Xtr Filters - Why do they sound so good?

Audio Gear Talk HQ Player
45

Hi Jeff,

Firstly, I think you are right about attack with PCM. I used the term weight because I hear it most in the mid-bass, but it is the leading edge that we are both talking about…

I have listened now for good long periods upsampling Redbook to:

  1. DSD 512 (8 x 48), xtr 2s, AMSDM 512 fs+ in HQP

  2. PCM 384, xtr, NS5 in HQP

  3. PCM 352/384, Precise Linear, 7th Order CLANS in Roon.

These are all linear phase filters and the first surprise for me was that I generally preferred linear phase over minimal phase. I do like minimal phase for tuned percussion (Chinese gongs, vibraphone etc.), but otherwise I find the soundstage more focussed with linear phase.

The second surprise was that I like long filters. Xtr are the longest that HQP does and some of the longest you will find outside a Chord. I don’t appear to be troubled by pre-ringing and I suspect that I like the euphonious thickness of ringing generally. Long filters enable steeper band rejection and it seems that I prefer ringing to higher leakage of ultrasound.

In terms of comparison, I tend to leave it on one of the above for lengthy periods of time rather than change it around. I think, however, that each is suited to different material as follows:

  1. is my current setting (again). This has the best detail and expansive open soundstage but it loses some impact on the attack. It’s not my favourite for classical or percussion for those reasons. I like it for serious listening to most modern music, female vocals and especially for acoustic guitar (which seems counterintuitive, but there you go);

  2. is good for classical and percussion “listening”. Better attack, slightly narrower and more forward soundstage;

  3. is more like a “party mode”. Good for pumping dance music, male vocals, upsampling internet radio and when playing background music socially. It may be that others would be happier with a shorter minimal phase filter for those tasks, but you can only take so much of my soundstage away before I get quite bolshie.

Edit: Also thanks very much for linking the Dustin Foreman article in this post.. I think it’s the best explanation of filters that I’ve read.