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PC-Audio vs. High-end CD Player-GAME OVER

Hi All,
I just auditioned the Wavelength Audio Cosecant DAC on a very nice system at the local dealer. It was run through a Hovland 200 preamp , a Plinius amp and Avalon Eidolon Diamond speakers. This is all in a very well treated, good-sounding room.
It was, in a word spectacular. Beautiful tone, excellent bass, imaging soundstaging, etc. What was really amazing was a sense of space, or ambience that was imparted. We then compared the same CD's (Diana Krall, Jennifer warnes, some jazz), on a Levinson CDP. I'm not saying that the levinson is the last word in players, but it was what he had on the shelf.While it sounded good, it was much more bright, and "constricted".
Control was through an Imac using I-tunes, and the CD's had been nurned using Apple Lossless.
I ordered my Crimson on the spot.

David
deshapiro
psacanli
535 posts
 
I'm with Tomcy6 just waiting for all those cheap CDs to become available.
psacanli
535 posts
 
As a famous wag once said "news of my death was entirely premature". It's never over.
goatwuss
875 posts
 
I am surprised that on this thread there are no empirical audio users. His pacecar reclocker for the squeezebox looks very interesting... hooks up via an I2s connection to a modified Benchmark or a Northstar dac.

Any empirical audio users here? I would rather go wireless than USB, personally...
bigamp
216 posts
 
EA user here. I use the Turbo-2 (AES/EBU out) with the EmmLabs DCC2 SE. With the right PC setup and EA's battery power supply, PCM is essentially indistinguishable from my CDSD SE. All of my CDs are tucked away in boxes in storage. I use the CDSD only for SACDs, which usually sound better IMO.

The beauty of the EA stuff is you get to use your existing DAC. Looking forward to the Pacecar v3. No experience with I2S or wireless.
brimac
59 posts
 
i've recently hooked up a Mac g5 tower, powered by a PS Audio power plant, via digital output to my AA Capitole mk11. it sounded great, so started to tweak, now have roller balls and a bdr shelf for source under the g5, and have passed the point of no return. I connect to the g5 thru my laptop with Apple Remote Access and limit the current draw to minimum inside the g5, no video out, no external drives. The sound passed my transport a while ago, and is just getting better and better. i never understood what a background of blackness really sounded like before this, and the extra detail is clearly evident. Instruments stand out from the mix and are better defined, less overhang, much sharper and easier to focus on. when you hear details you were never aware of before the music changes, becomes even more involving, its hard to do anything but close your eyes and immerse yourself in it. rythm and pace are also much improved upon.
i own an Apple computer shop and we will start an audio section soon enough; now my hobby will be part of my work, can't wait!
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