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Post by aztecax on Oct 17, 2013 22:58:04 GMT -5
Too true! Cymbals and wind instruments (including the human voice) really highlight the qualities of the DC-1. Mark Mark, you are really pushing me towards a purchase. I bought an Oppo 103 early this year and have found it fantastic for all video uses (bluray, DVD, .mkv, Netflix, youtube) and solid for audio purposes via CDs, the file browser and Pandora. Though I have to say, all the raving about the 103 and 105 I felt like the two-channel audio performance was below my expectation. I know the 105 is basically a 103 with upgraded audio circuitry, so to hear you say that the DC-1 is a fair bit ahead of even that is encouraging. I plan on building myself a little music server soon to run JRiver (which I will control with an iOS app). The DC-1's measurements made me shake my head in disbelief but to hear it actually sounds right and to hear others put into words what I found so uninspiring about the Sabre DAC in my Oppo...well, with this sale price, I think I'll have to. I also work in Pro Audio and it sounds like its totally solid to run monitors or headphones as well. Though I have to say the 1/8" headphone jacks are baffling. I just noticed the lack of DSD which is really the only letdown. I don't listen to or seek out DSD materials but it's nice to have all the bases covered. But hey, my 103 does DSD (though from everything I hear, if you want DSD to sound "wooow" you need a DAC with a four-digit pricetag...plus I have beef with DSD on a technical level). If I can ask for some help, though: can someone elaborate on the ASRC for me? Does this just mean it's using async USB and using it's own clock and controlling how the computer sends data?
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Post by garbulky on Oct 17, 2013 23:23:18 GMT -5
Too true! Cymbals and wind instruments (including the human voice) really highlight the qualities of the DC-1. Mark Mark, you are really pushing me towards a purchase. I bought an Oppo 103 early this year and have found it fantastic for all video uses (bluray, DVD, .mkv, Netflix, youtube) and solid for audio purposes via CDs, the file browser and Pandora. Though I have to say, all the raving about the 103 and 105 I felt like the two-channel audio performance was below my expectation. I know the 105 is basically a 103 with upgraded audio circuitry, so to hear you say that the DC-1 is a fair bit ahead of even that is encouraging. I plan on building myself a little music server soon to run JRiver (which I will control with an iOS app). The DC-1's measurements made me shake my head in disbelief but to hear it actually sounds right and to hear others put into words what I found so uninspiring about the Sabre DAC in my Oppo...well, with this sale price, I think I'll have to. I also work in Pro Audio and it sounds like its totally solid to run monitors or headphones as well. Though I have to say the 1/8" headphone jacks are baffling. I just noticed the lack of DSD which is really the only letdown. I don't listen to or seek out DSD materials but it's nice to have all the bases covered. But hey, my 103 does DSD (though from everything I hear, if you want DSD to sound "wooow" you need a DAC with a four-digit pricetag...plus I have beef with DSD on a technical level). If I can ask for some help, though: can someone elaborate on the ASRC for me? Does this just mean it's using async USB and using it's own clock and controlling how the computer sends data? Hi there. The ASRC is different on the DC-1 than the XDA-2. It used to be that the ASRC would resample everything to 96 khz on the XDA-2. The DC-1 is a bit better IMO here. It reduces jitter but does not resample anything and processes it at the original frequency. The ASRC is jitter reduction on all inputs and it's asynchronous. The DC-1 also does asynchronous USB over USB and will do it on TOP of the ASRC so they are two different things both performing a similar function. The XDA-2 was a USB 2 device that required drivers to function. The neat thing about the DC-1 is that if you don't feel like messing with all that, it will also function in regular USB 1 mode which doesn't require you to provide any drivers. Windows has them. However, if I had to guess USB 1 mode will not do any kind of high res (unconfirmed). I haven't tried high res on USB 1 but I have seen how the USB 1 will work and it does so without you needing to download any drivers. So you get both USB 1 and 2 capability. So in that isn't clear the DC-1 gives you the option to enable or disable both asycnhronous USB AND ASRC. DSD is somewhat rare and even though it is the latest feature, I don't think there is a TON of music out there in that format. But you are right it doesn't do native DSD. It will play DSD after being converted to PCM audio which computer software players do. My review of the DC-1: emotivalounge.proboards.com/thread/33501/garbulkys-review-love-female-voice
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Post by aztecax on Oct 17, 2013 23:26:55 GMT -5
Thanks, Garbulky, for your input and I'll give your review a read. That's why I love this board: between klinemj, Monku and you, I have some opinions I can trust. Yeah, DSD is really just terribly inconvenient and probably should have faded into the background. I have plenty of SACD rips that were converted (carefully) into 24/88.2 and they sound great. I'm not worried about some dither sound at -110 or whatever. Also, The DC-1 is 499 so come freakin' on - no room for complaints here!
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Post by garbulky on Oct 17, 2013 23:33:20 GMT -5
Those DSD files will play on the DC-1 as it is now in PCM format. Monku had a different take on the XDA-2, XSP-1, DC-1 than we did (he heard no difference) and I can respect that as I feel he tried to give it a fair shake. So I guess in the end it's really upto the purchaser what they hear/feel. Nobody is really right or wrong here. The main weakness of the DC-1 is the pre-amp at low volume levels. Just not quite lively when going direct to the amplifier. Still damn nice.
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Post by GreenKiwi on Oct 18, 2013 0:46:21 GMT -5
aztecax you will really like jremote, I find it improves the jriver experience dramatically.
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Oct 18, 2013 6:19:18 GMT -5
I need to try the android version of jremote again. I might like it better now that I have everything else set up right.
Aztecax...at $499 you are right. It's a "come on, man!"...deal!
Mark
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Post by aztecax on Oct 18, 2013 7:20:42 GMT -5
I need to try the android version of jremote again. I might like it better now that I have everything else set up right. Aztecax...at $499 you are right. It's a "come on, man!"...deal! Mark Yes, and with the very comfortable window for returns, why not? Does the return policy still apply during sales? P.S. I think I'll probably be picking up the XSP-1 too. And I'm trying to talk myself out of the XPA 1Ls but I know it will just cost me $200 - though the XPA 2 Gen 2 could very well be indistinguishably good. And if I get all of this my speakers will DEFINITELY be the weakpoint in my system. Sigh. Oh well - at least I can be pretty sure that within a year or two I will have a solid two-channel setup all around.
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Post by Jim on Oct 18, 2013 9:01:52 GMT -5
I need to try the android version of jremote again. I might like it better now that I have everything else set up right. Aztecax...at $499 you are right. It's a "come on, man!"...deal! Mark Yes, and with the very comfortable window for returns, why not? Does the return policy still apply during sales? P.S. I think I'll probably be picking up the XSP-1 too. And I'm trying to talk myself out of the XPA 1Ls but I know it will just cost me $200 - though the XPA 2 Gen 2 could very well be indistinguishably good. And if I get all of this my speakers will DEFINITELY be the weakpoint in my system. Sigh. Oh well - at least I can be pretty sure that within a year or two I will have a solid two-channel setup all around. The return policy is the same for normal sales like the current one.
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klinemj
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Post by klinemj on Oct 18, 2013 11:50:09 GMT -5
And this sale certainly does make the other products a real temptation, also!
Mark
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