Audio Note CDT-5 transport and Fifth Element DAC downstairs
We moved the Audio Note Fifth Element, Fifth Force and CDT-Five downstairs to prepare for demos for a few out-of-town guests this week.
We have the CDT-Five next to the Walker, the Fifth Element DAC and the Fifth Force on the shelf below. The Walker is hooked up to the S9 step-up and it is all going to the M9 Phono preamplifier the two boxes there on the bottom left. Above them our CDT-Three and DAC 4 Balanced are also hooked up. Welcome to high-end audio shootout heaven.
We are still using the Jinro downstairs, soon to be the Ongako, as we move things around like mad during the demos. Our high-gain Kegon amps are on the left there on the old RixRax amp stands.
Closeup of the Audio Note Jinro integrated in black.
A few more details about the Fifth Element DAC (and its Fifth Force power supply):
* The Fifth Force is a separate power supply, which is an upgraded DAC5 Signature supply but with better stabilization, better mains transformers (double HiB c-cores) and other detail improvements
* Fifth Element Valve input buffer; the buffer is synchronized to match the output of the CDT Five, so whilst other CD transports will work, they will not be close to the performance of a CDT Five. The valve buffer consists of an EF800 Telefunken or similar, it has its own separate power supply with a 6X5 valve rectifier feeding the HT
* The I/V interface is a newly designed all silver wired transformer with a massive core (same as the AN-S9), it provides far better low level and is individually adjusted for the exact behavior of the output of the selected AD1865 converter chip
Mike,
I think that the real question is how the Audio Note compares to the best of the newer technology as exemplified by the EMM Labs XDS1. I suspect that the answer will be that they are different in what they do well, but then again perhaps not. It has been my experience in the past that price does not always guarantee superiority; however, price plus a designer with good ears is hard to beat.
Fred
Hi Fred,
My explanation for what is happening is that [and please understand that I have a lot to learn about both of these digital front ends. There is just a lot to hear and to experience.
* Emm Labs is perfecting the digital sound experience – extremely clean, very black background, incredibly accurate. The Dream of Digital, and that this is pioneering a territory of a whole new ‘type’ of sound. It is not Analog, it is not like Reel-to-reel, it is not like the old POS digital we’ve had for almost 30 years now [jeez, getting old ain’t we? :-)].
* Audio Note is perfecting the music playback experience – extremely tonally true [I was brought to tears – DAC 5 Sig->M9->AN I forget – listening from my office, realizing I had spent my whole life listening to systems that did not sound at all like music tonally, that a large percentage of music enjoyment is in the wonderful tones. I am over it now, except I have a stupid $75K DAC on my ‘won’t be happy until I get it’ list:-)], dynamics that are… much more real. (I will say LP-like so you all kind of know what I am talking about) [I would rather liken it to the original music and wonder at how so many pieces in the component chain seem to compress the dynamics.], multiple levels of PRaT [so disrespected, this musical attribute, for me, is one of the most wonderful: musicians can create all sorts of emotional suspense and release for our higher brain functions by altering the notes start and end points slightly relative to the beat AND the beat itself is hard-wired into our monkey brains], and other stuff I hope to learn ALL about 🙂
** Both offer exceptional control over the individual notes down to the micro-note level [just like the AN amps: the Kegon Balanced (and all of their better amps) in particular, just like the AN preamps: the M10 (and the M9) in particular. ]. This means great separation, realistic attack decay, emotional components preserved, etc.
** Both render very subtle details and melodies in a manner that treats them as first class sounds. You can spend all your time listening enjoying to just some background thread to the music – something that is hard to do live unless you have heard the particular performance so many times that you feel you would not be missing anything by ignoring the main melody, AND also assuming that the sound of the performance is preserved in its entirety where you are sitting [which is highly unlikely].
** Both are so far ahead of the competition it is somewhat embarrassing and the fact that they play the same maligned silver discs that we all have [those of us who are 30+ somethings] just laying around all over the place is kind of really nice and convenient.
OK. Long post.
Take care [and happy holidays, Fred! All our planning for CES… we have to keep adjusting because, “Oh man, Fred won’t be there”. Won’t be the same. Won’t be the same at all….],
-Mike
Mike,
I think that it will require repeated reading of your response before I will be able to “grok” it. None the less, it has generated a certain curiousity on my part to hear the AN gear.
Fred