DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
- Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
Spot on Slinger. BUT if you are going flat out for high end then the very best results are to split, but to be certain to be better it would have to be a better DAC than the Beresford.
Reason - mostly because of PSUs (power supplies). Splitting the circuit into smaller lumps with individual PSUs make a lot of musical difference, it is one of the principles of Doc Way (NVA). So the piddly supplies that are being proposed for the Beresford and even the alternative battery power supplies will not cut the mustard. The proper way would be big proper linear PSUs.
That is basically what changed Jammy's AP10h into his big bollocks Jammy AP10JS, it is all about power supplies.
Reason - mostly because of PSUs (power supplies). Splitting the circuit into smaller lumps with individual PSUs make a lot of musical difference, it is one of the principles of Doc Way (NVA). So the piddly supplies that are being proposed for the Beresford and even the alternative battery power supplies will not cut the mustard. The proper way would be big proper linear PSUs.
That is basically what changed Jammy's AP10h into his big bollocks Jammy AP10JS, it is all about power supplies.
Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
Jammy, YES you need a DAC... NO you're not going to find much that sounds significantly better than what you've got. IMHO you'll need to go beyond the usual M-DAC, Rega, Beresford etc. recommendations especially looking at the quality of your kit.
I owned a Bushmaster MK1 & demoed an MK2 with a nice linear supply, for the money they're great, but neither were anywhere near my Audial Model S, and at 10x lower price nor should they have been!
Doc, here's what Pedja has to say about the Model S power supply:
"First, the Model S comprises isolating mains transformer feeding the main power transformer by two bifilarly wound half-voltage secondaries (“balanced AC power”). Both isolating and main mains transformer are hugely oversized toroidal units (80VA each), and both comprise internal electrostatic shield between the primary and secondary windings. Audio circuits of the Model S are fed by nine secondary windings so supplies of individual sections are kept completely separated. (There is also tenth winding that feeds the input switching relay.)"
I owned a Bushmaster MK1 & demoed an MK2 with a nice linear supply, for the money they're great, but neither were anywhere near my Audial Model S, and at 10x lower price nor should they have been!
Doc, here's what Pedja has to say about the Model S power supply:
"First, the Model S comprises isolating mains transformer feeding the main power transformer by two bifilarly wound half-voltage secondaries (“balanced AC power”). Both isolating and main mains transformer are hugely oversized toroidal units (80VA each), and both comprise internal electrostatic shield between the primary and secondary windings. Audio circuits of the Model S are fed by nine secondary windings so supplies of individual sections are kept completely separated. (There is also tenth winding that feeds the input switching relay.)"
Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
A 288 Dave the one with knobs on..._D_S_J_R_ wrote:Jammy, what Copland CD player did you have?
- Dr Bunsen Honeydew
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Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
Yomanze - Well IMO over complicated. I am not a believer in lots of split secondary windings as you are still all working in the same field. To do the job properly you need discrete transformers. The idea of an up front isolation transformer is interesting and will give some of the benefit of a BMU, but IMO a discrete BMU would be better.
- istari_knight
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Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
I had one of them ! Best CDP I've ever owned. Always wanted to try the matching amps but never happened.jammy395 wrote:A 288 Dave the one with knobs on..._D_S_J_R_ wrote:Jammy, what Copland CD player did you have?
I've not heard a proper "high end" standalone DAC but the budget one's I've had were all much of a muchness [read: crap.]
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Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
And you replaced it with a Marantz???????jammy395 wrote:A 288 Dave the one with knobs on..._D_S_J_R_ wrote:Jammy, what Copland CD player did you have?
Hanging on in quiet desperation is the English way...The time has gone, The song is over, Thought I'd something more to say...
Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
Well not immediately Dave, but in the long run I geuss so.......
- terrybooth
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Re: DAC's.....Do I really need one ?
Pity it doesn't quite scan.Daniel Quinn wrote:Some DACS will, some DACS won't
Some dacs need a lot of tweakin and some dacs don't
Well, I know I've got the fever but I don't know why
Some DACS will and some DAC makers lie
Pioneer PL71/DL103/ Phono2/HiFiPi/P90SA/TIS/CubixPro