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arthrodoc

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  1. I'm using the A7x speakers with a W4S DAC-2 in my (home) office, and couldn't be happier. I love the sound, and the volume control on the DAC makes it easier than adjusting volumes on the speakers individually. I have balanced speaker cables, so the Adams volume control from one speaker to the other wouldn't work. I don't think the Young M2tech has a volume control? Here was my thinking in this thread: http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Wyred-4-Sound-Dac2-vs-Calyx-24192-dac-Active-speakers ..Mike
  2. In this thread, Rumbleripper talks about his Calyx ... http://www.computeraudiophile.com/content/Wyred-4-Sound-Dac2-vs-Calyx-24192-dac-Active-speakers He's in Quebec, but I can't recall what city. Perhaps you could contact him? ..Mike
  3. Everything I'd hoped. Finally got them hooked up today. The DAC2 has a almost 2 months use on it now, and I've hooked up it to my new A7x speakers today. These are new out of the box, and so far with only 10 hours on them, the combination is great. I don't get any sense of sibilance or "brightness." Have played thru a series of HDtracks 88.2 or 96 downloads I've been accumulating, everything sounds superb. I'm listening to the Koln concert at the moment, something I've enjoyed for almost 30 years, since my girlfriend first played if for me (must have worked: we have 3 kids, and married almost 25 years ago.) Playlist for today: Clapton's slowhand; Peterson's Night Train; Jarret; Lang Lang live at Carnegie Hall; Raising Sand; Beggars Banquet; Gaucho .... I like what I'm hearing. I just sit here playing track after track and loving what I'm hearing. Some I'm really familiar with, some new. Downloaded the Stones in high def just to see... and was surprised at how good they sound, and how easy to understand what Jagger is singing. (I often have a hard time with lyrics, but with these tracks and this setup, sounds totally different from what I expected: I'll have to get a bunch more!) ..Mike
  4. I did finally hear back from Burson. There was an issue mentioned in the 6moons review, and that had been resolved: That USB receiver firmware issue identified in the 6moons review has been fully resolved. All currently selling units support up to 96/24 through USB and 192/24 through coaxial. When playing an 88/24 audio file, the DAC either upsample it to 96/24 or lower it to 44. This is completely software dependent and is out of our control... So it appears it relies on Windows for USB2, which doesn't natively support 88.2. I decided, after considering input from the discussion above, to go with the W4S Dac2, which arrived late last week. I'm listening to an HDTracks download of 96/24 Sonny Rollins Saxophone Colossus at the moment while "burning it in" and so far am quite pleased. It does everything I'd hoped, even though I suspect at the moment I'm barely scratching the surface of what it can do. I'm using some older Roland active speakers at the moment while waiting for my Adam A7x speakers to arrive. I expect they'll be considerably better, but even these old speakers sound good. Certainly no harshness to what I'm hearing at the moment. I'll update on the sound of this combo once I've run them for a while. I have had an issue with what I'd describe as fairly wobbly (warbly?) sound using JRiver Wasapi, which disappears with using Wasapi Event style. I suspect that's my computer, not the DAC. Once it's burned in, I'll also compare it with my "main" system, which has my HDPlex music player connected to my Marantz SA8004 as DAC and SACD player, which I'll be interested to hear side by side with the W4W DAC2, at least at supported sampling rates.
  5. Hi Bill .. You have posted quite a bit about the Lenehan pdx, and I have followed the thread in stereo.net with interest: http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/showthread.php/30169-Level-2-PDX However ... it is still not up on the Lenehan website, and from the comments in the thread, seems that it is a handbuilt custom job, designed for each customer, and they have had enough customers in Oz or from "word of mouth (or internet)" that they haven't felt the need to put info on their website. From what I can see with the above thread, the PDX becomes fairly expensive with add-ons, depending on what you want, starting at around $2000 (doesn't matter with current exchange rates: US = CDN = AUD) and going up to ~ $4000, depending on what addons or mods you might think necessary. That the Lenehan may be "better" than the W4S or Calyx doesn't surprise me... it's getting up into expensive territory. Question is really how does it compare with the upper tier of DACs. By implication from your comments, very well. It's not really a comparison to what I would call mid-priced DACs, when you start comparing a "level 2" PDX which is more than double the price. Re: the Burson HA-160D: I'd forgotten about that one. Certainly reads well from the 6Moons review. They don't actually state, however, that it supports 88.2/24 anywhere in the documentation on the website. The 6Moons review doesn't mention it. If it's relying on Windows drivers, that implies it will only support 44.1, 48 and 96, so you miss out on the 88.2 files available, or have to resample them. I've fired off a note to them for clarification. I'm surprised though, from what I read about it, and your comments here and elsewhere that you find the W4S dac sounds better: I'd have predicted the opposite. Sounds like you've heard both: can you comment how it sounds better (different?) I know W4S has their own discrete output stage as well, and that is something they care about. Edit: found the thread where you comment on it: http://www.stereo.net.au/forums/showthread.php/30428-Burson-Audio-won-the-Blue-Moon-Award-with-their-DAC-Preamp-Headamp-3-in-1. If you've heard both and find the W4S is an improvement on it, it makes my decision making easier! Thanks for all your comments.
  6. I'd seen that. Most of them are quite pricey. The Onkyo looks nice, but doesn't support 88.2 or 176.4 over USB. Noted that it also needs a separate stepdown transformer in N America, since it needs 100v. As time goes on, the prices will stay the same; we'll just get more specs/$.
  7. I appreciate the comments. Consider the note that I want this for USB out, and having to add a quality spdif out will add significantly to the cost. Bhobba: I've noted your posting with respect to the W4S since last year, and your input has certainly given me pause. Note however that I don't want a DAC for legacy spdif support: it is for computer files out. The LiteDac 83 has no USB input: means I have to get additional sound card or rely on spdif support for the m/b under windows, which does not support all sample rates. Audio-gd ref 7 also has no USB input. They do have the NFB-7 using the ESS9018, but no USB input. The audio-gb NFB-8 has usb, but limited to 96/24, using dual WM8741 chips. Looks quite impressive, but as with the Calyx, no volume control option. Might be good alternative to the Calyx, given the price differential and the good feedback about their their designs. Couldn't find much in the way of reviews of this specific model. If it is limited to Windows supported audio sampling rates, might not have 88.2/24 (can't find in specs.) Linehan is similarly spdif only. Tranquility sounds great, but only supports 44.1 USB: no support otherwise for hi res files, unless I downsample. Some of these may be able to be reviewed with a minimal restocking charge, but not to Canada: I get dinged for duty bringing them in, and good luck getting it back on returning, never mind the shipping charges to return. Seta: thanks for that. I misread/misunderstood the specs about the XMOS. If the Calyx sounds better with XLR, I lose something by going to RCA to allow single control with the Adam monitors. There's also the anedio DAC but that limits USB to 44.1 and 48. The new Nuforce DAC-9 limits USB (currently) to 96. The Lindemann DAC 24/192 has no Balanced out, but does support 88.2 and 176.2 with a driver; has no volume control. Also does not currently have a Win7/64 driver. There's also currently no Canadian distributor, and one US source I found won't ship to Canada! I also considered the RME Babyface, and although it could work, the fact it packs so much into the package suggests the dac alone may not be at the same level. There are also the Benchmark HDR and the Grace Design 903, but they are 25% more (here) and also pack more in, and I've not found and comparisons of these with the w4s and the calyx or Weiss dacs. I'm sure I've missed some... I still come back to the Calyx and the W4S; and perhaps, from the above, the audio-gd NFB-8, with reservations. I have found it quite frustrating to learn that although computer motherboards have chips that can support 88.2 and 176.4 on the m/b, that win 7 doesn't support these sampling rates, and the drivers supplied by the m/b manufacturer or the chip maker (eg Realtek) will not support them either. Came up after I downloaded an 88.2/24 file from HDTracks (accidentally) and found I couldn't play it without resampling. These issues mean either buying a card to get access to a driver to implement those rates on an spdif out (and adding cost, as well as power and heat to the pc, which is designed to be quiet and use low power) ... or buying a USB dac to get access to their high res drivers. After looking at spdif cards, seemed the best one currently available for the pcie bus is the RME HDSPe AIO, which is $800. So ... Yes, I'd love to audition some of these. Not currently feasible, so like others I rely on observations of others in this and other forums. Hmmmm ... decisions, decisions.
  8. Several people on this forum have experience with both of these excellent DACS. I'm considering the Calyx and the W4S Dac2 to connect to active speakers (ADAM A5x) on my computer workstation, currently running J River as media player, files stored on a Synology server to supply this machine as well as my audio system in another room. Have both ripped CD files and HD files from various sources, up to 24/192. (To head off anticipated comments: I realize both of these dacs may be overkill for these speakers, but I may migrate the DAC to the my audio equipment later.) There's been little direct comparison of these two from what I can find, other than the PinkFish bake off which obliquely suggests in that constrained setting that the Calyx was perhaps "better", and the DigitalAudioBlog post which compared the Calyx to the Weiss Dac favourably and the 6Moons comparison of the W4S to the Weiss; so it would seem that the Calyx and the W4S are close in quality. The W4S has some additional features that make it in some ways a better choice: for example volume control, so I don’t have to adjust the volume on each speaker independently. It has some adjustability to (perhaps) better match the speakers and the room, although so do the speakers, and I'll be using them in near field, so the room is less important (I think?) The W4S is also potentially upgradable, according to their website, although there are not yet any upgrades actually made available for it. With the volume control on the W4S, I can wire the DAC -> speakers with balanced cables and still be able to adjust easily. For the Calyx I'd either have to add a preamp or a volume knob, or wire the speakers with RCA cables between them, so one speaker controls the other; or use balanced cables but then have to independently use the volume controls on each speaker. The RCA cable solution might work fine, since the difference in this setting between short RCA cables and short XLR cables is likely small (or is it?) I don't really want to add the cost or the extra connections and probable loss of quality of extra controls. The specs seem close for both, with the main difference seeming to be the output stage with Calyx using XMOS chips, and the W4S using discrete components; and it seems the USB input to each is using different drivers, from what I can understand. The other main difference is the W4S is much bigger and a little industrial in appearance, while the Calyx is a much cleaner, more elegant design. The Calyx is much simpler in design: does this mean more has gone into ensuring better sound given it doesn't try to do as much as the Dac2, or into the visual design? They are roughly the same price, although it'll cost a bit more to land the Calyx as duty will need to be added (in Canada.) The W4S is available from a Canadian distributor, so no duty. I suspect, from what I've been reading, that they are pretty close, but before pulling the trigger, I'd like to hear what those older and wiser than I have to say. (Well, maybe not older or wiser, but having had more experience in these expensive devices!)
  9. Thanks, Miska and Peter .. From your comments, I wondered if xxHighEnd can send the 88.2 files out the spdif out, even if the Windows driver thinks it can't? I know in J River, when I try to send that file thru spdif, it wants to resample. In your earlier reply, above, you'd mentioned setting sample rate in XXHighEnd to 96, which I took to mean that it would resample 88.2 to 96, which I thought wasn't a good idea? If I tell it that the spdif out can support 88.2 etc, will it send the file out spdif at that rate? I thought it would be better to downsample to an even divisor, eg 44.1/24, to potentially produce less artifact. I also assumed that 44.1/24 would be better sounding that 88.2/16 ... I'm still fiddling with all this, so haven't tried downloading XXHighEnd to see what happens, but I'll try that too.
  10. I appreciate your comments ... The new driver that Gigabyte sent added 88.2/16 bit. They said higher rates aren't accessible in Windows? How come they ARE if you use drivers for USB machines (such as supplied by W4S or Calyx or others with their DACs)? Seems strange to me that a DAC can support such a bitrate and that a driver can be made to show that support for USB, but a driver for a motherboard chip to output via SPDIF, that should be able to support it, can't do so. Is there an issue with SPDIF that is different than USB? I read somewhere (I think one of the DAC hardware sites) noting that althought their DAC supports USB up to 192/24, the spdif interface is inconsistent above 96/24, and might work but not guaranteed. Maybe I just don't understand the hardware/driver issues (no big surprise; I'm not an engineer) ... but how come SOME drivers can show these bitrates, and not others, when the hardware is capable? In my case, although the target can support spdif in all supported rates, the source, an spdif output on the motherboard, running the ALC892 chip which is supposed to support the same rates, won't, at least under windows 7. If a separate audio card with spdif out is attached, with its own drivers, would that support those rates? eg: I see the ASUS card in the CASH list has different rate supports depending on the driver: S/PDIF Digital Output: 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @ 16/24bit, Dolby Digital ASIO 2.0 Driver Support: Supports 44.1K/48K/96K/192KHz @16/24bit with very low latency So: does adding in a separate sound card add the capability of adding the "missing" bitrates for SPDIF with custom drivers (seems to). I guess a naive question is how come the drivers in J River can't do this, or do they depend as well on what the default windows drivers are telling them?
  11. I just finished building one using the HDPlex H5S box, which comes with a heatsink which dumps heat into the fins on the box ... http://www.hd-plex.com/H5.S.html I used a gigabyte H67 board with an intel i5 s2400 and silent 120w power supply, along with an SSD. There are no fans; it barely gets warm, and it works beautifully ... except for the fact that currently the intel HD2000 graphics driver aren't supporting 3D graphics properly, so none of the 3D effects in J River work properly. Hopefully a driver upgrade will fix that. Theatre view works with antialiasing turned off. There's a thread running over in J River version 16 forum about it. It was easy to build, looks like an audio component; is exactly the same width as my Marantz SA8004, and is completely silent. There a quite a few miniITX boards which work in the box, and the support from HDPlex has been exemplary.
  12. Gigabyte me a link to a file which I presume will expose the missing bitrates for the Realtek chip spdif output... I say presume because when I try to unpack the rar file, it appears a password is needed for some of the files. Once I get the password, I'll report on whether this works...
  13. They got back to me today, noting the mistake in the labeling of the album in question ... if you click the link above it now says 88.2 as it should. I was delighted to be told I could download a replacement gratis, which I very much appreciated. As far as the initial problem, I've heard an initial response from gigabyte, but I think the tech who took first crack didn't understand something ... had highlighted a Samsung audio device (I think a TV connected by HDMI) and showed how it would accept all the bitrates. In the same list displayed, they showed the Realtek "devices" but didn't think to check the supported bitrates for that. I'll let you know their next response.
  14. Yes, I have the manual. Like I said, that refers to the driver's (software) capabilities, not the hardware. P 89 is in the software section. And yes, I tried, as noted earlier, their latest driver, then the driver from Realtek directly, which is two months newer. Neither supports 88.2 out SPDIF, even thought the chip is capable of it. ----- The file was (and still is): Canada Day II, Harris Eisenstadt. https://www.hdtracks.com/index.php?file=catalogdetail&valbum_code=HD774355158920 Says 96/24, but is 88.2/24. I have sent them a message, but unlike the crazy people here, they don't appear to work Sundays answering questions!
  15. I'm aware the Marantz is supposed to support it. I'm waiting to hear from them. I didn't think resampling is the issue, since I have it turned off in J river, and with WASAPI it should just send the bitrate of the file. I get an error message saying this bitrate isn't supported, and it offers to turn on the resampling to play the file. The Gigabyte website for this m/b says only that it uses the ALC892 chip, which, if you look at Realtek here: http://www.realtek.com.tw/products/productsView.aspx?Langid=1&PNid=24&PFid=28&Level=5&Conn=4&ProdID=284 Says: All DACs supports 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz sample rate All ADCs supports 44.1k/48k/96k/192kHz sample rate Primary 16/20/24-bit SPDIF-OUT supports 32k/44.1k/48k/88.2k/96k/192kHz sample rate Secondary 16/20/24-bit SPDIF-OUT supports 32k/44.1k/48k/88.2k/96k/192kHz sample rate. The gigabyte manual only mentions bitrate when it's talking about the Realtek driver for the HD Audio: so it's not a hardware limitation, it's presumably the way the driver supports the output. Seems, perhaps naively, to me that if the SPDIF supports output at those rates, it should be available. It shouldn't be going thru a DAC or an ADC from the 88.2/24 file I'm feeding to the SPDIF ... Presumably the driver is not exposing the supported bitrates? Maybe because it expects it would be running the files thru the built it DACs? Doesn't make sense, since the whole point of the spdif interface is to bypass the built-in DAC for a "better" outboard DAC. I tried all the possible J River audio options, but since, when I want to output thru the spdif I have to select the Realtek HD audio driver, seems I can't actually output a (theoretically) supported resolution. Seems to me this isn't a Windows issue, unless I fail to understand something (certainly possible too.) It's not an issue with the USB output, since that becomes a selectable sound device, but the Marantz USB input doesn't accept 88.2 either. Heh ... maybe Realtek will respond with a fix. How likely is that? .... Back to HDTracks though: they posted the files as 96/24, but they are actually 88.2. Maybe they'll credit me for the cost.
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