My Snakeoil-powered system

[petemac110]

Hello Snakeoil crew!

I'm a newcomer to Snakeoil 1.4 and am very impressed with the improved sound quality over my previous tweaked Logitech Squeezebox Touch with linear power supply and EDO applet.

Snakeoil has elevated the sonic goodness of my system - more realistic and liquid sound, greater clarity, less grain. We need to get more people onto this wonderful software! 

My system is as follows:

• Rpi5 running Ubuntu Pro w/real-time kernel and Snakeoil OS 1.4.0
  
• Gieseler Reinigen USB reclocker
  
• Gieseler Kompakt II TDA1451A DAC
  
• Sansui AU-α907MR (Japan-market amp from the mid 90s - 33kg and 160WPC of copper-plated goodness)
  
• Legacy Studio HD speakers
  
• Filled SP121 stands
  
• DIY Connex BL-ag 23AWG solid-core high purity silver balanced XLR interconnects
  
• Canare 4S8 speaker cables
  
• Acoustic room treatment panels
  

[Bromf]

Nice set-up :-)
I've a Denon POA-S10 from the same era ( all brushed bronze and gold a la Accuphase) that I use for a sub driver.

[petemac110]

Nice set-up :-)
I've a Denon POA-S10 from the same era ( all brushed bronze and gold a la Accuphase) that I use for a sub driver.

Nice - those monoblocks are handy amps!

I've got a few other Sansuis here, including the model before the MR, the 907MR. Similar design overall, with different cosmetics and a few design details here and there.

Both are big fellas with the Tamura transformers weighing-in at 13kg alone. 6 filter caps, Elna Silmic Alpha Super Gold capacitors, Riken resistors, and the MR also has WBT copper binding posts as standard. Heaps of anti-vibration treatment throughout. The feet are solid copper and all four of them weigh just shy of 1kg. Gotta love the designers at Sansui during this period! 

Below are the innards of the 907XR:







And a few pics of the Gieseler Kompakt 2 TDA1541A DAC. I've been using Gieseler DACs exclusively for a decade now - Clay really knows his stuff. His Reinigen USB reclocker is also top-notch.

[agent_kith]

Such a beautiful room and system. Envious!  

Absolutely love the TDA1541.. My real foray into real high fidelity audio reproduction is inspired from this chip. More specifically the Dutch S1 single crown, even more specifically this guy called Mario.

I do have a DAC based on the Taiwan S2 double crown. It measures better but to me but the "realness" is less convincing. That set me on this rabbit hole and Snakeoil is the result of all tihs. 

Hopefully I can move this project forward as I give myself 3 months "leave" to catch up on this project as I really couldn't dedicate enough time in the past 3 years.

[petemac110]

Such a beautiful room and system. Envious!  

Absolutely love the TDA1541.. My real foray into real high fidelity audio reproduction is inspired from this chip. More specifically the Dutch S1 single crown, even more specifically this guy called Mario.

I do have a DAC based on the Taiwan S2 double crown. It measures better but to me but the "realness" is less convincing. That set me on this rabbit hole and Snakeoil is the result of all tihs. 

Hopefully I can move this project forward as I give myself 3 months "leave" to catch up on this project as I really couldn't dedicate enough time in the past 3 years.

Thank you!

I have a Dutch S1 single crown chip and also a plain Taiwan chip to try soon.

I remember Mario on stereonet a while back!

I (along with everyone else) appreciate your work on Snakeoil!

[petemac110]

So, my thoughts on the 1988 "standard" TDA1541A chip vis the S1 single crown:
 
Back to back in my system, I found that the standard chip has a sightly more forward presentation in the vocal/presence region and seems to give voices a bit of an extra "pop" in the sound stage. It's quite addictive really!
 
The single crown puts voices a bit further back in the sound stage relative to the standard chip (not too far back overall - just compared to the standard chip) and provides a slightly cleaner and more polished overall presentation. There's a little more clarity and space/separation around elements of the music. 
 
To be clear, we're talking about relatively small differences here - tweaks to the sound of what is a simply magnificent DAC. 
 
The beauty of these two chips is that I can swap between them to tweak the sound and presentation of my system. For the time being the single crown will remain in there.
 
I think it's a credit to Clay's design that it can show the differences between these chips. Nothing is being obscured or hidden. That's part of the beauty of this DAC in my opinion - it lets the chip shine in all its glory.
 
To throw a spanner in the works... on the topic of different chips and "crowns" it is worth reading up on what this all actually means. There are some good websites and forum discussions on the topic and as I understand it, a single crown is not a guarantee of superior measured performance. Not all chips were graded during any given production run, so there's a chance that ungraded chips could have performance specs that meet the single or double crown specs! It's a bit of a lucky-dip regarding what you get. I can only speak for my personal experience which has been positive - it may not be the same for everyone.

[agent_kith]

The single crown puts voices a bit further back in the sound stage relative to the standard chip (not too far back overall - just compared to the standard chip) and provides a slightly cleaner and more polished overall presentation. There's a little more clarity and space/separation around elements of the music. 

From memory, what I remember hearing from the Dutch chip is how "real" the human voices are - as in at times my brain is actually telling me there is a real person in front of me - but my eyes is telling me there is nobody there.

Look out for that and look for any songs that highlight the human voice.

Note that the power of suggestion will now make you focus more on this - and that isn't a bad thing. At the end of the day, what we are searching for is that engagement in the music And this is one way.

[petemac110]

The single crown puts voices a bit further back in the sound stage relative to the standard chip (not too far back overall - just compared to the standard chip) and provides a slightly cleaner and more polished overall presentation. There's a little more clarity and space/separation around elements of the music. 

From memory, what I remember hearing from the Dutch chip is how "real" the human voices are - as in at times my brain is actually telling me there is a real person in front of me - but my eyes is telling me there is nobody there.

Look out for that and look for any songs that highlight the human voice.

Note that the power of suggestion will now make you focus more on this - and that isn't a bad thing. At the end of the day, what we are searching for is that engagement in the music And this is one way.

Yes, I completely agree - I've found that listening with the lights dimmed and my glasses off, so that I'm entirely using my ears and removing my eyes from the listening experience, presents vocals in such a believable way. Gosh this is good!