[mikemalter]

Quote:

 

Yeah I know, the WA22 will never drive the HE-6 properly even with the higher voltage out of the 95's XLRs. I also am not interested in an optical transport as I typically rip a CD into lossless and then store it away. My WA22 has been converted to dual XLR inputs and they are occupied by a balanced DAC and phono stage. I will keep using my speaker amp rig for the HE-6 and K1000:
 

 
Two floors away from my main rig in the attic bedroom: there's a Devilsound v2 cable between the tube buffer stage I just added a to it and the PowerBook, which is running Pure Music/ALAC. ALO-made speaker tap extension to 4-pin XLR to mate with HE-6/KK. It's a balanced SS amp so I could see upgrading to a Havana balanced tube DAC but the Devilsound sounds great in this setup so SE in, balanced out for now. My next "upgrade" will most likely be to re-acquire the HD800 instead.

Grokit, how do you like your Powerbook as a music server?
 
 

 

[Wedge]

I spoke to Jack about the termination, electrically the XLR and 1/4" are the same on the WA-22 the biggest difference is the connector type used.  So if you prefer the sound of the XLR you like those connectors better than the sound out of the 1/4".  I at first thought I heard a big difference but it turns out to be because I used 2 different cables (different conductor count, same conductor type).  When I used the same cable out of either the differences became minimal, and no difference in power.
 
Quote:

I recommend balanced because you are getting double the voltage to the WA22 (1.3 x 2), which is suppose to give you and additional 3db.
 

 

 

[grokit]

Wedge I believe Golfnutz is referring to the additional voltage in to the WA22 and out of the Oppo, attributing the additional db to the Oppo's balanced XLR outputs vs. its SE outputs.
 

 

[Wedge]

You might be right, but I believe the original question was, "...are you running balanced out to LCD-2 or single?", so I was addressing the electrical difference at the various outputs of the WA-22.

 

[grokit]

 
Quote:

Grokit, how do you like your Powerbook as a music server?

Very much! I had a few different G4 Powerbooks and this is the one I never had any problems with and my favorite with the exception of the RAM limitation (1.25 GB for the 12"). Now that it's almost useless for surfing the web it's great that it found new life as a music server. It replaced an iPad that I had for a while and while it was cool (I guess...), it didn't have iTunes and it wasn't a computer. This will control my entire library directly, or control Airtunes, or access another computer's library wirelessly; I can rip CDs and update album art via its DVD drive and wireless capabilities with it if I wanted (I don't), or use it to update an iPod (I do), all with a full keyboard, trackpad, wireless remote, Time Machine auto-backup, built-in optical audio output, USB/Firewire etc. Also there are no gestures required (which to me is a weird combination of shorthand and finger-painting). And after all these years no dead pixels! Did I mention that it works during power outages?

 

[SDMAN]

From a recent Woo purchaser, who could not be happier with said purchase.
 
Well, Im back on long hours again (68 hours last week, 72 this week and easily 80 next), meaning frequent late nite PCB design sessions (Im having one right now). The very reason I bought my Woo WA22 and T1's. The tubes have burned in nicely, the T1's really sound nice with the balanced cable conversion, and tomorrow nite Ill hook up the new balanced CD player (delivered today), which should make for a noticeable improvement everywhere. (Im using a non balanced, nothing special, CD player at the moment that used to be part of my home theatre).
 
Im alone, its quiet (no conversations or phones ringing) and I can turn up the amp, listen to whatever is playing and stare into the screen placing parts and routing traces with NO interruptions. Next stop......midnite. Or perhaps dawn. Time really does fly when youre having fun. Now where did those Frank Zappa CD's go?
 
 

 

[nututubes]

 
Quote:

 

I just realized that the Oppo has a DAC, and I am really looking for an appliance I can attach to my network that can transport digital files via coax to my DAC.  I think that I'm going to look for just the, I don't even know what you call it, a digital media transport like a Roku or a Logitech SqueezeBox.  I'm looking for something high quality.  I actually have a Roku from 3 years ago that I just dusted off and am playing Radio Paradise on it, and I think I am on to something.  I'm looking at the SqueezeBox as it will play iTunes files as well as up to 24/96.  I would rather have something that will do 192/24 and beyond, but I'm not sure if something like that is out there.  Maybe someone here will know.

 
 

Mike, I have a Slim Devices (Logitech) Transporter Network Music Player. I love it (see signiture), but it wont play 192/24 natively, but it will downsample to 96/24. Take a look here for what you need.
http://www.linn.co.uk/digital_stream_players

 
Lately, I have been using TS 7236 or 5998 for power and TS BGRP for drivers, and EML 5U4G mesh for rectifier. I think I have tamed the HD 800s by following to an extent the advice/opinion found on this thread (see feifan); http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/496130/audeze-lcd2-vs-sennheiser-hd800/675#post_7265865
 
John M
 
ps. are the GEC 6as7s that Glenn tested working out?
 
 

 

[crazyscarecrow]

Quote:

 

I love my WA22.  I am running balanced, however there has been some discussion that the type of output to your headphones is not as much of a concern as input in.  I think its universally agreed that balanced in makes a big difference.  Have not heard the Oppo 95, but there are people here who swear by it, and it comes highly recommended by credible people.
 
When did you place your order?
 
Also, there are some really great tube rolling posts here, so after you get your WA22 fired up and settled down, you might want to check those posts out.
 
 

Thanks for the feedback!  I ordered my WA22 about two weeks ago.
 
 

 

[Golfnutz]

Quote:

 

I just realized that the Oppo has a DAC, and I am really looking for an appliance I can attach to my network that can transport digital files via coax to my DAC.  I think that I'm going to look for just the, I don't even know what you call it, a digital media transport like a Roku or a Logitech SqueezeBox.  I'm looking for something high quality.  I actually have a Roku from 3 years ago that I just dusted off and am playing Radio Paradise on it, and I think I am on to something.  I'm looking at the SqueezeBox as it will play iTunes files as well as up to 24/96.  I would rather have something that will do 192/24 and beyond, but I'm not sure if something like that is out there.  Maybe someone here will know.

 
 

Understood.  I'm not there yet.  If you're looking for high quality, I would suggest checking out the Chord QBD76.
 

 

[Golfnutz]

Quote:

From a recent Woo purchaser, who could not be happier with said purchase.
 
Well, Im back on long hours again (68 hours last week, 72 this week and easily 80 next), meaning frequent late nite PCB design sessions (Im having one right now). The very reason I bought my Woo WA22 and T1's. The tubes have burned in nicely, the T1's really sound nice with the balanced cable conversion, and tomorrow nite Ill hook up the new balanced CD player (delivered today), which should make for a noticeable improvement everywhere. (Im using a non balanced, nothing special, CD player at the moment that used to be part of my home theatre).
 
Im alone, its quiet (no conversations or phones ringing) and I can turn up the amp, listen to whatever is playing and stare into the screen placing parts and routing traces with NO interruptions. Next stop......midnite. Or perhaps dawn. Time really does fly when youre having fun. Now where did those Frank Zappa CD's go?
 
 

Which CD player did you order?
 
 

 

[fatcat28037]

I'm a bit confused by what you understood Jack to say. Are you saying the 4 pin XLR o/p in not balanced or that you believe the TSR (1/4") is balanced? Or am I missing your point completely.
Quote:

I spoke to Jack about the termination, electrically the XLR and 1/4" are the same on the WA-22 the biggest difference is the connector type used.  So if you prefer the sound of the XLR you like those connectors better than the sound out of the 1/4".  I at first thought I heard a big difference but it turns out to be because I used 2 different cables (different conductor count, same conductor type).  When I used the same cable out of either the differences became minimal, and no difference in power.
 
 

 

 

[Wedge]

I honestly never bothered to look how it is terminated.  According to Jack, the 1/4" and XLR are technically wired the same.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/456258/wa22-internal-pictures/30#post_7258747

Jack posted this.
 
Quote:

I'm a bit confused by what you understood Jack to say. Are you saying the 4 pin XLR o/p in not balanced or that you believe the TSR (1/4") is balanced? Or am I missing your point completely.
 

 
 

 

[Skylab]

 
Quote:

Not a pest at all.  We should have the right stuff out there to keep everything clear.  Yes, 48 Hz is supported.  I have not tried 48.  How does it compare to 41?  What formats have you used?
 
 

I have imported 96/24 WAV files into iTunes, and then taken those same files and used dBPoweramp to convert them to 48/16, and imported them into iTunes, and then converted both to Apple Lossless, so I would have the full hi-res versions for future use, as well as the 48/16 ones for the iPod/iPad.  I cannot swear they would sound better than they would at 44.1/16, but there are reasons to assume they would - one of the biggest is that it easier mathematically to convert from 96 to 48 than from 96 to 44.1. 
 
BTW, add me to the list of very happy Oppo BDP-95 owners.  Nice piece of kit, that.

 

[fatcat28037]

So both o/ps recieve the same amplified signal but the XLR o/p is balanced, with a left & right common and the TSR is unbalanced with a single common.
Quote:

I honestly never bothered to look how it is terminated.  According to Jack, the 1/4" and XLR are technically wired the same.
 
http://www.head-fi.org/forum/thread/456258/wa22-internal-pictures/30#post_7258747
 
Jack posted this.
 

 
 

 

 

[mikemalter]

Quote:

I have imported 96/24 WAV files into iTunes, and then taken those same files and used dBPoweramp to convert them to 48/16, and imported them into iTunes, and then converted both to Apple Lossless, so I would have the full hi-res versions for future use, as well as the 48/16 ones for the iPod/iPad.  I cannot swear they would sound better than they would at 44.1/16, but there are reasons to assume they would - one of the biggest is that it easier mathematically to convert from 96 to 48 than from 96 to 44.1. 
 
BTW, add me to the list of very happy Oppo BDP-95 owners.  Nice piece of kit, that.

Sky,  I did the same thing you did, although I don't remember the tool I used - is was one of those trial periods for paid software.  I found out the hard way that 96/24 music will not play in an iPod after importing it.  Then I converted the the 96/24 music to 44/16 apple lossless and after importing into iTunes it would play on my iPod.  Comparing the two albums, one off of the iPod and the other from the PWD/bridge, except for digital glare, there was more of a sense of space when I played it on the PWD, but only by a touch.  The biggest difference was between regular music and hi-rez music played digitally from my iPod.  That sense of space and extra detail was amply present when compared to "regular" music.  So, until the iPod will support 96/24, converting to Apple Lossless 44-48/16 is an alternative, albiet labor intensive.
 
It may actually come to that for me as I am finding that these network streaming devices tend to the harsh side.  I just broke out my old Roku and am streaming internet radio and music from my music server.  I find the level of detail stunning, but, there is the glare and harshness issue.  I just ordered a Logitech Squeezebox which was compared to the Roku in a Stereophile review, and the author found that the Squeezebox was not as harsh as the Roku, so I am keeping my fingers crossed.
 
Glad to hear you like the Oppo.  If the Logitech does not work out, that is next on my list.