Naah. Waste of time. After seeing the comments some people have made it is not worth the hassle.
Printable View
Naah. Waste of time. After seeing the comments some people have made it is not worth the hassle.
I for one really like the auto switching and LED off option - the latter especially - yes there were some early teething problems but they were soon sortedQuote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
But one person who did not push down the firmware chip properly, causing some pins not to make electrical contact with the appropriate circuits has been making so much noise and writing all sort of conjectures and negative comments, it has given me a headache. Then with comments about naming and shaming and customers voting with their feet, who needs that sort of hassle? British inventiveness has hardly been highly regarded in this country. No such issues with foreign buyers. They tend to be positively helpful, instead of negative through and through.
I can remember buying first release mobiles phones, made by large highly reputable major manufacturers, and the software problems always seemed immense - very frustrating. But if no one pushes the boundaries where would we be ...Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
Stan, Stan, Stan, for crying out loud man EVERYONE without exception is telling you the DAC sounds bloody amazing, and it does. You have announced what you intend to do regarding the operational issues some have experienced and that should be the end of it. This should be a learning experience for us all and what you personally are getting here is something most manufacturers can only dream of, live feedback. Use it positively to develop the product instead of railing against your customers when they report issues to you. Ask yourself why some customers are feeling the need to bring these issues to the forum because therein lies the solution my friend. If those customers had been satisfied with your response then the comments would not have been posted.
Well I've just ordered one
I hope it performs, sound wise, as all have commented on
It seems a hifi bargain if it performs as most have said, which makes a change !
Well i positively won't be swapping my BM for no rega or any other Dac any time soon.BAA,there is no earthly reason why a dac should cost more than £200,so why waste your money...:hmm::mental:
It is a fine DAC Bev it really is. Mine had a few problems but then it was an early version with a few wrinkles which needed to be ironed out. Unfortunately the iron wasn't working at the time hence why I ended up with the Rega. I really miss that headphone stage though... :(
I hope it lives up to my expectations
I'm pretty convinced it will
Can't wait
I'm such a hifi tart really :eek::eek:
I totally agree with synsei about customer feedback. If you care about what your customers think then this is what will win you even more customers whether through product development or brand recommendation.
Yes I was also impressed with the headphone output - it's a very seductive and big sound. My M-DAC headphone out is much more detailed, controlled and neutral but does lack the Bushmaster's rosy approach. Unfortunately I don't have them to compare side by side.
Unfortunately I have no use for the headphone output. I have no headphones and have no thought of buying any either
I simply want it between my Meridian cd player and amp to hopefully give a better output and the Meridian is not too bad in this area either, so it's a fairly tough act to follow
It will most likely surpass your expectations, Stewie. However, be a good toddler and leave it on playing in a loop for a few days to let it properly burn-in... Then sit down for a listen, a prepare to get scared.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ninanina
Let me repeat my argument: at this price/performance point, a product such as Bushmaster DAC is a veritable steal. Or, to put it more nicely, it feels like a gift from a very talented engineer. You'd have to pony up for a ten times more expensive product to get anywhere near the brilliance of BM's sound.Quote:
Originally Posted by synsei
So, to me, complaining and voting with one's feet regarding a gift looks a bit foolish. But hey, where would we be without complaining, no?
So Alex, what you seem to be saying is this: If I were to buy a product at what you consider to be a knock down price and it failed to work properly then I should be grateful, kiss goodbye to my money and just walk away? Bollocks to that. I will let you into a little secret, if I had truly received the BM as a gift and it hadn't been working properly, I would still have returned it because what good is a useless gift? It sounds to me as if somebody has a little more money than sense... :rolleyes:Quote:
Originally Posted by magiccarpetride
magiccarpetride
At last, someone who knows Stewie. I love both Family Guy and American Dad
BUT has anyone followed "The Mongrels" like I have, probably the funniest thing I have every seen on TV
PLEASE someone comment on "The Mongrels", it really was that funny...
I've seen clips on YT Bev but that's about it. What I've seen made me giggle :)
Dave
If you found YT clips funny you owe it to yourself to see the whole 2 series. It really is a right giggle... and I think I'm a reasonable judge of giggly things !!
:eek:
:D
Your definition of useless seems different than mine.Quote:
Originally Posted by synsei
Hi all!
I thought I’d share my thoughts regarding the Bushmaster. I’ve been lucky enough to borrow one for the past month or two and have put it through its paces in my own system, as well as in a friend’s system against several other DACs.
In my rig, the Bushmaster offered a clear step-up over the onboard Squeezebox Touch DAC with improved resolution and clarity, and better separation of elements within the music. The automatic input selection feature is a nice touch too. I thought that the build quality and level of finishing was noticeably better than the Caiman.
As part of the big DAC comparison in my friend’s system, the Bushmaster offered performance commensurate with its price IMHO. It outshone the $100 Hifimediy Sabre-equipped DAC, but we thought that it wasn’t as musical and involving as the Resonessence Labs Concero which is around the $600 mark vs $300 for the Bushmaster. The higher priced DACs ($1200-3500) showed both the Concero and Bushmaster a clean set of heels, but this is not exactly a fair comparison as they are in a completely different price bracket.
When using the Concero as a USB to SPDIF converter into the Bushmaster, the Bushmaster had trouble locking onto an upsampled signal (24/192 from memory) but there were no such issues at lower sample rates. Perhaps this DAC contained an earlier firmware version, as I seem to recall some SB Touch issues being mentioned a while back, and this was rectified with new firmware?
It was a shame that we didn’t have some similarly-priced DACs on hand at the time so that we could conduct back-to-back listening (eg. audio-gd NFB-3, Schiit Bifrost or Emotiva XDA-2). Although, based upon our recollections of these three DACs from earlier listening sessions, the Bushmaster probably offers up the most detail of the lot, but isn’t quite as tonally satisfying as the Schiit and the audio-gd IMHO. I feel that the Bushmaster has cleaner and deeper bass response and improved portrayal of detail compared to the Gatorised Caiman that I listened to a year or two ago, but audio memory can be fickle at times!
As always, system matching and synergy plays a significant role, as does personal preference. I can see the Bushmaster as being an excellent choice for someone who wants to elicit as much detail as possible from the recordings at a bargain price, and who also requires multiple switchable inputs and the bonus of a headphone stage. I think the Bushmaster would be an excellent companion for neutral or warm-sounding gear (including vintage gear) but I personally feel that it may overcook a system which features bright sounding speakers and amplification.
Again, personal preference comes into play. One man’s bright is another man’s detailed, and one man’s warm is another man’s timbre/tone. Each to their own at the end of the day!
Great work Stanley, particularly with regards to the performance and selling price of this DAC. :)
What I set out to do was to design an accurate, detailed, and neutral as possible DAC that is the nearest thing to a straight piece of wire with D to A ability. In order to achieve that I had to figure out a way of getting the signal from the analogue audio output pin on a DAC chip to the RCA/phono socket with the least amount of components in that path. The benefits of such a method first came to light with the passive mod that devised for the TC-7510 etc.
The principle behind the idea is that a DAC should not add to the sound signature of the signal, but should be a neutral player in the grand scheme of things.
However, I have noticed that just about every person who has compared the Bushmaster to any other DAC, has made the point that the sound signature of the BM is down to its price :doh:.
Now, this is what now has me confused. In the threads about objectivists versus subjectivists great time was spent discussing the purpose of an audio component, and an audio equipment. People talked about designers voicing their designs etc. The BM comes from the school of thought that a DAC should not be voiced, but should be neutral accurate, and detailed.
But this brings it in direct conflict with other DACs that are not designed and built to those principles.
This is quite a bit of a shock and disappointment to me. My design parameter appears to have been associated with its low price. But do cheap DACs sound accurate, detailed, and neutral? Aren't those the parameters associated with a properly designed DAC? Could it be that a DAC with the parameters of the BM not be a good idea after all? Should it sound warmer,less detailed, not so accurate, etc? Would I be able to increase the selling price by voicing the DAC instead and adding those parameters that are associated with a more expensive DAC?
It's an intriguing option that has suddenly reared its head. It also highlights the absurdness of designing a brilliant sounding product and sticking far too low a price on it. Invariably its sound signature is put down to its low price instead of the technical breakthrough required to get the stated aims.
I for one would be very disappointed if you changed your approach Stan. I don't want to listen to someone's idea of a nice sound, I want to listen to how it was recorded or as close as is possible.
Stan, please do not change your design philosophy or pricing structure. Your products sound superb no matter what the price. Its an unfortunate trait that probably affects us all where we relate 'quality' to the price tag, many times wrongly, and in the process the real exceptions like your products get tar'd with the same brush.
I read the previous posts with some dismay and amazement, my new cars headlights are really poor, much worse than the units on my previous car of the same type and manufacturer, really they are barely fit for purpose but in all other aspects the car is fantastic and better than its predecessor - should I send it back for a refund :scratch: No, of course not but I have the option to take the issue up with the manufacturer and give my feedback constructively instead of 'ranting' on an internet forum about some rather small injustice. :mental:
I hope you continue to produce successful class leading and breaking products at affordable price points.
Stan, I've been reviewing quiet a few DACs recently. The biggest problem I have is that they all sound virtually the same. I have to listen very analytically via my revealing system to pick out the differences. I've not heard a BM but from what I've read I expect it would be closer to the Metrum Octave or Ciúnas in sound, in part due to the way you've designed the output to be very direct. The DACs I mention are not run of the mill sounding, they communicate well. The trouble is that people spending on say Rega and MDAC etc have to feel they get a better sound as they've spent more. I have my views on those DACs and can believe the BM would be interesting in comparison. I say keep going in the same direction that took you to the BM. One alternative is to put the BM into a really expensive case and quadruple the price. Also sell a version with no holds barred power supply for 6 or 7 times the price of the base unit you sell today.
My two pennerth.........
I had one of his first dacs which improved the cdp that I was using at the time, I think it was an MF X Ray v3, but when I went "up" to a Consonance Linear 2.2 I couldn't detect any improvement, so it went in favour of a dac combination, Theta Pro Progeny A, with upgraded PSU and anti jitter device which was around £1700 RRP.
This was then used with the 2.2's replacement, the SBT, and I was pleased with the performance, until I then had a swap around and had to lose some kit because of too many boxes, strangely I found the in built dac of the SBT to be almost on a par with the Theta, so I happily went dac less and banked the cash.
But, at the time there was a lot of enthusiasm about Stans soon to be released Bushmaster, and, after it actually got released, and I had read all of the comments regarding how good it was, decided to try one.
My thoughts basically echoed what Jandl ( Jerry) had said about it, and to my ears bettered what the Theta had done, at approx one ninth of the costa,
Stan, just keep on doing what you do best, making amazing dacs at amazing (low!) prices! :cool:
it is human nature i suppose to think that something that costs more then something else will be better. the more i found out about hifi the more i realise this is complete bollocks. there comes a point where it just sounds different. now, i used to build stuff from kits and i got obsessed about having the shortest lengths of cable. without knowing it i was subscribing to the 'less is more' principle and my journey has ended up with me having nva amps/speakers and a bushmaster. so i subscribe to stans way of thinking. in theory fewer components means less cost, no? of course you have to factor in design.
as far as future design goes what do you have up your sleeve? the one area i would like to improve in my setup is the usb/spdif. i would prefer usb to go straight to the dac to a well implemented module (preferably with its own power supply). also is there any benefit in increasing the number of dacs per channel (i know that increases the component count but maybe the ups are greater than the downs)?
IMHO the Octave, the older JKDAC32 and the newer Metrum Hex are a class above. This opinion isn't swayed by pricing in any way, shape or form - it is based upon what I've been lucky enough to listen to, and focuses upon sonic merit alone. The Hex is one of the DACs that took part in my recent comparison, and it's an utterly superb DAC at any price.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clive
The Bushmaster sounds closer to the JK Sabre DAC IMHO. It has a brighter and more detailed presentation than the JKDAC32 (upon which the Ciunas is based).
Transparency isn't the be-all and end-all in a DAC IMHO. I've heard similarly neutral and transparent DACs which sound different regarding attack, decay, sound stage width and depth. The Bushmaster is a great technical achievement, no doubt, but it lacked the 'jump' factor in both of the systems that I heard it on to really engage me vs some of the other DACs at hand, as well as a few similarly priced DACs that I've previously heard.
I think I'm the kind of listener who is willing to sacrifice a bit of absolute resolution in exchange for realistic timbre and tone which helps to achieve suspension of disbelief. This also rules out some mega-buck DACs for me which seem to be all about ultra-detailed, hifi presentation at the expense of musicality.
Again, this is one man's opinion. The best way to judge the Bushmaster is to get your hands on one and listen for yourself. It is a worthy inclusion on anybody's short list.
It's tricky to compare a USB only DAC with an SPDIF only DAC. I'm interested to know what were the transports you used.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete_mac
BTW, the Ciúnas is quite a step up from the 32 in terms of focus, soundstage, treble detail and decay.
I'm sure power supply is all important these days - as well as keeping noise away from the output stage supply line (if there's a separate output stage of course). I was very surprised how different humble op-amps can perform with supply upgrades, something that may well be dealt with in todays mechanically flimsy but possibly better electronically CD players and DACs.
In order to achieve realistic timbre and tone in a DAC designed along the lines of a straight piece of wire, they have to exist in the original source material. But when that information is not present, it is possible to voice the analogue audio output stage to mimic those parameters. But it can also be used to accentuate parameters that would otherwise not be so prominent in the actual audio file or musical production. Previously these sort of tampering with the music was left to the end user through the addition of treble bass, and loudness controls. But such facilities would look out of place on a DAC. Mind you, DAC chip manufacturers have been adding those things to their chip and leave it up to the designers if it is used or not.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete_mac
I have read many times that detail is not so important for some owners. But the side effect of extremely low jitter is increased detail. You can't have one without the other. Less detail means more jitter and blending of signals. So signal separation becomes worse. It's a question of what do we as an individual expect and what do we enjoy. Maybe DACs should be fitted with a switch that says 'the whole truth' on one end, and 'the sexed up version' at the other end.
Thanks for the feedback regarding the Ciúnas! I hope to hear it some day.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clive
When previous listening comparisons were made between the JK USB DACs and other DACs, the transports included an Audiophilleo 2 and JKSPDIFmk3 via a Mac Mini. The recent comparisons featured the Resonessence Concero as a USB to SPDIF converter via a Mac Mini which fed the SPDIF-input DACs with a clean, low-jitter feed. The Concero also acted as its own interface as it is a USB DAC. It's a very versatile bit of kit, and as a USB interface it is damn close to the Audiophilleo 2.
We did not have the JKDAC32 to compare directly with the Bushmaster during the recent session, but we had previously listened extensively to both of the JK DACs back-to-back, and the 32 was clearly the more subdued of the two.
:lol: - True though ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
The effect of bass and treble controls on an amp is far more significant than the subtle tonal differences between some DACs which, to my ears, can be the difference between losing one's self in the music, and failing to be engaged.Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
As I said, I absolutely respect your DAC from a technical standpoint Stanley, and you've achieved exactly what you set out to do. I just wasn't as taken with it as many folk here are, and I prefer other DACs at this price point. Not all reviews will be glowing. There's nothing wrong with this... it would be extremely boring if we all agreed and all liked exactly the same thing.;)
When I keep repeating the amazing price/performance ratio of this product, I'm doing it only in order to highlight my puzzlement over people's nitpicking on some irrelevant features of the DAC (such as blue LED lights, sleep mode, etc.)Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
I've compared your DAC with a few more expensive ones. BM wins in my book. Why? This may be down to personal preferences, but I find many high-end DACs to do a lot of editorializing of the music material they're processing. Not so with BM, who seems to be sticking to the bare facts.
Yes, it is true that such-and-such a high-end DAC sounds much 'juicier', 'wetter', delivering more 'whomp' with overblown impression of happy/shiny instrumental timber and so on. But after the initial infatuation with the seductive sexiness of such euphonic sound wears off, I find myself left with a bit of a listening fatigue. Going back to BM's bare bones presentation feels like such a relief. As you've commented, if the rich timbre is indeed present in the source signal, BM is gonna do its best to fish it out. If it's not present, BM is going to give us a leaner presentation. In this way, I think BM is being quite honest. Can't say the same thing about some other hi fi gear I've auditioned.
One thing I've noticed about BM -- it really rewards any and all efforts to clean up the upstream signal. I've been doing a lot (and I mean a LOT) of tweaking upstream from the DAC, and any time I manage to lower the noise and deliver cleaner signal, BM would convert it to analog with such panache, resulting in a much more musical overall sound. Worth every ounce of effort:)
To say that detail is not important doesn't make any sense. It's like going to see Cezanne's masterpiece and claiming that the lighting in the exhibition hall is not important. What, if not light, matters when attempting to experience a visual masterpiece? In the same regard, what, if not detail, is important when attempting to experience music?Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
I believe the Bushmaster is able to be priced low due to the limited number of components used, however in Hi-Fi this can work to advantage with a more direct signal path and through careful component selection you can end up with great results as we have here. Audio wise the bushmaster is a fine choice along with plenty of inputs(exc USB!) and an enjoyable headphone amp. Had I not had my disagreements over the sleep feature I'd still have one today. I liked the sound that much(see my earlier review) that I even ordered the Mark Grant psu within a few days!
I now have my m-dac so from memory I'm comparing a Bushmaster at £335(Inc linear psu +extra S-Booster) For those who have not upgraded the psu I think it really is an essential upgrade. The extra S-Booster also helps - once I'd heard it I couldn't be without it. Out of the box the m-dac sounded more neutral and impressive but I had a feeling I was hearing a veil due to all those extra components - there's a lot crammed in there! Have to admit I was a bit worried but after more running in it has really opened out and is a clear upgrade imho over the Bushmaster. I got the mdac at a promo price of £500 so at £165 extra I'm very happy. This was hifi choice's best DAC and best product of the year for 2012 and I can see why. It extracts an amazing amount of detail.
(And yes Hifi choice have heard the Bushmaster)
Fantastic post. People want to be excited and PRated all the time and when faced with neutrality and correct timbre they can't handle the truth. The recording is what it is and anything else that's added is coloration. The BM shows the truth of the recording imo.Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
Our experience during the review was the exact opposite regarding listening fatigue.Quote:
Originally Posted by magiccarpetride
I can't wait, I should be getting my Bushmaster tomorrow :)
So much depends on how the system used is voiced. If the cabling or even amps are setup to favour a specific DAC then a DAC with different set of characteristics will unbalance the system. I spend ages auditioning and adjusting my system to give my review units a decent shot at sounding good. This is really time consuming and needs long term listening to get right, maybe I'm just slow..... That's why I won't review a product in less than 3 weeks.Quote:
Originally Posted by pete_mac
Funny you should type that. The BM is the first DAC that I have designed that has been bought by quite a few people within the recording studio and audio equipment manufacturing, and lately also from broadcasting. Some world renowned big name companies have ordered the BM for monitoring purposes.Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaval
Mind you, many of them have an additional list of options they would prefer to see in a future version such as XLR sockets and network linked controls. One company even asked if I had a mod and an app so that it could be controlled via an iPAD :eek:.
Somehow that reminds me of an ex :eyebrows:.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clive
Who was doing the reviewing or was it try before you buy?Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
Let's say that it was a performance related reward issue ;).Quote:
Originally Posted by Clive
I like my bushmaster,simples:)
I had the Bushmaster for two months in my system with similar results to the short half-day shoot-out in my friend's system. The results were similar each time.Quote:
Originally Posted by Clive
As I mentioned in my posts, system synergy plays a substantial role. We felt that the bushmaster over-egged the pudding compared to the other DACs that we had on hand at the time. If we had less revealing speakers and amps at the time, who knows.
Bring it on - balanced outputs are the one thing I wish for in a Bushmaster successor.Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
I don't like the Bushmaster.
I love it!
Monitoring equipment is supposed to be as dead neutral as possible - I think it's quite logical to chose a BM :)Quote:
Originally Posted by StanleyB
XLR outs including for the headphones also? A balanced headphone rig by Beresford would be a welcome upgrade for sure. I don't currently own speaker amps for balanced operation, though...
Speaking of neutral sound Stan, which monitoring headphones, if any, have you tested your DAC with? I expect to have a pair of Beyers DT48 back to me in the coming weeks and I can't wait for this acid test with your DAC!
are your ears balanced?:lol:Quote:
Originally Posted by Xaval
Working on it :eyebrows:Quote:
Originally Posted by seoirse2002