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Griffon

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  1. Hello again, Sorry for the late reply - I did read all the replies but did not have much time to respond. In the meanwhile I also ordered a different pair of attenuators between the DAC and A5 speakers (I need attenuators because at lower volume levels of the A5 there is imbalance between left and right speakers, so I need to "attenuate" the signal and turn the volume louder). The current ones had male RCA outputs and I could not find a good quality cable. The new ones will plug directly into the DAC and have female RCA outputs, so cabling can be better. Melvin, thanks for the advice. The KEFs were recommended to me in a Turkish hi-fi forum as well. However, as you stated I'm not sure the integrated DAC would be better than the one I have, and I'd rather have a more "flexible" setup where I can upgrade components piece by piece. I currently use an iMac, an "integrated computer", and I'd really prefer a more flexible solution for my future purchases. Jud, I'm mostly listening to earphones while I'm out of home and walking around, so I'd rather give my ears some freedom at home.. But as you mention, I'm also getting the impression that it's futile to try to get great sound while sitting 1 meter from the speakers. As software player I use BitPerfect with iTunes, but the latest iTunes update seems to have broken something. I read good things about Audirvana Plus, maybe I should give it a try.. mayhem13, ed71, thanks for the replies. I'm not sure I would be able to gracefully integrate a subwoofer into the setup. In fact I'm not "mad about bass" but I can hear additional details on the low-end with in-ear earphones and I don't like the fact that I'm "missing" them with my speaker setup. I think I'd also have some trouble finding a good sealed sub here in Turkey.. Probably some room arrangement would be better. I used to have a much worse room setup, and when I changed the room, the low end became much more satisfying. I also enjoy classic rock, "modern" rock&alternative and progressive. If I do upgrade the speakers at one point, I hope I can get a pair that "fits well" to this kind of music.. christopher3393, I'm glad to hear the A5's have some more room for improvement with a better DAC. I could replace the "regular" MS II with the HD version, or maybe get something which also offers S/PDIF input. I think I should first upgrade the cabling and improve the room setup. I had better luck than a haphazard free-standing stand with placing the speakers at an angled stand on the desk; I will try to get a better solution to get them off the table. Together with a better audio player (IF it would make a difference over BitPerfect) these should be a cheap way to squeeze the best performance out of the current system. Then I might consider upgrading the DAC. Finally, from the replies I received here and also on the Turkish forum, I think it would be difficult to get much better results than I get now while sitting 1 meter from the speakers. Maybe I should plan to have a primary setup in the living room, and use the current system only while I'm using the computer..
  2. Hello, I hope this is the right sub-forum to ask for upgrade advice. I'm currently listening to music through A5 powered speakers connected to a HRT Music Streamer II, in turn connected to my iMac. I'd like to take the system one notch higher, especially to hear details at low sound levels and get better defined/tighter bass, but I'm not sure what to upgrade first. If I get a "better" DAC, I'm afraid it would not show its true potential due to the A5s. If I switch to an amplifier and passive speakers, I'm not sure how much I would have to spend to get a "noticeable" improvement over the A5's. Maybe something like an entry-level Rega amplifier and Epos Epic 2 or Q-Acoustics 2020i speakers? This should cost around 1.500 $, a bit more than I would like to spend.. By the way, the room and system setup is like below. I'm sitting about 1 meter away from the speakers. It might be difficult to achieve non-fatiguing sound with well defined bass at this short distance.. Thanks in advance for your replies!
  3. Hello again, Sorry for the late reply. Conte, I didn't think you were rude at all, it's just that I know bringing up a much-discussed topic again in a forum can be a bit annoying and didn't want to bore anyone. I haven't tried gapless playback yet - I don't have many gapless albums. I wouldn't worry so much about the external drive, they're usually really long-lasting. I think SSD's are still too expensive for external storage, though. And I think USB would do just fine for media playback (however copying terabytes of media for "loading" the drive can be tedious with USB 2.0). Daudio, thanks for the reply. When I first started learning about computer audio, expensive USB cables etc. sounded nonsense to me, but I can see that jitter (or being clock-perfect) has real world consequences and the differences are audible by many. I think the general advice in this topic is that I should not worry too much about player software (unless I have a much better system and a top-quality software player is the last missing piece), and even then, I should not expect a very big difference. Keeping the computer lightly loaded and, obviously, sticking to the native sampling rate also helps from what I see. I will use BitPerfect for the time being, unless I run into instabilities or problems like the gapless playback issue.
  4. Hello again, Thanks for the replies, they're useful for helping me form my own opinion. Barry, thank you for the long and detailed reply - from a professional no less. I don't adjust playback level digitally, neither do I use sample rate conversion, so I should probably expect identical results from every player. I would rather not have a "departure" from the master, even if it makes the sound subjectively more "tasty". I agree that automatic bit rate switching is a useful feature, though. I will make some more comparisons between "vanilla" iTunes and BitPerfect. The playback volume seems a bit different between the two, though. Daren, thanks for the link. It seems most of the difference comes from how the writers of the players implement CPU and OS load management, dithering, sample rate conversion etc. All of this seems to impact the "smoothness" of the stream sent to the DAC. Still, it seems a computer with a modern CPU, loads of RAM, an SSD and a PSU with ample power to spare should not be that much affected by these. Maybe load fluctuations on the power lane of the USB cable could have an effect? Many people swear by changes in the sound so I'm not trying to disprove anything here, I'm just trying to find the reason for it and determine how much I need to spend (if any more) for a player program. The link also has a comment by Mr. Gordon from Wavelength (I'd love to have one of their DAC's one day). He has analyzed the USB stream after USB and then the SPDIF. With all 3 apps he tested, the stream was exactly the same, yet the sound was different. I just cannot find an explanation. Conte Oliver: Sorry to have brought this up once again. I don't understand how other players can be more detailed or overwhelming while still remaining bit perfect, hence the reason for my question. I'm now listening to iTunes by itself and it sounds quite OK, it's just that I'm wondering if I can somehow get the sound better without adding anything by software. Nevertheless, I think I will keep BitPerfect on; even if it wouldn't change anything else it provides automatic bit rate switching and maybe it helps with buffering songs and load management too. The price was also quite reasonable.
  5. Thanks for the information, I also trust his judgement. I will contact Goldenjacks about shipment to Turkey. The Streamer II has female RCA outputs and the speakers a 3,5 mm input, so a "regular" attenuator would need a male-male adapter to fit in. Goldenjacks also produces a "source" version which has a male input and a female output. Do you think there would be any disadvantage in ordering this? I plan to upgrade the speakers within a year, then a "regular" attenuator will be just as viable, but for this year the "source" version would be more useful (no need for adapters). Thanks!
  6. Hello, First, I would like to apologize if this topic has already been discussed to death. I have only recently started being "serious" about high-quality music playback, and after learning about (and trying) some audiophile playback software, I have this question in my head. I read on the internet that when properly configured, iTunes on Mac would be bit perfect. But there are many players which claim an increase in sound quality. Before I purchased a DAC I tried Audirvana, free and plus, with the iMac onboard output but could not notice a difference compared to iTunes. Now I have a Music Streamer II and an Audioengine D1, and also purchased Bit Perfect since I was curious and the cost was very reasonable. Bit Perfect does sound noticeably better, with more depth and better instrument separation. I am wondering how this is possible. If both iTunes and Bit Perfect are, well, bit perfect, then shouldn't the DAC's output be exactly the same? Same goes for different audiophile players. How can, say, Pure Music and Audirvana sound different if they both try to output bit perfect audio? I think Amarra uses a different sound architecture so it may be a bit different, but aren't they all outputting the same "perfect" stream to the DAC? I would appreciate any responses for my question. I'm not trying to discredit any players, since I do prefer Bit Perfect to "vanilla" iTunes myself, but I just can't understand how different players can sound different. Thanks in advance!
  7. Hello jshawn, thank you for the reply. The Streamer II is indeed very good for the money. As I mentioned, the D1 does not sound as clear or detailed as the Streamer II - maybe it needs burn-in, but I'm not sure how much better it will get. I had considered attenuators, but the inputs of the A5 speakers are 3,5 mm sockets so RCA attenuators won't fit. I may use a male-male adapter on the Streamer II output, then plug the attenuators to this, then use the same RCA - 3,5 adapter cable I have now to connect to the speakers. Do you think the adaptor would reduce the sound quality? I came across three alternatives for attenuators. Harrison Labs: 3, 6 or 12 dB. It costs 44 $ including shipping to Turkey. Goldenjacks: 10 dB, also in a "source" version to connect directly to the DAC so I would not need an adapter. This costs 27 Pounds including international shipping, around 43 $. Their eBay site does not ship to Turkey, though. Rothwell:10 dB, costs 43 Pounds (68 $) including shipping. Do you know if these three are comparable in quality? With my "budget-level" system they would probably sound all the same but I may get better speakers in a year or so. I'm a bit hesitant about using a RCA male-male adapter at the DAC, since we only have cheap ones here in Turkey. Also, I think 12 dB would be more useful than 6 dB (I need about 1,5 "hours" on the speakers' volume knob). If I get the attenuators and like the result, I may use the Audioengine D1 I purchased yesterday with an Airport Express (optical) to output to the stereo in another room. But I'm still hoping the D1 gets better with burn-in so I can sell the Streamer II - I don't really need 2 DAC's at the moment. Thanks in advance for any replies!
  8. Hello thrand, Thank you for the reply. Volume control via the A5's didn't really work because I had to keep the volume knob down (the DAC output was too high), and with the knob down left/right channels became unbalanced. But today I had a pleasant surprise. When I asked on the phone, the sales rep had said the volume control only controls the headphone output. Today I installed the D1 with RCA cables, to check the output at "uncontrolled volume". When I played a song no sound came out. I turned up the volume knob and heard the music play. It turns out the volume control does affect the RCA outputs after all! I was quite happy to find this out. Now the A5 speakers are set to a bit lower than 9 o'clock, where left/right channels are balanced, and I adjust the volume as necessary using the D1 DAC's volume control. iTunes with BitPerfect is also at full volume, which means the computer should be putting out a bit-perfect stream. The D1 sounded quite dull and a bit muddy when I first installed it. Now it's a bit better but not as clear or detailed as the (burnt-in) Streamer II. I will give it a few more days before I make a definite judgement. Right now the sound quality is a bit lower but at least I have a convenient volume control. On the flip side, the bass has a bit more definition compared to the Streamer II. Thanks to everyone for the inputs. Do you think I should really expect an improvement in quality with time? On another thread there was a discussion that "burn-in" is mostly psychological. I hope this isn't the case, since the sound quality isn't quite at the level of the Streamer II at the moment..
  9. Thank you for the reply. Feeling a bit more confident, I ordered the D1 yesterday, it should arrive today. I learned that the volume knob on the D1 doesn't control the RCA outputs, only the headphone output, but it's not an expensive buy so I ordered it anyway. The output level of the D1 is 2.0 V compared to 2.25 V for the Streamer II, I hope the drop will be enough so I can turn the speakers a bit higher (to keep the balance) and still not produce too high volume. Do you think it would be a wise idea to connect my active speakers to the D1's (volume adjustable) headphone output, or should I stick to the RCA output at the back to keep the best sound quality? The speakers are Audioengine A5's. Thanks in advance for any replies..
  10. Hello ArcAngel, thank you for the reply. My impression from online reviews and comments (since I have not heard the Audioengine DAC1 in person) is also that the Streamer II is a bit better. My speakers are nothing to rave about; a pair of Audioengine A5's, connected to the DAC through a common 3,5-to-RCA cable. I'm using iTunes, playing Apple Lossless files ripped from CD's. I don't know much about dithered volume control - the MacOS volume control is just greyed out with the USB DAC. I don't use Amarra, it's way too expensive for me. I wonder if there's a "OS Hack" to cut down output from USB DAC's? I also looked at attenuators to place between the DAC and speakers but could not find any in Turkey, shipping internationally is also expensive. Do you -or does anyone else- know if I can tell MacOS to dither all sound going to the USB DAC? I think it's generally not considered a good idea to switch from the Streamer II to the Audioengine DAC1?
  11. Hello, I would like to ask a question about two "entry level" DACs, about $ 150 each. I hope it's not too boring compared to the usual equipment discussed here. If I switch from an HRT Music Streamer II to an Audioengine DAC1, do you think I will I experience a reduction in sound quality? The reason behind the switch is my need for analogue sound level control (The Music Streamer II's output level is too high and my active speakers lose left-right balance when adjusted to low levels). I have two options: Switch to an Audioengine DAC1, which has a volume control, or try to purchase a passive attenuator like the SM Pro Audio NanoPatch+ and place it between the Music Streamer and the active speakers. I say "try to purchase" because the NanoPatch+ is not sold in my country; I will need to have it shipped internationally and it won't have local warranty either. It's simpler to buy the DAC1 and be done with it, and I may use the headphone output in the future, but I wonder if I will experience a reduction in sound quality compared to the Music Streamer II. Thanks in advance for your input!
  12. Thank you, whatever and latitude94941, for the replies. whatever: The same thing happened when they were directly connected to the iMac.The problem persists when connected to an Airport Express' analog output. latitude94941: The Turkish distributor of Audioengine also suspected the pots, and changed them. The problem continues. I also think the gain is too high. When I connect my iPhone, its output level is lower so I can turn the sound level knob higher and the problem is gone. With the other sources the gain is high enough that I keep the knob at a lower position (around 8 o'clock) and there the problem exists. I checked both inputs (rear and top). I have the "regular" A5's, not the "plus" ones, so I don't have RCA inputs. I'm connecting the Music Streamer II through a 2xRCA -> single 3,5mm converter cable. As an update, I contacted Audioengine USA. The reply said dual-analog style amplifiers like the A5 usually have an imbalance at low speaker volumes and they recommended I turn the sound level knob to around 10 o'clock and adjust the sound volume through the audio source. The problem is that my DAC doesn't have a volume control! I have to lower volume of independent programs like iTunes or video players, and when programs first start (before I have a chance to lower the volume) they can get very loud, not so good for an apartment at night. Any recommendations? Maybe I should get one of those "level control" or "attenuating" cables? Though I would have to get two, one for each input, and this doesn't seem like the ideal or the most elegant solution..
  13. Hello, I have a weird problem with my Audioengine A5 speakers (iMac -> HRT Music Streamer II -> speakers). With the sound level knob at its optimum position (around 10% - not too quiet, not too loud for near field) the passive right speaker is outputting much more sound than the active left one. The sound is balanced at very low settings of the knob. When I turn it up only the right speaker gains power. When I turn it to higher than ideal levels the left speaker picks up again but then it becomes too loud (I have to turn iTunes output level down to around 60%). I sent the speakers twice to the Audioengine distributor for repair but they couldn't find any problems (but tested it and changed the pot just in case). At home I tested it with 4 sources and at 3 different rooms to rule out effects of source or electricity, but the problem persists. The fuse looks OK. What should I check now? Any opinions are welcome since this is really irritating..
  14. I'm back at home so I read all the replies again and now have the time (and a real keyboard) to write a reply. Audioengine A5's were about the best I could get given my budget and the speakers available for sale in Turkey. I have been enjoying them very much, having upgraded from tinny "computer sound systems", but I guess I need to make a good (and expensive) step up if I want a very obvious increase in sound quality. Maybe add a sub, but I would like to keep music "balanced" instead of leaning towards bass. I'm going to give Pure Music a try. I had tried Audirvana, free and Plus, back when I didn't have a DAC and didn't hear a difference (but then, onboard sound is not a very revealing source and the speakers aren't the best in the world). If Pure Music sounds better, I will have made a gain without a significant spending. If not, I will have to wait until I can get better speakers (and the Music Streamer II is burnt in). By the way, today I've been listening to the system with a more open mind and I think it IS noticeably better now. Especially the details. And some of the bass sounds tighter too. I don't regret the purchase now, and it does seem to get a bit better every day. OK, so now I'm quitting thinking "It's not as good as I hoped!!" and waiting for the DAC to burn in, in the meanwhile trying out Pure Music and maybe BitPerfect. (Do these integrate well with iTunes? I'd rather be able to use iTunes' interface for access to playlists etc. as these also sync with my iPhone.) Do you think I should also look for a better cable between the DAC and speakers? Regrettably I don't know which quality cables (fitting in my budget) are available in Istanbul, but I'll also ask a Turkish hi-fi forum. Thanks again for the replies. I know more about what's going on now, and feel more comfortable/confident after this knowledge.
  15. Hello, Thank you for all the input. I'm in a cafe now and read the replies on my phone, but I need to get back home to write a good reply. I can give PureMusic a try. There are many audiophile-players in MacOS: PureMusic, Fidelia, Bitperfect, Audirvana.. I think most people here think PureMusic is worth a try? From what I've read there is no such thing as the "best" player..
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