AudioCircle
Audio/Video Gear and Systems => Owner's Circles => Channel Islands Audio Owners => Topic started by: CIAudio on 25 Jul 2019, 11:36 pm
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Our DMC•1 Digital Music Console is now getting close to production, so I thought it would be a good time to start a thread.
What is it? It’s my idea of what a digital music player should be.
There are several options on the market, but none quite like the DMC•1.
The DMC is a headless design, meaning it has no screen or controls. It has a built-in graphical user interface that can be accessed from any web browser. We call it a console as there is no music storage or CD drive, instead it uses inexpensive USB devices that can be easily removed/replaced by the customer.
It can be used stand-alone file player by creating a HotSpot, and playing audio files from a USB storage device.
It can also be connected to your local network to stream internet radio, Tidal, Qobuz, and music stored on NAS or shared drives.
4 USB ports allow direct connection of music drives, USB Dac, and even CD drive.
With addition of a USB CD drive, DMC becomes a reference quality CD player and can also save tracks in .flac format.
The internal design starts with multiple power supplies and 6 individually regulated outputs to power the quad core CPU, clocks, digital circuitry, and analog stages. There is also a dedicated 5V output port to power a CD drive.
32 bit/768k dac with dsd, single-ended and balanced outputs, ultra-low jitter femto clocks.
Introductory price will be $1595 and will have an optional matching USB CD Transport.
That’s it for now... next I’ll post some screenshots of the software on various devices.
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Dusty, can you provide more details on the software side? Can you run Roon or Jriver? HQPlayer? What audio software does it comes with?
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Software is called CI AudioFile Player and is custom to our device.
The 1st release will not have Roon but we plan add compatibility in the next release.
The hardware design is modular... the main board contains all power supply circuitry, and computer and audio circuits are modules. This allows for future internal upgrades of DAC’s and audio circuits.
Software updates are done the same as a cell phone or computer... software notifies you that a new version is available and you can choose to update or not.
Third party software like JRiver, HQPlayer are not supported.
This platform is very flexible for future updates of hardware and software as new technologies & music streaming services become available.
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Does the player have a USB out so it can be used with another DAC?
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yes, 4 of them
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Here are a couple of screenshots of CI AudioFile Player from my PC to get a basic idea of the look.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=196985)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=196986)
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Anything other than USB outs? AES, toslink, coax?
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No s/pdif outputs as they do not support beyond 24/192 and is a high-jitter interface.
It is primarily designed to use the internal DAC but most any USB 2.0 DAC is compatible.
The internal DAC circuit is built around the AK4493 DAC with SE and balanced outputs, and precision Crystek femto clocks.
The internal hardware is somewhat modular in design, so software & hardware are future upgradable.
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And here are screenshots from an iPad
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197035)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197034)
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DMC•1 can be controlled by any web browser, even the Web OS on your smart TV, no apps needed!
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=197059)
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I was wondering where I had seen that screen configuration...looks like an application of Volumio which some use on their Raspberry Pi units:
https://volumio.github.io/docs/User_Manual/First_steps_with_Volumio.html
Interesting...
Best,
Anand.
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Yes, our software is designed by INTUITU (creators of Volumio), but is customized to our hardware and feature set.
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I'm very intrigued by this Dusty. Look forward to some pictures of the hardware and some AP measurements too. :D
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We’re also developing a matching companion CD transport for DMC•1.
The CDT•1 ($495) is a high performance slot-loading drive mechanism in a solid billet aluminum chassis with damped mounting for low mechanical noise.
Data is output through USB and clocked by precision femto oscillators in DMC. This yields reference quality playback unmatched by hi-end CD players/transports of yesteryear.
Power to CDT is provided by a dedicated power port on the rear of DMC. Use AudioFile player to play CD’s or save tracks to .flac
Front panel includes status LED and eject button (can also be ejected in AudioFile player).
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How is this coming along; any update that can be shared?
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Sorry for the looong silence on this one...
DMC•1 hardware has been completed, just working on final software integration for the AK4493 DAC to control volume, select digital filters, etc.
After the holidays, we'll be testing for a couple of weeks, and then to production!
-Dusty
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I was wondering, now that the AXPONA 2020 show has been moved to August, will the DMC 1 be ready to be shown at the show? I would like to check it out there. If you are not going, maybe a manufacturer friend can bring it to the show.
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I don't know if we'll be exhibiting at Axpona, but i'm sure there will be a few DMC-1's in various rooms.
We are signed up for The SHOW in Long Beach for mid June, and will have an All-CIAudio system with DMC-1 and our new R-3 stand-mount Loudspeakers.
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DMC•1 is going into production!
We now have final software and I'm very excited to get them in production.
This device is a swiss army knife for digital file playback, streaming TIDAL/QOBUZ/SPOTIFY/Internet Radio, CD play and rip (with optional CD Transport), and also sounds amazing!
Single-ended and balanced outputs (requires our VRX-1 cable set), Femto clocks, DSD playback, very simple to set up and can be controlled by any web browser. Can be used stand-alone without any internet connection (USB drive & CD only), or connect to your network to stream internet sources or music stored elsewhere on your network.
We will have a special pre-pay deal for those who want to get one of the first units (very limited number), and provide feedback to us.
If interested, call me for details
Dusty Vawter/CIAudio
(805) 984-8282
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looks great..for those who are not too technically savvy, can it be used with standalone software such as ammarra or audivarna?
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This will be given careful consideration Dusty. Very excited!
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looks great..for those who are not too technically savvy, can it be used with standalone software such as ammarra or audivarna?
DMC•1 is has it’s own operating system/AudioFile software built in... it does not use any 3rd party software.
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Here are a few screenshots from an ipad
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206805)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206806)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206807)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206809)
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Will there be a hand held remote control or strictly user interface? I was wondering about volume control. When will we see these for sale Dusty?
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Will there be a hand held remote control or strictly user interface? I was wondering about volume control. When will we see these for sale Dusty?
There is no old-school IR remote, all functions can be controlled by a small tablet.
When volume control is enabled, it is controlled by the wheel on the right.
We expect to be shipping DMC around June 1st.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=206822)
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Awesome! Thanks. Looking forward to it.
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Here is the DMC•1 chassis. Same form factor as PLC•1, PEQ•1 etc.
Being a headless design, there is only a power LED on the front panel.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=209303)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=209305)
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We’re now building the first production run of DMC•1 and will start shipping in a few weeks.
I will have a special introductory offer available only to AC members, so stay tuned!
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:thumb:
Thanks for the updates.
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Great!
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Hey Dusty, any juicy inside glamour pics? I am chompimg at the bit for one of these.....
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Hey Dusty, any juicy inside glamour pics? I am chompimg at the bit for one of these.....
I’ll post an inside photo once DAC boards come off of the surface-mount machine (sometime next week).
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Hey Dusty, any juicy inside glamour pics? I am chomping at the bit for one of these.....
Since I know you can't wait, here is the inside of my pre-production prototype :wink:
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=209464)
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Will the cd transport be ready soon too?
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Will this unit accept a hard drive loaded with AIFFs through a USB input? I can do this with the Bleusound Node 2i, but it's not very friendly to a drive with 1tb of files? Thanks.
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Will the cd transport be ready soon too?
We have working prototypes and are refining the chassis, but it may be 2-3 months before we have production units. Due to the pandemic, our metal fabricators have switched to producing ventilator chassis.
I will also post a list of compatible drives from other manufacturers.
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Will this unit accept a hard drive loaded with AIFFs through a USB input? I can do this with the Bleusound Node 2i, but it's not very friendly to a drive with 1tb of files? Thanks.
Yes, we’re currently running a 4TB WD Elements Desktop drive and also WD 1TB portable drive.
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Dusty, is there access to internet radio too?
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Dusty, is there access to internet radio too?
Yes, has web radio... you can also add your own stations if you know the url.
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Yes, we’re currently running a 4TB WD Elements Desktop drive and also WD 1TB portable drive.
Thanks. I hooked a HD to my Node 2i. It works, but not as well as I'd like.
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I’m not familiar with the Bluesound architecture, but many devices share the USB buss with ethernet or wifi which degrades speed and performance significantly.
DMC has very snappy performance and scans local music drives quickly.
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Thanks. I hooked a HD to my Node 2i. It works, but not as well as I'd like.
I have a Node 2i and since it won't access my iTunes library over my network (because it's on an external drive and not the iMac's own local drive), I've been thinking of copying some or all of it to a second external drive that I would plug directly into the Node via USB. I'd be very interested in hearing about the issues you've had with your setup.
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I have a Node 2i and since it won't access my iTunes library over my network (because it's on an external drive and not the iMac's own local drive), I've been thinking of copying some or all of it to a second external drive that I would plug directly into the Node via USB. I'd be very interested in hearing about the issues you've had with your setup.
Sent you a pm.
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I’m not familiar with the Bluesound architecture, but many devices share the USB buss with ethernet or wifi which degrades speed and performance significantly.
DMC has very snappy performance and scans local music drives quickly.
It took 10-15 minutes for the node 2i to "scan" my HD with a little over 1tb of files.
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It took 10-15 minutes for the node 2i to "scan" my HD with a little over 1tb of files.
Should take less than 1/2 that time for DMC-1
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Amazon HD compatible? That's what I'm streaming now.
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No Amazon HD as they choose who can add compatibility to their product.
We contacted them on several occasions and they simply don’t care about high performance audio products, so I don’t know why they offer “Ultra HD” if they aren’t willing to work with manufacturers.
It appears that Amazon compatibility will only be available on their own Echo products and other mass market junk.
Then they had the nerve to contact us and ask us to become an Amazon Retail Partner. :duh:
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DMC•1 will start shipping very soon but in limited supply as our first production run is somewhat small as we perfect our procedures.
Our introductory price is $1595 (normally $1995)
Before we put them on our website, we are offering AudioCircle members an additional $100 off.
We will have limited supply as there is already a lengthy waiting list.
If you would like to get in on this deal, give us a call to reserve one for you.
CIAudio (805) 984-8282
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Careful, folks!
After just a dozen minutes on the phone with Dusty, I found myself committing to purchase one of his new DMC-1 units. He knows this component inside out and he did an excellent job describing its capabilities.
Thanks, Dusty. :thumb:
Michael
:popcorn: :popcorn:
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Ordered for one completely 'in the blind' but I know Dustin, if he tells me he mede something special it will be special.
It is on the road now so I feel exited to have it here in Holland soon.
Keep you posted.
Best, Cor
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My DMC-1 arrived today. The box is in excellent condition. I've opened the shipping box, but haven't had time to unbox it yet. I'll try to pull it out and snap a photo before I hit the sack tonight. Playing with it may have to wait a couple days if I can find time tomorrow.
Michael
[July 10th Edit: Sorry to drop the ball. I became extremely busy immediately after I posted the above reply. I only just today took it out of its box. Now, I must scramble up a pair of RCA cables because I loaned my extra two pairs to a friend last week. :duh:]
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I received my DCM-1 last Friday. After removing it from the double box packaging I was surprised but pleased how compact it is. Build quality is very good. One thing to note is that the power switch is right next to the IEC inlet. I make my own power cords with aftermarket plugs and when plugging it in the barrel of the plug hid the switch. I had to call Dusty to get that one figured out. Set up was a bit troublesome, mainly due to user error, but the documentation needs to be updated as well. All in all support from Dusty was great and the DCM-1 located my medial player (Minim Server) that sits on my NAS and my files were available to me within a reasonable amount of time.
I have been a longtime Auralic Aries LE user and have watched their UI evolve over that time. Early on it was okay but very quirky and buggy. Today it is quite a bit better. The DCM-1 UI is kind of at the stage that Auralic was at when they first started out,m perhaps a tad ahead. It's adequate but not necessarily pretty. The important thing to note is that it works and Dusty will improve it over time. As early adopters we shouldn't expect anything more at this point.
I use a multi-bit DAC with my Aries, a DAC I have been using since 2007. Unfortunately this DAC does not have a USB input so the DCM-1 as an all in one solution was a leap of faith for me. I have always been leery about single bit Delta/Sigma DAC chips. Yeah I know it's in the implementation but I never heard a Sabre DAC that I liked and the AKM chips are kind of new to me. One thing that sold me though was that on the DCM-1 I have control over whether I want to use native sample and bit rates or to up/over sample. I choose to stay with the native bit rate. The filters are interesting as well and after a little experimentation I have settled on the slow roll off for now. I will keep playing around with this though.
Overall I have been very pleased with the results. I can't say 100% that I like the DAC of the DCM-1 better than my multi-bit DAC, but given the price point and the early adopter special this is the best I could have hoped for. I have been looking for a new streamer solution for quite some time but could never pull the trigger on anything. To be able to get a streamer/DAC combo that punches above it's price point is quite an accomplishment from my perspective.
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Dusty-Wow, wow & wow! Off to a really good start here.
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Hey Dusty, do you reccomend leaving the DMC-1 powered on at all times?
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Hey Dusty, do you recommend leaving the DMC-1 powered on at all times?
Yes, it should be left on all the time.
Once you've got set up, I suggest saving the page to your home screen or desktop.
This way you just close the window when done listening, and click an icon to open it back up.
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Great. Yes, already saved it to home screen.
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Sweet!
Great. Yes, already saved it to home screen.
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=211188)
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.
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Sweet!
Haha. Thought you'd like that one.
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...
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I have one of these en route. Looking for a user manual on the website and don't see it. Is that available?
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I have one of these en route. Looking for a user manual on the website and don't see it. Is that available?
As of now, there is an Introduction and QuickStart Guide in the box to get up and running.
Operation is fairly intuitive with play, pause, forward, back, volume etc.
In the settings, there is an information tab next to each function describing its use, but the majority should be left at the default.
I am working on advanced features page, which will go into detail of NAS configuration, library navigation, filter and upsampling options etc.
This will be accessed by the HELP section in AudioFile Player, and will also be on the DMC product page along with specifications.
We're a little behind on this due to the high demand and trying to keep up with orders, but hope to have all on the website in a week or so.
In the meantime, feel free to email or call us with any questions.
Thanks,
Dusty
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As of now, there is an Introduction and QuickStart Guide in the box to get up and running.
Operation is fairly intuitive with play, pause, forward, back, volume etc.
In the settings, there is an information tab next to each function describing its use, but the majority should be left at the default.
I am working on advanced features page, which will go into detail of NAS configuration, library navigation, filter and upsampling options etc.
This will be accessed by the HELP section in AudioFile Player, and will also be on the DMC product page along with specifications.
We're a little behind on this due to the high demand and trying to keep up with orders, but hope to have all on the website in a week or so.
In the meantime, feel free to email or call us with any questions.
Thanks,
Dusty
Perfect. I had the DMC up and running in no time, but I'm pretty comfortable with networks settings. I have a few services running at home that I access via browser anyway, so adding a bookmark to the DMC was no problem. I always forget the proper formatting for shared network drives though so I had to remember that. But once I did, the DMC scanned and indexed my music that resides on my NAS. Qobuz login was easy too.
I'm pretty impressed with how smooth the UI is, particularly on my iPhone. My main quibble is with the software volume control--it was very hard to use the volume slider on my iPhone.
I love having a good-looking box for a streamer, and having a good DAC is just icing on the cake!
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I am up and running. I did have to call Dusty to get going but that shouldn't scare anyone because I am clueless. Had my Wife helping me push the proper buttons.
I have no NAS or any network files, all I'm doing is streaming's Qobuz. My intro to streaming was Node 2i which lasted 29 days before it started the notorious popping noises and sent it back this week. I ran that unit out to a Peachtree Nova 150 via Toslink and RCA so I could toggle to see what sounded best. There was no consensus.
I've never owned an outboard dac. The DMC1 is a dramatic upgrade in sound quality over the Node 2i. If you have a Node, and don't have a dac, and wondering what your next step might be, here you go.
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I am up and running. I did have to call Dusty to get going but that shouldn't scare anyone because I am clueless. Had my Wife helping me push the proper buttons.
I have no NAS or any network files, all I'm doing is streaming's Qobuz. My intro to streaming was Node 2i which lasted 29 days before it started the notorious popping noises and sent it back this week. I ran that unit out to a Peachtree Nova 150 via Toslink and RCA so I could toggle to see what sounded best. There was no consensus.
I've never owned an outboard dac. The DMC1 is a dramatic upgrade in sound quality over the Node 2i. If you have a Node, and don't have a dac, and wondering what your next step might be, here you go.
Glad you’re liking the DMC•1... the internal DAC circuit is very good. I doubt you can beat it’s performance with an outboard unless spending more than the cost of DMC itself.
Happy streaming! (& Happy 4th!)
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the internal DAC circuit is very good. I doubt you can beat it’s performance with an outboard unless spending more than the cost of DMC itself.
I can vouch for that. Having been through my share of fancy outboard DACs, the circuit in the DMC is a top-notch performer.
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I am excited to see this has been released!
Glad you’re liking the DMC•1... the internal DAC circuit is very good. I doubt you can beat it’s performance with an outboard unless spending more than the cost of DMC itself.
Happy streaming! (& Happy 4th!)
How is the DAC subjectively compared to VDA2? I would like to minimize components in my system but it never seems the same without the VDA2. :)
Can the USB output to the Transient MKII? Would the USB out mute RCA out, or could you feed a second system simultaneously?
Is there a setting for maximum volume output on the analog or a volume limiter? My concern is one of my kids flipping the volume too loud if the DMC is run directly to an amp.
What about multiple DMC units, is the software able to control multiple units? Could they be synchronized?
Will a matching headphone amplifier make a debut?
I enjoy all my CI Audio gear and have always had the best customer service. Also, website is looking great with the numerous updates!
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I am excited to see this has been released!
How is the DAC subjectively compared to VDA2? I would like to minimize components in my system but it never seems the same without the VDA2. :)
Can the USB output to the Transient MKII? Would the USB out mute RCA out, or could you feed a second system simultaneously?
Is there a setting for maximum volume output on the analog or a volume limiter? My concern is one of my kids flipping the volume too loud if the DMC is run directly to an amp.
What about multiple DMC units, is the software able to control multiple units? Could they be synchronized?
Will a matching headphone amplifier make a debut?
I enjoy all my CI Audio gear and have always had the best customer service. Also, website is looking great with the numerous updates!
The internal DAC of DMC has similar traits to VDA•2 but DMC is superior in all areas and also offers more flexibility with several digital filter and resolution options.
You can connect a USB DAC such as Transient but only one output device can be selected at a time.
Using the internal volume control, there is no adjustable limit. Care must be taken when using this way (I still prefer having an analog control).
Up to 5 devices can be controlled by AudioFile Player. There is no sync feature at this time but our software team is looking into it.
A new headphone amp is a possibility but nothing coming in the near future.
Speakers are the current focus and will be the next release.
Thanks for supporting CIAudio!
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Thanks for the info Dusty!
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(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=211707)
I think this is the best digital music player/streamer on the market and so far customers seem to agree.
Several have replaced much more expensive gear from Lumin, Bryston, Auralic, Mytek etc., and find DMC out-performs them.
AudioCircle promotion ends on July 15th. Last chance to get DMC•1 for $500 off!
Made in USA/5 year warranty.
Call or email us for details.
CIAudio
(805) 984-8282
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Success!
Thank you, Dusty for awesome phone support. [This man has the patience of a saint.]
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Success!
Thank you, Dusty for awesome phone support. [This man has the patience of a saint.]
Haha. He sure does!