Bubbens20

Well, after Alex's retort to Waldrep, I now feel like my $2000 Benchmark DAC2 HGC is "low-end." Not sure that's fair ...

Unfortunately, I picked up another cable (Synergistic Research Tesla Tricon) before I heard back from you. But thanks.

Well, for what it's worth, the Shunyata Python Helix power cord that I'll be attaching a (Shunyata) adapter to cost over $600 (used), so ... I am glad that I posted regarding this since it resulted in many good suggestions for a remedy. I chose to try a very good short USB cable since I am a bit reluctant to ad extra connectors in the signal path from the Regen. I first though about the Audioquest Dragontail, but that would increase the number of connectors in the signal path since the Dragontail has to go in to the solid adapter. The same goes for adding a power cord adapter. Like many other audiophiles I have invested a lot in very good power cords and I am a bit reluctant to add an adapter between my WW Silver Electra 7 power cord and the dac. Many people of course think it is silly to say that the quality of the power cord would have any significant effect on SQ. I actually was one of them until last year when, to my big surprise, inserting a WW Electra 7, instead of an older Nordost Vishnu, into my Parasound Halo JC-2 preamp made a bigger difference in SQ than when I replaced my Parasound Halo A21 for two Parasound Halo JC-1 monoblocks. The difference became even bigger when I replaced the WW Electra 7 with a WW Silver Electra 7. Hence, I am a bit reluctant to ad a power cord adapter after the Silver Electra 7. And the only way to find out if all this in just "audiophile superstition" is to compare with a very good very short USB cable that goes directly from the Regen to the dac, e.g. the JCAT I am waiting for....

As an aside, while I really love the Benchmark DAC2 HGC, I do wish the designers had made the box a little bigger to accommodate cord connections and also to create enough space for a balanced AES/EBU digital input.

There's also this, which I'm getting as a "Plan B" in case the Shunyata extender/adapter doesn't do the trick: Amazon.com: AudioQuest power adapter - IEC male to IEC female - 90 degree: Electronics Ok, that's great. I guess it depends on what power cord you use. I use a Wireworld Silver Electra 7 to the dac and it will be uncomfortably tight.

I also have a Benchmark DAC2 HGC and will be facing the same space constraints when my REGEN arrives in September. Here's a photo of the back of the DAC2 as it currently is with my fat Shunyata power cord in place: [ATTACH=CONFIG]20368[/ATTACH] And this is what I'm getting to "slim down" the power-cord connection to (I hope) make sufficient room for the REGEN solid adapter: Shunyata Universal Cable Adapter at Music Direct I will report back on whether it works.

Here's another (cheaper) source for the DiversiTech isolation pads: MP-4E - DiversiTech MP-4E - E.V.A. Anti-Vibration Pad, 4" x 4" x 7/8"

I see in your equipment description that you have both Audirvana and J River. Do you use both? Is there a reason to have both?

Thanks, and thanks also for that suggestion RE: posting A+ questions in the software sub-category.

Okay, I tried that and I think it worked. Hopefully, like a lot of new things, this will become second-nature to me in the coming days as I work with it more. I really appreciate your help and patience. And I look forward to being an active (and better-informed!) member of this excellent forum.

Okay, I still don't see a way to purchase high-rez fikes and get them into Audirvana without going through iTunes, and I wasn't even able to do that (tried to copy the album I had purchased and move into the music folder in iTunes -- no dice). So now, even allowing for my unfamiliarity with how Audirvana works and my general lack of facility with computers, I'm wondering why it isn't easier to use this $75 piece of software? What am I missing? Bueller? Anyone?

Thanks, guys. I'll play with that tomorrow. But I'm hoping it doesn't mean syncing to my iTunes library, which is actually on another computer; one of my reasons for getting Audirvana Plus was to bypass iTunes altogether, and on set up, I chose NOT to have it interact with iTunes, so ...

Thank you so much. Sorry about the delay in responding; I was out for the evening. So how do you create folders in Audirvana? And is it easy to move files there? Another question: I bought a high-rex album on my OTHER laptop before getting a second MacBook for dedicated music use. Any reason why I can't put those files on a thumb drive and put them into Audivarna on the second MacBook?

Okay, I'm going to swallow my pride here and ask the following: I just purchased Audirvana Plus for my MacBook Pro, and then purchased an album (24/88) from HDTracks. How do I get the purchased and downloaded files from the HDTracks download application into Audirvana? I thought it would be simple and straight-forward (drag'n'drop) but it's not working. Any remedial guidance that you can offer to this high-rez computer neophyte will be much appreciated.

Thank you!