HAKAI playground

[matthias]

.......I have already compared HD+ and EX and have firm opinions about them.

Fredrik,
would you care to elaborate?
Thanks

Matt

[lejonklou]

.......I have already compared HD+ and EX and have firm opinions about them.

Fredrik,
would you care to elaborate?
Thanks

Matt

Sure, after this comparison is done.

[springwood64]

Was someone preparing dinner in clip A? ;)

Ha: yes. It can be difficult to keep the rest of the family quiet ....

[Spannko]

Easily an A for me. B struggles to play bass properly and each note comes as a surprise rather than being predictable as in clip A. Also the guitar follows JA’s voice in clip A whereas this is not so noticeable in clip B. However, the biggest difference is that there are some unintelligible background noises on clip B which are clearly identified on A as a tin of Guinness being opened by a parrot 🦜

[tokenbrit]

.. tin of Guinness being opened by a parrot 🦜

(I'm not a Guinness drinker, or a pirate, so) B for me ;)

[beck]

Thank you for making me smile again! :-)

I do like Guinness but it is a long time since I have had one and it will take even longer if I have to find a parrot to open it!

[springwood64]

However, the biggest difference is that there are some unintelligible background noises on clip B which are clearly identified on A as a tin of Guinness being opened by a parrot 🦜

I think you just called my wife a parrot !

It's a good thing she never haunts this forum ... :D

[springwood64]

I think it is worth comparing another track before revealing which is which, if I can impose on your time a bit more:

• 16: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqmgodm3od7mz21/16.mp4?dl=0
• 32: https://www.dropbox.com/s/di9k9zp6wrmahk3/32.mp4?dl=0

[beck]

Prefer 16.

[Spannko]

However, the biggest difference is that there are some unintelligible background noises on clip B which are clearly identified on A as a tin of Guinness being opened by a parrot 🦜

I think you just called my wife a parrot !

It's a good thing she never haunts this forum ... :D

Ha ha. Please apologise to your wife for me, unless her name is Polly or Captain Flint, in which case it’s probably better to keep quiet! Just out of interest, what was the squawking sound I heard in the background?

[Spannko]

I prefer 16 this time

[tokenbrit]

More confused the more I listen (to the wind blow) so going with my initial reaction, and hope it's not 'damn your lies': 16

[lejonklou]

16

[springwood64]

Just out of interest, what was the squawking sound I heard in the background?

It's my wife chopping veg in the kitchen, two rooms away. I don't know why it records so loud.

[beck]

Just out of interest, what was the squawking sound I heard in the background?

It's my wife chopping veg in the kitchen, two rooms away. I don't know why it records so loud.

What a “let-down” coming from Guinness opened by a parrot! :-)

[tokenbrit]

Just out of interest, what was the squawking sound I heard in the background?

It's my wife chopping veg in the kitchen, two rooms away. I don't know why it records so loud.

What a “let-down” coming from Guinness opened by a parrot! :-)

Off-topic; just beakause... http://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/1134/8 ... grande.jpg

[beck]

That’s enough. I am off to the nearest pub now! :-)

[ThomasOK]

That’s enough. I am off to the nearest pub now! :-)

To find a parrot?

[ThomasOK]

On the first pairing I prefer the HD+. I find it easier to follow the instruments.

[ThomasOK]

For the first week I tired of the EX very quickly, so switched it to burning in on my test system.

Now I find it difficult to choose, despite comparing a number of tracks. The differences seem subtle and seem to vary a little between tracks. Like Beck, I prefer the EX for the First Aid Kit track both in the room and via the recordings.

Thanks everyone for your time in analysing these comparisons.

For Spannko and Matthias, here is a less processed track, anonymised:

• A: https://www.dropbox.com/s/v5hyusddsqmbrzc/A.mp4?dl=0
• B: https://www.dropbox.com/s/akxi33t84ug6yh0/B.mp4?dl=0

I prefer B here. More emotion and nuance to the vocals and a more engaging rhythm. Although neither gives me the quality of the bass voice I am used to hearing on this track. Now I have to go listen to a recording of it on a system, rather than phone recording through iMac speakers.

[beck]

That’s enough. I am off to the nearest pub now! :-)

To find a parrot?

I did not find a pub, Guinness or a parrot but two original czech beers at the local store. Well, you do not always find what you are looking for........

[ThomasOK]

I think it is worth comparing another track before revealing which is which, if I can impose on your time a bit more:

• 16: https://www.dropbox.com/s/kqmgodm3od7mz21/16.mp4?dl=0
• 32: https://www.dropbox.com/s/di9k9zp6wrmahk3/32.mp4?dl=0

I liked 16 better that 32 before I even heard 32. 16 just sounded good and I listened to it all the way through and wanted more. Then I listened to 32 and it just confirmed my impression that 16 was really good.

Now that I have heard a few clips I have noticed that there is a sharpness to the female voice on louder notes that shows up on the tracks I didn't like as well: 32 and A. I don't notice it on 16 and B. Now you can tell us that I preferred different devices on different tracks and make all this I just wrote patent nonsense!

[ThomasOK]

That’s enough. I am off to the nearest pub now! :-)

To find a parrot?

I did not find a pub, Guinness or a parrot but two original czech beers at the local store. Well, you do not always find what you are looking for........

beck, I'm surprised at you. "You can't always get what you want" or "I still haven't found what I'm looking for" would have been the proper lines here! ;-)

[springwood64]

My parrot brought us both a nice chilled glass of white.

Ok: the reveal. I have found myself repeatedly switching between these two DACs and getting a bit lost between them.

The HD+ you heard in 'HD+', 'A' and '16'.

The EX you heard in 'EX', 'B', and '32'.

I think I find the HD+ easier to listen to over the longer term, but find myself switching in the EX to listen as well.

[springwood64]

Now you can tell us that I preferred different devices on different tracks and make all this I just wrote patent nonsense!

Oops!

But, then again - that is what I experience when I listen both to the recordings and directly to the DACs