Douk E6 Parts I, II, III (by DJ)
Some new toys acquired lately Been so freaking busy at work lately, but I still strive to find time to listen to music as it is essential to keep myself relaxed and sane.
Some of them are so ridiculously cheap but yet the PQR is simply off the charts and I am beginning to ask myself why I have to spend tons of money in upgrading (not that I have that kind of money). I am as happy as I can be with the current setup even though it's still far from perfect. But I'm definitely enjoying music all the time! Looking back, my setup has improved ever since DJ has invited me to contribute to this wonderful HiFi community where everyone is open-minded, unbiased and using their own ears and music knowledge to assess the quality of music production. We are not distracted by Snake Cables, nor the humongous size, thick faceplates or the heft of equipment which require at least 2 men to lift!!
Go small yet go better is definitely my motto! UMI Clarity Plus S2 UMI Clarity Plus S2 has been run in completely and I am extremely happy with its performance. The main improvement over UMI 1 is the additional refinement and smoothness which I think is worth the upgrade. That said, the UMI 1 is already exemplary on its own.
Syitren Manty CDP
DJ brought me a Douk U4 DAC [Editor: full report to come soon]. It has Bluetooth and USB input. I thought of playing my CDs through BT. Went to Carousell and immediately bought this little stylish 2nd hand Syitren Manty CDP which has Bluetooth but no USB out (but with optical output). Anyway, after a little hiccup in setup, I played through the U4 BT some tunes from the CD sampler that came along with the it. And it was not bad at all! Full, rich, musical, though inferior to my Wattson WEA, as predicted, but that's not a fair comparison. Consider it HKD 200 well spent😎[Editor: it's available on TB, but at a much higher price]
Douk E6
Originally, I was of two minds, wondering what could this tiny DH tube preamp offer in my already sonically balanced setup. I decided to first pass it to my friend Dr Lo for trial but when the plan got held up I thought, what the heck, let me fire it up first Chez ELO!
Originally, I was of two minds, wondering what could this tiny DH tube preamp offer in my already sonically balanced setup. I decided to first pass it to my friend Dr Lo for trial but when the plan got held up I thought, what the heck, let me fire it up first Chez ELO!
The WEA is still connected to the UMI 2. I inserted the E6 between the UMI 2 and the Aiyima A08 Pro Amp. Volume is around 1 o'clock, which resulted in added refinement compared to Max.[Editor: ELO is basically using it as sort of "Buffer", which is how some of my NYC friends also do; the volume is controlled by the streaming App]
Initial impressions were promising. Although there were slight reductions in airiness and transparency (80 to 90% compared to my standalone WEA), the added body and smoothness was enough to make a positive improvement in musicality. After more listening, as it got run-in, I began to get used to the sound character of E6. I re-confirmed that it was still losing a bit of ultimate transparency but, as a return, music fleshed out to the right amount that I would prefer: midrange is liquid smooth and male voice especially benefits from the additional flesh. Vocals are more organic and the notes just seem more connected, fluid and emotionally involving. Lower bass not just has larger body but more information is retrieved, and I have discovered more musical info through the E6. It is also punchy, perhaps very slightly bloated but it does provide a very nice layer of foundation to the whole music presentation. Instrumental Decay is not bad, but not as good when E6 is taken out of the mix. I guess there is always a give and take situation that the HiFi lover is facing everyday.
Initial impressions were promising. Although there were slight reductions in airiness and transparency (80 to 90% compared to my standalone WEA), the added body and smoothness was enough to make a positive improvement in musicality. After more listening, as it got run-in, I began to get used to the sound character of E6. I re-confirmed that it was still losing a bit of ultimate transparency but, as a return, music fleshed out to the right amount that I would prefer: midrange is liquid smooth and male voice especially benefits from the additional flesh. Vocals are more organic and the notes just seem more connected, fluid and emotionally involving. Lower bass not just has larger body but more information is retrieved, and I have discovered more musical info through the E6. It is also punchy, perhaps very slightly bloated but it does provide a very nice layer of foundation to the whole music presentation. Instrumental Decay is not bad, but not as good when E6 is taken out of the mix. I guess there is always a give and take situation that the HiFi lover is facing everyday.
Before the Douk E6 was in the mix, I was often amazed by and immersed in the amount of music info retrieved. After I inserted the Douk E6, I paid less attention to these details and began to appreciate the whole presentation more. I still love the sheer amount of details and airiness as before, but the outlook is different. I think the E6 will firmly stay in my setup as it has way more pro's than con's!
Later... There was one thing that I had noticed, that the center imaging is shifted to the left and was less focused. I got me a little frustrated since the E6 is otherwise such a great device!
Phase Then DJ reminded me that E6 is phase-inverted!! Holy smoke, I might not have been hearing the optimal performance after all these times! I was travelling in Chengdu and could not verify it. I got home last night and immediately use the phase shift toggle at the back of my UMI 2 (how inconvenient!). There was indeed a huge difference. At first, I wasn't totally confident of my observation as I had been away for so long. The next day, I turned on the system as usual in the morning and further confirmed my impression. Now the vocal imaging is nailed to the center, the soundstage has further widened and deepened and loudspeakers seems to disappear even more. Music is even more coherent, involving, even seemingly playing with more speed and passion whereas it was comparatively more polite or neutral before.
I was even more drawn into music not by the amount of information I am able to hear, but by the sheer enjoyment and craftsmanship of the music pieces and musicians who played through them! I got the feeling of "It makes more sense on how music should have played" through the current setup!
Totally understand why DJ has been raving about this little E6, which is a giant slayer.
Looking at the Munich Audio Show reports on mega dollar systems costing a bundle of Lambos, I feel perplexed. If a simply device like the E6 (costing less than HKD 300) can improve on a system so much, why bother spending those mega dollars? I mean I have been visiting showrooms and friends who have systems costing over tens of thousands of USD and while they are good, they seldom wowed me. In my earlier years in the 90s, after I had visited some nice HiFi showrooms, I would not want to turn on my own system for at least a week! Right now, I will still go home and enjoy music at home without feeling any misery or a huge gap! And even more astonished that I am spending less and less money at the same time!!!
I will definitely go through my favorite lists and further assess the E6! Now, I will upgrade my phone charger to a more proper power supply to see if there's further improvement!
Below are some photos of Chengdu, Sichuan.
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