[Stillhart]

  Well I have it connected to my Emotiva DC-1 both balanced and unbalanced.  I listen via balanced out and A/B between the two inputs and can't tell the difference.  They sound identical but I don't have a critical ear.

 
This has been my experience with almost every balanced DAC I've tried with the LC.

 

[ButtUglyJeff]

If a balanced DAC is well designed/built, the RCA outputs should be no slouch.  Shop the sound, not the design...

 

[aqsw]

I don't doubt your results, but by changing DACs, you've introduced a giant variable into the equation, which sort of nullifies the scientific validity of your conclusion. Comparing SE and balanced outputs on the same DAC is the only way to draw a valid comparison, and even then you may be subject to some differences in the DAC's different outputs.

Agreed, The Simaudio is just a better dac than the MoJo. I can tell very little difference between se and balanced on my Hegel. I just like the balanced for the power.

 

[boblauer]

  I can tell very little difference between se and balanced on my Hegel. I just like the balanced for the power.

This has been my limited experience in listening to balanced versus single ended on my LC. The differences SQ wise have been very small, noticeable but small. Power delivery has been very noticeable though. Since the LC has enough to power my HD650's I've not jumped in yet on the balanced bandwagon. I do agree with above a few posts, buy based on sound not the design or implementation. 

 

[husafreak]

So I have been listening to my second run LC and Garage 1217 Ember II amps back and forth now for a few months. Using my MD Fostex TH-X00 and NAD HP VISO headphones I found them to both offer great sound but honestly I was surprised that the LC wasn't more exciting. When I auditioned it with very high end loaner cans at CanJam SoCal I was enthralled. But now back at home I wasn't getting that. I was reluctant to post about my new amp here on this forum. There was no clear winner here, just different strokes for different folks. Well, I got a set of Mr Speakers Ether Flows for Black Friday and the LC just pulled ahead like I had mixed nitro into the fuel of a funny car. I have to point out that for me the Ether Flow is perfect, it is the ultimate for me. I auditioned them at length before buying and have been thrilled with them for many hours now, I could not be happier with them. So anyway, what I realized is that if your headphones are capable the LC can deliver a very intense and revealing sound. Call it a good synergistic match or call it a more capable product. There is just more "there" there than I had realized while comparing my two amps through the Fostex cans. I have gone back to my beloved Ember a few times to hopefully revel in the warm and euphoric sound of tubes, but now I'm hearing a smearing and blending that I did not even realize existed before. In comparison I will say again that the LC is just brilliant. The level of realism is uncanny. And that it "scales up" very well. It also holds its own against the characteristic tube amp sound signature.
Yes of course, different strokes for different folks, but for this listener a bit of a revelation.

 

[husafreak]

I vaguely remember that the LC was supposed to come with a computer program for ripping and storing music. I imagined it would be something like the way iTunes works. Anyway I personally don't like iTunes, especially after mine "lost" all my music, so I am very interested in this software. Well it is starting to look like it is not going to happen, it has been a long time! So, what do you guys recommend? I just want to rip my CD's or needledrops to AIFF or FLAC files for use in my DAP, and store them. And back them up. This is probably not the right forum to learn about this stuff. But maybe it is the right one to find out first how close we are to having the "free" program promised and to find out whether that is really what I want anyway. Thanks!

 

[bronzboy]

If you’re not hung up on “free” I recommend JRiver Media Center.  Not only can you rip, play, and store your music, but the SQ is excellent.  In addition, it does much more.  Amarra 4 doesn’t stream, Sonic Studio wants you to buy another version for that.

 

[Stillhart]

  I vaguely remember that the LC was supposed to come with a computer program for ripping and storing music. I imagined it would be something like the way iTunes works. Anyway I personally don't like iTunes, especially after mine "lost" all my music, so I am very interested in this software. Well it is starting to look like it is not going to happen, it has been a long time! So, what do you guys recommend? I just want to rip my CD's or needledrops to AIFF or FLAC files for use in my DAP, and store them. And back them up. This is probably not the right forum to learn about this stuff. But maybe it is the right one to find out first how close we are to having the "free" program promised and to find out whether that is really what I want anyway. Thanks!

 
EAC is the best program for ripping bit-perfect FLAC's on PC.  There are plenty of guides out there on Google for how to use it.

 

[WNBC]

I knew about Amarra 4 being offered to LC2.0 owners, but it is only a player, no ripping.  Something out of Cavalli's control is holding up the release of Amarra 4.  
 
I used dBpoweramp for ripping my CD library.  As mentioned, EAC is highly regarded as well.
 
 
Quote:

  I vaguely remember that the LC was supposed to come with a computer program for ripping and storing music. I imagined it would be something like the way iTunes works. Anyway I personally don't like iTunes, especially after mine "lost" all my music, so I am very interested in this software. Well it is starting to look like it is not going to happen, it has been a long time! So, what do you guys recommend? I just want to rip my CD's or needledrops to AIFF or FLAC files for use in my DAP, and store them. And back them up. This is probably not the right forum to learn about this stuff. But maybe it is the right one to find out first how close we are to having the "free" program promised and to find out whether that is really what I want anyway. Thanks!

 

[husafreak]

Thanks guys. I do understand that the delay is not Cavalli's fault. But it doesn't sound like Amarra 4 is something special that is worth waiting for. I don't have a problem paying for a program that can do what I want. If you all said Amarra was the way to go I'd probably just pay for the current version. What I do want is a simple easy to use program
Well, why we are off topic I may as well ask... I need to purchase a 1TB or better back up storage device. I know that hard drives are easy to get and affordable but visiting Fry's Electronics the other day I saw a "no moving parts and portable" drive from (I think) Samsung that looked really sexy. But it is big $. Like 400 for 1TB and twice that for two. Nice to think you could put a 2TB music collection in a shirt pocket though. So if anyone has a comment great otherwise I'll leave it for another forum.
Now to research the programs mentioned.

 

[earnmyturns]

For the price of that Samsung you could buy 4 of these and use them in a backup rotation. A lot more redundant, you can even keep a couple of them in a different location for additional safety.

 

[bronzboy]

  Thanks guys. I do understand that the delay is not Cavalli's fault. But it doesn't sound like Amarra 4 is something special that is worth waiting for. I don't have a problem paying for a program that can do what I want. If you all said Amarra was the way to go I'd probably just pay for the current version. What I do want is a simple easy to use program
Well, why we are off topic I may as well ask... I need to purchase a 1TB or better back up storage device. I know that hard drives are easy to get and affordable but visiting Fry's Electronics the other day I saw a "no moving parts and portable" drive from (I think) Samsung that looked really sexy. But it is big $. Like 400 for 1TB and twice that for two. Nice to think you could put a 2TB music collection in a shirt pocket though. So if anyone has a comment great otherwise I'll leave it for another forum.
Now to research the programs mentioned.

I agree with you about SSD’s: No moving parts, and fast.  My PC has a 256k SSD as Drive C, and Windows is very fast; the computer starts up really quickly.  I have about 1400 albums burned to a Western Digital 1TB HD, and I back up to a couple of 1.5TB WD My Passport (small) hard drives.  The 1TB is 2.0 UBS and the 1.5TB drives are 3.0 UBS drives and it all works just fine.  The small My Passports were under a $100, but you can get a lot of albums on just one.

 

[husafreak]

Thanks! I ordered one from newegg

 

[germay0653]

   
EAC is the best program for ripping bit-perfect FLAC's on PC.  There are plenty of guides out there on Google for how to use it.

dbPoweramp is pretty good at ripping also. It also has a batch mode when converting an entire library from one format to another.

 

[Audio Addict]

For the price of that Samsung you could buy 4 of these http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16822236890 and use them in a backup rotation. A lot more redundant, you can even keep a couple of them in a different location for additional safety.

The link is not working, what was the product?