New JKDAC32 USB DAC

[jkeny]

Thanks guys.... Have either of you compared beach and river directly?

Not really - must do!

Here are my settings:
Version 34
Filecache 1000
Buffer 1
Clock 0
Engine 0
Interface 1
CDBitstream 32
HiRezBitstream 32
Overdrive 1
DedicatedCore 1
USBmode 0
Volume 1
PlaybackOrder 0
DisableCloseButton 0
ThrottleMode 1
SortClipboard 1

Ken, I don't use hibernate as throttle mode is meant to deal with this now?
Mine doesn't revert back to the Hiface driver if I disconnect - it remains at the Young driver for that USB port?
Have you tried -6dB, Ken? Does it kill dynamics as we witnessed yesterday? It doesn't seem to do this on my system but I'll have another critical listen.

[Ken Moreland]

John, I'm using Hibernate together with Throttle and although Throttle by itself is supposed to get close to Hibernate I found it was still better with Hibernate on. Hibernate presents no problems unless you start the wrong album in which case you have to wait or go for a hard stop.

I haven't tried the digital volume control but I'll give it a go and let you know.

KM

[Sligolad]

Pretty much same for me as Ken's set up though i do not use Hibernate much lately given the sound is so good on Throttle mode using the latest version.

Also a Beach fan though i did not carry out much in the way of comparison, just sort of gravitated to it more by instinct....not very scientific i know but just a gut thing, sometimes with so many variables you just have to follow your earlier hunches!

Left my morals behind after spending a tidy sum on HD Tracks and have been downloading all i can from 24bit96khz.org, i expect ISP,s will not be happy with us but hey it's not often you get a free lunch, hope to get back to some serious listening next week.

Looking forward to the next upgrade to Jplay soon and then Win8, might look at building a dedicated bare bones mini PC over the winter for playback only unless someone comes out with a ready to go unit which i expect many are already working on.

Roll on 2012 and more advances in file based playback.

[Rocker]

Great work lads. Apologies if this has been answered already but was the Squeezebox getting its signal wired or wireless? And did you use the digital output or the analogue output from the Squeezebox?

The fact that a Squeezebox was used as a comparison gives great hope to the rest of us [those of us who aspire to kit of the quality of DCS...].

[Ciaran]

Apologies if this has been answered already but was the Squeezebox getting its signal wired or wireless? And did you use the digital output or the analogue output from the Squeezebox?

I'm using the Squeezebox on a wireless network. Digital output to dCS Scarlatti DAC.

[Diapason]

Have to say, I thought this Squeezebox was a serious step down from the laptop and JKDAC.

[dhyantyke]

So if using a PC of source is to become the way of the future, then it must be able to do 16/44 well. Now, yesterdays experiment (and previous experience) suggests to me that the PC route equals or beats the higher end players out there, only falling short when compared to the very best available. It seems likely that if a few small improvements more are made, then it could be very close indeed.

I think the PC front end of things is just a bit too messy. You have the OS, drivers and a lot of other stuff in there that isnt needed nor is optimised for audio playback. I'd like to see the current CDP units being the same but with the optical disc mechanism being replaced with hard disk or internet capability. Perhaps with the SW management of tracks being moved onto an ipad tablet type thing.

Just to say I've found this discussion very interesting and enlightening even if a good percentage of (no. ALL) the technical details are beyond my understanding. As a 'lay' listener I am circling around the computer audio scene (ref my post on 'Sooloos) and am hoping to hear the jkenny Dac soon, but for me the amount of variables as described above are too much to grapple with AND the off the shelf solutions either too expensive or compromising sound quality. Also the CA scene seems to be advancing at a pace.........I'm hoping for a happy result i.e. somebody will produce a 'tidy' package that I can plug in and play and does't cost a fortune ! This thread suggests that might not be far away?! Cheers

[Fran]

squeezebox - yes as Ciaran said, objectively it was fine, but subjectively much less involved, just didn't hold the attention. In fact when it was playing I turned around and all of us were chatting, whereas before with either the jkdac or the dsc stack playing we all shut up and listened.

Fran

*********************
dhyamtyke: To get to the CA level in Ciaran's place: you need a reaonable spec laptop/PC, copy of jplay (€99 or €79 with discount) and one of johns DACs. You need your music ripped as either FLAC or preferably WAV format.

Simple as that really. There are bits to tweak in the software, but genuinely thats very easily done.

Fran

[dhyantyke]

*********************
dhyamtyke: To get to the CA level in Ciaran's place: you need a reaonable spec laptop/PC, copy of jplay (€99 or €79 with discount) and one of johns DACs. You need your music ripped as either FLAC or preferably WAV format.

Simple as that really. There are bits to tweak in the software, [*]but genuinely thats very easily done.[/i][*]

Fran[/quote]

mmmmmm.......that's the sound of interest tempered by doubt in the mind of a technophobe!!

[jkeny]

dhyantyke, as Fran said it is not really to do with tweaking variables - we were doing so only because I found the sound from my DACs embarassing when we first played them. It really is a simple case of putting this DAC in your system & you either like the sound or you don't. If it is not performing as it should I will be able to tell you & we can probably sort it out. Ask Sligolad - there is really no need for any tweaking or consideration of variables unless you want to do so.

The addition of a remote app that runs on your iPad or Andrid tablet gives you the same remote control functionality (probably more) than you get with Sooloos or Sonos and it keeps the PC or laptop hidden in the background & behind the scenes.

Ah, I see you posted while I was composing.

I suggested that I would offer a tour of these devices for people to try in their home systems but I didn't get any expression of interest. Maybe this is one?