I removed the 1110 from the box Wednesday morning and I connected it still cold, I tried to alternate listening of a single song with and without preamp, and initially I didn't ascend huge differences. Towards evening, after a few hours of listening, I began to perceive a "fatter" sound, compared to the usual listening with the dac alone. With the inclusion of 1110 the result seems to me more musical, there is greater harmony, a more natural sound and a pleasure of listening higher than before. I would also say a feeling closer to the real event. I don't know if I lost a hair of transparency, but in the case it is really a ridiculous thing. As the hours went by I noticed an improvement on the rhythmic scan (it's not my ears that tell me, but my foot that moved as before did not ), greater vivacity, it seems that the system has more ''time'' and speed, and that everything is more ''in its place''. Now let's see if after a couple of weeks of running in there will be further steps. Of course even before the system sounded very good, so I do not cry to the miracle, and what seems to have improved is, proportionately, a high cost, but we all know that in our ''game'' is a normal thing .
I hope my bad English is minimally understandable...
Roberto
I add that when I tried the Convergent SL1 preamp months ago, in the end I preferred to stay with the only dac/pre Bricasti. So I think that every situation has to be evaluated individually, and you can't say better with the preamp or better with just a dac: it depends on which amplifier, from which dac and also from which preamp. In short, no absolute rule.
Now they are also connected to the network ... I did not understand if they also talk to each other (1110/1160), and if it is preferable to leave always them connected or not.
Yes, the two Boulders communicate with each other, now if I turn off or turn on 1110, 1160 does the same.
Among other things, this morning I noticed that there was an update available for 1160, I did the update and now it has changed from 1.00 to 1.01 version.
I must also confess that I made the amplifier go clipping for a couple of seconds (I pulled the BB5 to inhuman volumes) and the error with date and time appeared on the web page .
If you look at the picture below and compare with the one above, you can see the different version of the update:
And here are the first problems:
I noticed this error message during power up ... It seems to me that it also came out as LeftPos.
But it only appears sometimes and only when the couple is turned on ...and after a few seconds it disappears.
Perhaps best to keep everything disconnected from the network, at least there are no strange warnings ...
PMC BB5 can play without distortion at very high volumes, I also played a song Funk that pushes a lot.
But what I would like to understand, is that it means this error message that comes up sometimes while I turn on the two Boulders...
It could be, sometimes has appeared RightPos, other LeftPos, and most of them do not show any message.
The system sounds normally.
Certainly it is the connection to the network that transmits this message.
I add: Perhaps the 1110 is ready first and checks 1160 when the power amplifier is not ready yet (it still flashes between red and white).
In future i would suggest first going to the contact who sold you the items, or email Rich Maez at Boulder. He's exceptionally helpful and has solved several thorny technical conundrums i have posed, even when the problems were caused by components not actually manufactured by Boulder.
I must say i find the notion of a Boulder power amp clipping to be mind boggling.
Admittedly my experience is with the 2000 series, but that's so completely effortless at war volume that the room cries 'uncle' long before any component sounds remotely stressed. I reach that point where to increase the volume is to increase the scale beyond the size my room can contain. And i have quite a big, difficult room that gives no help at all....concrete floors, patio glass wall behind speakers.
But never any hint of clipping, even when listening from the garden
Going back to your network issues, i seem to remember the Positive Feedback write up on the 2060 that was very persuadive to me, mentioned that they did not keep the network connected due to some sort of low level issue that they experienced, but that had no impact on performance.
Perhaps the dealer who sold you the items can advise?
I spoke this morning with the distributor, I also sent him the photos with the errors. He will write directly to the technician in Boulder (he told me another name I don't remember), and he will send me back directly. Among other things, I must say that the last 10 times I tried to turn on the 1100, the red error message no longer appeared. Strange thing computer science ...
I must say i find the notion of a Boulder power amp clipping to be mind boggling.
Admittedly my experience is with the 2000 series, but that's so completely effortless at war volume that the room cries 'uncle' long before any component sounds remotely stressed. I reach that point where to increase the volume is to increase the scale beyond the size my room can contain.
Coming back to this topic, I can say that with my system I entered in 1110 preamp from a Bricasti M1 set to 0db (maximum volume) and connected in balanced mode, then within about 3.5 / 4 volts, consequently approaching the maximum volume of 1110, I probably have an excessively high gain. Add to this that my monitors (BB5) can safely drink 1,200 watts each without getting upset and without distorting, finally consider that the piece used was a very demanding Disco Music piece.
Ah, if you want to laugh, the piece used to devastating volumes that caused the clipping is this:
I usually listen to other things
P.S. With my previous Bryston 7B's it didn't happen, but they had 900 watts on 4ohm each.