Home Source Components

I've been thinking about getting a new MacBook and I realized that Apple has changed all the ports. Everything is Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1 and the headphone jack lost its optical output with the 2016 models: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7818763?start=0&tstart=0 Have you guys done any research on DACs with Thunderbolt 3/USB 3.1? I think everyone is going to be using USB Type-A to Type-C adapters until manufacturers release new products. Yes, I realize that there isn't an immediate benefit to using Type-C connections for audio. It looks like an opportunity to sell stuff all over again.

Anybody have experience with one of these Wifi (instead of Bluetooth) music box/DAC's? http://www.ebay.com/itm/Wireless-Music-Box-wifi-transmission-decoder-APE-WAV-player-remote/222130019641?_trksid=p2047675.c100005.m1851&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D2%26asc%3D20131003132420%26meid%3Dfdb19f1b78464569a2db8ce509a62715%26pid%3D100005%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D142031670826 Kind of difficult to decipher the poor Chinese translation, but does this DAC seem to be using the Wifi Direct technology or something else? Can't tell what DAC chips are used, etc. Just trying to set up a little bedroom speaker setup, with my Android phone as the main …

Having been out of the game for a while, the rapid development of DAC tech (or at least the verbiage dedicated to same) appears to have accelerated even more. I'd appreciate it if you fine folks could catch me up as to where we stand. What is the latest and greatest tech? What are some of the basic must-haves in a DAC today? Which chipses tend to sound best? And, most importantly, which ones have the prettiest lights?

Picked one up mostly due to an interesting feature set. I've had good experience with RME gear being technically impeccable, but falling a bit short in listening tests. The ADI-2 Pro was intended to be an office rig, but I lug it to and fro work, it's that good. Ended up buying one of the limited Anniversary Editions, cuz it's black and has moar pretty. It runs my HD800 balanced with 6x OPA1688 chips pre channel. Sounds as good or better as I've heard any HD800 perform. It also does 5 band PEQ which makes HD800's actually listenable. For my Equator Q12 I use the back XLR's and intend to hook up a MiniDSP via optical to integrate two custom 15" subs. …

We talked a lot about R2R dacs on Stax thread because of some bullshit design choices, And given the attention of the R2R, especially discrete dacs, I wanted to post all the findings in this thread. Discrete modules I found to play with: Transient Modules (the dac modules of 2nd and 3rd gen Metrum dacs) and Diy parts based on it (most of the parts they are selling as oem but diy parts are also avaliable): http://www.transient-audio.nl/ all parts can be found under this website http://www.transient-audio.nl/Ordering.html this is how to order guide Soekris Modules (there are two modules avaliable on each segment [oem and diy line], t…

I like the Super Jewel Box cases that come with SACDs, but it looks like they're getting hard to find (Acoustic Sounds still seems to have them). Also, I'm wondering if somebody makes good cases for regular CDs that fit the front and back (+ spine) labels properly. P.S. Has anybody heard the new Blu Spec CD2 discs? I'm thinking of getting Michael Jackson's Thriller in this format just for fun.

I am thinking of getting a Rega Apollo R as a transport for my headphone rig (transport -> PS Audio PWD MKII -> BHSE). I need something that is a half rack size and this seems to be pretty nice. I like that it loads from the top too. Anyone know any reason to not get it? The other option would be a CD player that would be used as a transport and dac (instead of the PWD). This could be full size. It would need to have optical in so that I could play music from my Apple Express.

Hi guys Not sure of there is a thread here for this. Anyway, I was wanting to let folks know who maybe haven't tried this connection method that it rocks! Those that have are already ahead of the game. I had a demo of the C1 CH precision 6 weeks back, and using USB connection is was just too bright and forward, making many tracks sound harsh. I talked to the dealers and they said it works best with the D1 or using Ehternet. That got me thinking. I didn't want to spend anything like the money on a C1 for that level of sound quality, and TBH it was not as good as my existing DAC. USB Out AOIP In I have had various USB chains, Offramp 5, M2Tech EVO st…

This isn't a definitive tip, but I think I might have gotten the HDCD player I was looking for – free of charge. Most of us know that HDCD technology was developed by Pacific Microsonics and later acquired by Microsoft. What I didn't know was that my laptop (ASUS N56VZ-DS71) was capable of playing HDCD... my old desktop system used a Sound Blaster Audigy, which was a decent sound card for its time. This new laptop uses a Realtek High Definition Audio codec, which most of us would laugh at, since it's been the default audio solution in millions of systems for about the last decade... however, I believe it has full support for 24-bit audio. To enable HDCD pla…

My latest signal path has started with Roon, which is a piece of software I really enjoy. It sounded excellent, but recently I found that I could fuck with it a little more and spend time twiddling knobs, and I'm powerless to resist that. Most notably, Roon makes it simple to delegate all the actual "file playing" duties to another program, HQPlayer. Roon and HQPlayer represent significantly different approaches to music playback and management. Roon focuses on metadata, art, liner notes, reviews: basically the kind of edifying stuff you read and think about while listening to music. HQPlayer focuses on filters, and by Jesus are there ever a lot of them. And…

Hi Guys Sorry for the alarming title. I have spent months reading magazine reviews on DACs before I bought my last DAC in June. I want to make my money convert to musical bliss as we all do. I also read many many posts on the various forums from owners and spoke to some owners direct via PMs or by telephone. I am coming to the 'obvious' realisation that 90% of magazine reviews are just bull, total horse shit. Totally slanted to advertising revenue and / or the next free piece of gear at discount or free to the reviewer. The classic 'i liked it so much I bought it' or 'no way I was letting this one go' They must think we are totally dumb? Have you also noticed al…

Guys, do you like Dave, how is it?

The first review for the Sony box thing is out: http://www.whathifi.com/sony/uhp-h1/review $349 USD seems like a reasonable price if it competes with the Oppo BDP players. I'd love to see a head-to-head comparison of their video and audio performance.

Anyone here own an Aurender or Lumin or something similar as a music server vs a PC or Mac. I use a mac mini and lately my mind has been infected with the thoughts of the Aurender N100 anyone else go that route or hear comparisons?

Although the title of this thread is the CH Precision C1 DAC, I'd like to start off by saying that when I first got the BHSE ( June 2012 ), it obviously came with stock Mullard tubes, and Earspeaker's used were my 009's. Now when I first heard those 009's with the BHSE I was very impressed with the first few songs I listened to, it was when I started listening to Peter Gabriel's " Sledge Hammer " and " Big Time " the problem started which was a piercing uncomfortable treble, and I found that piercing treble was with a lot of song's in my collection. Because of that problem, I was going to sell my 009's and get a pair of 007's, but decided to try some Psvane PH tubes inste…

Lately been drifting a bit towards convenience over ultimate fidelity. Would love a single box for the speaker rig and in the most recent Audio Advisor the new Parasound Halo Integrated [pdf] was featured. Checks off a lot needs in a digital & analog rig, but anyone see an obvious weak spot? Need to hear obviously, but hopeful.

So what I'm after isn't truly a squeezebox alternative but that's as close a description as I can find. Probably a better comparison is to the Sony HAP1ZS but that's way out of my league. In essence what I'm looking for is a music player with a HD inside that I can rip or transfer content to, has an intelligent and usable interface that doesn't require an external monitor, does not require a network connection to function, and doesn't cost $2k. Perhaps even better put is what I really want is an iPod that's wall powered, with a larger display and larger HD. A decent internal DAC would be a bonus. I don't want to just use a laptop. I don't want to use an iPad. I…

A friend of mine has an ackDac whose battery just died, and he's wondering if it's worth it to replace the $75 battery (if he even can?) or if there's a good current DAC for around $200 that he should just upgrade to. I'm long since out of the market for DACs in that price range -- anyone know? Doesn't even need USB, just RCA.

Alright lets talk about this. Digital audio revolution or just another DAC with a fancy pants implementation? http://schiit.com/products/yggdrasil The FAQ, as usual, is worth your time.

I was recently able to pick this up after a year or two of searching. I figured I'd post some pics that I had on hand, only internals atm. It uses 2 AD1862s, and has two outputs. One of them is fixed level while the other can be attenuated by a TKD pot. Supposedly this was a CES prototype so there's no power switch. Sounds great, a shame I can't compare it to my Spectral which recently melted down. Using it with a Legato 2, which was designed by the same guy (Jocko Homo)

Does anybody know anything more about this system? http://ifi-audio.com/portfolio-view/retro-stereo-50/ Color me intrigued.

Vinnie has released his new modular amp/dac/phono stage/headphone amp device he calls LIO. I like Vinnie at shows but have never owned any Red Wine Audio gear. How does this thing look to the HC tech folks and critics? Discuss. http://vinnierossi.com/

I just found this on line today. Has anyone heard one yet?

Hi Guys, Just venturing into sacd and have the option of buying either of the above. Not into video side just Audio. All comments appreciated. Budget limited at present. The s2000 came out in 2007 and the age worries me. Valid or not?. Technology changes rapidly these days. Thanks Les

Apropos of nothing in particular, I was looking at speaker cables on Blue Jeans Cables. They have a four-conductor cable that's more or less a big-ass star quad mic cable. People apparently use it for bi-wiring in a single cable. It's so cheap they practically pay you to take it away. I need a short run of cable to go from the speaker outputs of a little tube amp to a powered subwoofer in my den. It's one of those deals where there's a speaker-level input and a crossover so you can high-pass the output of your amp to the main speakers if you want. I don't have speakers connected there. I just use it to drive the sub. I don't know the z-in, so I don't know how much cur…