Any insight with the Berkeley Alpha DAC ..??


Reference Recordings, which had had some spectacular CDs on the market is launching a "HRx" DVD-A product which is 24bit and sampled at 176.4 or 88.2 kHZ ...They recommend using a Windows XP desktop fitted with a Lynx AES 16 card and a Media Monkey as it's player and play this 2 channel DVD-R disk through a BERKELEY Audio Design Alpha DAC.

This has been favorably mentioned as a breakthrough in the Absolute Sound April/May edition....has anybody had any experience with this???

I would appreciate your response. Thanks
128x128jafo100

Maxx2man,

Are you running straight into the amp, or do you have a preamp in the chain?

Thanks.
I also read that the Berkeley sounds best running directly to the amp. Am I guessing correctly that the gain (or volume) controls are in the PC for this preferred arrangement??
i think the Berkeley is the best sounding digital i've heard running directly into the amps. however, in my system i still prefer using my Blowtorch preamp. my guess is that only the finest preamps could best the Alpha dac direct. fyi, when using the Berkeley, the volume is controlled on the front panel or by the dac's remote - in 1/10 db increments.
Jafo100

Your statement "HRx DVD-A product” is not correct. HRx has nothing to do with DVD-A.
RR states: “HRx DVD-R data discs contain exact, digit-for-digit copies of the original Reference Recordings 176.4 kHz / 24-bit digital masters." "To play HRx, the files on the DVD-R data disc must be uploaded to a computer music server, which then will play the music files through your audio system. (You cannot play them on CD, DVD, or SACD players"