[2359glenn]

 
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.

 


Quote:

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


 

The balanced signal ends at the output transformer. The output of the 22 is single ended but in a 1/4" jack you have a common ground
and with the XLR each right and left phone has a dedicated ground so the possibility of cross talk is less but it is not balanced.  
 
 

 

[mikemalter]

 
Quote:

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?

John, thanks a lot for the Linn link.  I have a queue of media streaming devices I'm working through, and will add this one to the list, it sure looks high-end, but after all it is Linn.  I dusted off my 3 year old Roku, and streamed digital music still has that digital glare with it.  I ordered a Squeezebox Touch last night and we'll see how that goes.
 
The GEC tuces that Glenn tested are working our very well.  They turned out to be a perfect matched pair, even across channels!  Then with the extra tubes I bought from you I have a closely matched pair as backup.  I really like the GEC as I find it pairs exceptionally well with the TS BGRP and the EML.  For my ears, the HD800 mates well with my tube set as it is very revealing with hefty bass and a certian delicateness that allows me to get into the nuances of the music.
 
I'll post my reactions to the Squeezebox.

 
 

 

[fatcat28037]

It has always been my understanding the WA22 XLR outputs are balanced. It's described on the Woo website as a fully balanced amp.
Doesn't a seperate left & right ground at the o/p make it balanced? 
Quote:

The balanced signal ends at the output transformer. The output of the 22 is single ended but in a 1/4" jack you have a common ground
and with the XLR each right and left phone has a dedicated ground so the possibility of cross talk is less but it is not balanced.  
 
 

 

 

[Golfnutz]

 
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.

 
Skylab, congrats on your Oppo purchase. Good to hear you're very happy with it too. Initially mine sounded a bit bright out of the box. After about a week of continuous playing, it seems to have broken in nicely.  I'd be curious to see what your take on it is with balanced vs. unbalanced - whether or not you hear much difference.
 

 

[Golfnutz]

Received this from Jack at Woo Audio - [size=small] Please also look for our new DAC announcement in a few weeks. It will be the next new product.[/size]

 

[Wedge]

Yeah I am really interested in seeing Jack's DAC.

 

[Golfnutz]

I hope that's all your going to look at

 

[Icenine2]

Just a head's up.  Alex Cavalli will start taking orders Monday for the Liquid Fire.  http://www.cavalliaudio.com/lf.php
 
Nice looking for sure.  Their were some reports out of CanJam that said it paired really well w/the LCD.  Man that would be a nice second rig w/the WA22 I have!

 

[shipsupt]

 

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.

 
 

It certainly seems that most of these guys want to stuff a DAC in these devices, which means many of us pay for it with no intention of using it. It kind of leads one back to using a computer to set up a simple music server since what we are after is getting bit perfect output to our DAC of choice, right?

 

[Skylab]

 

 
Skylab, congrats on your Oppo purchase. Good to hear you're very happy with it too. Initially mine sounded a bit bright out of the box. After about a week of continuous playing, it seems to have broken in nicely.  I'd be curious to see what your take on it is with balanced vs. unbalanced - whether or not you hear much difference.
 

Unfortunately, for the moment, it is too logistically challenging to run balanced interconnects from the Oppo to my Cary preamp, which is a pity, since I have an open balanced input on the Cary. But the wiring task to get from the Oppo to the Cary with XLR ends is just not gonna happen, sadly. The curse of having my gear in build-in cabinets.

 

[Clayton SF]

Quote:

It certainly seems that most of these guys want to stuff a DAC in these devices, which means many of us pay for it with no intention of using it. It kind of leads one back to using a computer to set up a simple music server since what we are after is getting bit perfect output to our DAC of choice, right?
 

But one never really knows if the integrated DAC may we worth the price of the whole and someone could end up with a very good DAC as part of the package--subjectively speaking of course. After all, the Leben CS300XS is sold as an integrated amp and we know how popular it is as a headphone amp.
 

 

[Silent One]

Quote:

But one never really knows if the integrated DAC may we worth the price of the whole and someone could end up with a very good DAC as part of the package--subjectively speaking of course. After all, the Leben CS300XS is sold as an integrated amp and we know how popular it is as a headphone amp.
 

Oppo BDP-95 revisited.
 
For me, the BDP-95 would be a very smart buy. At once, it would solve a current dilemma and one that's looming. I'm in the market for a better DAC and my primary computer (17" Notebook) is four years plus and could use more memory, new OS and internal drive. Computers age in dog years, and though it performs (and has) flawlessly I'd rather not reinvest; refurbish. 
 
The BDP-95 would allow me to commandeer my current dedicated music server (2010 Mac mini; 8GB Ram; SSD; 4 external HDD's) for use as my primary computer. And remove the current DAC from service. All for One Grand... voila! 
 

 

[dminches]

MM, there are 2 options I would currently recommend if you are going to go the Squeezebox route.  Option 1 is to buy a transporter, their original signature player, and have it modded by Dan Wright at Modwright.  This will play anything up to 24/96 and can also serve as a DAC.  The mod is a tube mode which adds 2 6SN7-family tube drivers and a 5U4G rectifier.  It is a great sounding machine.  Your other option is to get a Touch and buy a DAC to go with it.  If you need 24/192 capabilities then I would go this route.

 

[mikemalter]

 
Quote:

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.

 
 

It certainly seems that most of these guys want to stuff a DAC in these devices, which means many of us pay for it with no intention of using it. It kind of leads one back to using a computer to set up a simple music server since what we are after is getting bit perfect output to our DAC of choice, right?
 

I know.  I want something that just streams audio from my network, nothing else.  I ordered a Logitech Touch yesterday.  We'll see what the quality is there.  Hopefully it will work as I just don't want to have to spend over 6K for a Linn transport.  I think what I might do next if the Logitech is not equavelent to my iPod/i170/MonarchyDIP stack, is to continue to get hi rez music and then convert it to 16/41 (or 48 if the iPod will play it), and then wait for either a next generation iPod or a firmware upgrade to support higher resolution, or a hardware vendor who can deliver a streamer seperate that does not cost an arm or a leg.
 
It may be that it takes 6k now to buy a piece of hardware that can stream over a network without glare or harshness because there is so little demand and possibly research and development costs were so high that companies marketing this equipment have to charge a lot to recoup costs.  But, as the digital server market continues to grow, my hope is that this technology will filter into the lower price point range.
 
Quote:

Quote:

 

 
Skylab, congrats on your Oppo purchase. Good to hear you're very happy with it too. Initially mine sounded a bit bright out of the box. After about a week of continuous playing, it seems to have broken in nicely.  I'd be curious to see what your take on it is with balanced vs. unbalanced - whether or not you hear much difference.
 

Unfortunately, for the moment, it is too logistically challenging to run balanced interconnects from the Oppo to my Cary preamp, which is a pity, since I have an open balanced input on the Cary. But the wiring task to get from the Oppo to the Cary with XLR ends is just not gonna happen, sadly. The curse of having my gear in build-in cabinets.

I love the Cary sound.  I reviewed their equipment when I was writing hardware reviews for Positive Feedback Online.  What model do you have?  Too bad you can't go balanced across the board.
 
 


Quote:

But one never really knows if the integrated DAC may we worth the price of the whole and someone could end up with a very good DAC as part of the package--subjectively speaking of course. After all, the Leben CS300XS is sold as an integrated amp and we know how popular it is as a headphone amp.
 

I prefer seperates.  If you can just get a transport then you have more control over how your gear ultimately sounds.
 
 
 
Quote:

MM, there are 2 options I would currently recommend if you are going to go the Squeezebox route.  Option 1 is to buy a transporter, their original signature player, and have it modded by Dan Wright at Modwright.  This will play anything up to 24/96 and can also serve as a DAC.  The mod is a tube mode which adds 2 6SN7-family tube drivers and a 5U4G rectifier.  It is a great sounding machine.  Your other option is to get a Touch and buy a DAC to go with it.  If you need 24/192 capabilities then I would go this route.

Good points.  I've opened door number two as I already have a DAC I really like.  I want to keep my components separate so I can control the sound more.  I have a piece of gear I put before my DAC and play everything digital through it, and that is the Monarchy DIP.  It totally cleans up harsh bright sound, and if the media streamer is in the same piece of gear as the DAC, I can't use the DIP.  Are you sure the Touch can go 192/24?  I thought the max was 96/24?  I heard a rumor that the Touch would be supporting the higher resolutions, and maybe they are now.
 
 

 

[crazyscarecrow]

Quote:

 

John, thanks a lot for the Linn link.  I have a queue of media streaming devices I'm working through, and will add this one to the list, it sure looks high-end, but after all it is Linn.  I dusted off my 3 year old Roku, and streamed digital music still has that digital glare with it.  I ordered a Squeezebox Touch last night and we'll see how that goes.
 
The GEC tuces that Glenn tested are working our very well.  They turned out to be a perfect matched pair, even across channels!  Then with the extra tubes I bought from you I have a closely matched pair as backup.  I really like the GEC as I find it pairs exceptionally well with the TS BGRP and the EML.  For my ears, the HD800 mates well with my tube set as it is very revealing with hefty bass and a certian delicateness that allows me to get into the nuances of the music.
 
I'll post my reactions to the Squeezebox.

 
 

Thanks Mike---looking forward to hearing what you think of the touch.  I am currently planning on a iPod through an ALO solo or the USB thumb drive swap (neither are optimum for this setup).  I assume the Touch has a digital out than you can pump directly into your 95?