Tascam DA-3000

Fair enough, Dhl93449. Your post just above solidifies your case persuasively, as far as I'm concerned. My theory was an attempt to reconcile your sonic assessment of the Tascam with Jeff's (whose opinions command great respect in my book), while taking into account the nearly unique ultra-wide bandwidths of the Spectral products.

One minor nit, though:

I won't repeat that other post here, but basically the Spectral was coupled to the Benchmark which fed digital AES/EBU to the Tascam. If Al is right, the same RF would have been transmitted to the Benchmark and the sonic results would have been the same.

My theory revolved around the assumption that the anti-aliasing filter in the Tascam was less than fully effective at RF frequencies, perhaps because the design is such that some RF frequencies might bypass the filter altogether via unintended/parasitic circuit paths. If so, the results would very possibly not have been the same with the Benchmark.

Regards,
-- Al

Hi Al, I will have to get either the Benchmark or the Ayre and see for myself. I will let everyone know. The best Jeff

Al or anyone else are you going to CES this year? I am and would like to meet some of you.

Jeff, thanks, but no, I don't have plans to go to CES or any of the other major shows (e.g., RMAF) in the foreseeable future. In part because I'm on the east coast.

Best regards,
-- Al

Al:

You do have a point, assuming that potential RF entering the Benchmark is somehow filtered differently so that it never gets into the digital bit stream.

I did notice my 60 Hz hum levels were lower when using the Benchmark. Same gain setting on the Spectral, same interconnects. I attribute this to a better common mode rejection in the Benchmark balanced input amplifiers, which may have an impact on your point above.