Do I need a separate DAC...?

[leo]

Dave,

The capacitors are electrolytic which are used as signal coupling caps in this dac before and after the op-amp section, also the electrolytics used in the NFB and psu decoupling all have an effect.



Leo

[Haselsh1]

I'd like to add that tonally, this dac is still the most analogue I have ever heard digital sound. The midrange, vocal/guitar/sax, is the most gorgeously analogue I have ever heard in twenty seven years of listening to digital sources with the treble being not very far behind but it's difficult to match vinyl with the correct cartridge loading for treble. I fear that Marco is going to be pissed off with this as he may think he is losing a vinyl junkie but this is not the case. I still think there is a very valid place for vinyl alongside CD for serious music appreciation but as with all things in life, one deserves a lot more attention than the other and indeed demands a lot more attention.
The one thing that annoys the hell out of me about vinyl is having to get out of my lovely cozy seat and turn the damn thing over after just three tracks. This is a true negative and this is where for me, CD wins hands down. I'll keep you informed as this unit runs itself in.

[Themis]

Shaun, do you use the upgraded or the normal PSU with the Caiman ?

[MartinT]

If Shaun received the Caiman recently, I would expect it to be the 15V PSU.

[Alex_UK]

And I promise you Shaun it will only get better! I was very sceptical about "burn in" on any products making a big difference, but in my opinion it does with the Caiman (200 hours is quoted, and I wouldn't disagree - I left mine with sound through it but the amp turned down 24/7 for 2 weeks to speed up the process). I would totally agree with you too about the analogue comparison.