I've seen that website.  Interesting.
Anyone compared these to other DACs?

The Ross Martin unit does use a new Texas Instrument chip to reduce jitter if that is what is meant by  a proper S/PDIF connection. I've upgraded my amp to an Anthem 225 and am very happy with my new sound system. The money I saved when buying the Ross Martin helped me reach a bit out of my budget for the amp.
Studio Quality Reference DAC
24 BIT 96 Khz USB Tenor 7022 USB 2.0 Full Speed Compliant & USB Audio Class 1 Supported   Isochronous
Super Low Noise 129DB.  UltraLow 50-ps Jitter (TI's New DIX9211 216-KHz Reciever) and Super Low Distortion
10ppm Chrystal 

Hello Taktell,
 
1 question about the power supply. It seems that the cable can't be unplugged at the rear of the dac, but at the other end of the cable, what is it, a wall wart or simply a plug ?
 
Thanks. 
 

I found his ad in the local craigslist and decided to stop by and see what his Dacs were all about!  After some discussion, I decided to special order a dual chip version of his DAC without all the bells and whistles of the standard dual chip DAC (the std dual chip has a lot of studio functionality that I didn't need or want).  I wanted an audiophile DAC of unequaled quality with a chip for each channel and the best opamps he could put in it!  I just brought it home today and I am absolutely jaw dropping amazed at the sound quality!  I also have a California Audio Labs DAC and an AVI Dac that I picked up when I lived in England (USAF).  The AVI was my top choice in the past but has just been put up on the shelf as my second best sounding DAC. 
 
I first hooked it up to the inputs of my Koss ESP/950 electrostatic headphones and listened to Cassandra Williams "Dance to the Drummer Again"  WOW, crystal clear powerful bass and she sounded like she was right in front of me (it is playing off of a Network Hard Drive through the optical output of my Sonos player)!  Then I hooked it up through an Aric Audio tube preamp into my modified Dynaco ST-70 Tube amp and played it through some Grafyx speakers with an HTC subwoofer augmenting the low end!  Blown away, is the best way to put it!  There is absolutely no background noise whatsoever!  The bass is still extremely tight and the tube amp has made her voice hauntingly smooth!  The detail that is present surpasses that of the demo I heard of this recording at a local stereo shop!  Going through some of my other WAV files on the hard drive produces the same spine tingling quality and I am hearing details in the music that I never have heard before!  
 
I have been dabbling in HI-FI  since I was about 15 and worked off a Fisher 500C tube receiver I got from my neighbor (mowing his lawn).  This DAC is probably the one component that has made the biggest difference in improving my sound quality!  You won't find anyone that is easier to deal with either!  I do appologize for going on and on, but I am very excited about what this DAC is going to do for my music collection, and I have never before taken the time to write a "review" of a piece of audio equipment!
 
If you are looking to "improve" the sound of your entire audio collection, this is an awfully cheap way to tripple the enjoyment of all your music!
 
BH   

To answer the question of the wall plug, it is a transformer that provides the required 16v to power the DAC, and he wanted something that was very reliable, so he chose this transformer as it is used by alarm companies for their systems -- it is extremely robust and reliable!  Also, this is not the prettiest box in the world (it's not bad), but it is by far the best sounding DAC that I have ever come across!  I also have absolute confidence that if anything ever went wrong with it, he would gladly make it right again!
 
BH 

Hello headfiers,
 
One month ago, I was doing research to search for my first DAC/AMP to pair with my new HD600s, I found an ad at craigslist which leaded me to contact Ross martin audio for more info. Ross replied real quick and said that they would build a custom DAC/AMP within my budget, so I took the chance. I am new and I dont have audiophile-level hearing, but I do love listening to just one certain instrument throughout the whole song, especially hit-hat, drum and electronic guitar. And that is the way I usually spot differences. Before having this DAC/AMP, I was just listening directly through my laptop's on-board audio, which is pretty crappy without WASAPI. When I first A/Bed on-board with WASAPI and the DAC/AMP, they sound pretty close to me at first. I found several differences, although quite minor. Now that I have around 50 hours with it, I tried A/Bing again to confirm those differences, and I find them much easier to identify now, probably because I got used to the sound feed from the DAC/AMP.
 
I'm not good at describing sound, so I hope I do use appropriate terms. There are more details and clarity, more noticeable at treble and mids. Hit-hats and cymbals have become so precise that I could count them. Drums are so much more realistic. My HD600s has become less laid-back through the DAC/AMP. I'm not sure how to describe the bass change, it has become more 'precise', fast and less resonating (This is the biggest difference I heard, and I'm not sure if I should say less muddy). Everything has become more enjoyable, except certain deep bass notes, they now have less 'impact'. Afterall, keep in mind that these are just a newbie's opinions! And here are some pics:
 

Front

Rear

With my HD 600s on a tower stand used as headphone stand 

Can someone post an internal pic of this DAC please. I'm curious to see whats going on under the hood. A pic of the transformer ( AC to 16V DC) would also be helpful. Looks like a half decent unit but without internal shots I'll reserve any further comment on it.
 
Peete.

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wuwhere said:

tak, welcome to HF, your first post is a rave on an equipment, sounds promising.

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Lol. Nailed it. Every review is a recently joined member, written in a similar fashion. I love how the pics above are in what looks to be a barren closet room with nothing on the desk, lolol.

Will try to do so soon, probably tomorrow. I know nothing about amp boards, so I'd really like to know what you think about this board.
Quote:

Can someone post an internal pic of this DAC please. I'm curious to see whats going on under the hood. A pic of the transformer ( AC to 16V DC) would also be helpful. Looks like a half decent unit but without internal shots I'll reserve any further comment on it.

 

Peete.

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Well, I've been lurking around for about a year, just joined as member when I wanted to seek recommendations. So, it's time I contribute a little to the community, therefore the post + pics. Anyway, I cleared everything on it just to make a better background, lol.
 
 
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Lol. Nailed it. Every review is a recently joined member, written in a similar fashion. I love how the pics above are in what looks to be a barren closet room with nothing on the desk, lolol.

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What was confusing is that it seems that advance models have a headphone jack but not the basic model.

I think that's because the basic model doesn't include an amp section, just the DAC.

 
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loremipsum said:

I think that's because the basic model doesn't include an amp section, just the DAC.

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Yes but the web site was not crystal clear on the features.
 

 
Quote:

marioimpemba said:

Lol. Nailed it. Every review is a recently joined member, written in a similar fashion. I love how the pics above are in what looks to be a barren closet room with nothing on the desk, lolol.

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I would think that most of the people responding at this time are those, like myself, who have been using the web to find out information before purchasing and by definition are recently joined members. I spent a month researching dacs on-line and this looked like a reasonable alternative to the Musical Fidelity V-Dac/V-Link combo for less than half the price. With the money I saved, I was able to spend more on my amp upgrade (Anthem 225) and am very happy with my sound system. I'll have to upgrade my Monitor RS-6 speakers sometime in the future, but thats another story. I admit that the Ross Martin unit doesn't look pretty but it sounds fine. I'd love to see a comparison between the Musical Fidelity's products and the Ross Martin. I do agree that Ross Martin's website should be improved but they are very easy to correspond with via email concerning any questions.
 

I am almost ready to write my review of the Ross Martin Dac.  For now let's just say it is the real deal, very good value.  I have had lots of dacs in my system and this one is pretty special.  The version I have has a single dac chip with usb , optical, and spdif coax inputs.  Also has balanced XLR outputs in addition to standard RCA outs.  And it used the National opamps, way good!
 
Sorry it took so long to jump back into this thread but I have been really busy and will get a proper review out this week, perhaps later rather than sooner.

Quote:

bixby said:

I am almost ready to write my review of the Ross Martin Dac.  For now let's just say it is the real deal, very good value.  I have had lots of dacs in my system and this one is pretty special.  The version I have has a single dac chip with usb , optical, and spdif coax inputs.  Also has balanced XLR outputs in addition to standard RCA outs.  And it used the National opamps, way good!
 
Sorry it took so long to jump back into this thread but I have been really busy and will get a proper review out this week, perhaps later rather than sooner.

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Good news. If your review is as good as the one you made about the KingRex AC 192, you are totally forgiven for the delay.