mrvco

Responses from mrvco

Why blind listening tests are flawed
If you can't tell the difference with your eyes closed, then don't close your eyes when you listen. 
Soooo many choices.
I wouldn't get too wrapped around the axle about DAC choices. Among all the DAC's mentioned here, there are no "bad" DAC's and the resale market is good. 
How to transfer "pure music" from Imac to Mac mini
I'd just download it and use your existing key, but you can use a Time Machine backup to move from one Mac to another. 
Need help with Apple Airport Express
Now that you have the Linksys router up and running, you'll need go through the setup for the AE again to join the Linksys Wifi network.Also, the AE only supports 44KHz output, so anything higher resolution gets down-sampled. 
Need help with Apple Airport Express
Most modern home routers have a way to set traffic priority based on IP address or MAC address. It's usually meant to improve gaming performance, but setting mine to "highest" for my AE seems to pretty much eliminate any (albeit rare) glitches whe... 
Macbook vs Squeezebox 3
I'd try connecting your MacBook to the DLIII using optical and see how it compares... or using the MF V-LINK192 / V-LINKII if your particular "MacBook" model lacks optical out. 
PS Audio NuWave DAC
From what I can tell on the PS Audio forums, the first batch has shipped, but no one has taken delivery yet.I'm also curious to hear what folks think, especially when compared to the myriad GIANT-KILLER <=$999 DAC's on the market (e.g. Rega DAC... 
Has CD playback evolved in the last 5 years?
I'd say the major change has been that there are a seemingly endless number of high-quality external DAC's available to meet just about any budget. 
Favorite CD treatments?
Rip it and store it. 
CD Player under $1k
OPPO BDP-95 which lists for $995or its upcoming replacement the BDP-105 which will list for $1199Either unit will play anything (CD, DVD-A, SACD, etc.) and sound exceptionally good doing it. 
Under 1500$ Solid State Amp for Usher Be-718
The Musical Fidelity M3i lists for $1500. I just bought one and I'm loving it. 
In what price range do I need to go for a Dac ?
I'd suggest picking up a well-reviewed sub $500 DAC (e.g. V-DAC, a15.2, Bifrost, DL3, etc.), listen to it for a while and then use it as a baseline when auditioning more expensive DAC's. 
Do I really need a Dac?
If you put in a CD and music comes out, then you don't "need" a DAC.The proper question would be "will an external DAC improve the quality of sound that I hear from my system?".And the answer should be "maybe" or "probably", but the only way to kn... 
PC audio with USB DAC
I have a pair of Audioengine 2's attached directly to my iMac. I don't use them for music listening, but my only real complaint is that they are very sensitive to RF interference... so I can't set my cell phone near them.If you're concerned about ... 
Downgrading
Spending more is easy, all you have to do is believe.