Wyred 4 Sound Recovery Review

[scirica]

Got my UPS tracker from Ivan yesterday. Should be here on Friday. I've been running without the Uptone Audio Regen for a few weeks. It will be interesting to see what the Recovery does for the Bryston BDA-3 or the PS Audio Directstream.

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by Masterlu

Dan... I haven't had time to post my listening impressions since I added the iPower to all of my Recovery units. I will agree with your assessment and say that you are spot on.

Everything was bumped up just a bit more, making this a nice & well deserved add on. Nice packaging, and accessories included with the iPower too!

Ivan.......I am glad there was some span of time between the arrival of the Recovery, then the Platinum USB cable, followed by the iFi iPower 9 volt power supply today. This allowed me ample time to become accustom to the Recovery's impact, followed by the Wireworld Platinum USB cable's additional impact, and finally the iFi iPower supply impact. The combination of these three things is quite synergistic, each elevating the other, the total being greater than the singular.

I just came upstairs from the studio after a two hour listening session. The last hour was listening to the live recording of The Ray Brown Trio - Live At The Loa: Summer Wind. This is a 24Bit/88.2KHz high-res download from HDTracks. The recording quality is excellent, the hall ambience is captured well, and the trio is mic'd perfectly. Tonight, with the Recovery, the Platinum USB cable and the iFi iPower working their magic together, the recording sounded more alive than it has ever sounded on my system. The sound demanded my attention because it was so clean and riveting. The modest cost of this entire three part package punches way above its price point. It is quite remarkable.

[scirica]

Dan: I downloaded that Ray Brown Trio album based on your mention. I'll give it a good, long listen tomorrow, but my first impression was very positive.

[jdandy]

Steve.......That's a wonderful album. Ray Brown on bass, Gene Harris on piano, and Jeff Hamilton on drums deliver some of the best jazz you'll ever hear. It's an unforgettable live performance. Thank goodness it was captured for us to enjoy.

[timm]

Good gosh. This must be Khama. I listened to it as well today. Along with soular energy. .

[John Jordan]

Hello-

You folks are very happy with the improvements to your systems this device provides.

I am curious as to the degree of improvement of standard 16/44.1 ripped CD's to a Mac using ITunes AIFF opposed to an HD download at a higher "resolution."

Thanks!

[Masterlu]

Originally Posted by John Jordan

Hello-

You folks are very happy with the improvements to your systems this device provides.

I am curious as to the degree of improvement of standard 16/44.1 ripped CD's to a Mac using ITunes AIFF opposed to an HD download at a higher "resolution."

Thanks!

Even those are nicely improved

[John Jordan]

Thanks Ivan!

[jdandy]

Originally Posted by John Jordan

Hello-

You folks are very happy with the improvements to your systems this device provides.

I am curious as to the degree of improvement of standard 16/44.1 ripped CD's to a Mac using ITunes AIFF opposed to an HD download at a higher "resolution."

Thanks!

John.......Your post encouraged me to load a couple 16Bit/44.1 CD's on my Sony Vaio laptop hard drive to make a comparison with files other than high-res. The CD's are Holly Cole - Temptation and Fleetwood Mac - Fleetwood Mac. To make the comparison I removed the Wyred 4 Sound Recovery from the USB signal path and played the recordings from the laptop direct to the Esoteric K-03 DAC. Both recordings sounded very good. Then I reinstalled the Recovery in the USB signal path and played the recordings again. In both instances I preferred the playback with the Recovery in the signal path. Its presence enhances an analog quality in the playback that feels slightly dimenished without it. Listening to Holly Cole's version of "(Looking For) The Heart Of Saturday Night" was more involving through the Recovery. Not only did Holly's voice sound more three dimensional but the space around the piano and guitar grew more transparent with each instrument just floating without intrusion on the other sounds and voice. The same was true on her version of "Invitation To The Blues". The acoustic double bass, piano, and Holly's voice sounded more authentic. The essence of her voice, the authority of the double bass strings and wood vibrations, and the clarity of the piano notes made the recording sound as clean as a high-res download.

Playing Fleetwood Mac delivered similar results. Without the Recovery in the USB signal path the recording sounded very good. Were I to not know what the Recovery is capable of doing I would be completely satisfied with what I heard. Installing the Recovery in the USB signal path immediately raised the bar. Playing "Over My Head", Christine McVie's voice became more holographic in the soundstage and Stevie Nicks harmony was more clearly separated from Christine's voice. Lindsey Buckingham's guitar was crisp, clear and well separated against the dynamics of Mick Fleetwood's drums.

I would not have performed this experiment without the encouragement of the above post, but this morning I thought why not give it a try. With the Recovery in the USB signal path even a 16Bit/44.1KHz recording sounds elevated and more analog when compared directly to USB playback without the Recovery. It's not surprising considering the Recovery was also able to add fresh texture, dimension, and a more clearly defined soundstage to high-resolution downloads. This experiment now has me considering loading more CD's on my laptop hard drive just so I can play them through the Recovery. Hope this helps, John.
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[Vintage Pete]

Hey Dan....just a quick question. Do you keep your Recovery in an "always on" state (its mini power supply constantly energized) or do you have it set up to power on with the rest of your gear when the system is turned on?