[tako_tsubo]

ahh, must check out Monoprice and make an order... the Stanley Coaxial was connected when I was grooving to the TC7510 headamp and have kept it there. just switched it to Stanley blue optical ( for lack of a better term) and definitely lost some fidelity using the headamp. and I am sure burn in will occur some on this IC.
This premium toslink might be good to try in my bedroom unit also, when I try out the DAC with the sony c555ES player (recently was connected to a Denon 3805 but now hooked up a Carver "The Reciever" from the 80's).

tbf Stanley didn't really rave any on the toslink he provided...it was the coaxial that seemed special, and indeed it has proven to me a good pairing with the TC7510.

 

[maxxy]

What is better quality? COAX or Toslink? Anyone know if I can order this monoprice worldwide or is there some other brand that sells worldwide?

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by maxxy /img/forum/go_quote.gif What is better quality? COAX or Toslink? Anyone know if I can order this monoprice worldwide or is there some other brand that sells worldwide?

Coax has the edge IMO. Optical needs to be converted into an electrical signal, and the quality of this conversion process is so much in the hands of the optical receiver. They can vary in quality by quite a wide margin.
I have been doing quite some testing on the Beresford coax and wrote a bit about it in the cables section. I was also reading on another UK website what some people were writing about the Beresford coax and they are in line with my own findings: it's another winner. again a budget price but made out of parts you would only find in more expensive cables. I can see this cable getting some hifi magazines recommendations and even rewards as Best Buy.

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif Coax has the edge IMO. Optical needs to be converted into an electrical signal, and the quality of this conversion process is so much in the hands of the optical receiver. They can vary in quality by quite a wide margin. I have been doing quite some testing on the Beresford coax and wrote a bit about it in the cables section. I was also reading on another UK website what some people were writing about the Beresford coax and they are in line with my own findings: it's another winner. again a budget price but made out of parts you would only find in more expensive cables. I can see this cable getting some hifi magazines recommendations and even rewards as Best Buy.

Yea, Herandu is right. Although Coax is more proned to electrical interference, such as EMI and ground-loop issue. But if you're using a well-shielded Coax, that should be good. Both the optical and coax receivers need to be in good quality in order to receive good sound. Nonetheless, since many people, including myself, are using our computer/soundcard as the main source, a coax connection is not always available. In this case, a good optical or a good coax connection shouldn't make too much difference.

 

[Quicken]

I just looked at Stanley's website, to check current pricing, and there is a mk V version listed:

http://www.homehifi.co.uk/main/main.html
http://www.homehifi.co.uk/TC-7510/orderuk.html

Anyone know anything more about this?

Cheers,
Q

 

[penguindude]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Quicken /img/forum/go_quote.gif I just looked at Stanley's website, to check current pricing, and there is a mk V version listed: http://www.homehifi.co.uk/main/main.html http://www.homehifi.co.uk/TC-7510/orderuk.html Anyone know anything more about this? Cheers, Q

Nope. Stanley should of posted the changes he made in each version. Im guessing Stanley played around with the capacitors again.

 

[happyhifibasten]

Exactly my situation. Since my broken UD-10 went back to Hong Kong and I have not received the replacement yet, I have to stick with my flashed AV-710, which sound pretty good with 7510. I guess a coxial might sound better, but the X-fi music on hand just keep on slowing down/crashing my Dell. At the same time, AV710 works perfect. So I just ordered another AV710 to pair with the 7510 I am bringing to my office. As everyone said, the amp section is a steal, which will keep my office table not that crowded.


Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Yea, Herandu is right. Although Coax is more proned to electrical interference, such as EMI and ground-loop issue. But if you're using a well-shielded Coax, that should be good. Both the optical and coax receivers need to be in good quality in order to receive good sound. Nonetheless, since many people, including myself, are using our computer/soundcard as the main source, a coax connection is not always available. In this case, a good optical or a good coax connection shouldn't make too much difference.

 

[tako_tsubo]

Man, that Stanley gets back to you FAST on email questions...The MK V apparantly has some addtional changes to the headphone amp section to have more definition to the bass. When he did the hp mod to reduce hiss he may have gone too far, so changed some stuff...additionally using something called Tantalum on the digital PCB caps that make the DAC handle digital data better on HDCD's. Stanley is quite the tweaker it seems and listens to his beta testers...Burn in time is to be expected to be longer now btw.

Burn in is very important...I learned that on the Ultrasone HPs...be patient and you will be rewarded! after another 100 hrs I will set it up with my other sources.

 

[Quicken]

Well, I just placed an order for a mk V version from homehifi, with the Coax cable. I will report back with my impressions during burn in. Like other people, I expect to use it primarily with my SB3 so I will be able to do A/B comparisons with that.

Cheers,
Q

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguindude /img/forum/go_quote.gif Whoever thinks cables won't affect the sound is, very, misguided. Today i just received my Premium Toslink Cable from Monoprice. The cable was extremely well-constructed and is on par with the Koss KSC75 in terms of price to sound performance ratio --> very very good. Plugging it into the MKIII and listening out of the headphone jack, all i could say was WOW... HOLY! The sound became incredible. I compared the sound with my 2 other optical cables, a thin generic and Stanley's blue toslink. The sound from Stanley's blue toslink changed little from the generic cord i used, but switching it the Monoprice cable, i was shocked. From the headphone out, highs and mids are brought forward a lot! While the amount of bass stayed intact, the lows were pushed to the back of the stage (where it should be) and the bass veil that once dominated the entire sound from the headphone jack really improved. What more can i say, for $5 or $6, this cable is a STEAL.

Holy s**t, P-dude! Are you serious? $5 or $6? Gotta get me one (or 2)!

EDIT: Just checked it out. Yes! I just ordered two 6-foot toslinks. Thanks, P-dude.
http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...ormat=2&style=

 

[uofmtiger]

Quote:

Originally Posted by feifan /img/forum/go_quote.gif Holy s**t, P-dude! Are you serious? $5 or $6? Gotta get me one (or 2)! EDIT: Just checked it out. Yes! I just ordered two 6-foot toslinks. Thanks, P-dude. http://www.monoprice.com/products/pr...ormat=2&style=

I did not know monoprice sold these! I am a big fan of their HDMI cords and switchers. Not sure how they do it so cheap, but I am glad they do!

My Beresford is sounding better every day. I am now listening to my headphone system more than my speaker system. I never thought that would happen.

 

[feifan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uofmtiger /img/forum/go_quote.gif I did not know monoprice sold these! I am a big fan of their HDMI cords and switchers. Not sure how they do it so cheap, but I am glad they do! My Beresford is sounding better every day. I am now listening to my headphone system more than my speaker system. I never thought that would happen.

I ended up in cans by default. Live in a condo where speakers are out of the question, so never really had a choice. But canned is oh so sweet, and when it's good, it's just you and the music as it was meant to be. Can't imagine fiddling with heavy components (that I can't afford) and having all the environmental noise in the mix. HPs are so much more elegant. And pure.

 

[penguindude]

No problem. This is sort of one of those good cheap cables that only forum members know, such as the volex power cords.

 

[Herandu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by uofmtiger /img/forum/go_quote.gif My Beresford is sounding better every day. I am now listening to my headphone system more than my speaker system. I never thought that would happen.

That's the thing about the headphone amp on the TC-7510. It might get a bit of stick from time to time, but that's when it is compared to a stand alone headphone amp costing as much as the DAC. The speed of the sound is amazing. My HD650 actually sounds far nicer on the TC-7510. the HD650 sounds far too warm on anything else with a headphone socket in my house. The TC-7510 gives it a far more controlled sound that doesn't sound as if someone turned up the reverb on the mixing desk. If you ever listen to the Usher track Simple Things, you can hear his backing vocalists chatting away in the background when you use the headphone amp. I can't quite pick it up so clearly on my speakers though. And there are many other sounds I can pick up via the headphone socket which the rest of my system struggles to resolve. I wish this thing could allow me to use the inbuilt headphone amp as a HP amp for my phono preamp.

 

[feifan]

Nicely put. Says it all!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Herandu /img/forum/go_quote.gif . . . My HD650 actually sounds far nicer on the TC-7510. the HD650 sounds far too warm on anything else with a headphone socket in my house. The TC-7510 gives it a far more controlled sound that doesn't sound as if someone turned up the reverb on the mixing desk. . . .