2. digital
  3. 1398132150

Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

Hi All.

Putting together a reference level system.
My Source is predominantly standard 16/44 played from a MacMini using iTunes and Amarra. Some of my music is purchased from iTunes and the rest is ripped from standard CD's.
For my tastes in music, my high def catalogues are still limited; so Redbook 16/44 will be my primary source for quite some time.

I'm not spending DCS or MSB money. But $15-20k retail is not out of the question.

Upsampling vs non-upsampling?
USB input vs SPDIF?

All opinions welcome.

And I know I need to hear them, but getting these ultra $$$ DAC's into your house for an audition ain't easy.

Looking for musical, emotional, engaging, accurate , with great dimension. Not looking for analytical and sterile.
mattnshilp
ctsooner
2,480 posts
 
I bow down to all of you techies.  This thread takes so many new directions and all are amazing and informative to say the least.  I understand some of what you guys say, but I fully understand what my ears hear.  Thanks to all of you for this back and forth.  Best thread on any site pertaining to audio that I've ever read/been part of.  

Steve, great plots on the cables.  Thanks so much.  I was out of pocket a lot for the last few months of the year and missed your posts on the upgrade to SM.  I haven't been using mine as I have the Ayre QX5 and just connect everything direct. 

I'm getting The Memory Player with built in DAC and was wondering if I should use the SM to connect the TV to the internal DAC via BNC?  If so, I'd want the upgrade. I didn't realize that you had one.  I can call you later if it's better to take it off the board.  Just let me know. thanks. Pete

gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
@shadorne   and  @audioengr 

Please check your private message box and/or private email for a link to download the music you requested of me.

Enjoy!!
gdhal's avatar
gdhal
1,641 posts
 
OP, getting right back to the heart of the topic thread now :)

Regarding the cabling and/or transport that could or do introduce jitter and other artifacts, isn't that a moot point where an "absolute top tier dac for redbook cd is concerned"? And why, because wouldn't the "absolute top tier dac" reconstruct (if needed) and clean the signal?

Consider the Yggy. Not only do they reclock and so on (as I;m sure other DACs do), but they (purportedly) go another extent. Their DACs have an indicator light to let the user know the signal source is "crap", and *even then* they claim to be able to make an improvement. 
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Anyway, what is your opinion of using USB in the following configuration:
Gateway NV79 > Belkin e129760-c usb > Yggdrasil


A better USB cable would improve things.  The problem is that most USB interfaces built into DACs are not that great. There are a couple of decent ones.


Should USB produce better results than the Belden 1694A coax?


Depends on the USB interface and the S/PDIF interface and associated clocks.  There are a lot of variables.  I would think that a low jitter source using a good S/PDIF cable to the Yggy would outperform the USB input.  My BNC cable has RCA adapters with it, so you can do any combo.


Should there be improvement if I were to switch the optical from my cable box to the Oppo? (note that according to Schiit, AES/EBU is best to the Yggy, followed by coax)


If you use this for TV, movies on Netflix and 2-channel audio, then I would recommend using the IFI S/PDIF iPurifier for $149.  You can go optical in and coax out using my Standard BNC cable.  This is what I do with my OPPO and my Smart TV to reduce jitter.  It supports all formats, including Dolby Digital and DTS.  Big difference with TV and movies.


I only have AES/EBU out from my Emotiva. I also recall reading from Georgehifi that some type of glass optical is best, which I’m also not using.

I thought the Emotiva was a DAC.  If so, then the AES/EBU is an input, not an output.

I'm getting confused as to what is driving and what is receiving here....

Glass cables can be very good compared to cheap plastic, but the plastic I use from my Smart TV is even better than glass.  From btpa.com:

https://btpa.com/?target=search&mode=search&substring=toslink&including=all&brandId=0

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

audioengr
3,282 posts
 
I studied atmospheric physics in depth too but I better stop there... as nobody likes to hear rational discussion on that topic which has become a new cult religion.

I do.  People need to be educated on this. Most don't realize that GW is an existential threat to mankind.  Weather catastrophes cost the US over $300B in 2017.  Worst year ever on record and its only going to get worse.  And here we are quibbling about $2B or $18B for a wall. We cannot even fund FEMA anymore.  People don't even realize that power plants are only half the problem.  Cars and other vehicles are the other half of the problem.  Time to by a Tesla.  They are fantastic cars!!

Steve N.

Empirical Audio

More to discover