[CIAudio]

For those attending the RMAF, the Transient MKII & VDC•5 MKII will be used by Angel City Audio in Suite 442.
The Transient will be connected to a MAC Mini, and feeding tube amplification... Stop by for a demo!

[JLM]

I caught a look from Pez/Tyson's coverage.  Any feedback on how they performed?

[HAL]

The Transient MKII DAC with the external power supply sounded very good in the setup with both the MAC Mini and HAL MS-1 Music Servers playing basically all formats. Very nice sounding setup with the Melody tube preamp and monoblock amps driving the ACA speakers.

[woofersus]

I thought it performed quite well for its price point once we sorted out our early issues.  We weren't thrilled when we first hooked it up and tried it, but a few hours later I thoroughly inspected all the connections in the back and found that the power supply was not connected properly and the DAC was actually receiving power via USB.  Now, this was probably absolute worst case scenario for performance when connected this way because neither the MS-1 or the MAC Mini were plugged into the power conditioner we had for all the other gear and hotel AC power during an audio show can be pretty sketchy.  On top of that, the USB cable was 15' long and not particularly beefy.  Nonetheless, powering it with the VDC-5 improved performance substantially, and I would consider it a must if you're thinking of buying the Transient MKII.  I regret that a few people early on Friday didn't get to hear the full performance it is capable of.  The sound as it ended up was open and smooth, with no obvious "digitalness," and while it wasn't especially warm sounding, it was never thin or brittle and conveyed tonality very well.  I don't know the specs but I expect that clocking is very good and jitter is very low.  It was bested slightly by our Onix XCD-50 cd player, but that unit carries a price of $3700 and has a VERY robust power supply and analog section.  We got many positive comments about the sound when using the computer playback system.  When all was said and done I thought it was very good and will absolutely consider it when I'm in the market for a DAC.

[CIAudio]

Thanks for your comments regarding the Transient in your system at RMAF... wish I could have been there 

As you guessed, the Transient uses very low-jitter clock oscillators, which contribute to it's analog-like sound.
Equally important is that these clocks are also very accurate to frequency (within 25ppm). This is what is responsible for the rhythm & pace of the music, and is often overlooked.

The quality of power provided by the USB port can vary widely. Internal switching supplies, video cards, internal layout etc., all contribute to the overall performance. My MB Pro is not too bad (especially when running from it's internal battery). When using the USB power, it's best to keep the cable short for best performance. Our included cable is 1m length, and uses larger gauge wire for the power connections (15ft is asking for trouble).
Adding VDC-5 MKII will always make a nice improvement.

Thanks for using the Transient/VDC-5 combo in your demo system, and I'm glad to hear that everyone enjoyed it!

-Dusty

[Hugh]

Dusty,

I'd like to publicly express my appreciation to you for allowing us to use your DAC in our setup.

It was my very first adventure into the dac world and it's well worth the experience and more.

Hopefully, we'll be able to repeat the experience at future shows.

Thanks again Dusty.

Hugh

[CIAudio]

Thanks Hugh,

I'm glad it worked out well for you and really appreciate you showing the Transient MKII for us.
We've received some very nice comments from the show.
I hope to come visit you soon (on my next trip to Von Schweikert).

Thanks again,
Dusty