New Poll - CD, Streaming from PC/NAS, Streaming from Web only?

[FreddieT]

Richard

Word of warning to those contemplating Linn DS streamers, forget wi fi! Strictly ethernet cabling only. A right pain for many, but highly reliable.

Other steamers are wi fi enabled; but since I had already run Cat 5 cables to most rooms I had free choice and went for Linn. I like being able to songcast between rooms so that you hear the same thing playing in sync when you walk about the house. Even better now I can hear a good facsimile of my turntable in the kitchen without using neighbour baiting levels.

F.

[Richard]

Hi Freddie, all,

Yes I realise some streamers don't have wifi. It's a right lark looking through all the gear and options trying to work out what is needed. I too started putting Cat 5 round the house before wifi took off and did 3 rooms so the desktop pc I'm using for music server to router is cabled. If needed I could cable or use TP link mains plugs for router to streamer.

The Squeezebox is on wifi to router and has behaved perfectly though, no drop-outs, remembers the network when powered off etc, can't fault it. Likewise, although the GUI on the SB is brilliant, the SB control app on the phone makes for an excellent remote and browser.

The thing I found trickiest in all this was working out a usable GUI when the server/laptop wasn't actually in the room. I've now tried both the SB controller app and the Foobar 2000 app and they both work well on the phone.

The sound from the SB analogue outs is surprisingly good but a bit flat and edgy compared with a good CDp. The Beresford Bushmaster MkII (latest firmware) dac is now in place. Very good indeed and amazing value. It took a couple of days to run in. Out of the box it was phasey sounding, light and diffuse, and I was worried but now it is well focused and sweetly detailed with a huge sound stage.

The good old multibit CDp is still in the rack and I've done lots of comparisons. It has a quite different presentation to the streamer, more focussed and narrower sound stage, majoring on the fundamental sounds, a simpler but still very enjoyable sound. I have found similar comparing other CDps using newer dacs. It varies somewhat with album but I'm rapidly growing used to the new sound. That's it so far, mixed bag, mostly positive, now ripped nearly 100 CDs to FLAC plod on...

[pre65]

Stan sent me the "upgrade" chip for my Bushmaster 2 for a very reasonable sum, more so because I did not buy it new from him in the first place.

A really excellent device and superb after-sales service.

[Richard]

Hi Philip, yes I've seen many recommendations for Stan's product and service and mine arrived next day

[Phil Y]

What digital DAC interconnect do you guys use? It needs to be 75 ohm and not too short I gather - most manufacturers will test their gear with typical 1m cables I suppose. Will TV coax be OK or is it worth buying a commercial cable?



I recently borrowed a DAC from a friend to try with my ageing CD player and initially joined them with a cable I had made from RG59. Just out of interest, I then swapped in his £20 (unknown brand) HiFi digital cable he got from Amazon. It was hugely better sounding than my RG59 one. RG59 is 75 ohm so I thought it would be fine but no, it was awful. Maybe it is unsuitable in some way, I don't know, but when I ordered a DAC I ordered a cheap Audioquest digital cable to go with it.

Phil.

[Richard]

Hi Phil, thanks, interesting. I wondered whether to get Beresford's cable but didn't in the end. I made one up with sat TV cable (the good stuff with foam dilectric, copper core and copper foil). It seemed fine so I tried a similar length one of my regular I/C which says OFC AVcable on it (so I assume 75 ohm) and it sounded the same. When Gerry came round yesterday with his Behringer for a listen I said what cable do you use and he produced a cheapie audio I/C. We didn't use it(!!) but after he went I thought I'd try the worst looking thing in my box and it too worked fine, couldn't hear any difference. So I don't doubt your experience but wonder if some source and dac interfaces are more sensitive to a good connection than others?

[Richard]

Oh, I suppose it could be that our cables are all down at a base poor level so all sound similar. We haven't tried one which is marketed as a "digital" I/C and that may be better than these ordinary cables without us knowing. Has anyone else any exp of commercial digital cables vs home made?

[Phil Y]

Hello Richard,

When I get a minuite, I will try the RG59 again and check that I can still hear a difference. I didn't swap back and forward at the time, I just said to myself "OK, so I need to order a cable along with the DAC"
You never know, it might have been a dirty connection or something.

Phil.

[colin.hepburn]

HI /All
When I made up my CT100 Sat coaxial cables
They are directional assuming in as far as the wording on the cable is true?
The outer copper foil is connected at one end only and length of cable is 34 inches

Putting cable on DMM it gives a reading of 0.02 Ohms pin to pin
My £30 IXOS 1051 75ohm Silver Cable is the same 0.02ohms?
I can’t hear any difference between the two of them using from CD to DAC
My 5 meter CT100 from The HDTV running though an optical to Coal converter sounds the same

Here’s a link the IXOS 1051 75ohm Silver Cable blurb on it?? bottom of page
http://www.ebay.fr/itm/IXOS-1051-Sil...-/281805232602

[Richard]

Thanks Colin, yes my SPDIF cable is a similar length of coax but I've connected the braid both ends as I'm using a Squeezebox which would be floating otherwise. The SPDIF cable connects SB ground to DAC ground. DAC ground is connected to pre-amp ground via its analogue interconnect braids.