PC-Audio vs. High-end CD Player-GAME OVER

Hi David,1st-I do recognize you've assembled & enjoyed some grat systems- you said you'd never go back to spinning discs--"The convenience factor is unbelievable". I'm surprised when you mention 'convenience' as a factor for truly hi end sound. (? those of use who still appreciate records-even old 60's records) Is "cost" going to be the next factor(or is it now the big factor)? I appreciate that "studio quality" sound will(may) -one day- be available over the net(see B&W web)but I believe to fully reproduce it will require a very significant improvement over the way our current mass market computers (or even Benchmark DAC 1-good as it is) are put together- i.e it will require more than a good dac chip.
Have you tried or heard the Spectral SDR 4000 cd player? Your thoughts?

Tpk123-Not to sound overly cliche here, and being a Cosecant owner, take it for what it's worth; but you get what you pay for in this case.

A Wavelength DAC is a tried and true audiophile grade DAC, that is custom designed with a tubed output stage. This is not your run-of-the-mill commodity-based DAC chip product. The USB controller was custom designed by Gordon himself, this takes loads of engineering R&D hours to produce. Also the power supply is custom designed by Gordon with hand-wound transformers (a lost art).

Most importantly, he is a (classically trained) musician all his life, which means all his products are voiced properly, to how a performance should sound.

I know some of his pieces could be a stretch financially, I know I certainly did at the time, but they are worth every penny of their asking price. This coming from a guy with a newborn child, and not alot of disposable income. My Cosecant DAC will have to pried out of my cold dead hands, it sounds that good as a source with all my other equipment. Unless of course I get a nice enough tax return to get a Crimson, with directly heated triodes!

Hi Psacanli,
Cost and convenience are certainly factors. I recently parted out a very decent analog setup, and sold 1000 records, Bcause I NEVER LISTENED TO THEM. As good as it was, I work crazy hours and have 5 kids at home, so settling in for a couple of hours of listening for myself, and occasionally my wife is difficult. Now, all I do is wake up the Mac, pick an album, or a song, and it goes. And it sounds great. What more can I ask? The Wavelength DACs, I happen to own the Crimson, are great.

David

Speaking of tried and true audiophile grade DACs, if you have a DAC that you already like, IMO the Empirical Audio Turbo-2 or PaceCar (or both) interface is the way to go. Yes, they're pricey for something that just converts USB to another digital format, but the internal clock makes it pricey. And you don't have to spend money on a DAC.

Shameless promoting by a happy Turbo-2 owner.

I think some of us are missing the point in terms of a Wavelength DAC, even some of the owners. The convenience FACTOR is nothing more than a sideshow when speaking about these DACs, and we should not lose sight of the fact that the sound quality is comparable if not better than some of the perceived "best" CDPs on the market today. Lets not lose sight of this and the fact that convenience should be considered a secondary benefit ( a darn good one) of a PC-based system after you consider the sound quality, which Wavelength DACs have in spades. I consider myself a true audiophile, and this is what we look for first and foremost. And for some, our dreams have been answered, because now we have the best of both worlds, audiophile sound from a PC-based rig.

And if you waiting for a Wavelength product to come down in price, don't hold your breath. The laws of supply and demand some may hope work in their favor do not typically apply to items that are this unique and that are hand made to order. For that, wait for a solid state based, mass produced DAC that is a compromise in sound.