Lush^3

[PeterSt]

Haha Ramesh - Nice, very nice.

Yes, I don't have the feeling that you are mimicking my words while you (surely) describe exactly what I perceive of it myself.

By now (actually since day before yesterday) I have the very clear perception of that this is the Lush for its "analogue" behavior times 10 or so. In the beginning I was a bit afraid it could be a more digital sounding cable again (I told about it in an earlier post), but the contrary is true by far. Nothing sounds more analogue than what I perceive of it now WHILE (and this is the contradiction) there's so an enormous additional pile of detail all around. And not less highs either. But different. Eh "better" ?

Thanks a lot, Ramesh.
I hope others will take the effort of writing a bit about the Lush^3 - especially on the findings on the configurations so far.
Thanks !

Peter

[PeterSt]

Maybe not unimportant : I changed my settings for the Mach III (see my signature and the ** at the changed settings).
The crucial one is the highering of the SFS from 10.19 to 20.69.

I deemed this necessary because the bass is now so "impressive" that with the lower SFS settings (and in my room) it starts to higher frequency buzz a little bit. I feel this is caused by too much energy which in itself is some kind of higher resolution workout of the PC (settings), them now let through by ... well ... a USB cable ?
Anyway, something like that.

Mani's lowering of the SFS clearly only emphasizes this mere negative behaviour. At least over here it does. But good that I tried Mani's suggestion, because otherwise I may have never tried to explicitly higher the SFS.
There could be a slight pinch of that energy left, but I only notice this when I am fairly much off-axis of the speakers.
Also see next post.

Peter

PS: But Ramesh, at least you should try this too, I think.

[PeterSt]

There's an other effect becoming more and more clear to me as an exhibit of the LUsh^3 in general : Stereo phase works out for the better.

By now I am 100% certain that the more I listen in the middle opposed to the speakers (compared with more to the side(s)), the stronger the bass is. And not for a little bit.
At the same time, the same applies to the highs, or more spooky : the distortion on them.

In the middle all falls into place, say "infinitely" more than prior to the Lush^3; it's almost like the speed (which is clear audible if you'd ask me) takes care of phase angles of waves (from left vs right) now are less vague (thus more "straight" or robust or accurate), so a chance now exists that they meet how they should (and therewith emphasizing each other when in (good / exact) phase).
This is a totally new phenomenon for me. So ...

True, being/listening in the middle always has been a good thing for listening to music to (stereo) loudspeakers. However, for me this has never been about pinpointing of instruments (the imaging Ramesh also refers to) because this always has been all right to begin with, for me. But it is not about this at all ... it is about the waves meeting correctly at one and one place (position) only, and how that gives a sense of 6dB more bass. Or 6dB less distortion on the highs, if you want.

More strange you can't have this, for a USB cable which transports music via a protocol.
Maybe later we'll find out what's really going on ...

Peter

[briefremarks]

Changed SFS to 20.69.  Also reset buffer size to 16ms.  I had it at 4ms when experiencing the USB Stream/FIFO errors.

First.  It is dangerous for me to play music during working hours--even though we are all working remotely now.  Because I am immediately drawn to the music, and need to stop working and sit down and listen. Like a magnet.  This has not happened before, where more casual listening was possible.

Second.  It is even harder to evaluate because of the same reason. The music is in the foreground.  The beauty, power, grace, transcendence of the music.  Evaluation takes some separation from the music, and once the music starts playing, it is very hard to make this separation.

I cannot believe that a USB cable can make this kind of difference.  It defies logic.  What I am experiencing is a whole new system.  Everything is different.  It is literally the experience of having acquired a new DAC and speakers.

My test has always been orchestral music, symphonies, and other complex music with many instruments playing together.  I could not listen all the way through symphonies because something was not quite right.  For the first time I can sit transfixed by the music and not start noticing something not quite right with the system.

I will listen more and try to articulate specifics.  The Lush^3 is a GIANT upgrade in SQ that I really do not quite understand.  It is not logical that a USB cable can do so much.  Makes me start to wonder about Blaxius^3. Ha Ha!

[acg]

Peter, regarding phase, I have no idea how a USB cable can improve things, but on my system phase is very audible...afterall my speakers are an exercise in phase coherence. 

Absolute polarity is also highly audible to the extent that I find it necessary to be able to switch polarity at the preamp via the remote control...it matters.  What I am alluding to is that as your system now seems more phase coherent...not saying it was not so before, but your comments seem to indicate that something has changed...that you may also find that absolute polarity also matters and that perhaps you may need a way to be able to change it, perhaps from XXHE.

Anthony

[PeterSt]

Hi Anthony,

IIRC this was the very very first control I made in XXHighEnd (besides mentioned Q slider, which is today's Q1).
Btw, Q1 *is* speed (because buffer size) related, so ... who knows.

haha

But it never really did something for me (with someone guiding me who was sensitive to it !). Maybe I will give it a try again !

Thanks ...
Peter

[briefremarks]

How is this different from the Phase Alignment setting?  I know there are all kinds of warnings about turning phase alignment on.

[acg]

How is this different from the Phase Alignment setting?  I know there are all kinds of warnings about turning phase alignment on.

Absolute Polarity is about changing phase exactly 180 degrees i.e. instead of the woofer going out to a positive voltage, it draws in.  Same as swapping the speaker leads at one end.  It is to do with whether polarity has been maintained during recording and mastering.  I find a lot of ripped cd's sound better with polarity inverted...

[acg]

I should not be surprised that you are all over it already Peter...haha.

[briefremarks]

Anthony,

I understand what absolute polarity does.  I somehow thought that this was what the Phase alignment setting did.  What does Phase alignment then do in XXHE?  Has anyone used it?  Maybe this should be a different thread.

Ramesh

[acg]

The way I understand thing Phase Alignment in XXHE is something from the early days that is not really used any more...was before my time.

[PeterSt]

Here's the topic about Phase Alignment.

[PeterSt]

Hi Anthony,

What I am alluding to is that as your system now seems more phase coherent...not saying it was not so before, but your comments seem to indicate that something has changed...

Well of course - this is what I'm explicitly saying. But the how of it is beyond me, unless it can be related to "speed". And that the speed increased is overly clear.
How *that* could happen is indeed the big riddle. Make that a Quest.

By now I think two years ago, I bought the "cable analyser" (LCR) which is still brand new in its box. It could be time to unwrap it.
Still, my guts tell me that this is all not related to the USB protocol, but merely to how it works out at the DAC's end (probably even via the mains). Point is : I work with the shield and not with the data integrity or something, plus that the USB errors are zero always anyway (and e.g. a retransmission *if* it would exist (it does not) is not in order.

The only thing I might get from this myself is that the shielding (at least) as how it is now, protects the environment from what the cable itself does (emits). Thus, this should follow from the impossibility (that I can see) that the (protocol-)data is influenced by the environment.

If this makes sense at all, it should imply that people / we should focus on shielding from the outside.
(and now you ask How, right ?)

Regards,
Peter

[John Aiello]

I received my Lush^3 cable yesterday.  I ordered it from Peter at 9:00am EDT on Wednesday.  I live in NJ.  The cable arrived the next day at 1:00pm EDT.  That's 28 hours from order to delivery.  That is amazing. 

So what about the cable?  After the cable arrived I installed it.  Made sure it worked and then left the system on repeat until this morning.  I sat down after breakfast to do some listening.  All I can say is wow.  The presentation of the music is now more relaxed.  There is absolutely more detail retrieval.  A couple of times my head snapped up because I was hearing inter detail I did not hear before.  Better soundstage.  Overall a better sounding system with the Lush^3 than with the previous cable which was also a highly regarded cable.  I am using the configuration from the last set of pictures that Peter posted the other day.  I don't mess around much with the various configurations.  I wait to see what the consensus likes and use those settings.  Works for me.

This was a solid purchase for me.  Now I have to sell my prior cable.  Thanks Peter. 

[PeterSt]

Hi Jaiello,

Hey, welcome to the club ! And your instant feedback ... so nice.

We'll keep on posting the newly found configurations !

Kind regards,
Peter