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Focal Elegia

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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote robbiec Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2022 at 10:26am
Ash, pulling your leg a little :). Pricing of those cards seems to fall into the reassuringly expensive category but if you wanted an especially clean output to a DAC then they may very well do the trick. I am wondering though if they are trying to fix a problem that has already been engineered out in the last decade or so, especially in higher end PC's. 
Hang on tightly, let go lightly.

Voyager x 2 | Bitzie | Gran Amp 2 SE | Solo SRGII | PSU1 x 3 | Proprius x 2 | Majestic | Rega Planar 2 & Exact | Focal Aria & Elegia
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 19 Jul 2022 at 7:47pm
I guess it depends on the motherboard. Modern gaming motherboards tend to have very good sound considerations already. Maybe it is just marketing that I have bought into but I'm wiling to give it some consideration. No power is "filtered" from the motherboard; it is only the data lines that are connected. The power supply is external and separate from the PC.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote robbiec Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 20 Jul 2022 at 9:30am
I've disabled the sound card on my board and am using the Bitzie 'As' the de-facto sound card for my main PC and it works pretty well. For giggles I took the output from the Bitzie and piped that into a cheap mini amp that drives my Focal Chorus 706 speakers and the improvement was tangible.   
Hang on tightly, let go lightly.

Voyager x 2 | Bitzie | Gran Amp 2 SE | Solo SRGII | PSU1 x 3 | Proprius x 2 | Majestic | Rega Planar 2 & Exact | Focal Aria & Elegia
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2022 at 8:08am
I guess a major advantage of such a PCIe card is that any computer can be permitted to produce fantastic sound quality, even those with older motherboards, electrically noisy components and poorer voltage regulation. I personally opted for a S/PDIF card so I could avoid USB completely and experiment with using small single board computers that can be used as streamers but are powerful enough to be a desktop PC and have the architecture to run Windows.

So any computer with PCIe hardware access can be compared on a level playing field.


Edited by Ash - 21 Jul 2022 at 8:29am
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote robbiec Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2022 at 9:49am
Elegia's arrived yesterday - protective wrappers are still on the zip handles and the plugs of the cable. Is that an hi-fi headphone thing I wonder where they know that in reality they are only renting or ownership will be short term.  Quality wise, they are comfy and well made. 
Sound wise, the thing that jumps out for me is how revealing Bitzie and Elegia are. I have for the first time opened an account with Tidal to hear tracks at what they classify as Master level (2304+ kbps) because now I can hear the difference. The other thing is the temptation to turn Bitzie up :) if you're in a quiet location between 7 & 8 O'Clock on Bitzie is more than enough, throw on a high quality recording and you're at 12 because you're getting into it. Anything beyond 1PM and I think you're probably beginning to damage your ears even through the quality is fantastic. 
There is a 10 minute remaster of Child in Time on Tidal and at about 3 mins there is a massive opening of the soundstage as the band take off and you're tweaking Bitzie to 3PM :D,  
Hang on tightly, let go lightly.

Voyager x 2 | Bitzie | Gran Amp 2 SE | Solo SRGII | PSU1 x 3 | Proprius x 2 | Majestic | Rega Planar 2 & Exact | Focal Aria & Elegia
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote robbiec Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2022 at 9:58am
Originally posted by Ash Ash wrote:

I personally opted for a S/PDIF card so I could avoid USB completely and experiment with using small single board computers that can be used as streamers but are powerful enough to be a desktop PC and have the architecture to run Windows.

S/PDIF card in a primary computer linked to smaller secondary computers which work as streamers?
Hang on tightly, let go lightly.

Voyager x 2 | Bitzie | Gran Amp 2 SE | Solo SRGII | PSU1 x 3 | Proprius x 2 | Majestic | Rega Planar 2 & Exact | Focal Aria & Elegia
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Ash Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Jul 2022 at 12:59pm
S/PDIF PCIe card on my PC motherboard, with dual coaxial output, one of which feeds the Majestic DAC. Completely bypasses any USB layer.

The Focal Elegia is a low impedance, high sensitivity load. I'm not surprised that the Bitzie drives it loud with plenty of dial turn remaining.
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