What's the best DAC digital interface possible?

[Kal Rubinson]

Yes in the case of the SDtrans384, the 32gb SD card limitation is a bit of a pain. But in reality, even if you can only fit 6 albums of DSD 256 on each card, that still gives you at least 5 hours of audio to listen to before you need to spend the couple of minutes to copy over different tracks.

Of course, that assumes that what I want to listen to over a 5 hour span is on one particular card.

How much time would it take to flip a record over 12 times, swap records, clean off the dust etc?

Who cares? I have not played vinyl in years.

 

[Blizzard]

Of course, that assumes that what I want to listen to over a 5 hour span is on one particular card.

Who cares? I have not played vinyl in years.

The way to do it is decide what you want to listen to, then copy it onto the card and listen. While listening, if what you copied wasn't enough, prepare the next set on your laptop while listening, and copy it onto another card. Then simply swap when ready and repeat. 2 cards is all you really need. 32 GB cards are $10 each these days.

I guess it would boil down to how much you value sound quality then. Some audiophiles spend 20X this unit on cables to achieve probably10X less performance enhancement.

 

[Blizzard]

Have YOU bought one?

How does one go about buying one anyway?

I'm thinking about it, but don't really need it since I have 2 mirus's.

Just email the guy at the bottom of the link I shared.

 

[BobShermanEsq]

The way to do it is decide what you want to listen to, then copy it onto the card and listen. While listening, if what you copied wasn't enough, prepare the next set on your laptop while listening, and copy it onto another card. Then simply swap when ready and repeat. 2 cards is all you really need. 32 GB cards are $10 each these days.

I guess it would boil down to how much you value sound quality then. Some audiophiles spend 20X this unit on cables to achieve probably10X less performance enhancement.

Maybe Kal is not that much of an Audiophile. Maybe he is a newbie.

 

[Blizzard]

Maybe Kal is not that much of an Audiophile. Maybe he is a newbie.

As a loyal subscriber to Stereophile since 1993, I have been reading Kal's articles in Stereophile for as long as I remember. I remember how enthusiastic he was to hear the latest low jitter CD transports. But seems like the computer audio revolution has put convenience at #1 position, and sound quality at #2.

 

[Blizzard]

I'll agree with you on this one as long as your happy with the amount of content at your disposal living on the SD Card

The best answers available for you questions have already been answered in previous posts. Post #14 containing Dustin's detailed discription of what they did while implementing this SD card transport might be a good starting point.

 

[BobShermanEsq]

As a loyal subscriber to Stereophile since 1993, I have been reading Kal's articles in Stereophile for as long as I remember. I remember how enthusiastic he was to hear the latest low jitter CD transports. But seems like the computer audio revolution has put convenience at #1 position, and sound quality at #2.

You can have both... Well most of us can... At least once we are cured of OCD...

 

[Kal Rubinson]

The way to do it is decide what you want to listen to, then copy it onto the card and listen. While listening, if what you copied wasn't enough, prepare the next set on your laptop while listening, and copy it onto another card. Then simply swap when ready and repeat. 2 cards is all you really need. 32 GB cards are $10 each these days.

No thanks. I don't want another job.

I guess it would boil down to how much you value sound quality then. Some audiophiles spend 20X this unit on cables to achieve probably10X less performance enhancement.

I think it boils down to the SD's superiority (for argument's sake) as a proof of concept but not a real solution.

 

[Blizzard]

No thanks. I don't want another job.

I think it boils down to the SD's superiority (for argument's sake) as a proof of concept but not a real solution.

I suppose it would take trying it to truly judge. As I have. I also dismissed it as something I would never use on the Mirus. I actually even told Dustin and Mark they should ditch it because it's not the future. Until I actually copied some files onto an SD card and decided to try it. Now Jriver/Jremote, HQplayer, Roon, pure music, Decibal, foobar, audirvana etc have been sitting idle and unused. Same with my NAA powered by low noise LPS.

Then I felt bad and made a point to apologize, and congratulate them on their achievement.

But for me sound is #1. I know not for everyone, but for me, yes.

I guess i'm a rare bird in today's digital landscape.

 

[wisnon]

I'm thinking about it, but don't really need it since I have 2 mirus's.

Just email the guy at the bottom of the link I shared.

32 GB is just not enough. maybe 64gb would work, but 128gb is likely the practical minimum.

 

[wisnon]

As a loyal subscriber to Stereophile since 1993, I have been reading Kal's articles in Stereophile for as long as I remember. I remember how enthusiastic he was to hear the latest low jitter CD transports. But seems like the computer audio revolution has put convenience at #1 position, and sound quality at #2.

No playback engine in any of these things will likely match BE. Many ways to skin a cat and with a battery powered Caps outputting i2s to a Dac with such an HDMI port and playing back upsampled to DSD256 feeding BE will likely beat the simple SD card setup for SQ and convenience.

 

[Kal Rubinson]

No playback engine in any of these things will likely match BE. Many ways to skin a cat and with a battery powered Caps outputting i2s to a Dac with such an HDMI port and playing back upsampled to DSD256 feeding BE will likely beat the simple SD card setup for SQ and convenience.

I cannot parse this statement, possibly because I do not know what "BE" means. Can you restate please?

 

[wisnon]

Since I'm working on developing products, I'm looking at things from another angle. I'm looking for the best ways to do things. I know that the Lampi GG is a great DAC, but I also know it would be much better if they had a better interface option than the Amanero. The reason Lukasz use the Amanero is because he's not a chip programmer. It's tons of work building an interface and all the drivers that are required. Very few DAC manufacturers build their own digital interfaces from scratch. Resonessence is one of the very few, but they are chip manufacturers. The Mirus was designed and built at ESS where they design the DAC chips. So they have the knowledge, resources and manpower at their disposal. But the great thing about Lukasz using the Amanero is, it can very easily be swapped out with a turn key Ethernet renderer board. Q1 2016 some very attractive OEM boards are gonna hit the market. Once Lukasz gets his hands on one, I can assure you the Amanero will bite the dust.

Blizz, Can you alert us to some of these upcoming (DSD256 capable) solutions so that we can read up and do our homework like you in ancipation of the upcoming launches.

 

[wisnon]

LoL

Bughead Emperor playback freeware. Sorry for the jargon Kal, but this is a carry over from other threads and forums with blizz. I know he understands.

 

[Blizzard]

No playback engine in any of these things will likely match BE. Many ways to skin a cat and with a battery powered Caps outputting i2s to a Dac with such an HDMI port and playing back upsampled to DSD256 feeding BE will likely beat the simple SD card setup for SQ and convenience.

It's strange how the opinions from people who have tried this unit are so much different from those who haven't. I haven't read a report from 1 person who bought one of these that didn't say it was the best digital audio they have heard.

 

[Blizzard]

Blizz, Can you alert us to some of these upcoming (DSD256 capable) solutions so that we can read up and do our homework like you in ancipation of the upcoming launches.

You won't find any info on the net on what I'm talking about yet. And this is OEM stuff. Minimum quantity orders will be required.

 

[Blizzard]

LoL

Bughead Emperor playback freeware. Sorry for the jargon Kal, but this is a carry over from other threads and forums with blizz. I know he understands.

Perhaps BE in combination with Ravenna could have a chance at competing with an SD card transport.

 

[wisnon]

It's strange how the opinions from people who have tried this unit are so much different from those who haven't. I haven't read a report from 1 person who bought one of these that didn't say it was the best digital audio they have heard.

You never heard me say its not good. I even gave you the theoretical basis why.

However, you keep talking about ultimate SQ and Whatsbest, etc, so I feel OBLIGED to point out the theoretical shortcomings too...areas for improvement to become the "ultimate"...

 

[wisnon]

Perhaps BE in combination with Ravenna could have a chance at competing with an SD card transport.

Not sure about that blizz, but since we are both speculating, fair enuff. You have your feedback and I have mine and soon we will see how it all plays out. SD card tech has been around with significant maturity since 2012 and the playback engine/UI side of things have NOT advanced much. Heck, by now I expected $300 1TB SDXC cards and they are still not even available even at >$1000.

 

[Blizzard]

You never heard me say its not good. i even gave you the teoretical basis why.

However, you keep talking about ultimate SQ and Whatsbest, etc, so I feel OBLIGED to point out the theoretical shortcomings too...areas for improvement to become the "ultimate"...

Yes it's obvious that the data storage/GUI of these units are the downside. But in actual practice the sound quality makes up for it. So does the price. Personally I'd rather pay $450 for better sound quality, than $17000 for worse sound quality but better GUI/data storage. But to each his own. But as mentioned already, I'm hoping Ravenna is the solution that can combine the best attributes of both into 1.