cpalcott

Speaking of children...

Considering trying jplay on a 2010 mac mini using bootcamp windows 7 64 bit. With the itunes integration and using apple remote, are you able to use play/smartlists and skip tracks from the remote ap?

I also have the M-DAC (black) on pre-order through Planet of Sound Distribution out of Canada. Been trying to minimize/simpify my system for a while. Feature-wise the MDAC was one of the few DACs I have found that fits the bill for me at a price that won't send my wife packing. Preamp w/ good volume control, balanced outputs, good jitter control, digital input switching, remote. I was lucky and got in on the first shipment which is supposed to go out around the first of the year. I'll let you know if the sound lives up to the hype. Many of the reviews filtering in on the pink fish media forum our quite positive.

Galvanic Isolator? http://microcontrollershop.com/product_info.php?products_id=3769&osCsid=bb7cbb9a60072128088c7cb4454b9eb8 or SOtm tX-USB? Or both? Looking to build a PC. Want clean USB to new Audiolab MDAC. ideas?

Booted to OSX I can 96 over toslink but not on BootCamped Windows 7 64 bit. Any ideas?

I am looking to try some upsampling from 44.1 to 96. Wondering what is the best software to do this. I know Izotope products have gotten good reveiws here. So has Cirlinca HD-Audio Solo Ultra v4.1. I do have access to Sony Sound Forge Pro 10 which I understand features Izotope products. I have both Mac OSX Snow Leopard and Windows 7 machines. Also wondering if anyone would be willing to share their recipe for usampling (settings, order, procedure, etc.). My DAC only goes as high as 96 so that is my limit for now. Thanks

I am thinking of giving the Environment Potentials EP-2050 Home Protection Waveform Correction Absorber a try. EP’s main guy Doug Joseph certainly talks a good game and seems to make the whole philosophy make sense. It seems to have gotten good reviews in the past and I know there are a handful of forum members using them. If you all could come out of the woodwork and share your experience with this unit, or the ep-2450 for that matter, I would greatly appreciate it.

Isolation Transformer or Power Regenerator How are they different? Is one better than the other? Let’s first just I assume that I have bad power. I have a Topaz 1.8 (.9 balanced) that I put my McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe (SMcAudio silver upgrade) on recently and the difference in sound was night and day. Was expecting subtle changes but not dramatic changes. The amp right out of the wall did not sound very good at all, which just did not make sense…it’s a good amp. Putting the iso in line explained why. So, my feeling is I need to get fresh power to my entire system. The Topaz in balanced form may have just enough headroom to squeek by (according to Steve McCormack) with just the amp on it. More would be better. So, should I get a higher power iso (Topaz, Oneac) for the amp and using the existing one iso on the other gear? If so, does it matter if it is a IE-core or Torroid? Some say EIs let less noise through, some say a good Torriod will equal EI in terms of noise reduction and create less noise (EMI) than an IE. Any final verdicts on this? Or would it make more sense to get a (Exact Power, PS Audio Power Plant Premier) power regenerator and put the whole system on it. Would any of these have enough headroom to cover my whole system? I already have a dedicated 20A line to this system. Looking for bang-for-buck solution. My System: TADAC Tube Pre/DAC = 25W According to Paul at TAD) Apple TV = 20W (according to Apple) DIP (Original) = 10W (according to back panel) Tivo HD = 40W (according to tivocommunity) Video Switcher = (don't know but could it be much?) TV = 240W (according to manual) McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe = 400 (according to SmCAudio) Paradigm PS1000 powered (250W/750W peak) Subwoofer = I can’t find this, any ideas? Let’s say 375 TOTAL = 1110W

Thanks for the replies. I will try these suggestions. Are their any companies/manufacturers or pieces of equipment that are particularily good at RFI/EMI rejection? If I were to start over and build a new system from the ground up, what would be the best approach to avoid these interference issues? Would an integrated be the route to go to reduce interconects to have less oportunity for interference? Are their speakers/amps/pres that are more impervious to interference? If you knew you had RFI/EMI issues, what system would you build to best address this?

I too have a combination of three and two prong devices. You mention that you ground your AVR seperately through its grounding post. Again, pardon my ignorance, but I don't think my equipment has grounding posts. I am envisioning a thumb screw on the back of the equipment marked "ground". Even if it did, what would I ground it to?

I don't understand. Are you suggesting I use balanced cables on unbalanced equipment? Or get new equipment that is balanced and then use balanced cables. Pardon my ignorance, but this is all new to me.

I am afraid I am a bit of a newb when it comes to these issues. Can you further explain how I would go about ensuring that the lowest impedance ground route between devices is not cables carrying audio, in analog or digital form? How would one join all grounds in a single point. Pardon my ignorance, but I am a little lost.

I have an audible (from listening position) buzz coming through my speakers (Vandersteen 2ce’s using bi-wire Monster twisted pairs). When using unshielded interconnects (Morrow MA-1) between pre/dac (TADAC) and amp (McCormack DNA-1 Deluxe on Shunyata Venom3 cable), I am also faintly hearing a local radio station (KROC-AM 1340). A little online research revealed that the station transmitter is less than 3 miles from me. I am assuming this means I have an RFI problem…and perhaps an EMI or ground loop problem. All devices are connected to a Wiremold (Naim) L10320 powerstrip to an Audience Adept Response aR1p power conditioner connected to a Porter Port AC outlet on a dedicated 20A circuit. I have been on a 2-year wild goose chase to resolve a sibilance problem that has caused me to change out almost every piece of equipment and cabling in the chain. Could it be that this sibilance has been caused by RFI/EMI all along? If so, what can I do about it? Here’s what I have tried so far: Troubleshooting measures: Shielded Interconnects (Monster Digital Coax)- radio station went away, buzz remained Ferrite Cores on both shielded and non-shielded ICs– radio station went away, buzz remained Disconnected CATV and CAT5e from wall, buzz remained Floating Grounds – Used cheater plugs on every three prong device (each individually and all together), buzz remained Switching Circuits – Placed amp on different non-dedicated circuit, placed digital equipment on different non-dedicated circuit and kept amp on dedicated 20A, turned off all surrounding circuits (kitchen, dining room, etc) buzz remained Shorting Cables – on amp, speakers connected, all other devices unplugged from AC, BUZZ WENT AWAY! When I remove shorting cables and leave the inputs to the amp empty, buzz comes back, even with NOTHING ELSE IN MY SYSTEM IS CONNECTED. Does this mean the interference is airborn? Ipod directly into amp, speakers connected, nothing else in system connected, BUZZ WENT AWAY! What does all this mean? Is it safe to say the amp, speaker cables and speakers are not the problem since the buzz went away when I used the shorting cables and ipod? Since the buzz remained with empty inputs to the amp with nothing else connected, is it safe to say that the interference is airborn? Sorry for the long post, but I am at my wits end and wanted to get you all as much info as I could so that some genius audiophile out there may be able to help me figure this out.

I decided on the Shunyata Venom 3. Great reviews, within my price range, and a long history of good synergy with McCormack sealed the deal. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know how it goes.

Anyone using a Pangea power cable on a McCormack amp. I just purchased a DNA-1 Deluxe off audiogon with no PC. Looking to spend under $100 dollars. Will to go to $150 if I have to. Impressions, ideas?