HIFI Nerds And Thier Holy Grails Phone Calls- OMG.

Most of the improvements in converter tech are just chips and the chips have been good for a long time. A lot of the other tech advances are just about being able to make mediocre gear cheaper. The difference in monitoring between a -95 db snr and a -110 db snr is basically irrelevant. The distortion at individual frequencies matters more and this is more a function of the power supply, analog design, and of course the clocking. The analog parts of many converters are totally gimped but the 1khz measurements largely correlate to chips. It’s why SSL and SPL can use codec chips, don’t get great snr, yet subjectively outperform stuff with better chips.

The internet hype train guys do not like to point this out. So people will compare the 1khz specs of the UAD Apollos to Lavry Blacks and the Apollos measure better but sound more incohesive despite the insane Lavry warmth. The Lavry Blacks still kick ass. They have more treble detail than the Dangerous Convert 2 but much much worse low end. The old Bricasti m1 kicks both their asses in almost every way and uses much more expensive parts and better analog but is more $$$$. There hasn’t really been anything as overbuilt as the Bricasti. It’s just a decade old, insanely priced, and not hype anymore. These all use the same ad1955 chip. This is why the UAD Apollos and RMEs can sound quite good but can’t really hang with the best stereo converters and the Lynx stuff. The newer TI and AD opamps along with the (maybe disappearing???) LMEs are so good.

I've always found that if you discuss actual measurements then they will argue about "the sound" and objective interpretation of what they're hearing and claim that "measurements can't tell you everything".  However, if you try to discuss interpretation/opinion of the sound, they'll argue about needing measurements to back up your claims or that your ears aren't good enough to tell the difference..

My Grace M905 is incredible. I have a complete lack of interest in DA conversion after buying this. Don't know what they did but they did something.

I like the sound of the NE5532.  Very neutral and relaxed.  It needs stiff power rails to sound best though, which is where most designs go wrong with it.  TL07x parts don't like gain.  They work and sound good if you keep them at G=2 or below with a higher impedance load.  Being cheap, designers put them in medium/low impedance circuits and gain them up and it causes them to cry in pain.

I can't stand metal tweeters.  I tried.  I really tried.  Can't do it for the reasons you suggest.

I think people like a good deal of distortion.  I guess that's an understatement considering the amount of saturation people put on mixes not to mention distorted guitars..  But I think people like the harmonic fill in the upper treble region too.  It makes things sound airy and detailed where there is none to be had. 

The NE5532 works. Prism has always it and has the cleanest treble around and their boxes have been the same since the Orpheus.

Decapitator and vintage warmer on everything = clarity. Everything paralleled = clarity.

Yeah I agree they like to hear more distortion than there is. It’s why some people claim that multiple rounds of back to back limiting is “cleaner” on the same peaks than one limiter doing the same thing to the peak. They just like the distortion. There are posters who claim rock is harsh music so it has to sound harsh yet most of the modern rock tones are just high gain, thin, and either midless or middy. The only thing harsh on many of these albums are hard clipped cymbals/snare and the limiter because the bands are tame and using boring guitar gear and they want to fix boring music and performances in the mix. They mistake the buildup of digital distortion (truncation, imd from limiters, clipping and aliasing from poor gainstaging) for clarity yet use the same mics and pres (often much worse pres) as the 60s and 70s. Half the posters on gearslutz would take Death Magnetic over Kill em All because Scheps did it.

I love super subtle tape plugs on everything and tube plugs on wimpy guitars. If they obviously used interface or multiple types of pres, I’ll just trim massively and universalize the “base timbre“ of everything with Ray Dratwa’s plugs now without a second thought

Funny when gear nerds, who invest thousands and thousands in esoteric gear called Pultecs, U47s, 1073s and such, and obsess over the advantages of one tiny component against another, make fun of hifi nerds investing thousands and thousands in esoteric gear. We're all guilty as charged.