Article: CA Bits & Bytes Volume 3: 2012 CES, Upcoming Reviews

[dummy]

Great site with many clear pictures! <br />

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Link is broken so just enter <br />

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http://www.my-hiend.com<br />

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and follow CES 2012 day 1... <br />

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[Priaptor]

I am "hopefully optimistic", but surely this diverts from what they have done and made them so successful in the past.<br />

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I understand what you are saying about UPnP and as I have said in prior posts, that is not my beef. My beef is that it appears, they have NOT addressed the shortcomings of their USB architecture, a much more important facet of a ARC REF Dac than adding a bunch of gadgets, such as an iPhone port, a usb stick port, a display and for that matter UPnP capabilities. <br />

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I can tell you that as a "typical" ARC customer, I buy ARC because usually, when you buy their stuff, SQ is first priority and most of their stuff is upgrade-able to a degree, such as my REF 5, which, is not being replaced, but upgraded for a small fee.<br />

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Of course I will wait, but from what I see, which by their own words, it sounds like DAC 8 USB architecture, I am not thrilled by the direction. <br />

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The approach they are taking,

[Audio_ELF]

Sorry either in not getting your point or you're not getting mine...<br />

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Perhaps ARC feel that bypassing USB completely and using UPnP *IS* the way to improve SQ. Perhaps they feel, as some other manufacturers do, that USB is a flawed interface for audio - certainly it doesn't live up to the expectation of platform I dependence (note the improvements seen with SotM cards) and cable independence. <br />

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Eloise

[Priaptor]

their strategy, but I highly doubt it.<br />

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I have been an ARC customer for years, and if what you are saying is correct (maybe you are right) I would highly doubt they would release a REF product as a so called watershed product. But maybe you are right and I remain open to see what it ultimately turns out to be. However, again, if they are releasing a REF product, I would still expect them to address the limitations of their USB input and it doesn't seem that any of their inputs (including UPnP) is addressing 32/384 or DSD streaming.<br />

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It does look like they are trying to be all things to all people, which is atypical for ARC. <br />

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It also seems like they are almost copying PS Audio's new MKII DAC and adding a tube analogue output.

[agentsmith]

Anxiously awaiting its DSD announcements.

[The Computer Audiophile]

Progress has been made. dCS and other manufacturers have agreed on the method(s) they will use for DSD over USB. <br />

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[agentsmith]

Any clue on when the Debussy machines will be upgradable?