Topic: RESEED: Round 2: V3/Oade-warm-mod-UA5 comparison

[DaryanLenz]

I agree, I don't think the schoeps do the ua-5 much justice due to the low end!  The presence factor could be the levels as well, maybe I will bump them up and see if that makes much difference this evening!

D

[Brian Skalinder]

Alright - FWIW I did this comparison blindly as well, just as you all.  I'll start telling people privately which is which shortly.  Here's my take:

A Comments
Overall punchier than B, I think contributing to the in-your-face feeling RobC mentions.  Highs kinda jumped out at me, but I found them a bit spitty and a little harsh, fatiguing to me after a while.  I don't hear as smooth a transition from highs into mids as I do on B.  Mids and vocals more up front, but again not as defined/detailed and there's something - maybe something missing? - here in the low mids resulting in a stridency I found fatiguing.  More prominent low end but fuzzier and not as rich and defined as B.

B Comments
Overall smoother and richer, more detailed, more integrated across the range from high to low, if that makes sense .  Crisp, clean, smooth highs - they don't stand out nearly as much to me as on A.  Meatier/fuller mids and vocals, although not as up front as A.  Lows again not as prominent, but tighter, smoother, more detailed, somehow...broader and deeper.

Individual Responses
RobC - I hear you on the in-your-face sense, the up-front feeling on source A.

Daryan/Chase - we definitely have different playback systems and/or ears!  For the most part, I hear things differently than you describe them, though it may easily be chalked up to the difficulty of translating what our ears hear into the written word.

BCostigan - I think we're in agreement, here.

Tube - I'd love to hear this comp with DPAs/AKGs, too - maybe I can hook up with someone in the Cleveland/Columbus/Pittsburgh areas to try it out.  When you say the Schoeps boom hurts the UA5 source, which do you mean: A or B?

Jonny - looks like we're in the minority here on preferring B over A.

STL-Taper - I definitely agree on what you're hearing in the low mids on B (or not hearing in the low mids on A), but not so much on the muddiness of the low end.

Bottom Line For Me
Personally, I prefer B.  While I appreciated the punchy, in-your-face feeling of A initially, I found the - to me - exaggerated highs and lows fatiguing and really enjoyed listening much more to the richer, smoother sound of B.

Playback Gear
PC >
Waveterminal 2496 >
Airhead 'phone amp >
AKG K501s headphones

and

Toshiba SD-2900 (cheapo DVD/CD player with digi-out) >
Sony E9000ES (basically acting as DAC) >
Rotel RTC-950AX preamp >
Adcom GFA-555 power amp >
Magnepan MMGs / Pinnacle Babyboomer sub

[Matt Quinn]

"When you say the Schoeps boom hurts the UA5 source, which do you mean: A or B?"

B. The bass in source A is damn near perfect to my ears.

Overall, I'd say I *very* slightly prefered source A.

[DaryanLenz]

I agree, the difference is not 1000 dollars at all.  I found source a to be fatiging after awhile as well, but initially I definately liked it better.  I listened several more times late last night, and I found source B to be one that kind of grows on you while a initialy leaps out as the better one.  I really can't put what I hear in words btw!

D

[Todd R]

My opinion:  Timmy Tucker came from a long line of geeks.

Oops, that's a fact.

I find both sources to be pretty close to one another and I'll say again after I heard the first comp done by Craig T:  congrats to those who've gotten the wmod UA5, definitely a nice piece of gear and great for the money.

That said, I give my nod to source B.

I find source A to have more low end, but to me it is not as defined.  I prefer the low end of B, which is tighter and more defined to my ears, though less in your face.

Though A has more low end, I still find it brighter.  This might be why a lot of folks find it to be more detailed, since the detail it provides is easier to hear.  Same as I often hear folks (non-tapers) say about the DMic-20--more detailed, due I think to the greater emphasis on the mids.

Overall, though, I like B better.  I find it to have slightly more upper mid and high end detail.  The upper mids on source A have a bit more of an edge or harshness to them, so like Brian I find A to be a bit more fatiguing.

Along with more high end detail, I find more soundstage detail with source B.  Easier to relax into a coherent, stable soundstage with B, something I don't get as clearly with A.

So that's it for me.  Though they're close, I like the tight low end of B, the more refined and better detailed upper mids and highs of B, and the better soundstage detail of B.

So B it is, though I don't know which is which.  I'll have to say B is the V3 since that's what I own, so it'd be nice to think that I like what I have.

Thanks Brian for putting this together.

-Todd

Oh, BTW, playback system:
Sony CD diskman with optical out (only player to read the CDRW disk I put the tracks on)
Audio Alchemy DTI+ jitter reducer
Audio Alchemy DAC
AMC cvt1030 tube preamp (with Tesla Telefunken-knockoff tubes)
Acurus A100 amp
Maggie MMG speakers
Pinnacle babyboomer sub

[Brian Skalinder]

[snip]I find more soundstage detail with source B.  Easier to relax into a coherent, stable soundstage with B, something I don't get as clearly with A.[snip]

Yes!!  I struggled to find the words to express this in my post, and just couldn't put it together.  Thanks for the detailed response, Todd and all...let's hear more feedback!

[mizary]

Ok...  I don't know which one I like better...

Upon first listening I did like A much better...  Very detailed, crisp sound.  detailed highs and more bass than B.

However I agree that the difference is only noticable when you switch from A to B.  After a couple seconds B sounds great.

I think B is more listenable...  Smoother sounding...  But I would rather own the source A pre+a/d (if A and B cost the same and I could only own ONE pre/ad).  I think it's more transparent...  If you want a recording to sound a particular way you can always tweak it in post.  I think source A would give you more flexibility for post production work...

However this is the real world...  I have never gotten around to tweaking a recording in post... It's alot of work...  I would rather get something semi transparent but listenable, like source B.

Then there is cost... If B is the UA5 you also get a nice savings...  For me, for the $$$ and the purposes I would be using it for (taping random bands) I would go with the UA5...

However if I had my own band and wanted to start recording our shows to sell or give away...  I would want the v3, mainly because I would want as transparent as a sound as possible to start with - before tweaking the heck out of it.  

Although what do I know...  I am listening to this on my PC though $10 headphones!  

Actually the $10 headphones are pretty nice... little sony earbuds.  I forget the model # - but they were highly respected in the world of earbud headphones.  They are grey and silver.

I missed the first comp...  Glad I got to hear this one...  keep up the good work Brian...  you are an asset to ts.com and the taping community in general!  +T (like you really need another!)

--mizary

--mizary

[phishn]

FYI, if you're wondering how a warm mod sounds with Phish..check this bt out.  One note of interest..even though my levels were peaking around -1, they seemed to be to high with the warm mod.  I reduced the levels by 2 db in this source and the bassy washout went away.  Guess I should aim for -3 db peaks with this setup.

  http://bt.etree.org/details.php?id=1004

[Brian Skalinder]

I believe I've contacted everyone who posted feedback with the source info.  Anyone still wanting to chime in on this one, or shall I reveal the sources?

[dmonterisi]

go ahead and reveal it, the poll results are very interesting...people really want to like the v3 and hear all sorts of different things.  nobody seems to be pulling for the underdog.

[phishn]

I'm pulling for the underdog and so are my tapes..

[Brian Skalinder]

go ahead and reveal it, the poll results are very interesting...people really want to like the v3 and hear all sorts of different things.  nobody seems to be pulling for the underdog.

Definitely interesting poll results, Damon.  And while people may be pulling for the V3, that's the beauty of the blind comparison - no one knows while listening.

These comps reveal (not surprisingly) what most of us already know - we all have different ears/brains.  I can't fathom some of the things others are hearing...just doesn't make any sense to me based on my listening.  Thank goodness we have lots of gear to choose from to satisfy all those different ears!

[Brian Skalinder]

Well, the poll results speak for themselves - pretty much 50/50 so far across the board with respect to preference and guesses at which source is which.

FWIW, of the people who responded with feedback in the post - thanks everyone! - looks like 7 preferred source A and 3 preferred source B.

And now, the answer - if you don't want to know, don't scroll down!
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A = Oade-warm-mod-UA5
B = V3

[dmonterisi]

this comp proves once again, and for all time that the V3 rules your face!  just kidding of course...as brian says, this comp proves everyone hears different things and that playback may influence what you hear in recordings way more than the pre/ad/cables etc.  nice work brian.

[Brian]

IMO
this comp proves again that there is not a $1000 quality difference in sound between the two units....my main point in the last comp.  I prefer the more in your face sound of source A(w-mod) but i do also understand how some people can enjoy the smoothness of source B over time. both sources are good in their own ways.

Brian