i just dunno what would be good since i already have M50s and those are considered really good audiophile
The Dark Side; Digital audio equipment recommendations and setup.
- Thread starter Ed Selley
- Start date
i'm already falling down the audiophile rabbit hole of overspending and i dont even have a job yet (i hope to be by febuary).. and already planning on getting a red or cobalt dragonfly and replacing these M50s with something less analytical and uninteresting but still closed back
if you can give reccomendations for headphones that is awesome but i feel i might as well give me "test" songs so people know what sound signature id probably want, because i cant really describe warm or bright or dark that well but i do well with examples (and im hoping its cheap even though if im spending a lot on a dac i wonder if i should spend a lot on headphones to)
Future Girlfriend- Benson Cut
a Future Funk cut that is genuinely fun and i love the bass kicks mixed with the sample, so i'd love something that can accentuate that kick but keep the melancholic sample sounding fine and not muffled.
Brand New- Can't Get It Out
yeah fuck lacey but i have this at 96/24 and the guitars on the chorus as well as the harmonies lacey does are euphoric.. if this is an uncomfortable example for you i'd replace it with jay som's superbike for a similar guitar punch
Fennesz - Transit (featuring david sylvian)
genuinly beautiful with all the noises in the beginning.. and then mixing the eerie instrumental with sylvians incredible smooth and melancholic voice is just my god
if you can give reccomendations for headphones that is awesome but i feel i might as well give me "test" songs so people know what sound signature id probably want, because i cant really describe warm or bright or dark that well but i do well with examples (and im hoping its cheap even though if im spending a lot on a dac i wonder if i should spend a lot on headphones to)
Future Girlfriend- Benson Cut
a Future Funk cut that is genuinely fun and i love the bass kicks mixed with the sample, so i'd love something that can accentuate that kick but keep the melancholic sample sounding fine and not muffled.
Brand New- Can't Get It Out
yeah fuck lacey but i have this at 96/24 and the guitars on the chorus as well as the harmonies lacey does are euphoric.. if this is an uncomfortable example for you i'd replace it with jay som's superbike for a similar guitar punch
Fennesz - Transit (featuring david sylvian)
genuinly beautiful with all the noises in the beginning.. and then mixing the eerie instrumental with sylvians incredible smooth and melancholic voice is just my god
Well, the Marantz HD-DAC1 arrived. Cold out of the box, it kills the Emotiva. It's noticeably smoother with far better bass extention. I'm happy. Of course, I'm curious what's better.
Does it sound as good as my vinyl rig? No, but it's closer than I expected. It's different, and it sounds really good regardless. I'm looking forward to hearing what happens during break in. I've got 1600+ albums ripped lossless, and many of those I don't have on vinyl, so it's nice to be able to enjoy them again instead of ignoring them.
The setup is basic:
Mac Mini (Mid 2010) with 8 GB RAM
External 1.5 TB FireWire Hard Drive
Audirvana Software
Marantz HD-DAC1
Everything works by wireless network from my phone. Even though I've got it connected to my TV, there's no need to ever turn it on.
Does it sound as good as my vinyl rig? No, but it's closer than I expected. It's different, and it sounds really good regardless. I'm looking forward to hearing what happens during break in. I've got 1600+ albums ripped lossless, and many of those I don't have on vinyl, so it's nice to be able to enjoy them again instead of ignoring them.
The setup is basic:
Mac Mini (Mid 2010) with 8 GB RAM
External 1.5 TB FireWire Hard Drive
Audirvana Software
Marantz HD-DAC1
Everything works by wireless network from my phone. Even though I've got it connected to my TV, there's no need to ever turn it on.
displayname
Well-Known Member
New toys are always exciting! Plus there is the shuffle/playlist to just let the music keep going factor. As much as I love vinyl, digital is great if you're not committing to full records or if anything else is happening in the room.
Slimwhit33
Well-Known Member
I have to admit that I haven't turned on the UltraDeck since I got the Vega/Roon setup. Its just so damn convenient, and TBH it sounds better than the vinyl setup. I still love the vinyl, and I'll be back to it soon enough. But for now the convenience and newness of the Vega just keeps me coming back for more.
Just following up. The Marantz is a winner- at least the DAC. I haven't used the headphone amp, and given that the PrimaLuna Dialogue HP Integrated gives the best headphone performance I've ever heard, I doubt I'll ever use the Marantz for headphones.
Still, at $550 shipped with a 60 day money back guarantee, you can't beat the deal at Music Direct. They've sold out, but have more on order.
apassant
Member
So, that's it, I finally setup a Roon (ROCK) box on an Intel NUC. Setup was super easy, it took me less than 30 minutes to get everything up and running (the longest part was to wait 2 days to receive a keyboard - I though it could all be done headless, as I'm used to on Raspberry Pi - and a mini-HDMI adaptor), plus another 10 minutes for Ropieee (I already had the hardware setup with a Justboom Digi Hat).
I've ripped a first batch of CDs, and I'm super impressed by the Roon UI to navigate through my collection (label search, artists relations, etc.), as well as the metadata editing capabilities. Plus all the liner notes (one reason I'm often frustrated by streaming services). The radio feature is also great, and it definitely changes how I enjoy my CD and FLAC files (label radios are
)
I'm now looking forward (or not) to encoding an additional 500 CDs and polish their meta-data...
I've ripped a first batch of CDs, and I'm super impressed by the Roon UI to navigate through my collection (label search, artists relations, etc.), as well as the metadata editing capabilities. Plus all the liner notes (one reason I'm often frustrated by streaming services). The radio feature is also great, and it definitely changes how I enjoy my CD and FLAC files (label radios are
)I'm now looking forward (or not) to encoding an additional 500 CDs and polish their meta-data...
So, that's it, I finally setup a Roon (ROCK) box on an Intel NUC. Setup was super easy, it took me less than 30 minutes to get everything up and running (the longest part was to wait 2 days to receive a keyboard - I though it could all be done headless, as I'm used to on Raspberry Pi - and a mini-HDMI adaptor), plus another 10 minutes for Ropieee (I already had the hardware setup with a Justboom Digi Hat).
I've ripped a first batch of CDs, and I'm super impressed by the Roon UI to navigate through my collection (label search, artists relations, etc.), as well as the metadata editing capabilities. Plus all the liner notes (one reason I'm often frustrated by streaming services). The radio feature is also great, and it definitely changes how I enjoy my CD and FLAC files (label radios are
I'm now looking forward (or not) to encoding an additional 500 CDs and polish their meta-data...
It’s a slog! But it’s worth it in the end!
Shin Hayata
Member
Very recently took ownership of the Hiby R6 Pro Digital audio player.
It’s a bit on the pricey side (to me) But it’s pure quality.
It’s a bit on the pricey side (to me) But it’s pure quality.
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HuddieLedbetter
Well-Known Member
Hi all. Dropping this in the dark side because I think the question/answer is digital?
I've got a NUC (well, the parts at least) on the way to pair with a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and I'm hoping Roon offers a day after Christmas sale
I've also done a ridiculous thing and bought the Devore O/96 speakers. They arrive sometime next month or early Feb. They are over my budget and will be too big for my current space... and a bunch of lousy stuff happened this year and so this was the balance I brought back in and these are definitely end-game choices
So the current gear is:
Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue ((2014?)
Sonus Faber Concertos 2001 (Devore replacing these) with center channel
Mytek Brooklyn Bridge (2019)
Musical Surroundings Nova III (2019)
Synology NAS (2014?)
Oppo-95
Pioneer SC-57 (2012) amp
and the here's the challenge,
Samsung TV (2012)
a Roku device which is vital to the family happiness -- as we don't have cable
Here's the challenge/question for the group: I wanted to go tube amplification to pair with the high efficiency speakers (clean chain, etc) or in a very different direction the Benchmark amp and either their preAMP or a tube to soften it....but somehow I missed the whole HDMI thing.
I don't really think of the Roku, and I'd had the Oppo hooked up via analog though it also has a HDMI out.
But is there a simple way to do that? Or do I have to go the AV Receiver route?
2 final notes:
1. I've a pair of speaker on the roof that require amplification, (the cables go to the main system and the sc-57 currently drives them) but we might be moving in a year and so it isn't that big of deal
2. Why not ask these questions at the shop I bought the speakers at? Because working with them was a really poor experience that harkened back to the worst stereotypes on sales people (I subsequently bought the phono pre and the Mytek from MD, on a sales) and I would have bought the speakers direct or from anyone else if it had been possible
Budget: $3-5k ish -- timeline, probably 4-8 months. 7K is probably a hard ceiling as I'd like to finish off by returning to the 'table and upgrading that in the following 8 months. (Oddly, I care most of records and so this would be higher, but my beloved wife really just wants the simplicity of streaming...)
Any recommendations and corrections? Apologies if this is a really dumb question...
Thanks all
I've got a NUC (well, the parts at least) on the way to pair with a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and I'm hoping Roon offers a day after Christmas sale
I've also done a ridiculous thing and bought the Devore O/96 speakers. They arrive sometime next month or early Feb. They are over my budget and will be too big for my current space... and a bunch of lousy stuff happened this year and so this was the balance I brought back in and these are definitely end-game choices
So the current gear is:
Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue ((2014?)
Sonus Faber Concertos 2001 (Devore replacing these) with center channel
Mytek Brooklyn Bridge (2019)
Musical Surroundings Nova III (2019)
Synology NAS (2014?)
Oppo-95
Pioneer SC-57 (2012) amp
and the here's the challenge,
Samsung TV (2012)
a Roku device which is vital to the family happiness -- as we don't have cable
Here's the challenge/question for the group: I wanted to go tube amplification to pair with the high efficiency speakers (clean chain, etc) or in a very different direction the Benchmark amp and either their preAMP or a tube to soften it....but somehow I missed the whole HDMI thing.
I don't really think of the Roku, and I'd had the Oppo hooked up via analog though it also has a HDMI out.
But is there a simple way to do that? Or do I have to go the AV Receiver route?
2 final notes:
1. I've a pair of speaker on the roof that require amplification, (the cables go to the main system and the sc-57 currently drives them) but we might be moving in a year and so it isn't that big of deal
2. Why not ask these questions at the shop I bought the speakers at? Because working with them was a really poor experience that harkened back to the worst stereotypes on sales people (I subsequently bought the phono pre and the Mytek from MD, on a sales) and I would have bought the speakers direct or from anyone else if it had been possible
Budget: $3-5k ish -- timeline, probably 4-8 months. 7K is probably a hard ceiling as I'd like to finish off by returning to the 'table and upgrading that in the following 8 months. (Oddly, I care most of records and so this would be higher, but my beloved wife really just wants the simplicity of streaming...)
Any recommendations and corrections? Apologies if this is a really dumb question...
Thanks all
HuddieLedbetter
Well-Known Member
Hi all. Dropping this in the dark side because I think the question/answer is digital?
I've got a NUC (well, the parts at least) on the way to pair with a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and I'm hoping Roon offers a day after Christmas sale
I've also done a ridiculous thing and bought the Devore O/96 speakers. They arrive sometime next month or early Feb. They are over my budget and will be too big for my current space... and a bunch of lousy stuff happened this year and so this was the balance I brought back in and these are definitely end-game choices
So the current gear is:
Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue ((2014?)
Sonus Faber Concertos 2001 (Devore replacing these) with center channel
Mytek Brooklyn Bridge (2019)
Musical Surroundings Nova III (2019)
Synology NAS (2014?)
Oppo-95
Pioneer SC-57 (2012) amp
and the here's the challenge,
Samsung TV (2012)
a Roku device which is vital to the family happiness -- as we don't have cable
Here's the challenge/question for the group: I wanted to go tube amplification to pair with the high efficiency speakers (clean chain, etc) or in a very different direction the Benchmark amp and either their preAMP or a tube to soften it....but somehow I missed the whole HDMI thing.
I don't really think of the Roku, and I'd had the Oppo hooked up via analog though it also has a HDMI out.
But is there a simple way to do that? Or do I have to go the AV Receiver route?
2 final notes:
1. I've a pair of speaker on the roof that require amplification, (the cables go to the main system and the sc-57 currently drives them) but we might be moving in a year and so it isn't that big of deal
2. Why not ask these questions at the shop I bought the speakers at? Because working with them was a really poor experience that harkened back to the worst stereotypes on sales people (I subsequently bought the phono pre and the Mytek from MD, on a sales) and I would have bought the speakers direct or from anyone else if it had been possible
Budget: $3-5k ish -- timeline, probably 4-8 months. 7K is probably a hard ceiling as I'd like to finish off by returning to the 'table and upgrading that in the following 8 months. (Oddly, I care most of records and so this would be higher, but my beloved wife really just wants the simplicity of streaming...)
Any recommendations and corrections? Apologies if this is a really dumb question...
Thanks all
Oh, also -- does anyone know if you can just bypass the Mytek volume and have it controlled by the main? I feel like that should be easy, but dang if I can figure it out and the difference between it and my phono pre (relative listening level is huge) and at some point in going to blow a speaker...
Section 9 of your owner's manual. You can either bypass the volume control (each input independently) or adjust the volume to match other sources.
HuddieLedbetter
Well-Known Member
As always. You are a prince among men. I'm not sure why I failed that intelligence test that many times. Thanks.
Hi all. Dropping this in the dark side because I think the question/answer is digital?
I've got a NUC (well, the parts at least) on the way to pair with a Mytek Brooklyn Bridge and I'm hoping Roon offers a day after Christmas sale
I've also done a ridiculous thing and bought the Devore O/96 speakers. They arrive sometime next month or early Feb. They are over my budget and will be too big for my current space... and a bunch of lousy stuff happened this year and so this was the balance I brought back in and these are definitely end-game choices
So the current gear is:
Debut Carbon, Ortofon Blue ((2014?)
Sonus Faber Concertos 2001 (Devore replacing these) with center channel
Mytek Brooklyn Bridge (2019)
Musical Surroundings Nova III (2019)
Synology NAS (2014?)
Oppo-95
Pioneer SC-57 (2012) amp
and the here's the challenge,
Samsung TV (2012)
a Roku device which is vital to the family happiness -- as we don't have cable
Here's the challenge/question for the group: I wanted to go tube amplification to pair with the high efficiency speakers (clean chain, etc) or in a very different direction the Benchmark amp and either their preAMP or a tube to soften it....but somehow I missed the whole HDMI thing.
I don't really think of the Roku, and I'd had the Oppo hooked up via analog though it also has a HDMI out.
But is there a simple way to do that? Or do I have to go the AV Receiver route?
2 final notes:
1. I've a pair of speaker on the roof that require amplification, (the cables go to the main system and the sc-57 currently drives them) but we might be moving in a year and so it isn't that big of deal
2. Why not ask these questions at the shop I bought the speakers at? Because working with them was a really poor experience that harkened back to the worst stereotypes on sales people (I subsequently bought the phono pre and the Mytek from MD, on a sales) and I would have bought the speakers direct or from anyone else if it had been possible
Budget: $3-5k ish -- timeline, probably 4-8 months. 7K is probably a hard ceiling as I'd like to finish off by returning to the 'table and upgrading that in the following 8 months. (Oddly, I care most of records and so this would be higher, but my beloved wife really just wants the simplicity of streaming...)
Any recommendations and corrections? Apologies if this is a really dumb question...
Thanks all
Somewhere on the Samsung wil be either a pair or standard RCA outputs or an optical audio output. Route the standard RCA output to your amplifier (probably easiest for others to use) or the optical output to the Brooklyn Bridge. If using standard audio out, set the output to fixed vs variable and use the (new) amp remote to control volume. If using the optical output from the Samsung, set the output to Digital PCM audio.
You can hook the Oppo up the same way- to the amp or use the digital output to the Brooklyn Bridge.
Congrats on the DeVores! Very nice. That said, I'd not go Benchmark for amplification at all.
I'd look towards a PrimaLuna. An EVO 200 or 300 would be a nice pairing, and would also double as a fantastic headphone amp. I'd leave a few hundred dollars aside to upgrade the supplied tubes (I'm not a fan.) The PrimaLuna amps are quite impressive, and super easy to live with for first time tube amp buyers. I'm far from that, and mine has been the most "no drama" tube amp I've ever owned. I did have a tube go bad and cause a fuse to blow. Fixed it myself.
HuddieLedbetter
Well-Known Member
Also... Holy cow, it sounds so much better.... (?!) Yay
HuddieLedbetter
Well-Known Member
That's awesome. Thank you very much (for this and all you contribute). I'm grateful.
Here's a little $50 tweak that either does nothing or it actually works. It goes between a PC/Mac and DAC or between the PC and an external USB hard drive.
Edit: On sale $40 at Music Direct.
Damn if I don't think I hear an improvement with it between the Mac Mini and Marantz DAC. Smoother and the music has more body. It's minor, but it's there. YMMV and all that...
ifi-audio.com
Edit: On sale $40 at Music Direct.
Damn if I don't think I hear an improvement with it between the Mac Mini and Marantz DAC. Smoother and the music has more body. It's minor, but it's there. YMMV and all that...
iSilencer3.0 by iFi audio - USB3.0 Audio Noise Eliminator
Enjoy the silence Plug the iSilencer3.0 into the USB port of any device and the signal and power noise is removed instantly, which means you’ll hear your favourite tunes and videos in perfect audio clarity for the very first time.
ifi-audio.com
Here's a little $50 tweak that either does nothing or it actually works. It goes between a PC/Mac and DAC or between the PC and an external USB hard drive.
Edit: On sale $40 at Music Direct.
Damn if I don't think I hear an improvement with it between the Mac Mini and Marantz DAC. Smoother and the music has more body. It's minor, but it's there. YMMV and all that...
iSilencer3.0 by iFi audio - USB3.0 Audio Noise Eliminator
Enjoy the silence Plug the iSilencer3.0 into the USB port of any device and the signal and power noise is removed instantly, which means you’ll hear your favourite tunes and videos in perfect audio clarity for the very first time.
is this a similar thing to the audioquest jitterbug? That little thing caused me no end of hassle. I was convineed my DAC was knackered when actually removing the jitterbug made everything start talking to each other!
Yes, similar. A few reviews say better. No issues here, and it makes an improvement.
Ed Selley
Active Member
I decided to go from Roon evangelist to Roon zealot;
It's a standard Nucleus. As I still have to test non Roon compatible stuff, I haven’t installed an internal drive so it can access the Melco (and, non Roon stuff can access the Melco directly). It does mean that my ‘front end’ before decoding is now three boxes worth of faff but it means the PC is no longer part of the process and it is dead silent.
It's a standard Nucleus. As I still have to test non Roon compatible stuff, I haven’t installed an internal drive so it can access the Melco (and, non Roon stuff can access the Melco directly). It does mean that my ‘front end’ before decoding is now three boxes worth of faff but it means the PC is no longer part of the process and it is dead silent.