[Turn&cough]

Received mine today.
 
Haven't had much time to listen yet but so far it's looking good. Off hand I can say it is very quiet (as expected), good detail, good instrument separation and good bass punch without being sluggish. It's not cold but not as warm as I was expecting either - quite neutral.
 
My speaker system leans a bit bright towards the bright side to begin with and I do find it somewhat more forgiving on classical violin when compared to my modded EE Minimax. A step in the right direction as far as that's concerned but I'll still be looking to change my amp or speakers somewhere down the line to add a touch more warmth. I definitely like it more than the Rega DAC which I tried a few weeks ago. I found the Rega had no "snap" when compared to the EE. Definitely not a problem for the Ciunas. 
 
For what it's worth - I currently have it hooked it up to a SB Touch/EDO using an inexpensive 6" Belkin Pro cable. It does 24/192 decoded at the server without any problems.
 
I'm temporarily without a decent HP amp so for the rest I'll need to do some more extensive listening at higher volume tomorrow when nobody's in bed. So far I'd say it's a keeper but I'm not sure I'll be selling my modded EE just yet...

 

[theSC00BZ]

Quote:

Received mine today.
 
Haven't had much time to listen yet but so far it's looking good. Off hand I can say it is very quiet (as expected), good detail, good instrument separation and good bass punch without being sluggish. It's not cold but not as warm as I was expecting either - quite neutral.

 
I have to echo that!! I received mine (DAC) on Friday and was up until around 0400 this morning listening to it. This DAC is very musically engaging. The separation is incredible; I can focus on individual layers of music, clearly follow individual instruments, or drift seamlessly between them. Timing is also exceptional; listening to various acoustic works it was a pleasure to listen to the reverberation of strings without it becoming 'muddy'.
 
I was listening through my M1-HPA and Denon AH-D7000 headphones. I also upgraded my amp recently to Quad's QSP Elite so happy listening times ahead!
 
Quote:

Hey guys don't order yours right away.
 
I just ordered one impulsively and if sucks I'll be looking for someone to sell it to.

 
So... you selling it then? *grin*

 

[Turn&cough]

I'm a bit frustrated right now.
 
For some reason I can't get it to work with the SB Touch anymore. The Touch won't recognize it in its digital outputs or it does but I get no sound or some sound with a lot of crackling noise. I tried numerous factory resets, re-installing EDO, firmware updates, different cables and letting batteries charge overnight but nothing works.
 
Right now I have no way of listening to it unless I move my big ass PC into the living room or move my big ass audio gear into my office. If I don't find a fix I'll be left with two options - buy a laptop or notebook or, as a last, resort return the DAC.

 

[MorbidToaster]

IIRC Squeezeboxes are having this problem in general lately.
 
Quote:

I'm a bit frustrated right now.
 
For some reason I can't get it to work with the SB Touch anymore. The Touch won't recognize it in its digital outputs or it does but I get no sound or some sound with a lot of crackling noise. I tried numerous factory resets, re-installing EDO, firmware updates, different cables and letting batteries charge overnight but nothing works.
 
Right now I have no way of listening to it unless I move my big ass PC into the living room or move my big ass audio gear into my office. If I don't find a fix I'll be left with two options - buy a laptop or notebook or, as a last, resort return the DAC.

 

[seenc]

Quote:

Received mine today.
 
Haven't had much time to listen yet but so far it's looking good. Off hand I can say it is very quiet (as expected), good detail, good instrument separation and good bass punch without being sluggish. It's not cold but not as warm as I was expecting either - quite neutral.
 
My speaker system leans a bit bright towards the bright side to begin with and I do find it somewhat more forgiving on classical violin when compared to my modded EE Minimax. A step in the right direction as far as that's concerned but I'll still be looking to change my amp or speakers somewhere down the line to add a touch more warmth. I definitely like it more than the Rega DAC which I tried a few weeks ago. I found the Rega had no "snap" when compared to the EE. Definitely not a problem for the Ciunas. 
 
For what it's worth - I currently have it hooked it up to a SB Touch/EDO using an inexpensive 6" Belkin Pro cable. It does 24/192 decoded at the server without any problems.
 
I'm temporarily without a decent HP amp so for the rest I'll need to do some more extensive listening at higher volume tomorrow when nobody's in bed. So far I'd say it's a keeper but I'm not sure I'll be selling my modded EE just yet...

 
According to driver's details, the heart of device is Amanero OEM Combo384 Module - USB class 2 to I2S 32bit and DSD(http://amanero.com/) output Adapter, former was HIFACE 1
 
 
Could you create some pictures from inside ?

 

[towanda]

Quote:

 
 
Could you create some pictures from inside ?

 
 
Quote:

Originally Posted by Ciúnas DAC User Instructions
 
Warnings:

• The build inside the box is tight & cannot be opened without breaking it electrically.
  
  
• Opening the box voids its warranty.
  
  

 

[SwanSong]

Who's selling their old MK lll's?? I wish I could afford the new SPDIF but it's a little to rich for my blood. Ready to go, PayPal payment pending!!!

 

[theSC00BZ]

I just wanted to chime in with another remark on these DACs; there is a small burn-in period with them. Along with earlier listening, I spent the late part of this afternoon listening to Sigur Rós. Another three hours gone on three of their albums. Lying on the sofa, sun haloing my closed curtains... bliss!
 
The sound does become smoother after a couple of days; it loses a little of its original brightness. Not in a bad way, but the 'edge' has been rounded. As someone else put it, the sound becomes more 'organic'.
 
It's very difficult to give a technical description of the sound, as it's all dependant on the other equipment being used - but suffice to say you won't find anything else in this price range that will out-perform it... in fact, you would be hard pressed to find anything less than 2k that could shadow this thing. If you're looking for a new DAC for under 2k - possibly more - this is it!
 
As a reference of something similar, I purchased a Benchmark DAC a while ago and sent it back because I thought the sound was too artificial and over-processed; the Ciúnas on the other hand is a delight to listen to.

 

[Turn&cough]

For those who may be wondering I'd like to confirm that this DAC works perfectly with the Squeezebox Touch with EDO plugin. As it turns out the problems I mentioned previously were power supply related and have been worked out since. All is well.

 

[towanda]

Quote:

For those who may be wondering I'd like to confirm that this DAC works perfectly with the Squeezebox Touch with EDO plugin. As it turns out the problems I mentioned previously were power supply related and have been worked out since. All is well.

 


thanks T&C. i'm thinking of possibly buying one and that's how it would be used.

 

[SwanSong]

Any feedback and comparisons on the SPDIF converter with others and or JK MK3?

 

[sam1000]

Has Anyone had a chance to compare JKenny;s Ciunas/JKDAC32 with new Meridian Explorer. I think they use the same TI chip. I understand that implementation is the key as well and Meridian is in the business for a long time. I'm trying to pull a trigger and there's a big delta in the price. The best way is to audition both at home, however, shipping charges for Ciunas is close to $50 back and forth.
If anyone had a chance to compare this, I would appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I'm on a budget but will save and  stretch it if there are significant improvements in Ciunas over ME.
 
Thanks..

 

[TheWuss]

sam,
i don't think anyone here is going to be able to offer comparisons.
 
i will only say that the JKenny products should be well worth the difference in price.
 
i own the JKDAC32.
and while i have not compared it to something like the Explorer or Dragonfly, would it surprise you that i've compared it to the $1500 Wyred-4-Sound DAC-2, and the $2200 Bryston BDA-1, and that it is superior in many ways?
 
well, that is how i hear it.
 
but, i dont' want to assume anything.
i can only share what i've heard... 
i'm sure the Meridian Explorer is a fine product... 

 

[Turn&cough]

Quote:

Has Anyone had a chance to compare JKenny;s Ciunas/JKDAC32 with new Meridian Explorer. I think they use the same TI chip. I understand that implementation is the key as well and Meridian is in the business for a long time. I'm trying to pull a trigger and there's a big delta in the price. The best way is to audition both at home, however, shipping charges for Ciunas is close to $50 back and forth.
If anyone had a chance to compare this, I would appreciate you sharing your thoughts. I'm on a budget but will save and  stretch it if there are significant improvements in Ciunas over ME.
 
Thanks..

 
I haven't A/B'd them but on paper each has its own advantages. 32/384 DSD capable Amanero board and off grid power supply for the Ciunas. Headphone jack, optical out, very small form factor and price for the Meridian.

 

[sam1000]

Thanks T&C and Wuss for your replies. It's really helpful for making the decision.  Is JK planning to support DSD with Ciunas?