Grahame Posted January 10, 2012 Report Posted January 10, 2012 No doubt there will be plenty of announcements at CES 2012 of interest to us, so I thought I'd start a thread to keep track of the sources announced at the show . Who knows, maybe we can encourage Tyll, or other visitors to get a closer look for us. I'll start off with something that might interest Dinny CES 2012: Arcam to launch £2000 FMJ D33 DAC With the market now full of new-generation digital audio devices and sources, Arcam is proud to introduce its latest and highest performing DAC to date, the D33 SuperDAC. Using state of the art dual Burr Brown PCM1792, 24bit / 192kHz converters (one per channel), twin toroidal transformers in the power supply and state-of-the-art 4-layer printed circuit boards, the D33 offers music lovers a level of performance that involves, enthrals and engages from the first note to the last encore. The D33 features an asynchronous USB input offering the convenience of computer-based music (PC or MAC) and the ability to enjoy the very latest 192kHz ultra high-resolution recordings with stunning quality. Two coaxial and two optical inputs plus a professional grade AES/EBU connection complete the line-up so everyone can take advantage of the D33’s clear performance upgrade. Product Page Owners Manual
blessingx Posted January 10, 2012 Report Posted January 10, 2012 (edited) A couple more... Cambridge Audio launch DacMagic 100 at CES 2012 http://fb.me/18RxmDruA Weiss DAC202 FireWire D/A converter | http://ow.ly/1DAEmH Edited January 10, 2012 by blessingx
CD44hi Posted January 10, 2012 Report Posted January 10, 2012 A couple more... Cambridge Audio launch DacMagic 100 at CES 2012 http://fb.me/18RxmDruA Weiss DAC202 FireWire D/A converter | http://ow.ly/1DAEmH The Weiss has been out for a while, no? I've seen at least a used one for sale @ audiogon.
blessingx Posted January 10, 2012 Report Posted January 10, 2012 You may be right. I hadn't heard of it until yesterday when it showed up in a couple tweets.
dsavitsk Posted January 10, 2012 Report Posted January 10, 2012 ... twin toroidal transformers in the power supply and state-of-the-art 4-layer printed circuit boards ... Wow! I bet it sounds awesome.
tkam Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 Cambridge has a replacement for the 840c coming out called the 851C http://www.stereophi...-new-851-series
Tari Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 The Weiss has been out for a while, no? I've seen at least a used one for sale @ audiogon. They're re-releasing with a USB input.
atothex Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 I remember that. It's the tiny bj dac/amp.
CD44hi Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 That makes sense, in fact I always wonder why, at that price point, it didn't include that option.....
Tari Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 I remember when it first came out Weiss first came out they did a lot of marketing about Firewire being the only audiophile option for computer DACs. Apogee used to be the same way. Having a USB input would dilute the sincerity of their belief in firewire. Since then, with the popularization of (liscensing) async and the ubiquity of USB among computer DA/ADCs, (and the perception among consumers that USB is indeed an "audiophile" protocol,) companies like Weiss and Apogee have to keep up with the competition. Duet 2 was released this year with USB, and now the Weiss. Its also a quick way to make an extra buck without releasing a whole new product. Sony used to (still does really) do this all the time: Release devices with proprietary media, try to make it the industry standard so that everyone has to license it from you. Only revert to the other medium when it is clear that yours will never take off.
grawk Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 except that firewire wasn't proprietary, and usb really wasn't ready for prime time at the time.
luvdunhill Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 (edited) except that firewire wasn't proprietary, and usb really wasn't ready for prime time at the time. Actually, I believe it was considered proprietary until fully standardized. It was more or less Apple's implementation of a standard that then became another standard. I have talked to people that knew it as Chefcat. Edited January 13, 2012 by luvdunhill
grawk Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 It's irrelevant that at some point firewire was proprietary. By the time apogee and weiss (and many others) were using firewire on audio devices, it was the standard. Synchronous USB was a nightmare for audio, especially at higher sample rates, and with more channels.
Tari Posted January 13, 2012 Report Posted January 13, 2012 Wavelength had released some of it's async USB DACs (Brick and Cosecant) by '05. It wasn't a buzzword at that point though. Weiss could certainly have hopped on the USB bandwagon before this year though. The Sony analogy wasn't exact. Sony would create (sometimes in conjunction with other companies) a medium they wanted to be a "standard." If it actually becomes the standard, they are considered the pioneer in the format (and reap licensing rewards as well.) In Weiss's case, whether or not it was proprietary, it was not a license held by Weiss. What they stood to gain was being the first real "high end" DAC with firewire. Being the trend-setter does give you clout. They chose, and they were stubborn about their choice until USB became the prevalent medium.
Jon L Posted January 14, 2012 Report Posted January 14, 2012 (edited) They're re-releasing with a USB input. Wow! Assuming the Weiss USB input is also asynchronous (like its firewire) and well-executed, the new Weiss DAC202 will be a good platform to compare apples to apples as far as USB vs. Firewire for audio quality. I have been listening to the DAC202 (firewire only) and have been wondering this very same question myself.. Edited January 14, 2012 by Jon L
Knuckledragger Posted January 16, 2012 Report Posted January 16, 2012 How is the headphone out? In a word, surprised
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