Tom's Hardware: "Anything Above $2 Buys More Features, Not More Quality"

[HiWire]

http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/high-end-pc-audio,3733-19.html

 

I'll be in the funny pictures thread.

[roadtonowhere08]

Typical Tom's.  Motherboard CODECs have made great strides in the last 5-10 years, but to compare one to a DAC2 and call it even?  As Ken36 would say: "Good Stuff."

Edited February 27, 2014 by roadtonowhere08

[grawk]

Lots of people in team source dead fucking last

[crappyjones123]

Someone called? 

 

I have had a decent source for the past year or so though. 

[HiWire]

I, for one, welcome our new Realtek overlords.

 

Coworker: "Is that a CD player?"

Edited February 27, 2014 by HiWire

[aardvark baguette]

listen to a new dac for a month, then remove it.  

 

then it shows.

[postjack]

I'm in team digital source dead last, but I still think it's important. Just not nearly as important as speakers/room or headphones.

[HiWire]

My dad used to tell me that all CD players sounded the same, but then I went around and auditioned CD players for about 5 years, starting with consumer-grade stuff like my dad's Technics carousel all the way up to a 4-box dCS Paganini system. Obviously, they weren't all connected to the same amplifiers and loudspeakers, but I heard a lot of differences.

 

I ended up with the Arcam FMJ CD36 and I've got my eye on the Oppo BDP-105D for HDCD and SACD playback – I think I can use it as a DAC via USB input. My amplification is pretty solid: Arcam C31 preamp and two Arcam P1 monoblocs, so the last big jump is loudspeakers for now.

 

Also, I like Schiit Audio's idea of keeping their bases covered with the Loki. If DSD takes off, they can incorporate the circuitry in the Bifrost or another DAC/Amp. Oppo has also added DSD decoding to their newer players.

Edited February 27, 2014 by HiWire

[Dusty Chalk]

Yes, you can use the Oppo 105D as a USB DAC.

I'm in team digital source dead last, but I still think it's important. Just not nearly as important as speakers/room or headphones.

Don't you have a Rega CD player?

[postjack]

Yes, you can use the Oppo 105D as a USB DAC.

Don't you have a Rega CD player?

Yup got an Apollo. Love it.

Just got a buffalo DAC as well.

[Dusty Chalk]

Yeah, that's not exactly slackin' in the digital source department.

[postjack]

Yeah, that's not exactly slackin' in the digital source department.

 

oh yeah, definitely. I definitely disagree with the article in the OP.

 

All I mean is if you start with a bad pair of headphones, or a bad speaker, or a room inappropriate for a speaker, no digital source is going to fix that.

 

Is there a difference between motherboard audio and a rega apollo? Hell yeah. But the increase in performance you get going from motherboard audio > apollo is nowhere near the level you get going from say a KSC75 to an HD800. Thats all I'm saying.

 

But once you get to that level of high quality transducers, then a better digital source will certainly make a difference.

[Dusty Chalk]

oh yeah, definitely. I definitely disagree with the article in the OP.

 

All I mean is if you start with a bad pair of headphones, or a bad speaker, or a room inappropriate for a speaker, no digital source is going to fix that.

 

Is there a difference between motherboard audio and a rega apollo? Hell yeah. But the increase in performance you get going from motherboard audio > apollo is nowhere near the level you get going from say a KSC75 to an HD800. Thats all I'm saying.

 

But once you get to that level of high quality transducers, then a better digital source will certainly make a difference.

Oh, okay, when you put it like that, team source dead fucking last actually sounds ( ) kinda enticing.

 

I still prefer my team.

 

 

 

What team is that, Dusty?

 

Team Your System is Only as Strong as its Weakest Link

[MexicanDragon]

I would rather listen to KSC-75s than HD800s.

**BRENT**

[Dusty Chalk]

YOU are the weakest link.