wrcwill

I hear great things about each of these speakers, but never comparing them to each other. I'd like to see what you guys think. I'll be hooking them up to a FiiO e17 line out for now, and upgrade DACs later. Probable a Dacmagic or VDAC, or anything else you guys might seem reasonable for speakers in this price range. Pros/Cons for each, and price/performance? I am going to buy soon, but I am stuck deciding Thanks!

Disable Max I/O Buffer size, that usually fixes it. May I ask what Dac you are using? Cheers, wrcwill

The E7 is a DAC/Amp, the E9 is just an amp (a more powerful one). So when docking the e7 on the e9 you get the DAC from the e7, and the amp from the e9.

Thanks for the reply! How do you control the analog volume of the Proton, seeing as there is no UI on the PK90? Also, what volume should I set it to If I were to use it with my preamp? Which DAC would be the next upgrade above the Proton, for my system? (It has to be compatible with the PK90) And do you know if the Proton sounds better than the Wyred 4 Sound DAC1? Thanks a lot!

So how does the W4S Dac1 compare to the proton? SQ, features, value, etc... Do you know if I can use the Proton going to my preamp and have 100% SQ, not reduced by going through 2 pre's? Thanks!

What DAC shines the most with USB? I was considering the Wavelength Proton, but the more I read up on it, the more I find it's tailored for headphone users. For example it has analog volume on the line out (I understand the headphone out, but what about If I have a preamp). I understand it can still work, but it can't be as good as simply having 1 pre-amp. Convince me otherwise so I can finally buy it . For my initial question, I'd really prefer asynchronous USB. For reference I'm using a NAD s100/200 preamp/amp combo going to B&W nautilus 804s. Thanks a lot!

I just noticed the W4S DAC1 is now asynchronous through usb. However, I am almost decided on buying the Wavelength Proton, as the reviews tell me it's the best I can get for the price. Does anyone know how it's sound quality compares to the Proton's? The DAC1 is priced about the same as the Proton (950$ vs 900$), which one should I get? I will be using it with the Auraliti PK90 -> DAC > NAD s100/s200 -> B&W Nautilus 804. Thank you, fellow audiophiles!

Have you taken a look at the monitors M-Audio offer? The BX5's and BX8's deliver great sound, and even if they are neutral they are also very pleasing to listen to.

I currently have an S100 NAD pre-amp coupled with a S200 NAD poweramp, going to a pair of B&W Nautilus 804 speakers. For CDs I have a Denon DCD1560, but for all my digital music collection, I needed a high-quality music server. So I decided the Auraliti PK90 would be my best bet, since asynchronous USB seems to be the best right now; however I am overwhelmed by all the DACs available, and I'm unsure of which one to pick. I've been reading on these DACs for a while, yet I haven't come to a conclusion yet. Here are a few I'm considering: Wavelength Proton 900$ (My first choice) Benchmark DAC1 USB 1295$ (Good reviews, but is adaptive USB, not asynch) Musical Fidelity M1 750$ (Another viable option, though I haven't found reviews) Arcam rDAC 500$ (A bit on the low-end) Wyred4Sound DAC2 1500$ (I don't think this works with the PK90) Calyx DAC 1500$ (I don't think this works with the PK90) EDIT 1: Audiolab MDAC (Couldn't find price) These are only the DACs I've found, so tell me about any other good ones between 500-1500(max, but I'd prefer spending less than 1k). I just want the one that is the best for the price) I am leaning towards the Wavelength Proton right now, since the reviews are so good for it. I just want to make sure it will be fully compatible, since this is a headphone DAC, and I want to use them with my n804's. (On a side note, how would I control the volume for the headphone out with the PK90?) Also, 1) What USB cable should I use between the PK90 and the DAC I will choose? 2) Any good low-noise external harddrives you guys recommend? 3) Any comments on the new revision of the Musical Fidelity M1, and how it would compare to the Wavelength Proton? Please guide me into the right direction, as I want the best for the money I have!

Why not optical? I would think USB would be inferior, seein as current passes right next to the data. With an optic cable, no interference exists, as nothing disturbs light. This is just my humble opinion though, because from my MacBook Pro to my fax magic through USB sounds bad. However, if you say USB is better, I think I'll go with the Auraliti PK90. Which USB Dac would be good to use with it, since my DAC doesn't do 24 bit with USB, and when I tried it it sounded awful. Thanks!

First post here on CA, loving the community I recently bought Nautilus n804 speakers from B&W, with a S100 pre-amp and S200 power amp NAD, and I am confused about what music server I should buy? I looked at the Sonore Classic series, but it goes for 1750$, and that's out of my price range. I feel like optical gives better SQ, so I was hoping to get one that supports it, but most servers under 1k are USB. Do you guys know of any good servers that offer great SQ yet isn't too pricey? Or talk me into asynchronous usb, and recommend some too? My next issue is the DAC. I am currently using the Cambridge Audio Dacmagic, but I feel like I am missing something, the sound feels congested, not much instrument separation, bass don't go very low, etc... I was wondering if there were other dacs (with optical in, or USB if you can convince me), either same price or a bit higher, that offer better sound (I would sell the dacmagic)? Thank you very much!