Cables and output

[AnthonyMA]

1) I've got my nice, shiny, new Gatorized Caiman DAC but I haven't yet bought the phono cables. Mark Grant cables were recommended but, looking at his website, the cheapest is around £70! So, does computer -> Squeezebox -> Caiman -> Quad Elite warrant £70 for the phono cables?

2) The Caiman has both fixed and variable outputs. The fixed output is designed to connect to a CD input. This input doesn't exist on the Quad Pre as the CD input is handled by the QuadLink cable. To allow the Quad to do as much of the interpretation as possible, is it better to put the Caiman's fixed output into an auxilliary input or use the Caiman's variable output (in which case, what's the recommendation for the volume level?)

[Peter Stockwell]

Mark's Cables at £70 are hard to beat. but the Canares that he has at £25 are just a whisker behind. You could buy both and decide which you liked best, and send one back.

[Marco]

Yup - and the main point being that Mark's cheapest cables are actually £25, and not £70!

I would highly recommend either, Anthony, however if you can afford the G1000HDs, then your system is easily good enough to warrant the expenditure

Marco.

[AnthonyMA]

Yup - and the main point being that Mark's cheapest cables are actually £25, and not £70!
Marco.

I meant his as opposed to the Canare (which he buys in??)

Anyway, Marco old chap, http://theartofsound.net/forum/showthread.php?t=11638 is beginning to apply as I've now bought the G1000HD

[AnthonyMA]

2) The Caiman has both fixed and variable outputs. The fixed output is designed to connect to a CD input. This input doesn't exist on the Quad Pre as the CD input is handled by the QuadLink cable. To allow the Quad to do as much of the interpretation as possible, is it better to put the Caiman's fixed output into an auxilliary input or use the Caiman's variable output (in which case, what's the recommendation for the volume level?)

Anyone got an views on the above, please?

[Effem]

My recommendation would be to use the fixed output from the Caiman. AFAIK the signal is the same apart from the volume control, BUT it is all to easy to move the volume control around (especially with little fingers in the home) without you being aware you have done so and at best it will scare the living daylights out of you from too loud a volume and at worst bye bye speakers cones

[Alex_UK]

I'd agree with Frank - and why have the extra circuitry of the volume pot in the signal path if you don't need it?

[AnthonyMA]

why have the extra circuitry of the volume pot in the signal path if you don't need it?

That's my instinct. Thanks to you and Frank

[oldson]

or buy 2nd hand cables.
i got a good deal on my vdh cables off ebay!

[Butuz]

Yep deffo use the fixed outputs into RCA in on the quad.

Should sound great!!!

Butuz