Apogee Duet Kicks Ass

[Voltron]

What did you get and from whom?

[tyrion]

What did you get and from whom?

A very kind member from the Bay Area: http://www.head-case.org/audio_gear_for_sale/hc_special_cheap_k1000-t2971.0.html

[deepak]

to me the duet has deeper bass, potentially better detail and images better than the cosecant and the cosecant provides vocals and instruments in the midrange with more body and warmth. Mike you and I see the duet in different terms or are describing the same thing very differently. I see the duet as faster, maybe more dynamic and brighter but you has described it as warmer. I would not classify this dac as being warm at all it reminds me more of the ayre cx7e fast detailed , great image but maybe just a touch thin in the mids (or accurate and I have become used to mids thicker than natural?)

Either way I would unconditionally recommend the duet to any mac user who is looking for a great dac under 1k that punches far above its class. By way of tech data this unit is said to use Cirrus CS4272 dacs I know nothing about then other than they are a 2003 design according to the Cirrus page. Anyone know anything about these chips?

My North Star uses the Cirrus CS4396. I like the DAC (as a whole unit) a lot

[tyrion]

My North Star uses the Cirrus CS4396. I like the DAC (as a whole unit) a lot

That's good to know. Doesn't Reks have a Northstar as well?

[n_maher]

That's good to know. Doesn't Reks have a Northstar as well?

Deepak's Northstar = Reks' old Northstar

[deepak]

That's good to know. Doesn't Reks have a Northstar as well?

I give him medical advice, he sells me gears

[tyrion]

I guess you being Reks' medical advisor is similar to me being Nates' legal advisor. I just get paid less.

[n_maher]

Before you ship it, through in a usb input.

Not likely, I prefer it with dual coax digital inputs and have precious little motivation to change that only to have to change it back when it returns home.

[immtbiker]

JP#s/tyrion FOTMJP#s/tyrion FOTM

First of all, those 2 need to get a room and finally get it over with. The pre-sexual tension that they convey is killing us.

...and they change equipment more than most people change their underwear I'm surprised they're not from Italy (Nik, cough, cough).

At least they can both say they've tasted a lot of nectar before they die. After all, isn't the thrill of the chase half the fun (except if you're Wyle E. Coyote, who never finishes the chase)

[jp11801]

Aaron having been to your house and seen the pawn shop of gear you have piled up...

[tyrion]

Aaron having been to your house and seen the pawn shop of gear you have piled up...

Is there anyone other than Wayne that has more gear?

[immtbiker]

Plenty of people.

The problem comparing me to Wayne is that, Wayne buys stuff with cold hard cash.

I, on the other hand have sold my soul to the devil whose name also goes under the name of Master Card, Visa and Sir Charge.

...and John, pawn shop is such a Bohemian term. I'd rather think of it as a lifelong payment plan.

Then there's Bozebuttons...

[Salt Peanuts]

Damn, as a Mac user, you guys are making it harder and harder for me not to pick one up to try.

Mike and jp11801, I've got couple of questions for you -

• How does the volume setting work - do you just set it at its maximum volume to use it through an amp?
  
• Does it work with Front Row?
  

[Salt Peanuts]

Another thing - would I be able to needle-drop with a Duet?

[grawk]

Another thing - would I be able to needle-drop with a Duet?

It's got a reportedly great ADC section, so yes.

[jp11801]

Damn, as a Mac user, you guys are making it harder and harder for me not to pick one up to try.

Mike and jp11801, I've got couple of questions for you -

• How does the volume setting work - do you just set it at its maximum volume to use it through an amp?
  
• Does it work with Front Row?
  

I set the volume for max there is a knob on the unit as well as a screen interface for volume

I just tried it with front row and yes it works

[Salt Peanuts]

I just tried it with front row and yes it works

Damnit, not the answer I wanted to hear. This means that I won't have to bring my iMac closer to my headphone stuff to use a Duet. I may be getting one sooner rather than later.

[tyrion]

Damn, as a Mac user, you guys are making it harder and harder for me not to pick one up to try.

Mike and jp11801, I've got couple of questions for you -

• How does the volume setting work - do you just set it at its maximum volume to use it through an amp?
  
• Does it work with Front Row?
  

When you download the software there is a volume control that lets you set it at 0. On the Transporter when you max out volume it goes to 0. The SB3 does not. So I am assuming that the volume control has been disabled at this setting.

[jp11801]

the volume scheme on the software is set up as attenuation at max you are at 0db attenuation and as you lower the volume knob on screen it shows how many dbs of attenuation at that setting

[immtbiker]

On the Transporter when you max out volume it goes to 0. The SB3 does not. So I am assuming that the volume control has been disabled at this setting.

I don't understand. Maxed out volume on the Slimserver interface is 11, and 100 on the TP. Whaddya mean "it goes to 0"?

[grawk]

I don't understand. Maxed out volume on the Slimserver interface is 11, and 100 on the TP. Whaddya mean "it goes to 0"?

Maxed out, the volume is "0dB of attenuation". Not whatever random scale they display.

[n_maher]

Maxed out, the volume is "0dB of attenuation". Not whatever random scale they display.

But Mike said that the SB3 does not, so color me confused.

[n_maher]

they can call it whatever they want, but all attenuators stop at 0, regardless of what the scale says. for instance, the Singlepowers stop at 0, even though it's marked at 5 dots, or whatever. my capitole could be marked 1 to 101 instead of -100DB to 0DB, but it would still stop at zero.

Yup, I get that part, I'm just confused about what Mike was trying to convey about the differences between the Duet, Transporter and SB3.

[grawk]

Yup, I get that part, I'm just confused about what Mike was trying to convey about the differences between the Duet, Transporter and SB3.

You mean mike the lawyer?

[philodox]

If I remember correctly from my squeezeboxen days, you can also disable the volume control through slimserver which does the same thing [0db attenuation, 'true' line out]. I would imagine this would work with the SB3 and the transporter.