Hopkins' System

[hopkins]

To clarify...

I use both an analog and a digital source. My analog source goes through an ADC. Today I have to swap digital cables between the two sources since the SX only has one input.

Moreover, I use "ElectroTos" cables instead of Toslink cables (which requires either using ECD's USB adapters, or modifying the outputs of the source).

The ElectroTos cable - which is in fact a coaxial cable with a LED at one end - is theoretically superior sonically (no reflections, added jitter) - but is also better when plugging/unplugging because it has an RCA connecotr. The Toslink jacks are not as mechanically robust...

If you wanted to use several sources with the SX and were using Toslink cables, you could of course use a Toslink switch. A toslink switch is "electrical" and requires being plugged in. There are many models available.



With the ElectroTos cables, you could simply have a mechanical switch, but there are non readily available (as far as I know). There are some models designed for antennas:




This thread has 36 pages, but somewhere in there, and possibly multiple times, I have mentioned how happy I am using vinyl with the SX!

 

[D.Duttilleux]

I hear you, but in this case, adding an input which produces an electroTos signal with a commuter between two inputs is not compromising the design and philosophy. I actually mentioned this to them and they told me that a company distributing a lot of analog sources had suggested something similar and they had looked into it but it fell through. I am sure ECD could build a good ADC...

The digital input is of course key to the design.

It can be done, of course, but in my opinion the charm of vinyl lies (ideally) in the transfer of the strictly analog signal from the stylus to the transducers.
Nevertheless, the fact that many people attribute an analog-like signature to the ECD-DACs is a good thing.

 

[hopkins]

It can be done, of course, but in my opinion the charm of vinyl lies (ideally) in the transfer of the strictly analog (chaotic) signal from the stylus to the transducers.

The effect of an ADC is IMO hard to evaluate in the context of the SX, you would have to compare a vinyl source with the SX to a vinyl source without the SX - but then the preamp/amplification come into play. All I can say, is that good pressings of original vinyl sound really good on the SX, and that's good enough for me!

Nevertheless, the fact that many people attribute an analog-like signature to the ECD-DACs is a good thing.

Yes, this is something you read about a lot on forums - people referring to DACs as having an "analog" signature. I don't like to use that term for the SX - it is more an "absence" of signature

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Analog as in 'absence of digital artifacts'

 

[hopkins]

Analog as in 'absence of digital artifacts'

I don't know what those are. Is the end result pleasing with digital? Yes. Is the end result pleasing with vinyl? Yes. Are the two identical? No. Are there better sounding vinyl albums than CD? Yes. Are there better sounding CDs than vinyl? Yes. Is the best vinyl better than the best CD? I don't know and I don't care. Would vinyl sound better played without a digital conversion step through some other amp? I can't answer that. Given the fact that there are very few owners of this SX amp, and even probably fewer with a vinyl rig (and a good ADC), I don't think anyone is in a position to answer that. I know a couple who could be, but they are not here on WBF...

 

[D.Duttilleux]

I don't know what those are. Is the end result pleasing with digital? Yes.

Plenty of technical explanations on the ECD website:

– Single Toslink input with low bandwidth and minimal crosstalk inside the DAC.
– Complete elimination of ground loops and ground loop noise injection.
– Perfect sample timing (very low jitter, independent from the source & optical interlink jitter) provided by an independent, local, low jitter master clock.
– Lowest practical frequencies inside the DAC by DAPI, lowest practical crosstalk inside the DAC, involving and realistic sound (not analytical).
– NO (pre) amps in the signal path, so all related distortion and degrading are COMPLETELY eliminated.
– The PowerDAC-SX does not amplify so it cannot clip.
– The polarity switch circuit also ensures that only the lowest bits are used for low level signal generation, this means that the highest bits no longer have any effect on low level accuracy and that switching noise is at absolute minimum.
– The PowerDAC-SX steering method prevents overload, resonance, distortion and coloration issues.
– PowerDAC-SX has NO local and NO global feedback loops, so no problems with speaker dynamo voltage (note: I like the dynamo analogy).


The obvious counterargument will be 'Yes, but that's just marketing blurp'.
In the case of ECD that seems highly unlikely, because the brothers are clearly driven by a passion for innovation and not by monetary incentives.

 

[hopkins]

Plenty of technical explanations on the ECD website:

– Single Toslink input with low bandwidth and minimal crosstalk inside the DAC.
– Complete elimination of ground loops and ground loop noise injection.
– Perfect sample timing (very low jitter, independent from the source & optical interlink jitter) provided by an independent, local, low jitter master clock.
– Lowest practical frequencies inside the DAC by DAPI, lowest practical crosstalk inside the DAC, involving and realistic sound (not analytical).
– NO (pre) amps in the signal path, so all related distortion and degrading are COMPLETELY eliminated.
– The PowerDAC-SX does not amplify so it cannot clip.
– The polarity switch circuit also ensures that only the lowest bits are used for low level signal generation, this means that the highest bits no longer have any effect on low level accuracy and that switching noise is at absolute minimum.
– The PowerDAC-SX steering method prevents overload, resonance, distortion and coloration issues.
– PowerDAC-SX has NO local and NO global feedback loops, so no problems with speaker dynamo voltage (note: I like the dynamo analogy).


The obvious counterargument will be 'Yes, but that's just marketing blurp'.
In the case of ECD that seems highly unlikely, because the brothers are clearly driven by a passion for innovation and not by monetary incentives.

I don't need convincing I do find that the terms "digital sounding" and "analog sounding" don't really apply, and I am not sure what they mean to start with.

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Audio (perception) is highly personal and plain language often falls short to describe the experience well.

This is also one of the reasons why most 'reviews' are of limited relevance.

 

[hopkins]

So back to music! Baiana, by Sphere

Four for All - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

The more obscure albums don't get blocked on YouTube...

 

[hopkins]

Audio (perception) is highly personal and plain language often falls short to describe the experience well.

This is also one of the reasons why most 'reviews' are of limited relevance.

Yes, and other reasons as well. Check out Audiophile Style's Munich show report. All the vendors mentioned are sponsors and/or advertisers and/or contributors on the AudiophileStyle forum!

The Final High End Munich - 2025

Audio: Listen to this article. The final High End show in Munich is now complete, my photos have been developed (only joking), and my brain has made sense of everything I saw and heard (only joking, even more). As usual, there was a ton of stuff and a ton of people at the show this year. I spent ...

audiophilestyle.com

What a coincidence...

 

[D.Duttilleux]

Scams come in many flavors



Honestly, if I got this for free I'd sell it all right away and wouldn't care about the loss.

 

[XV-1]

Scams come in many flavors

View attachment 151628

Honestly, if I got this for free I'd sell it right away and wouldn't care about the loss.

I would certainly take it.

It was supposed to have sounded amazing .

 

[D.Duttilleux]

I would certainly take it.

It was supposed to have sounded amazing .

While I respect Wilson as a company, it's not really my cup of tea. It's probably too American for my taste > too much emphasis on the bass

The local distributor likes to play all sorts of percussion tunes at shows, which is telling.

This is nice though:

 

[D.Duttilleux]

The Kii BXT extension is also a waste of money. I've listened to these at higher levels and it was quite embarrassing

 

[matthias]

Honestly, if I got this for free I'd sell it all right away and wouldn't care about the loss.

+1
BTW, one of the ugliest speakers in the world

 

[morricab]

Scams come in many flavors

View attachment 151628

Honestly, if I got this for free I'd sell it all right away and wouldn't care about the loss.

If you got it for free…selling it wouldn’t be a loss…

 

[D.Duttilleux]

If you got it for free…selling it wouldn’t be a loss…

Indeed, but I assumed the average selling price, although you'd be crazy not to negotiate at least a 25% discount when buying such gear.

 

[D.Duttilleux]

+1
BTW, one of the ugliest speakers in the world

The original WAMM is kind of cool, a mix and match of different loudspeaker brands and technologies:

With the Braun L100s as flanking centers:

 

[Alrainbow]

The original WAMM is kind of cool, a mix and match of different loudspeaker brands and technologies:View attachment 151672

With the Braun L100s as flanking centers:
View attachment 151673

I remember a year from or two ago they had a large room with Wilson original speakers on display playing ..I'm fine if Wilson's are set up well sound . That to me needed work I think something was broken.

 

[Alrainbow]

Scams come in many flavors

View attachment 151628

Honestly, if I got this for free I'd sell it all right away and wouldn't care about the loss.

This is a statement for statements showing.
I love older keeps up to 700cx
Dag stuff is good but seems hard sounding .
Wilson shows with dag ànd I have yet to love a setup I've heard .
I have heard excellent Wilson's twice and best was member here . Truly remarkable set up
So my view is there well made but need correct set up
Perhaps more then many other speakers.