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In the Forum: Didital Things
In the Thread: Analogue to digital converter comparison
Post Subject: DACs & MacsPosted by jessie.dazzle on: 3/16/2007
Without completely understanding the post, I listened to all the samples (which by the way, will play immediately without doing anything if you have a mac...oops!). I first ran the files through my main system (there is a laptop + DAC associated with this system), and then listened to each file via a pair of fairly decent headphones, this time via the sound card of the computer.
In both cases I preferred the LAVRY GOLD and Metaxas-Wolfson files.
Also, to me the first two samples (for which there is no DAC identified) sounded as good or better.
I have never tried any of the DACs listed in the above post.
My experience would bear out that if done with care, the association of a HDD with your system can very much broaden your listening horizons, in that it will get you listening to your entire music collection. And...the quality of internet radio is imporving all the time.
For what its worth, and at the risk of running off subject, I use a laptop and series of external Firewire hard drives with a Wavelength Cosecant USB DAC (uses a single 6GM8 dual triode to the output transformer)... This may sound ridiculous, but despite the presence of Black Gate capacitors (oops!!), and the fact that this is a straight 16/44.1KHZ unit, I have up to now not been able to equal or better its performance with any other source I've owned or auditioned, regardless of sampling technology or price, stopping the research at about the $12K mark. I have not however compared it to what a good truntable might do (I am not equipped). Also, all evaluation was done in the context of my previous setup, consisting of good, but direct radiating speakers of "normal" sensitivity... The story may be different with the SET amps and horns, once I get more of them in place.
And who knows, I may be able to further improve the performance of this DAC by upgrading the capacitors.. 
jd*
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