[kingdeezie]

I have a VDA-2/VAC-1 combo for almost a year, and after having changed my speakers to something a lot more resolving, I find that I am not liking the VDA-2 at all anymore.

There just seems to be a thinness and harshness to the sound overall, and I was wondering if perhaps it had something to do with Jitter.

I am using an Apple TV as a streamer into the VDA-2, and have been reading about how jitter-ridden the digital outputs are on the ATV.

So, is the VDA-2 very sensitive to jitter??

[SatoriGFX]

Perhaps you don't like the sound of your new speakers with your amp.  What amp/speaker combo are you running?  Do you have other sources running in the same system that you do like the sound of?  What were your previous speakers?  What is your room like?

[wilsynet]

What does the rest of the system look like?

[kingdeezie]

Speakers: GR Research Line Sources
Preamp: Mapletree Audio Ultra 4a SE with RAL umbilical
Amplifiers: Custom Odyssey Mono Stratos Extreme SE+s
Analog: Michell Gyrodec SE/Tecnoarm/Dynavector 20XH/Dodd Battery Phono Preamp
Digital: AppleTV/CIA VDA-2/CIA VAC-1

I know I need a new preamp, and I am actively seeking out a new one. Different amplifiers might also be in my future, since I don't know if they are gel-ing with the speakers.

The TT does NOT exibit the same issues as the DAC.

[mooglie]

Perhaps your new speakers have greater resolution, and now you're hearing some "nasties"?  Hard to say, but in my system the VDA*2 is quite smooth and non-fatiguing. 

I use a Blu-Ray player SPDIF output to the DAC with excellent results. I've tried separate transports, but could not hear any real differences.  I'd suggest trying a DVD or Blu_Ray player in place of the Apple.  SPDIF cables can make a big difference, too.  Try an all copper coax cable for a nice warm sound. 

If you dig around the site, Dusty says that lower jitter transports will yield "better" performance.  The CS8416 input receiver supposedly is somewhat tolerant to some jitter. 

[quartet]

I went through a period of finding the highs from my VDA-2 based system quite "rough", but then I plugged the switching power supply of my squeezebox SB3 into a different circuit, and they got a lot cleaner, smoother and better resolved. Makes me wonder about your AppleTV ...

My speakers are Thiel CS .5s, whose tweeters are notoriously unforgiving.

I never did completely figure out which components in my system were affected by what I assume was RF noise pollution, but it wasn't completely confined to the VDA-2, because I thought I heard some improvement in vinyl sound as well. I'm pretty sure my Van Alstine power amp (an Omega III) was quite sensitive to the problem.

I know some people believe you can get RF pollution along the digital signal path as well (perhaps an argument for one of Dusty's SB3 power supplies), but if I have that problem it's awfully subtle.

Hope this helps ... the realization certainly helped me. Oh, and not that long ago I would have been very skeptical if someone had told me that this was the problem.