The consensus among audiophiles, who are invested in both analog (vinyl or tape) and digital (CD’s or digital downloads), is that analog provides the ultimate listening experience. Although analog has lower resolution and higher distortion than the technically superior digital, audiophile dollars are being spent on analog’s antiquated technology because it ‘sounds’ better. This is the core mystery: why does the physical process of modulating grooves in vinyl or magnetic flux on tape directly to analog provide a more pleasing listening experience than the more theoretically exact reconstruction of analog from digital—and this despite years of engineering effort to improve DACs and the digital signal chain.
IMO there is something not fully understood about digital audio and our ear/brain and I've been obsessed about this since I started AudioWise in 2016. As my followers know, my evidence clearly demonstrates that RF electromagnetic noise impinging the DAC is causal and I’ve spent the past eight years developing RF noise isolation products for signal, power and radiation. My PGGB+REFERENCE•M2 product announced at the Toronto AudioFest takes my singular approach of RF isolation to the extreme. The result is digital sound so transparent and so analog-like that it's magical. Customer reaction at the show was incredibly positive so it's clear I have achieved something of significance. Now my challenge will be to bring the experience of this sound to a wider audience to grow sales, yet this may be take a while ...
- Incredulity. People may think it's impossible to make digital sound so good; or believe that a relative unknown has a ‘secret’ undiscovered by industry leaders; or accept that Mojo2, being an entry level DAC, can be the basis for summit level sound.
- Unwillingness. People may not want to adopt an amalgam of components versus a single box solution; or deal with the complexity of connections between components; or convert to battery based power; or change to PGGB-centric playback of local content; or pay high cost for a risky niche product.
- Unfamiliarity. People are more accepting of an audio product with significant product reviews by high-end audio magazines; or with more impressions from real-world customers.
To manage the challenges listed above, expect to see increased on-line marketing efforts, continued trade show participation and product reviews. In the near term, for knowledgeable and tech savvy digital customers who purchase my system, you will get the best sound possible (there, I said it) and my personal service and support. For analog purists, specifically those who possess a ¼” reel to reel tape machine, I am working on something interesting. Stay tuned.