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What is new with the Memory Player?

I have read that this player is the next great source at the online mags. Have others heard this player and is it currently being sold? What are the impressions of those who have heard this machine? Any information would be nice since I have read almost nothing other than what is contained in the magazines. Bob
128x128baranyi
rx8man's avatar
rx8man
1,483 posts
 
Not to start a forest fire, but I'd like to hear someones impressions comparing the
MP against an APL NWO 2.5T in the near future.
aplhifi
515 posts
 
"The Memory Player's 32BIT DAC has NO onchip gain" This is a quote from the MP manufacturer web site.

Ever since the MP was introduced a 32 bit DAC is claimed. To my knowledge, at the time MP was introduced, none of the current DAC manufacturers had a 32 bit DAC chip to offer, and they still don’t.

The part "...NO onchip gain" is also interesting since, again to my knowledge, there is no DAC chip available with gain, many provide attenuation in the digital domain but none offer gain.

Anyone cares to explain? I'd appreciate it.

Regards,
Alex
tbg
5,263 posts
 
Alex, you say that none of the current dac manufacturers have a 32 bit dac. Does this mean there is a new manufacturer or that you are doubting that Nova Physics has a 32 bit dac? Why would a dac manufacturer make a dac with gain?
scottr
32 posts
 
According to Mark (the genius behind the Memory Player) there are in fact 32 bit DACs available and they do in fact use them. This is not marketing spin, it's for real according to him. If you really want to know more Alex, I would speak to him.

It doesn't really matter to me because I have the transport only version, just received yesterday. I will post my review of it early next week, after I have had some time with it.
aplhifi
515 posts
 
Tbg, I am not aware of 32bit DAC chip availability so this is why I ask. Who knows, may be such DAC exists and I will be very happy to find out more about it.

Furthermore, there are many currently available Digital Signal Processors with 32bit internal resolution, and there are even some with 64bit "double precision" internal processing but, as far as I know, all of these are equipped with 24bit output ports to interface with 24bit DACs.

For the record, there is a certain approach that was introduced by Denon 15 years ago where they've used proprietary "word expansion" digital filter to convert 16bit CD data to 20bit. This digital filter had two output ports. One 16bit and one 4bit which were connected to 2 separate 16bit and 4bit DACs per channel. So it's possible that the MP uses a similar topology with two separate DACs per channel. It'll be very interesting to find out.

I am also not aware about DACs with gain.

Regards,
Alex
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