After doing some serious searching -- I'm thinking about the following arrangement:    Computer - (USB) > Musiland monitor 03 - (Digital output) > V800 DAC - (Balanced) > Amplifier.   Versus the alternative:    Computer On board Realtek ALC 889 - (Digital coax/SPDIF) > V800 DAC -...

Quote:   Sadly, alot of what's written just goes right past my head for now. I'll have to become more of a student of DAC design to know what is being discussed in that link other than listing out some of the limitations in a digital knob.    As for the ASIO drivers, that was...

Thanks for all of your input! Especially Wapiti for dumbing things down for a novice like myself. As for software that use 120% volume like VLC, what must I do to ensure that "the volume has to be always at 0.0 dB, with no increase or decrease in gain?" Does that require fiddling with some...

This may be a yet another one of those novice questions, but I have not been able to find a straightforward answer in my research. Long story short, I used to use the coaxial/optical S/PDIF out of an Asus Xonar Essence STX card, until adding a second video card made this an impossibility.   ...

Thanks for the quick response. So what is the best volume to keep my itunes and windows while adjusting the analog controls? Maybe I'm interpreting this all too simply.

Recently, I've been advised to keep the volume knob on my DAC on maximum because altering the knob would introduce some variables into the music. I am wondering if the same is true for amplifiers?   My setup is as follows: Computer - (USB) - > V800 DAC - (Balanced) - > Amplifier - (Balanced)...

Quote:   Think you pretty much answered your own question. I'm getting the DAC V800, because I'd rather not play the waiting game with Anedio which has no release date and/or preorder option. Also, v800 would suffice at 1200-1300 USD while we have no idea how much the new Anedio D1 is...

Will using an unbalanced DAC with balanced AMP severely compromise the advantages of being balanced on the amplifer/headphone?

Uncle Erik,   Alright. I did some research on my own. So basically you are most concerned about this bit:  "the use of two aerospace designed switching power supply ( followed by a redundancy of traditional capacitance)  ensure high current, highest reliability, no EMI or any kind of...

Thanks for your recommendation. I will definitely check into them.

http://www.partsconnexion.com/FTECH-73397.html   Wow, if this has not already been brought up in this board - did anyone ever review one of these things? On a more serious note, can anyone recommend a power cord that is below 200 USD that makes 'any' gain? 

Quote: I think this is a legitimate concern if true. And thanks for helping me troubleshoot a few weeks back!

Before I get accused of being a Rudistor fanboy, I'd like to point out that I actually received a defective Rudistor RPX-33 with swapped RCA inputs in the rear. Normally, I would have written the product off right there and then, but the sound that it produced was so organic and accurate to the...

N3rdling,   The advertising on their website, I agree is rather ridiculous. But I suspect all those superlatives have something to do with Rudi's English expertise. I'd be right beside you trashing the amplifier if the sound that it reproduced was crap. But hey, when I plug in my headphones...

Uncle Erik,    I guess it's not the only 'measure' of an amplifier. Just like for a violin for example, how it sounds may not be the only measure of its value, such as when it was built, who built it, the wood-work craftmanship or whether there are diamonds studs embedded into it. I just...