Sorry for the radio silence - work has been barmy this week.
Well, this beastie has kept gradually maturing as it burns in, especially in the midrange, thankfully, which initially sounded a little cold and recessed on some pieces compared with the original Statement, accentuated by the increased detail and dynamism across the range. I say initially: it still does but it keeps improving. This has been my only doubt so far. There’s been just a little lack of texture, delicacy and depth there.
Other observations - all positive - are that the new PS makes a nice difference even on old recordings like the 1953-4 Schwarzkopf Strauss last songs (really showing the difference between the rather poor Qobuz FLAC download and my CD rip), Furtwangler Beethoven 7th or early seventies Boult, bringing added clarity that opening out the interplay between different sections/instruments of the orchestra (and the singer).
So far, so subtle, but the new Statement really astonishes on good modern recordings: the new The Gift by Paul Berner and Michael Moore, Al de Meola et al in Friday Night in San Francisco, Forcione’s Talking Hands, Ted Sirota’s Geronimo’s Free, where there’s much more detail and definition, a greater presence of the instruments and of course what the musicians are up to with them. Improved flow and PRaT, too.
All sorts of instrumental textures benefit, also, drums and brass especially, but piano very much, too, from guttural bass to bell-like upper registers. The Moravec Chopin Nocturnes respond well.
All this applies to big orchestral works, too, (just listening to Gorecki Symphony 3) but also wonderfully loonie stuff like Cocteau Twins’ Musette and Drums, for the latter partly because of the more extended and defined bass (even if we’re talking drum machine here), but also because of the weird layering and interplay between drums, voice and wailing guitar on this piece.
Everything of course benefits from the greater sense of space and spatial precision across a much more “present” soundstage
Anyway, I’ll have more to say when I’ve had more time to listen and less work absorbing my energies. Above all, I hope to be able to confirm that the midrange comes into its own. Which has also been my excuse for not posting more. I think we’re nearly there now, though.
And for those reading this who think it’s strange for all of this to apply to a digital front end that’s just a music server never mind a DAC, well I can understand where you’re coming from. But make a difference the Statement certainly does, and with this new PS possibly over half as much again.