mcatalao wrote: ↑04 Apr 2023
10 db dinamic range, on full scale, thats down on the lowest level (because you start at 0), and even your amps will have noise over that threshold (whether they are monitors or headphones) . I'm just saying, you spent money where objectively you wont have an improvement over either your listening chain or your recording chain because your outboard gear wont be able to reproduce those 10 db difference at low levels, second you don't possible extinguish 116 db dinamic range in real world (for that you have to go from almost absolute silence to something like 120 dbspl (the soind of an airplane at 1 meter?) and have an ear melt in one sec).
But i digress.
Glad my tips helped nonetheless.
I saw an ASR video which explained how momentary peaks can jump up to 130 dBSPL or so during a concert. Maybe even louder. Those are the peaks.
Example: When we record a snap, the clicky part is super loud, and we can compress a ton of it before it has a useful loudness. Most likely, we won't even notice the compression.
When creating a hat-alike drum, and setting the envelope, things can get really loud and clicky. Now imagine making a kick drum then - due to our insensitivity to bass frequencies, we will design (and later mix) a kick in a way that eats up a lot of that dynamic range.
The finished (engineered) sounds' dynamic range is of course a lot lower; and modern samples are compressed to death.
Anyway, when just using synthesizers on Reason, with the Topping combo I hear zero noise, turned all the way up.
Can't do the same with my Scarlett.
And one important thing I noticed on Topping, was that I heard extra detail in music, things I didn't notice before. Everything sounded better. I noticed better transient response, and better stereo image (mono sounds stay in center and don't randomly appear to move around in some frequencies, or at different volumes).
There are many factors to consider when it comes to DACs, Headphone Amplifiers, etc.
At least these are the things I read and noticed, too.
Of course, you're right that the initial listening difference isn't mind blowing, but what extra I paid for premium quality, is there. And yes, prices skyrocket the closer we get to the high/end level. A total of 300 EUR was doable IMO.
Look at the prices of RME, Apollo, etc, how much a professional DAC and HP Amp costs. The proper devices start even for RME around 1000 EUR.
Including Scarlett Solo, my 3 boxes total tops 450 EUR. (Even if the mic preamp and ADC aren't premium quality.)