Also try JRIver. Not free, but they offer a free trial period. The interface / useability is much better than Foobar IMO, and it also plays nicely with iTunes if that is a factor for you. Whatever you use, you want it to play the track at its native sample rate / bit depth - you shouldn't...

I can see why connectin to the speaker terminals might be convenient from a purely practical viewpoit. But I share your skepticism about audio benefits. To the extent that the speaker cables have an effect, surely this is a negative one, from picking up and transmitting random RF interference...

If an omega forum is too narrow to be sustainable, perhaps a 'directly driven speaker' forum? This could include both TT/TT2 and Dave, and also other efficient speaker options (Voxativ has had a few mentions). But then again maybe a bit of a mission-stretch for a 'head-fi' site? I hope not.

This sounds like a more conventional setup, where the sub connection is made before the power amp stage. Rel are somewhat unconventional in that they like to take the signal after it has gone through your amp (so speaker level rather than line level). Nice to hear that it sounds great! I...

At the risk of going off-topic, I would be interested to know why there is a difference between the XLRs (used in single ended mode) and the RCAs, on the Dave or the TT2.

Hello I am using the TT2 in amp mode to directly drive a pair of efficient speakers in near field (Omega CAMs, 94.5 dB at 8 ohms). Very happy with the results, but... I will be adding a powered sub-woofer, and I asked the manufacturer (Rel) a question about connection. The reply I got was...

Rob - does this apply even if the source to DAC signal is through optical?

Rob, Re your comments about DSD, it it possible that whether or not a SACD file gives a better result than the redbook PCM version depends on the DAC? Sampling Theory says that an ideal dac could in principle reconstruct the original signal from a RBCD. M-scaler tech approaches this ideal...

I have been thinking about this combo. Are you using them with a sub?

I was in Watford today as it happens; and while a lot has changed, I can report that Watford Town Hall (The Watford Colosseum) is alive and well.

Have you thought about using optical? I am getting good results up to 24/192 using iPhone => usb to optical converter => Hugo2.

Interesting (as someone else with a Hugo 2 and seniorish hearing who is considering the M Scaler). Can I ask: was your auditioning done at your home or elsewhere, and how long did you audition it for?

Interesting to hear. But perhaps not unexpected. It is difficult to be as relaxed when listening at a dealer as you would be are in your own home listening at your own time. And relaxed listening is key: It is not just that any amount of stress will impair your critical listening ability...

I leave my Hugo2 plugged in 24/7 and nothing fried yet. Not heard of this problem with Hugo2 from others on this forum.

The anti-aliasing filtering may be different going from 96 kHz to 192 kHz, as the higher Nyquest frequency allows gentler roll-off. But I don't see any reason for the colored user-selectable filters to behave differently, as they act on frequencies in the audible range, far below the Nyquest...

Post deleted (to avoid anyone wasting their time trying to understand what it meant - it was garbage!)

Or just 'limited'

Lol! :)

Interesting. Perhaps quite different to what might be experienced from a change at the other end of the chain, with a change of HP or loudspeakers that can give a very obvious and immediate change in sound signature character? It reminds me of when 1980's a dealer demo'd the Lynn Sondek LP12...

Thanks for this. Having read through this thread from the start, I can see a compelling narrative around just how transformative this bit of kit is; testimony such as yours has more than convinced me to audition it (and start buying the wife some flowers!) But I am also aware of reports of...

Hi Amberlamps Good to hear - and as it should be, suggesting that the 192khz track was properly sampled (rather than carelessly upsampled / resampled from some lower resolution source, in order to jump on the hi rez bandwagon). Any tracks you have tried that don't seem to show a big...

Thanks. So assuming your findings are borne out by others, the conclusions would appear to be: 1) when assessing the M scaler's performance, we need to be careful about what we are feeding it; and 2) having bought it, we need to be careful about what music we buy, and how it was produced.

Thanks JaZZ. To be clear - what you found was that while HMS did best with the 'raw' 44.1 track, it still did well with the upsampled version (implying that WaveLab's upsampling is not too bad but not as good as the WTA)?

A question for those HMS users who have noticed big differences in the effect of HMS depending on what music is played: One would HMS to improve Red Book more than it would improve High Res, and in general this is what users have reported on this forum But one would also expect that HMS might...

Active (or "powered") speakers have amps inside; passive or unpowered ones don't. Most studio monitors are active. So for example without buying a stand alone amp, you could have a qtest hooked up to active speakers, or a Hugo TT connected to passive speakers (provided that they were...