Article: Reality Quest: Power and Digital Audio with the Sean Jacobs DC4 and Sound Application PGI TT-7 (Part 2 of 2)

[ray-dude]

That's a question for @Fourlegs I think.  He's done great work experimenting with quality rails to Qutest.  Nick did you experiment with TT2 as well?

 

I have not (yet) cracked a Hugo2 or TT2 to bypass the batteries/supercaps and power the DAC directly from an external supply.  I think you would get the maximum benefit with those extra batteries and caps out of the path (batteries and caps can have a great impact before the supply voltage regulator, but I prefer them out of the path after the voltage regulator)

 

 

[Fourlegs]

23 hours ago, Gavin1977 said:

Hi @ray-dude.  I was lucky enough to hear a dc4 powered DAVE a couple of weeks ago, absolutely amazing what the DC4 does for the DAVE.

 

Now, I have a TT2 - would you say it scales the same, just with the audiable effect of having fewer taps?  Does anyone have a SJ DC4 TT2?

 

The addition of an mscaler, whilst nice, I can take or leave to be honest - I have a definite preference for PGGB.

 Gavin, @ray-dude tagged me so here I am!!

 

You and I are in direct contact already on other matters but just on what you asked about a DC4 TT2, no I have not tried that but by a strange coincidence I had a random notion to connect a DC4 to my Qutest on Sunday when a friend came round to listen to the new Innuos 2.0 app playing some PGGB files. Anyway as a finale to that session I connected a 5V DC4 to the Qutest (it had been powered by a Farad Super3).  Well, it took about 3 seconds before he turned to me with a HUGE grin on his face and just shaking his head in disbelief.

 

Let me say that the DC4 makes a STUNNING difference to the Qutest. Trying it with the qutest was not meant to be  realistic or practical proposal because the qutest costs around £1,200 in the UK and the DC4 costs £4,000 but it has really made me wonder if that £5,200 combination can compete with and be better than other DACs in that price bracket. It really does sound sublime. The bass texture, definition and depth is unreal. The top end is silky smooth but detailed at the same time. Am I gushing? Yes I sure am. It was a surreal sound. In fact it still is because I have left the DC4 connected to the Qutest.

 

Would it do the same with a TT2? I have no idea but when you visit me next week you can bring your TT2 and we can try it with a DC4.

 

PS, you will realise that I will want to pit my DC4 Qutest against your new DAC which is around the same price!

 

Does that help?

[Gavin1977]

1 hour ago, Fourlegs said:

 Gavin, @ray-dude tagged me so here I am!!

 

You and I are in direct contact already on other matters but just on what you asked about a DC4 TT2, no I have not tried that but by a strange coincidence I had a random notion to connect a DC4 to my Qutest on Sunday when a friend came round to listen to the new Innuos 2.0 app playing some PGGB files. Anyway as a finale to that session I connected a 5V DC4 to the Qutest (it had been powered by a Farad Super3).  Well, it took about 3 seconds before he turned to me with a HUGE grin on his face and just shaking his head in disbelief.

 

Let me say that the DC4 makes a STUNNING difference to the Qutest. Trying it with the qutest was not meant to be  realistic or practical proposal because the qutest costs around £1,200 in the UK and the DC4 costs £4,000 but it has really made me wonder if that £5,200 combination can compete with and be better than other DACs in that price bracket. It really does sound sublime. The bass texture, definition and depth is unreal. The top end is silky smooth but detailed at the same time. Am I gushing? Yes I sure am. It was a surreal sound. In fact it still is because I have left the DC4 connected to the Qutest.

 

Would it do the same with a TT2? I have no idea but when you visit me next week you can bring your TT2 and we can try it with a DC4.

 

PS, you will realise that I will want to pit my DC4 Qutest against your new DAC which is around the same price!

 

Does that help?

Game on, I'll also bring my TT2.

[hemflaw]

Hello all. Fascinating conversation on this.

 

Read the comparison with the PS Audio P20 with interest.

 

1) Has anyone (including the author) compared the Sound Application PGI TT-7 with the AudioQuest Niagra 5000 or 7000? Industry friends familiar with the PSA and AQ hear a quieter background on the AQ (which makes sense given that the AQ much like the Sound Application models are just filtering out nasties).

 

2) Has the author, or anyone else, compared the sound of the MS > DC4 DAVE to the dCS Bartok or Rossini (with or without clock), or Mola Mola Tambaqui? Or even a Holo Audio May KTE with HPQ or PGGB upsampling? I never liked the DAVE on its own, warmed to it a bit with the MS, but I never thought it got to the levels of dynamics and timbral realism of the Tambaqui. I will not get to hear the DC4 DAVE until my friend receives his DC4 upgrade this fall (Innuos Statement > MS > DAVE > active tri-amped Naim 500 system > Kudos Titan 808).

[skyline]

On 1/22/2021 at 2:21 AM, happybob said:

Nenon, if you could elaborate a bit on the difference between the TT-7 and the PS Audio power regenerator, that'd be much appreciated. I've got a PS Audio P10 and it's pretty good but I feel I'm missing some dynamics and perhaps more (I do have dedicated AC runs to the box for my home).

 

The problem with sine wave regenerators is that they can easily push system dynamics over the top.

 

I find they make DACs too digital and bright sounding.

 

They work well with streamers (without a DAC), and surprisingly well with my integrated amp. My favorite spot for power regeneration is my amp.