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PC-Audio vs. High-end CD Player-GAME OVER

Hi All,
I just auditioned the Wavelength Audio Cosecant DAC on a very nice system at the local dealer. It was run through a Hovland 200 preamp , a Plinius amp and Avalon Eidolon Diamond speakers. This is all in a very well treated, good-sounding room.
It was, in a word spectacular. Beautiful tone, excellent bass, imaging soundstaging, etc. What was really amazing was a sense of space, or ambience that was imparted. We then compared the same CD's (Diana Krall, Jennifer warnes, some jazz), on a Levinson CDP. I'm not saying that the levinson is the last word in players, but it was what he had on the shelf.While it sounded good, it was much more bright, and "constricted".
Control was through an Imac using I-tunes, and the CD's had been nurned using Apple Lossless.
I ordered my Crimson on the spot.

David
deshapiro
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Splaskin - Alex has a point here. The jitter on the USB interface is very much a function of the computer power, grounding and shielding. Fortunately, there are a couple of excellent chips from TI that reject this jitter quite effectively using digital PLL's, namely the TAS1020 and TUSB3200. If low-jitter clocks are used with these, the results can be quite stellar, beating 99% of transports on the market.

If another chip is selected for the USB interface, the results can be not as good. Some devices use other chips, but then reclock using ASRC (asynchronous Sample Rate Conversion). This can work extremely well too, providing the best resampler chips are used.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacurer
pschoi
23 posts
 
Alex,

Sorry to see you go. But it is interesting that you think memory chips may be in the future after all. I am sure that a big part of your design strengths will equally translate well into PC-based systems. I don't need to remind you that as a manufacturer, your opinions will always be viewed with a certain level of skepticism (I would apply the same to, hypothetically speaking, another manufacturer selling primarily PC-based DACs). Facts of life such as being what they are.
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
"1. Will the PC/Mac download + DAC system kill the CD?"

There is little doubt in my mind that this not only will be the case, but already is the case, given the right player software and .wav files.

2. Does the high-end PC/MAC setup kill the high-end CD player?

Ditto.

2.1. Does it kill (or comparable to) the APL NWO?

Cannot speak to this. The only time a shootout was planned with my gear, Alex didn't show. Maybe another time.....

Steve N.
kana813
956 posts
 
Audioengr-

Ethernet cables don't conduct noise and the SMPS units which power the SB3
and Transporter don't have any effect on the performance of their digital or analog outputs?

Are you're saying Alex is totally wrong about PC-Audio being effected by SMPS noise?
audioengr
3,282 posts
 
Kana813 - the SMPS that drives the SB3 definitely has an effect on its output jitter. This is independent of the PC power supply though. I suppose if you wired the SB3 to your network rather than using WiFi, this might add ground-loops that would introduce more noise?

I'm saying that PC-audio CAN be affected by PC power supply and ground noise, but it's not necessarily the case. Depends entirely on the USB converter design if it's USB. If it's networked, then the answer is no, it is not affected by the PC in any way.

I use the SB3 and Sonos wirelessly and feed them through a Pace-Car reclocker. This totally isolates everything: the clocks, the ground and the data signals. In this case the jitter is not a function of the PC, the SB3 or the Sonos, only the clock in the Pace-Car.

Steve N.
Empirical Audio
Manufacturer
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