Best digital you've ever heard (to date)

[Yoga]

Regarding USB issues; synergy, synching, filtering, power ect. I would actually place good money on that few, if any, could hear the difference in a blind test between streamed FLAC via USB and a SACD.

There is however a big difference between a crappy dac and a good dac, and also a big difference between mp3:s and FLAC. When we go into details like cables and stuff, I think many decides to hear a difference than actually doing it. Many times I think a good ear wash is a better investment.


Came to think about this guy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjTQsY8rhaM

You could quite easily flip those examples round and people would agree; little difference between 320 MP3 and lossless, big difference between USB / SACD. Horses for courses; perpetual objective discussions based on subjective experience.

When myself and a friend played music through the MSB stack and swapped from Quad USB (SOTM SMS100) to I2S (UMT) the difference hit you in the face. Even my wife would pass that blind A/B very easily, and she's happy with in car speakers. if you choose to believe I'm making that up, so be it.

 

[Yoga]

Nice choices Mike!

Would love to hear that Alpha.

Have you tried streaming to it from the Lumin S1 by any chance? I spoke to a guy recently who preferred the Lumin (A1 in fact) over the S10 as a streamer.

 

[Mike]

Nice choices Mike!

Would love to hear that Alpha.

Have you tried streaming to it from the Lumin S1 by any chance? I spoke to a guy recently who preferred the Lumin (A1 in fact) over the S10 as a streamer.

Yes, I've used the digital out of the Lumin and it works great as a streamer.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Jim Smith]

IMO -

#1 I set up the 4-piece top dCS stack for a manufacturer who used it at CES. Ran it on my system for a week or so before shipping it off to Lost Wages.

I was shocked at how much better it was than I expected. Never heard anything close except maybe #2 (below) when RedBook is the only question...

#2 Berkeley Reference with Berkeley USB converter.

 

[Zero]

Once again, it's AMR for me. I've yet to hear any company do the things that they do with digital.

 

[Julot]

I talk about my own products here, but then again this is why I chose them.

I am content with my combo Antipodes DX music + ICOS Dactablette. We'll bring them to Munich this year.

In fact I am just now ready to let go of our CD player. It is also quite good and definitely easier to use and optimize than any computer audio solution.

My experience with computer audio is that (as always in high end audio) every link of the chain is important: power, router, digital cables, NAS, transport, ethernet cable, files (and therefore how you rip), physical stand, software, remote app even. Which is why I wouldn't call the streamer route "all in one" despite its many advantages. The importance of the digital transport (a strength of Lumïn) is often underestimated. Dealers are often surprised by the effect of a change in NAS on their streamers.

 

[little_mac]

You could quite easily flip those examples round and people would agree; little difference between 320 MP3 and lossless, big difference between USB / SACD. Horses for courses; perpetual objective discussions based on subjective experience.

When myself and a friend played music through the MSB stack and swapped from Quad USB (SOTM SMS100) to I2S (UMT) the difference hit you in the face. Even my wife would pass that blind A/B very easily, and she's happy with in car speakers. if you choose to believe I'm making that up, so be it.

You are right, it is my subjective experience. I guess when you go up the high end ladder these things become obvious but for a layman as myself that probably never will own a set up north of 20k it will not matter.

Man, I need to get some friends with these kinds of equipment

 

[Steve]

Best ever media player I've heard to date....

Microsoft Surface Book i7/16GB/512GB SSD Windows 10 on dual battery power without it's GPU enabled. Wow!

I'm guessing the Surface Pro 4 is Really good too going by the Surface Pro 3 running Windows 10.

 

[Yoga]

A couple of well respected friends on another forum went through iterations of servers; Aurender N10, upgraded Antipodes, TotalDAC, CAPS etc and both found the UK based CAD CAT to be the best. One is a (very) high end audio distributor.

http://www.computeraudiodesign.com/cad-cat/

Some exciting upgrades due for it too, but I can't mention those publicly!

Retails at about £6K if I recall correctly.

 

[Ritmo]

I'm done with CD players. Prefer the simplicity and sound of streamers/players. Had the Bryston BDP-2 with the ARC DAC-8 and upgraded to the Lumin S-1. To my ears, the all in one Lumin sounds much better than the Bryston-ARC combo.

Digital solutions I've heard and really liked: DCS Vivaldi; MSB Diamond 4 and 5; Lumin A-1 and S-1; Linn; Aurender-Berkeley (show environment); and, Bricasti. Have listened to the Lampizator GG under show conditions but the system was having some issues. Listened to the new DCS Rosini at RMAF but it was difficult to form an opinion in show environment.

 

[wisnon]

For me, Lampi GG being fed RBCD upconverted to DSD256 in a CAPs style server in AO Core mode. Playback in Bughead Emperor. R2R territory.

 

[jakez]

Cool thread!

For a long time I was a Linn lover. Then a couple years ago I owned the Wavelength Crimson and that easily topped the Linn Akurate to me. Even the Wavelength Cosecent (one step down from the Crimson) was better.

I now own a Lampizator B7 and it easily jumps ahead of the Crimson - and it was really good. Recently I started using JRiver to upsample to DSD256 - and that is the best digital I've ever heard.

 

[Randy Myers]

Best ever media player I've heard to date....

Microsoft Surface Book i7/16GB/512GB SSD Windows 10 on dual battery power without it's GPU enabled. Wow!

I'm guessing the Surface Pro 4 is Really good too going by the Surface Pro 3 running Windows 10.

My Surface Pro 3 works quite good for my purpose. Far better than streaming through wi-fi....

 

[wisnon]

Cool thread!

For a long time I was a Linn lover. Then a couple years ago I owned the Wavelength Crimson and that easily topped the Linn Akurate to me. Even the Wavelength Cosecent (one step down from the Crimson) was better.

I now own a Lampizator B7 and it easily jumps ahead of the Crimson - and it was really good. Recently I started using JRiver to upsample to DSD256 - and that is the best digital I've ever heard.

Try Signalyst HQ Player to do the same...even better convolution engine.

 

[jakez]

Try Signalyst HQ Player to do the same...even better convolution engine.

Thanks Wisnon. I am very interested in the HQPlayer software and it's on my list, until there is a convenient 'Remote Control' like JRemote for JRiver I'm probably going to wait.

 

[asiufy]

By far, this is the best digital I've heard. I'll make no distinction between PCM, DSD, streaming, USB, etc. as this does it better on all accounts.

I have the good fortune of being able to listen to it right now
It's also a fantastic, reference level preamp, and can have a streamer module added too. So truly all-in-one.

 

[Mike Lavigne]

the best PCM (redbook to 192/24) I've heard so far is the Trinity dac in my system fed by the 24 terabyte NAS -> CAPSv4 Pipeline with Lampizator Komputer mods + Teradak and Uptone LPS -> Totaldac USB cable with Regen. the Trinity sit on a Herzan TS-150 active isolation shelf.

astonishing sound from PCM. forget any 'PCM' ness you might imagine. it fits in with my analog vinyl and tape.

the best dsd up to Quad dsd I'd say is a tie between the Merging Technologies NADAC at RMAF and David Robinson's room, and the Lampizator Golden Gate with Elrog ER300b's in my room fed by the same CPU as above (excepting no Regen). the GG sits on Wave Kinetics A10 U8 decoupling footers.

I suspect if I had the NADAC in my room I would 'prefer' the GG/Elrog but they have different presentations so hard to choose short of having them side by side. I did hear the GG in David Robinson's room but it was not optimized for various reasons.

cool thread idea, btw.

 

[JDLaudio]

Over the past couple of years, I have had several of the main players in house....up to the 20k price range. These include units from Weiss (101), Meitner (DAC 1 & 2_, Bryston (BDA 2 & BDP 2) , Lynx (Hilo), Lumin (S-1), Berkeley (Reference & USB Converter), and Lampizator (Big 7, Lite 7, and Golden Gate). I have also heard MSB, Chord, dCS, and many others in fellow audiophile's systems.
The standouts IMO include the Berkeley Reference, which was particularly good on redbook, regardless of the source. The Lumin S-1, has fine sound quality and an awesome user interface. My finest playback has come from the Lampizator Golden Gate DAC. No other digital gear has created the DSD magic that the GG can provide. I think it equals the redbook performance of the Berkeley Reference. BUT.......when the GG is run direct to the Lampi 211 monoblocks, it has created the most realistic DSD/Redbook playback I have ever experienced (including analog TT). Again, I say "realistic" sounding playback. Turntables have a glorious quality, no doubt. But this Lampi combo is re-creating music that stirs my memory of nearly 40 years in the live entertainment business. That is the highest achievement that a system can attain, in my opinion. This combo just sounds right. The other Lampi 7 units may duplicate the GG magic, when combined with the Lampi 211 monoblocks ?? But I have been unwilling to tear down two systems to see. My two cents.....

 

[Glareskin]

I am still very happy with the sound of my Linn Akurate DS/1.

 

[Jamshed]

Mike
You have summed up very well by giving the best of each category.
I have to now decide between lampizator Golden 7? Or Berkley reference.
I don't have much DSD tracks though.