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I'm using a PS3 as a Spotify Connect device to the D1X, connected via cheap optical cable. It doesn't sound anywhere near as good as N-01. It sounds like.....mp3. I'm going to have to rethink my Spotify Connect hardware options. I don't want to spend $10K on a N-03T just to play Spotify.
 
brodricj said:
I'm using a PS3 as a Spotify Connect device to the D1X, connected via cheap optical cable. It doesn't sound anywhere near as good as N-01. It sounds like.....mp3. I'm going to have to rethink my Spotify Connect hardware options. I don't want to spend $10K on a N-03T just to play Spotify.
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If streaming isn’t your thing, I wouldn’t bother. But if you want to, then you need to do Tidal or Qobuz. Lastly, look at a proper streamer from Aurender (n20) or Innuous or Lumin U1. I would never use such a world class DAC with a PS3 connected with a cheap optical cable and playing compressed Spotify and expect anything other than poor results.


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When I had the N-01 I could feed it CD's streamed from a Kaleidescape player or spun in the Grandioso transport. Both sources sounded very similar. So much so I didn't bother much with the Grandioso transport, opting instead for the convenience of Kaleidescape. That equation has changed with the D1X. The Grandioso DAC/transport combination flies in a different orbit. It really is quite special, and it's only day four! The pedigree of my power conditioning has caused me to reassess. I've placed an order for a Shunyata Everest and a few Alpha NR v2 power cords. 6 week delivery estimate for Shunyata. The USD is flying strong at the moment, unfortunately.
 
brodricj said:
Oh yeah, I'm a big fan of the Spotify product. I like listening to progressive house, trance, world, electronic etc genres and Spotify covers all of it. You might not be aware but a lot of that content is authored and remixed at 320 kbps..
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Hello - although I have a wide variety of musical tastes from Frank Sinatra, to Taylor Swift, to opera, my heart is in vocal trance from my younger days - specifically from the 2004-2014 time period before it lost its way to become more mainstream (IMO).

I have Apple Music and Tidal and find the selection of vocal trance to be superior on Tidal along with the sound quality and ease of music discovery. I've never really tried Spotify.

Have you compared Spotify to Tidal? Would love your thoughts if you have. Thanks!
 
MichaelsMinute said:
Have you compared Spotify to Tidal? Would love your thoughts if you have. Thanks!
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I tried Tidal but I had some support issues that didn't get any response so I only used it a few days and let the rest of the free trial lapse unused. I just bought a pair of Airpods Pro v2 for my son. They come with a free Apple Music subscription, so I might give it a try.
 
brodricj said:
I tried Tidal but I had some support issues that didn't get any response so I only used it a few days and let the rest of the free trial lapse unused. I just bought a pair of Airpods Pro v2 for my son. They come with a free Apple Music subscription, so I might give it a try.
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I think Apple Music is a pretty poor product. I only have it as I received 6 months free with an Apple purchase.
 
MichaelsMinute said:
Hello - although I have a wide variety of musical tastes from Frank Sinatra, to Taylor Swift, to opera, my heart is in vocal trance from my younger days - specifically from the 2004-2014 time period before it lost its way to become more mainstream (IMO).

I have Apple Music and Tidal and find the selection of vocal trance to be superior on Tidal along with the sound quality and ease of music discovery. I've never really tried Spotify.

Have you compared Spotify to Tidal? Would love your thoughts if you have. Thanks!
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I concur Tidal has a wide range of electronic music and quality is better than Spotify. I use Tidal in my main system and Spotify is used in the car and by my toddler.

+1 for vocal trance. It took me a long time to get electronic music sound right in my system. Now, every time I play my favorite vocal trance, it’s all goosebumps city.
 
Mike said:
...I would never use such a world class DAC with a PS3 connected with a cheap optical cable and playing compressed Spotify and expect anything other than poor results.
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My bad. Novice operator error. Having previously discovered clock sync is per input on D1X I hadn't engaged clock sync on the optical input for Spotify streamed from the PS3. Wow, what a difference. N-01 Spotify magic restored. What a difference the master clock makes, musicality in spades from a gaming console connected with a 15m $15 plastic optical cable streaming 320 kbps! For anybody owning Esoteric hardware do yourself a favor and buy a master clock generator, even the entry level G-02X. A Shunyata Sigma Clock-50 is the other essential ingredient of the secret sauce. I'm wondering now whether the next upgrade step is Lumin U2 mini or G1X master clock?....OK, I stopped wondering, G1X is 10+ times the price of U2 mini
 
brodricj said:
For me, anything Zoe Johnston on Above and Beyond.

Above & Beyond feat. Zoë Johnston - Only A Few Things - YouTube

And whilst not vocal trance, Lisa Gerrard on the Gladiator O.M.P.S. is absolutely spine tingling on my musical reality machine.
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Most Above and Beyond is GREAT.

Also - old Tiesto before he went mainstream. Check out his Just Be album. Also like his Elements of Life album - though not vocal

Audrey Gallagher is great; so is Emma Hewitt.

And Dash Berlin was really the last of the great Vocal Trance era. Check out his song "Waiting" though he's got a bunch of great ones.

IMO the golden years were about 2004-2012 trailing off into 2014 then it hits a brick wall except for a few. Above & Beyond is pretty spectacular with how they can be so versatile - check out their Acoustic at the Hollywood Bowl as an example.
 
The display on my D1X is sending my OCD haywire. D1X-L display is a completely different color to D1X-R. I complained to Esoteric about it. They said, send them a photo. But when I take a photo and view it on my computer screen they have the same color display. But to the naked eye they are very different. Explain that?
 
What has surprised me most about D1X is what G-02X continues to bring to the party. I would have thought the newly-developed Grandioso Custom VCXO II clock in D1X would outperform G-02X, making G-02X redundant. It doesn't. D1X sounds considerably better synchronized with G-02X clock than on internal clock alone.
 
brodricj said:
What has surprised me most about D1X is what G-02X continues to bring to the party. I would have thought the newly-developed Grandioso Custom VCXO II clock in D1X would outperform G-02X, making G-02X redundant. It doesn't. D1X sounds considerably better synchronized with G-02X clock than on internal clock alone.
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The new VCXO modules in the D1 and D1X are damned good. I am not surprised though that the G-02X being what it is (an extremely capable OCXO implementation in a dedicated component
with it's own power supplies, separating out the distribution board necessary to fork the master clock signal to multiple outputs, etc...) would have superior impact as it is OCXO first and foremost
which many have always found yields better results than even the best VCXO approach, and a full & separate bespoke component.
 
I have been contemplating G1X. I have a buyer for my G-02X if I choose to sell it. G1X is taller than G-02X so an adjustment of a YG rack shelf would be necessary, which is not something I look forward to doing.
 
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