Interesting Solution to Stream USB to S/PDIF
Posted by: Skip on 24 April 2010
I have been a big fan of the Devilsound DAC 2.0 cable, and have been on their email list for a couple of years. I thought their new product to allow USB steaming to S/PDIF would be of particular interest to this group, since the Naim DAC won't stream USB.
I recently consigned the original Devilsound DAC to headphone use with a Ray Samuels amp and an RCA to mini adapter, and upgraded my main system to the newest cryo-ed Devilsound 2.1 DAC. At about the size of a slimline Zippo lighter in the middle of a USB cable with a pair of RCA pigtails into my preamp, the Devilsound DAC is a great product for somebody like me who has a great turntable and CD player already, but no room for a full sized DAC, and the new version is smoother with better resolution, and quite the upgrade from their original DAC.
Now the Devilsound folks have come out with another cable under the brand name "Halide" to stream USB to S/PDIF. It runs Streamlength USB receiver code under license from Wavelength Audio, who pioneered the asynchronous USB DAC, so it's 24-bit and 96-kHz, and the output clock is locked to the clock on the Bridge itself for lower jitter.
Since you need a big boy DAC to use one, I have not tried it myself. I did hear Kent's Empirical Off Ramp when we did our Naim DAC audition here vs. the CDS2 (now with 555PS!), and I have seen the HiFace writeups on this forum. The Empirical sounds very good, but it requires space on the shelf for the electronics and additional interconnect cables, as well as a wall wart power supply. The Halide Bridge has all that stuff in the cable itself, and costs about half as much as a result.
When I get my Naim DAC, so pleased have I been with the Devilsound DACs, I intend to make this single cable solution my first call. 60 day money back, just like the Devilsound DAC. Then we can get another shootout together!
For those of you who have tried both, do you believe the BNC or RCA inputs sound better on the Naim DAC? The Halide Bridge comes to order either way. For those of you who have a better understanding of the limits of the Naim DAC, can you see anything in the attached which would keep it from working the the Naim DAC?
Check it out. It looks like a great solution to me. I have not tried the product and will not until I step up to the Naim DAC, but I am pretty sure this is an effort worthy of your attention if you own a Naim DAC of your own.
I recently consigned the original Devilsound DAC to headphone use with a Ray Samuels amp and an RCA to mini adapter, and upgraded my main system to the newest cryo-ed Devilsound 2.1 DAC. At about the size of a slimline Zippo lighter in the middle of a USB cable with a pair of RCA pigtails into my preamp, the Devilsound DAC is a great product for somebody like me who has a great turntable and CD player already, but no room for a full sized DAC, and the new version is smoother with better resolution, and quite the upgrade from their original DAC.
Now the Devilsound folks have come out with another cable under the brand name "Halide" to stream USB to S/PDIF. It runs Streamlength USB receiver code under license from Wavelength Audio, who pioneered the asynchronous USB DAC, so it's 24-bit and 96-kHz, and the output clock is locked to the clock on the Bridge itself for lower jitter.
Since you need a big boy DAC to use one, I have not tried it myself. I did hear Kent's Empirical Off Ramp when we did our Naim DAC audition here vs. the CDS2 (now with 555PS!), and I have seen the HiFace writeups on this forum. The Empirical sounds very good, but it requires space on the shelf for the electronics and additional interconnect cables, as well as a wall wart power supply. The Halide Bridge has all that stuff in the cable itself, and costs about half as much as a result.
When I get my Naim DAC, so pleased have I been with the Devilsound DACs, I intend to make this single cable solution my first call. 60 day money back, just like the Devilsound DAC. Then we can get another shootout together!
For those of you who have tried both, do you believe the BNC or RCA inputs sound better on the Naim DAC? The Halide Bridge comes to order either way. For those of you who have a better understanding of the limits of the Naim DAC, can you see anything in the attached which would keep it from working the the Naim DAC?
Check it out. It looks like a great solution to me. I have not tried the product and will not until I step up to the Naim DAC, but I am pretty sure this is an effort worthy of your attention if you own a Naim DAC of your own.
I bet they would find a way to work with a Naim thought leader if you made contact with them. 