DAC mistake

[stereonut8]

I may have just taken one step forward and two steps back. I just bought an Ayre C-5exMP to replace an EVS modded Oppo BDP-105 in a stereo system. Even though the Ayre is about 5 years older than the Oppo, I am confident it will sound better on CDs, SACDs, and DVD-As. What it won't do is play the extensive library of music I have on USB thumb drives. I know I can just get a DAC with a USB input analog outputs; but How can I navigate all the folders and tracks? Right now I use an old PC monitor connected to the 105 via HDMI. That won't be possible with a Schiit Modi or any other DAC I know of and I need to sell the Oppo to keep the Ayre. Any suggestions?

 

[MPS]

You could always add a streamer to deliver data to DAC and install a NAS for music files.

OOPS, actually you can't. Looks like Ayre is a multiformat digital disc player without any digital inputs, so you really need a separate DAC for file playback.

 

[stereonut8]

Are there any DACs or servers that support video for navigation? I'm searching; but haven't found one yet.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Are there any DACs or servers that support video for navigation? I'm searching; but haven't found one yet.

Many. Choose a server that runs on a PC/Mac/Linux computer/laptop like JRiver, Roon, Audirvana, etc., etc., ...........................

 

[stereonut8]

Wow! The Kal Rubinson! Thanks for the angle.

 

[CGabriel]

Wow! The Kal Rubinson! Thanks for the angle.

I agree with Kal. I am using a “touchscreen” HP Pavilion PC running Roon. Connect it via USB to the DAC. This gives you an inexpensive, all in one, music server with a touchscreen interface. And yes it sounds great.

 

[stereonut8]

I agree with Kal. I am using a “touchscreen” HP Pavilion PC running Roon. Connect it via USB to the DAC. This gives you an inexpensive, all in one, music server with a touchscreen interface. And yes it sounds great.

Which DAC are you using?

 

[CGabriel]

Which DAC are you using?

Totaldac d1-core. Lampizator Pacific.

 

[Kingsrule]

I agree with Kal. I am using a “touchscreen” HP Pavilion PC running Roon. Connect it via USB to the DAC. This gives you an inexpensive, all in one, music server with a touchscreen interface. And yes it sounds great.

I started with this awhile back. ssd, i7, 16gb ram. It's OK.
But SGC i7 Sonictransporter is much better. Roon Nucleus+ in between.......Iess glare, more depth, bigger sound stage.

 

[bazelio]

+1 to server running Roon. Then simply use the app on a tablet or phone to navigate your music library and play tunes.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Are there any DACs or servers that support video for navigation?

Then simply use the app on a tablet or phone to navigate your music library and play tunes.

Not what the OP asked for, is it?

 

[bazelio]

Presumably it is what he asked for in post #3. If not, my bad.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

Are there any DACs or servers that support video for navigation? I'm searching; but haven't found one yet.

Presumably it is what he asked for in post #3. If not, my bad.

He asked for video navigation which I assume means a large screen. If not, my bad. ;-)

 

[CGabriel]

I started with this awhile back. ssd, i7, 16gb ram. It's OK.
But SGC i7 Sonictransporter is much better. Roon Nucleus+ in between.......Iess glare, more depth, bigger sound stage.

Yes, I know there is always more. But I gave the easy big jump route. We use a NUC running Roon Rock. But a Pc Pavilion as a stand alone works and sounds great.

 

[stereonut8]

Totaldac d1-core. Lampizator Pacific.

I'd heard great things about Lampizator products but neglected to explore them.
Is that a Sheba Inu?

I have decided to keep the Oppo until I can solve this puzzle. Not sure how I will charm the wife. The thing is that I had created a list of possible upgrades to the Oppo and The Ayre C-5 and DX-5 were both on it along with all the Esoterics and usual suspects. When the C-5xePM came up at an attractive price I checked my list quickly and by mistake read the DX-5 line, which was "Yes" in the USB column.

The Ayre DX-5 may be a solution; but it got a luke warm grade on SACD from Fremmer. Also, he said something about converting his FLAC files to AIFF. I don't think I want to do that.

Maybe my wife won't notice the new "box" on the shelf. I don't think I'll be that lucky. The C-5xeMP doesn't look like any of my other stuff.

Happy New Year and once again, I appreciate all the help. I've really learned a lot!

 

[CGabriel]

Yes I have two Shibas: Haku and Hiro names from the Miyazaki “Spirted Away” movie.

The difficulty is SACD. Keeping a spinner that can do SACD and then also do a computer connection is problematic. Not that there aren’t many products that can’t do it, it’s more that I was looking for something a bit extra in sound quality. I had been a longtime digital bigot. But there are now several DACs that bridge the analog-digital gap. So if you can make the leap to an ALL computer file based music system, it is easier. There are ways to rip your SACD collection to DSD or DSF files which I won’t go into. That information is readily available.

Either the Lampizator or the Totaldac are excellent solutions and while I haven’t heard it myself The Aries Cerat Kasandra belongs in that little group.

Roon running in a good computer has excellent “on the fly” upsampling capabilities. I have found that resampling to DSD 256 works very well into the Pacific.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

But there are now several DACs that bridge the analog-digital gap.

Don't they all do that by definition?

 

[microstrip]

(...) The difficulty is SACD. Keeping a spinner that can do SACD and then also do a computer connection is problematic. Not that there aren’t many products that can’t do it, it’s more that I was looking for something a bit extra in sound quality. I had been a longtime digital bigot. But there are now several DACs that bridge the analog-digital gap. So if you can make the leap to an ALL computer file based music system, it is easier. There are ways to rip your SACD collection to DSD or DSF files which I won’t go into. That information is readily available. (...)

The DCS stack spins SACDs and transmits the digital information through a AES/EBU encoded channel. At less using my experimental servers - Roon, W10 and Jcat net - the physical SACD sounds better than ripped files. I have some doubts on SACD ripping - I have several SACD rips of the same album carried by different people using different techniques - Sony playstation and Pionner - and the files differ! As far as I know threre in no way of checking if the rip was bit exact or not.

Anyway ripping SACDs is not an easy affair to most of us - much more complicated than ripping CDs. Until I owned the Vivaldi I considered SACD an unnecessary audiophile curiosity, not anymore after listening to it!

 

[stereonut8]

First, let me say that I am humbled by kindness of the luminaries sharing their experience here. Wow!
Second, let me mention that I really like having all the credits and hopefully the lyrics in my sweaty little hands when I listen to an album the first few times. And later when my memory is in a lapse. (It's not the things I forget that worry me the most. It's the things I 'remember' that never happened!)
That's the main drawback to downloads. If you've never heard of Sound Dike go to https://www.soundike.com. They have an extensive library that you can download by the album or by the song for amazingly low prices. $0.15 per song, or less! Most are 320 kbps and sound pretty good. The only drawback is there's no digital booklet. I just spent 30 min unsuccessfully trying to find out who the female background vocalists are on Southside Johnny's Heartbreak City. Sounds just like Gimme Shelter at one point. Now it will bother me all night. At least I won't be worrying about the wife.

 

[awsmone]

The DCS stack spins SACDs and transmits the digital information through a AES/EBU encoded channel. At less using my experimental servers - Roon, W10 and Jcat net - the physical SACD sounds better than ripped files. I have some doubts on SACD ripping - I have several SACD rips of the same album carried by different people using different techniques - Sony playstation and Pionner - and the files differ! As far as I know threre in no way of checking if the rip was bit exact or not.

Anyway ripping SACDs is not an easy affair to most of us - much more complicated than ripping CDs. Until I owned the Vivaldi I considered SACD an unnecessary audiophile curiosity, not anymore after listening to it!

Micro this is important to me
I have a big sacd collection
I use a dedicated server with my DA2

But I have been thinking of getting a great sacd player for the second system, which prioritises SACD