Upgrade to EMM Labs source or buy many small things?

[J-Pak]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Azure $13000 on a piece of audio equipment? How much money do you rake in? I think the money would be better spent on other stuff. Perhaps paying bills, mortgage, etc. If you've got everything paid off already, put it in the bank and save it for more important things in the future (Children's college fund, medical emergencies, parents retirement, etc). Or maybe donate a couple grand to a charity or something? Are you really 23? Were you born into a rich family or something?

...you didn't read the thread did you

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shokunin On the DCC2, one push of a button on the remote and all lights are off even the volume number. Everything is still functional and working, it simply shuts off the entire front display LEDS and volume LCD. Same with the CDSD. Most of the time, that is how I use my DCC2 since I use an another preamp instead of the DCC2's pre-outputs. I have no need for the LEDS or volume indicator.

Hey, Glenn, what's up? Fancy seeing you here

Were you ever able to get your computer-DCC2 to sound great? I forget what you're using to connect your PC to DCC2; was it Lynx with word-clock input from Meitner?

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shokunin On the DCC2, one push of a button on the remote and all lights are off even the volume number. Everything is still functional and working, it simply shuts off the entire front display LEDS and volume LCD. Same with the CDSD. Most of the time, that is how I use my DCC2 since I use an another preamp instead of the DCC2's pre-outputs. I have no need for the LEDS or volume indicator.

This is great! Is there a way to turn off the pre-amp too? Can you unplug it inside?

 

[shokunin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L Hey, Glenn, what's up? Fancy seeing you here Were you ever able to get your computer-DCC2 to sound great? I forget what you're using to connect your PC to DCC2; was it Lynx with word-clock input from Meitner?

Hey Jon,

How're you doing? I'm a lurker here mostly, as noted by my enormous number of posts

. I had a small pc (fanless) using the LynxTwo-B with the AES breakout and Sync In (word clock) BNC cable. I have never been able to get that combo to sound as good as the CDSD itself feeding the DCC2 via the multi-mode fiber cables. Even with the word clock from the DCC2 syncing into the LynxTwo, the sound is a bit dull, micro-details are missing and the bass is much more bloated and has less texture. This was with Foobar, ASIO, even using the latest Lynx firmware and drivers that were posted this month. I may sell off the Lynx and dabble with Steve's Offramp 2.

Glenn

 

[shokunin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 This is great! Is there a way to turn off the pre-amp too? Can you unplug it inside?

I forgot the blue "LOCK" light is still lit even if you turn off all the other LEDs, the lock light obviously is off if the source is off.

The DCC2 has two completely different outputs in the back, one set (balanced and RCA) is for Pre-amp output and another set (XLR and RCA) for line-output. The Line-output supposedly bypasses the preamp section for those who wish to use an external preamp. I have no idea if you can undo the internals, I've never opened up my DCC2.

The preamp section is actually really good in the DCC2. I would and I have used it in my system. You'll save on a pair of interconnects, power cable and isolation tweaks. The only reason why I'm not using it is because I sold my phonostage and got a battery-powered combination preamp/phonostage from darTZeel instead. The dart is a better pre, but for price I'm sure glad that it is..

Glenn

 

[BrianS]

you know you want it patrick...

 

[Jon L]

Quote:

Originally Posted by shokunin Hey Jon, How're you doing? I'm a lurker here mostly, as noted by my enormous number of posts . I had a small pc (fanless) using the LynxTwo-B with the AES breakout and Sync In (word clock) BNC cable. I have never been able to get that combo to sound as good as the CDSD itself feeding the DCC2 via the multi-mode fiber cables. Even with the word clock from the DCC2 syncing into the LynxTwo, the sound is a bit dull, micro-details are missing and the bass is much more bloated and has less texture. This was with Foobar, ASIO, even using the latest Lynx firmware and drivers that were posted this month. I may sell off the Lynx and dabble with Steve's Offramp 2. Glenn

Yeah, my Lynx 2B digital out was badly beat by my plain-old Empirical Freeway (non I2S).

But how the heck is anything suppose to match Meitner's proprietary multi-mode fiber cables, which sends DSD-upsampled signal to the DAC.

Maybe you can have Steve put in one of his upcoming internal USB board in your DCC2

I still wish Meitner would market a simple 2-channel DAC with no preamp, no bells and whistles

 

[shokunin]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jon L Yeah, my Lynx 2B digital out was badly beat by my plain-old Empirical Freeway (non I2S). But how the heck is anything suppose to match Meitner's proprietary multi-mode fiber cables, which sends DSD-upsampled signal to the DAC.

I know it's a lofty goal but, I thought if the clock was synced that it'd should at least sound "good enough". I was wrong. Part of the problem could very well be the cheap breakout cable Lynx uses on the HD15 connector. But at this point, I have little interest in making my own AES, BNC breakout cable just to play "what-if".

I have a battery powered squeezebox breaking in, so hopefully that might be one step in the right direction, a hagtech USB on it's way, and maybe I'll try out Steve's Offramp 2.

Glenn

 

[mulveling]

Get a used DAC and the HD-DVD gear.

 

[Patrick82]

I put the Cary up on Audiogon (and cleared half Terabyte of "stuff" from harddrives) and I was ready to get a cheap EMM Labs DAC6, but then I looked many years into the future and saw that it was the wrong choice. It looks like I have entered a lose-lose situation. Unless I take a huge loan from the bank, but then I saw the future of that as well, didn't look pretty.

Both are a gamble, I don't like to gamble because I always lose.

It seems like I should just quit while I'm ahead and get another Valhalla power cord and cut it to pieces and put it on DAC-1 and cheap HD-DVD player, at least it gives me good sound for movies. I need another power cord if I get DCC2 + CDSD anyway, so I don't really lose. (I don't like muddy bass from DCC2 + computer.)

When I listen to my tweaked Cary 303/300 I can't see how it can sound much better than that. "Reference" quality recorded orchestral music already has much worse layering than digitally mastered music, I bet they didn't use Valhalla cables when they recorded with their grilled microphones

. I stopped listening to "reference" recordings long ago... "Low quality" trance music with the layered bass transients is my new reference. I still need the EMM Labs for that.

I will wait until cash falls from the sky or magically appears on my table, or even better; DCC2 SE + CDSD appears directly on my rack.

Tomorrow I may have changed my mind again though.

I will let "fate" decide.

 

[Patrick82]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Patrick82 Tomorrow I may have changed my mind again though.

Okay, just like I predicted I changed my mind and I'm now planning to get the old DCC2 + CDSD, I will have it sometime next year. Then I will get another choice; Signature upgrade or many small things.

 

[BrianS]

aren't audio decisions fun

 

[Patrick82]

Option #3) Stay a "bang for the buck" guy instead of entering the point of diminishing returns.

I kept obsessing and didn't realize what I already had. I made another A/B-ing test and I was very surprised. Now I know what the combination of different power cords do to the sound, and I found what sound I really like. I just can't live without the Valhalla power cord, impossible. The source doesn't matter, the difference between DAC-1 VS Cary 303/300 is almost as small as Marinco VS Wattgate 330i plug, I almost can't hear it in A/B-ing. It's only about a 4% improvement, Vishnu VS Valhalla was 10% improvement for only the source, for amp it made a much bigger difference. Bang for the buck!

Random source with 750+ kHz upsampling for the vinyl smoothness is all I need. Cary 303/300 has 768 kHz, good enough. I don't hear anything seriously wrong anymore, all I need is a couple more tweaks (Feet under Power Plants) that I know gives a few more % and that's it.

 

[shplorgh]

You're kidding about "bang for the buck" right?

 

[GoRedwings19]

The funny thing about reading patricks posts is that I really do think the emm labs gear would be his thing. Whether it would be worthwhile is a different matter.