dcpillai's Main System

Owner

Hi @milpai ! Apologies for the long delay in replying. Have had health issues lately unfortunately. But life must go on, much like the never ending hunt for perfect audio synergy!

As to my experience with the Chord (in my system), I was initially questioning why reviews of the Hugo TT2 and M Scaler were so favourable when I could not discern all that much improvement in the clarity, separation, airiness, soundstage, etc of the music. In fact I preferred the internal DAC of the Hegel Mohican CD player over that of the Hugo TT2 and M Scaler. This all changed for the positive when I upgraded the power cable from my AC mains to my power conditioner, from the Shunyata Venom XC to Delta XC, as well as replaced the stock fuse in the power cable with a MS HD Power Rhodium fuse.

From that moment on, I have only used the Chord and everything else pales in comparison, be it the DAC in the Hegel Mohican or the Marantz SACD player. My system images really well, the separation is just fantastic (in my limited experience), the soundstage extends beyond the speakers, the sound is "clean", and I do not have to listen loud to enjoy the music.

However, some caveats now. I suspect that the above experience is the cumulative effect of everything I have done to my system (as described above and more). But the primary contributors are (1) the Chord Hugo TT2 + M Scaler, and (2) lots of power treatment (ie MS HD Power Strip + Isotek Evo Aquarius + Shunyata Venom Defender + Shunyata Delta cables). The Shunyata Delta cables in particular were game changers for me and lifted up the imaging, separation, emphasised the mids, and toned down the brightness of the highs.

I did largely utilise the same test tracks in assessing the D30R and D48R. I am not sure what you mean by "scale of music" but what was clear to me is that the D48R emphasised the highs more than the D30R, and also has significantly more bass (which was a big issue to begin with for me). Where the D48R lost out, was in the mids. The mids of the D30R are just so, so much better. There was no contest. I listened to them side by side at another dealership and was so tempted (still am actually) to get a pair of D30R speakers again. We will see.

As for the Chord Hugo TT2 and M Scaler, I am toying with the idea of moving on to the Chord Dave, finances permitting. But I will definitely need to test it in my system prior to making such a decision. Upgrading to the Dave will likely be my project for 2023!

dcpillai September 08, 2022 17:51

Owner

Many thanks for the compliments @milpai and for dropping by! The system is sounding great and I think I am arriving at a plateau where I will spend some time rediscovering my music collection rather than on upgrading my system. But there will certainly be one or two tweaks every so often!

dcpillai November 16, 2021 17:21

Owner

Hello @mikempls. Honestly, I am not sure that it helped from a sound / musical perspective. At the worst, it did help bring some level of order to my cable jungle!!

dcpillai November 08, 2021 11:39

Owner

Hi @lalitk / lalitk. Not at all! FYI I have just added a Silver Tellus II to ground my digital sources. I will post an update about the difference it makes to the digital sources of my system after some time has passed and it has settled down in my system. Until then, happy listening!

dcpillai November 08, 2021 11:35

Owner

Hi JD / @curiousjim. Thank you for the compliment!

As to the Hegel Mohican, I think that musically it is a very good (if not excellent) CD player, that unearths more detail than other CD players in its price range. The CD/ SACD players that I have compared it with are the Marantz KI-Ruby SACD player and the Metronome CD Player. The on-board DAC of the Hegel Mohican seems to be part of this "magic". In fact the on-board DAC of the Hegel Mohican is rated to be on the same level of the Hugo TT2 DAC by John Darko.

However, it is not all positive news. I have had some build issues with the Mohican, i.e. skipping on brand new CDs and a rattling noise when reading CDs. I am actually on my third Hegel Mohican (in the span of nearly 2 years) and fingers crossed, no problems so far. Hopefully it is third time lucky! If you are going with the Hegel Mohican, I would strongly recommend that you acquire it from a hifi store in your city/region. However, having said this, I think that my case may be an outlier as I have not read of anyone having similar problems.

Hope I have cast some light on the Hegel Mohican CD player. Do let me know if you have any further questions in relation to the Hegel.

All the best and happy listening!

dcpillai November 08, 2021 11:28

Owner

Greetings @lalitk / lalitk. This is a bit overdue, but I finally got around to testing my system with and without the Entreq Tellus II. Essentially, I find that the Tellus II serves to reduce sibilance that may be present in recordings. To confirm this, I played Eva Cassidy's "Fields of Gold" for my wife on 2 consecutive nights, with and without the Tellus II present. To put it mildly, she found the sound of the system to be "piercing" or "screechy" without the Tellus II in place. It definitely has a place in my system. Thanks for the question!

dcpillai October 03, 2021 17:32

Owner

Thanks @jafant!! Indeed I find that CDs / SACDs are the optimum blend of physical media and convenience for me. Happy listening to you to sir!

dcpillai October 03, 2021 17:12

Owner

Thanks joel_hifi for the kind words.

The Phoenix is a great addition to the Zenith Mk3. I tested the difference this evening both with and without the Phoenix, and took some notes. I found that the Zenith Mk3 sounded quite a bit better with the Phoenix than without. The sound was fuller, more wholesome, cohesive, better stitched together, the bass was deeper and the soundstage slightly wider. After listening to the Zenith plus Phoenix combination, there is no going back. However, while it sounds really good, the fact of the matter is that CD playback is still better as the sound is crisper and there is better separation between the instruments, though the bass is more pronounced with the Zenith + Phoenix.

In relation to the cables that I use, I run a cat 6 ethernet cable from my router to a SOtM iSO-CAT6 isolator, a SOtM dCBL CAT7 from there to the ethernet port on the Zenith. I use a FTA Callisto USB cable from the Zenith to the Phoenix and then a Danacable Trustream USB from the Phoenix to my DAC. This particular selection was due to the recommendation of AudioBacon / Jay Luong (see https://audiobacon.net/2020/09/08/innuos-phoenix-usb-reclocker-review/).

Roger as to the choice of music :-)

Happy hunting Joel!

dcpillai August 11, 2021 17:38

Owner

@lalitk Thank you for saying so!

I got the Tellus II on the recommendation of a dealer that I have grown to trust. He told me that the noise floor would drop and the sound would be clearer / cleaner, but it would need 24 hours to settle in and have effect. So I added it to my system, and it has remained in my system ever since. I have never thought to disconnect it and compare my system with and without the Tellus II.

But as you have raised the issue, and I am curious as to the answer myself, I will commence to disconnect it from my system later today, and try my system both without it and with it, and identify if in fact there is any difference and if so, what that difference is. I will update you as and when I have the results in hand. Thanks for the question!

dcpillai August 06, 2021 11:48

Owner

milpai in relation to my dad's system, he did offer it to me, but as I did not have a dedicated room at that point (and still do not) I had to decline, and it ended up with my cousin several hundred kilometers away. That was some 5 years back, well before I rediscovered my craving for hifi. In relation to my dad's hearing, it deteriorated due to old age and also partially due to tinnitus, which he probably developed as a consequence of playing music too loud. A warning there for us audiophiles as to one of the dangers of this hobby / passion!

As to my opinion, thank you for the compliment. I call it as I see it, or in this case it may be more appropriate to say, as I hear it! I came to this conclusion with use, and confirmed it with my fellow audiophile 2 doors away (we "poison" each other) on both our systems. What I can tell you was that I was using a Denafrips Aries II DAC (R2R ladder DAC) with my main system (forgot to add it below), and replaced it with a Chord Qutest borrowed from my audiophile neighbor. I was quite taken aback by how the soundstage opened up and there was more separation between the instruments, so much so that I went ahead and ordered the Chord Qutest myself. I should have stopped there as the huge price delta between the Chord Qutest and the Chord Hugo TT2 and M-Scaler, is not reflected in the increase in sound stage, separation or refinement. I know that this goes against how nearly everyone raves about the Hugo TT2 and M-Scaler pairing, but unfortunately that's what I hear. The differences are there, but not to the expected magnitude. I guess this is where the oft used phrase "diminishing returns" comes in.

I have never heard the Oppo UDP-205 before, but I can certainly recommend the Hegel Mohican CD player and its on board DAC, other than for some build issues that I have been experiencing. In so far as stand alone DACs, based on my own limited experience, I would certainly recommend the Chord Qutest.

dcpillai August 06, 2021 11:27

Owner

Thanks for the question @milpai. My experience with the Chord Hugo TT2 and M-Scaler has been only ok. No rave reviews from me. Based on reviews and my own experience with the Chord Qutest, I expected a substantial difference to the resolution, sound stage and detail being gleaned from the music, but it was not so.

I have a Hegel Mohican CD player which has an onboard DAC, and it can be connected to an external DAC as well. When playing a CD, I can switch between the Hegel with its onboard DAC and the Hegel with the Hugo & M-Scaler. Music just sounds better and crisper with the Hegel and its onboard DAC. I was confused by this until I checked out John Darko's ranking of DACs, and it transpires that the DAC on the Hegel Mohican and the Chord Hugo TT 2 are ranked on the same tier.

In essence, I am underwhelmed with my experience with the Chord Hugo TT2 and M-Scaler.

In terms of my experience with DACs, it is limited. I have only ever tried the Qutest, Pro-ject DAC Box RS and the Schitt Modi, all in the span of the past 2 years. I am wondering whether upgrading to the Dave or to the Mola Mola Tambaqui will be better options. But something tells me that it may not be the wise thing to do when your DAC costs more than double the price of your source!

Any input or suggestions would be most welcome. And do pardon the rather long replies.

dcpillai August 03, 2021 15:19

Owner

Thank you @milpai ! I actually remember seeing your postings on this forum in relation to Proacs when I was researching my dealer's recommendations! How cool is that :-)

As to the question, I have always loved music and sound/hifi systems. I remember my Sony FH-7 given to me when I was a teen, and then discovering hifi in university where my setup consisted of Wharfdale Diamond speakers, a pioneer amp and a turntable (which I forget the name of). This was followed by Bose Lifestyle (I know, you don't have to say anything) and a whole house Sonos setup, which was enough for a long time.

And then I got my car. It is equipped with a 19 speaker Bowers and Wilkins hifi system and it transported me to another world!! That plus GoGo Penguin (you should give them a listen, especially "Bardo"). I was well and truly smitten. That was the point that I began looking at hifi systems that would enable me to enjoy the same quality of music in the house. So began my descent down the rabbit hole!!

There is a side story as well. My dad was an audiophile too, until he had to give it up due to failing hearing. He had a dedicated room, Dynaudio floor standers, Cary monoblocks, Burmester premap, power conditioners, etc. So I guess I have always known that I might go down this path. And it has built a certain amount of immunity to the sticker price of hifi equipment!

Thank you for the welcome and for the company in enjoying this fantastic obsession.

dcpillai August 03, 2021 13:07

Owner

Quadraspire.

You can find them here: http://quadraspire.co.uk/

dcpillai August 02, 2021 15:48

Owner

Thank you @tablejockey!

It has been quite the journey, with some acquisitions that have worked out well, and some not so well! The move to separates was truly an eye opener for me.

Will bear your advice in mind. I was thinking of upgrading my cables next and possibly adding a power conditioner as well.

dcpillai August 01, 2021 18:21

Owner

Thank you @jond!

I began with a PL Integrated Evo 400 and moved to a PL pre and power amplifier a few months back. I do plan to add another PL power amp in time and go mono! Fingers crossed.

The smaller units that I think you are referring to are my Zen Mini Mk3 player and its equally sized LPSU, as well as my Pro-ject DAC and CD player.

dcpillai August 01, 2021 17:51

Owner

Thank you @mjcmt for your kind words.

You are right indeed. The PL/Mohican/ProAc is a wonderful combination! I cannot take credit for it though. Being a relative newbie, I had the good sense to rely on my dealer who recommended the PL/Mohican/ProAc combination. FYI, when I first visited my dealer, I was dead set against tubes and had no intention of going down the path of CDs. Look at me now. LOL!

However, in relation to the Mohican, I have had some issues with the CD transport mechanism. My dealer replaced the unit the first time around, and will be taking the player back for repairs once the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted. Notwithstanding its build issues, when it comes to playing red book CDs, the Mohican is truly outstanding.

dcpillai August 01, 2021 17:40

Description

Room Details

Components Toggle details

ProAc Response D48R Floorstanding Speakers

Silversmith Audio Fidelium speaker cable

Townshend Audio Seismic Isolation Podiums

Rel T9i Subwoofers

Primaluna EVO 400 Preamplifier

Primaluna EVO 400 Power Amplifier

Hegel Mohican CD player

Marantz Ruby KI SACD player

Chord Hugo TT2 DAC

Chord M-Scaler

Innuos Zenith Mk3 streamer

Innuos Phoenix Reclocker

Isotek EVO3 Aquarius

Entreq Tellus Ground Box

Entreq Silver Tellus II Infinity Ground Box

Siltech Cables Classic Legend 380i Interconnects

Shunyata Research Delta V2 XC Power Cable

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