Albrecht

He's (rightfully) keeping the posts on track, and the unreasonable and unreasonably speculative, troll posts, OUT...

Thanks for your excellent review. I am an old customer of Alex and I have one of the APL universal players from 2004 that is still going strong and sounds wonderful. Alex installed a digital coax input for me, and hopefully I will still have many years of great sound ahead. Having spent a bunch of time with Alex in his shop in Fremont, and (later) in Dixon, CA., - I've had the opportunity to hear many iterations of his early work, - all sounding amazing.... The VRDS project is notable for its quality. Alex was kind enough to get me set up with NAS based, USB playback a looooong time ago with a custom USB to SPDIF converter. Yes, his flagship product(s) sound amazing, - but so do the other products throughout his line. I have no doubt that the DSD-S, is amazing as well. I remember hearing one of his killer "just-for-fun" stereo tube amps that were easily the equal of some of the very best that I've heard from VAC or LAMM..... I could go on, - but i just wanted to say that it sure is great to read your review, - and simply put, - I am glad that you had a great time listening...

I am Big +1, a beautiful amp.

Hi..... Not to change the subject, - but I bet that DCS NB with the Dave sounds incredible!! I would love to hear that.... Actually, - I really want to hear a DAVE..... & while I'm dreaming, - compare it to my APL...

Looking at this photo makes me smile as (although) I don't have any external HDs set-up like this with Herbie's stabilizers and upside down Mapleshade brass cones, - i got them everywhere else, power supplies, USB to SPDIF converters, digital file players, my espresso machine, the cat..... ...... Cheers.....

Me twos!! AustinPOP, - thank you so much for your great review!

Hi, @TheComputerAudiophile You are understood, and you are correct. I will stick to his work. Thanks

Since when are criticisms of someone's (poor) published scientific investigations constitute a baseless attack? Especially when you do the same to published reviews and reviewers in say Audiostream for example. Pot meet Kettle. If reading a well reasoned opposing viewpoint offends you so much, - you can block my posts. And, - likely, - (as a self proclaimed troll), - that sounds like a wise course, - since my content is just so much for you to "endure."

Sorry, What I wrote was poorly said. What I should've wrote was even his objective evaluations are cursory and poor in the context of a lack of a number of testing samples. "Blind listening fails to show an ability to tell the devices apart in playback." Yes, - they are out of context by design.

Did not claim a scientific foundation, - a reasoned critique of bad science does not make it a scientific investigation of (an alleged) scientific investigation.... And... it is possible to conduct a good scientific investigation into subjective phenomenon by engaging in good and thorough scientific methodologies. To conduct NO thorough comparative (subjective) tests while drawing subjective conclusions, -- will lead any investigator to point out that the investigations are indeed poor and conclusions will be drawn on the basis of insufficient evidence.

TFW: there's no cogent argument against your position and your critic resorts to bad, sarcastic memes....

Not a scientific one.

I am not conducting any testing when I am criticizing Archimago's poor testing methodologies. I know that I am not "refuting" anything. ""trot out as making a significant difference appear to do nothing of the sort when objectively evaluated."" (I also dispute that Archimago does any objective evaluations). That is not true, - actually patently false. It is ABJECTLY impossible to predict how an objectively evaluated component will sound with 6 others, in a room, without actually being there. For example, A Meitner DAC would make a significant difference to a $350 Sony in a system with commensurate components and make NO DIFFERENCE whatsoever when plugged into the auxillary input of a Sharp boombox. Archimago's tests are equivalent to plugging Meitner's into boomboxes.... the essence of bad science.

Whenever he concludes through bad tests that different digital file players do not sound different, - he's making a statement about the performance of ALL digital file players.....

I don't think so, - if you do not believe that you can have good tests and bad tests, - then you cannot have a scientific investigation.