buymeacoffee.com/paulthird (if you got any benefit from the time I took to do these tests) BTW as you can see the DAC to Speakers side is still a mystery to me so I took a lot of stuff out of the original edit cause the truth is that I just don't know the answers. Maybe if I Built my own DAC or something I'd have a bit of a better idea but after watching a lot of lectures on DAC's I realised that it's a rabbit hole I have no intention of going down cause in reality it sounds like more of a sink hole into a parallel universe than your standard audio rabbit hole 😂😅 As I said at the end, just listen for yourself in a controlled environment and only consider an investment unless you truly believe that the difference (if you hear any out of your speakers/phones) is justifiable in order to hear the mix better. Just cause I hear a difference in the topping doesn't mean you would, or would even bother you. I just want to be overly cautious as I'm advising something that is subjective and incredibly difficult to test. FYI I still have no idea how I managed to get the video to look that bad.. Actually I do, cause I'm an audio engineer and a shite youtuber.. Ach well, I'll try another angle and lighting next time. Seriously I hate everything involving video! 🤣

We don't know how good we've got it. Back in the day studios would say "Use vocals on #3, it's a bit brighter" because of the variances in manufacturing or maybe Elsie in assembly used too much solder or whatever. Now we're down to picoseconds and "I can hear the difference". No, you probably can't.

I cant stop listening to Paul’s accent . Sounds like watching Austin Powers reviewing audio gear. Love it

Paul Third: I've stopped doing controversial plugin videos - let's step it up to hardware

Live your best life! haha Love it. I am a proud owner of the Lynx Aurora N. I mix with it. I master with it. I monitor with it. It's perfect for all that. I am one of those fools who has had tons of converters really expensive stupid ones. The Lynx sounds amazing and is super clean....no need to keep searching. One thing I must say about pricing. Sometimes you pay for what you get for when it comes to stability. The Lynx stuff has been rock solid for me. That's not something I can say about other brands I have used.

Hi Paul, long time watcher here, i really enjoy your videos mate, honestly though all this talk about conversion goes over my head😂 i would love to learn more about it to really get a better grasp on it. I seen in some videos of yours were you talking about the Topping dx7 pro +. I have been thinking of trying one out but i'm on the fence because i am not sure if i need it. I have an Rme UFX ii and a Ferofish pulse 16. First off i don't even know if i can connect via AES because thats all i have left as ins and outs as the rest is taking up with hardware. Also i am not sure if i have to use clocking between them too. Am i right though if i did try it out that it would not be benificial as a headphone amp without dropping a lot more on good headphones? I do realise that your giving out so much advice to people and i would greatly appreciate any advice you could give me too. Thanks again for the quality content.

As always, great video Paul, I have a question though, I always work with cans, and I'm planning on getting better gear; so my question is, would you recommend buying a HP amp together with the Topping DX 7 Pro + ( I'm planing on getting the Ollo S5X cans) 👀?, thanks in advance Mate!

great vid paul at 96k the conversion is really quite good. I have a question, do you ever have any clocking issues when using just the converters of the interface? Do you ever have to compensate in the daw? for example the Antelope audio pure 2 has a "master clock".

Good work!

I took a long time for semi-pro-consumer DACs to be as good as they are now... And that's why people make such a big deal about them.... Preconceptions from how it used to be. Some people are buying expensive convertors because they like the sound of them... Not because they are transparent.... It does feel like there are really subtle differences. That can be defined as like space, or 3D.... Clarity.... That kind of thing. A lot of people say they use a particular converter because of that, for running to outboard gear. I want to check out some of the Topping stuff at some point.... Seems like an amazing bang to for buck proposition... I'm not worried about ADC... My Moto one sound fine... I got this unit because of the meters in the extra channels in, as a bonus they can bypass the preamp... For outboard preamps. I'm not even using outboard gear once everything is inside the box right now.... But if I do start sending it back out to analog gear. Maybe the Topping would be nice.... Maybe it's really just more important for monitoring... Whatever. Lol. I don't know if I'm ever going to worry about it honestly

This is why I love my Kii Three speakers... Dac built in and calibrated for!

Totally understand the “haze”you speak of! I recently got a Cranborne 500 R8 and it was like a blanket got pulled off my speakers. It has some of if not the lowest jitter available on the market!

Totally know what you mean about the “haze”. I have an Evo 16 but also an RME UCX II. Worlds different connecting them to monitors. I don’t hear hardly any difference on the ADC end though. Wondering if it’s just the amplification like you were alluding to in the video.

Keep going, you are saving me a fortune 😄😄 I'd much rather invest in stuff that makes a real difference.

Love it! 🔥🔥🔥

Love my Evo16! It’s awesome.

Paul you're the best ! Cheers from Paris 🤘

I definitely share your opinion. The room in which your speakers are placed, has by far the most impact on your mixing decisions. Then the speakers and then the rest. The best investment are good speakers, a good room and the acoustic treatment You may use this half of your life without the need to improve it. It keeps the value. Todays converters are generally very good, even the cheap ones, e. g. the zoom 32 Bit ADDAs. Expensive ones offer very little difference compared to other gear in the production chain.

Lynx converters along with Apogee are the best in my opinion. I have tried some mid range gear (SSL 12, MBox Studio, Presonus, UAD Apollo…). it sounds different to my ears. Lynx is fantastic for crystal clear audio, their Aurora series is still supported and the great thing about them they are in parts modular. Especially their Auroran series, you can get USB cards, Thunderbolt cards, Mic pres. And they are reliable. Same applies for Apogee, with a difference in sound. They sound clear but tend to tame the highs a bit. Sometimes you would want exactly that, sometimes you may want the Lynx sound. That’s just a matter of taste. I don’t think a device like the EVO will be around in 10 years. These kind of devices are just producing electronic waste. Just buy real quality once and keep for 15-20 years.

@PaulThird How do you run your Topping,...like coming off of what ? The evo's digital out ,spdif?, aes ?optical?

Paul are you using a master clock and did it improve your sound in any conceivable way ?

Paul do you know if the AES port on the back would be able to run my genelecs via AES or is it purely only an Input port?

4:59 - First time mixer here - that "turning up the amplification" comment hit home - That bit me hard on a couple of my mixes.

Ad/da conversion will always degrad audio quality, however it depens if it's worth it based on what the signal is passing through.. some converter has a good soft clipping when they are pushed(notihing compared to digital Sofclipping) no aliasing, no bandwidth limits etc.. however it could make sense since you can use it in more unconventional ways.. but if you are totally ITB getting ones just for the clippings it depens on your plans, great video paul! I forgot... You pay for transformers, soft clipping and.. ofc the filter. I think there is a fair sweetspot however

I pulled out my old Presonus firepod FP10 out of the shed about a month ago that I bought way back in 2007 or 2008. I redid one of my tracks. And what do you know? It sounded absolutely fine! I also had an old joemeek twinq two channel strip unit with build in AD conversion. Again...sounded perfectly fine! These units are old AF!

@PaulThird Just letting you know you are appreciated! People like me need you to do this kind of obsessing so we don't have to... Your words have weight my mate! When I get my next DAC or pair of headphones I'll be reviewing your videos son. Thank you.

Love this video

Amazing advice, don't spend (I would say waste but yeah apple apple) money on thing you don't need. But it is difficult for us :) soooo difficult haha

Paul, Could you tell me that having a RME UFX III paired with a Ferrofish A32pro (black face unit) that I am going to really hear difference between the two or do I need to go out and buy the new RME that is coming in September M-1620 pro. it has 16 ins and 20 outs. I seriously do not know how and why I went down this rabbit hole with converters. I just want to make sure my stuff is pro enough. Yes, I watched your video but I am still concerned. Please advise.

I've got an RME Babyface Pro for ADDA to my compressor, but I send the speakers their signal from the Tascam Uh-7000 linked via spdif because the space between the instruments is so much better and clearer

Paul, I notice when I hook up my Ferrofish A32pro to the RME UFX III. I get .23 to .25 latency/delay between the 2 units. I take it that is happening through the MADI connection. Can I fix it with a BNC word clock connection or is there some other way?

But what happens if i record at 96k in my audient and then mix that recording with the other elements and print in my daw the mix at 48k or 44k? its going to be ''filtered'' ? or all that high end information that i got at 96k its gonna be there anyways?

Any dac suggestions around the 300 dollar mark

I really get that there may be some very technical differences. But I feel that many of those differences are moot because the vast majority of listners cannot hear any difference whatsoever. Espescially through crappy phone or laptop speakers. I suppose it depends on your intended audience.

Hmm, does this mean i can get a high end analog gear and itll sound just as good through my Focusrite Scarlett?

If I'm using an Apollo X duo which has optical in and I want to test out the Topping should I just route a n optical in cable and clock it to the Topping to appreciate this difference or is there more involved? I have decent monitoring do your recon I will hear the difference?

No one said a good take is a synonym for a popular take I guess

Hahaha, this was a different video. I can tell you've spent some time with the topic and it seems to have been just enough time not to want to spend more time with the topic, because at some point the return on investment simply isn't there anymore. We can't understand it all and do what we do. We all choose our paths and others can't understand everything we do neither, because they are on theirs. Spotted a controller on your desk. I love controllers - they make work so much more fun (and quicker, and intuitive, and..). Glad you're giving controllers a go!

I think I’ll stick with my lavry and grace design converters.

Do more pulsar modular reviews

I have wasted TONS in high end plugins. My room lies, my JBLs may or may not be worth a shot. Who knows? Looking back, and I am old enough to have known better, my hard-earned $$ would have been way better spent on treatment and monitoring.

👍‍‍🌟👍‍‍

How do Apollo x6 or 16 compare to this

can't you hear 0.1 db eq move on your mixbus ??

hahaha thats true , everybody forgets about the round trip, aaaa that was a good one ,yeah man you know your stuff ,I still dont get it why so many people are upset with u,anyway ,the right ppl are hearing u and that's what matters

Comedy, love it!

Interesting that you’re only mentioning frequency response in this video. To me the biggest difference between converters is actually how they handle transients

I agree with a lot of what you're saying. However, have you soak tested both units with the voltage swings many consumers suffer from? There's parts of the UK grid you're often lucky to see 220 volts. In which case, which one copes the better , which one doesn't mind being fed "dirt"? Don't get me wrong, there's some very esoteric kit that falls over if it's not fed a nice clean, stable voltage. Traditionally, expensive kit often has a PSU that's pretty much, bombproof, cheaper gear, that's where they cut costs. Now, you may never have an issue. Unfortunately, others will be plagued with issues. It's a lottery, there's no hard and fast rules. That's why I have a Lake People Headphone amp, it can run just fine, off the Ukrainian grid as Vlad the Inhaler is chucking Kinjals at it.

All this reminds me of the old days back in the 90s when people were moaning that Tascam half inch machines sounded so shit and only 2” machines really had the definition needed to make proper records 😂😂🤣 then we got digidesign 888/24 and so many people said finally now we have proper conversion we can leave the 2” behind now. But the 888s sounded aweful but I had Grammy winning engineers telling me they were great . So iPaid £40,000 for 32ins and outs and guess what . It sounded terrible . I had both the expensive 2” otari and a 1/2 inch tascam machine and made albums which charted on all of them . Hell we got big movie soundtrack song which was recorded on a cassette 4 track 🤣🤣😂 There’s so much of this talk these days . Mostly because of the overwhelming amount of possible opinions on KZfaq and really none of it matters . Even more so today . The amount of major hits billboard 100 number 1s made with a focusrite Scarlett is ridiculous . And especially when the final destination for nearly 100% of all music recorded anywhere in the world is an iPhone speaker who actually gives a flying fuck at all! ! One thing I’ve noticed is the engineers and producers who nearly no social media presence at all enjoy there work the most and virtually no problems using the gear they use . They just get on with it ! The folks who show there studios off are never happy and always questioning everything !😂😂 Music is music . It’s an artist expression. And comically nearly all my all time favourite records are what most of the world today would say are terrible recordings . Low budget quick mixed one room recorded with shit Econo gear and the right vibe! If it works and it’s honest it’s right ! Well that’s my two peneths worth ! Keep it up Paul . Always an entertaining listen !

I like this guy 😂

LOL

🫡👍🏾🫡

Test in MixAnalog is not valid...

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