joelha

I'm honestly asking only out of curiosity and not to be provocative. For those of you who mock the idea of the glass cd sounding better then a polycarbonate cd, assuming you had the time, would you have attended the demonstration of the playing of the glass cd or would you have passed? The demonstration included a comparison between the glass cd, the same cd as a polycarbonate disc and the same cd as a UHQCD polycarbonate disc. Joel

I can't say for a fact what the recording was or was not. And I'm not asking for an extreme investigation. But the sound was likely the best I've ever heard from a cd by quite a margin. It didn't seem that volume or mastering would have created such a sound. And that's the reason I posted. I don't know why a disc would sound as this one did. No, for that kind of money, I wouldn't buy the disc. Joel

I can't say for a fact whether the levels were matched. I can only say that what I heard sounded much more profound than an increase in volume. If my experience doesn't mean anything to you, that's fine. After decades in this hobby, my method, sighted listening, has served my enjoyment of this hobby very well. Joel

Thanks AudioDoctor. I had read that article some time ago. It seems that Robert Harley heard the glass cd as I did. And it's the "mystery" he refers to at the of the article that I wish I could understand better. Joel

firedog, I certainly didn't buy any of these discs, but I would love to better understand why I was hearing what I did. Who knows? Maybe the technique can be applied in a different way for far less money. Joel

mansr, My post is about the glass cd and not about the UHQ process. If you have or find any articles concerning glass cd's, I'd appreciate seeing them. Thanks. Joel

The Munich Hi-End Show is over and there was one demonstration that I can’t quit thinking about. In the Nagra room, a wonderful sounding room by the way, one of the demonstrations was conducted by a company which sells UHQ cd’s. UHQ stands for Ultimate High Quality. They compared their UHQ discs to standard cd’s, which was interesting. But what was almost jaw-dropping was when they demo’ed their “glass” cd’s. Yes, the cd was made out of glass and apparently manufactured in Japan. I’m guessing some of you have read about these. When this cd was played, the quality of the sound increased in a big way vs. the cd and UHQ disc. There was more clarity and a larger sound stage than I’ve ever heard from any cd. How is it possible that what is (presumably) a bit-perfect copy of a standard polycarbonate cd could sound that much better than that standard cd? Do I know that the glass cd wasn’t mastered or mixed differently? No, I don’t. But what I heard sounded like it transcended mixing or manipulation of the recorded tracks. I own and have listened to some of the best cd’s, sacd’s, blu-spec cd’s, DVD-A’s etc. and I’ve never heard anything like this before. Aside from questioning my sanity, you’re probably wondering what these discs cost. Strap yourself in to your listening chair. Between 1,600 and 2,600 euros. Andy Lam, who sells these discs in Hong Kong, told me he had already sold 50 of the 2,600 euro disc that I had heard. I’m not drawing any conclusions about why the glass disc sounds as good as it does. I’ll leave that to the far more technically knowledgeable. I just want to report my experience and say I was far from alone in my impressions. Please, no double-blind, how-do-I-know-for-a-fact-that-what-I-heard-is-what-I-heard questions. This thread is for people who have had similar experiences or want to comment on the experience I had. This hobby continues to surprise and humble me. Joel

I'm in.

No. C. They're due to you're not having been there. Joel

I have add my appreciation for who Alex is to this thread. I've often believed there are two reasons to help someone advance their company. One of course is their product is exceptional. And his most certainly is. I continue to be amazed by what he's done. But a second is that the individual is exceptional. I'd be hard-pressed to name anyone I've met in the industry who is kinder and more of a gentleman than Alex Peychev. In the past, I've had to be on my guard when making audio purchases over the years. Not so with Alex. Any prospective buyer should know they're not only getting exceptional audio components from APL, but they're also supporting one of the truly honest and nice guys in the industry. Joel

Just an fyi for those who are going to Munich. From APL HiFi's Facebook page: "HIGH END 2019 Munich is only one month away and we are excited to be exhibiting alongside the stellar Davis Acoustics & Esprit Audio this year! Come enjoy our sound in Atrium 4.2, Room 205, we look forward to seeing you all there!" Joel

Hey Marcin, I'm glad you posted because I owe you a very big public "thank you" for introducing me to Alex Peychev and APL. Spending time with you and hearing APL's components were absolutely the highlights of my visit to the Warsaw Show. Thanks again. Joel

Bob, I own the DSD-MR and DNP-SR and I think they're both fabulous and worth the money. Just because products like this exist at these price-points doesn't mean there aren't other excellnnt alternatives at lower prices. The Schiit Yggdrasil being a great example. Having been in the hobby since I was in high school (which was not recently), I've never seen a time when there have been more fantastic audio options than today. That we even have the option to buy products from Bulgaria, China or Poland for example, is evidence of this fact. And much of the great product available internationally can be purchased on-line. The market for products produced overseas only 10 years ago was nowhere near as good. As for this high-priced product killing the industry, I have to respectfully disagree. How many people would you have to stop on the street before you could find someone who has ever heard of Magneplanar? They've been around forever and you'd have trouble finding a better value in audio. But the vast majority of people in this (or any) country have never heard of the name let alone aspired to owning their product. I realize the apparent hypocrisy of my owning this product while telling others not to feel bad that they can't. I get it. I also understand reading a phenomenal review like the one Chris has written, maybe getting a little excited about the product as i read the review, only to find at the end that it equals the price of a luxury car. But there are audio products I'd love to own and simply can't or won't spend the money to buy. For those who care, APL has the DSD-SR DAC, very good I understand, at less than half the price. Yes, I know. Still a ton of money. Finally, I’d strongly urge those who are able, to hear this dac. At the very least, I believe it offers a compelling benchmark for what one might want to hear when making other digital audio purchases. Joel

I appreciate your opinion, jcn3, but I've spent years tweaking servers (sata cables, various software, linear power supplies, etc.) and I'm now getting the best sound I've ever had off of my NAS using Roon. I'm just trying to understand this part of my system better. Joel

Thanks DrTone. I appreciate the clarification. Joel