Absolute top tier DAC for standard res Redbook CD

I have neither the trained ears, acoustically corrected room, expansive vocabulary nor elocution to properly review gear in the objective manor in which the pros can do it.

As I said when I started, I am simply saying it like I hear it with no bias other then what sounds best to me, in my room, with my ears.

Matt: As expressed by others, you’re doing great! Reviewers, are....well reviewers!! I'm here because I don't have to read prefacing paragraphs about something other than audio that then segues into a review that contains a lot of words, but no direct references to other like-equipment (e.g. DAC’s vs DAC’s) that the reviewer has auditioned...etc.

Your writing is entertaining, humorous and insightful without being pompous or self-important. Your thread is currently my favorite and one of the best that I’ve encountered here or on any other audio forum…..kudos, and keep it up!!
Cheers,
-Mike

Sorry cannot help myself :) - where is the DirectStream part :D

Thanks for all the had work.

Cheers,
seb

UPDATE: (SORT OF)

My apologies to all, but my day to play turned into a day to work.

So my update is limited.

I did try to run the ODSE via the Final Drive direct to my amps and I seam to have run into a snag. I am trying to work through it with Steve, who has been very responsive.

I can say that the Final Drive units are built to the same standards and style as the ODSE. Very industrial, very well built and a quality product all around. I can't decide where to put them though. Should they go on the rack next to or behind the ODSE, on the ground between rack and amps or should I set them atop the mono blocks? When I set it up, the cables seated snugly and were stable. I have decided that the only thing I am not in love with on the ODSE control unit, from a functional standpoint, are the recessed toggles; the purpose for which is to adjust high/low gain and to turn on/off the volume control. I understand that they are essentially set it and forget it. But they are difficult to get to and I think they would have been better placed under the unit as easier sliding switches then on the front as recessed toggles (and I think it would clean the front panel up a bit more and make it more attractive).

My Direct Stream arrived today (no one was home yesterday to accept it). It is sitting in its box on my floor currently.

My hope is that, if it stays quiet tomorrow morning, I will have time to run the ODSE direct via Final Drive and compare it to running through my pre-amp. I also will take another listen to the Aeris as it is now about 400 hours (give or take) on it. I will not make a final call on the Aeris until it is over 700; so I still have 300 hours to put on it (12.5 days).

I'm going to unpack the DirectStream right now and check it out, although I don't really expect it to look at all different from the Perfect Wave II sitting 2 feet to its left.

Sorry I don't have more to report. My intentions for today were high. Sigh.

And thanks all for the kind words. We must be doing something fun, because this thread has over 22 thousand views. Thats pretty cool I think!!!

I will post again tomorrow if I can get some Matt time.

fin

Matt, How did you determine how many views this thread has got?, I did not know someone can do that.

The person who starts the thread sees the view count.
Go to your home page and then select Forum Threads on bottom left. If you started the thread or have a Virtual System it shows you a view count.