Home Source Components

Well, the package arrived! Wuhoo! Unpacking... Hmmmm... What is it? The Denon DA-500 With its most important feature, to me at least... The ALPHA processor! I've long loved the Denon pieces as mid-fi sources. I like the smooth presentation and warmth that their DAC and ALPHA processors provide, and it's something I've kind of built my headphone and speaker rigs around. Unfortunately my luck with Denons as transports has been, well, horrible. And now they only offer the ALPHA processor in pieces well out of my price range. So I started looking for other options. I came across this, which I hadn't seen before and figured it was worth a shot. I was…

http://www.dagogo.com/CambridgeAzur840C.html "That

Just got the June 2010 issue of Stereophile today and a review of this DAC was in there. Every important input (coaxial, optical, AES/EBU, USB), USB upsampled to 24/192, and it has both RCA and XLR balanced outputs - for $879! And it's also a headphone amp. I think I might have to try one. The review says the DAC chip is the PCM1796. Here's a pic (it's the one on the top):

i'm assuming "home source components" qualify as anything that needs to be plugged in or is too heavy to transport...so i'll post here ) i used to own a lavry da10, feeding an hd650 balanced through a moon audio blue dragon. sold it off a while ago. it has always been my favorite headphone rig, partially for the transportability of it. i think i'm going to pick one up again... i fed the da10 with either a cheap dvd player via coax or an airport express via optical, depending on the situation. now that i have a macbook, i plan on using optical out of the laptop directly. just wondering if anyone has any experience using the macbook's optical out and how it compares a…

heard the AMR CD-77 this morning. a/b'd it with the reimyo -- brief impressions to follow...

HeadRoom runied my life with their new Max Modules. I can hear everything wrong with my source that I was blissfully unaware of. I think I'm going to go back to the Desktop Module so I can enjoy my music again! I'm using the stock Desktop DAC (fed by APX). It's good for what it is, but the class A/B OPA134's as the output stage really limits its sonic potential. Though, the Desktop and Home DAC boards are the same board, so if someone was very handy with surface mount opamps and transistors, it wouldn't be difficult to turn it into a Home DAC. Does anyone have any relatively low cost external recommendations to spice up my life in the source department? Doesn't rea…

http://www.referenceaudiomods.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=Oppo_Units&Category_Code=MODS&Product_Count=37 Anyone heard one of these? Any thoughts? The price of the mods is crazy high for such an inexpensive player. I own a stock Oppo 970HD which I use as an upsampling DVD player. I am very pleased with it. Deadwood looks fantastic! I've used it to play music, but only through my HT setup, which isn't as resolving as my headphone rig, so I can't really judge its sound quality. Anywho, I've been considering hooking up my Oppo to my headphone rig just to do a shootout between it, the Modwright, and the Aqvox. Maybe I'll do it this we…

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Howdy all, I just received an email from a friend. He wants a recommendation for a DAC to use with his Slim Devices Squeezebox. His desired price is <$1000 and didn't say if buying used was ok. Let's assume that a used DAC is ok with him. He mentioned the DAC-1 as a possibility. Lastly, he mostly listens to classic rock. I'm not a DAC guy and am hoping that you guys can give me some recommendations to pass on to him. Please note that this isn't for headphone listening. He has a system based on vintage Macintosh amps. I think that his speakers are Proacs, but can't remember for sure. Thanks in advance for your help. -ken

Ok, after the wife of all people told me to get the records and turntable out, not used since the 80's... here is where we stand, remember this was bought on a high school/college student budget... Technics SL-D3 mechanically still works Cartridge: ADC PSX-30 stylus is slightly bent Denon 3806 Receiver has phono input (MM type?) Where do I start to get going fast, and get the most improvement for the least $$ ?? I am thinking a new cartridge may be the first step.... Suggestions?? New name (analPete??)

Ok, so I know you guys don't like long posts or reviews, so I'll make this as short as possible. I recently got to spend some time with the PureDAC and found it to be a really interesting DAC. I'm very sorry if this ends up being an unwanted topic, but maybe someone's interested in it, so hey... maybe it's worth the risk. I found it to be a fine use of a Sabre chip. Sounds colder than both my Abrahamsen V6.0 and Electrocompaniet ECD-1, but comparatively more tonally correct. Mids take a step or two backwards and are more relaxed. The V6.0's mids, surprisingly, end up sounding harsh in comparison. It's just a very cohesive, linear and incredibly refined and transparent…

and my mini-dac is for sale. anyone?

Help. So it's looking like I need another source. This is equally caused by a room change and stupidly selling the 13 Parasounds I owned recently. I strangely work for company that gives one-off bonuses with gift certificates. Although the list of certs is vast (if only I was looking for a iron skillet, maternity dress or rifle), for audio it comes down to Amazon.com. This is a secondary source so if possible it would be great if I could find an Amazonian solution here. That would probably mean one of these. I always have a Pico DAC to fall back to, but the Parasounds (and Lavry) show I can stretch further. There are some Benchmarks, a PS Audio and some Musical Infideliti…

https://audiofest.net/2011/downloads/Special/WyredR.pdf Some nifty products there but that Music Server in particular has my attention. I love my DAC-2.

No doubt there will be plenty of announcements at CES 2012 of interest to us, so I thought I'd start a thread to keep track of the sources announced at the show . Who knows, maybe we can encourage Tyll, or other visitors to get a closer look for us. I'll start off with something that might interest Dinny CES 2012: Arcam to launch £2000 FMJ D33 DAC With the market now full of new-generation digital audio devices and sources, Arcam is proud to introduce its latest and highest performing DAC to date, the D33 SuperDAC. Using state of the art dual Burr Brown PCM1792, 24bit / 192kHz converters (one per channel), twin toroidal transformers in the power …

I've gone through a few random setups and listened to a number of dedicated amps here and there over the past two years. A few days ago, however, I realized that I longed for a new beginning. My rig has been a total mess with cables running here and there, and equipment piled on top of each other at odd angles. I wanted something simpler. I started thinking about Jason's (jjcha) simplistic m902 setup and Peter's (Iron_Dreamer) multiple encounters with various all-in-one pieces. When I first started out in this hobby, my goal was an USB DAC and headphone amp all-in-one unit. Something like the Apogee Mini-DAC. I, as time has progressed, digressed and went the way of sep…

Okay, just kicking around an idea here. Kevin at KAB does a Cardas rewire terminated in a 5 pin DIN phono plate. I emailed Kevin and asked if this was a truly balanced connection for use with a balanced phono stage. His response: "That is the one single advantage of the din connector. carrying a balanced connection from the cartridge to the preamp. it has 5 pins. + - right, + - left, and a sheild. RCA's cannot be used for that, of course your phono stage must be able to accept that kind of connector as well." ...so I could get this done to my TT, and run XLRs to something like the Aqvox Phono 2Ci MKII Balanced Phono Preamp, and then of course the balanced amp,…

About three or four years ago, I laid eyes on this cute(at that time) disc transport and thought of how expensive and useless it was- yet there was something in me that yearned for it ever since. I finally found a mint one in original box with remote and literature and could no longer resist finishing my digital rig. The thing is not cute. It is much bigger than I had ever imagined. It was made before I began middle school. It is just shy of 15 lbs, and is about 14" wide, 6" high, and 9.75" deep. The front panel is clean, with power button, red fluorescent display and buttons made of "flexible aluminum membrane." The controls are very unique feeling. They are li…

Can find absolutely nothing else about this new hawt new box apart from the clip on Simaudio's own site, but thought it was worth posting just to give Dinny a stiffy. Looks dangerous, and expensive. But a kickass (universal?) player with properly implemented digital input would be pretty damn sweet. And eight 32-bit DACs per channel is, like, a whole bucket of bits man!

OK to have one for non-specific vinyl discussions? Vinyl relevant links on Head-Case http://www.head-case.org/forums/home-source-components/4450-hagerman-bugle-dl-103-revisited.html http://www.head-case.org/forums/do-yourself/3931-pass-pearl-pcbs-related-parts.html http://www.head-case.org/forums/home-source-components/6471-linear-tracking-tone-arms-experience.html http://www.head-case.org/forums/home-source-components/3070-zyx-bloom-best-bargain-mc-under-5-000-a.html http://www.head-case.org/forums/home-source-components/5684-mc-phono-stage-review-rogue-stealth-vs-benz-lukaschek-pp-1-t8.html http://www.head-case.org/forums/audio-accessories/5193-what-do-i-need-t…

I'm new to head case so take it easy on me folks. I've read a bunch of posts and it seems like a great place to call home! I think I'm going to buy the TTVKJ/Millet 307A tomorrow having never heard it but having done my homework and knowing that I have Todd's permission to take a 30 day trial and his guarantee that there's no chance I'll return it. I'm looking for something full, involving, resolving well so many of the things said already in this thread. I primarily listen to accousitc music emphasizing voice and guitar (Did someone mention Sam Phillips and "Fan Dance?" That's a perfect example!) and jazz, and I want to experience all the life in the music as well …

So the next step for me after I run the Bugle for a while will be to try a SUT with an MM tube phono stage. Of course I'm already looking for an appropriate SUT, and it appears that the Cinemag transformers are within my price range, and supposedly they have a synergy with the DL-103 line of carts. There are two builders I've come across. anumber1 on agon and capnbob on eBay. I have read that anumber1 is a popular guy on aa, but I've never spoken with him. Capnbob responded to a question I had quickly last night, and he regularly sells Altec and Cinemag SUTs which always go quickly. However, capnbob's price is $85 more then anumber1's. Also, anumber1's layout of ins on…

Hey Guys, has anyone here has experience with AudioNote's Dacs ? (AA UK not JPN) I hear they are very good in that department, any opinion about that ? I am thinking on grab a DAC 1.1x or 2.0X for listen and I wonder if it worth it.

Mainly due to a desire to try an amp with a more linear volume control I've picked up a TTVJ Slim with DAC, a Pico Slim amp and I'm looking at picking up a DAC only Pico all to compare with my current Pico DAC\Amp. To be honest I've been quite happy with the Pico DAC\Amp's performance so I haven't really paid much attention to the market over the last couple of years, is there anything else out there in a reasonable price range that I should be looking at? My preference is for something fairly small, battery or USB powered, that I can cart back and forth between work and home every day but depending on how the amp side of things shake out those requirements might not …

Bitstream: CEDIA: McIntosh's SACD/CD Player Not cheap, obviously, but considering all that it does and such, this might fill a void for some folks around here, especially if you kill a bunch of birds with one stone like what this thing does.