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I can add remote volume control and SPDIF input but the more function you add, the more you take away from the music. At the current design, the digital music get converted from digital to analog and straight out after this D-to-A conversion happen, the music connect to the next stage (preamp or integrated amp) w/o any resistor, capacitor and any other parts that will alter the sound. In 99.99% of DAC on the market, the music right after the D-to-A conversion, it has to go thru, a capacitor/resistor network to filter out the digital noise generated from the D/A chip. So, the sound get altered, modified and tone-adjusted/distored in order to get rid of those unwanted digital noise. In my design, the special transformer also served as digital noise filter, output buffer and hookup wire - so there is really nothing between the sound right out of D/A to the next stage (preamp or integrated amp). That give you the dynamic, clean and clear transparency and the details of the sound. Really, there is nothing in between. The reason that I choose to have only one USB input is to avoid adding extra receiver chip before the D/A chip. In all DAC, the extra receiver chip is just there so the unit can have multiple input types. The downsize of adding this extra receiver chip is the extra process of the digital signal from your music source. You finally rip the CD and upgrade the music server and software to be bit-perfect digital signal playback unit. The music signal is ready to be converted to analog music (D-to-A) but now it has to go thru. this extra receiver device(which is not a 100% perfect device) to introduce more error to the digital signal. In my view, most of user only use one input type - the rest of the input types are there just in-case but hardly used. So, if you only use one type of input, such as USB from music server, the single input DAC will provide the best sound quality"
There are some stellar dac at $4k and under. To spend $8k seems scary to me. Is it upgradeable? DSD? With the speed of digital I wouldn't spend that kind of money on a dac. I did it once and will not do it anymore. There are $1500 dacs that are crazy good.YMMV
So now all the Walmart shoppers come on a thread like this and take over with the prices are dropping daily remarks.Ford Focus and Lexus 460 gets you to the Walmart store with 4 rubber tires. Big difference in ride and $$$. For those who have the $$$ the Lexus is the ride of choice.Let this thread move on without the smell of the Walmart buyer. Let us listen to it for sound sake first.
Thanks for Chiming in. I think I said the ASI was your digital.cable not interconnect. I agree the wywire 3 helped narrow the gap between the dacs, but it definitely didn't close it in my opinion. I also could have sworn you said you had 600+ hours on it for our comparison.The AMR is a smart buy because of how many features it packs while coming close in fidelity but I do not believe it was an equal.
My DAC (still needed a few hundred hrs) was NOT fully broken in. Fred (Gopher) was using a Wywire v3 IC on the GOTO DAC. I was NOT using a ASI liveline but another high-end IC. Was not exactly apples to apples until we switched the Wywire V3 (for a even playing field) my preference went back to the AMR. The WW V3 is quite the difference maker (got one on the way). That IC added the ambience and sense of venue that Fred had mentioned the AMR initially lacked. It was quick a/b with the WW v3 but we were both a lil amazed on how the diff it immed made.
Ozark,3.5K on the used market is 7K retail. I never buy new and look for at least 40 points. The Amarra 4 dac was a great dac at 2K used.Live 2 years behind the times and buy at 60% off retail. The great Alpa dac MK1 is going for 2.6K now.
