USB to DAC questions

Another Paradisea+ owner here. I do not have the USB version however. Currently just have it connected to the CD player via coax. Leaning towards the Trends UD-10 with the battery pack for connecting to the computer.

An Acer running Windows Vista. Vista improves on XP, and all older versions of Windows, by eliminating k-mixer which was what all the driver workarounds focussed on. Basically Vista is just XP without the extra hassle audio-wise. I've been using Vista since July without any complaints. If you can go Mac do it. I'd also go I2S, but the solutions here tend to be very expensive for what you get.

Some more expensive DACs including the USB Benchmark use I2S eliminating the need for an external connector. BTW the Paradisea is preferred to my $1k NuForce processor. I am using the Bendix tube and a tube damper rather than the cheap stock tube. It's also worth noting that the consensus view is that the Benchmark is very good but somewhat analytical, some people prefer the Lavry DA-10 or Monarchy NM-24. Also, you mentioned the SN DACs as well, just didn't make the cut for me, but the price is pretty good.

Trying to record uncompressed video is a big drive problem and USB - while cheap and ubiquitous - is not fast enough to support it. There is nothing more I/O intensive then video.

Not to razz your buddy but a quick Google suggests that the camera is not ready for prime time... Clever idea, funky, buggy software says one review.

Install - and everything else on a Mac - is very straightforward. Tiger was nasty so make sure you buy a unit with a Tiger OS installed. Most of the hassle is upgrading software to take advantage of each new OS. This consists of clicking Download, the Install. Unless its Adobe stuff and you need passwords. I think you will find pretty much everything about a Mac easier and more intuitive.

As far as next moves. Free advice - you get what you pay for - bag the Andromeda no matter how deep the discount.

Better IMHO to do less better... You can run DAC to power amp and control it from the computer just fine. It's not the system sounds that get you - its the stupid stuff from the Internet that comes torching in when you click on a site that has some Flash into that gets you.

No discussion about speakers here...

Yeah, do an integrated - chances are you can get one for the same money - take a look at the Chinese stuff - a lot of bang for the buck. Or do something in a gainclone or even a Trends package of USB DAC and amp trendsaudio dot com

So dude you have done an awesome job thinking this through. You are done. Go do and have fun

Musicman... I'm not sure what I2S is... I mean, its a protocol of some sort I gather... but what medium is it carried across, etc..?

It's good to hear you like the paradisea. Ya, I heard a couple not-so-appealing things about SN DACs... and they would actually be basically just as or more expensive than the paradisea anyway. Thx for the info.

Ckorody - Ya, I know what you mean about the andromeda. I dismissed it for a long time... now just recently I started to look at it again. Your probably right though, I will probably stay away. It is appealing though... the results people get out of it when it does work look amazing. He's in the middle of making a new system that uses a firewire connection.. that should be much better.

Ya, I know I've researched like crazy at this point... I always do this. I feel I'm nearing an end.

I'm not sure what you meant by "Better IMHO to do less better"... meaning just use amp and no integrated or were you referring still to not getting the andromeda... hmm, im guessing the latter b/c then you recommend just picking up an integrated...?

Not sure what you meant about 'No discussion about speakers here...' either...

Anywho, ya an integrated was what I was leaning towards too. Then I can hook up an el cheapo DVD player and what not as well if need be. I know that there are so many times when somehow my PC audio was turned all the way up... that would be a total bummer to have that happen on my new system... on small speakers, nonetheless.

Would a Trends USB DAC be comparible to a paradisea?

I saw those chinese amps on Ebay... they are like 12 dollars plus 200 for shipping. They looked nice, but I couldn't find any reviews on them anywhere. They are pretty good though? I wonder how they would compare to NAD stuff...

Here is what I have landed on at this point:

Ibook -> USB cable -> Paradisia+ -> Monster 1000i RCA interconnects -> Nad 325Bee integrated -> Monster Z2 reference speaker cable -> 2 Paradigm Atoms v5.

What u think?

I just found a used paradisia for sale... It's about 6 months old but this is the second owner... think I should stay away? He said its in great shape... has about 600 hrs on it... and is including like 5 tubes... "NOS 1954 WE396A, NOS 1950s Tungsol 2C51, NOS Bendix JAN CEA 2C51, NOS GE JAN 5670W and GE 5670 stock tube".

I know I'm full of questions... I just dont want to pull the trigger on anything and feel like I should have done something else all of a sudden.

Djembeplay,
If reliability is what your worried about..no need with the Paradisea.I keep mine on at all times. Up until vacation recently it had been powered up for at least 6 months non stop. Also it is well known enough at this point. You would have no problems selling it if you needed to. He's including a lot of tubes!

I also owned a Trends UD-10..it is great as a USB converter when using other Dacs. It isn't in the same league as the Paradisea as a stand alone Dac.

Actually the only way to figure out what you're looking for is to listen and experiment with different gear. As time goes on, you'll try different gear until you sort out what you like best. That's just the nature of this hobby. It will become a disease. Once infected..there is no real cure and no going back.

Heh, I think I have early symptoms of the disease... as you can tell by all my posts recently.

Well that sounds good then... I think I am going to settle on the system I described in my last post. It took *tons* of research and comparing each and every component from source to speaker to get to that point... I was basically coming from knowing nothing about any of this, so its been quite a journey I would say.