stephane

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Hi everyone, Well, my question is kind of a follow up on the very long thread related to Alan Taffel's article on USB audio in TAS. I've just bought a new computer-based hi-fi system that includes a Mac mini as a source and a Bryston BDA-1 DAC. My initial choice for the DAC was the Weiss Minerva, for 2 reasons: its FireWire connector and the outstanding reviews I read on it. At the last minute, I changed my mind and selected the Bryston DAC as I had chosen the Bryston B-60 SST integrated amp and the combination produced a sound I enjoyed greatly at a lower cost and with a more integrated design. My system will get delivered in a few weeks and, last week-end, I started to look for information on the best connection between the Mac mini and the Bryston DAC. My dealer called me last Friday to let me know there was a very good review of the Bryston BDA-1 in the last TAS issue, so I downloaded the pdf version and read the article. My conclusion after reading that article was that I should not use the USB connectors. I decided to read more and went straight to CA as I've found it a great source of information and I also read some other reviews on the Bryston BDA-1 that included some connectivity preferences. Well, you guys have made me spend more than 15 hours in reading, thinking, deciding, changing my mind... over that topic. And I'm still not 100% sure which way to go, so I'll summarize what I think and then ask for a recommendation. Summary of my findings: - the Bryston BDA-1 is highly regarded in its price range - it has a lot of connectivity options: - IN: S/PDIF TOSLINK, S/PDIF coaxial RCA, S/PDIF BNC, AES/EBU, USB - OUT: balanced XLR, unbalanced RCA stereo, S/PDIF coaxial bypass loop - it has systematically been reported by reviewers of the Bryston BDA-1 that its USB connector produces inferior sonic results than its S/PDIF TOSLINK connector and that its USB implementation is of relatively low quality (contrary to some high quality USB DACS from Wavelength, Ayre or dCS for instance) - it seems there is some sort of consensus on the superiority of the FireWire interface over the USB interface (but not over the asynchronous USB interface which is quite new and rarely used, but used in USB DACS from Wavelength, Ayre or dCS for instance) - it seems that most people find the connectors producing the best sonic results are, in descending order: AES/EBU, S/PDIF BNC, S/PDIF coaxial RCA, S/PDIF TOSLINK, USB (except asynchronous USB which seems much better) Then my questions to the experts: - what would be the best way to connect the Mac mini to the Bryston BDA-1 using the Mac mini's FireWire connector and the Bryston's S/PDIF TOSLINK connector? If possible, I'd appreciate recommendations on real products. - what would be the best connector to use on the Bryston BDA-1 to get it connected to the Mac mini knowing I want to use the FireWire OUT connector of the Mac mini; besides, which product would you recommend to make that connection between the FireWire connector and the Bryston BDA-1 connector you'd recommend I use? - would it be a good idea to add an I/O interface between the Mac mini and the Bryston BDA-1 DAC, as suggested by Alan Taffel in his TAS article? If no, why? if yes, would one of those products be convenient? If not, what would you recommend? - Motu 896mk3 ((FireWire In - S/PDIF coaxial Out) http://www.motu.com/products/motuaudio/896mk3 - Focusrite Saffire pro10 io (FireWire In - S/PDIF coaxial Out) www.focusrite.com/products/saffire/saffire_pro_10_io/ - Focusrite Saffire (FireWire In - S/PDIF RCA coaxial Out) www.focusrite.com/products/saffire/saffire/ - Apogee Ensemble (FireWire In - S/PDIF coaxial Out) www.apogeedigital.com/products/ensemble.php - Apogee Mini-DAC FW (FireWire In - S/PDIF coaxial RCA Out - XLR pin2-hot Out) www.apogeedigital.com/products/mini-dac.php - Digidesign 003 rack factory (FireWire In - S/PDIF coaxial Out - BNC Out) www.digidesign.com/index.cfm?itemid=5029&langid=100 - ok, this one will likely have as many recommendations as readers, but I'll still give it a try: - which cable would you use to connect the Bryston BDA-1 DAC to the Bryston B-60 SST integrated amp? - which cable would you use to connect the Bryston B-60 SST integrated amp to the Audio Physic Tempo VI speakers? Thanks a lot in advance for your responses. Cheers, Stephane

So, after having read a lot on the Internet and specifically on CA, received very good recommendations from members of this site, discussed with several dealers and listened to different systems, I'm all set now and here is the system I'm going to buy: - speakers: Audio Physic Tempo VI in Ebony veneer (www.audiophysic.de/tempo/index_e.html#Technical%20data) - amplifier: Plinius 9200 (www.pliniusaudio.com/products/9200.asp) - DAC: Weiss Minerva (www.weiss-highend.ch/minerva/index.html) - music source: Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro (www.apple.com/befr/macbookpro) - digitized music storage: Western Digital My Book Studio Edition 1Tb (www.wdc.com/fr/products/Products.asp?DriveID=374) - digitized music backup: Western Digital My Book Studio Edition 1Tb (www.wdc.com/fr/products/Products.asp?DriveID=374) - audio playback software: Apple iTunes - music source remote control: Apple iPod touch (www.apple.com/befr/ipodtouch) - headphones: Grado SR 325i (www.gradolabs.com/frameset_main.htm) - Internet radio: Argon iNet 1 (www.argonaudio.com/sound/i-net/argon_inet_1.htm) - TV: Pioneer Kuro KRL 37 V (www.pioneer.be/be/products/62/63/413/KRL-37V/specs.html) - DVD player: Pioneer DVR-LX61 (www.pioneer.be/be/products/42/125/501/DVR-LX61/index.html) - wireless TV headphones: Beyerdynamic RSX 700 (www.beyerdynamic.de/en/consumer-products/products/trendline/wireless-headphone-systems.html) - furniture: Finite Elemente serie Modul (www.modulmodul.com) Thanks everyone for having helped me make my choice! Cheers, Stephane

Christopher85 & Darren, I had a demo with the Plinius 9200, the Weiss Medea DAC and the Cambridge Audio Azur 840C CD player and I was amazed. It sounded so great. I didn't even needed to try the Primare, as the both of you and the dealer (who also sells Primare) believe it's competing in a different category. I was so impressed with the Plinius/Medea combo that I had enough and enjoyed listening to my favorite tracks for 2 hours. I decided to go directlky with the 9200 and skipp the 9100 after a discussion with the dealer who explained that the power is important to avoid losing details at low volume levels, which is important to me. On top of that, the Plinius 9200 is actually a separate pre-amp and a separate power amp put in the same case, which is a nice idea. I have to say that the Medea added quite a lot to the overall quality, as I've listened to the same tracks with and without the DAC, and the sonic difference was quite big. I want to thank you again for having recommended the Plinius products to me. Stephane

Thanks for your reply and recommendation, Chris. In the meantime, Christopher85 suggested the Plinius 9100 and 9200 integrated amps, which I will listened to on Thursday at my high-end audio store together with the Weiss Medea DAC. The dealer sells Primare as well, so I would be able to compare if needed. I was indeed aware of the new MacBook Pro firewire 800 only port issue, and the workaround suggested by Daniel Weiss to use a 800 to 400 convector cable. Audiozorro also suggested to install a Nitro Firewire 800 card that supports 400 and 800 devices. Is one workaround better than the other? I've got a last question: in one of your systems, you're using a Mac Pro with the Lynx card, so I assume the sound card is a valuable component in that system. I wanted to replicate such a system using a MacBook Pro instead of a Mac Pro, hence the reason for the Apogee external card that I had selected. It seems I have not understood the purpose of the Lynx card in your system, since you're suggesting to me to not add any external sound card to my MacBook Pro. So, what does the Lynx card do and why is it so important in your system? Also, using a laptop like the MacBook Pro with a DAC like the Weiss Minerva, is it valuable to add an external sound card or not? I'm closer and closer to get all my system componants selected, that gives a great feeling! Thanks everyone for having helped me, your comments have been invaluable to me! Thanks, Stephane

Hi Christopher, Thanks for the Plinius suggestion. I had not considered that brand as I used to dislike the design of their devices, but having looked at the 9100 and 9200, I completely changed my mind. I read great reviews and my dealer has both in demo and spoke very highly of those amps, so I've booked a demo on Thursday for the Plinius amps and the Weiss Medea DAC (they don't have the Minerva in demo). If I like the sound produced by that system, I'll go for it. Thanks again, Stephane

Hi everyone, First of all, I want to thank all people who have taken time to read my very long post, think about it and answer it, I really appreciate. Here is a second lengthy post, sorry! I read quite a lot over computer-based audiophile systems during the last 2 weeks - especially on this site - and it became clear to me that my needs would be best met via a computer-based solution rather than a traditional audio solution. This has been a great discovery for me as up to 2 weeks ago, I thought that a CD transport or a hard disk-based solution from an audio manufacturer like Linn would always provide a better audio output than a PC and I didn't know much about DACs and their influence on the audio quality; now, without being an expert, I can clearly make an architectural decision thanks to this great site! The downside is that I have to increase my planned budget, but ok I've just turned 40 and want to make a nice present to myself ;-) I still have a few questions and would like to get people's advice. Something that might be worth mentioning is the style of music I'm listening to: mainly atmospheric, progressive and alternative rock (The Mission UK, Anathema, Porcupine Tree, Paradise Lost, Placebo, Pearl Jam...) and some cooler stuff (Fiona Apple, Sade, Massive Attack, Radiohead...). Also, the design is critical to me: the whole system needs to look good to my eyes, so I've chosen devices from different brands that are of high quality and look good when put together; they might not all provide the best value for money, but it's ok as I'm willing to pay some extra dollars for a nice design. I've made up my mind for 50% of my system. It will include the following: - music source: Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro - access to Internet radios: Apple 15-inch MacBook Pro - access to Internet radios is a key feature for me but I don't want to add an additional dedicated device like the Tivoli Audio Networks, so the MacBook Pro is a good option to meet that need IMO - audio playback software: Apple iTunes or Sonic Studio Amarra if that software is ever sold separately from the hardware - MacBook Pro remote control: iPod touch with Apple Remote or Remote Buddy application software - speakers: Audio Physic Tempo VI - Daphne: thanks a lot for your very detailed answer, it's been very helpful to me and has really open my eyes. I have though to disagree with your opinion on the Audio Physic Tempo VI speakers; I've listened to them with NAIM devices and they sounded just great to my ears; the reviews I found on them are also all very positive and I love their design, so I've decided to stick with those. I will still get a demo set up wit the Dynaudio you recommended as the dealer I will be buying from sells both brands, but the Dynaudio are 40% more expensive so I doubt I would choose them except if I clearly hear a superior sonic quality. - TV and MacBook Pro monitor: Loewe Individual 40 Compose (I will also use my television to watch TV programs only accessible from the Internet and streamed from the MacBook Pro) - DVD player: Loewe Viewvision What is left to be chosen in my system are the external sound card, the DAC and the integrated amplifier (I also still need to choose good cables, but that will be for later). Here are the options: 1. Apogee Ensemble firewire audio interface + Accustic Arts DAC I - MK4 + Accustic Arts Power I - MK2 amp 2. Apogee Ensemble firewire audio interface + Weiss Minerva firewire DAC + Accustic Arts Power I - MK2 amp 3. Apogee Ensemble firewire audio interface + Weiss Minerva firewire DAC + Primare i30 amp 4. Apogee Ensemble firewire audio interface + Naim Supernait amp with internal DAC My main question is: out of those 4 options, which one would you pick knowing that the price difference is not my main driver (the most expensive system is option 1, and the cheapest is option 4, which is 50% less expensive than option 1). If Daniel Weiss reads that post, I'd be interested in getting his standpoint on which amp he would chose to get connected to the Minerva and how the Accustic Arts DAC I - MK4 compares to the Minerva (one advantage of the Minerva is that it has a firewire connector, which seems the preferred connector for Daniel Weiss if I've understood the Minerva user manual correctly). My second question is: in this set up, I've included the Apogee Ensemble external sound card between the MacBook Pro and the DAC assuming the audio stream sent from the computer to the DAC would be better. But as the Weiss, Accustic Arts and Naim DACs seem to be so good, will that really make a difference or will it be overkill? Also, I chose this audio interface because it's been specifically designed to work with Apple computers (and its design is nice), but I would be happy to get expert advice on it and potential other recommendations. This site and its community is really of great interest and help and very friendly. Thank you all and happy birthday to CA! TIA for your answers, Stephane

Hello everyone, I'm new to this forum as I've found computeraudiophile.com quite recently. It's a great site IMO. I'm planning to buy a brand new hi-fi system but am hesitating over sopme options, so I'd like to get advices/guidance from anyone who would like to help me refine my choice. I'm not too technical but I understand most of the postings on this site; try to answer in a way that's not too technical. First, here is a description of my need: - type and quality: high-end 2.1 audio system including an integrated amplifier and capability to reproduce high quality digital music files through the audio system + average DVD player (the image quality just needs to be good, not great). - design: the system needs to look nice to great and at least harmonized (i.e. devices of smilar colors and sizes), that's a very important factor to me. The less equipment, the better. I'm not ready to trade off a lot of quality for the design, but would accept some trade off. My goal is to find equipment that looks nice and is of high quality. - budget: 10,000 to 15,000 USD range maximum (the lower, the best of course, but this would be my maximum total budget). Here are the 3 options I'm considering, along with some questions. Option 1 - Speakers: Audio Physic Tempo VI - www.audiophysic.de/tempo/index_e.html#Technical%20data - Integrated music system (integrated amplifier 2 * 75 watts + CD Player + FM Tuner) : Arcam Solo Music - www.arcam.co.uk/newsolo/index.html - Digital music server: iPod Classic + iPod docking station: Wadia 170 iTransport - www.wadia.com/products/products_main.htm - DAC: Cambridge Audio DacMagic - www.cambridgeaudio.com/summary.php?PID=320 - DVD player + access to Internet radios + access to web-based video streams: Mac Mini - Remote control for Mac Mini: iPod Touch Question 1: is the Mac Mini an acceptable DVD player ? I currently use an HDD DVD recorder Sony RDR-HX 650 and don't need anything better but I hope the Mac Mini would match the quality of my Sony. Qustion 2: instead of using the iPod Classic with the Wadia docking station to play digital music files, could I use the Mac Mini and a DAC to connect it to the Arcam Solo Music ? What I want to be able to do is to play high quality music files through my audio system, to profit from the quality of the audio components like the amplifier and the speakers. Question 3: is the Cambridge Audio DacMagic a good recommendation (it was recommended by the hi-fi retailer who demonstrated the system) or would a dvice like the Bryston BDA-1 External DAC make a big difference (even if a lot more expensive)? What I like in that option is the price (it's the cheapest one), the Arcam Solo Music (performances, price, design) and the overall sound quality (I had a demo of that system with similar speakers as the Tempo and it met my needs). What I dislike is the overall design: I've got 4 different devices from 4 different brands with 4 different designs. Also, I don't like the limitations brought by using an iPod (i.e. storage capacity). Option 2 - Speakers: Audio Physic Tempo VI - www.audiophysic.de/tempo/index_e.html#Technical%20data - Integrated amplifier: Linn Majik-I - www.linn.co.uk/majik-i - Digital music server: Linn Majik DS - www.linn.co.uk/majik_ds - NAS: Apple Time Capsule 500 Gb - www.apple.com/timecapsule/specs.html - DVD player + access to Internet radios + access to web-based video streams + backup of NAS content: Mac Mini - Remote control for Linn Majik DS and Mac Mini: iPod Touch Question 1: Would anyone recommend using the Apple Time Capsule as the NAS in this system? I selected that device because of its capacity (sufficient for my needs) and design (identical to the design of the Mac Mini). But reading the CASH list on this site, I would think there are better NAS devices. Also, as the Linn Majik DS costs about 2,500 € (that is, about 3,250 USD), I won't trade off the quality for the design in this case (as I can even hide the NAS in a cupboard if needed). Question 2: would anyone recommend using the new 13-inch MacBook instead of the Mac Mini, for instance because the image quality would be better for both viewing a DVD or a video stream from the Internet? Question 3: the Linn Majik DS product data sheet states that it supports UPnP (Universal Plug & Play) for seamless integration with UPnP media servers and control devices. I assume it would hence be possible to use an iPod Touch as a control device. Can someone confirm? What I like in that option is the overall quality and the ability to read the FLAC format (very positive reviews have been written on both the Linn Majik-I and Linn Makik DS devices: www.linn.co.uk/product_reviews/product_id/702 and www.linn.co.uk/product_reviews/product_id/759). I also like the design, as I've got 4 devices from 2 manufacturers with very nice and harmonized designs (at least the overall system looks nice to me ;-) ) and a nice remote control for both the Mac Mini and the Linn Majik DS (to be confirmed for that one). That system is 30% more expensive than the 1st one, but it's worth the difference IMO given the Linn brand quality and reputation, the future Linn software upgrades and the storage capacity. Option 3 - Speakers: Audio Physic Tempo VI - www.audiophysic.de/tempo/index_e.html#Technical%20data - Integrated amplifier: Linn Majik-I - www.linn.co.uk/majik-i - Digital music player + access to Shoutcast Internet radios: Sooloos Source:One - www.sooloos.com/www/the-system.php - NAS: Sooloos Twinstore + 2 Sooloos 1 Tb hard drives - DVD player + access to non-Shoutcast Internet radios + access to web-based video streams: Mac Mini - Remote control for Sooloos and Mac Mini: iPod Touch Question: same question as in option 2: would anyone recommend using the new 13-inch MacBook instead of the Mac Mini, for instance because the image quality would be better for both viewing a DVD or a video stream from the Internet? What I like in that option is the overall quality and the ability to read the FLAC format (a positive review has been written on the Sooloos system by Stereophile: www.stereophile.com/mediaservers/908sooloos/index.html). I also like the design, as I've got 2 Sooloos devices with the exact same great design, a nice Linn amplifier and a small and nice Mac Mini or MacBook. What I dislike is the price ;-) It's nearly twice as expensive as the 1st system and 40% more expensive than the second one. At this stage, the option I consider most is option 2. Thanks in advance to everyone for reading this post and giving me their advice! Cheers, Stephane