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

Hi Psacanli,
Cost and convenience are certainly factors. I recently parted out a very decent analog setup, and sold 1000 records, Bcause I NEVER LISTENED TO THEM. As good as it was, I work crazy hours and have 5 kids at home, so settling in for a couple of hours of listening for myself, and occasionally my wife is difficult. Now, all I do is wake up the Mac, pick an album, or a song, and it goes. And it sounds great. What more can I ask? The Wavelength DACs, I happen to own the Crimson, are great.

David

Speaking of tried and true audiophile grade DACs, if you have a DAC that you already like, IMO the Empirical Audio Turbo-2 or PaceCar (or both) interface is the way to go. Yes, they're pricey for something that just converts USB to another digital format, but the internal clock makes it pricey. And you don't have to spend money on a DAC.

Shameless promoting by a happy Turbo-2 owner.

I think some of us are missing the point in terms of a Wavelength DAC, even some of the owners. The convenience FACTOR is nothing more than a sideshow when speaking about these DACs, and we should not lose sight of the fact that the sound quality is comparable if not better than some of the perceived "best" CDPs on the market today. Lets not lose sight of this and the fact that convenience should be considered a secondary benefit ( a darn good one) of a PC-based system after you consider the sound quality, which Wavelength DACs have in spades. I consider myself a true audiophile, and this is what we look for first and foremost. And for some, our dreams have been answered, because now we have the best of both worlds, audiophile sound from a PC-based rig.

And if you waiting for a Wavelength product to come down in price, don't hold your breath. The laws of supply and demand some may hope work in their favor do not typically apply to items that are this unique and that are hand made to order. For that, wait for a solid state based, mass produced DAC that is a compromise in sound.

Oh, I couldn't agree more. I've had some well-regarded CD players and DAC combos, Sony SCD-1, Accuphase DP-85, EMM Labs CDSD and DAC6e combo and an Esoteric X-01 Limited. To my ears, the Wavelength Crimson is superior in terms of tonality, imaging, etc. The only one that has it beat in any category was the Esoteric in terms of bass weight. I'm working on my system synergy, and soon even that will be surpassed. Throw in the convenience of computer -based playback, and I still submit, "game over."

David

David

Vinyl sounds great, but it is over. The new music is not being recorded on vinyl.
db