NetMagi Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 For years I've had no good place to listen to 2-ch audio. Now, we've moved, and I've got an entire room all to myself where I can make as much noise as I want What I've got: RF7's QSC PLX1802 ENTECH 203.2 DAC Source will be PC w/FLAC, WAV, high-bitrate MP3's, etc. I used to have a conrad-johnson tube pre last time I had things setup, but I sold it a while ago, and now I've temporarly got the PC's sound card output (analog) going to a harmon kardon AVR5 I had laying around, with the RF-7's plugged right into that. The sound is "ok", but the AVR5 is underpowered for the RF7's, and the analog audio from the sound card sounds muddy and imprecise. I also have a PS3 hooked up to the AVR5 with a flat screen, but I'm not interested in any kind of surround sound. I have a whole other setup for that elsewhere. The Vision: I'd like to be able to use the RF7's and the PLX1802, as I think those two items are keepers. They sound great togther. I need a pre, and while I could use the entech DAC, I'm not opposed to acquiring a new DAC as well. A DAC/pre combo with inputs that could accomodate the PC (via USB?), the PS3, and an AUX source would be great. I'd love to have something that looked sexy on my desk with a usable volume knob. I liked the tube sound of the conrad pre, but I'm certainly not married to it being a tube pre. I found this: http://www.essenceelectrostatic.com/product/high-def-audio-control-center/ It looks like it would do everything I want, plus more. However, it's way too new to have any real reviews out there. I'm interested in hearing some suggestions for both things similar to what I have in mind, or something different. I'd love to hear from folks with a similar list of desires, and what you did and how you like it. I'm not afraid to spend money, but within reason. For all the great 3-5k pre's out there, I know there's also plenty for far less with wonderful reviews. I don't need to spend more to "feel" like it sounds better The HDACC linked above is ~$700. -Rich H. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willland Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 Here you go. http://www.cambridgeaudio.com/products/stream-magic-6-upsampling-network-music-player Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappydue Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 the new emotiva dc-1 is supposed to be awesome and it has a volume. if you are wanting just a dac i think the peachtree makes a really nice one as it uses the sabre like in the high end oppo players. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ski Bum Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 (edited) The Oppo HA-1 and Emo Stealth DC-1 each are $499-at least for now. (Both small form factor headphone amp/DAC/pre w/ balanced xlr pre-outs, kind of like the Essence, but no hdmi.) edit: looks like the Oppo may have a Benchmark type price tag when it's finally released, bummer. Edited December 19, 2013 by Ski Bum Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schu Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 http://app.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-bel-canto-dac3-5-vb-mkii-vbs-1-2013-12-13-digital-94945-novato-ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muel Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 ...and then you would be done! http://app.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-bel-canto-dac3-5-vb-mkii-vbs-1-2013-12-13-digital-94945-novato-ca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1UC Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 (edited) http://app.audiogon.com/listings/da-converters-wyred-4-sound-w4s-dac2-usb-async-optical-coaxial-2013-11-27-digital-94010-hillsborough-ca Awesome DAC I owned one Edited December 19, 2013 by A1UC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetMagi Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 Thank you all for your replies. The Bel Canto looks great, but is more than I *think* I need to spend to get to where I want to be. The DC-1 really has my interest. It's less than what I thought I'd be spending, and seems to check all the boxes. Does anyone here own one? I'll be searching for reviews after this reply. . . I think I'm drawn to it because it's targeted to a different audience, but seems to fit very well for highi-end audio (yet lacks the high-end audio tax), much like the QSC PLX I run Any other QSC PLX users still out there by the way?? -Rich H. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I've got 4 of the PLX2's. LOVE them. Absolute keepers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I have a D2 DAC that I really **** as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetMagi Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 I /fail at patience. I read 3 positive reviews in a row on the DC-1 and just ordered it before I started to overthink it. Fingers crossed it's a winner -Rich H. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark1101 Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 Check out the Benchmark DAC-2.........it is a preamp as well and accepts both digital and analog inputs. It has 3 sets of outputs including balanced to go directly into the PLX amp. It uses the Sabre DAC chips. An awesome unit and seems like what you might be looking for. I have a Benchmark DAC-1 and use a long USB cable from my PC muisc server as one of its inputs. Works excellent. The DAC-1 has been bulletproof, but I have been drooling to get a DAC 2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I have a D2 DAC that I really **** as well. I wonder why it censored the word l i k e ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetMagi Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 I have a D2 DAC that I really **** as well. I wonder why it censored the word l i k e ? it's the future of hi-fi, no opinions, facts only, and our ears will be replaced with signal processors that tell us how good something would sound, if we could hear it :P 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ski Bum Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 I have a D2 DAC that I really **** as well. I wonder why it censored the word l i k e ? it's the future of hi-fi, no opinions, facts only, and our ears will be replaced with signal processors that tell us how good something would sound, if we could hear it :P No opinions, facts only? Looks like the Polk forum will be shutting down. Let us know the facts, er, how you l i k e the Emo. It looks promising. The price is going up to $699 after xmas, so being impulsive may have not been so bad. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 You'll owe it to yourself to do theRF-7 resistor mod at a minimum or go all out and have DeanG give the crossovers the full massage once you get set up. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A1UC Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 (edited) I had the DC-1 and sold it , its a nice featured DAC but the EE Dac Plus and W4S both sounded 2x as good . but both are 2x as much also Edited December 20, 2013 by A1UC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetMagi Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 Received it. One word: EPIC. Full story: Unboxed it, and impressed with weight and build. It's no more than it needs to be, but it's no less than it *should* be. You can tell no corners were cut. Came with a USB cable, but I was too lazy to open the package and used one I had on my desk already. Connected the analog outputs to PLX1802 with a good set of shielded RCA cables. Sound was bleh. Seemed to be missing something and it had a constant hum (ground loop?), as well as a cyclic noise tied to variations in my video output. For ex, scrolling around would yield audible garbage through both channels. I tried various outlets, running everything on the same strip, etc. I could attenuate the noise somewhat by changing up the ground source, but it was still there. . and the sound was still bleh. I was dissapointed to say the least. I figured, ok, maybe their included USB cable does something magic, so I tried swapping it in. Zero difference. I retreated to my bottomless box of "probably never to be used again" A/V cables, and dug out a single balanced XLR MIC cable from circa 1980. Swapped that in place for one of the channels and voila! A single channel of clear delicious sound with zero hum/noise. So, I stopped at guitar center the next day on my way home from work and picked up two new matched balanced XLR cables, swapped them in and it's just pure epic audio bliss now. Sooooooooo clear, sooooo clean. It's hard to describe. Every permutation of past systems I've had together just sounded like they were trying too hard on many tracks. There'd be a handful of tracks that sounded stellar, and the rest just sounded like they were missing something. Not so on this setup. Any decent recording I've thrown at it just comes across crystal and effortless. For those that just starting reading down here, the final setup for me is: [Computer] ----USB Cable----> [Emotiva DC1] ----Balanced XLR cables----> [QSC PLX 1802] ----14ga landscape lighting wire----> [RF7's] I have no doubt if I spent 100k on gear it would sound better than this, but based on any other high-end systems I've auditioned, this is a solid 99/100. I'm not selling my house to buy the last point. The DAC is rock solid and presently under $500, the PLX1802 is a little under $1000, the interconnects from guitar center are well made and cheap (livewire brand, ~$35/each), and 14ga landscape lighting wire for the speakers is dirt cheap at Lowe's by the foot. -Rich H. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NetMagi Posted January 12, 2014 Author Share Posted January 12, 2014 also, forgot to mention. . . fan in QSC amp always always bugged me as I could hear it during low passages, or at low listening volumes. Replaced the stock fan with this one a few days ago: http://www.digikey.com/product-detail/en/3110SB-05W-B20-E00/P14751-ND/2615564 . . .and it's completely quiet now. Temp still seems to be good, even under hard use. The stock fan MOVES A LOT OF AIR, which is probably important if this amp is stuffed in a hot case in the sun driven at 100% during a summer concert. The above-linked fan probably moves less than half the air over the stock fan, but it's still plenty of air to keep it cool under even harsh "home" conditions. -Rich H. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CECAA850 Posted January 12, 2014 Share Posted January 12, 2014 Awesome! Glad it worked out as planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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