Houston Head-Fi Meet #1 on October 25 - Page 15  

I have a question about setups at the meet and I was hoping those more knowledgeable than I could help me out!

Usually, I have my SP Extreme and GS-1 hooked up to my Stello DA100 DAC + Rotel 961 CD player (transport) through a Mapletree Line Router. My "other" setup is Oppo 970 -> X-can v3 (little pinkie power supply). I was trying to figure out what was the best setup for the meet given that: (1) the Rotel source is better than the Oppo (IMO), (2) The X-can v3 and Gs-1 both have loop outs.

Here are some options:

1) keep same setup as above

2) keep same as above except use oppo as transport for stello and rotel as source for X-can

[Since the Rotel is a better source and plays HCDCs, this may be a better option. I think the Oppo will be an ok transport although Stereophile claims that it has a lot of jitter - I think that won't matter with the Stello DA100 though].

3) Rotel transport -> Stello DA100 -> GS -1 --loop out--> X-Can --loop out--> SP Extreme (and leave Oppo at home: I am not actually sure that anyone at the meet would be interested in the Oppo since it is a low budget source. Also could leave the Line Router at home.)

[In theory, this is a good solution. This would allow the source to play through all three amps at once allowing several people to listen at once. The problem is that I am pretty sure daisy chaining like this would lead to sound degradation! Can someone tell me if this is true?]

4) i) oppo or rotel as transport -> stello -> GS-1 --loop out--> SP Extreme
ii) oppo or rotel (whatever is not used in (i)) -> X-can

[This is like the first or second setup but uses the loop out in the GS-1 so that one could listen to the SP Extreme and GS-1 simultaneously.]

In the perfect world, I would have more than one good source but....

One more question: I was hoping to not have to bring my laptop. However, I was also planning to bring my office setup: Fubar DAC + Cute Beyond headphone amp. However, I just realized that the Fubar only has USB input so I need to have a computer. Is anyone interested in hearing this combo? If so I can bring my laptop. I just don't want to bring a bunch of gear that nobody will interested in listen to (or have time to listen to). Since there will be so many great electrostatic/balanced and unbalanced dynamic amps I feel that it would be a waste to bring things like Fubar/Cute Beyond, X-can, and Oppo. That is my feeling. What do you think?

Thanks for the help.

Can't really comment on your "daisy chaining" dilemma ... though I'd lean towards thinking it would "technically" degrade the signal a bit (the same way that lengthening your standard RCA IC is supposed to degrade the signal I guess) ...

That said ...

Keep in mind, I will have a spare paradisea+ DAC on hand that has not officially been grabbed for any loanage/usage ... so if you need it for the meet then let me know before someone else grabs it.

Best.

.joel

I would love to hook it up to my GS-1 if someone else doesn't need it. I guess we will have a lot more amps than sources because of all the Woo amps.

Not a problem.

See you all tomorrow.

Sadly I can't make it to the meet as I have another meet to attend to this weekend, but I am sending another Sennheiser cable with Al to the meet for everyone. The single ended cable is the same V3 cable that has under gone a top secret treatment. The cable will need to be burned in and I hope Al gets a few hours on it.

Either way I hope everyone has fun this weekend and take pics. I want to see what I miss.

Thanks,
Alex

Hi Orcin,

Could use give some basic directions to the clubhouse from 59 or Main St.? I am not sure that google maps is giving the right location. Is the clubhouse near the tennis courts or by the parking lot to the south.

2410 Brightwater Drive, Missouri City, TX 77459 - Google Maps

I suppose 290 to 8 would be reasonable way to come from Austin?

Ok, no fubarII/cute beyond

I will bring all my cans.

I may bring my laptop to use as a transport for Joel's paradisea+ -> GS-1 unless anyone can think of anything better (I don't really have very much lossless music on it so...). I could always bring the oppo dv980 I have hooked up to my tv for a transport. Anyone have any better ideas? Edit: I think I will just bring an extra toshiba dvd player for a transport. It will be easier than unplugging the Oppo 980 from the tv setup.

Not to give Orcin more headaches but I just got a surprise, sort of, from the UPS guy.

I have been looking for a dac to make my sony ce595 a transport. I haven't decided but I guess some friends of mine have sent some early housewarming gifts.

One friend sent a KingsRex USB DAC to me last week. Nice portable DAC if you ask me.

Anyways this was at the door today.





Wonder what it is???




Well looks like its Chinese.












Ahh a Musiland MD10 Dac





Thought I had read about this somewhere so I searched the forums. Not a bad Dac. Although looks like someone I will see tomorrow didn't like it.


Anyway I set it all up. Laptop to Dac to Mapletree Audio HD Ear+ to SR 225's. I would have more but I did just move and most things are in storage

The hotel listening room.






First experience with the Musiland is.......well as a USB DAC it's borked. Don't have a mini optical to use, someone said they would bring one tomorrow. I guess I will find out tomorrow if it works at all.


BTW went back to the KingsRex. You know for a $200 DAC I am impressed.

<sigh> Well, I am onsite, and _was_ burning in Alex's SE v3 with a complete POS dvd (which, btw, scorched Alex's DAC a few years ago)... anyhoo, it crapped out on the 3rd song, and will no longer read discs at all. It has been relegated to the trash, once and for all.

To wit, I need a _modest_ CDP/DVD to hook up to the SOHA II, or it will have to share with the balanced Millett/OPUS... decisions, decisions. It also means that Alex's cable will get a few hours less burn... always something.

Be there at @9 tomorrow - while I thought I was staying in Sugarland, it is more like Sharpstown, so we'll see if the car, much less the equiptment, makes the night.