Quote: I believe JKenny's mods to the M2Tech Hiface offer an I2S output.  There appears to be a new model from M2Tech that offers it out of the box, but I cannot find much info on it.  Properly implemented I2S to a DAC would improve your chances of a quality transmission, no?  It would...

The Sovtek tube is a no go on the stock Darkvoice from the look of it.  I get a bad hum with it in-place, no matter which tube I have in the 6AS7 slot.  The issue seems the worst with the 7236, is slightly less bad with the stock chinese tube, and is the least bad with the GE tube.  I suppose I...

Quote: I second the Jolida suggestion.  I picked up my JD-1501 for $400+ship on the 'gon a few months ago.  If I had the choice between keeping it or my CA 650A, I'd take the Jolida every time.  I've run mine with Tung Sol reissue and Sovtek tubes and found both to be quite nice, with the...

Quote: It's easy to find the DV for less than 250 on ebay auctions.  I picked mine up a few weeks ago for 170+ship (250 shipped).  I was also able to acquire a pair of NOS tubes that blow away the stockers for under $30.  It may still be worth considering.   --Matt

I'll throw in another vote for the DV 336.  Just make sure you find a suitable set of tubes.  The stockers are terrible.   --Matt

I received my Sylvania 7236, which was manufactured in '62, this afternoon along with the other Sovtek tube.  It's definitely much brighter than the GE 6AS7GA that I've been using since this weekend.  It seems a bit faster as well.  I'm really liking it so far.  I'm not sure what it means, but...

I received my DV today.  The box says 110v, but it included a chinese power cable.  Is this common?  Is there any way to tell if I truly have a 110v unit?   --Matt   EDIT: I found a post indicating that they are all 220v at birth and that they are converted at the factory.  Figuring they...

Haven't received the amp yet, but the tubes have arrived.  The 6AS7GA is a week 52 tube from 1961 and the 6SN7GTB doesn't seem to have any date codes printed on it.  I'm keeping my eyes open for a Tung-Sol 5998, but they seem rare and expensive at this point.   --Matt

I requested information from M2Tech regarding the Linux driver a couple of weeks ago.  They indicated that they were working on it, but do not currently have anything ready to distribute.   Hopefully it won't be too long now :-/   --Matt

I won an ebay auction for a 336se last night ($250 shipped, 2010 model) and, after reading that the stock tubes are worthless and searching tirelessly for a good set of recommended tubes for a decent price, settled on a Sylvania 6sn7gtb (60s-70s) and a GE 6as7ga (both NOS).  Both tubes were...

Quote: Side-by-side comparison between what some day?  NOS and OS?  There are tons of comparisons out there.  I'll leave describing the sound qualities to others, but the most common quality that is described on NOS DACs is their "more analog" sound.  On paper, this equates to rolled...

Is the TDA1543 truly a NOS DAC? The datasheet for it from Phillips indicates: "Fast settling time permits 2×, 4× and 8× oversampling (serial input) or double speed operation at 4× oversampling" Many prefer the more musical (distorted) sound of NOS DAC units. I have one, but I bought it...

Is the 32-bit version not working properly on 7? I've yet to encounter any compatibility issues with older programs in 7. If it doesn't run natively, I'd give XP mode a try. --Matt

Quote: Originally Posted by music_man it must be the soundcard drivers then. even though it does suppoort 32/192. i tried using cplay but i couldnt get it working. music_man Can you post screenshots of your ASIO4ALL config page and the output tab(s) of whichever player...

Quote: Originally Posted by leeperry I can use A4A's latest beta in 96kHz, and that's its coder reply: QFT! I'm using the latest release version and am able to play 96Khz without an issue as well. I don't have a DAC that supports 192Khz, so I can't comment on anything beyond...