Hi to All,
I am new to this site.
I have a long audiophile Journey and I am experimenting with digital sources for a while.
I recently bought a Core audio Technology Kratos amplifier.
This unit is so good (an convenient) that it replaced a very expensive audio set up: Vacuum State DPA-300B monoblocks, Vacuum State SVP2 tube preamp, Yamamoto YDA-01 DAC (BNC and digital coax input).
The Kratos is essentially an amplified DAC. The input signal is digital coax, and the signal remain treated in the digital domain -including volume control - until converted to analog before the binding posts.
With 20wtts/channel, the Kratos act as Preamp, Amp and DAC. Use with proper speakers, it is pure magic, like nothing I ever previously heard (not solid state sound or tube sound at all, but totally sweet like the best analog could do).
Internally, the Kratos have different parts comming from computers, fed by 12 volts dedicated power supply, very good clock, with result in virtually no distortion when the volume knob is turned on. The guy who conceive the Kratos sells also very good power supply for MAc midi and also designed several DAC in the past (that's why I think the end result that I hear is so good...).
I use two digital sources: Oppo 95 (digital coax output) and files from a dedicated common Desktop with 2 internal SATA drives and runnning JRiver18 (and Isotope as digital equalizer).
The signal from computer is fed to a John Kenny MK3 that converts USB to coax. The John Kenny MK3 is basically a Hiface key USB to digital coax converter powered by internal batteries, instead of using the power - and jitter - coming from the destop computer.
A very long introduction to come to the following:
I have no intention to ever again use a USB dedicated DAC.
However, I like the building of Chris CAPS different iterations media servers, as they all are made for silent operation, low jitter and low effect comming out for dirty computers standards power supplies.
My question: according to your knowledge as CAPS owners, do you think my actual set-up would benefit and sound would improved if I change my normal desktop for a CAPS media server/green computer (as I have no experience at all with them).
I thanks you all in advance,
Jocelyn
