I was going to start a similar thread last week after listening a few hours to my new SB3.
Listening to SB3 digital out to my DAC, I was very disappointed and confused with the sound. It seemed as though I had lost all imaging and soundstaging, compared to other listening sessions with my other transports. Music was very uninvolving, one-dimensional and had none of the magic - like when you close your eyes, the speakers disappear and you become immersed in the music. I was seriously considering returning the SB3, but the logical part of my brain kept telling me that the SB3's digital output should not be the root of the issue. All my music is FLAC, which I streamed as FLAC, as well as WAV for experimentation. Also, I had the digital out set to 100% and had all volume adjustment disabled. I was perplexed because my previous experiences had not convinced me of appreciable differences between transports and digital cables, at least in my system. Fast forward to last night... I played the same recording with the SB3, and the imaging, soundstage and magic were there. I was able to get lost in the recording. I need to do more listening over the next few days to confirm what I'm experiencing. I doubt the SB3 or the rest of the equipment is performing any differently now. I think the issues may have been mental or physiological - something was blocking my ability to enjoy the music. It was like my mind or imagination was just was not receptive to the music, resulting in a flat, uninvolving experience. Also, I had been sick a few days earlier - maybe that could have had an affect too. The point is that I believe one's mental (and physical) state can have a big impact on the level of involvement and enjoyment, which could lead to conclusions about the gear being used. Anyone else experience this? -- adam2434 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ adam2434's Profile: http://forums.slimdevices.com/member.php?userid=17301 View this thread: http://forums.slimdevices.com/showthread.php?t=57757 _______________________________________________ audiophiles mailing list [email protected] http://lists.slimdevices.com/lists/listinfo/audiophiles
