Albrecht

So nice to see someone comparing performance to CD. This is what it’s all about isn’t it? To bring digital file player performance closer to CD. I honestly think that many audiophiles are still in the “lets-get-this-working” phase, - and “wow, - isn’t this convenient.”

Hi... thanks for replying... Sometimes when I take a stop and reflect, - i think that it is very easy for folks to keep “pushing” to try and improve something that has a finite ability to be improved. As a songwriter & musician, - I have to catch myself and tell myself that whatever I’m playing out with the playback system will still NEVER approach my Rickenbacker bass & Gibson guitars making signals through my amps: which is very often 4 or 5 generations of recordings once the recorded music becomes “playable” on a system. I just bought a $150 LPS for my NAS, - 2 rooms away from my main system, and further for each of the bedroom’s, garage etc. I wasn’t expecting any changes in the garage or bedrooms, but heard a slight improvement in the main system. This was worth it as I had that money lying around that i didn’t need for food. (Would anyone buy a LPS for their Dell optiplex PC if they’re plugging in a set of headphones that ship with their LG phone)? Depending on the rest of your SYSTEM, many of these super low power digital, networked, single-purpose, mini-computers really could use an LPS, “better” clocking, and signal regeneration. If you’ve spent anywhere near the $13K on a Meitner based playback system, - you’re not going to use a wall-wort SMPS, or a wall-wort SMPS with a Razberri Pi, - just like you wouldn’t plug your Meitner into a Denon receiver with a set of stand mount NHT monitors. If one purchases an OpticalRendu, LPS, USB & optical ethernet SFPs or FMCs, - they’re still never going to push 1/4 of the price of a Meitner DAC. My goal has always been to get the digital file part “closer” to my redbook level playback on my APL. I’ve gotten pretty close so far, - sometimes I can’t tell with redbook discs, but SACD discs still sound better. And I’m lucky enough to flick a switch on the remote and directly compare disc playback with digital file playback. Would a $600 LPS improve the quality of my $800 (all in) QNAP NAS? I’ll never know. $1000 for my NAS/File Server is as far as I’m willing to go... Cheers,

Hello.... In my opinion, - I would say that an LPS CAN POSSIBLY be a good thing to have. If you have a $300 Sony DAC, and $600 Sony speakers with a Denon receiver, - no LPS in an multi-function PC on your audio rack is going to matter. I think that it’s a good idea to think of things as a music playback system, - not selecting or acquiring “good” individual components. For example: my bedroom system performs much worse than my main living room system. I use a Squeezebox Touch and play back music files from a (dining room located) NAS via its internal AKM DAC to an integrated amp. Using a linear power supply for that Squeezebox makes almost no difference compared to the wall-wart. Defeating the LCD screen on the Squeezebox Touch makes more of a difference. I also have a Squeezebox Radio for the garage that a friend gave me, - it would be foolish of me to put a LPS on that.... (Multi-function) computers are noiseboxes IMO. If your file server/computer is on, - or near, - your audio-rack, a greater difference will likely be made by locating it to another room and using a dedicated DF Player, (or network or USB extender), - that is if you have an analog system of “good-enough” performance. Finally, - LPSs are not all created equal. You can buy an $11 JameCo LPS & it doesn’t in any way perform as well as (an appropriately used) LPS that are designed and produced by some of the excellent manufacturers that are discussed here.

True that, - this is all art... and defined by, what “artists” say it is: that is no real universalizable definition. One can derive objective statements to subjective areas: “John McLaughlin can play more distinct notes per a given time measure of musical phrases than Eric Clapton.” Of course, - many people might not value that at all, and say “so what.” I can’t understand why people do this with classifications as well. In the past the record labels told the record stores where to put their releases in what bins, in what section, of the store. I never found Frank Zappa records in the Jazz section, or Hugh Masekela either. A lot of say, - “that’s not jazz” Which translates as: “I don’t like it, so it’s not good jazz to me.”

I don’t really disagree... But speaking as a songwriter, - there’s a big difference between writing music and cramming notes into a measure. He has written some powerful, and beautiful melodies. Also, he is not a singer, - so not sure where that comes from. I also regard Joe Satriani as a “not-very-good” guitar player, - whereas Frank Zappa is a great guitar player. For me, (Clapton) he’s just another part of a late 60s songwriting “team” that lost their muse. (I exclude Ginger Baker from that statement). But then, (as a matter of opinion), i don’t expect anyone to agree with me, - speed is always going to take a backseat to songwriting: a great guitar player, like a great horn player, has the confidence to hold just one note, or not play at all, when it’s needed/required.

So awesome... you’re killing me over here.. So want to hear this DAC. I have been an APL DACs/Universal Player owner since 2003 & found it to be better than any other that I’ve heard: inclusive of the wonderful Meitner’s. I was lucky enough to visit Alex several times and hear a lot of his work. In addition, - i learned a lot during those visits.... We really miss Alex here in the Bay Area....

Hi, Not in my opinion. Simply put, you can’t cut corners. You have a great DAC, - what are your speakers & amp? IMO, - a much bigger difference would be had by replacing the Aurilic. Not sure what you mean be ridiculous, - but $500 is the going rate, and in a system where you have the excellent Metrum, - the differences will be significant. Again, - if you had a DAC like Schitt or something, - you likely wouldn’t need it. The Aurilic Aries Mini, - do you still have one that hasn’t broken yet?, - is a little worse than a Logitech SBT, but lower longevity. There are super cheap LPS “wall wort” power supplies that mostly max out at 1 amp for $11 on Jameco ... but... don’t get you much and IME don’t make much difference. I have owned two Uptone LPSs, 5 Jamecos, 2 TeraDak LPSs, & 2 ZeroZone LPSs. As well as the ifi $50 non-linear. When used on a digital file player, - the TeraDaks and the ZeroZones don’t come any-where near the Uptones. IME, - your system and your AC in your home DO make a difference, so, - again, - if you didn’t have a Metrum, the conversation might change.... And, - I do think that it would be silly to buy a $500 LPS for a $500 digital file player, - (that sounds worse than any $400 Allo-Razberri Pi that you can buy). Finally, - DC cables are going to make a big difference.. it hurt to pay $100+ for a stupid Cardas DC cable, - but it made a very significant difference,- enough so, - that I found it to be a requirement. The above only represents my opinion, with my gear, and other “friends” similar systems. Just to clarify as well, I have a lower performing system in my bedroom with Blue Circle integrated, Fritz speakers, a SBT, Chord Mojo, and a ZeroZone LPS. Good luck.

Hi folks, Casually looking around, and curious. I am about $3000 all-in to a Sonore UltraRendu and Gustard U16 with cables and such.... Want to get rid of the 4 boxes going into my APL and also improve things. Less than zero interest in getting anything that has either a built in DAC or HD. I do not like Auralic products and would never entertain buying anything from them... So far, - what i see out there is... Lumin U1, - at $6K retail... pretty pricey..... DCS Network Bridge, - pretty pricey also, - but definitely in-line with my budget. Bricasti streamer, - (don’t know model). I hear some reports that the DCS NB is really awesome, - others, - no better than the Sonore Sig... I have had all of the Sonore streamers in my system except the Sig, all the Razberri Pi’s, a SotM and the Directstream DAC with a bridge card.... Not willing to discuss replacing or changing DACs. Is there any other really good device that I’m missing? Maybe I should just pull the trigger on a Signature Rendu with an Audio GD HE20???

Hiya, Some of the best amps that I've ever heard... I have owned two Stingrays, and heard most of their line from the early 2000s (model years). Their best amps are the Manley Neo-Classic 500 monoblocks which stack up well IMO, with the amazing amps made by VAC, LAMM, Blue Circle etc. Extremely fast, and high-current, - these amps grab ahold of your speakers with a tight leash and make them really sing. for me, - they are one of the no-brainers of high performance audio. The one caveat I would say is that with some models, - they can be a bit revealing, and so you want to match speakers and sources accordingly. For example, - if you have a very revealing DAC/CD player or turntable that really brings out the detail, - (and perhaps noise), - that is reflected through your system. I have heard the stingray with some AvanteGarde horns and that was not a good match, - IMO... Cheers,

Gustard U16 Super cheap & great quality https://amp.apos.audio/products/gustard-u16-usb-digital-interface?variant=29049782501450&gclid=Cj0KCQjwy8f6BRC7ARIsAPIXOjhpAtGKfjGEir0AuC0709tUdj4hI2Awec2SzcP6AiFcx5bhVVWPbZsaAncxEALw_wcB cheers

no no no no no no, - THANK YOU for yours!!

No, - I don't, - I'll just respond to their posts.

Don't worry, - not spending any: unlike some, - I am not here to attack audiophiles (on an audiophile website), - and call them stupid..... Now that shit is the REAL wasted energy...

Not about me, but I see that isn't stopping you ....

Whatever... Marketing is not scientific investigation/evaluation. What kind of measurements are in Lexus marketing hyperbole...? The marketing and "selling" by the "skeptics" who "straw-man" the equipment are the REAL problem.