Any luck?
Location: London
Posts: 1,499
I'm Sam.
Any luck?
Whenever you make a change to a PC, such as a new driver, make sure that you reboot it (not that I have ever updated my computer audio setup and sat swearing at it, only to realize that I hadn't rebooted yet ). I am sure that you have tried that, but thought that I would mention it just in case....
BTW, I love your new avatar! What a cute little baby duck : )
Vertere SG-1 Turntable / Audio Note IO Gold MC
Audio Note AN-S8L MC Transformer
Audio Note Pallas I/C (SUT-Preamp)
Audio Note M6 Phono Preamp
Audio Note CDT 3/Audio Note 4.1X Balanced Signature DAC
Audio Note Kassai Monoblocks
Audio Note Sogon Interconnects
Audio Note Pallas Interconnects
Audio Note AN-Vx Interconnects
Audio Note Sogon Speaker Cables
Audio Note AN-E SPE HE speakers
Audio Note ISIS Power Cables
Loricraft PRC-4 Record Cleaning Machine
Location: gone
Posts: 11,519
I'm gone.
Nah, I gave up.
Although, curiously, I am currently using an Audiolab MDAC (which has digital-out) to convert USB to co-ax digital to feed into my (non-USB) DAC de jour.
That works just fine.
I have no idea why I had insuperable problems with the stand-alone USB converter boxes.
Last edited by jandl100; 20-04-2016 at 06:08.
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Location: gone
Posts: 11,519
I'm gone.
Finally, have hooked the Black Tulip pre up into my main rig as phonostage / pre-amp for vinyl.
Works fine, sounds good.
A bit more neutral, dynamic and higher rez than the admittedly rose-tinted 'stage/pre in my vintage Marantz receiver.
I don't use a pre in my main streaming setup, so can't do a direct comparison there.
I've an Audiolab 8000PPA 'stage sitting on my shelves and good though it is, I feel no burning urge to return to it.
La Tulipe plays music enjoyably and is nice to use, the feel of the stepped volume control is very sexy indeed!
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Location: gone
Posts: 11,519
I'm gone.
I'm a computer numpty who uses a file based audio system too Jerry , so I can understand where you're coming from . Gary ( gazjam ) gets a phone call or has to pay me a visit every so often to help me out .
TBH if it wasn't for him the old Marantz CD player would be coming down from the loft
Regards
Brian
Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment . (Rumi )
Korus Computer Audio music server
JustBoom DAC . HRT Musicstreamer 2
Amplifier : Sony TA FB740R
Speakers : Tannoy 637
Interconnects : MS Audio / Klotz MC5000 .
Speaker cables : Western Electric 16AG
Location: gone
Posts: 11,519
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I hear you, Bruv!
Computer numpties of the world unite.
Although, to be fair to me, by luck or (less likely) by judgement, I got my basic lappy/streaming system up and going on my own with but a word or 3 of encouragement from Justin / user211.
Luckily it just needed 1 cable to be plugged in, USB lappy to DAC with no driver downloading. Phew, I wouldn't have managed it otherwise.
Last edited by jandl100; 20-04-2016 at 08:12.
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So are all the DACs working in your system now . If so I'm looking forward to your feedback on what you have .
Regards
Brian
Sell your cleverness and buy bewilderment . (Rumi )
Korus Computer Audio music server
JustBoom DAC . HRT Musicstreamer 2
Amplifier : Sony TA FB740R
Speakers : Tannoy 637
Interconnects : MS Audio / Klotz MC5000 .
Speaker cables : Western Electric 16AG
Location: gone
Posts: 11,519
I'm gone.
All DACs?
Ah well -- if you're curious ....
I have an Audiolab MDAC, Wyred4Sound DAC1, and a SMSL cheapo Chinese DAC.
A Rega DAC recently departed to its new owner.
I enjoyed the Rega for a week or so. Lovely rich midrange tonality and a very fast way with microdynamics. Excellent imaging - in width and depth. Lovely. But ultimately it felt restrained in the macro-dynamic department. There was a subtle 'glass ceiling' on how large scale dynamics could expand - it felt like it was being gently curtailed and made to sound too comfortable and easy going. It just got a bit frustrating in the end, I knew there was more excitement to be had. The new owner has had one before and it suits him down to the ground, so probably big doses of personal preference and system synergy are involved!
MDAC. Ah, hmm. So good in so many ways. Dynamic, rez, presence, bass control and definition - superdooper! But an emphasised top end makes it annoying in a reasonably neutral system and it then sounds a bit grainy. It works very well in my 2nd system with Maggie 1.6QR speakers which have a rather gentle top end.
W4S DAC1. A more sophisticated sound. Very nice - loadsa rez and very nice 3D imaging. You can hear why it costs more and was well thought of. DACs have come and gone over the last couple of years, but the W4S is always there ready to take over from the latest digital wondertoy! I've almost sold it a couple of times to a particular AOSer. He'll get it one day, if he strikes at the right moment.
And currently plugged in is a SMSL DAC - £25 from a forum member. It sounds great - probably as simple a DAC as they come, and maybe it benefits from that.
I'm using the MDAC as a USB to co-ax converter as the SMSL doesn't have USB input, so I can still use it for streaming.
Yeah, OK, it is a bit uncouth, just a little bit raw at the top and imaging in depth isn't its strongest point - but the openness, rez and dynamics are all excellent. There's an honest simplicity to the sound that appeals at the moment - it just plays the music in a fun and communicative way. Think of it as an MDAC done right.
YMMV to all of that lot.
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Main System
Turntable: Heavily-modified Technics SL-1210MK5G [Mike New bearing/ETP platter/Paul Hynes SR7 PSU & reg mods]. Funk Firm APM Achromat/Nagaoka GL-601 Crystal Record Weight/Isonoe feet & boots/Ortofon RS-212D/Denon DL-103GL in Denon PCL-300 headshell with Funk Firm Houdini/Kondo SL-115 pure-silver cartridge leads.
Paul Hynes MC head amp/SR5 PSU. Also modded Lentek head amp/Denon AU-310 SUT.
Other Cartridges: Nippon Columbia (NOS 1987) Denon DL-103. USA-made Shure SC35C with NOS stylus. Goldring G820 with NOS stylus. Shure M55E with NOS stylus.
CD Player: Audiocom-modified Sony X-777ES/DAS-R1 DAC.
Tape Deck: Tandberg TCD 310, fully restored and recalibrated as new, by RDE, plus upgraded with heads from the TCD-420a. Also with matching TM4 Norway microphones.
Preamps: Heavily-modified Croft Charisma-X. LDR Stereo Coffee. Power Amps: Tube Distinctions Copper Amp fitted with Tungsol KT-150s. Quad 306.
Cables & Sundries: Mark Grant HDX1 interconnects and digital coaxial cable, plus Mark Grant 6mm UP-LCOFC Van Damme speaker cable. MCRU 'Ultimate' mains leads. Lehmann clone headphone amp with vintage Koss PRO-4AAA headphones.
Tube Distinctions digital noise filter. VPI HW16.5 record cleaning machine.
Speakers: Tannoy 15MGs in Lockwood cabinets with modified crossovers. 1967 Celestion Ditton 15.
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