Introduction And Some Questions

[TheGreenManalishi]

Just coming back to being interested in quality musical reproduction after 10 years away (kids etc forced a rethink of priorities), so please bear with me as things seemed an awful lot less complicated in the mid 90's!

Just fyi i had an Arcam Alpha 5 (upgraded) with some Arcam Pre/power amps and some speakers which i cant quite remember if im honest, so i would like to think that whilst im no high roller i have a little more of an idea than your typical Ipod wearing youth....

Ive just purchased the following:-

Beresford Caiman Dac

Graham Slee Novo + PSU1 Headphone Amp

HD650 Phones (on their way, currently using SR80i's)

My main question evolves around source - using my pc as the transport (connecting the DAc via Digital Coax to my Creative Xtreme Music), is this a balanced set-up or is any one of the components much better than the other etc etc?

All items burning in atm, but its great to hear feet tapping in the studio etc again...

[tkam]

Have you thought about moving away from a soundcard? Something like a Squeezebox would be a better idea I think.

[manaox2]

I'm sworn myself off of beresford, though I haven't heard your DAC. I've seen some pretty sketchy shilling practices and rebranding of other designs by that company, notably involving their TC series DACs. They have had some incredibly bad designs that don't isolate the digital inputs using pulse transformers, cap decoupling the optical inputs, share a common ground between the analog and digital sections, and just odd layout with similarities with commonly known circuits. Also, shills have shown up on a different headphone forum (head-fi) and used multiple screen names to shill their DACs. Sketchy all around.

[grawk]

Ive just purchased the following:-

Beresford Caiman Dac

Graham Slee Novo + PSU1 Headphone Amp

HD650 Phones (on their way, currently using SR80i's)

Is it too late to return those?

[TheGreenManalishi]

Great!

Im aware of the issues with Stan - but the other side of that argument also seems to be as vocal in their support of the product (ive also seen the shilling)

Where have i gone wrong then, in terms of choices?

Prolly is too late to return, but i could sell at least one of them if there was something much better at the pricepoint?

S

[grenert]

What is the point of asking these questions now?

You've already bought your setup. It doesn't matter what anyone says - Sounds like you're stuck with it. Why don't you just listen to it and see if you like it?

[TheGreenManalishi]

To ask others opinions?, as is normally the way on forums?

Im happy with the sound tbh, and am just pondering a squeezebox duet.....

[Dusty Chalk]

We're not other forums.

[cetoole]

More to the point, what is the benefit of seeking the opinions of others, once one has already purchased all of the equipment they are going to for a while. Seems a bit backwards, buying and then asking.

[luvdunhill]

Well, I mean he has another 1000 hours before he really can start listening anyways, plenty of time to change horses. I mean, that has to be the most burn-in sensitive system I've ever seen, short of a Shadow/K701 rig.

[swt61]

Had you come in looking for advice before your purchases, I'll wager that most of us would have recommended different source and amp choices. Nothing wrong with the HD650 if you like the balance. I prefer the 580 or 600, but that's just personal preference.

At this point I'd say live with it a while, then you can decide if there's a weak link. My guess would be the source would be the first item to change.

[Dusty Chalk]

At this point I'd say live with it a while, then you can decide if there's a weak link.

Why don't you just listen to it and see if you like it?

This.

[TheGreenManalishi]

ok chaps, all fair cop, regrettably ive always been a tad hasty!

[mrarroyo]

TheGreenManalishi if you bought the Novo from Graham Slee directly I would suggest you send him an email asking him if he would be willing to allow a trade up. I am assuming your Novo is brand new and w/ no marks/scratches. I have both the Novo and Solo SRGII and find the Solo a much better sounding unit specially with the PSU1. Cheers and good luck.

[TheGreenManalishi]

Ah, it was from AudioElavation, so im stuffed?

Ive now ordered a Squeezebox Duet as well....but from a financial standpoint i cant afford to keep everything so ill be looking to get rid of the Dac or the Slee?

Im amazed at the reviews of the SB and the quality of sound it offers, one of the reasons ive been so trigger happy is that i found it hard to comprehend that these circa

[Spiug31]

Ah, it was from AudioElavation, so im stuffed?

they have a "14 day money back guarantee" according to their website.

audioelevation

[jp11801]

I have not been a fan of the Graham Slee stuff having owned the phono pre and auditioned one of the headphone amps. You can likely do better elsewhere and x2 on the slim devices stuff for a decent cheap source.

[TheGreenManalishi]

The bloody phones have yet to arrive(650's) so im not as up and running as i would like - duet arrived this morning (what a great piece of kit) - impressions atm are that the sound is much more "powerful" , with Daltrey's vocals sounding much more realistic, through the GSlee than through the Caiman (at some point ill put the Duet through the Slee too - i could be in for a shocvk from what you guys say)