sqb touch

sda2mike
sda2mike Posts: 3,131
edited March 2012 in 2 Channel Audio
i'm currently running my touch into an adcom gda600 dac, into a 12au7 pre, into an adcom gfa555..thought i'd try and run my touch direct to my amp...sounded bright and digital...so i brought the pre back in...i like it! not as mellow as with the adcom dac...a little more immediate...soundstage and sda are all the same..maybe i'll listen for a while, then put the dac on the fm...someone can do the upgrades:cool:

mike
Post edited by sda2mike on
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2012
    Were you using the Touchs' volume control when going straight into the amp? That might explain the drop in quality...
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited March 2012
    yes..got to around 50%
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited March 2012
    The SQB was never intended to act as a "pre-amp" and the digital volume control is very poor and noisy compared to a proper pre-amp. Be sure to do a long comparo with the Touch's dac's vs. the 600's dac's. You will probably regret it if you sell the 600. I did some comparo's early on before I modded my 600 and the 600 was better in every way to me. Again we all have different expectations about what sounds good. Right now, you couldn't pry my modded GDA600 from my cold dead hands. I'm sure if I was willing to drop $1500-2000 in a newer dac I'd see some improvement, but I'm not going to do that. :lol:

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited March 2012
    thanks...point taken...the 600 hasn't left the shelf...
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,965
    edited March 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Were you using the Touchs' volume control when going straight into the amp? That might explain the drop in quality...

    Good point, I know using the volume control on my Sonos had a poorer quality to it. Good enough for casual listening out on the deck, but serious listening on the big speakers, no way. Night and day difference.

    Kinda takes away some functionality to these devices, but if you want to use them for serious listening, you have to use what it does best, and forget the rest.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
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    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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  • sda2mike
    sda2mike Posts: 3,131
    edited March 2012
    hmmm...maybe now that the 600 is 'out of service', i can get those mods done;)
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2012
    Mike, it may be that you simply prefer the tonal character of the Touchs' DAC's/analog section. Stranger things have happened. This stuff is all very subjective, we all have or perceptions; but at the end of the day---trust yourself. I preferred my Polk XM tuner via it's analogs out, rather than thru my Benchmark DAC. The DAC exposed too many warts. Remember, higher-end DAC's are precision devices, and "precision" is sometimes a double-edged sword.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • heiney9
    heiney9 Posts: 25,165
    edited March 2012
    steveinaz wrote: »
    Mike, it may be that you simply prefer the tonal character of the Touchs' DAC's/analog section. Stranger things have happened. This stuff is all very subjective, we all have or perceptions; but at the end of the day---trust yourself. I preferred my Polk XM tuner via it's analogs out, rather than thru my Benchmark DAC. The DAC exposed too many warts.

    Agree 100%, but this is not something that should be done with only a few hours listening. I always advise someone who is thinking about swapping pieces to make sure they demo both to make sure the initial impression is the same a month from now. Too many times people listen for a day or two and get rid of one piece only to come back a month later and regret it.

    If in the end he prefers the Touch by itself, cool. Just don't jump the gun after a few hours listening. Personally, it takes me about a month of listening before I decide on the replacement piece.

    Heck, it's taken me about 1 1/2 years to decide what tubes I prefer.

    H9
    "Appreciation of audio is a completely subjective human experience. Measurements can provide a measure of insight, but are no substitute for human judgment. Why are we looking to reduce a subjective experience to objective criteria anyway? The subtleties of music and audio reproduction are for those who appreciate it. Differentiation by numbers is for those who do not".--Nelson Pass Pass Labs XA25 | EE Avant Pre | EE Mini Max Supreme DAC | MIT Shotgun S1 | Pangea AC14SE MKII | Legend L600 | BlueSound Node 3 - Tubes add soul!
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  • steveinaz
    steveinaz Posts: 19,538
    edited March 2012
    Absolutely, DAC's require days/weeks of listening to really peg down the pros and cons.
    Source: Bluesound Node 2i - Preamp/DAC: Benchmark DAC2 DX - Amp: Parasound Halo A21 - Speakers: MartinLogan Motion 60XTi - Shop Rig: Yamaha A-S501 Integrated - Shop Spkrs: Elac Debut 2.0 B5.2
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  • dragon1952
    dragon1952 Posts: 4,899
    edited March 2012
    I just picked up a previously owned Channel Islands Audio VDA-2 DAC for my Touch until my CA 840C is repaired. Wow...quite a difference after listening through the Touch's analog outs for a couple days. What a great sounding DAC, and for under $250 shipped. Will have to do some A/B's when my 840C is back.
    2 channel - Willsenton R8 tube integrated, Holo Audio Spring 3 KTE DAC, audio optimized NUC7i5, Windows 10 Pro/JRiver MC29/Fidelizer Plus 8.7 w/LPS and external SSD drive, PS Audio PerfectWave P3 regenerator, KEF R3 speakers, Rythmik F12SE subwoofer, Audioquest Diamond USB cable, Gabriel Gold IC's, Morrow Audio SP5 speaker cables. Computer - Windows 10/JRiver, Schiit Magni 3+/Modi 3+, Fostex PMO.4n monitors, Sennheiser HD600 headphones
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  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,965
    edited March 2012
    heiney9 wrote: »
    Heck, it's taken me about 1 1/2 years to decide what tubes I prefer.
    H9


    ....and almost as long to get a dac review out of ya. :cheesygrin::cheesygrin:

    Now I know why your still holding on to those SDA's....change comes very slow for you, like every other decade.:smile:

    Just yankin' your chain Brock, you find what tickles you, hold on to it.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
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