AudioCircle
Industry Circles => NuPrime Audio => Topic started by: halo777 on 7 Jan 2017, 08:35 am
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So, I just ordered an Nuprime HD AVA. I also have an Nuforce IA18 sitting in a box waiting to be hooked up.
Why did I order the HD-AVA? I needed a DAC, and after deep interwebinvestigation I settled on the DAC-10. Logically, I probably should have just purchased a DAC-10 in matching sliver to sit beside the IA18. But, I am a sucker for a good deal, and when I saw that the HD AVA had an integrated DAC 10, and was priced just a few hundred more than the DAC10, I jumped on it.
My concern now is this... I want to us the IA18 as the amp for music coming from the USB Audio RCA output on the HD ASA, for the best SQ.
- Can I configure the internal amp on the HD ASA to power a center channel speaker, for HDMI input? Or is it hardcoded to L&R main?
- When I use the USB Audio and corresponding RCA output to go to the IA18, do I have to have speakers hooked up to the L&R mains on the HD-AVA to avoid buzzing? Apparently this was an issue on certain Nuforce/Nuprime amps
- When utilizing the USB Audio RCA outs to the IA18, if there are speakers attached to the L&R mains on the HD-AVA, can I have them silenced?
- Is it even worth it to send the output to IA18 for better SQ, or should I just use the internal amp on the HD-AVA? The IA-18 looks like an amazing product, so I feel bad not utilizing it.
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Still waiting for my HD AVA to ship!
While Ill admit to being impatient, most companies will have your product shipped within a few business days. Thursday will be the fourth since payment sent, so hopefully wont be too much longer.
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Just got news... it is being shipped today !!!
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Great to know you are getting the new toy soon! Looking forward to your review of the installed product.
I'm very sorry you have had no input regarding your concerns. Until someone with actual experience with the AVA comes along, I can only comment on the last point:
...Is it even worth it to send the output to IA18 for better SQ, or should I just use the internal amp on the HD-AVA? The IA-18 looks like an amazing product, so I feel bad not utilizing it.
If you already have the IA18 (which I agree, looks great from the reviews), I believe it would be a fun experiment to try them both and just decide which is to your preference?
If you prefer the NuPrime's stage, you can sell the IA. If, on the other hand, the AVA used as a PRE and the IA as an AMP yields better results, you already have all the hardware to produce great sound! I actually envy you a little :) LOL!
Let us know how it turns out, best regards,
Rafa.
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Thanks for the tip!
May be a little while, as we are just moving into a new house. But Ill report back once I get everything setup.
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So, the new HD AVA is hooked up. Performing a true A to B test is a little tricky, as it requires rewiring of the speakers and input devices.
My first impression:
- Sound was very clear and detailed
- lacked some bass compared to the well used IA 18
I have been burning it in during the days with low volume tuner input. Have not done a recent A to B test. However, my current impression after about 150 hours of burn in:
- Still very impressed by the detail in the sound
- Not fatiguing to the ears, at all. When you have such clarity, you dont need to play as loud to get the same level of listening pleasure
- I cant comment on the really deep bass, as my new (to me) speakers dont go super low (focal be 927)
- bass, in general, has seemed to improve significantly. Ill need an A to B test with the IA 18 following burn in, to confirm
- There is a wonderful 'airy' feeling, if that makes any sense. Like the separate musical pieces are floating in the air.
- bass has a fullness and punch to it. And doesnt seem to muddy the mids and highs in the least
Bottom line, I absolutely love the HD AVA. It is not really the most user friendly, but that is not high on my priority list. Im just blown away by the basic performance of 2 channel stereo, and will get to all the other bells and whistles later, when I have time to play around.
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It has the IDA-16 amp inside so it ought to sound too.
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+1 Just placed an order with John C. I am happy with an IDA and wanted a little more power and was debating between 2xSTA6+DAC9, IDA-16 but then noticed the AVA had the IDA-16 built in. I was sold!
Thanks John.
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The factory clearance sales can be found at
https://nuoem.com/product-category/sales-promotion/clearance/ (https://nuoem.com/product-category/sales-promotion/clearance/)
We need to clear the stocks to free up cash, so our loss is your gain. On hindsight we should have keep it simple.
If you have bought them recently at higher price, contact me if you plan to order a new product, I will see what I can do.
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Got my AVA via John Castler. Super easy experience and he gave me quite a bit of background and we discussed the sound stuff before ordering.
Initial impressions from a non audiophile:
- at lower volumes slightly more open than IDA-6 but not by a lot. In fact in some recordings the IDA-6 sounds as good (44.1).
- as you crank up the volume, wow .... but then I havent heart a IDA-8 or IDA-16.
- very complex product, however if you want it as a 2-ch audio, its pretty good (just use the 2 dials!).
- the USB DAC input sounds more open than TOSLINK (from my Mac).
Will get back after burn in period.
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Also just to add: configured an old PC with Daphile and connected the USB to the DAC input. Very impressed ....
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AVA QUESTION : If I want to use this in my home theatre 7.1 setup, CAN you use the built in 200 w/ch amp to power your FL & FR and at the same time use the pre-outs to send the other 5.1 channels to your 5 channel amp and subs ? Does this AVA work that way ? thanks new users !
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AVA QUESTION : If I want to use this in my home theatre 7.1 setup, CAN you use the built in 200 w/ch amp to power your FL & FR and at the same time use the pre-outs to send the other 5.1 channels to your 5 channel amp and subs ? Does this AVA work that way ? thanks new users !
Yes.
Take a look at the Home Theater FAQ: http://www.nuprimeaudio.com/faq/
When you are using the USB audio and DAC for 2 channel music listening, turn off the 5 channel amp. Because when USB DAC is used, the other 5.1 channels also get the same stereo signals from USB audio (design quirk).
When using for surround sound movie, set Pure Direct Mode (this will turn off EQ effects that are unnecessary).
This product is difficult to use but if you can get use to the quirks, it is a very good deal at factory clearance price - almost half price of IDA-16 with a free high quality AVP throw in for free.
And the media server works fine with external hard disk, with the file folder type browser, no fancy movie album type UI.
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How do I turn off the 5 channel amp Jason? I have not (and probably never will) use the AVA for anything other than 2 channel....
Best bang for the buck NuPrime gear!
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In your case, you are just setting it up as 2.1 system, then there is no need to turn off anything. That's my preferred setup, I don't really care about the surround channels in a small room.
Years ago I had a huge living room with 5.1 speakers but now with family, 2.1 is more than enough. The extra space are taken up by kid's stuff, :lol:. Old toys, little study desk, a few extra this and that, it is a mess.
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Thx Jason. I listen to the Ava setup w the ls50 to relax/think/daydream. The combo has been therapeutic and I don’t feel bad about not buying the active ls50.
If I get something better I guess I will need to upgrade my speakers and there is no room (for an open baffle).
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The discount on the HD AVP is incredible. You're getting a processor with a server and DAC-10 for the price of a DAC-9.
Or the HD-ADA which includes all of that and an IDA=16 inside all for the price of an IDA-8 plus a 100 bucks.
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We are losing a good chunk of money on the home theatre products :(, yap, this is a tough business.
Products getting better and cheaper every year, but marketing getting smaller.
We are seeing some new customers coming into this hobby but will take another 5 years or so to grow again, when the mp3 generation gets into their 40s.
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Hi,
I'm new to this hobby and with a limited budget. I've been researching the advantages of the using NuPrime HD-AVA as a 2.1 AUDIO system over the IDA-8 in a separate thread (plan to use it with KEF LS50 & KUBE).
In the course of my research I came across this thread and am specifically seeking your inputs on purchasing from NUOEM - does anybody have any prior experience with this site? If yes are you aware of what the process is if you receive a defective product since users have had mixed experiences with HD-AVA?
Thank you for your time & willingness to share,
Ami
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nuoem.com is a site providing service to NuPrime factory and others.
Therefore you are ordering directly from NuPrime, as safe as it can be :).
Products get listed on nuoem.com when they are under clearance, the end of a product lifecycle. Standard warranty coverage and support from Nuprime.
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nuoem.com is a site providing service to NuPrime factory and others.
Therefore you are ordering directly from NuPrime, as safe as it can be :).
Products get listed on nuoem.com when they are under clearance, the end of a product lifecycle. Standard warranty coverage and support from Nuprime.
@rustydoglim Thank you! Really appreciate it if you could share your knowledge on the below:
Does AVA incorporate similar tech as :
1. Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) technology as IDA-16.
2. Cross-Matrix Array (CMA) capacitor bank
Do the RCA inputs go through the IDA-16 AMP module?
Finally (please forgive me if this is a dumb question) Apart from 200 WPC is the AVA more similar to the IDA-8 than IDA-16?
Thank you for your time.
Ami
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Would love to know the answer too although my gut says the analog in goes to the IDA16-like amp module directly without the DSP etc - do we need to enable any bypass in the config?
I am guessing for the optical/coax input, it will go to the AV DAC instead of the DAC10 module?
@rustydoglim Thank you! Really appreciate it if you could share your knowledge on the below:
Does AVA incorporate similar tech as :
1. Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) technology as IDA-16.
2. Cross-Matrix Array (CMA) capacitor bank
Do the RCA inputs go through the IDA-16 AMP module?
Finally (please forgive me if this is a dumb question) Apart from 200 WPC is the AVA more similar to the IDA-8 than IDA-16?
Thank you for your time.
Ami
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Does AVA incorporate similar tech as :
1. Switch-Mode Power Supply (SMPS) technology as IDA-16.
2. Cross-Matrix Array (CMA) capacitor bank
Do the RCA inputs go through the IDA-16 AMP module?
1. SMPS effect is secondary in this case and obviously they are not the same due to different power requirements.
2. Capacitor arrays are also not the same.
RCA inputs have to go through A2D and digital switch before the amp module.
The closes path for HD-AVA to be similar to IDA-16 is from USB input.
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Jason, thx ... this was something I wanted to ask for a while. I am guessing the optical/coax also goes via the A/D. That explains why my linux Daphile box via USB sounds much better with my AVA.
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No, optical/coaxial is digital, it goes into multi-channel DAC in the AVP section.
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Thx, so the only input that goes into the DAC10 DAC is the USB? Wow!
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1. SMPS effect is secondary in this case and obviously they are not the same due to different power requirements.
2. Capacitor arrays are also not the same.
RCA inputs have to go through A2D and digital switch before the amp module.
The closes path for HD-AVA to be similar to IDA-16 is from USB input.
Thank you Jason. How about WiFi (Airplay, DLNA & Miracast)? How are the inputs through these routed into the AMP?
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I've been auditioning the IDA-8 on KEF LS50s and really like the sound. Except that the mid-range feels somewhat flat for a few recordings.
Considering that I will be upgrading the speakers to Magnepans 1.7i -Any opinions on whether the HD-AVA would be better or more future proof?
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I really don't think that buying a discontinued on-clearance-sale product would classify as 'future proof'. But on your LS50s you have, perhaps, the one speaker that is reportedly problematic with the 'NuPrime sound' of newer amps (specially the STA-9: https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=153574.msg1641869#msg1641869). Perhaps IDA-16 is the safer choice here? Perhaps an ST-10? (a bit above the current AVA price tag).
Certainly NOT the STA-9 unless you plan on changing speakers right away.
At any rate, your current KEF speakers enjoy wide renown. So perhaps keep them a while and find the correct matching AMP and then see if you want to upgrade those?
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Future proof is a hard question and depends on your needs. Will it sound good? Yes it will. I use an HDAVA with LS50 and its very neutral, much better than the IDA-6 I have (dont have the IDA-8). It has more digital and analog inputs than I will ever need so it is future proof.
What do I miss in the HDAVA? Two things 1) up-conversion (its debatable if it helps in general but I have seen that it does for bad recordings based on my experience with Audirvana+) and 2) I2S input (for connecting stuff like CDT-8.
I really don't think that buying a discontinued on-clearance-sale product would classify as 'future proof'. But on your LS50s you have, perhaps, the one speaker that is reportedly problematic with the 'NuPrime sound' of newer amps (specially the STA-9: https://www.audiocircle.com/index.php?topic=153574.msg1641869#msg1641869). Perhaps IDA-16 is the safer choice here? Perhaps an ST-10? (a bit above the current AVA price tag).
Certainly NOT the STA-9 unless you plan on changing speakers right away.
At any rate, your current KEF speakers enjoy wide renown. So perhaps keep them a while and find the correct matching AMP and then see if you want to upgrade those?
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Future proof is a hard question and depends on your needs. Will it sound good? Yes it will. I use an HDAVA with LS50 and its very neutral, much better than the IDA-6 I have (dont have the IDA-8). It has more digital and analog inputs than I will ever need so it is future proof.
What do I miss in the HDAVA? Two things 1) up-conversion (its debatable if it helps in general but I have seen that it does for bad recordings based on my experience with Audirvana+) and 2) I2S input (for connecting stuff like CDT-8.
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.
After some introspection I have distilled my confusion into a single line: "Would HD-AVA sound better than IDA-8 on KEF LS50s + KUBE-1?" And I listen to various kinds of music.
This considering (from what I've gleaned through various sources) that the HD-AVA USB DAC is same as DAC-10 and it uses the same AMP module as the IDA-16.
Your thoughts please?
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If it works then yes it is better than the IDA-8 which I found can be much to warm on some speakers. The extra power won't hurt either. I have had an IDA-8 since it was released (long since boxed up) and moved to the DAC-10/ST-10 and there is no comparison so if the HD AVA is just part of the way to the 10 combo it is better.
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Between the Ava and the ida8 I picked the Ava without listening. My reasons - same price, dac10 and ida16 guts and lots of inputs
If the Ava was 2x ida8 I would have taken the ida8 or moved up to dac10/sta10 which is 3x the cost of the ida8
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With USB as input, the DAC and amp inside HD-AVA is better than IDA-8.
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@JackD, @envydd, @rustydoglim: Thank you for sharing your opinions - I have placed an order for the HD-AVA with NUOEM. Will keep you posted on my experience.
BTW - Does anyone have a free- shipping coupon code for NUOEM?
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There is no free shipping from NUOEM, the site's purpose is to provide services for manufacturers. It is not a general purpose retail store.
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As good as the Ava is (for my simple use case with a ls50), I hope nuprime releases a evo influenced mid fi ida32 as Jason has mentioned before. Would be a good reason to upgrade!
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Received my NuPrime HD-AVA today morning and preparing for an overnight listening session :popcorn:.
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I notice a hum/low tone crackle on my speaker when connected to the HD-AVA and not playing anything. This is not present/ audible with the IDA-8. Has anybody else encountered this issue?
Please excuse the quality of the video - was too sleepy to do a good job. https://youtu.be/7FtUFv48nA0
Will try to post a better link of the noise tomorrow using TASCAM to record. Appreciate any suggestions/ feedback.
Thanks,
Ami
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Sorry to hear your crackle etc. I have not experienced this. For me, I can hear a very faint buzz if I put my ears 1" away from my coaxial drivers. Was told it could be some line noise but I never bothered to filter it (lack of time!), its also present with my IDA6. So I assumed its my line or a characteristic of NuP.
Did you check your connections/banana plugs etc. I have seen loose connections doing funky things
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I am also interested in AVA. But this issue is worrying considering you have to ship it to Taiwan for return.
I notice a hum/low tone crackle on my speaker when connected to the HD-AVA and not playing anything. This is not present/ audible with the IDA-8. Has anybody else encountered this issue?
Please excuse the quality of the video - was too sleepy to do a good job. https://youtu.be/7FtUFv48nA0
Will try to post a better link of the noise tomorrow using TASCAM to record. Appreciate any suggestions/ feedback.
Thanks,
Ami
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I thought this user got this resolved, the problem was his cable.
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Hi Jason, What cable would fix it? I have a low hum on my Ava. I am using the stock nuprime cable.
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I am also interested in AVA. But this issue is worrying considering you have to ship it to Taiwan for return.
Hi Jason, What cable would fix it? I have a low hum on my Ava. I am using the stock nuprime cable.
Apologies for silence on topic - Work has been keeping me busy. I'm attempting to isolate it to either power, speaker cable or USB DAC interconnect and will respond before end of week with an update on the hum/ crackle.
Also, will update all with the details of *my* musical impressions of this setup.
Meanwhile one other issue that I've encountered:
1. I've not been able to get Airplay to work. Though AVA WiFi SSID is broadcast my iOS devices cannot connect to it.
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Meanwhile one other issue that I've encountered:
1. I've not been able to get Airplay to work. Though AVA WiFi SSID is broadcast my iOS devices cannot connect to it.
not sure if this will help but in the Q&A it talks about downloading the latest firmware
http://nuprimeaudio.com/faq/?v=7516fd43adaa
Look under HT.
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Sorry to hear your crackle etc. I have not experienced this. For me, I can hear a very faint buzz if I put my ears 1" away from my coaxial drivers. Was told it could be some line noise but I never bothered to filter it (lack of time!), its also present with my IDA6. So I assumed its my line or a characteristic of NuP.
Did you check your connections/banana plugs etc. I have seen loose connections doing funky things
I have not been able to get rid of the buzz. Will update with a recording later this week. This was not present on the IDA-8 with exact same options.
Description of buzz: It's faint and not audible to my ears at listening distance (8 ft from each speaker). It is audible few inches from the speaker cone.
I am in the process of renovating my basement with sound proofing/ sound absorption so will update once this project is complete.
Listed below are the options tried:
1. Swapped USB cables from computer to AMP.
2. Tried on different Laptops WIN as well as MAC.
3. Changed power supply.
not sure if this will help but in the Q&A it talks about downloading the latest firmware
http://nuprimeaudio.com/faq/?v=7516fd43adaa
Look under HT.
Still haven't been able to get AIRPLAY to work.
I downloaded the folder with the FW but was unable to update. Menu navigation is the shortest path to frustration, it is buggy beyond comprehension.
If anybody has successfully attempted the FW update I would appreciate if you could please share your tips. Attached here are some screen captures of both menu and FW folder & file path
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=184287)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=184288)
(https://www.audiocircle.com/image.php?id=184289)
Review of the musicality of the AMP:
The AMP is definitely more musical sounding than the IDA-8. There is a sweetness to the sound that is easily discernible to even non-audiophile ears. I did multiple blind tests playing the same music vis-à-vis the IDA-8 when playing through the USB-DAC. Bass is definitely more pronounced, tight and fulfilling at lower volumes. The sound stage is well described & detailed. Vocals are rich and full throat'd(if that makes sense). Tracks:
1. Pink Floyd: Wish you were here
2. Ed Harcourt: The cusp and the wane
3. Raghu dixit: Preetiya Hesare Neenu (Unplugged version)
4. Muddy Waters: Hoochie coochie man
Thanks,
A
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I downloaded the folder with the FW but was unable to update. Menu navigation is the shortest path to frustration, it is buggy beyond comprehension.
Not sure why you have two identically named folders. Sometimes too long of a filepath can be problematic, but that's not too likely the case here as your first "HD-AVPAVA-USB-20T" folder is directly off the root of your D: Drive.
I do wonder if your second folder might possibly be a downloaded archive (zip) folder? If so that generally won't work unless the files are first extracted.
Steve
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Hmm.... thats the same experience as mine: I tried changing power cables, bought a TrippLite IsoBar power strip etc. Doesnt bother me as the sound is awesome - better than my IDA6 but my IceEdge 1200AS2 amp is slightly better (more bass, slightly warmer). 1200AS2 is the latest Icepower offering and the fact that the HDAVA is close is good. I have also compared to a Hypex NC502 and the HDAVA was more neutral with a little less bass.
For the price, it is unbeatable. OK living with teh faint noise given its only audible a few inches from the drivers.
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Not sure why you have two identically named folders. Sometimes too long of a filepath can be problematic, but that's not too likely the case here as your first "HD-AVPAVA-USB-20T" folder is directly off the root of your D: Drive.
I do wonder if your second folder might possibly be a downloaded archive (zip) folder? If so that generally won't work unless the files are first extracted.
Steve
Thanks for the suggestion. I tried all combinations and none of them worked.
1. Same file path as the extracted zip
2. File located one sub-folder deep (no change to folder name)
3. File placed directly in the USB root (no sub-folders)
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I doubt the USB cord could be an issue since it is digital. I once had a pair of powered speakers which will always has this noise at one location of home. Maybe it is power socket issue there. Did you try other sockets?
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I doubt the USB cord could be an issue since it is digital. I once had a pair of powered speakers which will always has this noise at one location of home. Maybe it is power socket issue there. Did you try other sockets?
Good point - I will try this.
Update:
I just saw a response to my support e-mail from Jason and looks like AIRPLAY on the HD-AVA is an older version and will not work with newer versions of iOS devices. This means that there is no wireless way to play music from this device which sucks: no bluetooth, no airplay.
So apart from the USB DAC to 2 Channel which sounds good. There's not much else going on for this device. Perhaps I'm back in the market for an integrated, maybe back to the IDA-8?
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I thought you felt that the amp is better than the ida8. Why not just add wr100 or a cheap google chromecast.
I have the following connected
- Chromecast Audio w iFi power
- computer via usb
- oppo 203 via coaxial and analog (sacd)
For my ls50s 200w makes a huge difference. I think the better option is to either get a ida16 or wait for the ida32. Or go separates for better sound
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It is pretty hard to find a future proof wireless streaming device. I would use a laptop to feed USB.
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I don't recommend device with wireless built-in (ie. "locked in").
You can always get a cheap "whatever" wireless receiver thing.