[SleepyOne]

Hi spraggih,

What do you think of Trends UB10.1? Any good? Am I correct in thinking that you prefer the M-Audio? Any advise would be most appreciated! Thanks.

As for iTransport, the earliest mail order delivery in UK would probably be Wed due to holiday on Mon....

 

[spraggih]

Hi SleepyOne-- I think I have some of the worst ears-- I did not like the Trends 10.2? at all. It did not have a good balance and tone to me. But I know there is a lot of love here on Head-fi so chalk this one up to my bad ears.

I like I like the M-Audio more because of the M-Audio software more than anything else.

[EDIT]
Further trying things out-- on Vista the M-Audio ASIO drivers mess up the music. I know that sounds crazy but the music is a wee bit too harsh on Foobar and iTunes. Believe it or not the music is wonderful via Foobar and Direct Sound (DS) to the M-Audio.
[end of edit]


Just so you know how crazy I am -- I do not particularly like the sound out of a MacBook Pro (first wave of Intel CPUs) and that is bit-perfect. Again the music sounded over airy, kind of artificial a bit and without enough cohesiveness.

I dunno YMMV.

 

[mshan]

I have the Hagtech USB digital out (XLR) and the Trends UD-10.1.

I think the difference in sound is subtle, and preference will depend upon system matching and personal taste.

The Hagtech, to me, seemed to have a very clear, tube-like tonality to it, while the Trends had this very solid state character that at times seemed confused as well (i.e. completely unvoiced).

I think the Trends possibly has a lower perceived noise floor (background just seems blacker, with more pronounced microdynamics), and at times suggests to me higher resolution (i.e. it tends to bring out the ruthlessly analytic nature of my Benchmark DAC-1).

Could I tell the difference in rapid switching blind A/B switching? I doubt it.

If you just plugged it in and let me listen to my music I enjoy over time, I think I would consistently develop a preference for one over the other.

That being said, I still think it will come down to system matching and personal taste. All of those output options on the Trends is nice too.

 

[SleepyOne]

Hi spraggih & mshan,

Thank you very much for the advice! Really appreciate it!

I will look into M-Audio/ Hagtec direction for USB interface rather than Trends's. I think the extra body from M-Audio would probably come in handy in my system.

 

[spraggih]

SleepyOne>> You could try all three-- that is the M-Audio Transit*, the Trends and the Hagusb.

* - the transit because the audiophile usb is retired and you can only get them used.

But Amazon, Audio-Magus (Trends) all have fine return policies. I would try them all out because in YOUR system they may all sound the same and then you can decide based on features, price.

I am certain they will all sound similar. Just my setup is a bit unusual-- Vista, PC, iTunes, beta drivers (not the best combination perhaps).

 

[SleepyOne]

Thank you spraggih, good suggestion!

As for PC, Vista, iTune, fooBar etc....I too doing the same at the moment. Hopefully iTransport will take most of the load from my PC soon - it is not silent and way too cold (from intake fans lol

).

 

[spraggih]

so u are going w/ the Wadia? Looking forward to your impressions. Technically from what I read, a battery powered iPod transported to your DAC should have the sound best sound-- assuming the electricity in the Wadia does not mess anything up.

Will you remotely operate the iPod? If so what remote would you use?

 

[SleepyOne]

Hi spraggih,

I will go with both iTransport & PC USB - iTransport for general usage & 24bit FLAC with PC. Hopefully wadia don't mess up, at worst hopefully just on par with the competitor. I think iTransport come with a larger than wall-watt supply (assuming final product stay as planned); battery supply will have to come from 3rd party. I guess someone will quickly produce one if wadia is sucessful.

As for remote, I think any ipod remote will do (probably go with Apple made one in case). I will need one as my ipod is just 5th generation video so cannot use the wheele!

 

[SleepyOne]

UK iTransport shippment delay till next week..... thus unclear whether delivery will reach customer next week or not.

 

[penger]

I think overall, the iTransports are expected to ship next week. At least that's what the Wadia rep told me via email yesterday.

 

[DLeeWebb]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penger /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think overall, the iTransports are expected to ship next week. At least that's what the Wadia rep told me via email yesterday.

Thanks for the information...the "shipping the second week of May" thing is getting old now that we're looking at June in a couple of days...

 

[spraggih]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SleepyOne /img/forum/go_quote.gif Hi spraggih, I will go with both iTransport & PC USB - iTransport for general usage & 24bit FLAC with PC. Hopefully wadia don't mess up, at worst hopefully just on par with the competitor. I think iTransport come with a larger than wall-watt supply (assuming final product stay as planned); battery supply will have to come from 3rd party. I guess someone will quickly produce one if wadia is sucessful. As for remote, I think any ipod remote will do (probably go with Apple made one in case). I will need one as my ipod is just 5th generation video so cannot use the wheele!

Cool. Thanks

 

[flohmann]

The other iPod dock that offers digital out, the DLO Homedock HD (~$175), also doesn't appear to have shipped yet. Perhaps waiting on those Apple-approved output chips ?

 

[SleepyOne]

Does sounds like a manufacturing issue or something. As for iTransport, I was informed that it should appear in UK next week, the only question is whether there is sufficent supply in the inital batch.........a shop didn't even take my credit card detail in case no supply lol!

 

[robster]

Howdy- here's an email I got from Wadia sales on the Wadia 170 iPod Transport today at 12:56PM



Robert,



They are on their way to Music Direct right now. They left our factory yesterday and should be to Music Direct by the end of this week or the first part of next.





Thank you,





Martin Cooper

Sales for North America

Wadia Digital

1556 Woodland Dr

Saline, MI 48176

734.786.9611 x117