Upsampling revisted

[Audio Flynn]

I guess I have been upsampling for nearly 3 years. Cannot see going away from it. Would like a Meridian or Mark Levinson DAC someday but my modest upsampling 3 box set up is very non fatigueing.

The greatest benifits SEEM to be:

- the taming of edgyness caused by jitter using different boxes keeping DA conversion away from the transport

- more realism in highs from cymbals and horns are the easiest to hear

- Pleasantly real piano and vocal decay

http://cls.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/cls.pl?dgtlconv&1208642082

If you never tried it here is a cheap way to get a taste.

[Guest " "]

I agree about the pro's of using an off board DAC. It often improves even if you don't upsample.

What componets are you using?

[mark1101]

Upsamplers are not all created equal. Some sound better than others and some manufacturers like Benchmark and Lavry condemn upsampling and provide compelling technical explanations why. Others have had great sales success with it like Ah, and MAC with their super oversampling DAC/Pre. Bel Canto is starting to fall on their face with their upsampling DAC3.

I would agree that a really good transport and outboard DAC can best a good CDP......with or without using upsampling. Not always but it's possible to beat good CDPs with a really good DAC. It's pretty tough. Today's CDPs have their own really good DACs too. You may or may not like the sound of some of the upsamplers either.

Where I would especially watch out is all the fancy DSP stuff that's come out. You can get some great fancy features for a little money. I've found the budget DSP units lose the detail, air, dynamics, emotion, and effectively suck the life out of the music. Watch out for those. It's easy to take a step backwards.

[Daddy Dee]

Audio,

Your description of the benefits sounds right to me. I haven't, though, heard an outboard dac. Just my AH! with internal dedicated upsampler. I was skeptical as to how effefctive it would be.

[mark1101]

Dee, I have heard the Ah CDP with upsampler a few times. JC brought his to my house and we used it in my system. It is amazing I have to admit. It is the best CDP I have heard in the price range and IMHO beats many other more expensive ones. That is one upsampler that got it right. Just something about the sound of that unit.

[Audio Flynn]

I agree about the pro's of using an off board DAC. It often improves even if you don't upsample.

What componets are you using?

I will turn off the upsampler this weekend for a while and give it a try it has been well over a year.

MSB Link II

GW Labs Upsampler

Marantz newer Carousel CDP (too many numbers in my head today)

2 Audio Quest digital cables (RCA)

[Audio Flynn]

Where I would especially watch out is all the fancy DSP stuff that's
come out. You can get some great fancy features for a little money.
I've found the budget DSP units lose the detail, air, dynamics,
emotion, and effectively suck the life out of the music. Watch out for
those. It's easy to take a step backwards.

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I am suspicuous of those as well. Irrational preference is to stay with Burr Brown based DACs. Not sure what chips the high end guys like Meridian, ML, Audio Note and others use.