[Music Alchemist]

  Can't believe there's DACs selling for $30k or $100k.  Would it be better than spending $30k or $100K on an analogue source?

 
I would say so. I get the feeling that when push comes to shove, digital has surpassed analog in many respects. (I still want analog equipment!)
 
Look up reviews for the dCS Vivaldi. I've never felt so inspired about an audio component. Industry insiders have confided to me that it is by far the best source they've heard.
 
It must be said that when it comes to things like this, I am driven by sheer curiosity more than anything.
 
Here is a sample of why I refrained from featuring turntables, speakers, and the like:
 
Goldmund Reference II ($300,000)
 

 
MoonAudio Dark Star Opulence ($1,100,100)
 

 

[mulder01]

You don't need to spend hundreds of thousands though.  Those sort of products are just for enthusiastic extravagant eccentric millionaires...
 
I like the look of the black Michell Gyro SE.  You could put a decent tonearm and cartridge on it and have it for about $5k ish
 

 
 
Looks even cooler when it's turning
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx4yXgB53Oo

 

[Music Alchemist]

  You don't need to spend hundreds of thousands though.  Those sort of products are just for enthusiastic extravagant eccentric millionaires...
 
I like the look of the black Michell Gyro SE.  You could put a decent tonearm and cartridge on it and have it for about $5k ish
 

 
 
Looks even cooler when it's turning
 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wx4yXgB53Oo

 
They were just extreme examples to illustrate how much crazier it can get than the most expensive headphone systems.
 
I own at least 50 records, but don't even have a record player yet. I bought most of them because they were so rare that I would probably never be able to unless I acted then and there. I would like my first record player to be able to reliably rip vinyl to digital formats.

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

Extravagance. Pointless extravagance

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Extravagance. Pointless extravagance

 
Extravagant, yes; pointless, no - not if you want your music to sound much more amazing.

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

 

diminishing returns

noun 1. any rate of profit, production, benefits, etc., that beyond a certain point fails to increase proportionately with added investment, effort, or skill.


2. Also called law of diminishing returns. Economics . the fact, often stated as a law or principle, that when any factor of production, as labor, is increased while other factors, as capital and land, are held constant in amount, the output per unit of the variable factor will eventually diminish.

 

[Music Alchemist]

Quote:

 

diminishing returns

noun 1. any rate of profit, production, benefits, etc., that beyond a certain point fails to increase proportionately with added investment, effort, or skill.


2. Also called law of diminishing returns. Economics . the fact, often stated as a law or principle, that when any factor of production, as labor, is increased while other factors, as capital and land, are held constant in amount, the output per unit of the variable factor will eventually diminish.

 

  I am aware there is great value to be had for under $1,000 and past that point you must inevitably contend with the law of diminishing returns. Likewise, I acknowledge an optimized affordable rig can outperform a much more expensive one that is improperly configured.
 
I'm happy enough with a relatively cheap portable setup as it is, but want to see how far I can go. Will you stand at the summit with me?

 

 

 

[BournePerfect]

   
Extravagant, yes; pointless, no - not if you want your music to sound much more amazing.

 
I thought he was talking about this thread.
 
*shrug*
 
-Daniel

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I thought he was talking about this thread.
 
*shrug*
 
-Daniel

 
I was referring to the capabilities of high-end audio equipment to create a superior listening experience.

 

[mulder01]

I think what everyone's saying is that a $100k DAC may only be 2% better than a $30k DAC and a $30k DAC may only be 10% better than an $8k DAC
 
It looks like you're saying, hypothetically, if you had $100,000,000 in the bank and wanted to spend $1,000,000 on audio gear tomorrow, (you gotta spend it on something I guess), this is the gear you would buy.
 
I can see both sides of the argument - If you've got a truckload of money you may as well spend it on what you like.  But on the other hand, where you've said you want to have 2x $100k vivaldi digital playback systems - including one in a room "for friends and parties" that seems kinda wasteful - it's a bit like saying you want to have 2x $30,000,000 yachts, one to sail the world and one to go fishing on the weekend with your mates.  Regardless of how much money you have or how much you like boats, it's still pointless - just extravagance for the sake of it.  But yeah, no point dying with a hundred million bucks in the bank and never buying what you wanted.  Anyway, if you ever get there I'd like to see some photos

 

[Music Alchemist]

  I think what everyone's saying is that a $100k DAC may only be 2% better than a $30k DAC and a $30k DAC may only be 10% better than an $8k DAC
 
It looks like you're saying, hypothetically, if you had $100,000,000 in the bank and wanted to spend $1,000,000 on audio gear tomorrow, (you gotta spend it on something I guess), this is the gear you would buy.
 
I can see both sides of the argument - If you've got a truckload of money you may as well spend it on what you like.  But on the other hand, where you've said you want to have 2x $100k vivaldi digital playback systems - including one in a room "for friends and parties" that seems kinda wasteful - it's a bit like saying you want to have 2x $30,000,000 yachts, one to sail the world and one to go fishing on the weekend with your mates.  Regardless of how much money you have or how much you like boats, it's still pointless - just extravagance for the sake of it.  But yeah, no point dying with a hundred million bucks in the bank and never buying what you wanted.  Anyway, if you ever get there I'd like to see some photos

 
Yeah, it's obviously not worth X times as much, but many owners consider it a worthy upgrade nonetheless. Like I said, I am primarily driven by sheer curiosity.
 
I would never buy it all at once; more like extensively experimenting piece by piece - I am the Music Alchemist, after all.
 
If I ever get there, I will let the Internet know all my thoughts (especially regarding equipment I feel isn't up to snuff) and post videos and so on.
 
As for the twin Vivaldis, well, my dream listening room would be in an underground chamber, so I wouldn't want to have to move all that equipment around. I may even have them in separate houses/mansions/castles at that point, for all I know.

 

[BLACKENEDPLAGUE]

   
Yeah, it's obviously not worth X times as much, but many owners consider it a worthy upgrade nonetheless. Like I said, I am primarily driven by sheer curiosity.
 
I would never buy it all at once; more like extensively experimenting piece by piece - I am the Music Alchemist, after all.
 
If I ever get there, I will let the Internet know all my thoughts (especially regarding equipment I feel isn't up to snuff) and post videos and so on.
 
As for the twin Vivaldis, well, my dream listening room would be in an underground chamber, so I wouldn't want to have to move all that equipment around. I may even have them in separate houses/mansions/castles at that point, for all I know.

 
Why not just hire a team to build the most sophisticated anechoic chamber the world has never seen before?

 

[Music Alchemist]

  Why not just hire a team to build the most sophisticated anechoic chamber the world has never seen before?

 
Because I'll be using headphones!

 
...But I do like the idea of hiring a team of scientists to design custom audio equipment that isn't drastically marked up.

 

[mulder01]

A team of scientists developing custom audio equipment for the underground chambers in your castles?
 
Why not just pay your favorite singers to come to your house and sing to you in person?  That would be better than any system.

 

[Music Alchemist]

  A team of scientists developing custom audio equipment for the underground chambers in your castles?
 
Why not just pay your favorite singers to come to your house and sing to you in person?  That would be better than any system.

 
lol, putting all that together in a sentence sounds so ridiculous! XD
 
I'm actually not too big on concerts. Some live performances (excluding acoustic genres like classical and jazz) sound horrible, to be frank. I prefer being able to hear the polished recording on my own terms.