HAKAI playground

[lejonklou]

In this thread we post short comparative clips to share our impressions and findings - and maybe ask for help. 'Which do you find better: A or B?'

[matthias]

Can someone provide clips about a comparison HAKAI + ESI vs. Klimax DS Katalyst ?
Maybe someone can loan David Neel a Klimax Katalyst device ?
Thanks

Matt

[David Neel]

Copied from the main playground thread, this is my ADS/3 and Hakai. You can tell which is which by looking at the box on the top of the rack!

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/8i7igr7jpftu6 ... 1.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/oivahlxtbpc47 ... 9.mp4?dl=0

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/nba1h175yjr51 ... 4.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/14gnt1h29oca7 ... 1.mp4?dl=0

1. https://www.dropbox.com/s/vtraj14na4h1p ... 7.mp4?dl=0
2. https://www.dropbox.com/s/115frao6y49ay ... 9.mp4?dl=0

I'll keep these up as long as possible, but they are over half of my dropbox free allowance. So if anybody knows how to extract just the audio, please feel free to repost plain audio.

[lejonklou]

Copied from the main playground thread, this is my ADS/3 and Hakai. You can tell which is which by looking at the box on the top of the rack!

[links]

I'll keep these up as long as possible, but they are over half of my dropbox free allowance. So if anybody knows how to extract just the audio, please feel free to repost plain audio.

Thank you David!

Those who would like to read the initial responses of other forum members to these clips can find them here:
http://www.lejonklou.com/forum/viewtopi ... start=1120

[David Neel]

Can someone provide clips about a comparison HAKAI + ESI vs. Klimax DS Katalyst ?
Maybe someone can loan David Neel a Klimax Katalyst device ?
Thanks

Matt

About five years should suffice for a proper comparison after a full warm-up. :) Black case only, please!

[matthias]

Can someone provide clips about a comparison HAKAI + ESI vs. Klimax DS Katalyst ?
Maybe someone can loan David Neel a Klimax Katalyst device ?
Thanks

Matt

About five years should suffice for a proper comparison after a full warm-up. :) Black case only, please!

Better still minimum ten years or infinite loaner:-)

[ThomasOK]

Were these comparison clips pulled down already? I get an error 404 when trying to open any of them. This is very disappointing. I do live in a different part of the world a number of hours apart from many of you. I did see these clips last night as I was going to bed and looked forward to listening to them when I got into work this morning (which it still is here) but no such luck. Bummer.

Addendum: Strangely enough when I went back to where these six clips were originally posted they all downloaded to the computer. So there is some problem with just the links in this thread. I go now to give them a listen! :-)

[David Neel]

Were these comparison clips pulled down already? I get an error 404 when trying to open any of them. This is very disappointing. I do live in a different part of the world a number of hours apart from many of you. I did see these clips last night as I was going to bed and looked forward to listening to them when I got into work this morning (which it still is here) but no such luck. Bummer.

Addendum: Strangely enough when I went back to where these six clips were originally posted they all downloaded to the computer. So there is some problem with just the links in this thread. I go now to give them a listen! :-)

Now fixed!

[ThomasOK]

OK, wow the HAKAI is really, really good. Considering what I have heard of the Akurate with Katalyst I would not have expected this. I definitely prefer clip 2 in all three pairs. There is a deftness in the touch on the piano and guitar that I just don't hear nearly as much on the ADS3. On the first clip just about 35 seconds in there are two vocal lines ending in "Sets all our years in blood" which is immediately followed by some gentle piano notes. The quality of playing on those notes is in another league on the HAKAI compared to the ADS3. On the third clip I was listening along on the ADS3 and enjoying it, then I switched to the HAKAI and at about 11 seconds the guitar came in. Oh, my! That can't be the same guitarist, can it? I had to go back and forth a few times to convince myslef I wasn't just paying attention better to the second clip. Nope, it's real, the guitarist on the second clip is WAY more expressive in their playing. I find the difference quite surprising.

I am really looking forward to my own HAKAI and hoping the J3455-D3V is in this league as it is the only one I have been able to find so far. I have gotten confirmation that it is on the way and was in Chicago yesterday. My Streamcom case and power supply just came in yesterday too so I need to get those correct RAM modules on order right away so I can put it all together. Exciting times!

[Azazello]

I think it’s time to start comparing it to LP12. Unfortunately my stylus I broken, so I can’t do it at the moment.

[FairPlayMotty]

Many thanks to David for both the listening tests and introducing me to great new music. I was part of the crowdfunding for the Neil Young Pono player and a very valuable side benefit of that forum was the new music I discovered. I'm like a kid in a candy shop for new music!

[David Neel]

I think it’s time to start comparing it to LP12. Unfortunately my stylus I broken, so I can’t do it at the moment.

Be careful what you wish for....

[David Neel]

Here is an LP12 comparison. LP vs hi-res download. Both using single source. LP12 is Booplinth/Radikal/Keel/Ekos SE/Kandid/Urika 1. Sorry, files now deleted.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2a7zlvvrdxghv ... 9.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uagld7h72ldgu ... 6.mp4?dl=0

And this is LP vs CD rip

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zux5st22m7ko1 ... 8.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rkstchq2z4pq ... 2.mp4?dl=0

[Charlie1]

Much preferred the LP12 on the first clip. At first, I preferred CD rip on the second, but the more I listened, the more I settled on the LP12 again, but very close this time.

[beck]

+1

[cortina]

David, great that you share these recordings on the forum! Thank you!! So I feel a bit impolite to even ask this, but would it be possible to have the LP12 tonearm playing also on the Hakai clips to make it more of of a ”secret”, at least for a while? (Of course one could close the eyes, but very hard not to look while starting the videos which often included some waiting, at least for me.)

[matthias]

The top shelf seems to be reserved for either Radikal or HAKAI.

Matt

[David Neel]

As Matt says, the top shelf is used for one only of Radikal, Hakai and DS, so I can't disguise which is in use. This is necessary only because going Mono with the amplification has taken away two shelves! The streamer is usually on another Lack table, but I removed this to give better access to power strips while I've been comparing them.

Another rack is now top of the priority list...

[cortina]

OK. I fully understand. And either way, the clips are great! (Was just curious about eg how many that easily picks which is which etc.)

[Azazello]

The difference in volume makes it a bit tricky. But I have to say that I don’t hear anything that would motivate me to buy an LP12 ...

[David Neel]

Volumes were unchanged, but that doesn't mean they were equal....

We are also hearing any mastering differences, so I'm not actually sure of the relevance of this comparison. If you have lots of vinyl (like me) you need a good LP12. If you have little or no vinyl, go digital.

[lejonklou]

Here is an LP12 comparison. LP vs hi-res download. Both using single source. LP12 is Booplinth/Radikal/Keel/Ekos SE/Kandid/Urika 1.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/2a7zlvvrdxghv ... 9.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/uagld7h72ldgu ... 6.mp4?dl=0

And this is LP vs CD rip

https://www.dropbox.com/s/zux5st22m7ko1 ... 8.mp4?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/9rkstchq2z4pq ... 2.mp4?dl=0

Interesting comparison indeed!

I listened blind and ended up preferring the LP12 on both.

[FairPlayMotty]

In general I still prefer my Rega Planar 9 to any other source but I love that the gap between analogue and digital sources is narrowing. The Pono player outperformed my Ikemi. My Hakai should be in place by next week and I expect it to be my best digital source.

[ThomasOK]

Definitely an interesting comparison. I wasn't surprised that I preferred the LP12 on both tracks. But I was surprised at how good the HAKAI was in comparison. I didn't feel the desire to stop listening to the HAKAI part way through as it is really good. Just not as organic sounding as the LP12 with not quite the emotional power to the music and, in particular, the vocals.

[FairPlayMotty]

First listen tonight after building the Hakai based on a new Gigabyte GA-N3150N-D3V. My first impression is of being blown away by how good it sounds. Every song I play just sounds incredible. The Hakai is definitely a rival to my Rega Planar 9, it's that good! A huge thank you to Fredrik, I never thought I would hear digital music sound this spectacular!