Max Pace

Just got a apogee mini DAC with FW. First thign I noticed is that the soundstage seemed 'live' and had spatial depth. But, still have to listen critically. Anyway, trying to decent XLR cables...looking and mogami and canare...any suggestions?

Eloise and Clay, appreciate your inputs and recommendations. Am checking out every one of them. Budget is roughly $1000. The system will be used for recreational (rather than critical) listening most of the time. Here's what I was looking at so far... ProAudio 1. RME ADI 2 2. RME Fireface 400 2. TC Konnekt 24d Was also looking at the following, since might get into the recording game later (will check out Metric Hal ULN 2 as you've both pointed out). 1. Apogee miniDAC FW 2. Benchmark DAC1 USB 3. psaudio DL III 4. Cambridge DACMagic 5. Lavry DA 11 I'm getting a good deal on a 'new, unopened' Apogee DAC with FW (about $600). Do you think I should go for it? I can get into recording later...there's still a lot i have to do with getting a NAS, upgrading the quality of my music etc. Do you think I need to invest in something like shown below to hear the big difference between proAudio and audiophile sound?

Hi there! I've been trying to figure out the best DAC for my new MacbookPro that I'll hook up wireless to the Airport Express to hopefully get bit-perfect output as Chris mentions elsewhere. This will be hooked up to a pair of new Genelec 8050s. Since, this rig is purely for recreational purposes, and I'm not an audiophile by any means, I thought it'd be fun to get a DAC that I can use to record music as well. After looking at a lot of gear and making detailed notes, I got increasingly frustrated. As a wise man said before, 'choice is evil'. Then I stumbled onto the Apogee Duet which seemed perfect for decent listening and fun recording activities, till I had to reject it because it would have tethered my macbook to cables (no toslink input to airport express) and firewire might affect the bit-perfect out to the DAC bypassing the airport express. Two questions... 1. Are my concerns valid? Is there any way around this? 2. Is there any other equipment that will do a decent job AND looks good (lower priority tho)? In the same vein, listening takes higher priority to hobby recording. Thanks much, Max

I have a laptop and EMU requires installation of the 1010 soundcard in the computer...so EMU solution probably will not work.

Clay, Thanks again for your advice. Couple of questions. 1. Do you think that the lack of XLR inputs might cause a drop in quality of sound? 2. Do I need to attach a separate soundcard to my computer even if I get a DAC. I'm planning to get a SPDIF output from my dell 610 dock to the DAC and then connect it to the genelecs. Thanks much. Max

Clay, thanks much. I'll check out your recommendations for EMU and Gearslutz.. Meanwhile, I just got a few CDs and am trying to figure out how to rip them using exactcopy. The difference while playing CD as opposed to some other low bit rate music is very evident already. Max

Hi Folks, I have to say, this is one of the best forums out there, in terms of the quality of advice and the sensibility of people posting. So, thought I'd get the benefit of your experience. I'm aiming to build a "decent" (not perfect) home playback system. Just got a pair of Genelecs 8050As two days back from B&H in NYC. These are my first "serious" speakers. Since I don't have any other audiophile equipment so far, I've hooked them up to my old Dell 610 laptop which has music of varying quality, some high quality music in FLAC, APE etc., but mostly low-bit MP3s. Currently have a direct hookup from plain vanilla HOSA miniplug to XLR cable to the Genelecs. I don't have a fixed budget per se, but would like to keep the cost to say US$2-3K if I can. Question to all you experienced folks is...what components should I invest in to get the best output. Here are my initial thoughts. 1. DAC to bypass the computer sound system...which one, though? This site mostly discusses Weiss and Berkeley, I'm sure there are others out there. Is Logitech Transporter a decent choice? 2. "Good" Cables? 3. Remote to control volume and playback features. This convenience is essential, and will also affect how much music I listen to. Transporter comes with one. 4. High quality music (I'm specifically looking for Indian classical and film playback music which is really hard to find in high quality). I'll check out the HD music sites mentioned on the site. Do I need anything else? Just FYI, even if I invest in a new computer, it'll probably be a windows based system (ideally a laptop), since I'll be using it for a variety of tasks. I'm also planning to get an iphone for internet connectivity on the go which I'll be using to listen to music on the go (realize it will not playback FLAC etc.). Realize these might not be typical audiophile goals. Again, my aim to build a "decent" sounding home system. Another aim to to get this done so I can get on with my life (and start listening to music rather than spending all my time researching). Your advice would direct impact my budget and how much money I spend on what components in the next few days. Thanks in advance, Max