in someone else's mouth, but I believe what he is saying here:Is many people are "put off" by the idea that the analog sound is converted to digital in order for the SC to work it's magic and then convert the sound back to analog again, ADC/DAC. There have been many opinions of this nature throughout this thread. I was bothered a bit by the idea of taking an analog source and doing this conversion which takes it two steps further away from the original source. But this thread and some YouTube video convinced me to try it. For me the bottom line is the source material sounds identical. It has the original analog sound. I had planned on using it only for used records that would benefit the most from the process. I would use the bypass feature all other times. I figured I "had to" be able to hear a difference and I would have to weigh the costs to the benefit. It turned out it was so good on my old used records, I quickly tried it on the best sounding LP's I own. I have yet to hear any change in the sound on anything I have thrown at it, other than click removal. That said, I do NOT buy badly damaged LP's because at some point you can't expect miracles and I don't want to subject my stylus to that kind of damaged disc. I have stated several times that this is the best money I have ever spent on a piece of Hi-Fi gear, it has changed my vinyl listening experience. I am not a digital hater, I feel you need both. YMMV but you can test that out using the bypass feature and return it if your ears don't like the results.
Two question. Do the new SC-1 mini have the same computer capacity as the bigger brothers? So not problem in the future with an firmware update that only the bigger ones can do? How about the clicking noise in the left channel? Gone now with the new machines?
Buy one and enjoy it! On 99% of recordings you will not here a difference with it engaged. In another of my systems the phono stage is the digital Parks Audio Puffin DSP. So there I had the Puffin into the Sugarcube SC-2 and then on to a Acurus R11 pre-amp, and it sounded great. Users definitely need to get over the "digital" factor and just appreciate that what they're hearing is good sound, it's not a sacrilege to go this route! I recently got a mint Analogue Productions version of The Weavers Live at Carnegie Hall LP. In Michael Fremer's review of the SC-1 he commented that he couldn't tell when the SC-1 was on or off except when playing this particular Weavers record. It has quite a lot of air in the room, more than most recordings, and it's that very top end that can be cut ever so slightly by the Sugarcube. When I finally got to hear this example in my own system I too could here that difference, but it is slight,and a slight treble boost of the dial and it's back to how it sounds without the Sugarcube engaged. Previously I had only experienced this with the DCC pressing of Elton John's Madman Across the Water. My purchase of the SC-2 was one of the best decisions I've made in this hobby, I'm very grateful to have it in my system.
Me too! I wish they would give us a honest ETA. I ordered mine last summer and I have no idea when to expect it to ship. I'm not complaining, but for the money I paid I don't think it is too much to ask.
Last we heard there is a batch of 20 in the works. However, we do not know what our number in line is, so the feedback is not really helpful if you are beyond #20.
I think that was around when I ordered mine. It was during the Go fund me offer. I think I was the 7th person to order the SC 1 Plus. I'm sure it will be here in due time, but I'm getting really anxious to try this baby out!
I hope it will be worth the wait. For me it changed the way I listen to and appreciate vinyl. I now expect click and pop free vinyl from decent source material. When the Sugar Cube does a firmware upgrade it restarts in the BYPASS mode where the clicks aren't processed. Whenever I hear clicks and pops I know there has been a firmware upgrade. I restart it as recommended and take it out of BYPASS when it comes back online. Plus the SC-2 Mini has allowed me to easily digitize my LPs so I can listen to them anywhere. It is about a pain free as this gets. I am up to 600+ files now after 6 months.
I really, really wish they would update the firmware in my original SC1 to get rid of the "tick" problem in the left channel, which develops after playing certain music through it and requires a reboot to remove. It's the only thing that lets it down. I'm getting the impression they have given up on trying to fix it. I'm assuming this does not affect newer models?
How often do you get it? I’ve got an SC-1 and have only had it a couple of times. Admittedly I’ve not played vinyl much in the last six months as I’m renovating.
Perhaps I am playing some type of different music as I never experienced those left channel clicks, ever. And I am on the latest and greatest version.
That’s probably the case. The left channel clicking seems to happen most often when the strength is set higher than 5, or when specific sorts of electronic music are played - especially “glitchy” bits that sound like harsh static. There’s a point on Orville Peck’s Pony album that ALWAYS made the left channel clicking occur if I had the strength set higher than 2.
My is set to 4 and I never fiddle with it. I do not have much of electronics, but I tried Faust II and IV, Harmonia and even Neu! 2, where second half has tons of electonic noise and even imitations of noisy record, skips, etc. No clicks for me )).
I read somewhere that the bypass on/off function on the remote control app for the iPhone, no longer works. Is this correct?
