Any Digital Impressions of the Caiman yet?

[The Vinyl Adventure]

Oasis sounds a bit pants though!

theres a good reason for that!

[REM]

theres a good reason for that!

Could it be that the Gallagher bros grew up listening to The Beatles on their dads crappy little BSR changer equipped record player, complete with 10p selotaped on the headshell and using the same flip over needle it came with in 1961, cranked up to #11? At least that's what the Oasis 'sound' suggests to me.


ps: Seems that the general consensus re the recent LP reissues is they are just as compressed and 'orrible as the seedies.

[Labarum]

. . . crappy little BSR changer equipped record player . . .

Steady on. In the house my wife inherited from her Aunt in Cyprus we have a Pye Black Box

http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

A very nice BSR changer equipped record player that I am looking forward to having some fun with. It has the original cartridge that will only play 78s, and probably the original stylus; but if I take a 78 out of the lower cabinet of the accoustic gramophone in the dining room of the said house it plays beautifully.

What's your problem?

[spider_boris]

I'm new here, so firstly, hello all.
I ordered a 7520 last Sunday. Stan rang me the next day to ask if I was interested in the Caiman instead as he had just added it to the site (a big thank you to Stan for that) so I went with the Caiman.
I bought the DAC primarily for headphone listening on computer and have tried that with good results. I also tried it speculatively with my very lacklustre cd system: A very aged Arcam Alpha, a middle aged, middle range Yamaha amp and rather elderly Tannoy r2 speakers. Since then I have barely turned it off; doing the classic 'rediscovering my cd collection'. Bearing in mind the obvious limitations of the other components, here are a few impressions:
Run in period: I have always been sceptical regarding this, but I must say that over the week the sound has gradually improved; out of the box I was impressed but not *that* impressed. I thought the upper treble sounded slightly ragged when I first heard it, that has definitely cleared up, as has imaging.
Detail: One of my first impressions was that I was no longer hearing 'Strings' but many instruments being played in concert. I found that with choral music (eg 'Transcriptions' by Accentus) I could hear the different characters and timbres of the voices making up the choir in a way I have never been able to with a recording before (even on very much better equipment!)
Imaging: This was the biggest 'ear opener'. On, for example, the Berglund recording with the Bournemouth S.O of Sibelius' 5th Symphony the strings were very discretely located in space... 1st and 2nd violins, violas and cellos just where they should be. I think this is related to the much improved detail described above.
I had a disconcerting experience on a couple of recordings (track 7 of 'Beyond Skin' by Nitin Sawhney being one) of sound that seemed to be coming from a position well away from the speakers (far away to the right in the cited example) This doesn't make much sense to me but it is what I heard.
I am surprised to find that I am listening at a lower volume than in the past, I don't know why that should be, I seem to be hearing a lot more than formerly.
The slight mixed blessing is that whilst some recordings are like the best seat in the house, or even a private recital, others are now unpleasant to listen to; that is about the recordings rather than the dac though.
I have no idea if these impressions will be useful to anyone else, I guess not many others will be using the dac alongside such decrepit equipment. Maybe it is useful to know that there is such a radical improvement even with such an 'unglamorous' system?
Finally I would like to ask a question; when I bought the Caiman it was with the intention of using it in due course as the pre amp for a pair of active speakers. I am going to have a listen to the Quad Active 11L soon. Has anyone any experience of using the 7520 in this way? Any comments about the Quads or any recommendations for other speakers?
--
David

[Labarum]

Welcome "Boris"

You can add your real first name and other details to a "Signature" if you choose.

Thank you for your write up. Stan's little boxes transform many a system.

The Caimen will certainly not hold the Quad Actives back.

I have not heard them, but have been canvassing for views.

The are various near field active monitors sold by music shops that could be used domestically - they don't look as pretty as the Quads, and may be too analytical.

Others may offer suggestions and opinions on that.

Explore here

http://www.gear4music.com/Studio_Monitors/Tannoy.html

http://www.gear4music.com/Studio_Monitors/Fostex.html

http://www.gear4music.com/Studio_Monitors/Genelec.html

[spider_boris]

Hi Brian,
Thanks for the welcome and your comments. The links are helpful.
Another speaker in the same vein is the Wharfedale Diamond 8.2 Active which is made by the same folk as the Quads and seems to use the same transducers, I don't know if the internals are different (but the price certainly is.) i don't much like the way they look though
http://www.htfr.com/more-info/MR238071
I guess in the end, I need to go and hear them
--
David

[therockst4r]

My Caiman was supposed to come today, but the mail person didn't think I was home and left a redelivery notice :/

[Labarum]

I guess in the end, I need to go and hear them

Let me know what your ears tell you, David.

There is another way through this minefield

http://www.avihifi.co.uk/adm9.html

Domestically acceptable active speakers with integral DAC - just add a digital source. Mind you, over £1000, and you have already spent a good chunk of that on a DAC.


http://www.avihifi.co.uk/neutron.html

£1300 but includes sub woofer which is essential because it houses the electronics.

This forum (AOS) is where Stan's Fans hang out.

Ash's Fans (Ash is Mr AVI) congregate here

http://hddaudio.net/punbb/index.php

I would love to have a direct comparison between the AVI solution and a Standac driving something like the Quad Actives.

I have heard rumours a digital Quad Active is on the way - it would make sense.

Or, if you have serious money, you buy Meridian.

[Marco]

Ash's Fans (Ash is Mr AVI) congregated here

http://hddaudio.net/punbb/index.php

OMG - no comment!!



So that's where these, errm, 'characters' hang out now (yourself excluded in any derogatory reference)... I'm glad to see that Timmy-boy has found himself a 'happy home'. Thanks for the info, Brian!

Marco.

[Labarum]

So that's where these, errm, 'characters' hang out now . . .

Now, now Marco. Live and let live.

I am presently listening to

Title: AVRO Klassiek Beste NL MP3 256
URL: http://opml.radiotime.com/Tune.ashx?...e&PartnerId=16

Edvard Grieg - Radu Lupu, London Symphony Orchestra, André Previn - Pianoconcert in a op.16 (Decca 414432-2)

And very nice it is too.

It is better than my Quad FM Tuner.

<Labarum dives into bunker and pulls down hatch.>