audioengr
Responses from audioengr
| Apple versus PC This is only because you were not bypassing kmixer on the PC. The PC can sound just as good or better than Mac. With XP if you unmap the device, it is superb. The USB interface you are using makes a big difference too. If you are getting 24/44.1 r... | |
| External DAC vs. your quality processor I've heard a lot of processors and a lot of DAC's. I have yet to hear a SS processor that holds a candle to a good DAC. My Proceed AVP is not bad, one of the more musical ones, but nothing compared to a good DAC. | |
| My First USB DAC Sounds Dull, Please Help DAC's vary a lot in their sound and quality. Dont believe everything you read on the forums.One thing that is probably a big limiter here is the USB interface, which I believe is based on one of the TI PCM270X chips. These have given USB audio a b... | |
| Which way to go to built a music server?? None of these WiFi devices will compete with a good transport unless they are reclocked. After reclocking, they are all about the same. In stock form, the Duet probably has the lowest jitter. | |
| Long Coaxial audio run? Undertow - here are two good USB cables:SynergisticLocus Design AxisAs for DAC's, they are all somewhat sensitive to the incoming jitter, even those with isolated free-running reclocking. In theory they shouldn't be, but they are. I know because I... | |
| Long Coaxial audio run? "Is USB effected by all this "Jitter" for example a laptop connected to a USB Dac with like a 15 foot USB Cable etcÂ…?"Yes, and it depends on the DAC and it depends on the cable as to how much. Cables with small gauge silver conductors and air or t... | |
| Long Coaxial audio run? Vvrinc - I spend a LOT of time on the forums educating audiophiles about one of the most pervasive problems with digital audio, and that is Jitter. Digital audio is comprised of two elements, the data words and the timing of these data words. The ... | |
| Long Coaxial audio run? In my system, this would completely crush the quality. Even 2 feet of 1694 does this. Depends on your system.I would recommend using WiFI instead, such as Squeezebox, duet or AppleTV. The same data is delivered. The only difference is jitter and s... | |
| USB DAC's ? Dan - I am stopping mods to the DAC-1 soon in favor of my own Overdrive USB DAC/PRE. Unless he can buy one used on Audiogon, they will not be available much longer. Customers have been bugging me for years to do my own stuff, so this is what I'm d... | |
| Best Digital Input from PC to DAC If you are using XP, I would recommend unmapping the device. This will make the USB interface sound a bit better. USB interface quality varies a lot from one product to another, so it may stil not be better than the S/PDIF input. Here is how to un... | |
| DACs with word clock output?? Shadorne - actually I believe most pro-audio gear uses global master clocks to synchronize the digital streams in lock-step for post-record processing, not real-time playback. It is not jitter that they are dealing with, it is synchronization of t... | |
| Best Digital Input from PC to DAC Be careful of those "low-jitter" claims. Even Stereophile made measurements on Squeezebox and Sonos - they were both low according to them (under 500psec), and the Sonos was only slightly worse, and yet the jitter is obvious on both and a LOT wors... | |
| Best Digital Input from PC to DAC Cerrot - you have not heard every USB converter or DAC, so please reserve judgement. I will put my USB converter up against your Firewire anytime. I'm confident that I would win the shootout.I realize that you believe your system sounds great etc.... | |
| Best Digital Input from PC to DAC Some USB converters were compared here:http://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue39/ramblings_computer.htmIf you are using XP on a PC, then I would recommend unmapping the device if possible and using Foobar 0.8.3Steve N.Empirical Audio | |
| Should a dac run hot?? Depends on the voltages inside and whether it uses linear regulators for DC. The more voltage drop through a linear regulator, the hotter it gets. Most use linears. Also if the transistors or op-amps run class-A, this will generate heat too.Steve ... |