Quote:
Originally Posted by laurentboutonnat  First musical test recorded as fair as possible.
I use the output of a raw multiband recording using a switcher into the different ADCs which are recording at the same time.
You can hear which ADC is running when.
Units used:
1. PCM4222EVM
2. Lavry Gold
3.Fireface (just for fun)
Here's the test.
My opinion: I think the PCM and Lavry are really close. It's just a matter of taste what to chose. I think the PCM has a bit more DNR and is a little more precise and colder (due to the faster op-amp). The Lavry sounds a bit warmer, but also less precise. |
Thanks for the clip Laurent,
I can clearly hear the differences in this test (compared to mine). To me it sounds like the Lavry and PCM4222 have a little more "weight" in the bass region than the Fireface and sound a little more dynamic too. On the other hand the Fireface and the Lavry sound a little bit warmer in the high end than the PCM4222, which sounds brighter and more detailed (a bit sterile some would say). The mids are more difficult to compare in my crappy speakers. I can also detect a little "sibilance" in the esses with the PCM4222.
Did you calibrate all three to the same reference levels, or do any kind of normalizing? I ask because a difference of even 1dB can make a difference in percieved sound quality. Personally, I think a test like this is somewhat compromised (in terms of the source signal) because you're also listening to the source's D/A conversion stage. Also, the source is mp3 encoded and you are listening to different parts of the songs (not very objective in my view). Still, it's a nice test. I'm thinking a nice tape machine feeding the converters (calibrated) simultaneously at the top range (peaks at -1dBfs) would be a more accurate and definitive test.
BTW, I really like the Lavry's "warm" coloration, but is it really worth 50 times more than the PCM4222?
