I am a big DSD fan. In my view, best sounding format. Therefore, any DAC that I would consider would need to be DSD256. Currently have the ESS 9038PRO chip. How does AKM compare? Show
So Silver, more standard size case (not 100% deal breaker if a little different). DSD256, however one exception to consider is the PS Audio Direct Stream Junior because of their emphasis on DSD. Would not mind trying different chip then ESS although not opposed to ESS. Have thought about Bryston and PSA DSJ. I guess I am looking for suggestions and reasons for one over another. MQA is not needed, but would not hurt if it was included. Budget, probably under $4k. Thank you for opinions. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson 
�One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson -
Re: DAC OpinionsI ignored your color preference, sorry. The Holo is the other “forums” darling after the Yggdrasil. -Re: DAC OpinionsIt is funny because I was always black, but since getting the ARC and PS Audio I have been moving towards silver. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105�One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson -
Re: DAC OpinionsHas anyone had a chance to compare the current Wyred 4 Sound DACs using the ESS 9038Pro against the PS Audio Direct Stream or Junior? The design of these two units would fit right in with my current direction, the emphasis on DSD is very much my preference. The one thing I am not keen on is that it appears the max input is DSD128. This is not a deal breaker since every DSD256 file I have I also have the DSD128 version. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105�One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 5, 2018, 09:03 AMRe: DAC OpinionsThe Bryston BDA3 is a great DAC for under 4 grand. I loved mine. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Preamp/Digital: Meitner MA3 HT Processor: Bryston SP3 Amps: Bryston 14b3, Bryston 4b3 Speakers: Kef Reference 5, Kef Reference 4c Sub: REL Carbon Special Power: Shunyata Denali, Bryston BIT15 Wires: Wireworld Silver Eclipse XLR & SC, Ethernet - WW Platinum USB Other: Stillpoint Ultra SS, ISO-Acoustics ISO Pucks -Kyle - March 5, 2018, 09:27 AMRe: DAC OpinionsThough I've never heard it, the T+A DAC 8 DSD seems to be what you're looking for Randy. In the Stereophile review from Oct 2016 he even used your headphones. - March 5, 2018, 09:39 AMRe: DAC OpinionsThanks for all the input. Please keep it coming. I would say as of right now, the current short list is the PS Audio Direct Stream Junior, the Bryston BDA-3, and the T+A DAC 8 DSD. I would love to hear more suggestions and definitely love to hear if anyone has actually been able to compare any of these to the W4S DAC using the 9038. I also will have to consider what kind of deal can be arranged on any of these considering the DAC-2v2SE is less than a year old. Oh, on my headphones, they have Mr.Speakers updated DUM cable, both short and long, and their new highest level ear pads, which really does make a fairly big difference; all hooked balanced through the Bryston amp. At some point I might switch out the drivers for the flows (Mr.Speakers does offer this option). McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 5, 2018, 10:32 AMDAC OpinionsWhy don�t you try the Oppo 205? You can use it as a DAC. It plays DSD files. It uses the same ESS Chip (9038). It costs much less money ($1.3k). And it is also a Roon Endpoint. Since many vendors will take it back if you decide not to keep it, you can basically try it out for free. - March 5, 2018, 11:38 AMRe: DAC OpinionsThe T+A DAC8 DSD doesn't use any chip for the convertion of DSD signals, it's a proprietary discreet design; it only uses the BB PCM1795 chip for PCM conversion. It also has an analog volume control which you may prefer to your preamp. https://www.computeraudiophile.com/f...-ta-dac-8-dsd/ - March 5, 2018, 12:24 PMRe: DAC OpinionsI have a friend that has the T + A. Awesome sounding DAC, but to get the best sound you need to run it at 512 DSD. At 512 DSD the DAC is transformed into something special. My friend uses HQ player to up convert to 512. It is on my short list of DAC's if I decide to up grade from my Luxman. The PS Audio Direct Stream is also on my radar. I love the fact that you can tailor the sound with the different software packages. My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 5, 2018, 01:19 PMRe: DAC OpinionsRandy a review of the OPPO205 is noted and also the Modwright Mod. https://darko.audio/2018/03/human-af...-oppo-udp-205/ When I had the OPPO205 and I had the PS Audio DSJ at home on trial, The 205 just couldn't match the tonality of the DSJ. So now its saving up for the DSJ or its bigger brother. One thing the DSJ could do rather nicely, it could act as a pre-amp connected to my amp and it sounded as near to the W4S STP-SE as I have heard. Just a thought 2chl : Vincent Sp331MkII, W4S STP-SE Stage 2, Kef 201/2, KEF 140, Vapor Breeze, Lumin, Bryston CD, BHA-1, Quicksilver Headamp, HD650, HD800s, HD820's, Dan Clark 1.1, Focal Stellia, OPPO 203, 105. ( Boxed up: Pass Xa-30.5, VPI Classic, Dynavector DV-20XL, Manley Chinook, Cadenza Bronze) - March 5, 2018, 09:59 PMRe: DAC OpinionsYea, I have the Oppo 105. I rarely spin disks.... it has one very very very special purpose and I will never ever replace it because of that.... bet you can guess what it is if you think about it. Oh, by the way, I have played with the Oppo Sonata, the DAC with the 9038. Not even close to the W4S. At this point I am thinking about the T+A and the DSJ. I really like my pre-amp. I have ran a couple DACs straight to amplifiers and have done some direct comparisons and in every case I liked the sound better with the pre-amp. Not to say that the DSJ would not work nicely as a pre... I have actually had a few people suggest this. At this point though, I am happy with the hybrid pre and dam, I like having the ARC in my rack... looks good, sounds good, amazing remote.... and did I say it just seems to work very well with the M700's. I know I can get a very good deal on a brand new DSJ. But, not sure what to do quite yet, still waiting to see the numbers.... The T+A looks impressive also �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 5, 2018, 11:34 PMRe: DAC OpinionsYea, I have the Oppo 105. I rarely spin disks.... it has one very very very special purpose and I will never ever replace it because of that.... bet you can guess what it is if you think about it. Oh, by the way, I have played with the Oppo Sonata, the DAC with the 9038. Not even close to the W4S. At this point I am thinking about the T+A and the DSJ. I really like my pre-amp. I have ran a couple DACs straight to amplifiers and have done some direct comparisons and in every case I liked the sound better with the pre-amp. Not to say that the DSJ would not work nicely as a pre... I have actually had a few people suggest this. At this point though, I am happy with the hybrid pre and dam, I like having the ARC in my rack... looks good, sounds good, amazing remote.... and did I say it just seems to work very well with the M700's. I know I can get a very good deal on a brand new DSJ. But, not sure what to do quite yet, still waiting to see the numbers.... The T+A looks impressive also Totally agree with you why the 105 is a keeper!! I will be interested in hearing about your experience with the T+A. Keep with posted! - March 5, 2018, 11:50 PMRe: DAC OpinionsDefinately spend some time doing your research. I had wanted to try the DS Jr, but have no dealer near by. On a side note I haven’t missed any of my DSD since getting the Yggdrasil. And it’s silver. Re: DAC Opinions- March 6, 2018, 07:02 PMRe: DAC OpinionsTotally agree with you why the 105 is a keeper!! I will be interested in hearing about your experience with the T+A. Keep with posted! I went from the 105 to the Bryston BDA3. It's a huge step up. ... If that were my budget, I'd buy the BDA3 in a heartbeat. Preamp/Digital: Meitner MA3 HT Processor: Bryston SP3 Amps: Bryston 14b3, Bryston 4b3 Speakers: Kef Reference 5, Kef Reference 4c Sub: REL Carbon Special Power: Shunyata Denali, Bryston BIT15 Wires: Wireworld Silver Eclipse XLR & SC, Ethernet - WW Platinum USB Other: Stillpoint Ultra SS, ISO-Acoustics ISO Pucks -Kyle - March 7, 2018, 10:23 AMRe: DAC OpinionsI have also thought about the Bryston. I would say it is on my list also. It is going to depend a bit on if I can get a good enough deal. It is not like I don't already have a pretty decent DAC to get me through until or even if I decide to switch. I just started playing around with HQ Player also. Therefore having a DAC that does 256 or even 512 is looking like something else of importance. This might actually be dropping the Direct Stream off my list The T+A is sounding like a good choice, maybe, but so far deals on it to make it work are not there... but we will see. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 7, 2018, 11:06 AMRe: DAC OpinionsWhy again are you wanting to replace your current DAC? The version I see on the W4S website is only available in silver, and has a MSRP higher than the ones you are considering? Wouldn’t it make a lot more sense to consider upgrading your speakers? Rob __________________________ Tascam BR-20; Technics 1506 with tape path upgrades, FM head, DeHavilland 222 tape head pre; Modwright Oppo 205 full tube mod w/LPS; Euphony Summus server, EtherRegen, HDPLEX LPS; MSB Discrete DAC (dual PS, ISLPro, balanced out); Pass Labs XP-12, XA60.8 (pair); Daedalus Audio Apollo 11�s, VMPS Larger Sub; Daedalus/Wywires, Acoustic Zen, Sablon Audio, Wireworld, Shunyata Research cables; Core Power Equi=Power; Adona rack, Stillpoints, IsoPods, ASC, GIK Acoustics accessories - March 7, 2018, 11:37 AMRe: DAC OpinionsI have the DAC-2v2 SE, not the DAC-2v2 SE 10th Anniversary. Mine is Anthracite grey actually. It is more of a matter of trying something different and to a lesser extent to match the new cosmetic direction I have been taking with my system. I am actually just starting to consider a switch out. The W4S DAC works very good in my system so it is not like I have to switch. I was seriously thinking of going to a PS Audio Direct Stream or Junior, but now that I just started playing around with HQ Player I think that would not make as much sense. So if I were going to switch it would probably be to a DSD512 machine. The T+A seems to be a good choice, but I am feeling I will not be able to get a decent enough deal to make the switch worth while. I am simply exploring the options at this point. Since it is next to impossible to actually listen to the various DACs in my system I seek others advice and experiences. BTW- My speakers are brand new and I absolutely love them. They are very very similar to KEF Reference 3's.... I have actually listened to the Ref 3's many times.... KEF calls them their mini reference, since they are using very similar tech, but saving tons by building the speakers in their China factory versus the factory in Kent England where the Refs are built. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 7, 2018, 12:38 PMRe: DAC OpinionsSo if I were going to switch it would probably be to a DSD512 machine. The T+A seems to be a good choice, but I am feeling I will not be able to get a decent enough deal to make the switch worth while. Play with HQPlayer first and figure which filters you prefer. Depending on your filter choice, DSD512 will require a monster machine. For example the XTR filters (non 2s variant) doing DSD512 would require a 10 core i9 with 16GB of quad channel fast memory. - March 7, 2018, 01:18 PMRe: DAC OpinionsPlay with HQPlayer first and figure which filters you prefer. Depending on your filter choice, DSD512 will require a monster machine. For example the XTR filters (non 2s variant) doing DSD512 would require a 10 core i9 with 16GB of quad channel fast memory. You can get by with an I7 quad core and dual channel ram. My friend who has the T + A uses HQP maxed out with an older I7 and either 16 or 32 gb older ram. He runs DSD 512 maxed out. I occasionally use HQP with an I7-7700k cpu and 16gb 3000mhz dual channel ram and I can max it out without problems but I can only go to DSD 256 due to the limits of my DAC. There is no lag whatsoever. Processing takes a second and then play begins. I even checked cpu and ram utilization and temperature, they barely budge. Ram utilization is 4% and cpu utilization is about the same. I think that newer versions of HQP may be less computer demanding. I also use Bug Head and it is much more demanding of CPU and ram. CPU temps go up 20-25 degrees Celsius but with HQP it goes up 2 degrees. One other thing about HQP. If you have a video card that can do CUDA, then it will offload some of the work of the cpu if you have HQP checked to use it. The GPU in video cards actually are better for this type of processing. It is one of the reasons that there has been a run on Video Cards the last few months because people are buying them to mine for Bitcoin and the intensive mathematical computations. It has driven the prices of video cards up $100 to $300 more than normal retail price. I just use the on board Intel graphics in my music computer. My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 7, 2018, 01:22 PMRe: DAC OpinionsI have been playing around with HQ Player a bit. Finally got it upsampling everything, both PCM and my DSD files. I got Roon to be able to control all. I like the way it says signal leaves Roon and then displays the HQ Player settings. Just barely started listening to it. I have not listened to different filters yet. Dang I thought my dedicated machine was fairly powerful. Devil's Canyon i7, 16 GB DDR3 RAM, 2 TB SSD drives, Gold rated power supply, Falcon Northwest original box, etc. But I guess it isn't The machine original had a GTX980 card, but after I dedicated it I thought the graphics card was an unnecessary overhead. One of our son's grabbed it for a secondary machine. I might have to see if he is using it, if not see about getting it back from him. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 7, 2018, 01:26 PMRe: DAC OpinionsRandy, you should be fine with that CPU. YMMV though. What speed is your ram? Read my post above. Larry My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 7, 2018, 01:31 PMRe: DAC OpinionsRandy, that GTX980 does have CUDA. They are selling for about $500 used right now. You can always send a message to Miska the developer for HQP. You can find him on Computer Audiophile forum and ask him about your rig. My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 7, 2018, 01:33 PMRe: DAC OpinionsI am not 100% sure the RAM speed, but it was originally designed as extreme high end gaming machine. Falcon always uses "the best" so to speak, so I assume it was some of the fastest available 3-4 years ago. Yea, I am familiar with CUDA cores. So far everything I throw at it seems to play fine. Will check about getting card back from son. �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 7, 2018, 01:43 PMRe: DAC OpinionsYou can find your ram speed by going into system properties. But I suspect it is 1600mhz which is the max for that cpu. CUDA offloading would certainly help if you were to run into problems. Have you considered going the used route for a DAC? You can pick up the PSA DSD for cheap and I have seen the T+A for under $3K used. My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 7, 2018, 03:34 PMRe: DAC OpinionsYou can get by with an I7 quad core and dual channel ram. My friend who has the T + A uses HQP maxed out with an older I7 and either 16 or 32 gb older ram. He runs DSD 512 maxed out. I occasionally use HQP with an I7-7700k cpu and 16gb 3000mhz dual channel ram and I can max it out without problems but I can only go to DSD 256 due to the limits of my DAC. There is no lag whatsoever. Processing takes a second and then play begins. I even checked cpu and ram utilization and temperature, they barely budge. Ram utilization is 4% and cpu utilization is about the same. I think that newer versions of HQP may be less computer demanding. I also use Bug Head and it is much more demanding of CPU and ram. CPU temps go up 20-25 degrees Celsius but with HQP it goes up 2 degrees. One other thing about HQP. If you have a video card that can do CUDA, then it will offload some of the work of the cpu if you have HQP checked to use it. The GPU in video cards actually are better for this type of processing. It is one of the reasons that there has been a run on Video Cards the last few months because people are buying them to mine for Bitcoin and the intensive mathematical computations. It has driven the prices of video cards up $100 to $300 more than normal retail price. I just use the on board Intel graphics in my music computer. Your friend isn't using poly-sinc-xtr filters. Maybe the poly-sinc-xtr-2s filters or some lesser cpu intensive filter. Here is Jussi's recommended minimum for the poly-sinc-xtr filters. https://community.roonlabs.com/t/xtr...87/15?u=drtone 10 cores running at 90% utilization. 7700k simply won't do it. - March 7, 2018, 04:00 PMRe: DAC OpinionsYour friend isn't using poly-sinc-xtr filters. Maybe the poly-sinc-xtr-2s filters or some lesser cpu intensive filter. Here is Jussi's recommended minimum for the poly-sinc-xtr filters. https://community.roonlabs.com/t/xtr...87/15?u=drtone 10 cores running at 90% utilization. 7700k simply won't do it. I am going to talk to my friend and see exactly what settings he is running and will post it. He told me he had it maxed out on filters but who knows exactly what that means. I had no problems with the poly sinc xtr filters and 256 and it does not tax my cpu one bit but I understand that 512 is a different animal. My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 7, 2018, 04:31 PMRe: DAC Opinionsi have just finished four months of research and thinking on a digital source upgrade ended up going with the t+a dac 8 dsd. in terms of price/performance, it is probably the best dac i ran across... by far. not sure it means anything but the lead time from the factory in germany is 4 weeks.after pairing it up with a streamer (such as the t+a MP 8) the cost will be decently more that the alternatives i considered and where i wanted to end up. however, i felt that the capabilities and quality of the t+a would suit my needs well into the future... so, cheaper in the long run. its also very nice looking... which counts for something, right? -
Re: DAC OpinionsHere’s a thread on CPU choice for HQPlayer, lots of mention of the T&A in it.https://www.computeraudiophile.com/f...-for-hqplayer/ -
Re: DAC Opinionsafter pairing it up with a streamer (such as the t+a MP 8) the cost will be decently more that the alternatives i considered and where i wanted to end up. however, i felt that the capabilities and quality of the t+a would suit my needs well into the future... so, cheaper in the long run. its also very nice looking... which counts for something, right? So just to be clear you ended up with two devices: T+A DAC DSD T+A MP8 Correct? Questions: 1. What is the total price for both units? 2. Is the MP8 a Roon-ready Endpoint? 3. What did you compare the T+A combo with? Thanks! - March 7, 2018, 10:42 PMRe: DAC OpinionsSo just to be clear you ended up with two devices: T+A DAC DSD T+A MP8 Correct? Questions: 1. What is the total price for both units? 2. Is the MP8 a Roon-ready Endpoint? 3. What did you compare the T+A combo with? Thanks! initially, just the dac 8 dsd going to test it out with my current upstream... mp 8 or other streamer/player is next step - or not.1. dac 8 dsd + mp 8 together are just north of $8500, msrp. 2. mp 8 will be a roon endpoint with next software update is my understanding. 3. i was also seriously looking at ps audio dsj and lunim d2... as mentioned, higher than where I wanted to end up but i felt it was a better long term solution and value. i try to measure twice and cut once - bought my amp is 6 yrs ago and my speakers 20+ yrs ago. absolutely love them both. hopefully this digital source upgrade when it's done works out as well. March 7, 2018, 11:27 PM Re: DAC Opinions1. dac 8 dsd + mp 8 together are just north of $8500, msrp. 2. mp 8 will be a roon endpoint with next software update is my understanding. 3. i was also seriously looking at ps audio dsj and lunim d2... as mentioned, higher than where I wanted to end up but i felt it was a better long term solution and value. i try to measure twice and cut once - bought my amp is 6 yrs ago and my speakers 20+ yrs ago. absolutely love them both. hopefully this digital source upgrade when it's done works out as well. Thank you! My question regarding Roon is because I am a Roon (lifetime) subscriber so I am trying to stay in a Roon-compatible environment since I enjoy Roon plus I already paid for it! Thanks!! -
Re: DAC Opinions1. dac 8 dsd + mp 8 together are just north of $8500, msrp. 2. mp 8 will be a roon endpoint with next software update is my understanding. 3. i was also seriously looking at ps audio dsj and lunim d2... as mentioned, higher than where I wanted to end up but i felt it was a better long term solution and value. i try to measure twice and cut once - bought my amp is 6 yrs ago and my speakers 20+ yrs ago. absolutely love them both. hopefully this digital source upgrade when it's done works out as well. One more question: have you tried an inexpensive streamer such as the RPi feeding your DAC 8 DSD? The RPi with a HAT would be less than US$100. (Also, Bryston makes a streamer based on the Pi.) - March 7, 2018, 11:51 PMRe: DAC OpinionsOne more question: have you tried an inexpensive streamer such as the RPi feeding your DAC 8 DSD? The RPi with a HAT would be less than US$100. (Also, Bryston makes a streamer based on the Pi.) have not tried the RPi solutions. they look intriguing and a lot of fun but further into the computer sys admin weeds than i am up for in an audio system. - March 8, 2018, 10:43 AMRe: DAC OpinionsYour friend isn't using poly-sinc-xtr filters. Maybe the poly-sinc-xtr-2s filters or some lesser cpu intensive filter. Here is Jussi's recommended minimum for the poly-sinc-xtr filters. https://community.roonlabs.com/t/xtr...87/15?u=drtone 10 cores running at 90% utilization. 7700k simply won't do it. You were right, my friend runs poly-sinc-xtr-2 without problems at DSD 512. He is using an older cpu that turbo's to 3.9Ghz along with DDR3 1600mhz ram. Still, Randy should be able to do DSD 512 with his current rig, just not the non -2 settings. My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 8, 2018, 10:48 AMRe: DAC OpinionsThank you for all the input. My current DAC is 256, so currently running poly-sinc-xtr (if I am remembering correct) without issue. If I do get a 512 DAC I may have to run the -2 version My CPU is listed as 4.0 GHz, quad with hyper-threading. 16 GB, fairly certain 1600 RAM... all SSD, Gold level power supply... mounted on granite base (heavily modified Falcon Northwest Tiki). McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 8, 2018, 10:54 AMRe: DAC OpinionsYou were right, my friend runs poly-sinc-xtr-2 without problems at DSD 512. He is using an older cpu that turbo's to 3.9Ghz along with DDR3 1600mhz ram. Still, Randy should be able to do DSD 512 with his current rig, just not the non -2 settings. The closed-form filter might be a little hard on the CPU to DSD512 as well. I actually preferred it to XTR. - March 8, 2018, 10:56 AMRe: DAC OpinionsThank you for all the input. My current DAC is 256, so currently running poly-sinc-xtr (if I am remembering correct) without issue. If I do get a 512 DAC I may have to run the -2 version My CPU is listed as 4.0 GHz, quad with hyper-threading. 16 GB, fairly certain 1600 RAM... all SSD, Gold level power supply... mounted on granite base (heavily modified Falcon Northwest Tiki). The Cuda won't be enough help you get the non 2s XTR working at DSD512. Not even a 1080ti. Have you tried the closed-form filter? It's roughly based on what Schiit does, I like it so much I had to try the Yggdrasil. Re: DAC OpinionsI will try the closed-form filter. I have only been playing with HQ Player for about a day, so learning. I do believe I have it all working good now, integrated with Roon. So I am at the point of trying different filters. Any recommendations on other settings? Again, I am a HQ Player NooB �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 8, 2018, 11:10 AMRe: DAC OpinionsI will try the closed-form filter. I have only been playing with HQ Player for about a day, so learning. I do believe I have it all working good now, integrated with Roon. So I am at the point of trying different filters. Any recommendations on other settings? Again, I am a HQ Player NooB DSD modulators will have an affect on sound as well. I think there is a specialized DSD256+fs that is suppose to be nice but may increase load. Most important: -4db min and max volume at the very most. You need headroom to do upsampling. -6db would be real safe. Having the minimum and max the same value basically puts HQPlayer into fixed volume mode, if you want to use the volume control then set minimum to the default -60db or whatever that is. - March 8, 2018, 11:19 AMRe: DAC OpinionsMy God, as the calculation needs continue to grow, we will need one of these, to listen to music .... Francisco Aries Cerat Kassandra Ref. MKII / Taiko Extreme Server / Gryphon Essence Preamplifier and Stereo Amplifier / Rockport Atria I / REL S-812 (2) / G�bel XLR (2), G�bel Ethernet and USB Cables / MIT Magnum MA Speakers Cables / Shunyata Everest 8000 / Shunyata Omega XC (1), Sigma NR V2 (4) and Alfa NR V1 (2) / Taiko Switch / Paul Hynes SR7T Double Rail / Farad Super3 / Doepke DFS-2 40A / GigaWatt G-C16A 2P / Fuse module AHP 4Gi / Center Stage2 0.8, 1.0 and 1.5 - March 8, 2018, 11:21 AMRe: DAC OpinionsHere is a copy of my friends current setting for DSD 512 with his T+A. He was using the Poly-sinc-xtr-2 but recently changed to this and prefers the sound. I don't believe that he is running a video card. By the way Randy. His T+A replaced a W4S DAC-2 DSDse with femto clock and a hugo chord. The T+A blows them away My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 8, 2018, 11:42 AMRe: DAC OpinionsI might eventually move to the T+A. It seems to be one that people are in agreement on here in the forum. I do not see your friends setting here. Did you forget to past it in? BTW- the DAC-2v2 SE is a fairly big jump from the DAC-2 DSDse. This is when they jumped from the ESS 9018 to the ESS 9038Pro chip. McIntosh C49, MC152, MR85, R778 | T+A DAC 8 DSD | KEF LS50 Meta w/S2, KC62 (x2) | Rega RP8, Ania Pro, NEO PSU | Technics SL-1500C | Audio Technica VM750ML | Hexmat Eclipse, Yellow Bird, Molekula, Molekula Mini | Pro-Ject VC-E | Falcon NW PC Server (Roon Core & HQPlayer) | Microsoft Surface Pro 6 (Roon Controller) | Abyss Diana Phi | Schiit Jotunheim 2 | Astell&Kern SE200 | Oppo BDP105 �One of the great challenges in life is knowing enough to think you're right but not enough to know you're wrong� "You can't use reason to convince anyone out of an argument that they didn't use reason to get into" ― Neil deGrasse Tyson - March 8, 2018, 11:52 AMRe: DAC OpinionsI might eventually move to the T+A. It seems to be one that people are in agreement on here in the forum. I do not see your friends setting here. Did you forget to past it in? BTW- the DAC-2v2 SE is a fairly big jump from the DAC-2 DSDse. This is when they jumped from the ESS 9018 to the ESS 9038Pro chip. That is strange that you don't see his settings. I copied and pasted a picture from a PDF file. It shows up for me. He is running the filter and oversampling at poly-sinc-shrt-mp, Dither = NS5, Modulator = ASDM7, Bit rate at 48x512, DAC Bits=32, SDM Pack=none, Buffer=50 ms I have not heard the W4S 2vs but I was not impressed with the DAC-2 DSDse. It was bright and grainy. The Hugo was much better. Some time in April, we are going to have a DAC Shoot out with the T+A, PSA DS, Luxman and probably a Lampizator 7 lite if I can get every one together My Gear- Mains System-Pass X250 amp, BAT VK-51se preamp, Luxman DA-06 DAC, Magnepan 1.6's, Thorens TD-145 TT, Dual Martin Logan Subs, Vintage Luxman T-110 Tuner, Cables-WW Platinum 7 USB, Cardas Parsec XLR, AQ Columbia DBS 72v XLR, Belden 8402 XLR. - March 8, 2018, 12:17 PMRe: DAC OpinionsRandy, You can always up-sample everything to DSD. I am sure it would sound even more fantastic. I might eventually move to the T+A. It seems to be one that people are in agreement on here in the forum. edit ... Last edited by joeinid; March 8, 2018 at 12:28 PM. Fleetwood Deville by Oswald Mills Audio, Vienna Acoustics Haydn Jubilee, Wharfedale Linton w/ stands, Klipsch RB-75, Klipsch RP-160M. Job INTegrated. Luxman L-595aSE NAD C 658 streamer. First Watt SIT-3, Job 250 Monos, NuForce STA200, AkitikA GT-102 amp, ASL Wave monos, Dennis Had 45 monos. Absolute Audio Labs PCF 25 amp (improved First Watt F7 super clone) Topping D90, RME Audio ADI-2 DAC FS, ModWright Ultimate Sony XA-5400ES. Burmester 948, McIntosh MCLK12, Kimber Kable, Siltech, Cardas, Avanti Audio cables. -AudioShark - The Best High End Audio Discussion forum. AudioShark forum is a leading forum site for High End Audio Discussion, Stereo System Discussion, Home Theater System Discussion, Best Home Stereo System Discussion, Home Theater Installation Discussion etc. The AudioShark forum was created for sharing the passion of high-end Audio. 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