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using a firewire recording interface for home audio DAC!


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so getting to audition the emotiva a couple days ago with 24/96 samples really has me fired up and has renewed my passion for home audio. was about to pick one up on ebay the other day when the idea of using my Mackie 400F firewire recording interface popped in my head. sure enough, playing back these 24/96 samples was even more revealing that the emotiva. it also has s/pidf coax in that i'm running my escient into. so, i'm curious to know if anyone(recording engineer or hobbyist) has used a recording interface for this purpose(as a DAC)?

i am on a very tight budget, but am looking to get the most out of what i currently have!

 

macbook pro & escient fireball E2-300 > mackie onyx 400F > parasound halo A23 > mirage m-3si

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RME Fireface 400 uses AK4620 (AFAIK).

 

Don't worry about SQ, the RMEs sound amazing!

 

Cheers,

Peter

Home: Apple Macbook Pro 17" --Mini-Toslink--> Cambridge Audio DacMagic --XLR--> 2x Genelec 8020B

Work: Apple Macbook Pro 15" --USB--> Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 --1/4\"--> Superlux HD668B / 2x Genelec 6010A

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I started out using the RME Fireface 800 as my DAC. It was crystal clear and very clean, but I felt bass was lacking slam compared to my ancient NOS Pathos InTransfer (4x Burr Brown PCM 63P-K) and Bel Canto DAC2 (BB PCM1738), and midrange didn't have the presence I wanted. Running it through the Musical Fidelity X-10v3 tube buffer helped the midrange and slowed down the pace.

 

So I upgraded to the Prism Sound Orpheus and goodness gracious it was night and day. I could not find anything I did not like with the Orpheus...it was an all around winner. I believe there are a few firewire audio interfaces in this exceptional performance category: Mytek 8x192, Metric Halo LIO8, Lavry.

 

Now I am back to using the FF800, but only as a Firewire->S/PDIF bridge to feed a Metrum Octave DAC. I needed the Orpheus to be back in my home recording studio.

Oppo UDP-205/Topping D90 MQA/eBay HDMI->I2S/Gallo Reference 3.5/Hsu Research VTF-3HO/APB Pro Rack House/LEA C352 amp/laser printer 14AWG power cords/good but cheap pro audio XLR cables.

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OMG, prism orpheus, now that's my dream interface! interesting because if anything, the mackie has gobs of slam/jump factor and seems to have a very neutral midrange. very realistic sounding on female vocal standards like jennifer warnes 'famous blue raincoat" and bonnie rait's "luck of the draw"!

what type of music & groups/artists do u record?

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Like AudioDoctor, I am using an RME Fireface 400 mainly as ADC for vinyl to digital via FireWire into a Mac Mini, although of course I am then using it a a DAC for playback purposes. So I'm comparing original vinyl vs digital copy and it's very good in terms of the fidelity of the digital copy vs original.

 

Haven't really tried any other means of DAC playback for comparison purposes yet, eg using the FF400 to get to SPDIF then to another DAC perhaps.

2ch: LP12/Mober DC/Ittok/DVxx2 MK2, Auralic Aries G2.1, Mola Mola Tambaqui DAC, Oppo BDP95, ME25, Pass Labs XP22, Pass Labs X260.8, MG3.7iR, Sangean WFT-3D

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