Well Arvind ... Let me start with telling you that I of course believe you. So, no problem there. What is a theoretical problem though, is that you seem to be out of line. Thus, I ditched my CD player ever costing 4K or so (a transport alone), and many more did with even much more costly players. None of us did this because playing music via a PC is more convenient, but because it sounds better. Way way better.
A part of the problem (I will call it my problem) is that I don't see how your system would not be "on par", which btw seems to be unrelated anyway (meaning : it doesn't matter much how good or pricey the chain is, PC playback -when done good- just is much better).
So ...
So let me try to tell you (call it teaching between quotes) what can be wrong with someone's perceivement of what's good and what's not.
Don't accept it without prejudice, but try to listen whether I can be right maybe ...
Generally (but this really is generally !) any more warmth means wrongness. No, don't disagree immediately, but try to follow what is going on;
Any not "tight" waves, or less directioned so to say (think of (additional !) reflections) will bring "warmth". I don't think this needs further explanation by itself. However, this means that "warrmth" as a discernable phenomenon is worth nothing. It is worth nothing because it
may indicate just wrongness. Now :
The opposite of warmth is not "cold" or "sterile" or anything like that, no, it is tinnyness. Tinnyness is wrong, and it is recognizeable much better than warmth or a lack of that. Surprisingly, tinnyness is the most profound thing happening with computer playback. It can spring from many sources (starting with the external DAC opposed to the internal DAC we probably were used to with the CDP and which is MUCH more easy to let sound good). In the end this (tinnyness) was the very reason I started XXHighEnd.
I am not trying to tell that you won't hear this tinnyness or whatever - and while it actually is unrelated to this subject - I *do* try to tell you that warmth never is good ... why ? ... because tinnyness is NOT there (I hope you can follow). Tinnyness from the playback means (XX) is not there because, well, I say so. I know what it is and I spend some years on that.
And thus :
What leaves is your perceived better warmth which cannot be. It can, but then because of other sources.
Now, in order to let you understand how I see warmth, I will try to tell you that this is about the micro detail adding up so much, that all the sterile (!) details become ... warrmth. Think of a nylon string. A nylon string is a sterile thing by itself, and without its normal warmth (of the guitar's cabinet and its harmonics) it may be an interesting sounding thingy (because of detail heard) but that doesn't mean it sounds natural. This needs *another* step of detail, and once that step is there the detail of all what you heard before is still there, but warmth is now added to it. For me this is totally clear, and btw not so difficult to prove by means of removing (and adding) a preamp;
The first thing a preamp does is adding warmth, and the second thing it does it removing detail. So, here warmth is traded for detail, and this is not good. However, without ever having removed the preamp, you never will know about the detail being in there. Try it !
Side note : I wrote similar to LydMekk two or so weeks back, because I expect him to have similar "problems" (or everybody else has them
) but scratched that because of a too long post and me not finding it 100% appropriate in that case).
If the impedance relation is right, you really should try to remove the preamp in order to unerstand what I ever mean. Two things will happen :
1. Your jaw will drop at the detail you perceive, and you are sure you never heard something like that before;
2. Where has the bass gone.
Assumed (!!) that the impedance is correct, no brain cell in your head is going to tell you this is wrong. It can't be, because the preamp is just an additional thing, and the really ONLY thing it can do is destroy. Keep in mind : it has a "repair" function as well : impedance mismatch otherwise, but this was not assumed.
Btw, don't do this when you have to attenuate more than 30dB and only do it when you have a 24 bit DAC.
Where has the bas gone ? ha ! where has the bas gone the preamp added, and which you got used to.
Once you have this experience (and reference !) you will learn that detail comes forward because bass is removed. Or anyway this is one reason to let emerge detail. What I talked about earlier (the nylon string) works the other way around : warmth (not bassy sound) *adds* because of more detail. So, listen carefully to that "complete without bass" sound coming from your system without preamp, learns (or teaches you) that all the warmth you were used to before, was fake. It didn't allow for perceiving individual vibes from bass strings, or hearing the individual tones from a bass chord like Roger Waters may play it. Suddenly you hear instruments, and things in the room NOT moving before, now move (not spread bass waves have more power).
Quite a long story, and maybe highly pretentious while actually knowing nothing other than what you wrote, but ... I combine it with your earlier complaints, and think that is justified.
On a side not : I am not trying to tell you that I "listen better" than you or anything, what I do say though is :
1. I am working for quite some years on this, and I *know* how contradictionary things may work out;
2. I just recognize your problems, and recognize the possible causes.
I said it before : the foremost reason is impedance problems. You response to that was "but everything is from the same brand" (similar), so that can't be it. Well, I wouldn't be too sure of that, when you can't find a cause elsewhere;
If things sound harsh, no matter a version of XX does it, you will have an impedance problem *or* something which is even more clear (and too clear to even mention) : a jittery interface. Now, the problem with jitter is that you can't define in advance whether it works out for the good or for the better. Try Q2 and Q3 (keep in mind that it stays bit perfect) and you know what it does (somewhere). And don't tell me you don't hear a difference !
In between the lines, but very good to always have in mind, when things cannot be made consistent (for reasoning out the cause), something is very wrong. For example, very good bass with harsh highs don't go along (unless one doesn't know what very good bass actually is). However, "good bass" (which is different from very good) with not harsh highs do go along, like with the preamp example. One problem : the preamp is wrong, and it masks the real problem. The other way around can happen just the same : harsh highs with good bass, just caused by the preamp this time (impedance problem). Or what about sibilance ? just use a TVC and you know what I mean. Or use a class D to "achieve" that. Use a preamp with it, and you may never notice it.
All 'n all :
Since the preamp is a. an ever influencing piece of equipment that b. can be left out under conditions which c. I don't use at having the most good sound, there is -for now- no reason to believe that everything will be OK at your side. This means (IMHO) that one of the things to do is try what happens at removing the preamp. For sure you will learn
something of it. For example, if you perceive less harsh highs in that case, there is (I think) no way to reason out the preamp made things better to that respect. In order to understand this, keep in mind that digital is still digital, and that a now "possibly too much digital" sound will pass right to your main amps, and if that sounds better for the highs, something *must* be wrong. The other way around, if "digital" now starts to be unbearable because of harshness, quite another thing will be completely wrong, most probably dedicated to the DAC (of course, normally the software could be blamed as well, but then better first come over and listen at my place
).
Lastly for now : while removing the preamp might be a step you just don't want to make (for your own reasons), try to apply this simple test :
Get your current "soundcard" out of the way (was it the OffRamp ?) and use your motherboard's sound device instead (don't forget to set that to "Needs 32 bits"). What do you hear ? no difference ? in that case something must be wrong with your ears, which we both don't believe nor expect. So, you will hear a difference. What is it ?
The fun is, no matter what it is you hear for a difference, it is outside of XX and all is again bit perfect.
Now, supposed the mobo's device doesn't sound better, is it imagineable that the OffRamp can be exchanged by something which outbetters it ? or from an other angle : is it imagineable that USB might not be the best connection in the first place ?
I know your answers : Yes and Yes. And because this is so, you (for now) must trust me that you are bugged with something outside of XX.
Ok, you didn't say or even suggest it is XX, but for me it is obvious that you think so, and you are entitled to. Also, you might be just questioning whether "PC playback" can ever get close to what you are used to with the CDP. Please trust me : don't rest until you threw your CDP out of the window. I mean it !
I could have started with saying "but USB is not the best connection for SQ" and leave it to that. But please try to investigate it, and do this by the same means I suggested : the mobo's sound device. It may sound better !
Sorry for a way long post (and probably many typos) ... just tryting to help.
Peter
