Recent content by unsleepable

I used to think something similar but then one day I tried a line-level DAC straight into a power amp, attenuating the volume from the source application in the computer. Among other things, I found that the background noise was clearly lower than when using analogue attenuation between the DAC...

I am not saying that the remote is bad quality. Just that it's strange to have two sets of volume control buttons on it, and then nothing on the DAC itself. So as preamp this is clearly a limitation, but if you use it with headphones, it's even more disconcerting having to reach out for the...

Apparently not. I don't know if it's a limitation of the protocol or it has to do with the USB driver already in OS X that most asynchronous DACs use. But in order to use integer mode, both the player and the DAC must support it, and it has to be through asynchronous communication.

No volume knob and bit clumsy remote control with separate volume buttons for the DAC and other devices—when I suppose that once you decide which volume control you want to use, you always use the same. Besides, one of the early reviews I've found (in Polish) states that it doesn't sound so...

In reality, the USB connection type doesn't matter so much. It's just that if audio is going to be re-clocked by the receiver, an asynchronous connection makes more sense. Otherwise, a buffer is needed and if timing is way too off, there is the risk of overrunning the buffer. But what matters...

Please, add Kef to the list.

I saw them in an audio show last weekend. They were over white Dynaudio stands—gorgeous to look at. Regrettably, I didn't take a picture but some can already be found in the Internet. Apparently, they are the same spec-wise. There are more pictures here...

I'd do a full backup, let it wipe the device and then restore the backup. As for using different accounts to sync the devices, I think it's probably also unnecessary. Sync settings are set per device, not per account.

The 50A has a big power supply for its rating. The only other integrated that I found with a comparable power supply is the Arcam A19. I also checked other amplifiers, and all the rest I looked into, with similar and even higher power ratings, had smaller power supplies. The 100A, on the other...

Yes, I saw the same. The new 100A is supposed to be class G, though. So giving it the benefit of the doubt, maybe it's not directly comparable with the 50A in terms of power efficiency. But even compared with the Arcam A39, which is also class G, the power supply looks very small.

The Arcam A19 has one of the biggest power supplies among amps in its range.

Well, the XS-2 I had was the previous one—the second version of the XS. But yes, I found that soundstage was deeper and bass tighter, which in my opinion are not strong points of the XS-2. The volume control is also way better. The potentiometer of the XS-2 got loud very fast and was slightly...

I've owned both the Naim DAC-V1 and the Arcam irDac, and was able to compare them side by side at home. When using the V1 as a line-level DAC, I struggled so much to find any differences that I'd say the price difference is not worth it. On the other hand, I also tried the V1 with a Naim XS-2...

In this price range, and taking into account what you are looking for, it will be difficult to top the Arcam A19. I was also utterly unimpressed by the Brio-R when I auditioned it. Lacks all detail in comparison. Exposures are very nice amps. But in comparison to the A19, the 2010s2 is...

Another vote here for the irDac. It's brilliant indeed.