Overdrive -- Initial Impressions

PLMONROE · « **on:** 28 Feb 2009, 03:06 am »

I have just started setting this up but could not resist running the digital out from my Northstar transport into the Overdrive for a brief quick and dirty listen. And suddenly -- I DON'T KNOW WHERE WE ARE TOTO, BUT THIS ISN'T KANSAS ANYMORE! I definitely am somewhere over the rainbow! Beautiful gorgeous mids, silky pristine highs that must go all the way to to heaven, and the bass, my God the BASS. I have never heard bass like this outside the concert hall! I can't even begin to imagine how this will sound once its properly set up and broken in. Steve you sure missed the boat in naming this one, it should be called the NIRVANA!

Paul

satfrat · « **Reply #1 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 03:43 am »

Gee Paul, your Overdrive impressions are eerily simular to my own impressions of Steve's Off-Ramp 3.

The highs are so extended with a multi-layered midrange sound stage and a very tight but textured bass. Congratulations to you Paul and I'll also congratulate myself while I'm at it.

Cheers,
Robin

PLMONROE · « **Reply #2 on:** 28 Feb 2009, 04:18 am »

Yes and the Overdrive has a built in Off-Ramp 3. Can't wait until tomorrow to hook that up but for tonight I'm just going to sit back and marvel at what I have.

Paul

indirstr8s · « **Reply #3 on:** 3 Mar 2009, 05:27 pm »

Mine shipped. Waiting for it to arrive. Plmonroe, did you do your dirty listening in the line out mode or with the inbuilt volume control?

PLMONROE · « **Reply #4 on:** 4 Mar 2009, 03:39 am »

Line out -- too big a hurry to do onything other than slap it in where my other DAC was and turn it on. aa

Paul

indirstr8s · « **Reply #5 on:** 14 Mar 2009, 04:32 am »

PLMONROE,

Any further impressions?

PLMONROE · « **Reply #6 on:** 15 Mar 2009, 02:26 am »

Quote from: indirstr8s on 3 Mar 2009, 05:27 pm

Mine shipped. Waiting for it to arrive. Plmonroe, did you do your dirty listening in the line out mode or with the inbuilt volume control?

Quote from: indirstr8s on 14 Mar 2009, 04:32 am

PLMONROE,

Any further impressions?

As I understand yours was shipped on the 3rd. Do you have it up and running? If so what do you think of it? aa

Paul

indirstr8s · « **Reply #7 on:** 15 Mar 2009, 12:22 pm »

Mine is still in customs. I will follow up on it this week. I am already using offramp (i2s) with modded dac1, so my difference in the sound might not be very big.

Sanjay

PLMONROE · « **Reply #8 on:** 15 Mar 2009, 02:48 pm »

Quote from: indirstr8s on 15 Mar 2009, 12:22 pm

Mine is still in customs. I will follow up on it this week. I am already using offramp (i2s) with modded dac1, so my difference in the sound might not be very big.

Sanjay

Don't bet on it.

Compared to my former Empirical Audio modified Northstar DAC and modified Northstar Transport, which was a world class combo in I2S the difference is significant.

Paul

PLMONROE · « **Reply #9 on:** 15 Mar 2009, 04:06 pm »

Sanjay, I sympathize. Awaiting for customs to clear items is a real PITA! As my Overdrive continues to break in and as I am able to play more familiar music through it, the more I am impressed with its resolution. To illustrate I will give four examples:

1) Diana Krall's album -- Live in Paris, Track 11, "A Case of You". Her well known coughs at :41 and :44 into the introduction could be heard clearly with my previous DAC but only at a slightly increased volume over my normal listening level. Now they literally jump out at me.

2)Josh Groban's's album -- Josh Groban, Track 5, "To Where You Are". At 1:20 he slurs the word "smile" . On most systems, even good ones, you can't understand his pronunciation at all. With the Overdrive the word is much, much more distinct.

3) Universal Classics label -- Mozart -Eine Kleine Nachtmusik/Etc, Track 5, Three German Dances K 605. In the last dance sometimes commonly referred to as "Sleigh Ride" solo sleigh bells are played for about 20 seconds at 4:21 and 5:40. With the Overdrive it is clearly evident that the two sets of sleigh bells are slightly different. I could not distinguish this before.

4) Naxos label -- SOUSA: Music for Wind Band Vol 1, Track 13, "Kansas Wildcats". At about 2:00 a line is played on the trumpet somewhat in the background . With the Overdrive you can clearly hear the performer triple tongue the notes - a very difficult feat! I have never been able to detect the triple tonguing before.

I can't remember any DAC that I have heard before as resolving as the Overdrive!

Paul

indirstr8s · « **Reply #10 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 06:00 pm »

Paul, Thanks for the sympathies and wish Steve was as sympathetic and used not usps but ups or fedex. But I know that I will get the ovdrv eventually. I had the the Live in paris (diana krall). I did notice the coughs at the time stamps you mentioned, with the present setup. In fact there is one coughing at around 16-18 seconds too.
Appreciate your sharing of the experiences with the ovdrv. I will share mine, once I get my hands on it.

Sanjay

audioengr · « **Reply #11 on:** 17 Mar 2009, 08:28 pm »

Quote from: indirstr8s on 17 Mar 2009, 06:00 pm

Paul, Thanks for the sympathies and wish Steve was as sympathetic and used not usps but ups or fedex. But I know that I will get the ovdrv eventually. I had the the Live in paris (diana krall). I did notice the coughs at the time stamps you mentioned, with the present setup. In fact there is one coughing at around 16-18 seconds too.
Appreciate your sharing of the experiences with the ovdrv. I will share mine, once I get my hands on it.

Sanjay

The problem with FEDEX and UPS is that they use contractors to do the Customs work, and they are really really picky. This would likely hold things up even more and they would demand an invoice and proof of purchase from you etc..

Steve N.

indirstr8s · « **Reply #12 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 03:49 pm »

I finally got it today, phew!!

). I am listening to it currently through a transformer based passive preamp. My initial impressions....

1) Tremendous bass. I have not heard bass like this before.
2) Very resolving. Minutest details like singers breathing, coughs and sniffles from the audience are very clear.
Also sound of one instrument does not hide the sound of other. I could hear new things in "private investigations: Dire straits"
3) Lack of harshness has improved. Previously sometimes I had to lower the volume a bit in case high scale female vocals.
Vocal sibilance is replaced by minute level details, like release of breath.

I think the gain in the line out mode of my previous dac was higher, which I miss a bit.

audioengr · « **Reply #13 on:** 24 Mar 2009, 06:51 pm »

Quote from: indirstr8s on 24 Mar 2009, 03:49 pm

I finally got it today, phew!! ). I am listening to it currently through a transformer based passive preamp. My initial impressions....

1) Tremendous bass. I have not heard bass like this before.
2) Very resolving. Minutest details like singers breathing, coughs and sniffles from the audience are very clear.
Also sound of one instrument does not hide the sound of other. I could hear new things in "private investigations: Dire straits"
3) Lack of harshness has improved. Previously sometimes I had to lower the volume a bit in case high scale female vocals.
Vocal sibilance is replaced by minute level details, like release of breath.

I think the gain in the line out mode of my previous dac was higher, which I miss a bit.

Sanjay - Thanks for your feedback.

I have plans for a passive linestage which will boost the volume for cases like this. It will have 1:1 (for isolation only), 1:2 and 1:3 ratios I think. You can drive this with the balanced outs from the Overdrive and then it will have both balanced and SE outputs. It will also have two other analog inputs for things like turntables. The ratios will be selectable for each input, so the turntable volume can be adjusted to be the same as the digital Overdrive volume etc..

Since you have the same amps that I have, make sure to reduce the gain once and drive them directly balanced and let us know what you think.

Steve N.

indirstr8s · « **Reply #14 on:** 26 Mar 2009, 04:35 pm »

I tried the volume (preamp) mode. I thought it was good, enjoyed it for a few hours and then went back to the convenience of my remote controlled pre-amp. But guess what, I am going back to the direct mode and will stay there. It was quieter, female vocals were smoother no edge on high scales whatsoever, sound stage was better too. The direct connection was simply much more musical.
I used low gain jumper setting for the direct mode. The volume knob at the lowest setting was good for low volume listening but still high for night listening. I found myself putting the volume knob between 12'0 clock to 3'o clock.

Paul: You should try the direct mode. I found it to be good.

indirstr8s · « **Reply #15 on:** 27 Mar 2009, 11:21 am »

This DAC makes me happier and happier after I decided to go for the direct mode. Lack of harshness is the biggest revelation. Case in point is the "Hell freezes over:- Hotel California". I always used to put on this recording to impress my friends with the song opening, but later had to reduce the volume for some high scale passages. But withe overdrive, not only is the opening much more impressive but the rest of the track is a pleasure to listen without having to touch the volume. It is very musical.

Briefremarks · « **Reply #16 on:** 1 Apr 2009, 09:25 pm »

I'm waiting on delivery of the Overdrive, and after the initial impressions posted here, am even more interested in how this compares. I'm using an MSB Platinum DAC III with upgraded filters, and the newly released upsampler and USB input. The MSB Platinum DAC III is the best DAC I've used so far.

indirstr8s · « **Reply #17 on:** 2 Apr 2009, 10:12 am »

It would be interesting to know your experience. Does your DAC III have volume control. When will you rcv your OD?

Sanjay

PLMONROE · « **Reply #18 on:** 2 Apr 2009, 04:57 pm »

Quote from: Briefremarks on 1 Apr 2009, 09:25 pm

I'm using an MSB Platinum DAC III with upgraded filters, and the newly released upsampler and USB input. The MSB Platinum DAC III is the best DAC I've used so far.

To what level does the upsampler upsample, please?

Paul

oris98 · « **Reply #19 on:** 2 Apr 2009, 08:09 pm »

Hi Paul and Sanjay,

What kind of source are you feeding into the Overdrive that you are relating in your initial impression ? SB3 ? CD Transport ? Do you have the pacecar in between ? and what interface are you using ? SP/DIF ? or I2S ? Thanks.