Accustic Arts

Congratulations Pubul57, you already had an excellent system, now with the addition of the Accustic Arts digital front end and the Placette Active linestage to your Cat amp and Merlin speakers you now have a "butt-kicking" reference level rig that will sound as good as anything else out there in the crazy world of high end gear. Enjoy the music, I'm sure you will!

Pubul57, I just got a Accustic Arts Dac 1-MK4 yesterday and enjoying it.

I have a ARC cd3 Mk2 and hooked it up right now using it as the transport via AES Stealth Sextet digital cable. Did you compare the ARC cd3 transport against the Accustic Arts Drive 1-MK2 and if so what were your thoughts. I am really impressed so far with this Dac, I am going to be getting the Drive to hear for my self and do comparisons.

My set-up is Eggleston Andra 2's, McIntosh 501's, Arc Ref3 pre., McIntosh 300 Music Server for background music, Server connected to Dac using a Stealth Sextet digital cable also. Only two sets of interconnects both in balanced (XLR connection) Virtual Dynamics Revelation 2.0, speaker cables VD Sig's and waiting for VD Genesis 6 ft bi-wire. Power cords Shunyata Phython Helex Alpha and VD but I want to get some Stealth Dream power cords and I also want to try the Indra interconnects.

I am waiting for a Supratek Sauv. line stage pre. to arrive, suppose to better than my Ref3, this will be interesting.

Once I have this combo for a while and I am familiar with the characteristics then I am going to get a Bent Tap to audition.

Teejay, you have this combo "AA & Bent Tap" and have I read your threads, very informative, Thanks. A friend of mine has the Placette and also wants to hear the difference.

Teejay I use to have the Mag. 20's in my main system, they are a marvelous speakers so I am very familiar with the sound characteristics. The system that I'm refering to right now is not my main system.

While I'm sitting responding I am listening, this Dac is amazing.

Dev, I'm quite sure you will enjoy your Accustic Arts DAC1-MK4 in the context of your reference level system. I will be very interested in your impressions of the Bent Tap compared with the other preamps that you sonicly know already. You might want to share your opinions on the Tap review thread, it will add to the perspective of how a transformer based passive sounds compared to very high level tube linestages.

Teajay, I just returned the ARC CD Ref7 today that I had for two weeks and do not miss it in anyway. The ARC CD Ref7 even had to it's advantage "synergy" hooked up with my ARC Ref3 pre. but still not even close to the "AA".

The Ref7 is better than my ARC CD3 MK2 which is a great one piece player.

When I put the Accustic Arts Dac1 MK4 in my system using the ARC CD3 MK2 as the transport the improvement was huge.

I ordered the Line Drive1 MK2 and I am getting it today, I want to see if it is an improvement over my ARC CD3 MK2.

It's going to be hard though because the Dac was broken in but the Line isn't, what is the break in time for this unit?

Anyone using this "AA combo" what power cords have you tried and what were the differences?

ISOLATION platforms, any difference to the sound and if so what. On my ARC CD3 tried numerous, no improvement which I look as being good because that means to me that ARC has really addressed vibration.

Power conditioners on this unit make any major difference?, again the ARC did not seem to care.

Teajay I saw your thread about Running Springs Jaco, what are you currently using and what do you have hooked up.

I have 6 designated lines for this set-up and I believe my power must be very good because I have tried many power conditioners and really can't say that I have benefited from any. Only lets me sleep better knowing my gear is double protected because I also have G.F.I.'s right at the board. Any surges, spikes coming in will pop the G.F.I. before getting to my gear. The G.F.I.s do not clean up the power its self.

I have 2- Shunyata Hydra 2's for mono blocks
Richard Grey Pro 4 for components
BRT BP-3.5 Sig. not being used right now

dev:

i have and love the AA Drive 1 and DAC 1 MkIV.

to answer a few of your questions, i have been using VH Audio Flavor 4s with them, and i was pleased with the results. incremental reduction in noise floor over stock PCs. i am sure there are better PCs out there, but these were are very strong price/value.

then i introduced Isoclean transformer and 80A powerline. both using super focus PCs. the improvement was nothing short of astonishing. the additional details brought out by the reduced noise was incredible. i have a low tolerance for audio snake oil, but there was no denying how big a difference the isoclean stuff made.

the combination of the accustic arts equipment using isoclean power conditioning has really has taken me to the point of contentment with my digital front-end. the only move i would make at this point is to a HDD front-end using a USB DAC, but it will take a lot to bring it up to the level of the AA gear.