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Review: ModWright Truth Transporter
| Permalink | DACs $1k to 5k , Hard Drive Servers , Writer: Danny Kaey | Posted by Danny Kaey on Jun 03 '08
Preview: Modwright Truth Transporter
COMMENTS (1) | Permalink | DACs $1k to 5k , Writer: Danny Kaey | Posted by Danny Kaey on Apr 07 '08
Editorial: Freibier Volume 1, March 2008
DK’s Freibier
Volume 1, March 2008
So what’s this Freibier thing? Simple: the term Freibier, literally means just that: free beer. Freibier was something brewery workers received in addition to their weekly pay and was later used as a daily motivational tool by many breweries, though not exclusively. Think of DK’s Freibier as a monthly column by yours truly that is part free advice, free thought and other such trivial wisdom from this crazy Serb, born in Pakistan raised in Austria.
Fitting or not, Volume 1 therefore starts with a topic very dear to me and by association, all audiophiles and music lovers everywhere. The topic is really nothing new or revolutionary, at least in our part of the universe.
Dammit, what is it already? ...
| Permalink | Articles , DAC mods , DACs $1k to 5k , Writer: Danny Kaey | Posted by Danny Kaey on Mar 07 '08
Review: LessLoss DAC 2004
Permalink | Comments (5) | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k | Disc players $800 to $2k | Writer: Danny Kaey
Modwright keeps on rockin' @ CES!
It’s 1:15pm Thursday afternoon… I have to make it to Dan Wright’s room before they are all packed up and ready to go back home. John: have you seen Dan Wright? “No, but check his room, I think someone is in there now” Ok, off to the other corridor, down the hallway… Yes! Dan is in the room…
I have known Dan pretty much since the beginning of my career at PFO, some 6+ years ago. Back then (and for some time to come), Dan was the go-to person to have your Sony CD/SACD player modified. His modifications were truly original and impressive. Stock Sony players sounds ok, but Dan was somehow able to get SO much more performance out of them, it was quite funny actually. Many well-known high profile ‘philes ended up going the route of Modwright. Even back then I knew that Dan was going to be going places – success stories like Dan are what make this industry so much fun and inspirational. A guy in his garage… Now where did I hear that before… oh… right, Apple!
Goodie, Goodie, Dan sure knows how to create superb products that are of great value. Take for example the Transporter (read my review of the stock unit right here at SF). A great music streaming “player” to begin with, Dan ads his proprietary tube based analog output stage to create a reference level playback monster that feels home in most anyone’s system. A full review is scheduled as soon as my Transporter gets the proprietary vitamins and upgrades, so stay tuned!
Speakers of choice for Dan were Emerald Physic’s striking looking RED speakers, all linked up to Dan’s very own reference level pre-amp and phono stage; while a smashing looking Red Point Audio BLUE model D was the analog source of choice. I didn’t have time to spin my own demo disc, but what sound I did hear was very good indeed. Dynamic, nicely extended and superb focus (which is what Emerald’s do rather well) the sound was my kind of thang. Job well done Dan! Here’s to many, many more years of success and good fortunes!
For more info, contact Dan Wright @ www.modwright.com
Permalink | | Posted to DAC mods | DACs $1k to 5k | Show Superstars | Tube Pre-Amps | Vegas 08 | Writer: Danny Kaey
47 Labs Shigaraki System Review by Sandy Greene
SONICFLARE REVIEW: 47 Labs Shigaraki System
4716 CD Transport ($1980), 4715 DAC ($1480), 4717 Integrated Amplifier ($1980)
Sakura Systems
by Sandy Greene
Permalink | Comments (1) | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k | Disc players $800 to $2k | Integrated Amp $1k to 3k | Writer: Sandy Greene
Vegas07 Bel Canto Answers Your Questions: USB or SPDIF?
For all you computer audio junkies, you're probably contemplating connection methods: computer-centric USB or tried and true SPDIF? The answer? Depends on the DAC. Bel Canto showed the same setup last seen at HE2006 -- $9000 Pioneer EX speakers, $1995 Bel Canto DAC3 (with preamp) and $4995 REF1000 monoblocks. Check out our HE2006 coverage for more about the baby TADs and the rocking sound.
When I rolled into the room, the Bel Canto crew jumped up and said, "SonicFlare Josh, you've gotta check this out!" See, Bel Canto was running two computers into their DAC3. A Mac Mini fed the USB port while an HP media center PC fed SPDIF. So we sat down to listen to some tracks and talk smack about the death of the CD. As for USB vs SPDIF, well, USB gets the shiny gold star. We're not talking a slaying or anything, but USB was the champ.
Of course, this wasn't a completely fair test. How much did the computers contribute? Macs are typically more audio oriented (and spend more on quality internal parts). The word on the street is USB has better jitter reduction and a purer signal path. Then again, it's all how you implement it. People have found the Grace m902's USB interface to suck wind compared to its other digital inputs. Also, Bel Canto really went buck wild with their USB input and integrated three buffer stages.
Additionally, "sounds better" is, at some point, subjective. A little brightness or muck may work for your system. But for those who doubt the emergence of USB as a legit connection method, well, doubt no longer. USB is officially Audiophile Approved™.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k | USB Audio
Slim Devices Transporter
You may remember Slim Devices from their previous product that took the audio world by storm, the Squeezebox. The Squeezebox allows you to stream your mp3s and other digital music files from your computer into your big audio rig using either the Squeezebox's built-in DAC or the digital out for connecting to your own beefy DAC. At $249, it is quite remarkable considering the sound quality and it subsequently spawned a whole cottage industry of mods and tweaks.
Today, Slim Devices is releasing the Transporter, a $1999 audiophile approved wireless digital swiss army knife. Upgrades over the regular Squeezebox center around the vastly improved DAC from AKM. Not only do you have analog balanced and unbalanced outputs, but you have full digital inputs and outputs as well.
Other Transporter features include full metal remote, ethernet networking, optional external antennas, RS-232 for Crestron integration and, of course, the sexy retro display.
If the Squeezebox's success is anything to go by, expect this bad boy to take the audio world by storm. Combined with a $1000 laptop, the real test for the Transporter is against a $3000 CD player. We'll be getting our hands on a Transporter and will let you know how it stands with the big boys.
Product ships September 18th but you can preorder yours now.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k
Grace m902 USB DAC Headphone Cuisinart
Stereophiles gets its game on with the Grace m902 audio Swiss Army knife. Pay attention here: it's a headphone amplifier that has analog out to act as a preamp. It also sports USB for computer connectivity as well as traditional S/PDIF and AES/EBU digital inputs. So it's a mini preamp, DAC headphone amp and USB transport. It's okay to be confused. Simply, the m902 does just about everything except make waffles.
Stereophile says this of the Grace's DAC:
The Levinson processor cost a whopping $17,500 when last available, and yes, it did sound slightly better than the tenth-the-price Grace m902!
So is the Grace amazing or the Levinson way overpriced? Probably the latter. This is how the Grace stacks up against the $1000 Benchmark DAC-1, a nearly identical leatherman product:
At $1700, the Grace m902 costs 75% more than Benchmark's DAC-1. Is it nearly 'twice as good'? Probably not, by any rational calculus. But, using an emotional calculus, can the m902 provide twice the listening pleasure and twice the pride of ownership? I'd say 'yes.' Highly recommended."
Then goes on to say:
While it doesn't sound significantly better than the cheaper Benchmark, merely different, the fact that it offers analog as well as digital inputs and a remote control puts it in a different product class.
About those digital connections, Wes Phillips says the USB is vastly inferior to the antiquated connections. What's up with that? If that is true, then the USB was thrown in without really putting the effort in to making it great. USB, as I constantly say, is potentially a superior connection. Sad, sad, sad. Read the full article for a lot more comparisons and tests all across the board.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k | Headphone Amps | USB Audio
Review: April Music's Stello CDT-200 and DP-200
Clement Perry of Stereo Times gives the April Music combo the Publisher's Choice Award for the most wanted component of 2005. Not too bad for the new kid on the block from Korea.
The CDT-200 is a CD-Player sans DAC while the DP-200 is a pre-amp with DAC. Prices are $1195 and $1995, respectively. If you haven't been reading the reports coming out of the last few electronics shows, then you've missed the glowing reviews of April Music's gear. All solid state and digitally based, April Music is gunning for serious market-share in the firry-hot $1k to 2k segment. Check out Clement's review for great comparisons to other top gear.
April Music Review [Stereo Times]
April Music [April Music Home]
Permalink | | Posted to DACs $1k to 5k | Disc players $800 to $2k | Pre-Amps under $2k
