2nd Edition
Q&A with John Swenson. Part 1: What is Digital?
What is digital? John Swenson: In order to understand some of the more esoteric interactions between digital systems it is necessary to have a basic understanding of how digital systems actually work at a hardware level. I will attempt to provide enough information to understand the interactions, but not get into the nitty gritty of the real implementation details.
iFi iTube Active Tube Buffer/Preamplifier
The iFi iTube active tube buffer/preamplifier is actually more than that. The iTube includes two "active correction circuits" that are meant to improve your listening experience, just like the New Old Stock (NOS) General Electric 5670 tube that's hidden inside the iTube's aluminum shell.
Getting Started With Computer Audio Part 2: Software
In our Getting Started With Computer Audio Part 1 we discussed Hardware. Now its time to turn our attention inward to the software that makes the hardware do its thing. In Part 1, we defined a few basic hardware categories and each of these have their own related software requirements.
The Light Harmonic GEEK DAC/Headphone amp for $99!
Light Harmonic who brought you the $20,000 Da Vinci DAC (see review) and the $1,000 LightSpeed USB cable (see review) have just launched a Kickstarter campaign for their newest DAC--the portable GEEK.
Creation 5 Media App for the iPhone & iPad
How would you like to be able to stream FLAC and AAC files from your NAS, play Internet radio stations, Rdio content, and YouTube videos all from the same app on your iPhone or iPad? How about using the same app to play music through your DLNA compatible network player? Well Creation has an app for you.
Light Harmonic LightSpeed USB Cable
The LightSpeed USB cable is Light Harmonic’s latest entry to an ever growing and somewhat crowded filed of audiophile USB cables. Light Harmonic, well known for their outstanding Da Vinci DAC that I previously reviewed last January (see review), has created what they feel is a USB cable that very few other manufacturers can match in terms of bandwidth.
VOCO and Murfie Announce Lossless Streaming Service
Hardware manufacturer VOCO and online music retailer/streaming service provider Murfie have teamed up to deliver 'Murfie HiFi' a CD-quality streaming service. The Murfie HiFi service consists of music you've either purchased from Murfie or music that was ripped from the CDs you sent to Murfie (at a cost of $1.00/per CD) and the new lossless streaming service only works with VOCO products.
1st Edition
NAD D 1050 USB Digital to Analog Converter
I like the simple and sleek black matte sides with the shiny strip running down the center as well as the touch-sensitive controls coupled with that big, chunky volume knob. Overall a classy look and feel, imo, for such a modestly priced piece of kit.
Meridian Audio Director (Preview)
The Director is Meridian's step up in terms of size and sound quality from their smaller and headphone output-endowed Explorer (see review). Meridian views the aptly named Explorer as a portable player whereas the Director is meant to sit and remain connected to your hi-fi.
NAS Part 5. Basic Setup & Software
Ideally, when working with a NAS device, you won't have to worry about software since most popular NAS devices come with everything you need preinstalled. If you decide to go with a network player or streamer, the specific configuration and software requirements will be based on the specific device you buy.
Synergistic Research Element C.T.S. Digital AC Cord
Equipment Used in Evaluation: MSB Technology Analog DAC with Analog Power Base, Early 2011 MacBook Pro 2.3 GHz Quad Core i7, 16 GB RAM, Samsung 840 Pro SSD, Promise Pegasus Thunderbolt Drive 8TB, GRAID 8TB Thunderbolt Drives. Audirvana Plus/OSX Mtn Lion, JRiver, JPlay/Windows 8 Pro 64.
M2TECH hiFace DAC
When I learned that TEAC America now distributes M2TECH’s hiFace DAC, a palm-fitting, plug-and-play, Italian-made baby that, for $46 more than Audioquest’s 96kHz/24 bit Dragonfly, delivers up to 384kHz/32 bit performance, my curiosity was piqued. As someone with champagne tastes and a bargain outlet budget, I had to find out if the little baby with the preciously spelled name and the enticing slogan, “Sound quality better than you may expect,” amounted to anything more than an object of idle amusement.
A Guide to Common Music File Types and Formats
For file-based music playback there are a number of popular file formats out there and you may be wondering which is best. The answer is, it depends. It depends on your hardware and software environment since not all music file formats are supported by all file-based music playback devices.
Arcam FMJ D33 Digital to Analog Converter
The Arcam D33 DAC is part of Arcam's FMJ Series (Faithful Musical Joy) of components which includes disk players, a tuner, an integrated amp, a multi-channel amp, and a home theater receiver. The D33, dubbed the "SuperDAC" on the Arcam website, which tickles my fancy, is a fairly straight forward 24/192-capable DAC and its understated and stealth-like appearance, "to seamlessly blend with any style of décor", does not really hint at its SuperDAC-ness which we can assume refers to what goes on inside and eventually comes out.
Resonessence Labs Herus
Coming "within 8 weeks", the new Resonessence Labs Herus DXD/DSD DAC ($TBD but it must be less than the $850 Concero HD but how low can they go?) can handle up to DXD PCM data and native DSD! There's a USB Type B input on the other end so you need a USB cable to connect the Herus to your computer. Stay tuned for more info when its available.
Source Audio Stream
