How I arrived at my current use of a USB connected DAC V1
Posted by: George J on 19 January 2014
System:
Late 2012 MAC Mini. [plain iTunes, with 7805 tracks, amounting to 27.3 days of music or 386.76 GB of AIFF files]
DAC V1 using the asynchronous USB connection.
NAP 100 connected with a standard SNAIC.
Quad ESL 57s connect with six metre lengths of NACA 5 with standard Naim.
In other words a simple system in many ways.
About eight years ago I had to sell my CDS 2 not long after having a new transport mechanism fitted. I had decided that I would one day replace this venerables CDS 2 with the then current CD 5X, which really was a nice player, though not a CDS for all that.
After a stop-gap CD player using only headphone plugged straight in for a while, I eventually came to the conclusion that I might employ my computer to provide a sort of replay platform. I did various experiments with Media Monkey and EAC without ever finding happy results, and as my ancient computer had no possibility of supplying a SPIDF out [either optical or co-axial] I bought a very inexpensive USB connected "aune" DAC which itself had a quite respectable headphone output. I had by then discovered that iTunes is free for a PC, and was rather easy to set up optimally. It must have been because I managed it, even though I am useless at computers.
Eventually I managed to get a 72/Hicap/140 amplifier set and some Royd Minstrels.
This was an incredibly fine arrangement not least considering that it was very inexpensive overall, as everything was either old second hand or rather budget new.
When the chance came I went to the rDAC [Arcam] and to a Nait 5i [italic], as well as ESLs.
By now I was aware that the USB had advantages over SPIDF and when Naim brought out the V1 last year I soon arranged a demonstration of a brand spanking new V1 and NAP 100.
Funny how enforced economic stringency channelled me into such a superb and by no means over-priced system that would never have been a likely direct move from the CDS 2.
ATB from George