Home Source Components

So basically my parents' Dual 721 turntable is mine along the classic Shure V15 type III cartridge. I don't even have a proper phonostage so I just plugged it into the phono inputs of my pawn shop special Technics receiver and put my Senn 580 right into its headphone out. It's a ghetto setup if there ever was one. Shockingly, my Senns don't suck anymore, they actually sound pretty good. Yeah there's still a bit of 3-blob effect in the soundstage and the imaging is still fuzzy compared to my K340, but the veil & sulky midrange is pretty much gone. The damn thing can actually do tone and rock out, a Senn with groove, who the fuck would've thought? Playing the live ve…

This was linked from /. http://www.cepro.com/news/editorial/18229.html Kinda obvious, but hey maybe other will begin to take notice?

I see, on the Rega web site, that they have just released the Saturn. And you can read the details there.

What do you guys think are some good low cost DACs? I'm not opposed to going the DIY route. Just needs a set of analog outs and one digital in (size/form factor not an issue, same with looks could be used uncased for all I care).

Oops, that's Nylon Jungle Ahhhh the analog sounds of a rock being scraped over a piece of pressed plastic. Can't beat it. I was bound to get here at some point. I've resisted it for awhile, mostly due to cost and upkeep hassle and the pesky need to flip over something when 1/2 the album is over. But a friend mentioned the new Rega P1 turntable, it's great price and the fact that it's plug and play...so off I went to the local Hi-Fi shop to greet my smiling Rega dealer. Of course so thread is complete without pics: This is my first real dive into hi-end vinyl and it's a budget entry for sure, but so far, I gotta say, not bad at all. I'm run…

You can see what my current, primary home rig for headphone useage currently is. My sound quality is fantastic except for two things: 1.) I need to find a way to inject some more warmth without taking away from everything else. 2.) There's a touch of harshess that shows up at times that could stand to be refined out of there. This is not an earth shattering, extreme problem. That being said, I'm considering all kind of things from an external DAC that would turn my Onkyo 1000 into a glorified transport, a different set of cans although I'd hate to lose the 701's strengths, possibly a new source outright, or maybe some kind of "accessory" like this: http…

Anyone have any impressions of the Silverstone EB01 USB DAC? I've already looked over at Head-Fi, but I'd rather hear a synopsis of all y'alls' opinions.

I just paid DigiPete for his SACDModded Denon 3910, and damn, I am itching to try all my SACDs out.

Hey, guess what I just got? Rega Apollo...sounds pretty nice straight out of the box...burn-in to follow... Oh, and: black.

Will someone with familiarity in the subject area please break down the difference(s) between these three? I was going to just get the 970, but it doesn't have the Faroudja chipset -- how important is this? Someone on another forum said the 981 is supposed to be a replacement for the 971, but takes away the Faroudja chipset (I think he meant the 970, because the 981 explicitly has the Faroudja chipset). This is what I get: 970 -- entry level 971 -- Faroudja chipset 981 -- 1080p Or are there other important differences? I will be using it with this, amongst other things. I am interested in sound, especially SACD and DVD-A, as I can always use an outboard DAC …

So here's my problem. I have a Powerbook G4 with 80 gigs of hard drive space on it. I have 672 songs in my iTunes library after clearing it out and it comes to a whopping 27 gigs because everything is ripped in ALAC. I recently sold my home gear because I just don't use it enough to warrant having it anymore and I need the money since I'm in college. I've been using my portable setup and my cheap ass computer speakers as of late. So basically it's onboard headphone jack for the speakers and my 3G 10 gig iPod. This leaves me with little space on my hard drive on both the computer and iPod, which is a problem cause I can't put anymore music on either, and I always want m…

I am a complete noob at this. I have been lurking the forum, but I am confused. Most of the discussion is way over my head. My goal is to get a reasonably nice setup to use while on my exercise bike at home. I think I have decided on a pair of etymotic ER-4P In Ear Monitors because I need the isolation, the bike is very noisy. (see link http://www.head-case.org/index.php?topic=1097.0) I don't have a clue what to use for a source, or an amp. I am presently using an older dvd player with a headphone jack, but it won't play anything but a pressed disc, no CD-R's. My budget for a source and amp is pretty low, maybe $300, but less is better. I am reasonably computer lite…

... Of feeding a digital signal from a Creative X-Fi Elite Pro to the RME Fireface directly for all purpose (i.e. including gaming) use? Let me explain. On all of my PC's at the moment used seriously for any sort of audio use I run both an RME Fireface 800 and a Creative X-Fi Elite Pro. The Elite Pro handles gaming audio and is the default audio interface in Windows. Anything music or media orientated gets squirted through the Fireface. I've standardised on J.River Media Center for that purpose, along with the Algorithmix PEQ bundle of linear phase DirectX EQ's. All that then goes out either to Headroom Max's acting as headphone / pre amp, or Crane Song Avocets connect…

Crap. Can the powers in control of this not sit down for the good of the consumer? Such potential but greed will keep us from really enjoying it for years to come is seems. Sorry if already posted but what a damn way to start the day. http://www.avrev.com/news/0107/04.total_hd_disc.shtml

I was looking at a USB digital transport so I could bring my Lavry back home for winter break, and this thing caught my eye. I ordered on the 13th, got here to CA on the 15th from Hong Kong, so I'm very impressed with the shipping. I really like this thing, the build quality is solid. It's small but not feather-light. It has all the digital connection I'll ever need. I'm running the AES/EBU directly to my Lavry, out of my Dell laptop using foobar/ASIO. The thing just works as advertised, and the price is pretty decent too. I think I paid $105 including shipping.

Hey guys, I'm in the process of getting a CD-transport at the moment, with an eye for modding later on down the road. For those of you who have heard the modded Denon units, is there a big difference between a modded 2910 and a 3910? If there's a somewhat substantial difference, I'm willing to pocket the difference and go with the 3910. Oh btw, I'm going to have them modded by SACDmods if that makes a difference.

Is it worth getting a cheap Sony CE595 for just multi-channel SACDs? I'm really happy with redbook as it is (and my DA10), since most of the music I listen to is released on this format. But there are a few mutli-channel SACDs that I'd love to hear on my K1000. Do you guys think it's worth it? And will I be able to send the analog cables straight to my Pass Labs amp or is something fancy required?

Well, I'm looking for a CD transport that has AES digital out, because the coaxial input on my Lavry is already taken up by my computer. My budget is around $500.

first impression: the sound is extremely clear. second impression: the UI is a tad user unfriendly without RTFM.

I was on A'gon and saw this for 1000 and couldn't resist..... and i actually was the first to get it... i pondered, i searched, i asked and found no rea answers or reviews... except engineering jib jab about it's interface. So i went ahead and bought it. now i'm left wondering if i should sell it the second i get it... the insides don't look all that impressive... and the reviewers seem so enchanted by it's USB input that they forgot to check how it sounds.

Well I am fucking sourceless again . My Exemplar 3910 developed a problem in March. I sent it to the most experienced (at working on modified Denons)repair depot in the country. They took seven weeks . ,$320 including shipping, and it?s got a fucking worse problem than when I sent it to them . Now it?s going to be at least another $100 in shipping and however long it takes them this time. I?m not totally sourceless, but I am lacking a quality source. I?m pissed.

Anyone check out the measurements from the Zanden review in the November issue of Stereophile? Not that Stereophile or in particular Michael Fremer had any credibility left. But how the hell did he manage to be floored by a combo that had a roughly 4 db channel imbalance and a thd+noise of 25% at 50hz.

Hi Folks, This is my virgin post here at Headcase I just sold my Zapfiltered E5, and now am eyeing a mod for my 3910. Alex at APL suggested one of his mods: General PSU mods Add new transformer and linear PSU w/reg. for the digital section Custom clock to replace all 6 clocks on the 3910 Bypass DSPs for best digital to the DAC (loose source direct i.e. SACD>172khz PCM, no: bass management, time alignment, level controls on FL,FR) Double DACs (one 1796 per channel) (loose MIX L R outputs) Analog stage mods with SE mosfet buffer output stage. He says this will kill very respectable $10k vinyl rigs... All for $1xxx Anybody have experience wit…

Has anyone heard it? Looks pretty good on paper, but so far, no real word-of-mouth impressions I can find around the net.

While helping my older brother move a couple weeks ago he mentioned that he was going to ebay his TT. I had remembered it being a decent player so I offered to keep it in the family. So as of today, I'm the proud owner of a pretty mint Thorens TD 160 MKI. It has the original tonearm and cartridge, the latter of which will be replaced as soon as funds present themselves. Also, tomorrow I'll be ordering up the DIY version of the Hagerman Bugle which I've been told should fit nicely into my mid-fi vinyl plans. Best part is the TT came complete with 30 albums or so including some original Zeppelin and other stuff my brother had picked up along the way. Nate