Adam Szablowski

@DM So, you didn't try to connect your MacBook via Firewire (you need Weiss driver software for AudioMidiSetup) under MacOSX ? No playback software like Amarra ? Only Audirvana ? There are differences in playback ... As I told, it could be the question of some other aspects which are important, when you "testing" something like DACs with different interfaces and inputs. For me is clear, you have a big pleasure to playing around with high-end equipment, it's all your "private" opinion, but not a fact... Adam

Dear DM, your thoughts, experiences and tries to find out the "true" about the DAC technology are nice, but in my opinion they can't be called "review". All experiments with your CEC as transport can be so good as your CD-transport is, not better. Just to connect it to your DAC shows the quality of your connection and your transport more, than of the tested DAC. Very important thing in CAP (computer audiophile playback) is also the question of the interface to get the signal out from the computer to your DAC. You didn't compare (for example) the abilities of Fireware connection of Weiss DAC202 to computer. Firewire in audio technology (studios) has been used since around twenty years and is much "older" than USB asynchronous protocol. It is not dead, because Apple wants to leave this way. Ask recording engineers ! The digital connection mit the firewire-cables are not so critical as it seems to be in USB-world (and mostly not so expensive). What about ripping ? What about your computer system ? What about your playback software ? Comparing only this aspects at the "best" CAP setup in the world could drive you crazy, about any realistic conclusion and answer, what is really the best thing. I like to hear vinyl as I like to hear computer aided playback (also CAP !) and it seems to me you are really good "analouge". But for computer audiophile playback ist the completely change of the way of thinking absolutely necessery... Just hear the music ! There is no really the question of Weiss, AMR, dCS or others because you can optimize every system so as you like it and as you are satisfy with it. Anyway, see for example www.behold.eu for PSD192 phono pre with the possibility to simulate of nearly all important recordings curves digitally (Columbia IEC RIAA, DECCA, London, etc.), which is probably a very good "toy" to merge the digital and analogue world (like Dr. Feickert's Adjust). And if you like to undestand what I ment about the change, just see other digital products of behold... Adam

start for example with (if you prefer baroque opera arias) Cecilia Bartoli - Opera Proibita Cecilia Bartoli - The Vivaldi Album (both Decca) Adam

There is only one (DVD-A) The Vivaldi Album at the moment on the market (DGM-Decca) Resolution 24-bit 48 kHz. Just check catalogue on the site of Decca or DGM. I don't know the resolution of some Blu-Rays, probalbly 24/48 too. http://www.deutschegrammophon.com All others albums I know are "only" 16/44,1 CDs. Anyway in my opinion they are all "must have", if you like her art of singing... ;-) Adam

Hi SLM, at 192 kHz or 176,4 kHz sampling rate you can drive left and right channel separately, that's dual wire (if you have for example esoteric mono-dacs or digital speakers with dacs integrated in the loudspeaker it could be usefull... RCA-Cinch digital is more consumer typical. XLR (AES-EBU) is the professional connection. The sonical information is based on SPDIF - specs on both connections, so IMO it depends only, which inputs has your DAC and how far is the distance between interface and DAC. I use RCA with digital cable (100 US$). Of course you can spend much more money on it. There are no limits... I would say, the quality of the digital interconnects is important, but not so important as in analog world of NF or XLR cables. Its all a little bit less critical because of digital-data-transfer. I own INT202 and my dac is internal dac of burmester 051 cd which works perfectly. I attach the manual of INT202. Don't hesitate to ask Mr. Weiss or his team @weiss-highend.ch directly, if you have some special questions; I think they are much better than me in explanation of their products. Adam

In terms of sonics there should be no difference between INT202 and 203. As I wrote there is the bi-directional function on INT203 and no dual wire function for output. Only one thing seems to be important (as Daniel Weiss said) - use so short firewire cable as possible. I have a stock Lindy FW 400/800 (www.lindy.com) for less then 15 US $ (lenght about 30 cm) and Oyaide 50 cm d+(FW400/800) for about 100 US $. At the moment I use Oyaide because of the lenght; I can't tell any sonically differences between both. Practically I would say, the stock cable fit better into the firewire 800-input of my MacBookPro; funny but true... Adam

@ sounslikemusic The INT202 and INT203 are a little bit different. First - both aren't USB-interfaces/converter. Second- only Firewire to SPDIF single or dual wire at INT202 or only single wire at INT203 with the possibility to go bi-directional (it means to use it not only for playback; you can record via SPDIF-Firewire your digital signal to your hard disc and you have something like "external soundcard". Probably you are right, the best ! Adam

Yes it is. It works very well with and without power supply. Very smart setup. You can use it from MacBook Pro battery without any connection to your electricity network too... Adam

I'm using Weiss INT202 via Firewire to connect my Burmester 052 with my MacBookPro (Amarra).It is (or sounds) fantastic and much better than hear the music from CD-Player. Just buy or update Amarra to the 24/192 and enjoy all HD-Files ! There is the big difference at 16/44.1 comparing to CD too. Your DAC in 061 is much better than my Burmester 052 because you have two BurrBrown chips for SRC. I think there is no need to spend money for dCS U-Clock. I trust Firewire and Weiss more. Of course it would be the best possibility for you, if you could compare both interfaces at home with testing them... I think via Weiss driver software you can choose the master/slave option. Normally I use INT202 as Master...As Daniel Weiss said, the most important thing ist to keep the connection short. If you would have a Player/DAC with wordclock in/out it would probably make sense to go with dCS. Adam

I´m using miniToslink/Toslink Optocoupler MKII glass fibre cable from VdH since December with my MacBook Pro to Burmaster DAC of 052 CD-Player. The sound is excellent and via Windows and foobar2000 at Mac there is no problem at all to transfer 24-bit/192kHz signals to the DAC. I think, it is "old" SP/DIF way of life (or listening music), but at the moment far less complicated as this whole USB-discusion... Anyway Optocoupler ist the big difference for me and no compare to optical cable for 20$ and minitoslink adapter. Adam

Hi emw, I know, there is a long way to find the right quality... You can buy it at www.audio-reference.de Phone number in Hamburg/Germany 040-533 20 359 I've ordered minitoslink/toslink 2 meters for about 99 €. The 1,5 meter about 75 €. VdH is the best choice I think. As I recognize there is one at audioquest (optilink-5) too, but very expensive. The 1,5 meter about 517,- €. Ask at 040 - 29895548. Where are you from in Germany ? Are you hearing HD - Music ? Adam

Hi markr, as I understood, the new version (pro) for 699$ could splitt finished (mixed) stereo music to different instruments or melodic lines. It should be something for the musicians and sound engineers like "Adobe Photoshop for Music". Anyway, I have no experiences with this stuff at all and if Peter Gabriel found this software good, I believe him... The question could be, did he use this program to remove or to add his voice ? But I agree , very cool thing ! Adam

There is a very interesting software from Munich/Germany called Melodyne 2.0 which is able to splitt different tones and instruments and probably voices from the track. The software is wellknown by sound engineers (See Norah Jones, Ice Cube and so on). Try under www.celemony.com to inform you about it ! Adam

Dear Gordon, the biggest mystery for me is at the moment, why Apple gives the specs with 192k instead of 96k for MacOSX. That's not very nice to the customers... I have tested Weiss Minerva via Firewire, Burmester CD Player 052 DAC via TOSlink, Esoteric D-05 via TOSlink (all with MacBook Pro - using preview playback for MacOSX und foobar2000 playback for Windows XP - AIFF 192k - Files) and PowerMac G5 with M-Audio Audiophile 192 with digital RCA-coaxial connection. I've compared the sound of MacBook Pro/Esoteric D-05 (192k) to very expensive analog equipment with vinyl tracks too. My impression is, it sounds for me very good. Of course it is only my personally opinion. I've had the possibility to hear B&W - Nautilus with Classé Amps and CD-Player in February (Rachmaninoff Symphonic Dances RR and Acoustic Live Tracks from Nils Lofgren), so I could compare it to my own "small" Burmaster/Mac solution. The difference in sound was not so big as the price difference... As an audiophile architect I'm very happy with my equipment and the silent and simply connections between DAC and computer, possibility to play without power supply via battery and SSD. So I think, the best way is everytime to try and compare the possibilities and make our own experiences. Especially with ears not with tech specs data ! Thanks Adam

Hi Monty, I would be much happier, if it could work with MacOSX. But anyway this switching between two operation systems is at the moment something like the "ceremony" of preparing your vinyl for playback in the highest quality... Don't forget, your optical cable should be with mini-TOSlink to TOSlink. Don't use any adapter ! VdH Cable costs about 140$ I suppose. And you need of course one DAC which supports this SampleRate of 192kHz. Adam