Hi all,
I’m in that "fantasy phase" dreaming about my future DAC upgrade... and given all the characterizations of the sound, synergy with the forthcoming music server, and built-in analog pre-amp, my current fantasy-favorite is the wavelight. I want to go balanced in my system (I have no preamp, and already have a $$ set of balanced cables that I’d like to keep if possible) and so moving up the Rockna line to the wavedream would add a steep increase in cost. And not inconsequential... working with Bob at worldwidewholesale was a pleasure when I purchased my Inakustik 3500 power conditioner (a component I now consider essential that I recommend every audiophile purchase as soon as they possibly can... it improved my system in almost every way and I have yet to hear differently from anyone else who’s introduced it into their system).
My two concerns at this time are:
1) Remorse about "what could have been" had I decided not to build a deck, risk marital conflict, and purchased the balanced wavedream or wd signature instead. Can someone please describe, in candid detail, the differences and what is lost/gained in opting for Rockna’s "entry level" wavelight in contrast with their mid and top-tier balanced dac options?
2) Volume Remote control. As I will indeed be taking full advantage of the wavelight’s analog pre-amp (one of the key reasons this dac rises above the many other options out there on the market in this price-point) and direct-driving my Hegel H30 amp, can someone with first-hand experience speak to the inconvenience or normalcy of using the android app to change volume? Naturally there is always some sort of fly in the ointment... perhaps a way of keeping the universe in balance so nothing can be heralded as "all good", and it seems that remote-volume-control of the wavelight seems to be the sacrifice Rockna made to appease the vengeful audio gods. I have an Aurender N100H (which I plan to one day replace when the new complimentary wavelight server is available) which means I’m using an iPad to select music (no apple compatible volume app is available for the wavelight so I’ve heard) and even if I used the android app for the Aurender I’d have to close that app and open a different app to change volume using the phone. Just how good/bad is the experience of having to use an app to change volume? And why-oh-why couldn’t such an app simply be designed to respond to the physical volume control buttons on the phone? That would have solved everything... a hard-key I could feel in the dark on my phone without having to look at the screen.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
-Dave
I’m in that "fantasy phase" dreaming about my future DAC upgrade... and given all the characterizations of the sound, synergy with the forthcoming music server, and built-in analog pre-amp, my current fantasy-favorite is the wavelight. I want to go balanced in my system (I have no preamp, and already have a $$ set of balanced cables that I’d like to keep if possible) and so moving up the Rockna line to the wavedream would add a steep increase in cost. And not inconsequential... working with Bob at worldwidewholesale was a pleasure when I purchased my Inakustik 3500 power conditioner (a component I now consider essential that I recommend every audiophile purchase as soon as they possibly can... it improved my system in almost every way and I have yet to hear differently from anyone else who’s introduced it into their system).
My two concerns at this time are:
1) Remorse about "what could have been" had I decided not to build a deck, risk marital conflict, and purchased the balanced wavedream or wd signature instead. Can someone please describe, in candid detail, the differences and what is lost/gained in opting for Rockna’s "entry level" wavelight in contrast with their mid and top-tier balanced dac options?
2) Volume Remote control. As I will indeed be taking full advantage of the wavelight’s analog pre-amp (one of the key reasons this dac rises above the many other options out there on the market in this price-point) and direct-driving my Hegel H30 amp, can someone with first-hand experience speak to the inconvenience or normalcy of using the android app to change volume? Naturally there is always some sort of fly in the ointment... perhaps a way of keeping the universe in balance so nothing can be heralded as "all good", and it seems that remote-volume-control of the wavelight seems to be the sacrifice Rockna made to appease the vengeful audio gods. I have an Aurender N100H (which I plan to one day replace when the new complimentary wavelight server is available) which means I’m using an iPad to select music (no apple compatible volume app is available for the wavelight so I’ve heard) and even if I used the android app for the Aurender I’d have to close that app and open a different app to change volume using the phone. Just how good/bad is the experience of having to use an app to change volume? And why-oh-why couldn’t such an app simply be designed to respond to the physical volume control buttons on the phone? That would have solved everything... a hard-key I could feel in the dark on my phone without having to look at the screen.
Thoughts?
Thanks!
-Dave