Joined in 2023 
82 
63 About this deal
I am now completely satisfied with the Aiyima in my modified System 1 and am streaming with a smile. Everything is good and that little bit of tube sheen is highly desirable. I shall conclude Part I. In Part II I shall likely be using the T9 as Preamp in my Living Room System 2 (which is why I bought the T9 in the first place). For that I shall restore my original System 1, which would be a real test. The last A in ABA is always more important than the AB. Now for some tidying up: The Decision Yes, call me superficial. I immediately fell in love with the SEXY (VU) meter! But, unlike some of you, I'd not easily give in! :-) Certainly I have no need for another amp (or so I thought). While the almost universal digital connectivity appeals, what seals the deal for me was the AUX OUT. I wasn't sure whether it is Fixed or Variable, but as some users used it for subwoofer it should be a Variable out. It is, and more on this later.
Editor: Regarding Length This article is very long ( Covid Revenge Review?), as per my usual style when testing things I am interested in, especially things that can be used in multiple ways. Regular readers and experienced audiophiles will more likely find the many details along the way interesting. However, the vast majority of readers, usually referred here by a Google search, may want to skip here and there, or even just go to the end for Impressions, Comments and Thoughts. Regarding Organization In contrast to my usual ways, Music Used and my descriptions of the rights and wrongs will have a shaded box near the end, and there shall also be a little Technical Info near the end. A Completely Different Business ModelWhy is the same product sold under many different names? Mr Liu’s friend’s factory OEM’s for a lot of people. Perhaps, and I’m not sure, some of them have small design changes, but...More importantly, from what I understand, these brands, Aiyima, Suca, Douk, Nobosound etc, compete as well as cooperate. Some would re-brand something without hesitation (same factory) and use their own sales base. This is pretty unthinkable in the West. Grant you, the products are similar (a testament to the very high level achieved with cheap digitals now) and, if you ask me, there is not much room for breakthrough.
Historical Choice: Nelson Freire
Tone Control In this configuration, particularly with the USB input, I dialed up the treble a couple of notches (it is indented and the feel is good) to give a little more air on top. It is very effective. No need for bass adjustment as my Floorstander has excellent bass (in both extension, weight and definition). Remember the tone controls are in the digital domain and are “in circuit”, so there is no reason not to use them. Think of them as kind of like dithering, but this is more effective imho (I don't usually like the Filter manipulations and actually harbor at least a little contempt for high end digital products that offer a few to choose from). Just like A07, speaker connectors are small but I had no issues in connecting 4 mm banana plugs. I am using 12 AWG cables, might be difficult to put in bare wires! In For One to Love, Cecile McClorin .Salvant sings an absolutely ravishing Le Mal de Vivre (original Barbara). She gives a completely new dimension to the song. The subtle use of inflections in her perfect French tests microdynamics.
BTW, I have Aiyima A07 pro running with Elac Debut 6 Floorstands, haven't had any issues with it which made me think for another Aiyima product. The Gain Structure Most devices don't give out spec's on the sound output, or at least I have no idea what they are on my 2 laptops. Add to this that the Apps have their own Volumes (and EQ), and it's kind of complicated. You should always experiment with the Device Volume, App Volume and the Volume Control(s) of your equipment. This is why in Round 2 I'd not entirely attribute what I heard to the difference between the Revox and Aiyima. There are too many Gain Controls that one should be cautious. This is akin to some older preamps or integrated amps that have separate Gain and Volume Controls (ARC and MFA come to mind), and many experienced audiophile swear by using both. I assure you, for any final volume, the sonic difference between 1) maxing out the source and attenuating the amp; and 2) maxing out the amp and attenuating the source; is HUGE and beyond pale! Sonic advantages can be had by paying attention to these parameters. In Part I, I am not doing that. Since then I have concentrated on my Blog. It is nice to be able to archive everything well and not let things get covered by waves of garbage. Writing articles take lot more than than posting in forums. Many have long periods of gestation and repeated revisions and editing. I hope you enjoy them.Since I don't have any passive speakers yet, I could only test the Aux Output, connected directly to the Presonus' RCA inputs. I connected USB to laptop, without tubes or even power connection, and Windows 10 detected it right away. Seems like DAC section is operation even with USB power. DAC A6 uses ESS SABRE ES9038Q2M as decoding. It's widely recognized in the high-fidelity audio industry, providing extraordinary music quality and lower total harmonic distortion (THD) levels, and are the gold standard of audio performance. In terms of sound signature there isn't a huge difference between the two, but it's noticeable (especially on more downtempo kind of music).
Great Deal 
New Comment