[PETERCALV]

Hello everyone,
 
I will soon be joining the Eximus DP1 club. Igloo Audio have assured me this will be arriving very soon. Could any of you Eximus fans help me with a question?
 
Simon Lee has assured me the best way to listen to this is with the Mac operating system and Amarra. I currently have a Windows 7 dedicated music server fitted with the SOTM PC USB card and SOTM SATA filter and the latest version of JRiver. I am prepared to consider replacing this with a Macbook Pro and Amarra (or even building a Hackintosh). I have heard some reports that the new Macbook Pro and Macbook Air are noisy things. Does anybody know if this is the case? Is there a clear advantage to me changing to Mac?
 
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. By the way, I intend to replace my current Cyrus equipment with the Eximus. The Rudistor is a superb sounding valve amp, so this will probably stay.

 

[mcullinan]

They arrive in 2 weeks. I am waiting too.  I will be using Squeezebox USB --> Eximus --> Supratek Sauvignon tube pre --> Manle Mahi Mahi tube monos --> Merlin VSM MX speakers. Should be sweet!

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

Originally Posted by PETERCALV /img/forum/go_quote.gif
 
I currently have a Windows 7 dedicated music server fitted with the SOTM PC USB card and SOTM SATA filter and the latest version of JRiver. I am prepared to consider replacing this with a Macbook Pro and Amarra (or even building a Hackintosh). I have heard some reports that the new Macbook Pro and Macbook Air are noisy things. Does anybody know if this is the case? Is there a clear advantage to me changing to Mac?

 
There's also a truckload of audiophile grade players on PC: jplay/XXHighEnd/uLilith and many many more.....I'm quite sure you could find one that will sound good to you without resorting to buying a whole new computer altogether. This said, Amarra supposedly sounds great(and can be quite buggy too), but so does jplay in "beach mode"...try them all, tell us what you hear ^^
 
If you're afraid of USB noise, you might as well use an ADuM4160-based USB isolation dongle but this trick will only work on a Mac FWIWT....it's a no-go on PC because Windows has no clue how to operate the built-in U3 board inside the DP-1 over a 12MBit/s USB connection.
 
How do you feel about that SoTM USB board BTW?
 
Quote:

I will be using Squeezebox USB --> Eximus --> Supratek Sauvignon tube pre --> Manle Mahi Mahi tube monos --> Merlin VSM MX speakers. Should be sweet!

 
Sounds good, but I guess you will also source an improved PSU for the Squeezebox? You can find 5V/1A linear wall warts for very cheap in the US.

 

[PETERCALV]

The SOTM PCI USB board definitely opens up the sound stage. I have compared this to my laptop (HP Envy 17) and there is a clear improvement. I don't think the SATA filter does anything. If anyone is thinking of building a PC music server, using different motherboards/processors didn't seem to make any difference to the sound. I currently use a 2 year old AMD/Gigabyte combo that was just as good as an Intel i7/Gigabyte mSATA bundle.
 
It will be interesting to see how it matches up with the Eximus when it arrives.

 

[BrainFood]

Quote:

 I will be using Squeezebox USB --> Eximus --> Supratek Sauvignon tube pre --> Manle Mahi Mahi tube monos --> Merlin VSM MX speakers. Should be sweet!

 
Nice chain and great speakers!  Wish I still had my pair.
 

 

[mcullinan]

Thanks. They are great speakers. They do everything right, pretty much. And you can get them used pretty reasonably.
Can't wait to get my Eximus. Maybe next week?

 

[PETERCALV]

Keeping my fingers crossed for next week as well!

 

[leeperry]

So anyone tried to use an audiophool fuse? I can read the same kind of testimonials that are usually posted about the Audioprism Quietline's and these things cost $30'ish, so I'm in 

 
But I don't plan on buying half a dozen of them, so I guess it'll boil down to either a Rhodium plated furutech or a solid silver hifi-tuning.
 
OTOH, I read that even cheap ceramics sound better than glass, and the DP-1 stock fuse is glass.

 

[Anaxilus]

Got to hear the Eximus yesterday versus the PWDmk2.  Totally different presentations.  Eximus is more fun, mid forward, deeper SS and 3D, softer but euphorically enjoyable.  PWD is more resolving, detailed, precise in imaging, wider, impactful.  I think the NAD M51 is more techincally capable than the Eximus as it's much closer to the PWD but the Eximus is a fun enjoyable sounding DAC is that's where you want the coloration to come from in yor chain.  Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad or off neutral type of coloration like other failed devices, it's enjoyable especially if you don't A/B it w/ anything more capable.
 
On a side note, the HO is perhaps one of the worst if not worst amp implementation I have ever heard in my life.  Perhaps worse than a Fiio E5 at least in noise and distortion.

 

[mcullinan]

Did you try the up sampling settings? Its supposed to change the sound significantly. My Eximus should be arriving next week... lol Unless they tell me oh well its the next next week.
 
I had the NAD for a bit and will be able to make a comparison.
M

 

[Surfski]

Yo Anaxilus,
 
Please comment further on the bad headphone output! Pretty strange if a well reviewed (and expensive) component that gets such high marks on the DAC side, falls down so significantly on the analog side. Looking forward to your remarks and perhaps an A/B evaluation of the included headphone amp vs. results from a good external amp. 
 
Just want to make sure I understand the comparison. Think of it as a public service

 

[Anaxilus]

Quote:

Yo Anaxilus,
 
Please comment further on the bad headphone output! Pretty strange if a well reviewed (and expensive) component that gets such high marks on the DAC side, falls down so significantly on the analog side. Looking forward to your remarks and perhaps an A/B evaluation of the included headphone amp vs. results from a good external amp. 
 
Just want to make sure I understand the comparison. Think of it as a public service

 
Well the analog side of the DAC is fine.  So feeding an external amp is no prob.  The integrated analog HO is truly horrible and this is no exaggeration.  You'd be far better off w/ a cheap Fiio E9 or O2 amp hooked up rather than using it.  I wasn't kidding about a E5 sounding better either.  There's really not much else to say about it.....

 

[mock-up]

We are deaf.

 

[leeperry]

Quote:

We are deaf.

 
That's what getting older does to ya

 

[mcullinan]

From the reviews the headphone output is excellent. What do other owners think.