Any of y'all North Carolina folks wanna shootout DAC's?

Hantra · « **on:** 17 Jan 2003, 11:17 pm »

All:

I am having a hard time writing a review for you guys about this Scott Nixon DAC, so I figure I'd just try and shoot it out, and that would make it easier to describe the differences. I think my friend will shootout his Musical Fidelity A3 with me, but I need a couple more folks to make it interesting. I can probably get an Audiomeca as well.

Any takers?

B

jqp · « **Reply #1 on:** 17 Jan 2003, 11:59 pm »

I dont have a seperate DAC but I do have the CD-1

BikeWNC · « **Reply #2 on:** 18 Jan 2003, 12:28 am »

I have a Bel Canto Dac2. I would be interested in the shootout if the time would work out. The next few months are starting to fill up with commitments. Perhaps Wayne would lend us a Mensa Dio for comparison.

Rocket · « **Reply #3 on:** 18 Jan 2003, 12:58 am »

hello,

it'd be interesting to read about a comparison between the scott nixon dac, dio mensa and the bel canto dac 2 (even tho this dac is more expensive than the others).

thanks

rod

bob82274 · « **Reply #4 on:** 18 Jan 2003, 02:49 am »

I'm afraid I don't have a DAC to shootout but I would love to attend it if we do get this organized. Weekends are best for me but I can arrange for some weeknight stuff if its in Greensboro.

Hantra · « **Reply #5 on:** 18 Jan 2003, 05:11 am »

Guys:

Any time is good for me. We can have it at my place, although my listening room is small, my system is dialed-in right now! Or if you want to do it elsewhere, the DAC is small, so. hehe

I'd like to have an Audio Note or 47 Labs as well since they are similar in the oversampling department, but I don't have any contacts with AN, and I only know one guy with a Shigaraki, and he's in Nashville.

I'd welcome any DAC's or CDP's for the comparison. I think people here would be interested in either, or all. I'm free any time, except this coming week, and next Saturday, I'm going to see Sam Bush! woohoo!

Any ideas on a date, or time, or alternate venue?

B

WilliamL · « **Reply #6 on:** 18 Jan 2003, 06:11 pm »

Hantra,

The DAC shootout sounds like a cool idea. As far as time and location, we are going to start an Audiophile Society here in Nashville this spring, although that may be a little too far for you to drive.

Cheers,
Bill

Hantra · « **Reply #7 on:** 18 Jan 2003, 06:58 pm »

Hey Bill!

Welcome to the Circle! I'd like to be able to make it to Nashville for meetings, but that is a really long drive. I do really want to come up there and listen to the Avant Gardes!

L8z,

B

Oxia · « **Reply #8 on:** 21 Jan 2003, 05:03 am »

Hantra,

I've been interested in Scott Nixon's TubeDac ever since you first posted about it. However, I'm wondering how you're dealing with the fact that it inverts phase. I know that I can work around this my flipping my speakers' polarity, but that would mean only the TubeDac would be phase-correct, while all my other sources are inverted.

Thanks in advance.

Hantra · « **Reply #9 on:** 21 Jan 2003, 05:20 am »

Ox:

I am dealing with that well b/c I only have one other source. My other source is an XM Radio receiver, and I just built a cable that inverts the phase from that so that I don't have to swap speaker cables when swapping sources.

Other than that, I know the Krell KPS25SC will invert phase with the remote, but only one guy I know of has the loot for that!

B

Al Garay · « **Reply #10 on:** 21 Jan 2003, 04:13 pm »

Any chance of including a modified ART DIO? That would be a meaningful comparison to many of us who have heard it and not the others.

Thanks,

Al

Hantra · « **Reply #11 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 03:05 am »

Al:

I have a tenative offer on a loaner modded DI/O. I don't think it would be fair with the stock version. Nevertheless, all I need are some commitments from others, and a time.

Right now, I have for sure:

Scott Nixon's tube DAC
Musical Fidelity A3

Tenative is:

Smart DI/O
Bel Canto DAC 2

As soon as I get some real answers from these other Carolina folks, it's on.

Thx!

B

Jay S · « **Reply #12 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 03:15 am »

This will be an interesting shootout. Maybe I suggest that you also try the dacs with a good power filter. DACs seem to respond very well to power filtration (which may also help keep noise from the dac from entering other components).

Hantra · « **Reply #13 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 03:32 pm »

Okay fellas. . .

The time we have is 1:30PM to around 5:00PM at my friend Brad's place on Feb. 9th. The reason I'd rather test there is because of the construction noise right behind my listening room. I don't think they will be finished building by the shootout date.

Brad's system is one of the most accurate I have ever heard, and since my system is warm and tubey, this may be a better system to get a truer comparison. He has Stratos monoblocks, and these sweet Excellarray speakers with a TacT RCS 2.1 pre that does really great things for the room.

Nevertheless, I think I got a confirmaton on Andy bringing his Bel Canto DAC 2, and I may be able to still borrow a smART DI/O. That would bring our total to 4 DAC's which is plenty for a shootout.

We can accomodate another two people, so if any others want to join, PM me.

B

audiojerry · « **Reply #14 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 04:07 pm »

How's the weather there in Feb.?

Carlman · « **Reply #15 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 05:04 pm »

I really wish I'd seen this post sooner. I have a Museatex DAC if anyone would be interested... However, I'm out of town that weekend.
I'm considering the Odyssey amps as well so, it would have been extra great to hear them as well.

However, I would be interested in amp shootouts or other stuff in NC. I haven't met anyone here (yet) that has ears. I've been in NC for less than a year.

Please feel free to email me off line.... Especially if anyone has an AKSA or Odyssey they'd like to share an audition with... I'll bring beer, whiskey, water, soda, or whatever!

Thanks,
Carl

Hantra · « **Reply #16 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 06:57 pm »

Oops!

I messed up the date.

Feb. 2nd is the date. . . I just looked at the calendar wrong.

Carl, why don't you try to come out?

Jer, the weather here is beautiful usually in Feb, but right now, it's like 10 at night.

Kewl?

B

Brad V · « **Reply #17 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 08:25 pm »

For those who are coming to my house for the DAC Shootout, the following is some info on the system that the DAC will be inserted into.

Vecteur D-2 Transport --> GW Labs DSP --> Tact RCS 2.2X --> DAC --> Odyssey Stratos Monos --> Excelarray speakers

We won't try to run the DACS with room correction, as we would have to run Mic measurements with each different DAC. So, will run the Tact RCS 2.2 in bypass mode, which basically uses the Tact RCS 2.2X as a very good preamp.

I'm open to using any special IC's, however we should use the same IC's for all the tests. If we use someone else cables, keep in mind that there are 3 digital cables, which need to be 1 meter in length. The Analog IC's need to be 2 meters in length.

I'm looking forward to meeting a bunch of new Audioholics.

Other than Carl, who is already coming, please work thru Hantra, to get directions.

Have a great day,

Brad

Hantra · « **Reply #18 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 08:27 pm »

Hey Brad,

Can you tell us a bit more about the GW Labs piece for those of us who don't know much about it?

Thanks!

B

Brad V · « **Reply #19 on:** 22 Jan 2003, 08:39 pm »

Hi B,

The GW Labs DSP, basically does 3 functions:
1) It reclocks the Jitter
2) It boosts the signal up to 10 times
3) if can upsample the signal to 96

Also, even thought I choose to feed 96k into my Tact, I output 44.1khz out of it, so the DAC will get it's info as a standard Transport would feed it.

Have a great day,

Brad