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


Hi All,
I just auditioned the Wavelength Audio Cosecant DAC on a very nice system at the local dealer. It was run through a Hovland 200 preamp , a Plinius amp and Avalon Eidolon Diamond speakers. This is all in a very well treated, good-sounding room.
It was, in a word spectacular. Beautiful tone, excellent bass, imaging soundstaging, etc. What was really amazing was a sense of space, or ambience that was imparted. We then compared the same CD's (Diana Krall, Jennifer warnes, some jazz), on a Levinson CDP. I'm not saying that the levinson is the last word in players, but it was what he had on the shelf.While it sounded good, it was much more bright, and "constricted".
Control was through an Imac using I-tunes, and the CD's had been nurned using Apple Lossless.
I ordered my Crimson on the spot.

David
deshapiro
Bigamp you have a good point. Instead of knocking in this DIGITAL forum the posts in this thread are more appropriate for the PC forum.
Digital to Analog conversion is perfectly appropriate for this forum as well.
Dumb question, but, hypothetically, which would be better:

(1) USB out of my Mac --> USB input on Benchmark DAC1 USB, or

(2) USB out of my Mac --> Empirical Audio device that converts USB to SPDIF --> coax digital input on DAC1?

Or am I missing something?
Revising previous post with a third option...

Dumb question, but, hypothetically, which would be better:

(1) USB out of my Mac --> USB input on Benchmark DAC1 USB, or

(2) USB out of my Mac --> Empirical Audio device that converts USB to SPDIF --> coax digital input on DAC1, or

(3) Toslink out of my Mac --> Toslink input on Benchmark DAC1 (or this can be done via Airport Express)?

#3 is the only option I can do currently.

Or am I missing something?