[mikemalter]

Quote:

I like their idea too.  I and some others had been discussing that very same idea a few years before his came out.  I do think everything will be files though.  Eventually I would think some sort of monthly service subscription with a direct connect?  Still you can avoid all the cost of a transport by getting a primo USB DAC or HDMI DAC eventually (I know PS has this already but to what extent I don't know).  What I'd really like to see is someone like Apple or computer based company to come up with a DAC solution that is not only high end but because of their technology/production....inexpensive too offering the masses a great sound.
 
BTW-the 22 is sounding better every day!  I'm just letting it run about 6 hours at a time.
 
Lately I've been looking at all the MFSL, DCC, and Japanese mini disks I own and wondering why I don't just burn them, back them up and sell them?  Don't know.  My fear is I lose all my files and backup but what are the chances?

PS Audio's DAC has a physical HDMI in that is intended to connect to their transport.  It is not the HDMI standard, but a different one that uses the a physical HDMI cable.
 
Glad to hear the 22 is coming along well.  I am really happy with mine.
 
I'll never sell off my CD's.  If something were to happen to my music collection it would all go up in smoke and I don't want to loose anything.  It happened to me once before.
 

 

[khollister]

Not sure -  haven't received any email back from Jack after the order was placed and paid for. I'll drop him a note tomorrow if I haven't heard. What's the normal procedure?
 
Quote:

Quote:

Soon to be Woo owner here - just ordered a WA2 for my HD600's after a LOT of reading and a few emails back and forth with Jack. A little nervous about tube availability & cost, but I'm looking forward to a big step up from my HR-2. Going to be added to a dedicated Mac Mini music server (with Pure Music software), Apogee Duet firewire DAC and Cardas cable. Silver, of course to match the Apple stuff. The Mini is headless and I run it with an iPad over WiFi.
 
Keith

Welcome to the club Keith. When can you expect delivery?

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

Quote:

 Going to be added to a dedicated Mac Mini music server (with Pure Music software), Apogee Duet firewire DAC and Cardas cable. Silver, of course to match the Apple stuff. The Mini is headless and I run it with an iPad over WiFi.
 
Keith

This sounds like what I would like to do with my setup; Can you give some details on how your Mac Mini server is set up, and how the iPad controls it?  Are you using iTunes?  I'm not familiar with the Pure Music software.  
 
I am interested in using a Mac Mini to store my iTunes library, and outputting it to a DacMagic and on to my WA6SE.  I do not want to add a monitor to the Mini, and have been wondering if an iPad could be used somehow as a wireless monitor for the Mini.  

 

[khollister]

The short form is I use iTunes as the "librarian" for the music. Pure Music is an iTunes plugin that advertises (and provides in my listening tests) better fidelity playback than iTunes offers. I have the Mini setup bare bones with everything not essential shutdown. I installed a SSD for the OS & SW and use an external bus-powered 2.5" 500GB drive to store the music (iTunes library). There is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that a lot of this makes an audible difference in the sound (I have confirmed much of it myself).
 
For basic playback, I use the Apple Remote iPad app which acts as a very nice remote control for any iTunes library across the network. For more intensive stuff, I use Jump (one of many VNC clients for the iPad) to run a remote desktop on the Mini.
 
Quote:

Quote:

 Going to be added to a dedicated Mac Mini music server (with Pure Music software), Apogee Duet firewire DAC and Cardas cable. Silver, of course to match the Apple stuff. The Mini is headless and I run it with an iPad over WiFi.
 
Keith

This sounds like what I would like to do with my setup; Can you give some details on how your Mac Mini server is set up, and how the iPad controls it?  Are you using iTunes?  I'm not familiar with the Pure Music software.  
 
I am interested in using a Mac Mini to store my iTunes library, and outputting it to a DacMagic and on to my WA6SE.  I do not want to add a monitor to the Mini, and have been wondering if an iPad could be used somehow as a wireless monitor for the Mini.  

 

[jerico]

I have a very similar setup, Khollister - headless Mac Mini with iTunes/Pure Music, controlled with an iPad (iTeleport VNC and Remote app). I store my music on a NAS though, accessed via PowerLine Ethernet adapters.

I find Pure Music's memory playback mode to be essential. It tkes some time to pre-load each track but after that, no skipping or network congestion issues in playback. Maybe it improves jitter - who knows. Sounds great though!

Separately:

I bit the bullet and rolled my tube upgrades (from Woo) into my WA22 - I lasted 3 days!

Sounds beautiful - tonight is an Eno night!

 

[Red Jacket Mike]

     Quote:

The short form is I use iTunes as the "librarian" for the music. Pure Music is an iTunes plugin that advertises (and provides in my listening tests) better fidelity playback than iTunes offers. I have the Mini setup bare bones with everything not essential shutdown. I installed a SSD for the OS & SW and use an external bus-powered 2.5" 500GB drive to store the music (iTunes library). There is quite a bit of anecdotal evidence that a lot of this makes an audible difference in the sound (I have confirmed much of it myself).
 
For basic playback, I use the Apple Remote iPad app which acts as a very nice remote control for any iTunes library across the network. For more intensive stuff, I use Jump (one of many VNC clients for the iPad) to run a remote desktop on the Mini.

Thanks for the info; I have several Macs which are used in my home-based business, but this is the most compelling reason for me to get a Mini and iPad.  I've been working on switching over to a computer based setup to get my music into the Woo, but did not want to have a monitor and keyboard next to my recliner.  The idea of having the music library on the Mac Mini, which will be wired to the DacMagic/WA6SE, and controlling it wirelessly from the iPad while listening is very appealing.

 

[khollister]

Just heard from Jack - only 2 Weeks until the WA2 is ready!

 

[El_Doug]

congrats!  just enough time to stockpile some tubes  
 
Quote:

/img/forum/go_quote.gif

Just heard from Jack - only 2 Weeks until the WA2 is ready!

 

[khollister]

Yeah, but I have been rather discouraged in my search for power tubes - not much seems to be available. I have found several RCA 6AS7G's, but nothing in matched pairs. Options seem to be good for 6DJ8/6922's. The Sylvania 7236's Jack is selling may be as good as it gets. This is kind of freaking me out thinking I won't be able to keep this thing going in a few years.
 
Quote:

congrats!  just enough time to stockpile some tubes  
 
Quote:

/img/forum/go_quote.gif

Just heard from Jack - only 2 Weeks until the WA2 is ready!

 

 

[WindyCityCy]

What format are you storing your music in?  Can you play back 24/96 or higher fidelity?  Thanks.

 
Quote:

I have a very similar setup, Khollister - headless Mac Mini with iTunes/Pure Music, controlled with an iPad (iTeleport VNC and Remote app). I store my music on a NAS though, accessed via PowerLine Ethernet adapters.

I find Pure Music's memory playback mode to be essential. It tkes some time to pre-load each track but after that, no skipping or network congestion issues in playback. Maybe it improves jitter - who knows. Sounds great though!

Separately:

I bit the bullet and rolled my tube upgrades (from Woo) into my WA22 - I lasted 3 days!

Sounds beautiful - tonight is an Eno night!

 

[khollister]

I am storing it in Apple Lossless, however I am planning on uncompressing it back to AIFF on the Mini. I have convinced myself there is a very slight sonic advantage to playing it uncompressed (don't ask me to explain it scientifically). I have tested with ripping it to ALAC versus AIFF with XLD, and I cannot hear any difference whether it is ripped to AIFF or AIFF expanded from the ALAC (or presumably FLAC). It appears to have something to do with the computer decompressing it on the fly during playback.
 
The Duet goes up to 24/96. Not familiar with the DacMagic that Jerico uses. The software on the Mac side isn't limited - it is set by the DAC you use. The forum at computeraudiophile.com is into the computer side of this stuff just as deep as we are into the amp/headphone side here. The Computer Audio subforum here is much more casual/midfi than over there.
 
I am in the final process of ripping the last couple hundred CD's of my collection (I have been at it for a couple years) and sold my Rega Planet CDP last year. I am getting rid of all of the CD's - everything is in the computers and can be served up to the Apple TV 2 in the home theater rig or sent to the dedicated headphone rig. I have extensive backup strategies (including offsite storage) and have a complete library copy on my Mac Pro as well as on the dedicated Mini. The Mac Pro library is what I stream to the home theater rig.
 
Quote:

What format are you storing your music in?  Can you play back 24/96 or higher fidelity?  Thanks.

 
 

 

[grokit]

If there's a flatscreen TV or projector in the room you could always run a cable from the Mini to the VGA or HDMI input with the right cable/adapter.
 
Khollester, check into the TS 5998 and equivalents; in my WA22 anyways they are interchangeable with the 7236 and sound nicer to my ears. Also there are plenty of them :^)

 

[jerico]

My files are all Apple Lossless (some converted from FLAC, like stuff from LINN or HD Tracks). I can play up to 24/192 via USB, although the pre-load times for Pure Music can drag on a bit with those file sizes. That doesn't bother me though.

I have a W4S DAC2.

 

[OutdoorXplorer]

I disposed all my previous 6DE7 & 6EW7 tubes couple of months back with regrets as I was exploring the 6SN7 option on my WA6SEM. The idea of using various 6SN7 tubes via adapter was dropped almost immediately and rolled back to the stock GE 6EW7 supplied by Jack. I just received a pair of wonderful Sylvania NOS Fat Bottled 6EW7 from eBay and I am happy again.

 

[sillysally]

Quote:

I disposed all my previous 6DE7 & 6EW7 tubes couple of months back with regrets as I was exploring the 6SN7 option on my WA6SEM. The idea of using various 6SN7 tubes via adapter was dropped almost immediately and rolled back to the stock GE 6EW7 supplied by Jack. I just received a pair of wonderful Sylvania NOS Fat Bottled 6EW7 from eBay and I am happy again.

 
Now you know why I said the 6SN7 would never be used in my WA6SE along with any adapter. Same goes for my WA5LE, the adapter that is.

 
Glad to hear it is all working out for you.