Robert Koda writes: ” I would like to present the subject of “Dynamic Noise Floor” to our readers. There is much confusion in both audiophile and engineering circles… So I shall say, there is noise floor, the static one you can measure with ease. It is static, and unless very high in level, benign and unimpeding to the enjoyment of music replay.
Static noise floor is one of those measurements manufacturers present on their spec sheets and ask you to believe in its relevance with blind confidence. Indeed even the cheapest digital systems can excel in such specifications, leaving the most advanced analog systems far behind.
Then there is “Dynamic Noise Floor” as coined by Robert Koda – DNF. Not so much a noise but rather a gritty and shifting ghostly shadow, a clogging mush that is changing in a continuous and dynamic way yet somehow related to the music in a sickly fashion.
It stems from the music its self when passed thru a piece of electronics or system. It is the ultimate corrupter and its nature is a direct result of a multi fold of complex interactions occurring within the make up of the circuitry. It may manifest its self in transients, or perhaps decay. Specifically in every event and every moment of music. It is our opinion that DNF is the single greatest contributor to the inferior sound of a components that otherwise “measure” so well. DNF is perhaps the Achilles heal of modern electronics…
Much, if not all of the DNFs make up is spread across the time domain – An occurrence in the past effects the result of the near future. As you can imagine, the effect has catastrophic consequences on music replay!
Robert Koda realized the existence of a musically modulated and ever changing Dynamic Noise Floor decades ago. Within the past eight years or so in particular we have endeavoured to understand the underlying mechanisms of DNF. Indeed this has become one of the keys in our Research and Development program and has almost certainly resulted in the (sonic) success of our K-10, K-15 and now MC-One.
I hope this short note has given you greater insight into the “Whys and Hows” of Takumi MC-One.
Best regards,
Robert Koch – Robert Koda