[Currawong]

Quote:

Originally Posted by goorackerelite /img/forum/go_quote.gif music is more nourishing than sleep

Only music from God.

 

[mbd2884]

Drosera and others interested. I found a great website for DIY tools!

Curious Inventor - HowTo Guides, Tools, Parts and Kits for DIY'ers - Make your own technology.

I'll be buying the helping hands which has two mini clamps, to hold wires together and the junior clamp to hold things like plugs, and other larger objects. Browsing through could easily start adding cart for too many things. But seems definitely for the hobby, beginner person, not hardcore. Supplies everything but the the DIY project itself.

Sweet!

 

[Joeoboe]

Quote:

Originally Posted by senn_liu /img/forum/go_quote.gif joeoboe, any idea how the optical output from your western digital media player compares with usb output from a computer through the compass? deciding between getting the media player or a cheap laptop myself.

I have been VERY happy with the Western Digital's sound. It's interface is simple and works well... although it will never approach the flexibility of MediaMonkey or even Foobar ( both of which I like quite a bit).
The advantages I see for the Western Digital Media player are:
1. COMPLETELY silent... no fans at all.
2. Plays every file I can throw at it... including Hi rez (96/24) FLAC.
3. It only costs $100USD.
4. Since it uses up to 2 external USB hard drives, it is flexible AND it encourages you to keep you music library backed up... so if you main computer with all your stuff goes south, you still have all your ripped music files sitting on another hard drive.

Also, in the past I have used USB DACs and found them limited to 16 bit 48Hz. My understanding was this was a limitation of the PCM 2xxx series of chips or perhaps Windows itself... although I know certain devices like the Benchmark use custom programmed chips that can get higher rez from USB... so I think the limitation is in the chipset.

The Western digital Media Player is fine playing hi rez files.

A few pages back, there was talk about a "buffered cd player" being the ideal platform since you eliminate all the operating system garbage and the noisy computer environment ( both audible and electrical noise). I was thinking at that time, "Gee... the Western Digital Media Player IS that device pretty much... but it eliminates the OTHER source of jitter... the cd drive!"

Of course, there are plenty of reasons to go with a computer as a source ( flexibility and powerful processing being 2 that come to mind) and arguments can be made for every single input source, be it USB, Coax, Optical... and I am sure there are BNC proponents out there scoffing at the rest of us!
I can say that I have been VERY pleased with the results I have gotten with the Western Digital player used into the optical inputs of the Compass.

 

[sandchak]

WOW! kingwa seems to be auctioning his award winning design amp on his website - just checked.. wonder whats the specs or whats it really... well those who didnt know what he looked like.. surprise surprise.. he is quite a young man !!..

 

[csroc]

Quote:

Originally Posted by sandchak /img/forum/go_quote.gif WOW! kingwa seems to be auctioning his award winning design amp on his website - just checked.. wonder whats the specs or whats it really... well those who didnt know what he looked like.. surprise surprise.. he is quite a young man !!..

Where on the site is that? Can you share a link?

edit: nevermind I found it http://bbs.audio-gd.com/dispbbs.asp?...&page=1&star=1

 

[sandchak]

EDIT.. post deleted as Csroc already posted the direct link..

Great write up on the Compass, Curra !!

I am sure we wont be seeing Peete's continuation of review tomorrow as he will be sleeping !!.. btw, if you can let me know the make of your alarm - nothing seems to wake me up if I dont have at least 8 hours of sleep/day..

 

[Sganzerla]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mbd2884 /img/forum/go_quote.gif Just compare yourself. Foobar2000 .9.6.3 with their ASIO plugin using ASIO4all Drivers. Software volume control all the way up (Still think software volume, What?) Media Monkey 3.06 with Otachan ASIO .67 (dll) using ASIO4all Drivers. Alll volume control is disabled as it should be. I guarantee you will hear both volume difference, and SQ difference on the Compass. When I switch from Foobar to Monkey, I have to turn down the knob on Compass from 9 o clock to 8 o clock. )

MBD, I tried all those software and to me they sound different - there is volume difference between Foobar and Winamp too, but more subtle. I've gone from Winamp to Foobar .9, then MediaMonkey, then Foobar .8 and come back to Winamp and Asio .67.

Theoretically they should sound the same but it is not what is happening here with my ears (or my mind!).

If someone ask, looks like there is a little more bass with Asio .67 compared to .70 (with Winamp). This is weird.

 

[mbd2884]

Is it possible to have my link in the OP changed to, Compass info for complete Newbs. As I have detailed a lot of information that people new to audio may not know. Those of us who don't have an engineering background.

 

[Joeoboe]

For those who are interested, I have verified that on Windows 2000, XP and Vista, the act of turning on your Compass connected by USB, automatically makes it your default audio device in Windows Media Player. I am not certain if you can set Foobar or MediaMonkey to switch automatically... Output Device= Primary Sound Driver SHOULD accomplish it, but I did not try it.
Turning off the Compass restores the "normal" settings ( like your sound card ). You might have to stop playback to switch... but on one of my XP rigs, it switches with no delay. Vista gives you an error if you try to switch DURING playback... but as soon as you resume play, it is set to the correct device ( Compass if it is on... otherwise your normal default sound card)
So... for those who use their regular computer speaker setup and want to know how to switch back and forth to the Compass... it pretty much does it by itself by turning the Compass on and off!

 

[Joeoboe]

You know... for some reason this site double posts stuff a lot! I try NOT to... but it seems if I post a message... it posts it twice!

 

[haloxt]

I tried it, it works if you set compass as default, then turn it off, it will resort to the previous default choice.

The browser resends it again if it takes too long, only happened to me once though

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeoboe /img/forum/go_quote.gif For those who are interested, I have verified that on Windows 2000, XP and Vista, the act of turning on your Compass connected by USB, automatically makes it your default audio device in Windows Media Player. I am not certain if you can set Foobar or MediaMonkey to switch automatically... Output Device= Primary Sound Driver SHOULD accomplish it, but I did not try it.

I agree with you Joe, this was a problem I was facing earlier with XP loaded in my PC, but then I went to bios and disabled the motherboard sound device, and set the output devise in foobar as asio, that sorted the entire issue.. but then with it went all the windows sound (which actually I dont need..)..

 

[mbd2884]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeoboe /img/forum/go_quote.gif For those who are interested, I have verified that on Windows 2000, XP and Vista, the act of turning on your Compass connected by USB, automatically makes it your default audio device in Windows Media Player. I am not certain if you can set Foobar or MediaMonkey to switch automatically... Output Device= Primary Sound Driver SHOULD accomplish it, but I did not try it. Turning off the Compass restores the "normal" settings ( like your sound card ). You might have to stop playback to switch... but on one of my XP rigs, it switches with no delay. Vista gives you an error if you try to switch DURING playback... but as soon as you resume play, it is set to the correct device ( Compass if it is on... otherwise your normal default sound card) So... for those who use their regular computer speaker setup and want to know how to switch back and forth to the Compass... it pretty much does it by itself by turning the Compass on and off!

With Media Monkey, the ASIO output takes over. So as soon as you play music, you it will appear in ASIO in the taskbar, and just check off what you want.

Foobar is annoying, you have to go into preferences, edit, and map the channels. Doesn't take long, but the annoyance factor is high. I can verify Foobar does not do this automatically as I use my laptop at work and use the onboard soundcard there. So I have to remap the channels twice a day, work for soundcard, home for Compass. Media Monkey FTW?

 

[winzzz]

guys...soundwise whats the difference between the OPA earth,moon and sun ? thx

 

[sandchak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by winzzz /img/forum/go_quote.gif guys...soundwise whats the difference between the OPA earth,moon and sun ? thx

I personally found Earth to be more neutral, and go well with whatever genres of music I heard, moon gave me a slightly laid back reproduction, soft and maybe more musical, I found this excel in specially vocals with a slightly bigger sound stage than earth. Sun V2 with evox caps sounded more lively, more dynamic and heavy in both bass and treble..
But please note that these were my personal observations, with my listening gear, taste and ears.. it will vary from people to people.. so unless you try yourself, it will be hard to say what will suit your taste most..

PS I said sun v2 with evox caps because thats the standard version, but I have heard that with solen caps the treble can be tamed to an extent..