Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Fascinating exercise.....

So last night I went to my son’s annual November symphony performance. He’s in an advanced Youth Symphony program and the performances are practically professional level; truly a treat and something I always look forward to. Typically they are held at the NJ PAC in Newark or one of the local High School PAC’s with exceptional acoustics. I am very familiar with the sound of this Symphony’s live performances.

Well, they lost the NJ PAC at the last minute and had to have it at a local church (smallish to medium) and I got to hear, first hand, just how much the room can affect the acoustics!

I was listening to the most accurate stereo system imaginable.... Live Music. Familiar live music no less.

Normally the performance whisks me to that wonderful music land where nothing else exists and my soul feeds on adagio and forte until it swells satiated with the meal it consumed. In this cramped space, my ears bled on every horn flourish and flute twitter. In audiophile terms, it sounded like I was listening to a horn speaker sitting in a room way to small and way to close to the speakers. If this had been a stereo system I would have declared it an utter failure. I have heard upstairs rooms at the stereo shows that sounded better then this live performance!!!

But the experiment was a resounding success. The "system", whether it be a live performance or a $3k modest stereo is COMPLETELY at the whim of the room!!! For those that spend a fortune on gear and nothing on sound treatments...... let this be your wake up call!

Matt, I totally agree.  The big problem I personally see with most folks room treatments is that they go too far.  Often when they get advice from the treatment company themselves, their rooms become very deadened and unrealistic in the reverse.  I've found over the years that I have become better and better in treating my own room.  I just walk around and listen for harsh spots and where the reflections come from and up go beautiful quilts or something to absorb or reflect.  Big plants in the corners of the room and a diffusion panel (albums racks work GREAT for this purpose) on the opposing walls and of course a rug or carpet in front of most speakers is usually needed. I rarely find the need to do much more in my rooms (four different houses).  I'm lucky in that none of my rooms so far have had the 50hz resonating problem that even most stores have in their 'professionally' done rooms have.  

You are dead on in venues too.  I get to go see Joe Bonamassa next Monday at the Bushnell in Hartford, CT. I'm so glad it's the larger venue there (they have a smaller intimate one also).  Both their rooms are outstanding in sound quality.  I got to see Joe last year at Carnegy Hall and the room was all of that I thought.  It was acoustic and the size of the room was perfect. This time around he has a full band so I'm excited as it's the larger room (maybe 8k seats?) and it's sold out so it will sound it's best and the room will allow everything to breath and bloom.  I chose to sit in the rear orchestral seats as they are center stage and I love how the sound is back there when there's a full band accompanying him.  

Yes it's all about the venue and it's cool when you have recordings where you know the venue and or the producer so you know how it was recorded.  All I know is that I'm at the point in my audio journey where I'm listening for hours and hours a day, every day.  I love where my room is and even though I want to sell my Treo's and get the Quatro's still, I love what I"m hearing and it's fun again.  

That's really cool about your son loving his music and being gifted.  I can appreciate that as you may remember. Nothing beats appreciating your offspring doing something they love and doing it at a high level of competency.  Call if you get a free moment.  

I did the NYC trip and was greatly let down by Innovative Audio as I looked on their site and it said open on Sundays. I even sent an email to them asking to discuss what I wanted to audition before coming down to the city. I did that days before my trip on Sunday and they never even got back to me.  They have Avalon's and I love them and wanted to hear what they had that would go up against the Quatro's, but when I got there they were closed. They aren't open on Sundays and I booked the whole day around that trip.  Pissed wasn't even the word.  Hate being negative, but folks need to keep their websites up to date if they want my business I guess.  If I hadn't sent an email to them ahead of time (as per their request on their site), then I wouldn't have been as upset.  


As much as I love Johnny at Audio Connections, I can purchase anywhere. As much as I love the Vandersteen speakers, that doesn't mean they are the only speakers in the world and how could I even tell folks to audition them vs something else if I don't know what something else sounds like.  Heck, I have now had two great experiences at Stereo Exchange believe it or not for headphone gear.  I'd recommend them in a heart beat to folks wanting to audition top quality cans.  Didn't meant to make this a negative post, but I guess I'm still feeling burned a bit by Innovative not being open or getting back to me.  Oh well, their loss and someone else's gain eventually as I also need a NAS/server too.  

Back to room and reflections and absorptions, lol.....(and let's throw in a bit of slap echo for fun ;) ).

Thanks to another audio friend out in Portland, I've decided to get an optical converter and have an electrician run lines for ethernet into my audio loft.  Going with the PS 1 LPS and a commercial converter I believe it is.  I still need to switch over to Comcast and then find the electrician to do all of this, but it should be worth it in the long run. Then I will focus on which digital server I want to go with.  There are so many questions that really need to be answered from ease of use to which software app you want to run it on. Is using a pad or phone the way you want to control it etc...?  I keep vacillating from top of the line (for the US) Melco to being told to just use Roon and get a basic NAS and set it up that way.  I need to rip about 2-3k CD's, so ease of that is also important.  

Digital isn't easy yet. I like one box solutions like a Music Vault, but then wonder about it breaking down as I need to rip a bunch of stuff, but once ripped, how often will I ever use that blue ray drive?  

I'll take suggestions on music servers/NAS drives and Roon vs on Roon. This thread is too important to let it slip any more.  We are all waiting on Steve's OSDX to get into the hands of many and the new Ayre QX5 Twenty is a killer at the price.  So many new DAC's coming out as we speak.  I think the sound of most of the newer DAC's are better than what we had at the same time last year.  It's a great time to start jumping in if you haven't.  

Happy Thanksgiving to those friends in the US who celebrate.

stumbled upon this thread today.
so, I read this thread until page 20... and then went to look how far it still went... HAHAHAHAHA - SIXTY THREE!!!!
I like to read and was reading kind of obsessively, but this was just too much for even myself. So, is, after all, the EA Overdrive SE it is, correct? Or is there something different and his Virtual System isn't updated?
Thanks in advance

Matt just got the new ODSX from Steve.  Needs to be burned in still.  I sold my ODSE/SE and got the Ayre QX5/20 over the other contenders in the thread and love it.  To my ears, it's just behind the TotalDAc and was very very close.  I like it better than the Berk Ref in that it is more dynamic and more detailed, while still being very musical.  It just keeps great timing and timber.  The bass on the Ayre sets it apart for me from many other DAC's I've had in the house.  This thread should keep going, but right now it's seen nearly every DAC in it change. 

I was able to get a Rossini in my system with the external clock.  It's a great DAC if you want hyper detail, but for my tastes it sounded just like it has in the all stores I've heard it and that's dry.  Just not the musical DAC I expected. I was never able to warm up to the music.  I think it's the typical DCS sound though as I've heard their top system a few times and they too left me a bit cold.  EMM is the DAC a lot of the guys are talking about.   I have spent some time with the new Brinkmann DAC and it's also very good, but I still like my Ayre better and it's a full digital hub.  

I"m sure there will be a ton of responses as most of the guys posting have been too busy to say anything, but they will in time.