My first attempts at understanding computer audio.

[HDMan72]

Hello everyone. I'm an owner of a Mac and a Gateway laptop running Windows 7 that is used for my home theater remote programming and calibration of audio & video. I recently purchased Audioengine A2 speakers w/ DS1 stands along with an Audioquest Dragonfly, this will all be connected to my Mac. This system is due to arrive today. I have a few 24/96 - 24/192 FLAC recordings from HDTracks. The rest of my music is in iTunes as I have Sonos set up in parts of my house. I'm also looking at the Musical Fidelity V-LinkII USB to SPDIF converter for my laptop so I could listen in my living room HT system. My Mac is about 30 some feet away in another room. I'm guessing the V-LinkII is what I need instead of a DAC because my A/V receiver, Anthem MRX-500 lacks a pure analog path for 2ch audio. The V-LinkII will allow me to use Anthem DAC's correct? Also, I only have one 24/192 FLAC recording, will the V-LinkII just pass it as 24/96? I own an Oppo BDP-103 but do not like that I can't get gapless audio playback with certain DLNA servers so I'm guessing direct connection with laptop is best.

[mayhem13]

If you feel a need to own and playback 24/192, then you'll need a system capable of passing it through every stage. For starters, you'll need the VLink 192 instead of the VLink2. The Anthem is 24/192 capable so you're good there.

 

So the big question is do you want and need 24/192 playback. IMO, research the topic for yourself, try and do some listening comparisons and then check on how much 24/192 content is actually available.

[wkhanna]

Even if you do not play 24/192 files, anything played thru the 192 sounds noticeably better regardless of the file resolution. At least this was the result from actully trying both units in my own system.

 

Additionally you get some level of 'future proofing'.

[HDMan72]

How does NuForce & Peachtree Audio compare to Musical Fidelity V192? I'm looking at the NuForce 192S and the Peachtree Audio X1, both are 192 capable.

[Mr.C]

Hello everyone. I'm an owner of a Mac and a Gateway laptop running Windows 7 that is used for my home theater remote programming and calibration of audio & video. I recently purchased Audioengine A2 speakers w/ DS1 stands along with an Audioquest Dragonfly, this will all be connected to my Mac. This system is due to arrive today. I have a few 24/96 - 24/192 FLAC recordings from HDTracks. The rest of my music is in iTunes as I have Sonos set up in parts of my house. I'm also looking at the Musical Fidelity V-LinkII USB to SPDIF converter for my laptop so I could listen in my living room HT system. My Mac is about 30 some feet away in another room. I'm guessing the V-LinkII is what I need instead of a DAC because my A/V receiver, Anthem MRX-500 lacks a pure analog path for 2ch audio. The V-LinkII will allow me to use Anthem DAC's correct? Also, I only have one 24/192 FLAC recording, will the V-LinkII just pass it as 24/96? I own an Oppo BDP-103 but do not like that I can't get gapless audio playback with certain DLNA servers so I'm guessing direct connection with laptop is best.

 

I sounds like you are on the right track. The 24/192 track will be downsampled although this may be done by the OS instead of the V-Link, but it will come through at whichever setting is set in audiomidi. If it was me, I would not worry so much about 24/192 at this stage, you will likely upgrade your entire system before the difference between 24/192 and 24/96 becomes glaring.

[Paul R]

I've only been listening to the X1 for three days, and it is certainly still breaking in, as the sound changes a bit every day. But it is only getting better, and it came out of the box as one *hot* piece of gear. I ordered a NuForce at the same time, and between the two of them, there is no comparison - the Peachtree X1 is better. Between the VLink 192 and the X1 - the X1 is better.

 

Take that with a grain of salt, but I more than a little surprised at how good it really sounds.

 

-Paul

 

 

How does NuForce & Peachtree Audio compare to Musical Fidelity V192? I'm looking at the NuForce 192S and the Peachtree Audio X1, both are 192 capable.

[squidly]

Hmm, I have a V-link 192 on backorder, but your thoughts on the X-1 make me think I should cancel my order. Can you describe how the X-1 is "better" to your ears?

Edit- I just noticed an X-1 review on Amazon. He said it was inferior to his MF V-links and gave it 2 stars

[Paul R]

To each their own. Here, compared to a V-Link 192, the sound from the X1 is way more transparent and neutral, and way more detailed. It is a mixed blessing though, the V-Link is less detailed and "warms" up the sound a bit, making poorly recorded albums sound a bit better. The X1 isn't having any of that! It reproduces what is on the track with an almost brutal honesty.

 

The upside - well recorded stuff sounds amazing.

 

How much, or even if you like it will probably depend upon your system and your tastes more than anything else. If you like neutral and detailed, I think you will love it. It might be a better match for tubed equipment than pure solid state gear, but I really like it. I grimace at some disks now, but oh my god, the good stuff sounds soooo good.

 

The 1 <--> 1 comparisons are from the Wavelength Proton, and the X1 feeding a Benchmark DAC1, the DAC in a NAD T747, and a Peachtree DAC*IT.

 

Beats the pants off the V-LInk 192 I have here, but your milage may vary!

 

-Paul

 

 

Hmm, I have a V-link 192 on backorder, but your thoughts on the X-1 make me think I should cancel my order. Can you describe how the X-1 is "better" to your ears?

Edit- I just noticed an X-1 review on Amazon. He said it was inferior to his MF V-links and gave it 2 stars

[mayhem13]

So there you have it.....two completely opposing subjective opinions of a piece of gear. How's that for a 'matter of taste'?....an astonishingly all in the digital realm. One would think that the two opinions being so polarized that we were talking MP3 vs Lossless. Gotta love this hobby!

[PewterTA]

I originally bought the Peach Tree and didn't think it was near as good as the Musical Fidelity. In my system the peach tree sounded very thin, too bright, and the sound stage just didn't seem right compared to the CDs. I found the Musical Fidelity more realistic and neutral, but still held the warmth and musicality that I wanted in my system. Course I will say that the Musical Fidelity V-Link192 needs to be set to Minimum latency in order to get the full potential out of it. If you don't it doesn't sound as good and give the full potential. However with minimum latency setting, you have to maximize your computer or the audio skips like crazy...

 

For the price the Musical Fidelity (especially at it's price now, I don't think it's worth the $399 it was) is the best choice. It's been the converter that has brought all my audio in line with the DAC I use in my Cambridge Audio 840c CDP vs using it's own transport. Most of the other converters that I used didn't give me the same soundstage, low end, and precision as it's own transport.

 

I will still say that the CA 840c's transport still has the slightest edge for CDs though, but it's a very small margin.

 

It is all for synergy, that's what one has to do, where something may work better in my system, it may not in yours however. I have always gone for the most neutral and realistic sound I can get my system to produce and I make changes as I find them to continue this path of journey. No too paths are the same!