Analog Lovers and Filterless DACs

The most inexpensive and perhaps even the BEST way to go is to burn all your cds on your computer's hard drive in wav format so your hard drive becomes a transport transporting error-free digital files into a USB dac like The Brick (a tubed filterless DAC from Wavelength Audio) for $1,750 new. You can control your cd collection from your computer or from a palm pilot if it has bluetooth and/or wifi to match with bluetooth or wifi on your computer (which you can add on if you currently don't have in your system.) Pretty cool.

If you need an external drive, I'd go for a Glyph drive. They're widely considered the best for audio, they're super quiet and very reliable...as opposed to a lacie or something you'd get at best buy. Sweetwater.com sells them.

Obviously you still need your amp/preamp and your computer needs to have the ability to communicate with them.

I have no experience doing this, just been researching. I'm going this direction currently.

You should check the wavelength site for correct ways to burn cds to your hard drive and other useful tips.

Scott Nixon just came out with a new USB tube dac. Waiting for reviews before junping.

In my big rig I've been using a Bolder modded Squeezebox2 for a few months and I'm highly satisfied; no more CDP's for me.

There are a lot of options when it comes to computer audio:
Squeezebox2 or 3 - stock or modded -apple/win
Roku soundbridge
Digital out to DAC
USB DAC
Soundboard to stereo
And many more options................

Good luck,

I can recommend 2 sources:

1. Ack Dack v2.0 w/ high rez option. I love this DAC, sounds so good. I think a lot of why it sounds good is the battery power, which makes it super quiet and removes A/C noise from the equation. It's a bargain, and a ridiculous one if you consider you don't have to spend extra $$$ on power cables/conditioners. I have a used Dack 2.0 on the way.

2. Music Hall CD25 / Shanling / Onyx? - This CD player has been rebranded with many names, but I hear it's the same player. I have owned one for a long time, and just replaced its stock socketed opamps with OPA627's (about $100 and you just plug them in). It sounds very good for the money. My player was $600 or so new when I bought it, but I hear the same thing can be bought for around $300, thanks to cost savings from China.

Good luck.

Yeah, the USB dac fed from PC is a pretty convenient notion for some, but not practical for me. My computer is also used for business, and I don't want to use it for audio. I also have no inclination to invite Bill Gates & Friends into my listening room. The chore to burn 600 CDs into wave files isn't too thrilling either.

Matt, The Ack 2.0 is a good possibility. How do you compare its sound vs the other CDPs you mentioned? I've heard them & although I agree that they present good value vs. most conventional CDPs in their price range, I still can't forget that I'm hearing a "digital event" when I listen to them. If they are the most analog sounding in my price range(<$700), then I'm just not gonna be happy.

Can anyone else please comment on how the Acks, Nixons, etc. compare sonically to most other mainstream players? Thanks,
Spencer

Sbank,

Sorry posted my response in the wrong thread.