The Dark Side; Digital audio equipment recommendations and setup.
- Thread starter Ed Selley
- Start date
duke86fan
Well-Known Member
should i be scared... will i have to move to qobuz/amazon HD/spotify hifi.. is MQA dead
and i still need to buy roon (probably not but dat metadata and stream and file merge) or audirvana (dat sound and UI but no last.fm scrobbling so that sucks)
snoops
Well-Known Member
Updated my Schiit Modi to a Denafrips Pontus II. Wanted to see what the fuss was with R2R ladder DAC’s. Using Plexamp and Chromecast Audio as my source. Holy fuck!!! What an absolutely killer DAC.
Turntable might be collecting dust for a bit.
Also, threw in some KT-150 Tubes. This might be end game for me.
Turntable might be collecting dust for a bit.
Also, threw in some KT-150 Tubes. This might be end game for me.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Man...I’ve been wanting to try out a Denafrips. I might go down that route next.Updated my Schiit Modi to a Denafrips Pontus II. Wanted to see what the fuss was with R2R ladder DAC’s. Using Plexamp and Chromecast Audio as my source. Holy fuck!!! What an absolutely killer DAC.
Turntable might be collecting dust for a bit.
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snoops
Well-Known Member
I’m obsessive when it comes to researching before I purchase stuff. I watched every YouTube video and read every review I could find. Everyone seemed to be overwhelming positive, so I had high expectations going in. I was a bit nervous not being able to demo ahead of time. So far it has exceeded everything thing I hoped it would be.
The sound is very lush and smooth but doesn’t color the music. As close to a DAC sounding analog that I have listened to. I really think they are crushing every price point sub $5,000 with their lineup.
Shipping was also very fast. Took about 1.5 weeks from the time I ordered. Highly recommend if anyone is on the fence.
The sound is very lush and smooth but doesn’t color the music. As close to a DAC sounding analog that I have listened to. I really think they are crushing every price point sub $5,000 with their lineup.
Shipping was also very fast. Took about 1.5 weeks from the time I ordered. Highly recommend if anyone is on the fence.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
It really is awesome. The UX really puts the Tidal and Qobuz apps to shame. I was pretty amazed at how seamless everything is when I first did the trial.
MikeH
Well-Known Member
Good to know. I almost went for the Ares II last time I bought a DAC but then I got a Singxer SDA-2 for a good price like new. I figured I would save up for Denafrips later on and may end up going with the Pontus II when I want another DAC. I have two setups so will likely move the Singxer to my secondary setup.
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
Whats with all the bluesound b-stocks out there right now ?, people not liking streaming or unable to get it working or do they sound meh ?
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
I was thinking about a Ares II, but it was really hard to find one and the price is up near 800 beans now. Sticking to Schitt for now.
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
Yah, I corresponded with Mr Chee, but it seemed like you had to jump through hoops to get it, then the price went up close to $800 with exchange rate so I backed off. Snoops where charged any duty or import fee's ?
snoops
Well-Known Member
Correct. It’s a direct to customer model which is why they are able to keep prices lower. No middle man mark up. Vinshine Audio is the distributor and you purchase from their website. Note, prices are shown in Singapore dollars and you need to convert to your local currency.
I didn’t pay any import fees, taxes, or shipping.
I wasn’t sure initially about buying a Chi-Fi piece of gear. However, I can’t say enough good things about the design and build quality of this thing. It’s a tank and sounds phenomenal.
jamieanderson1968
ninniest jackaninny
I have had my Bluesound Node 2i for about a year and love it. Sounds good and works with my set up. I have it connected to my old Marantz 2230 with a couple of Altec loudspeakers and I love it. The BluOS is pretty crap but I use Roon. I only use BluOS to update the firmware. It plays anything I throw at it and I have it hardwired into my network.
JohnnyCashFan
Well-Known Member
Are you using a external dac with it ?
jamieanderson1968
ninniest jackaninny
Nope just the internal DAC for now. Might go external at a later date but happy with the quality of the Node's internal for now.
I think this review on the Denafrips was the final straw to get me to bite the bullet and get the Ares II. That thread with goals I put it as possible for 2021 and it is looking more and more likely. That sucks it is up to $800 but it was still like $750 last time I came close. My main problem is I don't have a lot of complaints with my Pi set up.
I'm considering a TV in that room now though which would make it almost necessary.
I'm considering a TV in that room now though which would make it almost necessary.
Ed Selley
Active Member
Today, I have been a long way into the dark side. Palpatine levels of dark side.
Generally, I find that the SOtM/Mscaler/TT2 that resides here to be perfectly sufficient for digital, and by 'perfectly sufficient' I mean glorious overkill. The dCS Bartok is the cheapest DAC that dCS makes... and equipped as a headphone amp as this sample is, it is another £6,400 over the Chord/SOtM (UK SRP is £14,499). It is, in short, not cheap. Annoyingly though, it is better. It's not a shock and awe sort of thing but the sheer absurdity of what it is capable of sort of creeps up on you over the course of the day. It is of course, fully Roon compatible and, while I still have no enthusiasm for MQA at all, I am forced to concede that whatever opaque witchery is going on in there is the best I've heard the format sound. I'll be giving it a whirl with headphones this evening.
Generally, I find that the SOtM/Mscaler/TT2 that resides here to be perfectly sufficient for digital, and by 'perfectly sufficient' I mean glorious overkill. The dCS Bartok is the cheapest DAC that dCS makes... and equipped as a headphone amp as this sample is, it is another £6,400 over the Chord/SOtM (UK SRP is £14,499). It is, in short, not cheap. Annoyingly though, it is better. It's not a shock and awe sort of thing but the sheer absurdity of what it is capable of sort of creeps up on you over the course of the day. It is of course, fully Roon compatible and, while I still have no enthusiasm for MQA at all, I am forced to concede that whatever opaque witchery is going on in there is the best I've heard the format sound. I'll be giving it a whirl with headphones this evening.
duke86fan
Well-Known Member
Can I ask what an SOtM is..
Also holy crap to can actually asked a dCS Bartok.. that's the only real major step up you can make from a chord stack and that is shocking
Also MQA is mostly because
A) fixing what is apparently time smearing issues that makes DACs not sound right.. basically DSP
B) higher res audio while only really giving you a 24/44-48 file bitrate by just squishing all the other frequency in the inaudible range
C) I think roon/audirvana/UAPP do some upscaling (my LG phone upscales 44-48 MQA into 176 and 192.. and roon does the first unfold so there is always 24/88-96 before my hipdac renders it.. but using roon upscaling I don't notice a sound difference whether it's too DSD256 or highest power of 2 PCM)
Joe Mac
Well-Known Member
I mean is proprietary DRM more than anything else.