want to upgrade my source??

[deepak]

I know I said this somewhere else, but my friend didn't think the Audio Aero he had on loan was amazing either. Very good, but not exceptional.

My skepticism lies in the fact that the output caps in the analog stage can't be that transparent no matter how good they are. Personally I would recommend the thread poster look into Emm Labs, Esoteric, etc. At least try and listen to them.

Edited July 31, 2008 by deepak

[Beefy]

how much is the Buffalo DAC(finished built by professional) ?? any estimates??

I know there are wide array of price range, but how about a finished one with USB input and SE output??

There is no way that I am a professional...... but the BOM for my own Buffalo/IVY build is coming out at ~US$700 including case, XLR/RCA outputs, teflon SPC wire, transformers, extra LCDPS, OTTO, TOSLINK module, switches and LEDs. You could easily substitute in the USB receiver for the TOSLINK module and come out not much worse off on parts alone.

Though the price to get someone to build it for you, I can only guess! And availability is enough of a problem to make it unfeasible. I did get in before the orders closed on the second batch, but I don't think I was fast enough to actually get allocated one. It may be months

[n_maher]

I've held off even thinking about a twisted pear purchase until they get their stock levels sorted. I really want them to finish and release the uber controller (new Joshua Tree) so I can use it in my balanced beta22 build.

[Beefy]

I've held off even thinking about a twisted pear purchase until they get their stock levels sorted. I really want them to finish and release the uber controller (new Joshua Tree) so I can use it in my balanced beta22 build.

Funny you should say that....... I just got an email from Brian saying that he has oversold the LCDPS and needs volunteers to receive their Buffalo orders without them - in exchange for a couple of freebies.

So yeah, it seems to be a bit of a shambles but I can forgive that for two guys doing it in their spare time. I just hope the wait is worth it.

[deepak]

Those speakers aren't mediocre, and the same could be said about your Thiel's and their pure treble energy (which many reviewers have said as well).

i'd be the first to admit the player isn't the most transparent player in the world. it is, however, by far the most real player i've heard. i'm classically trained as a musician, i've played a lot of orchestral and chamber pieces. the AA is the only player i've heard that even gets close to a real performance. at a certain point, whether or not there are caps in the output stage takes a back step to whether it sounds real or not.

This doesn't mean anything objectively. It's just a subjective opinion that anyone could say about any source, amp, speaker or cable.

[deepak]

wrong. the anagram module in the Capitole/Prima DAC is a programmable DSP, not a DAC. it resamples and reclocks.

He didn't say it was a DAC.

[JBLoudG20]

For the record, I cheer for Jacob

[deepak]

they are mediocre to me, and i don't think the Thiels have any extraneous treble energy when properly gear matched.

well jeez, i'm sorry i'm not Data. i will try to start 0010010110100100101010101001010101010101010'ing my reviews of gear.

You're the one making all these objective posts

[deepak]

uh, he certainly implied it by saying that the 840C's Anagram DAC module is a more modern implementation of the non-DAC AA Anagram module.

The ANAGRAM tech that you are so frothy over has a better and more modern implementation in the Cambridge as it has a dac chip that is actually designed for that shit.

I read it as the the ANAGRAM dsp is better implemented on the Cambridge as the Cambridge has a DAC chip that was designed for the ANAGRAM technology.

I have no idea if this is true or not, but that's just how I read it. I didn't get the feeling that he thought the ANAGRAM is an actual DAC.

[JBLoudG20]

is it AA that uses the xilinx fpga's in the DAC stage?

[deepak]

you know what, Deepak, i think that i, more than anyone else on this forum, stresses objectivity and the scientific method when evaluating gear. it only goes so far. i guess i should prefer Midori to Heifetz because Midori plays the sheet music with more accuracy. i wish i had known that before, it would have saved me a lot of time and money. thank you for letting me know that my method is completely wrong. i bow down to you.

Are these ad hominem attacks really called for?

I'm done debating this.

For what it's worth I love objectivity as well, but I won't push it on anyone else since it's annoying as fuck to most people.

[Voltron]

:'(:'(:'(

:sadcat:

Edited August 1, 2008 by deepak

[grawk]

more beer, less stress over other people's gear, please

[deepak]

my defending myself is not an ad hominem. rhetoric has rules.

That went beyond defending yourself.

Al seriously a 2.9 mb imbedded image?

[JBLoudG20]

Al that image is painful on an iToich

[grawk]

come on, it's a cd player, relax guys

[Icarium]

Frankly I don't think I'm the only one that thinks your recommendations have gotten progressively more and more hamfisted. I'm sure you don't care and you don't need to care. I just wanted to speak my mind and now I have done so. I am satisfied.

I didn't say Anagram is a dac.

This article here talks a little bit more about the Anagram Q5 in the 840c: [url=http://www.analog.com/en/embedded-processing-dsp/blackfin/processors/anagram_technologies_cambridge_audio_cd/fca.html]Analog Devices: Cambridge Audio CD Player Uses Blackfin

[deepak]

sir, i was impugned. i used analogy; other than telling Icarium to fuck off for calling a jamato-a-like, i did not explicitly attack you or him. my purpose was not to attack either of you.

Well I don't really care about Icarium

But I wasn't a fan of the last part of your message I quoted. It's all good, these arguments are good now and then.

[Voltron]

That went beyond defending yourself.

Al seriously a 2.9 mb imbedded image?

I don't know why that thing was so huge, but it is gone now. Not worth it anyway.

[deepak]

I don't know why that thing was so huge, but it is gone now. Not worth it anyway.

You didn't need to take it out completely (I thought it was funny), I just removed it from being imbedded in the thread, so people could still click on it.

[jinp6301]

I dont think reks is being overly shill-ish. He likes his AA gear and its the best he's heard and feels it to be a great value so he recommends it, whats the problem here?

and I think the 840C sounds like poo,

[morphsci]

Well if recommending something because it a.) sounds good and b.) is a good deal, then I am an 840c shill. It is what I currently recommend a lot as a digital source. Is it better, or a better DSP/DAC implentation than the AA? I have no idea because I have never heard the AA, why would I recommend the AA? This isn't headfi.

As far as Icarium goes; Dude he likes the Qualia That was a low blow with the Jamato and Trose comment, but at least he didn't say you were the HC Icarium

[morphsci]

and I think the 840C sounds like poo,

But at least mine was bought by me

[Beefy]

Well this thread has somewhat moved on, and it is quite apparent that nobody here cares what I say regardless, but I've just got word from Brian that my Buffalo DAC is shipping today or tomorrow.

I did volunteer to give up my 2 LCDPS, but should be able to get the DAC happening without them for the time being. The delay will also give me more time to finalise the casework......

[deepak]

Well this thread has somewhat moved on, and it is quite apparent that nobody here cares what I say regardless, but I've just got word from Brian that my Buffalo DAC is shipping today or tomorrow.

I did volunteer to give up my 2 LCDPS, but should be able to get the DAC happening without them for the time being. The delay will also give me more time to finalise the casework......

Start up a new thread, there is no lack of interest in the Buffalo DAC here