Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Yea, sorry guys. I'm not familiar with Rowland like I used to be when they first started. I'd like to hear my Ayre vs it side by side in my system. I like a lot of gear to be honest. Not just Ayre, but until I find an integrated at the same price as my Ayre that is better, then I stay with what I have. Same with speakers. I love my Vandersteens and hope to get the Quatro's as soon as I sell my Treo's, but that doesn't mean that others don't make great speakers that I could be very happy with. Matt and I often share ideas of gear we hear off line. I'm not married to any specific product or manufacturer. Heck, because of THIS very thread I purchased an OSDE/SE and if you read my posts early in the thread, I said there was no way I'd get something that isn't sold via a dealer network etc...I'm very very pleased with my digital. All because of what Matt is doing and also listening to input from a few of you who's ears I trust (you can tell what folks like based on their posts.). Thanks for letting me play.

No prob at all Ctsooner... For next time you are on an integrated hunt... Continuum S2 is the cute 35 pounder with vestigial cooling fins priced just below $10K... Daemon is the one you can't lift because it's a 100 pounder, has a big honking horizontal selector/volume wheel, and is priced around $40K.

I do like continuum S2 quite a bit... Daemon I have not herd yet.

Ctsooner, I fully understand your position. I've been at this since the late 1960s when I taught at Florida State U. Tallahassee had about 50,000 people and three stereo dealers. Then there were about five manufacturers of electronic components few power cord makers, no rack makers, etc. And virtually everybody had an AR turntable although Linn was coming along.

So one had few choices but many opportunities to hear them first. I remember going up to Dallas to hear a new amp by a guy named Jeff Roland. I was very impressed and bought one and it was cheap, but I cannot remember how much. I think about $2500!

I have noticed as I am sure you have too, that dealers are a dying species. I expect that very soon you will find them only in NYC and LA. So you had better buy now.

@tbg yup dealers are closing and dying off. The whole audio hobby is changing when it comes to being able to hear gear.

I ran the same comparison again. I prefer the ODSE to the Berkeley with my Burmester preamp. With the Rowland pre-amp I think I like the Berk better, but it's close. There was a bigger difference in how much better the Emm was over the ODSE then the Berkely Ref. I just felt the ODSE gave a more realistic representation of what was recorded. Though I preferred piano on the Berk Ref a tad more tonally, the actual sound of the piano was more real on the ODSE.

The Aurender is clearly superior to my Mac Mini. That's great to see. It was sort of bothering me that I couldn't find something better. But the N10 really needed tons of hours on it to get there. And I'll bet there's more to get as it hits 1000 hours. I'm near 520 now I think. The Double Bass on the N10 gives texture and tone as if the sound is emanating from the instrument, with resonance and palpability. Drums hit with a sense of natural impact and resonate properly. And vocals and piano are just right. I just need to get me ears on the YFS server to compare the two and I will be buying myself a new music server.

Finally, the HF Ultra Ref Helix uber power cord.... That heavy magnet in the middle is a PiTa. I would imagine a wire tie to the rack column would be the best solution. Plugged in and brand new, it gives more volume at the same setting and immediately helped define images in space a tad better. The base flattened out a bit, which I have found with many new out of box power cords. Midrange mellowed a touch as well. Practically useless first impressions. Needs time. I want to call HF and ask if the top tier needs to be implemented for the lower current front end gear, or if that giant magnet is best suited for the high current amp draw. Not sure if I'll get an honest answer.....