I'll admit I'm the kind of buyer the retail people love. If i trust you i'm going to buy your products on faith that what you sell is going to do what you say it's going to do. In the case of the short block, I'm not sure really what it does but i bought it. I trust Empirical audio and Steve because I believe the off ramp 5, something i wasn't sure what it supposed to do, an expensive add on between my computer and my DAC, drastically improved my sound. To drop another 200$ was not too much of a leap of faith. I trusted. What a pleasant surprise to get mine delivered today. I thought i was getting a plastic filter of some sort, I didn't care. I took it out of the package to find something heavy and sustancial. Not that means anything but it's not what i expected. I dont even know how or where to use it. Pretty sure it goes like this: mac mini>usb cord>short block>or5>w4s dac2.
So it's working i'm hearing sound. And frankly it sounds amazing. How is it different? A subjective quick review: I'm not sure yet. I'll try to describe. I listen to a lot of live music, and it really sounds live. The 3d observations people talking about, I'd say that but not sure i'd of come up on the on my own. Listening to a 24/96 Ryan Adams the drums sounds super tight. Then a cowboy junkies track has depth i dont remember hearing. Not really sure how to describe but I have a bunch of commitments i dont feel like doing because I'm so involved in the music.
