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chilest

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  1. View Classified Berkeley Alpha DAC Series 2 with MQA rendering upgrade I am offering a Berkeley Alpha Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) Series 2 I am asking $2,000.00 USD but would also entertain a best offer. Berkeley Audio Design, $4,995.00, if purchased new. This DAC is in excellent audio condition and includes the remote and user manual. Firmware was recently upgraded to V3.0 with MQA rendering (~$600 Value). The DAC has been located in a smoke-free home with AC and humidity control in the summer. Cosmetically, there are surface scratches on the top of the unit (see photo), but otherwise in very good condition. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email or text. Price includes UPS ground shipping in the continental U.S. FYI, the following taken from the Berkeley Audio Design website. The Alpha DAC Series 2: -Controls & Indicators • Input selects AES, SPDIF1, SPDIF2 or Toslink inputs • Lock LED indicates input signal lock • HDCD LED indicates HDCD code detected • Phase sets absolute phase • Invert LED indicates absolute phase inverted • 3 digit LED display of Stereo/L/R attenuation, Sampling Rate and Filter type • ± controls set attenuation level and select Filter type • Mode selects Stereo/L/R attenuation, Sampling Rate and Filter type display modes • Dim selects multiple display brightness levels -Specifications • Input sampling rate: 32kHz to 192kHz • Input word length: 24-bit • Two channel analog stereo outputs: XLR balanced and RCA unbalanced • Digital Inputs: AES - Single XLR 110Ω, SPDIF1 - BNC 75Ω, SPDIF2 - BNC 75Ω, Toslink - Optical • HDCD decoding detects 16-bit flag at 44.1kHz or 24-bit flag at all sampling rates • Multiple digital filter options • Balanced analog output level: +18dBu maximum, +12dBu or lower recommended • Unbalanced analog output level: 3.25Vrms maximum, 2Vrms or lower recommended • Digital attenuation and balance control: 0.1dB/step with .05dB/step trim, 60dB range • Frequency response at ≥ 88.2kHz sampling rates: ± 0.1dB from < 0.1Hz to 35 kHz, - 3dB at 59kHz • for 176.4kHz and 192kHz sampling rates • Distortion at recommended levels: all products ≤ -120dBFS • THD+N at maximum level: < -110dBFS • Firmware field upgradeable through signal inputs Seller chilest Date 11/17/20 Price 2,000.00 USD Category Digital to Analog Converters
  2. All, I have finally decided to try Qobuz as my first on-line music streaming service. Admittedly, having followed computer audiophile and audiophile style for years, I should know the answer to the following question. I am using the iPeng player app to interface with the Innuos Zen Mk3 music server (which feeds a Berkeley Alpha DAC 2 via a Berkeley Alpha USB). The Ethernet connection from router to Zen is currently a cheap Ethernet cable. Aside from a plan upgrade of the ether cable and powering the router using my JS2 LPS from UpTone, I am looking for additional ways to improve the sound quality. Can anyone offer some best practices and/or point me in the direction of forum/site that can provide some basic information as how best to improve the signal chain from my router to the Zen? Thank you, Tom
  3. All, I decided to take the plunge and try Tidal for 12 days, downloaded on my MacBook Air. I have a Melco N1 music server connected to a Berkeley Alpha USB/Berkeley DAC II. I have been playing files via an iPad using ConnectHD app. This player allows Tidal to be used and in fact, I have been listening to music all day through this set up (Melco-DAC II). My question is what is the advantage of a separate stand alone network music player in comparison to the above set up. Thanks Tom.
  4. I cannot afford the QX-5 currently, so I am hoping the QX-8 at $4,500 price point can better the Codex and QB-9 DACs. I am looking to upgrade from my Berkeley Alpha DAC series 2. A nice feature of the Berkeley is that its pre-amp allows the DAC to directly feed my MC275 amp. Hoping the QX-8 has a pre-amp to allow direct link to amp. Tom
  5. Hi Everyone, I currently have a Berkeley Alpha DAC II linked to a MacBook Pro running Audirvana via a Berkeley Alpha USB interface. I have been monitoring this thread with much excitement as the QX5 has been on my radar for an upgrade since Ayre announced its roll out earlier this year. My question to those new owners of the QX5 is, which audio player software are you currently using to interface your computer to the QX5? I am also curious on your initial impressions of how the QX5 sounds playing computer-based music files via the USB input. My set up would be music files on an external SSD linked to the MacBook Pro via a ethernet cable. This in turn feeds the USB ReGen/Berkeley Alpha USB and downstream DAC II. Much thanks for your comments. Tom
  6. Sorry folks, this is not the proper thread to post my question. I just upgraded to A+ 2.2.5. Many of my albums (that have multiple discs) are being listed as 2 or more separate albums. For example, the new Arvo Part Musica Selecta is being shown as two separate albums, disc 1 and disc 2. Is there a was to combine albums and/or move tracks from one album to the other? Thanks Tom
  7. All, I must admit that I do not entirely understand the difference between the following filter settings on various DACs. These are: linear, minimum, steep. My second question is --can the SRC setting in audirvana be set to corresponding to each of these filter options? I'd like to sample the various settings. Thanks tom
  8. Hi All:<br /> I am planning to replace my Bryston BDA-1 DAC with a Berkeley Alpha DAC2 this summer. I currently have a Weiss INT202 that allows me to interface my MacBook Pro via firewire to the Bryston via a Kimber cable (orchid digital cable). I run Pure Music with an external 2 TB hard drive (stored AIFF, FLAC music files) connected via USB to the Mac. I writing to ask if anyone has come across a comparison of the Weiss Int202 vs the Berkeley USB interfaces in linking to the alpha DAC2? From a price standpoint, they are similar, however, Weiss is firewire and the Berkeley is USB. Just wondering if one of these offer any advantage (in performance, sonics) over the other?<br /> Tom
  9. Just wondering if anyone has heard the Eximus DP1 DAC as a stand alone DAC (not as a headphone amp)? Its price (~$3K) places it in the same ballpark as the Ayre QB-9. Although the Eximus has many more features (headphone amp, numerous inputs etc.) in comparison to the Ayre, as a stand alone USB DAC, I wonder how it performs along side the Ayre. I am considering purchasing the Ayre as a replacement to my Bryston BDA-1 DAC (linked to a MacBook Pro computer and separate 2 TB hard drive), my price range is $3K to $4K. Tom
  10. Hi all: I finally got around to downloading Audirvana plus and I am wondering if there is any consensus on the optimal settings for the audio filter settings when using iZotope 64-bit SRC? I have a MacBook Pro feeding a Weiss INT202 via firewire in turn feeding a Bryston BDA-1 DAC. As an aside, I do not think I can use Integer mode with this set up. Nonetheless, I must admit I am a bit confused with the steepness, filter max length, cutoff freq. anti-aliasing and pre-ringing settings. I have an Ayre 7eMP CD player with a minimum phase filter upgrade and surprisingly for red book CD playback, it beats my Weiss-Bryston DAC set up when playing a similar CD ripped to the hard drive at 16 bit/44.1 kHz. I assume this is due in part to the minimum phase filter on the Ayre. That said, I am leaning toward setting the pre-ringing to min. phase. As for the other setting, not sure, need some advice to initially set things up and then tweak later. As always, thanks for the great advice. Tom
  11. Barry: Thanks for the clarification. The origin of my question stemmed from me thinking about how different, in some regards, distinct playback software sounds in my computer audio chain. For example, I cannot hear a "significant" improvement over say iTunes using Amarra or Decible; however, Pure Music (PM) has for me audible sonic improvements. Likewise, Audirvana offers significant sonic improvement, though sounding notably distinct from PM. This has me thinking to what degree do these programs "color" the sound and how far is this away from the original source recording. By contrast, my Rega Apollo CD player and Ayre CX-7eMP sound very different, with the Ayre winning in every respect (it also cost ~2500 more and has MP filtering). I imagine both players have different firmware etc. that in turn impacts its own sonic signature. One of the many advantages with computer audio is that we have the flexibility to test numerous playback software that sounds best to our ears. Whether this takes us closer too or further away from the "absolute" sound of a live acoustic recording, is a matter of personal preference. Tom
  12. Friends: I was hoping someone could explain a question I have--I hope in asking that I do not decrease the intellectual environment of this great forum. Basically, I am wondering why computer audio requires software playback? With a CD player, a laser reads a CD and sends the digital bits to a "internal" DAC then out to a preamp (or receiver). Why then does the data on a hard drive require processing by playback software before it is sent to an external DAC. Isn't digital data, digital data --regardless of the source on which it is stored (i.e., CD disc versus hard drive)? Tom
  13. Folks: I downloaded the most recent version of PM (1.82v) a few days ago. Last night, I downloaded Yes' Fragile, I dropped the files into the PM Flac window to process and started playing. I noticed that the song Roundabout stops playing at about 6 minutes into the song and then PM plays the next track. The next track also stops early. By contrast, the songs play completely with no issues when I drop the Flac files directly into Audirvana and play the album via Audirvana I am wondering if the newer version of PM has an issue. Has anyone experience this problem? Thanks tom
  14. Friends, I am writing to ask if anyone has downloaded the newly released 24/48 resolution Eat a Peach from the Allman Brothers Band just posted on HDTracks? I have the SACD and recently released Deluxe 2 CD set versions, and thus, wondering how the 24bit/48 kHz sounds in comparison. Tom
  15. Jeff: It sounds like you have installed the drivers and firmware. I would open the audio MIDI set up and in the audio devices panel make sure that "output" is selected and that you can see the Weiss device as an option in the left side panel. The Weiss device should also be indicated in the System Preferences under "Sound", click on "output". The concern is that the Weiss control panel indicates no devices found. I see this message when the Weiss is not powered up or it is not connected to my computer or if there is an issue with my firewire cable. You should be able to download an INT202 user manual from Weiss Hi-End, which might help trouble shoot. tom
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