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tk11

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  1. This is very helpful. The Teac product look very interesting, and will surly integrate better on my desktop compared to the Decco2. In terms of price the Decco2/Wadia/Teac are pretty much the same, but after reading plenty review, I felt that I was getting the best deal with the decco (heavy discount). The Wadai 151 is actually the most expensive of the group, but I wasn't under the impression that it would produce a better audio than the Decco (and it does not have the headphone amp). Assuming that the all 3 product are comparable on the dac front / driving efficient speakers (like paradigm or JB3) I'd probably pick the Teac since it is smaller, and includes headphone amp. If I can't get people to comment, I'll just have to order all 3 and do a comparison between them.. As for Active: The main reason why I decided to skip the active is because of limited choices. Most active take a HUGE space, and I wasn't too happy with those that I have actually listened too. The only one that came close was the Aktimate Mini, but almost every pair of passive speakers sounded better than it. My feeling was that I'll have more flexibility with separates. I don't want to start by buying Amp/Dac/Headphone Amp/Speakers - that would be too expensive. So All that I need is a quality DAC with built-in amp/pre. Therefore, if need arises, I'll be able in the future to connect it to a more powerful amp, and I won't have to sell it. So the question remains: which of the following Dac/amp combo provide the best DAC while still enabling connecting passive pairs?
  2. These are really nice looking ones. Would love to hear your feedback about their performance.
  3. Actually others have also recommended the powered way. I also don't understand why you think that the cambridge dacmagic would leave much saving. From what I saw it's about $430. The Dacco2 provides a dac, headphones amp, pre amp, and the ability to drive passives in case that I find good speakers.
  4. Ended up getting the decco2 for a what I believe is a great price ($500 USD) from a demo. The good part is that I have 60 days to test it out, or return it if I am not happy. My reasoning was that I'll always be able to add a power amp in the future, if not completely satisfied. I am now looking for an efficient speakers to match it with. Ideally I'd like to buy used, and spend something like $500-$1500. Given a choice, I'd get the Gallo Strada (yes the 6moons review affected me) - they seem perfect for a desktop setting. However, I doubt that I'll be able to get Strada 2.1 for that price (even used), and I assume that without the sub, the stradas will be too lacking on bass. Other options include: Paradigms, Zu Audio, Nola Boxer, Lenehan ML1. Other speakers that I liked are the KEF R100, but I am not sure if the Decco2 is powerful enough for them. Any other rather small speakers that produce a big sound, good for a desktop setting, and look cool - Amphion Helium 410, Triangle Titus come to mind, but I wasn't able to demo them yet. Loved the reviews about the JB3, but I can't seem to find a place to buy them. At $350. I am willing to buy it blind, and sell it if I am not happy enough with the performance.
  5. Thanks for your help. Sounds like the DAC is a big component. Any suggestion on that? Currently I am debating between a good DAC and the Aktimate Mini. Price wise I think that the Aktimate are quite impressive. Some other choices, NuForce Icon2 + Amphion Helium 410 If all else fails, I might go crazy with decco2 + decent used passive speakers, and stay on a lookout for a used pair of Zu Audio, Paradigm S1 or even Gallo Strada. I'll head out for some more auditioning today
  6. Hi All, I kindly ask that you will help me reach a decision already. For the past couple of weeks I have been researching how I can setup a high quality stereo system for my computer (macbook air). I currently don't have anything setup, and I am simply using my laptop internal speakers. Given that I am spending a lot of time infront of my computer I decided that's its time for a change. My main concern is space (I am sitting in a pretty small den), style, and its important that I'll get high quality audio out for high res sound files that are already on my computer. I have been considering various options, but I want to ensure that I am getting the best value for my money. Please help me identify what's the right way to go. Couple of options that I consider: 1. Focal XS 2.1 - these guys win on style and space. They take little space, and apparently the sound is quite good. Since I wasn't able to hear them out, I due have a general concern about the staging that small desktop speakers can produce. $600 2. Aktimate Mini + DAC - I like the speakers, and assuming that I'll had a good DAC/Headphone amp, I assume that I can get a good quality audio. I'll probably invest $150-$300 in a dac. Total cost would be about $700-$900. 3. Going Passive - Wadia 151 or Peachtree MusicBox + Passive speakers. I am not too sure that this is a good choice. I can get the MusicBox + DS4.5 ($1000) or I can find a nice pair of speaker to complement either one of these (maybe JB3)? My problem is that either the Wadia / PeachTree might not be powerful enough to drive good speakers, or that I'll be left with speakers that won't sound good enough for a near-field listening. My space is pretty limited. I was actually considering the decco (rather than the musicbox), but I decided that it is simply too big for my needs, and it will clutter my desk too much. I also don't want to throw money on good equipment that will not shine under these conditions. If you were in my position what would you suggest?
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