[theobservatory.]

I can't quite make up my mind (as is the case with most of my head-fi purchases) between either a Meier Audio Corda Cantate or the PreSonus Central Station for my Beyerdynamic DT 150.

I will be running the setup from my iMac G5, with the optical out for the PreSonus CS and USB for the Cantate.

Initially I was pretty keen on the Cantate, especially due to its crossfeed function, which I'm eager to try out and sure I won't be able to live without.

However I've heard some really good things about the PreSonus CS, and wondering if they'd sound better than the Cantate with my DT 150 (since the DT 150 is a professional monitoring headphone, they might work with the professional, studio-centric PreSonus CS?). The only downside with the PreSonus CS is that it doesn't have the crossfeed function.

Anyone compared these two amp/DAC combos before?

 

[facelvega]

I don't think anyone has done a direct comparison of these yet, but with the presonus available for under $400 now it seems like the better deal. Its dac section is miles above that of the cantate, and although its amp section is almost certainly weaker, it still rated fairly well in that big home amp comparison saga by tbonner1, so it can't be all that bad.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by theobservatory. /img/forum/go_quote.gif especially due to its crossfeed function, which I'm eager to try out and sure I won't be able to live without.

You got that right. Once you go Meier crossfeed, you never go back. You can try switching back and forth, but you'll always end up back on crossfeed. That is, if you like the standard imaging of speakers. Extreme channel seperation is fatiguing, and crossfeed fixes it.

And the DAC in the Cantate is said to be nothing special. Through USB on the Opera the sound is good, but not nearly as good as through Coax. So get the Cantate and save up for a nice DAC, or don't get anything and save up for the Opera.

 

[GreatDane]

You could always seek a Meier Corda Cross-1 (passive crossfeed).

I use a CC-1 with my tube amp.

 

[tomjtx]

IpodPJ,

Not sure I have seen it "said" that the DAC in Cantate is nothing special,
could you name that source? The move's dac has been criticized, perhaps you are confusing the 2.

In fact, the DAC in cantate is quite good. I posted on that earlier.
I have compared it carefully with my Transporter (a world class dac, rated class A in Stereophile) and the Cantate dac compares quite well.
No, the Cantate is not that good but it comes surprisingly close.

I have heard the benchmark and Lavry here as well. The cantate fares well with those too.

 

[EnOYiN]

Quote:

Originally Posted by GreatDane /img/forum/go_quote.gif You could always seek a Meier Corda Cross-1 (passive crossfeed). I use a CC-1 with my tube amp.

So, when are you going to do a give-away of this very nice component which is no longer made by Dr. Meier? ( I might try to make one myself if I can find the time... )

If you are using computer as source you can think about using the Bauer stereophonic to binaural plug-in which works surprisingly well in my opinion.

 

[GreatDane]

Quote:

Originally Posted by EnOYiN /img/forum/go_quote.gif So, when are you going to do a give-away of this very nice component which is no longer made by Dr. Meier? ( I might try to make one myself if I can find the time... ) If you are using computer as source you can think about using the Bauer stereophonic to binaural plug-in which works surprisingly well in my opinion.

lol

Nope, getting rid of my CC-1 has never crossed my mind.

I thought I saw Todd selling them a while back. There must be plenty of them floating around, also DIY versions too...or yeah, make one from scratch.

I use computer as source often and currently use the excellent Porta Corda MkIII-USB...thank you veeerry much

I'd like to try that Bauer plug-in though.

 

[IPodPJ]

Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjtx /img/forum/go_quote.gif IpodPJ, Not sure I have seen it "said" that the DAC in Cantate is nothing special, could you name that source?

Absolutely. Dr. Meier himself.
I can dig through my old e-mails to find the exact verbage he used, but it was basically to that effect. The DAC in the Cantate is poor compared to the DAC in the Opera. And the Cantate is only USB, and the USB with the Opera is good but not nearly as good as the Coax input. And therefore if the Cantate is worse than the Opera's DAC through USB, I can easily conclude that it is nothing special.

Don't get me wrong, I'm sure it's better than tons of USB DACs out there, but that doesn't mean it's anything special. There is not much sonic transparency when you use the USB input, but there is lots of transparency when using the SPDIF input.

 

[dkpaul]

Damn... I really would like to hear the Opera...

 

[IPodPJ]

I just noticed Meier raised his price on the Opera. It's no longer $1135. It's now $1220. Glad I bought it a month ago.

(And the analog Opera went up from $935 to $975)

It's so weird because I was listening to Coast to Coast AM last night and they were talking about how France is almost bankrupt and Germany is right behind them. The Euro is worth more than any other currency so they can't export things without losing money. And the dollar keeps falling. No one wants to pay the high prices. I feel bad for Dr. Meier, because now he has to charge more for his products which will drive some people away from purchasing them.

 

[tomjtx]

As usual IpodPJ you get it wrong.

I asked Meier how the dacs compared and he never said any such thing. Regardless of that you shouldn't give recommendations to others when you haven't heard the gear you are talking about.
The cantate has a very good dac, not that you would know since you haven't bothered to listen to it.

Why don't you stop gving opinions about things you know nothing about.

Maybe when you actually have some experience listening to good equipment your opinion might actually mean something

 

[unkle11]

whoa whoa whoa why the hostility? he didn"t say they were bad, just nothing special... and he's offering his opinions because the OP asked for opinions? if you disagree then go ahead and disagree no need to get nasty


Quote:

Originally Posted by tomjtx /img/forum/go_quote.gif As usual IpodPJ you get it wrong. I asked Meier how the dacs compared and he never said any such thing. Regardless of that you shouldn't give recommendations to others when you haven't heard the gear you are talking about. The cantate has a very good dac, not that you would know since you haven't bothered to listen to it. Why don't you stop gving opinions about things you know nothing about. Maybe when you actually have some experience listening to good equipment your opinion might actually mean something

 

[tomjtx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by unkle11 /img/forum/go_quote.gif whoa whoa whoa why the hostility? he didn"t say they were bad, just nothing special... and he's offering his opinions because the OP asked for opinions? if you disagree then go ahead and disagree no need to get nasty

That guy has a history of making derisive statements about gear he has never heard , especially the cantate. It is irresponsible and I am tired of it.

He has no idea whatsoever what the cantate dac or amp sounds like and he has no right to an opinion on the cantate because he has never heard it.He is a 28 year old with the maturity of an 18 year old.

That is why.

 

[MaloS]

Quote:

Originally Posted by IPodPJ /img/forum/go_quote.gif You got that right. Once you go Meier crossfeed, you never go back. You can try switching back and forth, but you'll always end up back on crossfeed. That is, if you like the standard imaging of speakers. Extreme channel seperation is fatiguing, and crossfeed fixes it.

Living by words sir, not ears. Majority of my experimentation with crossfeed resulted in preference towards no crossfeed - even though I prefer speaker imaging. Why? Blurring of the image occurs when the recording has already been mixed without extreme channel separation (which itself is only an issue on old records).

 

[tomjtx]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MaloS /img/forum/go_quote.gif Living by words sir, not ears. Majority of my experimentation with crossfeed resulted in preference towards no crossfeed - even though I prefer speaker imaging. Why? Blurring of the image occurs when the recording has already been mixed without extreme channel separation (which itself is only an issue on old records).

Good point. That's been my experience as well.