Abbingdon Music Research DP-777 D/A processor Associated Equipment

Sidebar 2: Associated Equipment

Analog Sources: Garrard 301, Thorens TD 124 turntables; EMT 997, Schick tonearms; Ortofon SPU, EMT TSD 15 70th Anniversary, EMT OFD 25 pickup heads; Auditorium 23 Standard (SPU version), Silvercore One-to-Ten step-up transformers.
Digital Sources: Wavelength Proton USB DAC; Apple iMac G5 computer with Apple iTunes v.10.2.2 & Decibel v.1.0.2 playback software; Sony SCD-777 SACD/CD player.
Preamplifier: Shindo Masseto.
Power Amplifiers: Shindo Corton-Charlemagne & Haut-Brion.
Loudspeakers: Audio Note AN-E/SPe HE, Quad ESL.
Cables: USB: Nordost Blue Heaven. Interconnect: Audio Note AN-Vx, AudioQuest Columbia, Nordost Blue Heaven, Shindo Silver. Speaker: Auditorium 23. AC: Ocellia Reference.
Accessories: Box Furniture Company D3S rack under source & amplification components; Keith Monks record-cleaning machine.—Art Dudley

Comments

Subjective listening

Submitted by FSonicSmith on March 23, 2012 - 8:02am.

Here we go again; a DAC that leaves the reviewer gushing with praise juxtaposed with a so-so bench report from JA. Sometimes I see the dichotomy and suspect the reviewer is the culprit and sometimes I suspect the measurements simply fail to measure what is truly important. When it comes to listening impressions, I have faith in Art. It is obvious from the description of the design that some very solid engineering went into this product coupled with much attention to the all-important analogue output stage. The "problem" with reconciling listening impressions with measurements of DACs is that JA can't really measure the effectiveness/quality of the output stage. Put differently, a DAC can have the very best chips and good power supply regulation and measure just dandy and yet still leave the listener on edge. I am not in the biz and I am not an engineer. But that said, I (think I) know that with high-end DACs, you just have to listen. I would love to hear what folks who either own this DAC or who have auditioned this DAC think.

Subjective listening

Submitted by VandyMan on March 30, 2012 - 10:47am.

The gear Dudley praises almost never tests well. I enjoy his writing, but I read his reviews with a very skeptical eye. Some of the other reviewers seem to more frequently align with the measurements.

>>JA can't really measure the effectiveness/quality of the output stage

That is just not true. He measures pre-amps all the time. It is basicly the same thing.