One Amp (Cheapest GanFet amp ever), one entry streamer (From a renowned Korean Brand) and a Power Cord (Bargain hunter's choice)

VDH Server Power Cord 

Hifi Rose RW800 Lite Streamer

I have been stagnant in putting up new posts for some time... Not because I lost interest in music listening . In fact, I am extremely happy enjoying streaming music from Tidal/CD from Elekit. It's just that there are no interesting new products that had caught my eyes and my system is running at a satisfactory level though I know its weaknesses well, yet I am more than happy to live with them and enjoy music, which is most important.

I met a new friend H who is from Vancouver and is passionate in designing a DIY active speakers using cheap class D amp modules and cheap drivers and I had enjoyed listening to his dirt cheap setup and provide a few cheap upgrade tips to him as well some items like the UMI ! 

H is definitely a fan of cheapaudio like me. His goal is to design affordable high end to those who don't want to spend the money, respect! We contacted each other about music and other matters which we share same interest.

Both of us bought an GanFet amp and while he was extremely happy with it and think it will be his end game amplifier. I have experienced some setback due to some ground loop developed in my setup and the amp is extremely sensitive and had picked it up. Story is ongoing and deserve a full post to go through this journey (a lot of pain and tears) which is far from reaching the end.

Meanwhile, there are few devices that I have purchased, one is staying and two is purchased based on sheer curioisity.

YJCO D816  ACM8816 Ganfet Amp , it is probably the cheapest GanFet amplifier in the market from Taobao selling for only $538rmb , roughly 70USD. But it only accepts digital inputs and Bluetooth , so the flexibility of tweaking sound is very limited. Sound wise it is acceptable for what it is but  it is not one of those products that will wow you. 

HiFi Rose RW800 Lite. Recently released in Jul/26, It reminds me of the compact Auralic Airies Mini streamer which I had owned before, small and fit for purpose (110mm x 115mm x 27mm) if you want to do some simple streaming from Tidal , Spotify and Qobus etc. Build in ESS DAC ES9280 all-in chip. It offers playback from Bluetooth, Lan line and Wifi and supports playback up to PCM 32-bit/384kHz and DSD128 which is more than sufficient. Sound is very good given its price , clean, transparent and analytical which exactly carries the same bloodline of any Sabre chips . It is a matter of system matching and music preference/taste. I'm still shopping for a LPS that has USD input since it's powered by 5V/1A through USB outlet. For around $200USD, I think it's priced at a very reasonable level competing against WiiM and Bluesound. Or an option to extend your older amp in adding an extra digital streaming capability. 

The moment of truth, is it better than my workhorse Wattson WEA?  Upon initial audition and back and forth comparison, the RW800 does offer a clearer sound , while WEA has a more meaty and musical presentation. Insert the Uptone LPS to my WEA changed the outcome, detail retrieval in microdynamics as well as music ebb and flow of WEA has the upper hand and I can enjoy music more. But with proper matching, the RW800 is a highly capable unit that punches above its price tag! 

While I still don't understand a lot of ppl buying expensive gears and only play streaming through entry level devices and claiming streaming is never as good as CD or Analog.....But a properly designed streamer, not necessarily expensive, can bring you high level of joy and enjoyment ! I'm not looking down on entry level streaming products , in fact, they are very decent products and helps younger gen XYZ to get into the world of Hifi (no Cans or IEM please) as well as the introduction of ChiFi (in a non degratory way) that has closed the gap between younger gens and HiFi such that decent music can be had for fraction of price compare to 10, 20 years ago!

VDH Server Power Cord. It was recommended by my friend who helped terminated all my Sommer cables. He said he had the cord faced off with Siltech Double Crown and 40th Anni and think they are neck to neck and ultimately prefers the Server slightly as it is more on the neutral side. When I first insert it into my Uptone LPS, the sound is a bit muffled and not as impressive. After some burn in time, the slight haze has gone and the sound has become smoother  and sound has improved noticeably. I can hear more nuances and small details and singing techniques of artists are eaier to pick up despite I thought my setup was pretty good before.  Bottomline is that I am enjoying more the music than before. At $100USD for 2m run (recommended minimum length for shielding purposes) , it's absolutely a steal!

As usual, some photos taken lately to share

Elekit TU-881 CD Player

Bought the Elekit CP player quite a while ago, but not paying too much attention since I was busy listening and comparing music with my U9 and Wattson WEA. It has spartan feature , only coaxial out and no dig out, power cord attached to the unit cannot be replaced and has no remote and is only 100V, but that doesn't stop it to provide wonderful music from this 1 bit CDP! Well , only thing I would do is to upgrade the 12AU7 tube, but that said the stock tube is already respectable!

Recently I bought a CD by Cannonball Adderley and Bill Evans, I decided to spend some serious time on it. Wow, once pressed the play button, the air fills the whole room which is wide, tall and with loads of ambiance and Adderley's saxophone is so slick, smooth , musical and lightning fast while Bill Evans piano is as cool and sensual as usual! For $130 USD CD player, it's an absolute steal!!

Follow up on selenite, the more the merrier! and I bought a bag of cubes cost less than $2 USD and places it near the Ethernet cables and the sound becomes quieter and more details and even more musical! 

For sale - Various Audio Equipment

Happy New Year of Horse and wish all a Great year and a healthy year as well!!

Readers and friends of late DoctorJohn should know, he has kept a horde of extremely well chosen audio equipment left in his New York and Hong Kong's apartments left unused.

While exact list is not known as we still need to conduct a stock check and compile a list. But he had kept a list of items listed in his blog posts and from various posts that you would know what he had used for music listening.

To help his wife to sort out the gears and make sure they are in good hands and also to help her financially, I hereby would like to call out our readers of this Blog and freinds of DJ here that if any of you spotted something you like from the lists in this Blogpost and would to purchase, please drop an email below at leung.sang@gmail.com to contact Mr Leung or Ah Sang to discuss.

All the proceeds will go in to help his family. 

Cheers,

ELO

Selenite - Cheap Tweak on Hi-Fi

While I'm switching between using U4 and Emerson WEA, both has their own merits and I really can't choose to listen more than the other.

However, U4 has the absolute visual advantage when watching TV and YouTube videos. The sound coming from U4 is simply amazing , especially I play Dua Lipa live at Albert Hall with her most popular song Levitating, the thereness is so authentic , the hall effect is fully captured and the percussion is so enthusiastic. The percussionists are absolutely enjoying the music and is dead on the beat with enormous energy and excitment ! Also, lately I discovered a fantastic YouTube Channel called Daryl House, music from the 70s and 80s mostly from Hall and Oates, at 78, Daryl still possesses top professional skills in singing and playing  instrument which ignites my fire to sing again!

Simply cannot believe the music is coming from U4 - E6 - A08pro which costs a mere total of $200USD.

But switching to WEA paints a different world, it gives the calmness and more soothing presentation , more spacious, a bit laidback but more clarity, yet equally satisfying in its own way which I can play music for many hours with no sign of fatigue or digital glare, hardness or coldness.

Back to the main topic, the setup has experienced an upgrade when I experiement using Selenite onto the system.

One Sunday afternoon, I wandered around Sheung Wan Area (voted the most chill neighborhood in the world) and walked into a crytal shop, everything there are selling by the gram and they are sooo friggin expensive! But then I spotted some 6 cm to 8 cm long crytal sticks that costs only $2.5USD/each , out of curiosity I bought 4 sticks home to try. 

Place them under my WEA, I notice some difference immediately, so I decided to leave them in  place to do some prolong listening. Done some study over internet, Selenite seems to be a very soft and soluble crystal and not really suited for making jewellry to wear. However, it is used as purifying other crystals ! Think about all the Michelin Star studded chefs gather around together at hole-in-the-wall eatery for a hearty meal after a long day's work, nothing fancy but simply delicious and approved by all the top chefs~

Before I go into the power of these selenite sticks, I went to the almighty website Pin Duo Duo PDD and find out a bundle of 5 x 10cm sticks costs only $8USD! I ordered 3 bundles immediately and eventually got myself another 2 bundle! I have experiening and placed them everywhere I can think of and I think I'm enjoying the outcome a lot!!

Kwong - Randomly placed them on top of his CD Player immediately improves the clarity of system.

Ray - He has been using them placing loosely underneath his DAC, Amp and Power Conditioner and said the whole background is quieter 

Andy - "It’s now 4 out of 4. The effects  are immediate and apparent.  Enhanced harmonics and reduction of electronic glare in the reproduced music are unmistakable.

I tried both sticks and cubes in 2 systems with 3 turntables and 4 tonearms - all with similar results. Much more effective than the little brass horns in adding more harmonics to music. "

Me - I used them generously and externsively placing them under and above my Douk E6 and U4, Wattson Emerson Analog, Wifi Router, modem, Plixir power supply, Uptone power supply and even to my LCY supertweeter. Implemtation results in quieter background, while it's not black, but bright white in a positive way. Harmonics has improved, details retireval has also improved markedly. The sound of system did not alter by using selenite but seems to bring the best out of your setup without any significant drawback. Except for my Aiyima amp seems to sound too dry after using selenite and ground boxes. 

My take is the signal path benefits most with these selenite sticks, but you should explore it based on what you are using.

Go to Shen, Amazon, Toabao or PinDuoDuo and find them (透石膏原石) cheap. It may be the cheapest hifi tweak for me but with the effects smashing many so called Hi-end wizardry that costs hundreds and thousands of dollars and do tell me what your experience is, good or bad!

Another side benefits is that it can help one to improve sleeping quality . So that is an extra bonus! My wife had some sleeping issues lately and without any expectations, she tried put a few sticks under the pillow and believe or not, she has been sleeping well ever since. Whether it's a coincidence, it works!

Interim Report on Effect of LPS on various part of my system and my food diary

Since the implementation of Uptone LPS onto my WEA, I am very satisfied with the overall performance. Enter the Plixir BDC and Ray Audio LPS used onto my Douk U4, both yield positive outcome. While Ray Audio is mopre forward and exciting, Plixir has the upper hand on being cool, poised , more spearation , deeper soundstage.

LPS on Router?

The last possible instrument that uses normal walwart SMPS is my cheapo ASUS WiFi Router. One day, I took out the 12V/2.5A iFi Power X LPS and replaced the stock SMPS,  there seemed to be some improvement, sound and instrument harmonics has improved but ultimately the sound is a bit unrest/edgy and with with some glare, a signature of SMPS. I then replaced it with Ray Audio's LPS, now things tamed down  but the highend airiness seems to be truncated slightly. After some investigation, I replaced the Gotham power cable to Luna Cable Gris and it seems to improve in overall sound. I cannot use the Plixir on it since the head of the DC power cord is for U4 which is different size from the ASUS Router.

Story does not end here. I still feel missing something with Ray' PS/Luna Cable, the liveliness and involvment was missing. I made a decision  to use the stock Walwart  PS again and to my surpise , things are back to normal, the liveliness, music involvement came back. Puzzled but relieved, but I do think "sometimes too much of good things may not be a good thing", one gotta know when to stop. However that said, the LPS on modem does help improve the overall sound in some devices, so it's just needc some painstaking trial and error. 

Brief summary of experience 

So far I have tried a few dedicated power supplies, here is my opionated/biaised opinion:

**1/2 LPS made by my friend (using old trannies taken from US made security system, it sounds great on my modem and is dirt cheap)

**1/2 to *** PS by Ray Audio (yields exciting and energetic sound from U4)

***  Plixir BDC (more polite, some will say composed and at ease and laid back on my U4 but cannot connect to my Router... I need more time to try, but more I use it the more I like it for its neutral character)

***1/2  approaches ****Uptone LPS1.1 (Superb sound produced when paired with my Wattson Emersion Analog, WEA never sounds so good!)

* iFi Power X (it was good but quickly fell out of rotation compare to the above PSs and I would not recommend it even as a interim upgrade )

I had used some other LPS from TB and the results were meh, so only if you can find a really good LPS, you are better without it sometimes.

Music over Hifi

Man it is hard to try different combinations to find out the best fit but at least for now, I had come out with a setup that I can sit down and listen and  immerse into music. For me, I am very sensitive to musicality, if the system sound is well tuned, I can listen for hours. Otherwise, I will be restless and feel bored and disinterested very quickly despite there may be some gain in HiFi aspects but I rather have the musicality and involvement than HiFi gain.

For me, music comes first, lack of some HiFi attributes can be tolerated as long as I can immerse into the music and feel the spark of music and afterall, the essence of music is to touch and stir up your soul!!

Food Diary

炳勝品味 at Shenzhen, wanna try this for a long time. yummy and authentic Cantonese Cuisine, char Siu made of half fat/meat black hair pig charred on the edges

Steamed garoupa with beef , preserved radish and scallions is perfect match in contrasting textures and tastes. 

Double boiled soup is simply pure flavour and essence of Cantonese Soup

Not cheap for usd 50 for 2 but worth the Michelin status.

Douk Ampapa D1 Amp - Preview (Battle of GaN and traditional Brick PS)

All through the period, I really appreciate the music coming out from my system, but it does have flaws that I was forced to live with it from my Douk E6 DHT preamp, but it is really musical and engaing and let one dive into the content and enjoy the ebb and flow of music which is the most important element that I tresaure most in a music reproduction system, not a "HiFi" system I would put it.

I had also tried a Nuprime STA200 power amp, which is a Goldmund/Job in disguise at cheap but that did not wow me and it is sounding very neutral to a point clincial to me. Traded it  and kept my Aiyima A08pro. I had the Fosi V7 , which is same Class D using same Infinion chip but it just does not have the musical experience I expected to have.

Lately, on Youtube, a lot of reviewers have raved about the Douk Audio Ampapa D1 amp which had aroused me the interest to try it out. I received a Douk Ampapa D1 Amp recently, it looks very attractive and allows one to change opamps easily, with a useful utilitarian remote that can change volume and inputs, adjust bass and treble, change input. The unit also comes with a ,  switchable LED VU meter display, a sub-out , BT capability for my TV (Note: despite I am super content with my Douk U4 as BT receiver, my friend only measured it up to 8kHz despite he thinks it's musical but still cannot get passed his HiFi mind. He is the same guy who had made me a great LPS for my router and help terminated my Sommer RCAs with Neutrik heads which had elevated the sound of Sommer/Studer remarkably)

I plugged the D1 in via the latest GanFet 48V Power Brick came with the unit and start listening extensively. First impression, the sound was passable , but nothing much to write home, so I decided to give it some more time to run in although manufacturer said it was not necessary. After around 10 hours of continuous listening on and off with the unit left on all time for 48hours, I think the overall impression is still a tad disappointing. I think my A08pro has the upper hand in all aspects!  It sounded lifeless , mechanic  and suppressed in highs and the ebb and flow of music is lacking especially when playing tracks with violin and piano, the microdynmaics , acceleration and deceleration of bow , the attck and suspense of piano notes is lacking. It does have ample macrodynamics which will satisfy a lot of  listeners of pop music. But somehow it does not ring a bell to me. I decided to put it aside and send it to my friend Kwong to try out later on. What a pity since I did have high hope on this machine.

Story does not end here!While I was content listening to my A08pro, I realised I had not tried the new GanFet 48V PS that came with the Ampapa D1 , so I was eager to see the improvement it will have on my A8Pro! Lo and behold, not only it does NOT improve the system, the magic of A08pro had disappeared!! I immediately switched it back to my good old brick PS, mind you the GanFet PS is only half the weight and much smaller in size too! 

Hallelujeh, everything is back to normal! So with this outcome, I immediately took the D1 out again and plugged it in with my traditional brick 48V/5A PS and all at once, the music was palpable and lively to start, at least all the microdynamics was clearly audible and I am content to listen with D1 continuosly. Usually if the sound is not right, I will feel bored and uninterested, which is NOT the case with D1 with the old brick PS. It seems like the bottleneck  is the GanFet PS!! I was a bit surprised that no one had ever mentioend the difference of PSs on the internet at all despite hundreds of reviews put out with these great little Class D amps made in China!

Here is my important advice, compare the Old Brick with the GanFet Brick first ! At least try to audition and A/B the two options before you make your own decision! For now, I will do further listening with Ampapa D1 which is now more promising and perhaps I may order a pair of Muse 03 opamp to try out on D1!! 

Curiosity ignited again. Look out for Part Two of Ampapa  D1~

P.S. I have also been experimenting the stickers containing Lanthanides rare earth from Sixth Element . Whether it is another snake oil product or not, I do not think so since it does improves my system which I will cover that later.