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advanced101

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  1. I am looking for any opinions on the Modwright Elyse vs. the Berkeley Alpha 2 plus USB. My dealer has both (Doesn't have the Modwright for demo) and they come in at the same price.
  2. I'm hoping you could further explain your experience with unit. Particularly, if you are comparing it to a previous DAC and What other options you have in the unit.
  3. I prefer hybrid equipment, especially amps. I get the warmth of tubes and power of SS.
  4. I had similar results, it does suck to spend that kind of money though. You have Salks? My experience is that my Salks are relentlessly revealing, any changes that I make in the system shows.
  5. Due to your JPlay recommendation i gave it a try. I was using JRiver, now i'm using JPlay over Jriver. The music seems less analytical and harsh with JPlay (Hibernation isn't working). I am going to spend more time with it, thanks for the recommendation.
  6. I have never heard a "uber-fi" system so I don't know how good a system can sound. The computer/electronics nerd in me is always reading and tweaking my system to see what changes with the goal of better sound. It is part of the fun for me.
  7. I have used Noiseblocker fans, dead silent, in case you are unhappy with the NEXUS. They have built-in rubber mounting corners that reduce vibration against the case: Noiseblocker NB-Multiframe M8-S1 80mm x 25mm Ultra Silent Fan - 1200 RPM at Xoxide!
  8. Another option would be to mod the case by cutting vents directly above the processor, but I would use this in conjunction with a better heatsink. Or you could cut out a 120mm hole directly above the processor and just install a fan grill over the hole to keep it looking clean. This will allow some dust inside of the case but if you clean it out with canned air once a year you should be fine. Black fan grill: 120mm Black Fan Grill at Xoxide!
  9. I kind of wondered the same thing. After I finished my build (Not a CAPS unit, but something I designed) I connected 3 fans for kicks and did not hear any difference in SQ. You could always try connecting a fan then listening to see if you hear a difference, but I highly doubt that one fan will cause enough RF/ripple noise to make a difference. Also, look into upgrading the CPU heatsink with a larger copper unit, you might still be able to go fan less. I don't have any experience with the ATOM processors but I am able to run my Pentium G620 fan less with a nice heatsink. Let us know your results.
  10. After my attempts with with a Netbook and my Macbook Pro I decided a dedicated build would sound best. The Macbook Pro sounded almost as good my Blu-Ray as a transport, but I thought I could do better. I liked the CAPS build but I wanted a design with an mATX size case and mobo. Goal was to build the basic system for under 1000$ without any SOtM parts, I will get those later if necessary. The MAC mini is nice but for $1000 after mods I think this will be a better solution since size and looks isn't a factor to me (Sits inside of a cabinet). Here are the parts with some explanations. CoolerMaster Elite case- mATX Cast- Nice case, I like Coolermaster stuff Coolermaster Vortex Plus CPU Cooler- Nice heatsink, I will probably be able to run fanless Crucial 8GB memory Gigabyte GA77m-d3h mobo- mATX, PCI and PCIe, HDMI, 4 RAM slots, Nice Capacitors, Gigabyte Quality Corsair AX650 Power Supply- Clean and efficient power, did not skimp on this unit- The fans don't even turn on when listening to music since it is barely putting out any power G-Drive Mini 500GB- External Drive for Music, built like a rock, 7200rpm Windows 7 Pro OCZ Internal 60GB SSD- More than enough space for the OS, Only $60 DVD Burner Drive- Nothing Fancy here Asus Mini USB Wireless Adapter SIIG PCIe to USB Adapter- My thought is to have my USB DAC on a separate BUS than the rest of the components without spending the money on a SOtm adapter. I didn't A/B this solution but for $40 I don't think it hurt. Intel Pentium G620- Nothing fancy here, 65W for less heat, plenty of power for a Music Transport JRivers This PC transport sounds fantastic, more detailed than my Denon BD1611 Blu-ray player as a transport. Since I'm running the Processor with just the heatsink and the power supply fans never come on this is a silent PC. Later on I might experiment with some SOtm Parts and ERS cloth, for fun. Thanks for everyone's posts on the CAPS build for giving me some ideas.
  11. Look great! Love those Odyssey amps too.
  12. Hello, I compared my Macbook Pro 2011 with Pure Music to a Netbook with Jrivers and the Macbook won out. It is almost as good as my Denon BD1611 as a transport. I was thinking of going with these next steps and was wondering if anyone had any other mods or suggestions to improve sound quality. Much Appreciated. Running a Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 with USB from Laptop -Replace cheap USB cable with Audioquest USB cable -Replace disk HD with SSD -Move music to OYEN external firewire drive -Possible upgrade to 8 GB, although I think that 4 GB is sufficient Any other suggestions or mods?
  13. Hello, I am new to Computer media and this site. I started last night by trying to use an ATOM based laptop and JRivers, the sound was acceptable but not as good as going from my Denon BD1611 to W4S DAC2, just seemed like a thin sheet was over the speakers. Tonight I am going to try using my Macbook Pro with Pure Music (Using AIFF Files). Might try upgrading from the cheap USB cable that I am using. Anyway my system consists of: Salk HT2TL with external marchand passive crossover JL Fathom F113 Wyred 4 Sound DAC2 Rotel 1562 Amp-- Ordered an AVA Fet Valve 400R Denon BD1611 Rotel RC1040 Power Conditioner & SurgeX SA20 for F113 Macbook Pro 2011 Panasonic 58" Plasma Various ATS Panels Audioquest and Emotiva wires
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