[bosiemoncrieff]

Just had the flu for a week, and suffered through it to see the Schumann piano concerto Friday night at the symphony.

It turns out I'm a Schumann piano concerto snob (shocker) and there's nothing I hate more than when it gets too slow — almost invariably, the slowness can't escape sentimentality. The finale especially needs a muscular fleetness to really come off. The rest was viennese "show pieces" that got more humorous as the evening wore on - with silly percussion that sounded like birds and was reminiscent of circuses, with multicolored umbrellas, and finally with a percussionist serving champagne to the concertmaster, taking her seat, and reading the paper - all while throwing a lakers jersey on the ground and holding up a warriors shirt.

The ballet trio on Saturday was interesting. The Balanchine was technically excellent but emotionally vacant. The tutus were excessive, and I would have preferred to hear the Mozart divertimento 15 without accompaniment. Second act, set to Beethoven's Appassionata, was slow to get started and weird with all three couples but better when it got down to two dancers. The third was set to Hurry Up We're Dreaming, the French electronic pop album, and though I would probably not ever have listened to the music otherwise, the dancers in their sneakers and street clothes were wonderful. Justin Peck may be the next ballet master in chief in New York - and deserve it.

 

[rlow]

Hi Mike (@Baldr), since the new CD transport is intended to ideally use the new Unison USB on the Schiit DACs, this is going to tie up the only USB input on the DAC.

Are you planning to add a USB input on the CD transport as well that can be switched in/out (ideally via the remote) so that folks can continue to use their PC/Mac/streamer’s USB output without having to swap cables on the back of the DAC?

 

[bosiemoncrieff]

When I read that, I assumed the transport would be the digital hub. Gadget built in, toggle on and off. Whether it's the sexy USB out, the proprietary BWD out, or AES/EBU out (or all three).

To really be a do-all, though, it would as you say need to be able to take computer input—and, as many folks like their TVs, optical input. And, since some high-end oppo blu-ray players have coax out, it could probably do with a coax in as well.

If people want a stripped down CD transport, that already exists. The question is how much higher would checking all these boxes would push the price. Like the iPad and the Apple Watch, this product is attempting to create a category. The single-use boxes fit in a clearly-defined market. This is an unknown.

You can't build it into the DACs because they don't have holes on the front. You can't build it into the amps because it's digital. You can't make a card for Jotunheim because, again, no holes for the toggle. I guess you could have the switch on the back above the GadgetDAC's USB in—but the ergonomics there are terrible, and you may confuse power and tuning. You also get into space requirements, and the CPU requires some degree of power to work. It could probably fit in Yggdrasil, perhaps even Gungnir, but not Bifrost Multibit, and certainly not Modi.

Ultimately, you need a separate box, but Wyrd and Eitr show that people are not super jazzed about extra boxes. I like Eitr, sure, but my ears aren't so picky that I could tell the "eaten" sound blindly.

It's a hard problem, and rightly puzzled over. I don't believe there are easy solutions, but the "digital cthulu" is my best attempt at squaring the circle.

 

[Ableza]

Then we'd have nothing to talk about, and the thread would consist only of cat gifs.

Those are easy to ignore.

 

[Ableza]

When I read that, I assumed the transport would be the digital hub. Gadget built in, toggle on and off. Whether it's the sexy USB out, the proprietary BWD out, or AES/EBU out (or all three).

To really be a do-all, though, it would as you say need to be able to take computer input—and, as many folks like their TVs, optical input. And, since some high-end oppo blu-ray players have coax out, it could probably do with a coax in as well.

If people want a stripped down CD transport, that already exists. The question is how much higher would checking all these boxes would push the price. Like the iPad and the Apple Watch, this product is attempting to create a category. The single-use boxes fit in a clearly-defined market. This is an unknown.

You can't build it into the DACs because they don't have holes on the front. You can't build it into the amps because it's digital. You can't make a card for Jotunheim because, again, no holes for the toggle. I guess you could have the switch on the back above the GadgetDAC's USB in—but the ergonomics there are terrible, and you may confuse power and tuning. You also get into space requirements, and the CPU requires some degree of power to work. It could probably fit in Yggdrasil, perhaps even Gungnir, but not Bifrost Multibit, and certainly not Modi.

Ultimately, you need a separate box, but Wyrd and Eitr show that people are not super jazzed about extra boxes. I like Eitr, sure, but my ears aren't so picky that I could tell the "eaten" sound blindly.

It's a hard problem, and rightly puzzled over. I don't believe there are easy solutions, but the "digital cthulu" is my best attempt at squaring the circle.

I hope the transport is just a transport. If Schiit wants to create a "do all" product, I hope it's in the form of a digital preamp.

 

[ScottFree]

Then we'd have nothing to talk about, and the thread would consist only of cat gifs.

 

[wink]

Then we'd have nothing to talk about, and the thread would consist only of cat gifs.

Those are easy to ignore.

.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

I hope the transport is just a transport. If Schiit wants to create a "do all" product, I hope it's in the form of a digital preamp.

A digital preamp?! I need to hit the books again (purpose, target audience) to understand it. My Chromebook (digital source for my 'stack) won't smoothly stream with my desktop (running Windows' 64-bit Universal Media Server). I might have to abandon it and resume using the stripped-down DLNA media server hardwired on my Netgear Blackhawk (WiFi, router box).

Schiit, I sincerely hope you can offer a transport/source/Pi/5GHz-radio/doohicky, by 2020.

 

[Ableza]

A digital preamp?! I need to hit the books again (purpose, target audience) to understand it. My Chromebook (digital source for my 'stack) won't smoothly stream with my desktop (running Windows' 64-bit Universal Media Server). I might have to abandon it and resume using the stripped-down DLNA media server hardwired on my Netgear Blackhawk (WiFi, router box).

Or get a real music streamer.

 

[Pietro Cozzi Tinin]

Or get a real music streamer.

A logical solution many here do not think of.

 

[Ableza]

A logical solution many here do not think of.

Too many people want audio to be the "Swiss Army Knife" approach: one device does everything. The problem with that approach is there are inevitable compromises and trade-offs that means it might "do" everything but it does not necessarily mean it does them well. I point to the average "receiver" as an example.

Decide what function you need and get a device to accomplish that task. One box, one function. It usually leads to the best result, IMO.

 

[Jones Bob]

Damn, looks like my collection of vintage Quad 8-Track cassettes won’t be supported.

 

[ScubaMan2017]

Or get a real music streamer.

I know. I know. You also gave the thread (and me) an excellent option... that should work 'right out of the box'. I was hoping to give Schiit my business. Might be unrealistic. Pity.

{edit - had to figure out which one you suggested I check out}

 

[HumanFly]

Are you using wireless to stream your music. Sometimes it`s as easy as just using a wired connection to fix the drops.
(Do Chromebooks still have a port for wired internet connections? They might be to thin.)

 

[JoeWhip]

Love the idea of a transport. I would also like to have my Yggy2 be able to accept DXD. There are some nice DXD titles out there. It would be nice to be able to light up that unused light on the front of the Yggy.