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I get the jitters reading this. http://www.audiostream.com/content/qa-john-swenson-part-2-are-bits-just-bits

Finally have a little cash to become active around here again. Looking for a USB DAC to match up with the Lambda normal bias + SRM-T1 I just bought from Birgir. I've narrowed it down to these 2. Any have any personal experience with either? Anything else you'd recommend? Looking to keep the price under $500.

This may be interesting, thoughts: http://www.psaudio.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/DirectStream-DAC-white-paper.pdf http://www.digitalaudioreview.net/2014/02/ps-audio-to-rescue-pcm-with-directstream-perfectwave-dac/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ps-audio-to-rescue-pcm-with-directstream-perfectwave-dac http://www.monoandstereo.com/2014/02/ps-audio-directstream-dac.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+monoandstereo%2FHOym+%28MONO+AND+STEREO+Ultra+High-End+Audio+Magazine%29

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html I'll be in the funny pictures thread.

A little bit back I sold all my dynamic stuff and went complete electrostat. I was tired of the admittedly lovely, but nit picky Grado GS1000's which sounded like god on certain stuff but which would fall apart on certain other tracks (think early 80's, very thin, sharp in the highs Husker Du tracks, etc.). I haven't been disappointed with the decision. The Stax SRM-323S amp ... Stax SR-307 and Koss ESP950 headphones that I chose are pretty much a dream combination in so far as working with my entire collection of digital music which spans everything from Black Tusk to Bach to Dana Kurtz to Alela Diane to Judas Priest to the Swans. Pretty diverse and on constant rando…

Hello, need some suggestions for a DAC to use with PC. I realize there are a wide plethora of options listed in the forum, but would like some help narrowing the list down to budget. Currently using the Pico DAC/amp for everything, but was wondering if there is a better option, specifically for desktop use with USB. I've been contemplating upgrading to powered speakers, and STAX, so it's probably time for a source upgrade as well. What options do I got?

This could be end up being a nice solution for some. http://store.acousticsounds.com/d/94817/Sony-USB_Hi-Res_DAC_System-DA_Converter_or_Processor

Pardon the mess; I'm moving next week so I don't have a nice table to put everything on. I knew I had to buy it as soon as I heard Voltron's set up at CanJam. I got it about three hours ago and it's terrific like I remembered it. So far, I'm using the AES input on my Primare DVD30 to compare the DACs between the two devices. It's my very first piece of individual equipment that costs this much so I'm experiencing a whole new level of sound. For example, I always discounted one recording as flawed because of strange background noises but the higher resolution of this DAC makes it very clear that it's just sound from the audience. Apparently, I'll get even more mileag…

Just noticed that Electrocompaniet has a new DAC, the ECD-2. This interests me - I <3 the ECD-1. http://www.electrocompaniet.no/news/item_0033.html (Looks kinda ugly though.)

any recommendations for low cost or free EQ software that handles an 80dB range with more than 10 adjustable frequencies ? for OS X 10.8 or Windows7 I was looking for a means to evaluate my comparative sensitivity to different frequencies across the audible spectrum, found this site and gave it a go. http://www.phys.unsw.edu.au/jw/hearing.html the range indicated seems to be over 75 dB (image attached below) I use both a mac ( OSX 10.8 ) and a pc ( Windows7 ) I would like to experience whether EQ'ing my systems to meet my seeming audio sensitivity/insensitivity will be good or not. audio sources will be games, youtube, soundcloud and lik…

Ancient Dac, but has anyone heard one of these? How does it compare to the Parasound D/AC-1600 I have? Supposedly the 2000 was touted as being a noticeable step up and was much more expensive (I think 2x the price) at the time. I see them come up a few times a year on ebay and was wondering if they're worth the 600-800 dollars they normally go for. I'm a huge Parasound fanboy and have wanted one for a while. Anyone ever hear one?

A pre with a MM/MC stage, a 24/192 DAC and a sub-1K price. Could solve a few problems, no? Parasound Halo P 5 Stereo Preamplifier Preview http://www.audioholics.com/av-preamp-processor-reviews/parasound-halo-p-5-stereo-preamplifier http://www.electronichouse.com/article/parasound_halo_p_5_delivers_2-channel_audio_goods/C37

Don't see much coverage around since it was released a few days ago, but the price is right for a lot of uses. Anyone heard anything pro/con? http://www.emotivapro.com/products/stealth-dc-1-a

Looks like the Abrahamsen v6.0 DAC is shipping in Norway, according to a thread on HF. But it's only shipping in Norway.

I posted this on HF, after a bazillion threads appeared about the latest players. Seems like a few random, and some not so random developers have come out with iTunes alternatives. Here is a list of the players currently available that I know of, along with some basic information about them. I figured there'd be some interest in this here as well. Note: I haven't included Cog, as it is no longer being developed and doesn't work properly with 10.6. Amarra by Sonic Studio http://www.sonicstudio.com/amarra/ Commercial, demo available for download. Comes in three flavours: Amarra, Amarra Mini and Amarra Junior with varying features and prices. The player int…

Squeezebox Touch unboxed and in the wild Looks interesting

Just caught this on computeraudiophile's site. I've got ayrewave, amarra, I've used pure music and twilight and this one is nice. I just drag and drop the cd I want to play from my music folder in itunes and it loads right up. Has memory play and auto sample rate change as well, best of all it is open source and free for the moment at least. http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/New-OSX-Opensource-audiophile-player-Audirvana

Got my shipping notice today for the Zdac, via Audio Advisor. According to them I was #1 on the list. I've apparently been #1 on audio dealer's lists before, because my Mom said many times that I was #1 on the Schiit list. Didn't even know they made audio equipment at the time. Anyway, I've been curious about this DAC for a while, due to it's small size, and my previous taste for the Parasound sound. I've recently amassed a handsome stack of matching Zgear to encompass a tidy little desktop system. This will be my first USB DAC, so I'm a bit excited about the prospects of such a device. Other sources beyond computer audio will be my Cambridge iD100/iPod/iPad and th…

So I was looking through Sound & Visions report on new products in NY show, came upon a turntable section. They had a picture of the new Pro-Ject Essential turntable, and I realized it's used to play those old 1970's albums backwards to get all the satanic messages. Little surprised no one has corrected that picture, it's been up for a while

I have been playing with idea of hooking up my netbook to my main system to play some FLAC files and WAV CD Rips that I got floating around. Most of them are HQ LP and CD rips of stuff that I can't find in any other format and that are rare as hens teeth. Burning them to CD is a nuance and I want to just play them using Foobar2000 feeding my DAC or just straight into a preamp. Not sure which way to go or what device to use. Do any of you use something like this? Have any suggestions?

Auspicious name, though I know not if it is indeed in reference to the goddess. WM8804/2*PCM1794/24 bit-192kHz/Jensen trafo-coupled output stage/$1295.

I was reading this review, and it mentions the AqVox USB isolating power supply: A strong statement. But after looking around, there appears to be some controversy -- so...what it is? Have you tried it? Did it make a difference? It sounds like I should at least try it, but the AqVox appears to be geared towards the European market -- so is there a North American equivalent? I'd be particularly interested in Justin's thoughts since he has probably already put some thought into this. Justin?

Anybody else interested in the Olive One Music Player? I am kind of surprised that this interests me, but it does.

Just got a set of naked old men from http://lemonparty.org, and got a pair of dildos from http://babeland.com by $700 this weekend. With some other gears I already have, experiences and thoughts in playing with those gears will be shared later.

http://nwavguy.blogs...c-released.html Audio Formats: 16/44, 16/48, 16/96, 24/44, 24/48, 24/96 Interface: USB Audio Class 1 Native Driver OS Support: Windows XP & Later, OS X x86, Linux Operating Systems Tested: XP, Vista, Win7 (32 & 64), OS X Snow Leopard, Ubuntu 9.1 32 bit Line Output: Approximately 2 Vrms into 5K ohms or higher Dynamic Range: > 110 dB A-Weighted Distortion: < 0.005% Dimensions: 49 x 58mm (see drawing to right) Claims aside with this specs for 100$/£ sounds like a nice deal.