I've been obsessing and testing some more and I think I am just about through.
While I liked the S801/Elac combo, I took a step up.
I now have a Schiit Ragnarock 2, Revel Concerta 2M16 bookshelf speakers, the same Audience Ohno cables and have added a Denefrip Ares II DAC to my Oppo transport. I have SML 400 Dac coming on a 30 day audition and may even try the Schiit Bifrost. All in the $700 range. The Oppo on it's own was so good, it took some doing to best it.
Had an interesting time hooking the audio out from the Oppo to my amp and the Oppo Digital out through the Ares into a different input on the amp permitting instant comparisons. So far an Ohno Coax sounds quite good. I also have a Nordost Blue Heaven to try. One anomaly took place with a half meter D 60 Kimber digital. After a while of working well and sounding capable, the Dac quit processing until I removed the cable and replaced it with a full meter Audience.
Does it sound reasonable that a DAC wants to look at a longer cable of it quits working? With this cable I did have trouble getting the filters to work. I don't know. It was weird. At one point the Audience Ohno coax sounded sub par and now is very good, Lots of detail, sound stage, imaging etc. Might just have been me?
While I liked the S801/Elac combo, I took a step up.
I now have a Schiit Ragnarock 2, Revel Concerta 2M16 bookshelf speakers, the same Audience Ohno cables and have added a Denefrip Ares II DAC to my Oppo transport. I have SML 400 Dac coming on a 30 day audition and may even try the Schiit Bifrost. All in the $700 range. The Oppo on it's own was so good, it took some doing to best it.
Had an interesting time hooking the audio out from the Oppo to my amp and the Oppo Digital out through the Ares into a different input on the amp permitting instant comparisons. So far an Ohno Coax sounds quite good. I also have a Nordost Blue Heaven to try. One anomaly took place with a half meter D 60 Kimber digital. After a while of working well and sounding capable, the Dac quit processing until I removed the cable and replaced it with a full meter Audience.
Does it sound reasonable that a DAC wants to look at a longer cable of it quits working? With this cable I did have trouble getting the filters to work. I don't know. It was weird. At one point the Audience Ohno coax sounded sub par and now is very good, Lots of detail, sound stage, imaging etc. Might just have been me?