The Weiss 202 DAC supports Thunderbolt. However, Thunderbolt in its various incarnations, is One connection technology that I do not recall being discussed on this thread.
Is the Weiss 202 Thunderbolt implementation merely a blip in an otherwise thunderboltless evolution of DAC designs, or is this a beginning of a trend, and we might see more such implementations in the future?
Are there theoretical or practical advantages of Thunderbolt over USB and SPDIF? ... E.g. Higher jitter immunity, signal isolation, Other?
Steve... Alex... Al... What say you?
Saluti, G.
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Hi Matt, if I recall correctly, K-01 might have some dedicated USB drivers on a CD shipped with the unit or downloadable from the Esoteric site. Were negative comments you heard related to use of K-01 with these dedicated drivers, or USB input via standard Windows / Mac drivers?
G. |
Hi Steve, if I understand correctly, your future lower end DAC will support DSD, while your higher end OV-SX will not.
This is fascinating... I am curious as of the reason for your strategy?
Saluti, G. |
OK my tubophile friends... Would you really mind continuing this exciting -- yet DAC-unrelated -- convo on some more aptly titled discussion thread? Sorry, but my eyes --- oopsie, meant ears -- are glazing over. G. |
Hi Matt, how long will you have access to the APL DSD-S? As some internals in the unit have been replaced, the slight treble burr is likely caused by new chips/solder and is likely to go away in a couple of extra weeks of break-in. |
Matt, will you be trying out the DAC card for the Burmester 077?
G. |
Details on the reference-level APL DSD-M DAC can be found at:
http://aplhifi.com/products/dsd-m |
Thank you Nickolas, what audible differences have you experience on Aeris between the USB connection and the SPDIF connection?
What challenges have some reviewers found with managing Aeris volume directly into amps? In my system, I attenuate the DAC down to zero volume, and then gradually dial up to comfortable level... The 1dB resolution works well for my Rowland M925 monos.
G. |
Hi Nickolas,
Are you using the USB input on Aeris, or are you feeding it through SPDIF?
What is your source device?
To what device do you output Aeris? |
Hi Nick, That's interesting... I have used Aeris with the Rowland Criterion pre, and more recently directly into my Rowland M925 amps... I like both, with the former sounding a little softer, and the latter more resolving.... All together, I prefer Aeris directly into the amps, and have not experienced any loss of harmonic or microdynamic resolution at lower volume.
Guido |
Hi Nickolas, my source device is the Esoteric X-01 player... Hence, I have fed Aeris with redbook via SPDIF... I have no direct experience with higher resolution files into Aeris.
G. |
Hi Matt, your K-01 findings match my own 100% this far. Very curious about K-01 behavior as a pure DAC using USB input.... Never used K-01 as a DAC.
G. |
Steve, you will find the Yamaha CD-S3000 at MusicDirect for $5995:
http://www.musicdirect.com/p-161295-yamaha-cd-s3000-sacdcd-player.aspx |
Hi Matt, your K-01 findings seem to be the opposite of my own... I found S_dly2/4X to be most emotionally absorbing for long term listening, while DSD/OFF seemed me more of an seat-edge experience that I could endure for a limited time.
Now I am wondering if I perhaps did not give the DSD circuit enough time to break in.
G. |
Thank you Audiolabirynth, as I have never listened to this Yamy, I have no opinions on whether the Yamaha CD-S3000 will vanquish any giants or otherwise cause any explosive bowel movements in the aforementioned... But here is the device's home page... Blessed be the Googlesphere!
http://usa.yamaha.com/products/audio-visual/hifi-components/cd-players/cd-s3000_u/ |
Steve, what is the function of the diamond in the volume knob?
G. |
Wisnon, what are the Technics devices you obliquely refer to... And what about links to their home pages and/or reviews?
G. |
Yep... except that the Technics page site is not compatible with screen reading technology... Ah well *groans!* G. |
May I suggest an option sens-diamonds... Some users might prefer an understated look. G. |
Hi Matt, can you tell us more detail about your preference of K-01 S-dly2/4X over DSD/off for classical music?
Saluti, Guido |
Sandisk has announced a 512GB full size SD/XC card in September 2014. List Price is a little steep at $799. This might be the largest SD/XC currently available. See:
http://www.theverge.com/2014/9/12/6139057/sandisks-512gb-sd-card-is-the-biggest-in-the-world
I suspect we might see 1TB cards in 12 to 18 months.... Meantime, 512GB in a solid state media player is nothing to sneeze about already. G. And this card targeting photographers and vidographers should be fast enough to minimize any jitter caused by data reads.
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Wisnon, operating an external Samsung 850 Pro connected via some SATA cable through a DC battery might improve some audible parms... I contend that eliminating the cable all together will improve time coupling by a couple of nanoseconds if nothing else... And a DAC-wide battery power or even better an ultra-cap PS would benefit the entire DAC device.
As for the bit twiddling, it is performed because of general purpose machines doing mountains of read/writes that tend to fragment the storage map. in our case, such background storage management demon need not be activated at all. |
On the contrary Mrpaul... Please do tell us your detailed impressions of the Antipodes DX. G. |
Wisnon, what is the concern for SSDs or other solid state mass storage module housed inside the DAC chassis? |
Hi Matt, would Briston PDP-2 be part of the server list?
G. |
Ctsooner, Try Newegg... Look for drives that are said to be "Enterprise".... Be aware that Enterprise-grade drives are often quite a bit thicker than standard drives... E.g. 15 mm for Seagate 2.5 inch internal HDDs.
G. |
Agear... I'll drink to that! G. |
Yep... I am your friend no longer Matt... In conscience I just can't... I mean.... I mean.... Having spent all this time corrupting -- oops... I meant converting -- you to the True Truth... And now you are Up-*Chokes!*-grading from the divine Viennese DIe Muzik to some ginormous whipper-snapper... This constitutes grand audiophilic apostasy *grins!*
G. |
Hey AL, fab seeing you at this exotic watering hole... I am doing quite well, enjoying my Rowland Aeris DAC feeding directly the spectacular NCore-based Rowland M925 monos.... And a pair of wonderful Vienna Die Muzik, just like Matt's own.
Saluti, Guido
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From a technical point of view, what is Regen? ... A re-clocker.... An input transformer.... Other?
G. |
Regen appears to be a jitter control device and an impedance regulator. I suspect it might have somewhat more beneficial effect on DAC USB inputs with lesser jitter control, and with some residual issues in input impedance management.... Of course, I will be delighted to be proven wrong, and aRegan to be revealed as a universal USB input panacea.
Matt, let us know how it works for you.
G.
e |
Hi Wisnon, what constitutes packet noise in this particular context?
G. |
Hi Matt, I'd be most interested in hearing your eventual opinion of the Regen on the Empirical and on the upcoming Bricasti M1... Do keep us posted. G |
Wisnon, Vienna Die Muzik are in fact Matt's current speakers.
Richfield_hunter, I have heard the opportunity of auditionhing Vandersteen 7s several times at RMAF... Units set up with TLC by Mr. Vandersteen himself... Pleasing, yet -- like Matt -- I was never enraptured... Different strokes, n'est pas?!
G.
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Hi Al, Rick Schultz's PC creations are special indeed.... I really need to get my act together... Clean up my listening notes, and start posting my progressive observations on these marvels.
G. |
Fascinating... Does the carpet provenance make a difference.... Tabriz vs Ardebil? Age... design... Knot count... Backing.... vegetable/mineral dies vs synthetic... Virgin wool vs recycled... Artful flaws... What about antique silk rugs? Perhaps NOS carpets would be ideal?
G. |
Matt, Raidho speakers tend to like largish rooms, and lots of space behind them... They can be challanging to set up... overexhuberant mid bass is not unheard of.
G. |
Hmmm, "Fixing" acoustic anomalies by applying subwoofers out of phase to perform destructive low band-pass interference... Fascinating... Sounds like fighting a fire with... Well, fire.
Might work to a point. Yet, I am skeptical about the long term appeal of the end product... Seems a one-way route down an endless audiophrenic rabbit-hole.
G. |
No, I am more concerned about the music's interpretation. G. |
hi paul, Joseph are very fine speakers... Heard them several times.... Last driven by the Rowland M825, and the result was exceptionally involving.
please explain... "problem with outside their passband"
Regards, G. |
You are right Matt, looking at the web site, Rockna Audio looks, at least on paper, very interesting. The DAC is all based on FPGA, and the server combines a spinning disk player with a server / memory player. I have not found any US prices, the company being based in Roumania.
http://www.rockna-audio.com
The US importer is:
AudioPrana LLC
69 Boston Ave Medford, Massachusetts 02155-3521 United States
Tel.: 617 669 3275
audioprana@gmail.com
G. |
All, the name of the VA music speaker in German is "Die Muzik", rather than "Der Muzik".... Muzik in German, French, Italian, and Spanish is a feminine noun, not masculine. Hence... "Die Muzik". G.
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Hi Coli, could you explain the word "incorrect" as referred to your former Direct Stream DAC? G.
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Thank you George, how about citing the top "very well implemented R2R Ladder Multibit dac's" that you are most fond of?
Regards, G. |
Thank you Agear for the link.
As for your purple oneliner... Masterful as usual... With just a hint of tasteless... A veritable Agearism at its best. ;)
Congrats, G. |
Hey Agear, If I can point out a flaw in your otherwise excellent purplesome... I do not "splash', I usually slosh and wallow instead.
Concerning Matt's condition, meds won't help. According to Dr. Aloysius Qwantz Schmaltzenstein-Gavronsky, our collective Audiophrenia is a prionic infection. If you got it, you bought the farm. See:
http://positive-feedback.com/Issue46/audiophrenia.htm
G. |
All, sorry for OT...
A couple of months ago I started to play with the High Fidelity CT-1 power cords designed by Rick Schultz in Dallas (TX).... Ah yes, thank you Harve FPlanner2000 for the suggestion.
I was somewhat skeptical before connecting the creatures into my system because of the unusual coaxial construction and underlying technology based on abundant application of strong permanent magnets. But to make a long story short, these CT-1 cords are exceptional for all parameters I can think of... What floors me is that they are just the entry level PCs of the High Fidelity line.
I have started to post a multi-part review of the CT-1 series at:
http://forum.audiogon.com/cgi-bin/fr.pl?fcabl&1437589292&openusid&zzGuidocorona&4&&
Hope to see you all there... Now returning this fine thread to its regularly unscheduled programming *grins!*
Guido |
Heard CH Precision DAC at RMAF. I was very much looking forward to the experience because of the glowing reports I read about it. Unfortunately the system sounded grating and harsh, whithout a hint of what sounds "musical" to my ears. Asked the gent -- I believe that was the US distributor -- if the device was perhaps new out of the box and needed some break-in. I was told in no uncertain terms that the device was sounding exactly as it should... CH Precision products sound right just out of the box and do not require any break-in... And that clearly I do not understand good sound.
Left the suite befuddled... Went to visit the MSB folks... Amazing sound of music enveloped me.
Go figure!
G. |
Thank you Al and Bill for the technical explanation... When I heard Joseph speakers at RMAF 2013, they definitely pleased me without reservations.... I enjoyed the suite so much that I returned to it a few timesfor more good music ... Which is not a particularly common outcome for me *grins!*
G. |
Hi Matt, what electronics were driving the Joseph Audio Pearls? Guido |
