[lovethatsound]

@ Christer
Theirs nothing wrong with cds at all,I've got loads of them,and their all in perfect condition,like new in fact.

 

[romaz]

 
Sorry but I just could not resist quoting andyv´s view of CD over at Computer Audiophile.
It pretty much sums up my view of that medium as well with or without remote control.
 
 
"and as for

" Chord's John Franks talked about how important physical CDs are to people and that the Blu mk II was really to bring out the best in CD playback. He went on to say people should have CDs, collect them, pass them down to children etc... And, that it's his belief that the "downloading generation" is missing the tangible quality and that people like cd collections. CD is important to John and he made if very clear. "

he should really listen to his children! CD is a legacy medium. It is finished. Over. Done and dusted. History. The past. Gone. You can pass playlists down to your kids - or even better, ask your kids for their playlists! I hated my CD collection, stupid plastic cases, minuscule print in tiny booklets, impossible to browse. Good riddance! I'm as likely to buy this as I am to buy a wind up gramophone."
Ps I hope andyv doesn´t mind my quoting him here. I could not have put it better myself.

 

I read this also.  Chris Connaker pretty much is saying the same thing although these types of comments are expected from "computer audiophiles."  To be clear, I actually belong to this group of computer audiophiles.  I ripped my CD collection long ago and have moved on from physical media and it is unlikely I will go back to them except for the occasional rare or vintage CD that friends bring by.
 
There is an etiquette here that needs to be respected, however.  Just because it's not for us doesn't give us an excuse to disparage it.  If you take that paragraph that andyv wrote and replaced "CD" with "classical music," I'm fairly certain you would feel differently and yet, in many ways, classical music is like the CD -- it is a dying art in most parts of the world.  Most young people aren't into it and I'm sure many would say "Good riddance!" if it went away just like andyv is saying.  
 
The beauty of the free society we live in is that no one is forcing us to buy the Blu Mk 2.  It is for those who value what it offers and according to John, the demand for the Blu in some parts of the world including parts of Asia remains very high.  What is the real shame here is that with computer audiophiles like Chris Connaker and andyv, because of their negative feelings about CDs, somehow they have completely failed to grasp the significance of Rob's landmark achievement.  Andyv offers you one reason why he believes you should dismiss the Blu Mk 2 while I can offer you a "million" reasons why you shouldn't.  Blu Mk 2 + any DAC will probably provide you with a digital front end that will be superior to >99% of all other front ends.  

 

[Kamil21]

@romaz , I couldn't agree more. The answer to all is that it depends.... I have ripped all my cd's to hard disk, many of which do not exist on Tidal. I still find that my CD transport sound quality betters my computer.. knowing one day it won't.. , and every once in a while I find a CD that is no longer available in print. I also enjoy browsing through the CD booklet for albums like Quadraphenia from The Who.

Would I leave treasured books for my children or simply point them to the online version? Only time will tell..

 

[rkt31]

USB asynchronous transfer is already better than many expensive CD transport because asynchronous transfer maintains the data integrity and has better jitter rejection .but yes USB implementation has to be good for rfi , emi rejection but then the problem is same for CD transport too as it has to use a cable too.

 

[SunWarrior]

  I read this also.  Chris Connaker pretty much is saying the same thing although these types of comments are expected from "computer audiophiles."  To be clear, I actually belong to this group of computer audiophiles.  I ripped my CD collection long ago and have moved on from physical media and it is unlikely I will go back to them except for the occasional rare or vintage CD that friends bring by.

 
My whole music collection is also on hard drives, with an Aurender as my primary source.
But CDs are still part of the game, since I regularly find music that's not available for download but only, or sometimes far more cheaply, on CD.
So I buy the CD, rip it, then put it in storage.
 
This is why the Davina appeals to me, since I don't need a CD player.
 
QUESTIONS about how to connect the Davina to my DAVE.
 

1. Does that need two BNC-terminated SPDIF cables between one unit and the other?
2. Or will just one of those cables suffice between the Davina going to the DAVE?
3. And would those two cables need to connect to the existing DAVE inputs?
4. Or is this where those other four BNC connectors on the DAVE come into play?

 
Dave, who has been experimenting with the various DAVE inputs from his Aurender N10's multiple outputs and increasingly finds the USB input to deliver the richest sound

 

[darkless]

[COLOR=0000CD]QUESTIONS[/COLOR] about how to connect the Davina to my DAVE.

• Does that need two BNC-terminated SPDIF cables between one unit and the other?
• Or will just one of those cables suffice between the Davina going to the DAVE?
• And would those two cables need to connect to the existing DAVE inputs?
• Or is this where those other four BNC connectors on the DAVE come into play?

In short: Yes, no, no, yes.

 

[Beolab]

Look at this video:

https://youtu.be/dcle_wKfw_E

 

[jelt2359]

My whole music collection is also on hard drives, with an Aurender as my primary source.
But CDs are still part of the game, since I regularly find music that's not available for download but only, or sometimes far more cheaply, on CD.
So I buy the CD, rip it, then put it in storage.

This is why the Davina appeals to me, since I don't need a CD player.

[COLOR=0000CD]QUESTIONS[/COLOR] about how to connect the Davina to my DAVE.

• Does that need two BNC-terminated SPDIF cables between one unit and the other?
• Or will just one of those cables suffice between the Davina going to the DAVE?
• And would those two cables need to connect to the existing DAVE inputs?
• Or is this where those other four BNC connectors on the DAVE come into play?

Dave, who has been experimenting with the various DAVE inputs from his Aurender N10's multiple outputs and increasingly finds the USB input to deliver the richest sound

Don't know anything about CD players; would the Blu work as an awesome cd ripper? How would this work?

 

[Silvertone4]

I ran into this tonight, great compliments at a CES listening session in the Chord room. John Atkinson in the same room as Rob Watts listening to the Dave, two legends in their own right.


http://www.stereophile.com/content/jake-shimabukuro-bluebird-music-suite-venetian#dHKAmspvrGAmbTAJ.97

 

[romaz]

Don't know anything about CD players; would the Blu work as an awesome cd ripper? How would this work?

No, CD playback only.  I suppose you could divert the data stream to a digital recorder and record as a continuous .wav file but that would be one gigantic file.

 

[romaz]

I ran into this tonight, great compliments at a CES listening session in the Chord room. John Atkinson in the same room as Rob Watts listening to the Dave, two legends in their own right.


http://www.stereophile.com/content/jake-shimabukuro-bluebird-music-suite-venetian#dHKAmspvrGAmbTAJ.97

Chord must have changed the room after Thursday.  When I got there on Friday, there was no DAVE, only Red:
 

 

[romaz]

Here are a couple of shots I got of Blu Mk2:
 

 

 
It looks as if Atlas Mavros Ultra BNC cables are being used.

 

[Kamil21]

Chord must have changed the room after Thursday.  When I got there on Friday, there was no DAVE, only Red:

Ya. Oddly enough, the photos in the article show DAVE, but the equipment list at the end of the article only mention Red.

 

[Rob Watts]

The Jake visit was definitely one of the highlights of the show. And because the idea was to compare the sound of the ukulele recorded a couple of weeks ago against the sound of the system, we dropped a Dave into the system. Stereophile were going around the show, and trying to see which system sounded closest to the original which is a cool idea; but the flaw is that the microphone and ADC is also part of the chain.
 
I have some personal interest, as my son had just started to play the ukulele, so I know the sound of his instrument quite well.
 
Because I am interested in how it was miked, (hopefully having to do my own test recordings soon) I asked about the mic - it was a classic Neumann valve (tube) mic; I think the U47. I asked about placement, and it was 3 inches from the strings - so I was expecting a very bright incisive sound.
 
Firstly Jake played - and frankly his playing was exquisite; I have never ever heard a ukulele played with such expression - or with such speed and finesse - if you like the sound of the ukulele, check out Jake Shimabukuro, he has his own website - the album is the Nashville sessions. Next came the recorded version. For all those that have postulated that Dave's cavernous sound-stage is something I have added, I can confirm that the sound was completely and utterly flat, hovering immediately above the Dave in centre line from the speakers - exactly as one would expect from a close miked sound with no added reverb. But the live was clearly brighter with more transient impact - recorded being a bit softer and warmer - I guess the U47 is playing its part here, as it is chosen because it sounds warm.
 
So it proved very interesting, and gave me a tiny glimpse into the fun I should be having later this year in recording my own son's ukulele. 
 
Rob 

 

[Kamil21]

Rob Watts

Indeed the Ukelele is becoming a fave as my daughter has also taken this up. I use an AKG 426B which is a single point stereo mic with adjustable polar patterns, including M/S. I would think that a good mic pre will also have a major role to play and wonder if there is a full mic pre as part of Davina or not. This is certainly a something to look forward to.